Al-Qari'ah

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

See ayat 11 for tafseer.

In these verses, which introduce the Day of Resurrection, the discourse first declares: “The Striking Calamity” (الْقَارِعَةُ). Then it asks: “And what is the Striking Calamity?” (وَمَا الْقَارِعَةُ), and again: “And what will make you know what the Striking Calamity is?” (وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ). The term الْقَارِعَةُ is derived from قرع (on the pattern of farʿ), meaning to strike something against something else so as to produce a powerful sound; a whip or hammer is likewise called مِقْرَعَة. By extension, any great and crushing event is termed قارعة. (The feminine ending here may serve as an intensifier.) From the repeated expressions in the second and third verses—addressed even to the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny—it becomes clear that this striking calamity is so immense that the human mind cannot fully grasp its scope and dimensions. Many exegetes have stated that الْقَارِعَةُ is one of the names of the Day of Resurrection. What remains to be specified is whether this term points primarily to the preliminary upheavals of the cosmos—when the present world is overturned, the sun and moon are darkened, and seas ignite—or whether it refers to the subsequent stage, namely resurrection and the emergence into a new order of existence. In the first case, the appropriateness of the name الْقَارِعَةُ is obvious; in the second, the striking nature relates to how terror and dread will collide with human hearts and crush them. The verses that follow include descriptions appropriate to both the destruction of the former world and the resurrection of the dead. Taken together, however, the first interpretation appears more fitting, even though the Qur’an often mentions both stages consecutively when speaking of the Hereafter. The verse continues with a depiction of that extraordinary day: “The Day when people will be like scattered moths” (يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ). فَرَاش is the plural of فَرَاشَة. Many understand it to mean moths or butterflies, although some have interpreted it as locusts, possibly influenced by the verse in Sūrat al‑Qamar that compares people to scattered locusts. Linguistically, however, the primary meaning is moth. The comparison to moths may be because moths rush heedlessly toward fire, just as evildoers will cast themselves into the Fire. It may also point to a state of bewilderment and disorientation that will overwhelm humanity on that day. If taken in the sense of locusts, the analogy suggests chaotic movement without a clear direction, as locusts, unlike migrating birds, swarm without an ordered path. This raises the question: does this panic and disarray arise from the terrifying events marking the end of the world, or from the commencement of resurrection and gathering? The answer follows naturally from what has already been explained. Next, another feature of that day is described: “And the mountains will be like fluffed, dyed wool” (وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنفُوشِ). عِهْن refers to colored or dyed wool, and مَنفُوش—from نفش—means carded or fluffed wool, usually prepared with special tools. Elsewhere the Qur’an states that near the Hour, mountains will first begin to move, then collide and crumble, and finally disperse into dust carried by the air. Here they are likened to brightly colored, fluffed wool, blown about so that only color remains visible—illustrating the final stage of their disintegration. This may also allude to the diverse colors found in mountains. In any case, this description confirms that the earlier verses are concerned primarily with the initial phases of the Resurrection, namely the destruction and end of the present world. The discourse then turns to resurrection, judgment, and division into two groups: “Then as for the one whose scales are heavy…” (فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ), “he will be in a blissful life” (فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ). “But as for the one whose scales are light…” (وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ), “his refuge will be the Abyss” (فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ). And again the question follows: “And what will make you know what it is?” (وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَهْ), answered by: “A blazing Fire” (نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ). مَوَازِين is the plural of مِيزَان, an instrument for weighing. Though first used for physical weight, it later came to denote moral and evaluative standards. Some have held that deeds will assume tangible forms and be weighed literally, or that the record of deeds itself will be weighed. However, such explanations are unnecessary. مِيزَان does not have to denote a physical balance with pans; it can refer to any standard of measurement. In this regard, a narration states: “إنّ أمير المؤمنين والأئمّة من ذريّته هم الموازين”—the Commander of the Faithful and the Imams from his progeny are the scales. Another narration from Imam Jaʿfar al‑Ṣādiq عليه السلام explains: “الميزان هو العدل”—the scale is justice. Thus, the friends of God or the divine standards of justice are the criteria by which deeds are measured. The plural مَوَازِين may reflect the multiplicity of standards—since different virtues and actions are evaluated by different criteria—or the diversity of divine exemplars. Some exegetes have also suggested that مَوَازِين refers to the deeds themselves as “that which is weighed,” meaning that heaviness and lightness describe the deeds rather than the instruments. Though reached by different routes, both understandings converge on the same result. The phrase عِيشَةٌ رَّاضِيَةٌ is a remarkably eloquent expression for the life of the people of Paradise—so satisfying that it is as though the life itself is “pleased.” This is unique to the Hereafter; worldly life, no matter how prosperous, is never free of dissatisfaction. In فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ, the word أُمّ (mother) signifies refuge, since a mother is the place of shelter in hardship. Here it means that for those whose deeds are light, there will be no refuge except هَاوِيَة. Some have suggested that أُمّ means “head” (as in umm al‑ra’s), implying being cast headlong into Hell, but this is less convincing given the subsequent verse. هَاوِيَة comes from هَوَى, meaning to fall, and is one of the names of Hell, indicating both the fall of the sinners into it and its profound depth. حَامِيَة—from حَمِيَ—denotes extreme heat, pointing to the intense burning of the Fire. Altogether, the repeated interrogative expressions underscore that the punishment of the Hereafter and the reality of Hell far exceed human imagination and comprehension.

There is no doubt that the value and weight of all righteous and virtuous deeds are not the same; rather, they differ greatly from one another. For this reason, various Islamic narrations have placed particular emphasis on certain acts of goodness and have regarded them as causes for the weighing scale of deeds to become heavy on the Day of Resurrection. Among these is a narration from the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny in which, while explaining لا إله إلا الله, he stated: “يعني بوحدانيته لا يُقبل الأعمال إلا بها، وهي كلمة التقوى، يثقل الله بها الموازين يوم القيامة”—“‘Lā ilāha illā Allāh’ points to divine oneness, and no deed is accepted without it. It is the word of piety by which God makes the scales heavy on the Day of Resurrection.” In another narration from Amīr al‑Muʾminīn ʿAlī عليه السلام concerning testimony to God’s unity and the prophethood of the Messenger PBUH & His Pure Progeny, it is reported: “خفّ ميزان تُرفعان منه، وثقل ميزان تُوضعان فيه”—“The scale from which the two testimonies are removed becomes light, and the scale in which they are placed becomes heavy.” In another narration from Imam Muḥammad al‑Bāqir عليه السلام and Imam Jaʿfar al‑Ṣādiq عليه السلام, it is said: “ما في الميزان شيء أثقل من الصلاة على محمد وآل محمد”—“Nothing in the scale of deeds is heavier than sending blessings upon Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad.” It is further reported that on the Day of Resurrection, some people will stand beneath the scale with light deeds; when blessings upon Muḥammad PBUH & His Pure Progeny and his family are placed on the scale, it will become heavy. It is also noteworthy that a narration from Imam Muḥammad al‑Bāqir عليه السلام states: “من كان ظاهره أرجح من باطنه خفّ ميزانه”—“Whoever’s outward appearance is better than his inner reality will have a light scale on the Day of Resurrection.” We conclude this discussion with a statement attributed to Salman al‑Fārisi, which in essence encapsulates revelation and prophetic tradition. It is narrated that someone derisively said to him: Who are you, and what is your worth? Salman replied: “أما أَوّلي وأَوّلك فنطفة قذِرة، وأما آخري وآخِرك فجيفة منتِنة، فإذا كان يوم القيامة ونُصبت الموازين، فمن ثقلت موازينه فهو الكريم، ومن خفّت موازينه فهو اللئيم.” That is: “As for the beginning of both you and me, it is a filthy drop; and as for the end of both you and me, it is a foul corpse. But when the Day of Resurrection arrives and the scales are set up, whoever’s scale is heavy is the noble one, and whoever’s scale is light is the base and contemptible one.” O God, make the scale of our deeds heavy through love for Muḥammad PBUH & His Pure Progeny and the family of Muḥammad. Our Lord, attaining عيشَةً راضية is not possible without Your grace—so assist us Yourself upon this path. O God, the fire of Hell is intensely destructive, and we lack the strength to endure it; extinguish it for us by the water of Your mercy. Āmīn, O Lord of all the worlds.