Al-Wāqi‘ah: the cards as text

Qur'an and Tafsir, Surah 56. Awaiting scholar review.

1. Card 1

   Makkah asked: dust and bones, raised again? The reply ends at a deathbed.

2. Card 2

   A stock reply

   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.

3. Card 3

   "You have gone grey"

   Abu Bakr noticed grey in the Prophet's hair. Five surahs had done it, he ﷺ answered. Al-Waqi'ah was one.

4. Card 4

   The reply, in seven moves

   1. 1-6: The Event. No argument. A scene. When it comes nobody denies it. It lowers and it raises. The mountains become drifting dust.
   2. 7-14: Three groups. The old ranks are gone. The new ones: the people of the right, the people of the left, and a small front row, the foremost.
   3. 15-40: Two gardens. The foremost first, ending on a sound: peace, peace. Then the people of the right, among thornless lote trees. Many of them, early and late.
   4. 41-56: The left. The garden turned inside out: burning wind, scalding water, shade made of smoke. The surah quotes what they used to say.
   5. 57-74: Four proofs. The child, the crop, the water, the fire. Each time: is it you who makes it, or We?
   6. 75-82: The Qur'an. An oath by the stars: this is a noble Qur'an, touched only by the purified. And a charge: you thank a star for your rain.
   7. 83-96: The deathbed. The soul at the throat, the family watching. Bring it back, if you answer to no one. Then the three groups, one last time.
5. Card 5

   Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:1-2: No 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.

6. Card 6

   Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:3: What the Event does to rank, in two words.

   خَافِضَةࣰ رَّافِعَةٌ ۝٣

   ³ It will bring down [some] and raise up [others].

7. Card 7

   How fine is the dust?

   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.

8. Card 8

   Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:7: The old ranks are gone. The new ones:

   وَكُنتُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجࣱا ثَلَٰثَةࣱ ۝٧

   ⁷ And you become [of] three kinds:

9. Card 9

   Humanity, in three groups

   • The foremost: Brought near. The ones who got there first. Many from earlier people, a few from later. (56:10-14)
   • The right: The wide door. Thornless lote trees, long shade, fruit with no season. Many early, many late. (56:27-30)
   • The left: Lived in ease. Burning wind and shade made of smoke. They said dust and bones are never raised. (56:45-47)
10. Card 10

    Earlier and later: who?

    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.

11. Card 11

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:25-26: The 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.

12. Card 12

    Thorns gone

    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.

13. Card 13

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:39-40: The 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.

14. Card 14

    'Umar wept

    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.

15. Card 15

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:43-44: The 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.

16. Card 16

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:47: Then 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?

17. Card 17

    Like thirsty camels

    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.

18. Card 18

    "Is it you, or We?"

    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.

19. Card 19

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:63-64: The 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?

20. Card 20

    "Do not say: I grew 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.

21. Card 21

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:70: The 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?

22. Card 22

    Bitter, or salty?

    One translation says bitter, another salty. The word covers both. A modern commentator adds: rain is sea water with the salt left behind.

23. Card 23

    Lesson: Each one is in your hand. None of them is your doing. (56:57-73)

24. Card 24

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:75: Then an oath, about the message itself.

    ۞ فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِمَوَٰقِعِ ٱلنُّجُومِ ۝٧٥

    ⁷⁵ Then I swear by the setting of the stars,

25. Card 25

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:79: This 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].

26. Card 26

    Who are the purified?

    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.

27. Card 27

    Rain, and a star

    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.

28. Card 28

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:85: A 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 -

29. Card 29

    Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:86-87: Then 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?

30. Card 30

    The three, once more

    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.

31. Card 31

    In every bow

    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.

32. Card 32

    Reflect: The surah's last proof is set at a deathbed. What is the challenge?

    Answer: Bring the soul back, if you answer to no one. Those who said dust and bones are never raised are told: then stop this death. Nobody in the room can.

33. Card 33

    Ibn Mas'ud's daughters

    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.

34. Card 34

    "Whoever recites al-Waqi'ah every night will never be struck by poverty." (Ibn Mas'ud)

35. Card 35

    The end of Al-Wāqi‘ah.

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