Surah Al-Haqqa (الحاقة) is a Meccan surah of the Quran with 52 verses. Read, listen and memorize this surah with our interactive tools.
Updated on 07 March 2026 at 4:16 PM
📖 3 min readThe eight fractions have half, quarter, and eighth, totaling seven. The number seven is a comprehensive number for all types of odd and even numbers, as well as pairs of odd and even numbers. All of this is an indication of the exaggeration in showing greatness, grandeur, and power, and a representation for us of what we know of the conditions of kings. Otherwise, the matter is greater than what any speaker can describe, whether the speaker is a skilled orator or a prominent scholar, and it is an indication of the greatness of that day, so that the servants may fear and be obligated to follow the means of achieving happiness. What I have said about the secret of the number seven has been mentioned by Imam Badr ad-Din ibn ad-Damamini, a contemporary of our scholars, in his commentary on the 'Waw' in his marginal notes on 'Mughni Ibn Hisham' by Imam al-Kindi, the judge of Alexandria, known as 'Al-Kafil bi-Ma'ani at-Tanzil'. He said: 'The teacher Abdullah al-Kafif al-Maliki narrated that it is a correct language for some Arabs to say: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten - this is their language. Whenever the word 'eight' comes in their speech, they insert the 'Waw'. One of our companions has composed verses about the number seven being the ultimate number, which are: Oh, you who ask about the secret of the number... its limit is seven, and it does not exceed. Its secret is only that its divider is limited... to one odd and one even thing.
In matters of this life and the favors bestowed upon them, and that He will not be all-encompassing for them without their striving, but rather in compliance with His command along with being content with sufficiency.
And since wealth was the means to attain power, he said, negating the fact that his wealth had brought him to that point, and explaining that it did not enrich him: {هلك عني} meaning, it has surpassed me, to the point where it is as if I was never in it. {سلطانيه} meaning, my power over the callers to Allah through false doubts, which I used to express, and the king helped me with, despite the obvious falsity, but now that the greatest king has perished and the helper is far away. And since it is as if it was said, 'This is what he said, so what is to be said?' I respond that it is said to the guardians of Hell, as a torment to his soul, with rebuke and the command to punish, in the presence of the witnesses: {خذوه} meaning, O guardians of Hell, who he used to belittle when he heard them mentioned. And since taking is an indication of the humiliation that arises from anger, the reason for it is explained by saying: {فغلوه} meaning, gather his hands to his neck and his legs from behind his head to his forehead. And since the gathering is a prelude to the punishment that follows, he said, magnifying the rank of his punishment in severity and terror, using an expression of delay: {ثم الجحيم} meaning, the great Fire, which overpowers those who try to defend against it, and is avoided by those who see it, because it is in the utmost degree of heat, burning, anger, and severity {صلوه} meaning, increase its burning.
It is situated under others so that the water of its washing flows to it. And when He restricted their food to what no one would approach by choice, He restricted those who would eat it, describing them with the description that necessitated eating it for them, saying: {la ya'kuluhu}, and the exception is empty, indicating that the one being excepted is the intended one, as if there is no one being excepted from it, so He said: {illa al-khuti'una}, meaning the deliberate sinners eat it, not others. This is from the word khata', which means when a person intentionally commits a sin, with the weight of farah, and mukhamma, when a person intends good but does not achieve it without intention. {falyssa 'alaikum junahun feema akh-ta'tum bihi}, meaning you intended correctness but did not achieve it. This food washes away what is in their stomachs of tangible and intangible things that are essential for the well-being of their owners. It is similar to what they used to hoard of their wealth, which they concealed and stored in their treasuries and monopolized over the weak. When the Almighty mentioned the Hereafter, which He made the abode of reckoning for the good-doer and the evil-doer, both of whom the Power has divided and Wisdom has necessitated, and directed towards them the Quran, which is a reminder to the worlds of promise and threat, warning and intimidation, and it is known by the instinct of reason that it is not valid in the wisdom of anyone to leave those under their care neglected, especially if they have been preceded by command and prohibition, and established the proof of their power over them by punishing those who have been stubborn towards them for denying their messengers, in order to
From behind, the widest [strike] is the quickest to sever, and the one being killed does not see the gleam of the sword. However, if one intends to torment and humiliate, they take the right hand with the left and strike while facing, allowing the victim to see the gleam of the sword. Sometimes, due to the narrowness of the area from the front, the strike may land on the throat, requiring a second or third blow, which is even more heinous. Having depicted the principle of destruction in the most horrific image, it is completed by pointing to the severity of its savagery with the letter of relaxation, saying: {then We cut off} with certainty, without duality, due to Our greatness, a cut that makes every other cut disappear {from the aorta}, meaning the greatest vein in the stable, permanent, and strong neck, known as the jugular vein, which is between the trachea and the esophagus. According to Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, it is the string of the heart. In the dictionary, it is defined as a vein in the heart; if it is severed, its owner dies. This expression was chosen because its material, in this order, revolves around strength and permanence, which is why its severance causes its owner to perish. Ibn Barjan said: 'It is a vein connected to the string of the heart, embedded in the spine, filling the entire body, which the liver irrigates, and it is the house of blood, from which blood flows into the body, taking from it sixty veins, which are the rivers of blood in the entire body. From these rivers, eighteen irrigate the chest, seven irrigate the eye, and four irrigate the brain. The aorta is from the confluence of the two hip bones to the confluence'
And He made it clear and most exalted, the most noble and the most deserving of attention. God, may He be exalted, made the entire Surah Al-Qiyamah a notification that the matter is very great and requires attention, preparation, and striving with all one's might. Then, He followed this with the mention of the human being, indicating that he is the primary focus of creation. Is it not befitting of wisdom that He would create him without purpose, after explaining many of its conditions? Then, He swore in Al-Mursalat that its fulfillment is a truth that must occur and cannot be avoided. Then, He expressed wonder at those who are astonished by it and question it. He also swore by its zaqzaqah in An-Naziat and depicted its matter and its commotion as He willed. He then provided an indication in Surah 'Abas that among people, there are those whose hearts are sealed, and thus they cannot be convinced of it, despite the clarification provided in the previous surah and other matters related to it. Then, He depicted it in 'Kawr' in a way that, if the veil were lifted, the believers would only increase in certainty. He then clarified in Al-Infitar that the matters of the Hereafter do not follow the same pattern as worldly matters. Rather, all causes are severed, and all lineages are cut off, with everyone being submissive, humble, and obedient. The most arrogant and strongest among them in this world will be the most humbled and regretful in the Hereafter. Then, He followed this with the description of those who deserve punishment, chains, and fetters. He then gave preference to the elevation of the people of faith, whose nature is to affirm and recognize it. He continued in this manner until the end of the Quran, with hardly a surah passing without providing knowledge of it to the utmost degree, until He sealed it with the statement 'to establish the religion,' indicating that knowledge of it is the essence of the religion.
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ٱلْحَآقَّةُ ﴿١﴾
The Inevitable Reality -
مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ ﴿٢﴾
What is the Inevitable Reality?
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ ﴿٣﴾
And what can make you know what is the Inevitable Reality?
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌۢ بِٱلْقَارِعَةِ ﴿٤﴾
Thamud and 'Aad denied the Striking Calamity.
فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِٱلطَّاغِيَةِ ﴿٥﴾
So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast].
وَأَمَّا عَادٌۭ فَأُهْلِكُوا۟ بِرِيحٍۢ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍۢ ﴿٦﴾
And as for 'Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍۢ وَثَمَـٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًۭا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍۢ ﴿٧﴾
Which Allah imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٍۢ ﴿٨﴾
Then do you see of them any remains?
وَجَآءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَن قَبْلَهُۥ وَٱلْمُؤْتَفِكَـٰتُ بِٱلْخَاطِئَةِ ﴿٩﴾
And there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities with sin.
فَعَصَوْا۟ رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةًۭ رَّابِيَةً ﴿١٠﴾
And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with a seizure exceeding [in severity].
إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَا ٱلْمَآءُ حَمَلْنَـٰكُمْ فِى ٱلْجَارِيَةِ ﴿١١﴾
Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried your ancestors in the sailing ship
لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةًۭ وَتَعِيَهَآ أُذُنٌۭ وَٰعِيَةٌۭ ﴿١٢﴾
That We might make it for you a reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it.
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ نَفْخَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ ﴿١٣﴾
Then when the Horn is blown with one blast
وَحُمِلَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ ﴿١٤﴾
And the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow -
فَيَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَقَعَتِ ٱلْوَاقِعَةُ ﴿١٥﴾
Then on that Day, the Resurrection will occur,
وَٱنشَقَّتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَهِىَ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَاهِيَةٌۭ ﴿١٦﴾
And the heaven will split [open], for that Day it is infirm.
وَٱلْمَلَكُ عَلَىٰٓ أَرْجَآئِهَا ۚ وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ ثَمَـٰنِيَةٌۭ ﴿١٧﴾
And the angels are at its edges. And there will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of them].
يَوْمَئِذٍۢ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌۭ ﴿١٨﴾
That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgement]; not hidden among you is anything concealed.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ هَآؤُمُ ٱقْرَءُوا۟ كِتَـٰبِيَهْ ﴿١٩﴾
So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, "Here, read my record!
إِنِّى ظَنَنتُ أَنِّى مُلَـٰقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ ﴿٢٠﴾
Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account."
فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍۢ رَّاضِيَةٍۢ ﴿٢١﴾
So he will be in a pleasant life -
فِى جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍۢ ﴿٢٢﴾
In an elevated garden,
قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌۭ ﴿٢٣﴾
Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near.
كُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ هَنِيٓـًٔۢا بِمَآ أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَيَّامِ ٱلْخَالِيَةِ ﴿٢٤﴾
[They will be told], "Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth in the days past."
وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَـٰبَهُۥ بِشِمَالِهِۦ فَيَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَـٰبِيَهْ ﴿٢٥﴾
But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, "Oh, I wish I had not been given my record
وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ ﴿٢٦﴾
And had not known what is my account.
يَـٰلَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ ٱلْقَاضِيَةَ ﴿٢٧﴾
I wish my death had been the decisive one.
مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنِّى مَالِيَهْ ۜ ﴿٢٨﴾
My wealth has not availed me.
هَلَكَ عَنِّى سُلْطَـٰنِيَهْ ﴿٢٩﴾
Gone from me is my authority."
خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ ﴿٣٠﴾
[Allah will say], "Seize him and shackle him.
ثُمَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ ﴿٣١﴾
Then into Hellfire drive him.
ثُمَّ فِى سِلْسِلَةٍۢ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًۭا فَٱسْلُكُوهُ ﴿٣٢﴾
Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits insert him."
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ﴿٣٣﴾
Indeed, he did not used to believe in Allah, the Most Great,
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ ﴿٣٤﴾
Nor did he encourage the feeding of the poor.
فَلَيْسَ لَهُ ٱلْيَوْمَ هَـٰهُنَا حَمِيمٌۭ ﴿٣٥﴾
So there is not for him here this Day any devoted friend
وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍۢ ﴿٣٦﴾
Nor any food except from the discharge of wounds;
لَّا يَأْكُلُهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْخَـٰطِـُٔونَ ﴿٣٧﴾
None will eat it except the sinners.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾
So I swear by what you see
وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ ﴿٣٩﴾
And what you do not see
إِنَّهُۥ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍۢ كَرِيمٍۢ ﴿٤٠﴾
[That] indeed, the Qur'an is the word of a noble Messenger.
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍۢ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٤١﴾
And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe.
وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍۢ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
Nor the word of a soothsayer; little do you remember.
تَنزِيلٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿٤٣﴾
[It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلْأَقَاوِيلِ ﴿٤٤﴾
And if Muhammad had made up about Us some [false] sayings,
لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِٱلْيَمِينِ ﴿٤٥﴾
We would have seized him by the right hand;
ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ ٱلْوَتِينَ ﴿٤٦﴾
Then We would have cut from him the aorta.
فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَـٰجِزِينَ ﴿٤٧﴾
And there is no one of you who could prevent [Us] from him.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَتَذْكِرَةٌۭ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٤٨﴾
And indeed, the Qur'an is a reminder for the righteous.
وَإِنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِنكُم مُّكَذِّبِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾
And indeed, We know that among you are deniers.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿٥٠﴾
And indeed, it will be [a cause of] regret upon the disbelievers.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَحَقُّ ٱلْيَقِينِ ﴿٥١﴾
And indeed, it is the truth of certainty.
فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ﴿٥٢﴾
So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.