Quran Tafsir : Sura Al-Zalzala
Sura Al-Zalzala
It’s the 99th sura in Holy Quran. Some scholars argue that it has been revealed in Mecca but an account from Abu Said El-Hoodre strengthens the possibility that this sura has been revealed in Madina. Because he asked Prophet Muhammed(saw) about the last two ayats of this sura;
Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it!
And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it.(Al Zalzala 99/7-8)
He said “Rasulullah! Shall I see all of my deeds then?” He replied “Yes”. And Hoodre said “Then I’m in big trouble”. But Prophet(saw) said, “Be joyful, because for every good action, you shall be given 10 good deeds”. This conversation indicates that Sura Al-Zalzala was revealed in Madina because Abu Said El-Hoodre was from the Ansar tribe, living in Madina.
Zalzala means earthquake. For the second ayat “And the earth throws up her burdens (from within),” there are different interpretations for “throwing up burdens”
1) Here burdens means every kind of valuables and treasures. Because those valuables were useful once in the worldly life but they are of absolute useless on the judgement day. On the contrary, anybody who showed unlawful greed for such valuables will face severe punishment on that day.
2) According to Turkish mufassir Hamdee Yazeer from Elmalı, here the burden of earth means the rising of the dead from the graves. Because then the mankind will say “What’s the matter” since the third ayat indicates that in this sure
“And man cries (distressed): ‘What is the matter with her?’-(Al-Zalzala 99/3)
3) Mawdudi interprets this expelling not only the corpses but also every kind of action committed and words uttered by mankind that will testify against them.
4) Also it can mean every kind of geological dispersion, which will create and set the scene for the doomsday.
Mufassirs suggests the term “the news” found in fourth ayat “On that day she shall tell her news” means “revelations of the all actions we do during our life on earth so nothing shall remain hidden “
In this sura scenes of judgement day is portrayed. Allah(j.j) will reveal and command to the “earth” to declare every action of every human being during his lifetime. Therefore, from the importance and grandness of such a day, one should seek refugee in Allah(j.j)
Nobody should undervalue any kind of “good deeds” since all of them has a certain value be them tiny or grand and same applies to all of our immoral activities. And all of our actions will have its own consequence, be it positive or negative, on the day of judgement.
According to a hadith, Prophet Muhammed(saw) said about this sura:
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (radhiallahu anho) narrates that the Prophet Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: The Surah Al-Zilzal is equal to the half of the Holy Qur’an, the Surah Al-Ikhlas is equal to the one third of the Holy Qur’an and the Surah Al-Kafiroon is equal to the one fourth of the Holy Qur’an.
(Tirmidhi: 2894)
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