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سُورَةُ الحَاقَّةِ

Surah 69 - Al-Haaqqa

The Reality

  • 52 verses
  • Juz 29
  • Pages 566 to 568 of the Mushaf

Al-Haaqqa begins with one word said three times over, as a question whose answer is held back. The text first recalls what reached Thamud and Aad, then Pharaoh together with his forerunners, and the towns turned upside down, before the water that rose and the vessel that carried. Then the single blast: earth and mountains lifted and crushed at one stroke, sky broken open, angels along its edges, eight bearing the Throne. Two scenes then answer each other term for term: the one handed his record on the right, the one handed it on the left, with their opposite words. The surah ends on an oath about where this speech comes from, and on an order to glorify.

The main parts

  1. The name of the Day, and what befell earlier peoples1-12
  2. The single blast, and the sky broken open13-18
  3. The record handed into the right hand19-24
  4. The record handed into the left hand25-37
  5. The oath on where this speech comes from38-52

The text of the surah

  1. بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱلْحَآقَّةُ

    The Inevitable Reality -

  2. مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ

    What is the Inevitable Reality?

  3. وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ

    And what can make you know what is the Inevitable Reality?

  4. كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌۢ بِٱلْقَارِعَةِ

    Thamud and 'Aad denied the Striking Calamity.

  5. فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِٱلطَّاغِيَةِ

    So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].

  6. وَأَمَّا عَادٌۭ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِرِيحٍۢ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍۢ

    And as for 'Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind

  7. سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍۢ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًۭا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍۢ

    Which Allah imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.

  8. فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٍۢ

    Then do you see of them any remains?

  9. وَجَآءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَن قَبْلَهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَٰتُ بِٱلْخَاطِئَةِ

    And there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities with sin.

  10. فَعَصَوْا۟ رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةًۭ رَّابِيَةً

    And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with a seizure exceeding [in severity].

  11. إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَا ٱلْمَآءُ حَمَلْنَٰكُمْ فِى ٱلْجَارِيَةِ

    Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried your ancestors in the sailing ship

  12. لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةًۭ وَتَعِيَهَآ أُذُنٌۭ وَٰعِيَةٌۭ

    That We might make it for you a reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it.

  13. فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ نَفْخَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ

    Then when the Horn is blown with one blast

  14. وَحُمِلَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ

    And the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow -

  15. فَيَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَقَعَتِ ٱلْوَاقِعَةُ

    Then on that Day, the Resurrection will occur,

  16. وَٱنشَقَّتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَهِىَ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَاهِيَةٌۭ

    And the heaven will split [open], for that Day it is infirm.

  17. وَٱلْمَلَكُ عَلَىٰٓ أَرْجَآئِهَا ۚ وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ ثَمَٰنِيَةٌۭ

    And the angels are at its edges. And there will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of them].

  18. يَوْمَئِذٍۢ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌۭ

    That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgement]; not hidden among you is anything concealed.

  19. فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ هَآؤُمُ ٱقْرَءُوا۟ كِتَٰبِيَهْ

    So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, "Here, read my record!

  20. إِنِّى ظَنَنتُ أَنِّى مُلَٰقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ

    Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account."

  21. فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍۢ رَّاضِيَةٍۢ

    So he will be in a pleasant life -

  22. فِى جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍۢ

    In an elevated garden,

  23. قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌۭ

    Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near.

  24. كُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ هَنِيٓـًٔۢا بِمَآ أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَيَّامِ ٱلْخَالِيَةِ

    [They will be told], "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth in the days past."

  25. وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِشِمَالِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَٰبِيَهْ

    But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, "Oh, I wish I had not been given my record

  26. وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ

    And had not known what is my account.

  27. يَٰلَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ ٱلْقَاضِيَةَ

    I wish my death had been the decisive one.

  28. مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنِّى مَالِيَهْ ۜ

    My wealth has not availed me.

  29. هَلَكَ عَنِّى سُلْطَٰنِيَهْ

    Gone from me is my authority."

  30. خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ

    [Allah will say], "Seize him and shackle him.

  31. ثُمَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ

    Then into Hellfire drive him.

  32. ثُمَّ فِى سِلْسِلَةٍۢ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًۭا فَٱسْلُكُوهُ

    Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits insert him."

  33. إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

    Indeed, he did not used to believe in Allah, the Most Great,

  34. وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ

    Nor did he encourage the feeding of the poor.

  35. فَلَيْسَ لَهُ ٱلْيَوْمَ هَٰهُنَا حَمِيمٌۭ

    So there is not for him here this Day any devoted friend

  36. وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍۢ

    Nor any food except from the discharge of wounds;

  37. لَّا يَأْكُلُهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْخَٰطِـُٔونَ

    None will eat it except the sinners.

  38. فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ

    So I swear by what you see

  39. وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ

    And what you do not see

  40. إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍۢ كَرِيمٍۢ

    [That] indeed, the Qur'an is the word of a noble Messenger.

  41. وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍۢ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تُؤْمِنُونَ

    And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe.

  42. وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍۢ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

    Nor the word of a soothsayer; little do you remember.

  43. تَنزِيلٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

    [It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.

  44. وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلْأَقَاوِيلِ

    And if Muhammad had made up about Us some [false] sayings,

  45. لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِٱلْيَمِينِ

    We would have seized him by the right hand;

  46. ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ ٱلْوَتِينَ

    Then We would have cut from him the aorta.

  47. فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَٰجِزِينَ

    And there is no one of you who could prevent [Us] from him.

  48. وَإِنَّهُۥ لَتَذْكِرَةٌۭ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

    And indeed, the Qur'an is a reminder for the righteous.

  49. وَإِنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِنكُم مُّكَذِّبِينَ

    And indeed, We know that among you are deniers.

  50. وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

    And indeed, it will be [a cause of] regret upon the disbelievers.

  51. وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَقُّ ٱلْيَقِينِ

    And indeed, it is the truth of certainty.

  52. فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

    So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.

Key verses of the surah

  • The first word of the surah, taken up unchanged in the next two verses, which ask without answering.

    بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱلْحَآقَّةُ

    The Inevitable Reality -

  • The verse that sets the angels at the edges of the broken sky and counts eight bearers of the Throne.

    وَٱلْمَلَكُ عَلَىٰٓ أَرْجَآئِهَا ۚ وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ ثَمَٰنِيَةٌۭ

    And the angels are at its edges. And there will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of them].

  • The opening of the first of two matching panels: the words of the one handed his record on the right.

    فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ هَآؤُمُ ٱقْرَءُوا۟ كِتَٰبِيَهْ

    So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, "Here, read my record!

  • The last verse: an order to glorify, closing a surah that opened on a question left hanging.

    فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

    So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.

What is surah Al-Haaqqa about?

Of a reckoning announced and then described. The text moves by proofs in turn: first peoples the past carried off, then the scene of a world coming apart, finally the sorting of persons one by one, each holding a record.

What are the two records in surah Al-Haaqqa?

Two passages built the same way, verses 19 to 24 then 25 to 37. Each begins with a record handed over, right or left, and goes on with what the person says: an invitation to read, or a regret. The second is longer and gives two reasons.

Which peoples does surah Al-Haaqqa name?

Four mentions, in verses 4 to 9: Thamud, Aad, Pharaoh with the generations of his own line, and the cities overthrown. For Aad the text counts the length of the wind, seven nights and eight days. Verse 8 asks whether any trace of them is left.

How does surah Al-Haaqqa end?

With fifteen verses that change subject: an oath on the seen and the unseen, the statement that this speech is neither a poet's nor a soothsayer's, and a case set aside. The last verse orders that the name of the Lord be glorified.

Why is surah Al-Haaqqa called that?

“Al-Haaqqa” names what must come, the due that cannot be missed. The word fills verses 69:1 to 69:3 on its own, where it is set down, taken up as a question, then taken up again without the answer following at once. It is one of the names the text gives to the day it describes.

How many verses does surah Al-Haaqqa have?

Surah Al-Haaqqa has 52 verses. It stands at number 69 in the order of the Mushaf, which holds 114.

The Arabic text is that of the Mushaf. The summary, the outline and the answers on this page describe the text and how it is built: they are not religious commentary.

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