Qur'an and Tafsir, Surah 56
الواقعة
The Inevitable Event
Makkah asked: dust and bones, raised again? The reply ends at a deathbed.
96 ayat, Makkan, Awaiting scholar review
Makkah
Makkah's leading families live well.
Told the dead will rise, they answer: dust and bones, raised again? Our forefathers too?
This surah is the reply.
The Prophet
Abu Bakr noticed grey in the Prophet's hair. Five surahs had done it, he ﷺ answered. Al-Waqi'ah was one.
Journey map
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:1-2No argument first. A scene.
إِذَا وَقَعَتِ ٱلۡوَاقِعَةُ ١ لَيۡسَ لِوَقۡعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ ٢
1 When the Occurrence occurs,
2 There is, at its occurrence, no denial.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:3What the Event does to rank, in two words.
خَافِضَةࣰ رَّافِعَةٌ ٣
3 It will bring down [some] and raise up [others].
A closer look
The mountains become dust. 'Ali: like a dust storm that fades and leaves no trace. Ibn 'Abbas: like sparks from a fire, out the moment they land.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:7The old ranks are gone. The new ones:
وَكُنتُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجࣱا ثَلَٰثَةࣱ ٧
7 And you become [of] three kinds:
On the Day
Where scholars differ
Al-Tabari: earlier means the nations before Islam, later means Muslims. Ibn Kathir: both are Muslims, the first generations and everyone after. He calls the other view deficient.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:25-26The garden of the foremost ends on a sound.
لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغۡوࣱا وَلَا تَأۡثِيمًا ٢٥ إِلَّا قِيلࣱا سَلَٰمࣱا سَلَٰمࣱا ٢٦
25 They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin -
26 Only a saying [of] peace, peace.
The story behind it
The lote tree people knew was thorny, with little fruit. A report says Muslims admired the lote trees of a valley at Ta'if. The surah's promise: lote trees, the thorns gone.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:39-40The people of the right. The count has changed.
ثُلَّةࣰ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٣٩ وَثُلَّةࣰ مِّنَ ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ٤٠
39 A company of the former peoples
40 And a company of the later peoples.
The story behind it
A report whose chain was questioned says 'Umar wept at "a few of the later": we believed, and only a few of us are saved? Then came the second count: many, and many.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:43-44The people of the left get shade too.
وَظِلࣲّ مِّن يَحۡمُومࣲ ٤٣ لَّا بَارِدࣲ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ ٤٤
43 And a shade of black smoke,
44 Neither cool nor beneficial.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:47Then the surah quotes Makkah's leaders.
وَكَانُواْ يَقُولُونَ أَئِذَا مِتۡنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابࣱا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبۡعُوثُونَ ٤٧
47 And they used to say, "When we die and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected?
The word
The people of the left drink scalding water like the him. One early scholar: camels whose sickness makes them drink until they die. The thirst never ends.
Four questions
Now the argument. The child a man fathers. The seed he plants. The water he drinks. The fire he lights.
Each is in his hand. None is his doing.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:63-64The second question.
أَفَرَءَيۡتُم مَّا تَحۡرُثُونَ ٦٣ ءَأَنتُمۡ تَزۡرَعُونَهُۥٓ أَمۡ نَحۡنُ ٱلزَّٰرِعُونَ ٦٤
63 And have you seen that [seed] which you sow?
64 Is it you who makes it grow, or are We the grower?
The story behind it
Ibn Kathir passes on a hadith: do not say "I grew it". Say "I tilled it". The farmer ploughs and sows. The sprouting is not his.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:70The third: the water people drink.
لَوۡ نَشَآءُ جَعَلۡنَٰهُ أُجَاجࣱا فَلَوۡلَا تَشۡكُرُونَ ٧٠
70 If We willed, We could make it bitter, so why are you not grateful?
How translators put it
One translation says bitter, another salty. The word covers both. A modern commentator adds: rain is sea water with the salt left behind.
Lesson
Each one is in your hand. None of them is your doing.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:57-73
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:75Then an oath, about the message itself.
۞ فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِمَوَٰقِعِ ٱلنُّجُومِ ٧٥
75 Then I swear by the setting of the stars,
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:79This is a noble Qur'an, in a guarded Book.
لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلۡمُطَهَّرُونَ ٧٩
79 None touch it except the purified [i.e., the angels].
Where scholars differ
Ibn 'Abbas and many others: the angels, and the Book is in heaven. Others: people who have washed, touching a written copy. The schools of law agree on washing first. Many rest it on a hadith.
The story behind it
After a night of rain the Prophet ﷺ said some people woke as believers and some as deniers. Some said: Allah's mercy. Others: that star brought it. Ayah 82 is tied to this.
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:85A person is dying. The family looks on.
وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُبۡصِرُونَ ٨٥
85 And We [i.e., Our angels] are nearer to him than you, but you do not see -
Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:86-87Then the challenge to those who deny any judgment.
فَلَوۡلَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ غَيۡرَ مَدِينِينَ ٨٦ تَرۡجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٨٧
86 Then why do you not, if you are not to be recompensed,
87 Bring it back, if you should be truthful?
How it is built
The surah sorted all people into three on the Day. It ends by sorting one person, at death: rest and fragrance, or "peace to you", or scalding water.
What's happening
The surah ends: "So glorify the name of your Lord, the Most Great." A hadith on Ziyaad's sheet (Abu Dawud 869) says the Prophet ﷺ told them to put it in the ruku', the bowing in prayer.
Reflect, just for you
Why many read it nightly
The Companion Ibn Mas'ud is dying. Offered money for his daughters, he declines. He has told them to recite al-Waqi'ah every night. Scholars dispute the strength of the hadith he quoted.
Virtue of the surah
"Whoever recites al-Waqi'ah every night will never be struck by poverty." (Ibn Mas'ud)
al-Bayhaqi
Grading disputedMany hadith scholars grade it weak; Jamiat South Africa holds it reliable for virtues
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
Makkah asked: dust and bones, raised again? The reply ends at a deathbed.