Surah Al- Qari'ah (101)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1. Al-Qari'ah (the striking Hour, i.e., the Day of Resurrection).

2. What is the striking (Hour)?

3. And what will make you know what the striking (Hour) is?

4. It is a Day whereon mankind will be like moth scattered about.

5. And the mountains will be like carded wool.

6. Then as for those whose Balance (of good deeds) will be heavy.

7. He will live a pleasant life (in Paradise).

8. But as for them whose Balance (of good deeds) will be light.

9. He will have his home in Hawiyah (pit, i.e., Hell).

10. And what will make you know what it is? 11. (It is) a hot blazing Fire!



It is called Surat Al-Qari'ah (The Striking Hour) because it begins by mentioning it, to send fear into the hearts of man, just like Surat Al¬-Haqqah (The Inevitable) and Surat Al-Ghashiyah (The Overwhelm¬ing). Al-Qari'ah is one of the names of the Day of Judgement, because it strikes horror into hearts.




This Surah is a Makkan Surah (i.e., it was revealed before the Prophet emigrated to Al-Madinah), it outlines some of the awesome and frightening events that will take place on the Day of Judgement, a time when mankind will be divided into two groups: those that are happy and those that are miserable.




As the previous Surah ended by mentioning certain aspects of the Day of Judgement - "Knows he not that when the contents of the graves are brought out and poured forth, And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known. Verily, that Day their Lord will be Well-Acquainted with them," - this Surah continues by describing some of the awesome events that will take place at that time.





Al-Qaari'ah:
This is one of the names of the Day of Judgement, and it is thus called because it strikes hearts and ears with its frightening events, and Qari'ah is taken from the word Qar'a, which means to strike violently.


Wa Maa Adraaka Mal-Qaari'ah:
What will make you know what the Qaari'ah is, a question that is used to instill fear, for such terrifying are the events of the Day of Judgement, that no man can perceive its reality. The question is repeated, adding intensity to the description of that day.


Kal-Farash:
Al-Farash is a flying insect, known for its foolish habit of crowding over fire.


Al-Mabthooth:
Scattered in great numbers over a large area, many people will be confused and humiliated, crowding some over the other, waiting in panic to be called for the settlement of their accounts.


Wa-Takoonul-Jibaalu Kal-'Ihnil¬Manfoosh:
In other words, like carded wool, so light will the mountains be in their movement and in the way they disperse until finally, they will be level with the earth.


Thaqulat Mawaazeenuhu:
Meaning, that his good deeds outweigh his bad ones.


Fahuwa Fee 'Eeshatir-Raadhiyah:
A life pleasing to him, in Paradise.


Khaffat Mawaazeenuhu:
One whose bad deeds outweigh his good ones.


Fa Ummuhu Haawiyah:
i.e., his home and place to reside in will be the Fire of Hell.


Wa Maa Adraaka:
What will make you know? This is a question that instills fear.


Maa Hiyah:
And what will make you know what the Hawiyah is! Hawiyah is one of the names of the Hellfire.


Naarun Haamiyah:
It is a blazing hot fire.


There are some Ahadith that describe the Hellfire. Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Malik and others recorded from Abu Hurairah, (Radhi Allahu Anhu), that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

Indeed the fire of the children of Adam that you ignite is one part out of seventy parts of the fire of Hell.

They asked, "0 Messenger of Allah isn't it (i.e. the fire of this world) sufficient (in punishment)!" He (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

The fire of Hell is more intense by sixty-nine parts.


Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:


The least-punished of the people of the Fire will be he who will have two shoes: from them (from the intensity of their heat), his brain will boil.


At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah recorded that Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) said the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

The Fire was ignited for one thousand years until it became red; it was then ignited for one thousand years until it became white; and then it was ignited for one thousand years until it became black; it is black and dark."





This Surah highlights some of our beliefs regarding the Resurrection and recompense, beliefs that the polytheists and disbelievers vehemently reject. Allah Almighty informs us that on the Day of Judgement - the Day that will strike terror into the hearts of people - people, who are the noblest of species on the earth, will be like scattered moths, frightened, alarmed, and in a state of panic. Humans are likened to moths that, in their large numbers, crowd on top of one another, not guided to any specific course.
The mountains, despite their size and height, will be like carded wool, flying here and there, breaking apart. When man will be brought before His Lord, whoever's good deeds outweigh his bad ones will be saved from the Fire, and he will have a most pleasant and pleasing life: Paradise, the abode of eternal bliss. Whoever's bad deeds outweigh his good ones, or whoever has only bad deeds (such as the disbelievers and polytheists), then his mother, who holds him close and keeps him at her side, will be the fire of Hell, a blazing fire that has no counterpart in terms of the punishment felt by those who touch it (may Allah protect us from it). The life of the dwellers of the Fire is one of eternal loss (we seek protection in Allah Almighty from it). The Qari'ah is described by some of the things that will take place during it, and not its reality, because our human mind cannot perceive its reality, so awesome is that reality.




1) It supports the belief in Resurrection and recompense since it mentions some events related to that.
2) It warns of the terrors of the Day of Judgement and Allah's punishment that will take place at that time.
3) It supports the belief that deeds - both good and evil- will be weighed and assigned recompense accordingly.
4) It acknowledges that people will be in two groups on the Day of Judgement: A group in Paradise and a group in Hell, in accordance with their deeds.