SURAH ZALZALAH Chapter: 99

This blog is part of a series of blogs based on my research and compilation of surahs of the Quran, in an effort to understand these surahs in an easy way. Today's effort is on SURAH AL-ZALZALAH-Chapter-99, hope going through it will be a learning journey for all of you. May Allah forgive any mistake, omission, or error on my part in its compilation (Aameen Summa Aameen).

Introduction:

The Holy Quran consists of 114 surahs, including Surah Zalzalah ( Arabic: سورة الزلزلة ) written Surah Al-Zalzalah,  which is the 99th surah, but what is the subject matter of surah Zalzalah that we will know exactly in this article and learn all the facts about it including the meaning, the interpretation of it, and how it explains the Day of Resurrection and the state of the earth and what will happen to people on this day especially after the Earth’s revolution and the great earthquake that will happen, The surah also explains how people will be judged for their good or bad deeds, and the result of their actions in this world, and how will Allah reveal to the earth to utter what happened on it and the actions of man on earth. Surah Zalzalah is presented in Juzz’ 30 with 8 verses, with 158 letters, 36 words and 29 unique words without repetition

Inspirational Quote: “So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it”. Though it is usually classified as a Medinan surah, the period under which the surah was revealed is not unanimously agreed upon by Qur'anic exegetes. The Earthquake - Al Zalzalah. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful! When the earth is rocked with her (final) earthquake, when the earth shakes off her burdens, and man cries: What is the matter with her? on that day she will tell her news, that your Lord has inspired her (with His command).

History of Surah Zalzalah:

Surah al Zalzalah was revealed after Surah al-Nisa, which was revealed in the period between the Treaty of Hudaibiya and the Battle of Tabuk, before Surah Al-Hadid. It was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Makkah before the migration to Madinah

Summary of Surah Zalzalah:

Its theme is the second life after death and presentation in it before man of the full record of the deeds done by him in the world. In the first three sentences it has been told briefly how the second life after death will take place and how confounding it will be for man.

The surah's theme is the second life after death and presentation in it before man of the full record of the deeds done by him in the world. In the first three sentences it has been told briefly how the second life after death will take place and how confounding it will be for man.

The reason for the revelation of surah Zalzalah:

One of the analysis is that since the beginning of the chapter deals with the Day of Judgement, it must have been revealed due to dispute and discord on when the Day of Judgement will take place. The chapter is then revealed and tells them that the Day of Judgement is “when the earth shakes”. Surah Zalzalah urges us to hold ourselves to account and to not be complacent about bad deeds, especially the ones that are less obvious. This lesson is supported by other surahs and hadiths.

The lessons of Surah Al Zalzalah

Surah al-Zalzalah speaks about the signs of the Day of judgement and that the righteous and wrong-doers will see the consequences of their deeds.

Importance of Surah Zalzalah:

Sayyidna Anas and Ibn ` Abbas ؓ report that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that Surah Al-Zalzalah equals half the Qur'an, Surah Al-Ikhlas equals a third of the Qur'an and Surah Al-Kafirun equals a quarter of the Qur'an.

Benefits of Surah Zalzalah:

Ø  Surah Al-Zalzalah protects against the malice of the accursed Satan, especially when recited before going to sleep.

Ø  Also, it helps people to get rid of the confusion, and help manage things.

Ø  Reading surah Zalzalah helps to increase goodness and sustenance and Some say that it is better to read surah Zalzalah

Ø  With Surah, Al-Waqi’ah to seek sustenance from Allah Almighty.

Ø  Surah Zalzalah helps to fix family problems and reduce conflicts.

What does Surah Zalzalah teach us?

The Surah emphasizes the accountability of individuals for their actions, no matter how minor. It tells us that people will be shown their deeds and that even actions as small as an atom's weight of good or evil will be brought into account (Al-Quran, 99:7-8).

Surah Al-Zalzalah, also known as “The Earthquake deals with the theme of the Day of Judgment and the inevitable accountability of every individual for their actions. Here is a breakdown of its central themes:

1. The Cosmic Event: The Surah begins by describing a great cosmic upheaval—specifically, an earthquake of such magnitude that it causes the Earth to “throw out” all that is within it (Al-Quran, 99:2). This is symbolic of the Day of Judgment when the natural order will be disrupted.

2. Individual Accountability: The Surah emphasizes the accountability of individuals for their actions, no matter how minor. It tells us that people will be shown their deeds and that even actions as small as an atom’s weight of good or evil will be brought into account (Al-Quran, 99:7-8). This speaks to the precision and fairness of divine justice.

3. Presentation of Deeds: The Surah concludes by stating that individuals will be presented with their deeds. This will be a moment of absolute transparency, leaving no room for denial or dispute. The idea is to instill the awareness that every action, regardless of its scale, has consequences.

4. Divine Justice: The overarching theme of the Surah is divine justice. It serves as a solemn reminder that there will be a day when the social, ethical, and moral fabric of human interaction will be evaluated in a divine court, where the judgments are inescapably just.

Hadith about surah Zalzalah:

One such Hadith reported by Imam Ahmad, Tirmidhi, and others states that whoever recites Surah Al-Zalzalah will get the reward of reciting half of the Qur’an. This Hadith highlights the immense spiritual weight and reward attached to this Surah, despite its brevity.

Researched & Compiled by:

OVAIS ASAD KHAN