سورة : AzZalzalah

The Prophet (saws) called this verse: The collective comprehensive verse, when he was asked about the obligatory charity of the donkeys and he replied:

(Nothing has been revealed to me regarding this except this comprehensive verse which includes everything: “So whoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it; and whoever, does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.”)[1]

A weight of anything is its heaviness, which is the amount of the earth gravity to it. When the weight of an object is low and it is thrown from high, it falls slowly, as for the heavy thing, it falls quickly because, the power of gravity is stronger. So, when we read the word (weight) we understand it as the heaviness. Therefore, the measure of weight here is the atom.

What is the atom? Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

“If you put your hand on the ground and then raise it, every piece of dust that stick on it is an atom”

It is that is called “dust dispersed”, so the atom is a dust or the dust dispersed. Thus, Allah (swt) does not oppress by the weight of an atom. This is only an “example”, it can be bigger or smaller. This does not mean that an atom is the lowest weight object on earth, since the scientists, through their researches, could break the atom, which involves in the synthesis of the substance, into positive and negative neutrons. This does not contradict the Holy Qur’an; Allah (swt) says:

﴾ لَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا أَصْغَرُ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْبَرُ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ ٰ﴿

 (Not absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is] smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register -.) (Saba: 3)

Therefore, there is a thing that is smaller than an atom.

خَيْرًا يَرَهُ (of good will see it): The good is the opposite of evil. The man can recognize the good because it is useful and well, and on the other hand, he can recognize the evil because it is harmful and ugly. However, the word “good” is sometimes used not as an opposite of evil. For example, it is said that this matter is better than the second one, although the second is also good. Similar to what was narrated by Abo Horayra that the Prophet (saws) said:

(A strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak one, and both are good.)[2]

The strong believer and the weak believer are good, but the goodness has degrees. However, in this verse, (good) does not mean such that, rather, it means the type of the deed itself which can be described as being good, likewise, the type of the deed itself which can be described as being evil.

This is the end, which the man is satisfied with.

 ﴾وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا ۖ وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ ٰ﴿

 (And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all. And if there is [even] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountant.) (Al-Anbiyaa: 47)

The justice that Allah (swt) has established:

  ٰ﴾وَالسَّمَاءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ﴿

 (And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance.) (Ar-Rahman: 7)

Hence, everything is in a balance.

[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, hadith No. 4678.

[2] Sahih Muslim, Book of Destiny, hadith No. 2664.

The depart of people here is related with Allah’s(swt) word (That Day), meaning, the Day of Resurrection. On this day, they come apart and separated into two groups; a group in Paradise, and a group in the Hell. They depart from their graves to the account ground to see the results of their works. They will be either rewarded or punished.

The word (separated) indicates that they do not gather, they will disperse, each one has a destiny. This word (separated) is mentioned in another verse, but in another meaning:

﴾ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا جَمِيعًا أَوْ أَشْتَاتًا ٰ﴿

 (There is no blame upon you whether you eat together or separately.) (An-Noor: 61)

That is because they were eating separately and do not eat together. The Arabic word is also used to refer to a big difference between two persons.

لِّيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ (to be shown [the result of] their deeds): They will see their good and bad deeds. They will be shown what their senses have committed. The deeds cannot be seen, rather, what indicate them, that is the written of their deeds in the records. Allah (swt) says:

 ٰ﴾ وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا % اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا﴿

 (And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open. % [It will be said], “Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant.)
(Al-Israa: 13-14)

If we, in this world, document events by sound and picture, so how would it be of Allah (swt) recording for us? A human will see his deeds of every minute and moment of his life in a way that cannot be denied. Therein, he would be left to himself to hold accountable of him; his tongue and skin would testify of what he had earned, so it will be the greatest testimony.

 

 

أَوْحَى (inspired): This is a hidden inspiration, so Allah (swt) will inspire to the earth and this inspiration is not idiomatic, as some people think, rather it carries linguistic meaning as that mentioned in Surah An-Nahl:

  ٰ﴾وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ﴿

(And your Lord inspired to the bee, “Take for yourself among the mountains, houses, and among the trees and [in] that which they construct.) (An-Nahl: 68)

And it is as the inspiration to the angels:

 ﴾ إِذْ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۚ سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ فَاضْرِبُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْنَاقِ وَاضْرِبُوا مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ ٰ﴿

([Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.”) (Al-Anfal: 12)

And as the inspiration to Um-Musa, as well:

 ﴾وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي ۖ إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ٰ﴿

(And We inspired to the mother of Moses, “Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers.”) (Al-Qasas: 7)

Also, as the inspiration to

 ﴾وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِي وَبِرَسُولِي قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ ٰ﴿

 (And [remember] when I inspired to the disciples, “Believe in Me and in My messenger Jesus.” They said, “We have believed, so bear witness that indeed we are Muslims [in submission to Allah].”) (Al-Maaidah: 111)

So, the earth will understand what Allah (swt) wants, as Allah has prepared it, so it will shake.

It will report of the deeds were done on it whether good or evil.

Abu Horayra (May Allah be please with him) narrated that the Prophet (saws) recited (That Day, it will report its news), then said:

(Do you know what its information is?” They said: “Allah and His Messenger know better.” He said: “That it testifies about what every male or female slave (of Allah) did upon its surface. It says: ‘He did this and that on this day.’ This is its information.)[1]

[1] Sunan At-Tirmidhi, chapters on Tafsir, hadith No.3353.

At that time, the man, who did not believe in the Hereafter, the Resurrection, nor in the Reckoning, would ask, “Why is the earth is shaking, trembling, disturbed such this way? This question indicates foolishness and silliness of those who disbelieved and denied the Resurrection Day, as for the believer, he will know that it is the earthquake of the end.

أَثْقَالَهَا  (Its burdens) refer to what we see of volcanoes and treasures in the underground. (Burdens) may refer, as well, to what inside the graves, Allah (swt) says:

 ﴾وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ ٰ﴿

(And has cast out that within it and relinquished [it].) (Al-Inshiqaq: 4)

 

That is, it threw out what is buried in it of the dead or anything else.

Allah (swt) talks about this natural phenomenon that happens to the earth a lot. He (swt) says:

 ﴾إِذَا رُجَّتِ الْأَرْضُ رَجًّا ٰ﴿

(When the earth is shaken with convulsion.) (Al-Waaqia: 4-7)

The earthquake which is meant in this Surah is not an earthquake that we know which demolishes houses or even uproots some villages and countries. These are merely universal signs to prove the truthfulness of the speech of Allah (swt) and alerts humans to the great earthquake in the Hereafter. Hence, It is a simple example of what will happen in the Hereafter, so that, we will not be deceived with our power in this world. Allah (swt) describes this earthquake on the Day of Judgment as a terrible thing. Allah (swt) says:

  ٰ﴾يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ﴿

(O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing.) (Al-Hajj: 1)

We can imagine how horror this earthquake is, so that it is described as great by Allah (swt) the Great. However, the earth is not standing-alone, but it is based on Allah’s s will and power, if He (swt) wills it to pass away, it will pass away.

In this verse, the earthquake is added to the earth, but it is not as the familiar earthquake. The earthquake of this world does not continue for long. As for the afterlife earthquake, it does not settle down; its shaking and movement continue until everything on it is broken, whether a mountain, a city, a building, or a tree. Therefore, it is a great disorder that destroys the structure.