Al-Zalzalah (Arabic: الزلزلة, al-zalzalah, meaning: "The Quake") is the 99th chapter (surah) of the Qur'an, composed of 8 ayat or verses. Although it is usually classified as a Medinan surah, the period during which the surah was revealed is not unanimously agreed upon by Qur'anic exegetes. Other Abrahamic religions also support the idea of punishment to the wrongdoers like in the Day of Judgement.
| الزلزلة Al-Zalzalah The Quake | |
|---|---|
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| Classification | Medinan(contested) |
| Position | Juzʼ30 |
| No.ofverses | 8 |
| No. of words | 36 |
| No. of letters | 156 |
← Quran 98 | |
The surah begins by describing how on the Day of Judgment, the Earth will give off a terrible earthquake and "throw up her burdens". Through the inspiration of God, the Earth will bear witness to the actions of men it has witnessed. According to Michael Sells, the earth opening up and bearing forth her secrets in this sura is indicative of a birth metaphor. The earth al-'Ard in the feminine gender bears forth of how her lord revealed the final secret to her. Human beings will then realize that the moment of accountability has arrived. This meticulous accountability will reflect good and evil deeds that might have seemed insignificant at the time.[2]
The two concluding verses state that all men will be sorted out into groups according to their deeds, and they will see the consequence of everything they have done; every atom's weight of good or evil:
That day mankind will issue forth in scattered groups to be shown their deeds.
And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then,
And whoso doeth ill an atom's weight will see it then.
— The Qur'an, verses 99:6-8 (translated by Marmaduke Pickthall)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1. إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا
2. وَأَخْرَجَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا
3. وَقَالَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَا لَهَا
4. يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا
5. بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَىٰ لَهَا
6. يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيُرَوْا۟ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ
7. فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُۥ
8. [3]وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُۥ
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