NAME: الواقعة, Al-Waqi’a.
Name taken from Verse 1 where there is a mention of the word “Al-Waqi’a”. Name applied to whole Surah as in it mostly matters related to The Last Day are discussed.
١ إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ
1 When the Occurrence occurs,
ENGLISH NAME: The Inevitable.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 56
SURAH WAQIAH TOTAL VERSES: 96
SURAH WAQIAH TOTAL WORDS: 379
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 271
TOTAL LETTERS: 1,756
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 615 – 616 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, The Forerunners, Companions Of The Right, Companions of The Left.
SURAH WAQIAH MAIN TOPICS:
Description Of Last Day: All People Become Of Three Groups, Best Rewards For The Forerunners, Rewards For The People Of Right Hand, Punishment For The People Of Left Hand, It is God Who Created All Things Not You.
SURAH WAQIAH KEY VERSES:
٧ وَكُنْتُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ثَلَاثَةً
7 And you become [of] three kinds:
٨ فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ
8 Then the companions of the right – what are the companions of the right?
١٠ وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ
10 And the forerunners, the forerunners –
٤١ وَأَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ
41 And the companions of the left – what are the companions of the left?
٦٠ نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ الْمَوْتَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
60 We have decreed death among you, and We are not to be outdone
٦١ عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ أَمْثَالَكُمْ وَنُنْشِئَكُمْ فِي مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
61 In that We will change your likenesses and produce you in that [form] which you do not know.
٧٥ فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَاقِعِ النُّجُومِ
75 Then I swear by the setting of the stars,
٧٦ وَإِنَّهُ لَقَسَمٌ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ
76 And indeed, it is an oath – if you could know – [most] great.
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-7(Description Of Last Day: All Become Dust Dispersing, People Become Of Three Groups: Companions Of The Right, Companions of The Left And The Forerunners), 10-26(Rewards For The Forerunners: Woven Thrones, Young Servants, Drinks, Fruits, Meat Of Birds, Fair Spouses With Large Eyes), 27-40(Rewards For The People Of Right Hand: Lote Trees Without Thorns, Layered Fruits, Extended Shades, High Thrones, Virgins Of Equal Age), 41-56(Punishment For The People Of Left Hand: Fire, Boiling Water, Shade Of Black Smoke, Tree Of Zaqum, They Will Drink As The Drinking Of Thirsty Camels), 57-72(God Created You, He Can Change Your Likenesses And Produce You In That Form Which You Do Not Know, It is God Who Created All Things Not You), 75-79(Swear By The Setting Of The Stars, This Is A Mighty Oath if You Only Knew, Quran Is In Well Protected Book), 83-96(All Stated Above Is The Truth And Certainty)
SURAH WAQIAH BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND:
This Surah has 96 verses divided into 3 Rukus/Sections. It takes its name from verse 1: إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَة ُ. The word “وَاقِعَةُ” mentioned as the Inevitable event that will occur on the Day of Judgement. There are contradicting traditions for the revelation period of this Surah. Some say that it was revealed in Mecca and some say in Madina or a part of it was revealed in Madina. However, the majority of the commentators think that it is a Meccan Surah. They support their claim from the background of Surah Taha that when Umar bin Khattab after hearing about his sister’s embracement of Islam went to his sister’s house in anger and beaten his sister and brother in Law than it ended with his asking his sister to give him what she was reciting. Her sister replied that “None can touch it except the purified” Which is a clear verse of Surah Waqiah. Thus it shows that this Surah had been revealed even before Surah Taha in Mecca around 6 to 7 years before migration to Madina.
The Surah talks mainly about the Last day and depicts the whole scanioro in a powerful discourse. It states that on the Last Day, all Mankind will be divided into three groups. Then it tells the description and condition of each group — the rewards or punishment they would face.
Abu Ishaq reported that Abu Bakr said, “O Prophet of God PBUH! You are becoming gray” The Messenger replied,
شَيَّبَتْنِي هُودٌ وَالْوَاقِعَةُ وَالْمُرْسَلَاتُ وَعَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ وَإِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَت
Surah Hud, Waqiah, Mursalat, Naba, and Takwir have made me gray.
Ibn Masood said I have heard Prophet of God PBUH saying, ‘He who recites Surah Waqiah every night, Poverty or Need will never afflict him.” This is the reason; this Surah is one of the most recited of the Quran.
