Surah 69: Al-Haqqah
The Holy Qur’an with English Translation and Commentary (Five Volume Commentary)
[a]In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.[4340]
[a] See 1:1.
[4340] Commentary:
See 1:1.
The Inevitable! [4341]
[4341] Important Words:
الحاقة (the Inevitable) is derived from حق which means, it was or became suitable to the requirements of wisdom, justice or truth; it was or became established as a fact. حق الامر means, he established it as a fact. الحاقة being synonymous with حقیقة means, an inevitable event, reality or truth. See also 2:148, 181; 3:109; 23:63; 32:4. (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The word الحاقة having the sense of an established or inevitable fact, or a catastrophe which is sure to happen, or according to some authorities, the final overthrow of disbelief, the verse may refer to the Day of Judgement or to a calamitous event that would befall disbelievers. The calamitous event may particularly refer to the Fall of Mecca when Islam became firmly and finally established in Arabia and idol worship disappeared from the land for all time. The three brief opening verses of the Surah embodied a great prophecy that the overthrow of disbelievers was inevitable. The inevitability of their doom was declared at a time when Islam was yet in its infancy and was fighting for its very existence. The inevitable proved to be literally true, and thus set the seal on the inevitability of the Day of Judgement. See also 13:32.
What is the Inevitable?
And what should make thee know what the Inevitable is?
The tribe of Thamud and the tribe of ‘Ad treated as a lie the sudden calamity.[4342]
[4342] Important Words:
القارعة (the sudden calamity) is derived from قرع. They say قرع رأسه بالعصا i.e. he struck his head with a stick. قرع الباب means, he knocked at the door. القارعة means, a great calamity which strikes terror into the hearts of people (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
Whereas, in the preceding three verses, the inevitability of the doom in store for the opponents of the Holy Prophet was emphasized, in the verse under comment the case of the ‘Ad and the Thamud tribes is cited to warn them that they should learn a lesson from the evil fate of these peoples, who in the remote past, flourished in their neighbourhood.
[a]Then, as for Thamud they were destroyed with a violent blast.[4343]
[a] 41:18; 54:32.
[4343] Commentary:
طاغیة having been derived from طغی which means, he exceeded the limits, signifies an extremely severe punishment. For the nature of the calamity which befell the tribe of Thamud see 7:79; 41:18 & 54:32. It has been variously described in the Holy Qur’an as الصیحة (the violent cry): الرجفة (the earthquake): and الصاعقه (the thunderbolt). In fact it was a severe earthquake.
[b]And as for ‘Ad, they were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind,
[b] 41:17; 54:20.
Which God caused to blow against them for seven nights and eight days continuously, so that thou mightest have seen the people therein lying prostrate[c], as though they were trunks of palm trees fallen down.[4344]
[c] 54:21.
[4344] Important Words:
حسوما (continuously) is derived from حسم. They say حسمه i.e. he cut it off entirely. حسمھم means, he caused them to perish completely. حسم فی العمل means, he laboured hard and wearied himself with continuous work. حسمت الدابة means, I cauterized the beast by successive operations. الایام الحسوم means, evil or unlucky days that are consecutive or permanent, or days preventing good or prosperity; disastrous days (Lane & Aqrab).
صرعٰی (lying prostrate) is the plural of صریع which is derived from صرع. They say صرعه he threw him down on the ground. صریع means, thrown down or prostrated in the ground; affected with epilepsy or madness; slain. One would say رأیت شجرھم صرعٰی i.e. I saw their trees cut down (Lane & Aqrab).
Dost thou see any remnant of them?
[a]And Pharaoh, and those who were before him, and the overthrown cities persistently committed sins.[4345]
[a] 28:9.
[4345] Commentary:
"The overthrown cities" were Sodom and Gomorrah. See also 11:83.
And they disobeyed the Messenger of their Lord[b], therefore He seized them—a severe seizing.
[b] 73:17.
[c]Verily, when the waters rose high, We bore you in the boat,[4346]
[c] 11:41; 54:14.
[4346] Commentary:
The reference in the verse is to Noah’s Flood.