سُورَةُ الزَّلۡزَلَةِ
Surah 99 - Az-Zalzala
The Earthquake
- 8 verses
- Juz 30
- Page 599 of the Mushaf
Az-Zalzala describes one single scene, in eight short verses. The earth is shaken, it gives up what it carried, and man asks what is the matter with it. The answer takes two verses: that day, the earth tells its news, because its Lord has ordered it to. People then come out in scattered groups, so that their deeds may be shown to them. The last two verses form an exact pair: whoever does a good deed weighing an atom sees it, whoever does an evil one of that weight sees it too.
The main parts
The text of the surah
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا
When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake
وَأَخْرَجَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا
And the earth discharges its burdens
وَقَالَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مَا لَهَا
And man says, "What is [wrong] with it?" -
يَوْمَئِذٍۢ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا
That Day, it will report its news
بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَىٰ لَهَا
Because your Lord has commanded it.
يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَصْدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًۭا لِّيُرَوْا۟ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ
That Day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds.
فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًۭا يَرَهُۥ
So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it,
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍۢ شَرًّۭا يَرَهُۥ
And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.
Key verses of the surah
First of the two twin verses that close the surah: good done, however small, is seen.
فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًۭا يَرَهُۥ
So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it,
The second, built on the same sentence, with evil in the place of good.
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍۢ شَرًّۭا يَرَهُۥ
And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.
What is surah Az-Zalzala about?
Of a day when the earth is shaken and gives up what it held. It speaks that day, people come out in scattered groups, and each one sees what he did, down to the smallest act.
What does surah Az-Zalzala say about an atom's weight?
Verses 7 and 8 use that measure twice, in the same sentence: a good of that weight will be seen, an evil of that weight too. The surah stops there, adding nothing.
How does surah Az-Zalzala end?
With two verses built on the same pattern, where only one word changes: good, then evil. Nothing comments on them or carries on after them - the text stops on that symmetry.
How is surah Az-Zalzala built?
In three moves: the shaking and man's question, the answer where the earth speaks, then what each one sees of his own deeds. One scene, eight short verses, no digression.
Why is surah Az-Zalzala called that?
“Az-Zalzala” means “the Earthquake”. The name comes from the first verse (99:1), which opens the surah on the earth being shaken; the root is used twice there, in two forms. The surah is named after the event it begins with.
How many verses does surah Az-Zalzala have?
Surah Az-Zalzala has 8 verses. It stands at number 99 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.