Az-Zalzala

Sūrat Al-Zalzalah (Arabic: سورة الزلزلة‎; "The Quake") is the 99th sura of the Qur'an, composed of 8 verses. Though it is usually classified as a Medinan sura, the period under which the sura was revealed is not unanimously agreed upon by Qur'anic exegetes.

Translation:

When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake (1)

And the earth discharges its cargo(of masses, burdens, and all contents) (2)

And the human says, "What is [wrong] with it?" - (3)

That Day, it will report its news (4)

Because your Lord has commanded it. (5)

That Day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds. (6)

So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, (7)

And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. (8)

The sura 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.^[1]

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)

References

External links

• Al-Zalzala at Sacred Texts