هذه سورة عظيمة، تُلقي الرهبة في القلوب، وتهزّ النفوس. وهي من أولها إلى آخرها تتناول أمرًا بالغ الجدّ، وتعرض صورًا مهيبة تتلو بعضها بعضًا؛ فبعضها مُرعب، وبعضها جليل، وبعضها يصوّر العذاب، وهي جميعًا تتّسم بحركة قوية. وهي في مجموعها تُرسّخ الإحساس بأن الإيمان والدين أمرٌ بالغ الخطورة، لا مجال فيه للهزل. وجلال هذه القضايا وخطورتها قائمان هنا في هذه الحياة كما هما في الحياة الآخرة. بل إنها لا تقلّ خطورةً في ميزان الله تعالى؛ فهي من الجدّ بحيث لا تقبل الانشغال عنها بشيء. فالإعراض عن الإيمان والدين يُعرّض صاحبه لسخط الله وما يتبع ذلك من عواقب، ولو كان المعرض رسولَ الله ﷺ. إنها أعظم من رسول الله ﷺ، بل أعظم من البشرية جمعاء، لأنها قضيةُ الحق المطلق الذي أنزله ربُّ العالمين.

This is an awesome surah, one that strikes terror in our hearts, shaking us up. From start to finish it focuses on something that is very serious, showing one awesome image after another. Some of these are frightening, some are majestic and others depict suffering, yet they are all characterized by strong movements. As a whole, the surah enhances the feeling that faith and religion are very serious; they admit no frivolity. The profundity of such questions is serious here in this life as also in the life to come. Furthermore, it is no less serious in Gods own measure. Indeed, it is so serious that it permits no distraction. For, to turn away from faith and religion is to incur Gods displeasure and all that is attendant with that, even though the one who turns away may happen to be Gods Messenger. It is larger than Gods Messenger, indeed all mankind, because it is the question of the truth absolute, laid down by the Lord of all the worlds.

هذا الانطباع يتعزز بالاسم الذي أُطلق في هذه السورة على يوم القيامة، وهو الاسم الذي أخذت منه السورة عنوانها: «الحاقّة». إن وقْع هذه الكلمة نفسه يبعث في النفس شعوراً بالحسم والجدية والثبات الراسخ، فكأنه شيءٌ ثقيلٌ يُرفع من مسافة بعيدة ثم يُوضع في موضعه بقوةٍ وإحكام.

This impression is heightened by the very name given in this surah to the Day of Judgement and which gives it its title, al-Haqqah. The very sound of the word imparts a feeling of decisiveness, seriousness and a grounding stability. It sounds like a heavy object being lifted some considerable distance before being placed firmly into position.

يبدو أن الصوت المُهموس القوي "A" يُرفع بالحرف الممدود الذي قبله، ثم يُثبَّت تثبيتاً محكماً عند الحرف المُشدَّد "^"، ثم يُستقر أخيراً بالصوت الختامي "h*".

The strongly aspirated ‘A’sound appears to be lifted by the elongated before it is firmly placed at the doubled ‘^’and then finally stabilized with the final 'h* sound.

نَرَى مِنْ عَظَمَةِ الجِدِّيَّةِ مَا نَرَاهُ فِي مَصَائِرِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِحَقِيقَةِ الإِيمَانِ وَبِيَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ. فَقَدْ عُوقِبَتْ أُمَمٌ تِلْوَ أُمَمٍ عُقُوبَةً شَدِيدَةً، حَتَّى هَلَكَتْ كُلُّهَا هَلاكًا تَامًّا: ﴿فَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِالطَّاغِيَةِ * وَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ * سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا فَتَرَى القَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَى كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ * فَهَلْ تَرَى لَهُمْ مِنْ بَاقِيَةٍ﴾. ﴿وَجَاءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَنْ قَبْلَهُ وَالمُؤْتَفِكَاتُ بِالخَاطِئَةِ * فَعَصَوْا رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةً رَابِيَةً * إِنَّا لَمَّا طَغَى المَاءُ حَمَلْنَاكُمْ فِي الجَارِيَةِ * لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةً وَتَعِيَهَا أُذُنٌ وَاعِيَةٌ﴾ [الحاقة: 4-12]. وهكذا، فإن كل من أعرض عن الإيمان قد لَقِيَ عُقُوبَاتٍ عظيمةً وَمُفَاجِئَةً، بِقَدْرِ مَا يَلِيقُ بِمَوْقِفِهِ مِنْ هَذَا المَطْلَبِ الحَاسِمِ الجَادِّ. فَمِنَ المُهِمِّ أَنْ يُدْرِكَ المَرْءُ أَنَّ مَسْأَلَةَ الإِيمَانِ وَالدِّينِ لَا تَحْتَمِلُ الاسْتِخْفَافَ فِي التَّعَامُلِ مَعْهَا، وَلَا تَقْبَلُ الشُّغْلَ عَنْهَا.

We see such great seriousness in the fates of those who denied the truth of faith and the Day of Judgement. One community after another suffered such severe punishment that each were utterly destroyed: “ The people of Thamud and Ad denied the Striker. The Thamud were destroyed by an overwhelming event, while the Ad were destroyed by a furiously howling wind, which He caused to rage upon them for seven nights and eight decisive days. You could see their people lying dead, like uprooted trunks of hollow palm trees. Can you see any trace of them now? Pharaoh, too, and those before him, and the ruined cities - all indulged in sin, and disobeyed their Lord's messenger; and so He took them to task with an ever tightening grip. When the waters rose high, We carried you in the floating Ark, making it all a lasting reminder for you, so that attentive ears may take heed.” (Verses 4-12) Thus, all those who turned away from faith suffered such grave and sudden punishments, as befit their approach to this decisive and serious requirement. It is important to realize then that this question of faith and religion admits no frivolity of approach and allows no distraction.

وتظهر هذه الجدية أيضًا في الصورة التي ترسمها السورة للبعث، والنهاية الرهيبة للكون، والمشهد الأشد جلالًا لحمَلة العرش من الملائكة: ﴿فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ نَفْخَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ وَحُمِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَيَوْمَئِذٍ وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ وَانشَقَّتِ السَّمَاءُ فَهِيَ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاهِيَةٌ وَالْمَلَكُ عَلَىٰ أَرْجَائِهَا ۚ وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثَمَانِيَةٌ﴾ (الحاقة: 13-17).

Such seriousness is also seen in the picture the surah draws of the resurrection, the terrible end of the universe, and the even more majestic scene of the angels carrying the Throne: “ When the trumpet is sounded a single time, and the earth and mountains are lifted up and with one mighty crash are flattened, that which is certain to happen will on that day have come to pass. The sky will be rent asunder, for, it will have become frail on that day. The angels will stand on all its sides and, on that day, eight of them will bear aloft the Throne of your Lord.” (Verses 13—17)

إن هذه العظمة والجلال يضفيان مزيدًا من الجدية على مشهد المحاسبة في المسألة الكبرى المتعلقة بالإيمان. ويساعد كلاهما على تعميق أثره فينا، وكذلك نغمات السورة، وأقوال من يُمنحون الثواب ومن يُقضى عليهم بالعذاب.

Such awesomeness and majesty impart added seriousness to the scene of accounting for the all-important question of faith. Both help to deepen its effect on us, as do the beats of the surah and the statements of those who are granted reward and those who are doomed to suffer:

"فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَاؤُمُ اقْرَءُوا كِتَابِيَهْ * إِنِّي ظَنَنْتُ أَنِّي مُلَاقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ * فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَاضِيَةٍ * فِي جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ * قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌ * كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِي الْأَيَّامِ الْخَالِيَةِ * وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَابِيَهْ * وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ * يَا لَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ الْقَاضِيَةَ * مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنِّي مَالِيَهْ * هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ}" Note: The verses above are a Qur'an quotation (Al-Haqqah, 19–29) and I have written them in the Qur'anic form, not as my own translation.

"He who is given his record in his right hand will say, 'Come you all! Read this my record. I certainly knew that one day I would have to face my account.' He will be in a happy state of life, in a lofty garden, with its fruits within easy reach. 'Eat and drink to your hearts content as a reward for what you have done in days gone by ' But he who is given his record in his left hand will say, 'Would that I had never been shown my record and knew nothing of my account! Would that death had been the end of me! Nothing has my wealth availed me. I am now bereft of all my power.™ (Verses 19—29) This long lamentation gives us a strong impression of the terrible end suffered.

كلامُ اللهِ نفسُه، وهو يُفصِّلُ حُكمَهُ في وسطِ ذلكَ المشهدِ الجليلِ في ذلكَ اليومِ العظيمِ، يزيدُ الأمرَ كلَّهُ جِدّيّةً: ﴿خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ ثُمَّ الْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ﴾ (الآيات ٣٠-٣٢). وكلُّ جملةٍ من هذا الأمرِ تبدو كأنَّها تحملُ ثِقلَ السماواتِ والأرضِ لتضربَ المجرمَ في صورةٍ مُرعِبةٍ.

Gods own words, spelling out His sentence in the middle of that solemn scene on that great day, add to the seriousness of the whole affair: “Lay hold of him and shackle him, and burn him in the fire of hell, and then fasten him in a chain seventy cubits long” (Verses 30-32) Each clause in this command sounds as if it carries the whole weight of the heavens and earth to strike the offender in what is a terrifying image.

ثُمَّ يَتْبَعُ هٰذِهِ الجُمْلَةَ شَرْحٌ لِأَسْبَابِهَا المُوجِبَةِ: «إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ العَظِيمِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَحُضُّ عَلَى إِطْعَامِ المِسْكِينِ. فَلَيْسَ لَهُ اليَوْمَ هَاهُنَا صَدِيقٌ حَمِيمٌ، وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ، لَا يَأْكُلُهُ إِلَّا الخَاطِئُونَ؟» (الآيات ٣٣–٣٧)

This sentence is then followed with an explanation of its justifying causes: “He did not believe in God Almighty, and he never encouraged feeding the needy. So, no friend has he here today, nor any food except the filth that none other than the sinners eat? (Verses 33—37)

وَيَتْبَعُ تَلْمِيحَ القَسَمِ العَظِيمِ بَيَانُ اللهِ تَعَالَى لِحَقِيقَةِ هَذَا الدِّينِ الخَاتَمِ، إِذْ قَالَ: ﴿فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ * وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونَ * إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ * وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ قَلِيلًا مَا تُؤْمِنُونَ * وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ * تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ﴾ [الحاقة: 38-43].

A hint of a great oath is followed in Gods own statement outlining the truth of this final religion: ‘7 need not swear by what you can see and what you cannot see: this [Qur'an] is the word of a noble Messenger, not the word of a poet - how little you believe! nor the word of a soothsayer — how little you reflect! This [Qur'an] is a revelation from the Lord of all the worlds.” (verses 38-43)

ومن الجدّيّة زيادةً على ذلك ما تُختتم به السورة، إذ تُصدر تحذيرًا حاسمًا بعقوبة شديدة جدًّا تُنزَل بكل من يحاول إدخال أي تغيير على هذا الدين، وهذا يسري حتى على محمد رسولِ الله ﷺ: «وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ * لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ * ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ * فَمَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَاجِزِينَ» (الآيات ٤٤–٤٧)

Further seriousness is provided by the surah's last beat as it issues a decisive warning of a very severe punishment to be meted out to anyone who tries to introduce any alteration into this faith. This applies even to Muhammad, Gods Messenger: “Had he attributed some fabrications to Us, We would indeed have seized him by the right hand and cut off his life-vein, and none of you could have saved him.” (verses 44-47)

تختتم السورة ببيان حاسم آخر يوضح تماماً مسألة الرسالة الإلهية الأخيرة كما تتجسد في القرآن الكريم: «إِنَّهُ لَتَذْكِرَةٌ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ».

The surah concludes with another decisive statement making the question of the final divine message as it is embodied in the Qur’an absolutely clear: “ This [Qur'an] is indeed a reminder to the God fearing.

وَإِنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِنكُم مُّكَذِّبِينَ۔ وَإِنَّهُ لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ۔ وَإِنَّهُ لَحَقُّ الْيَقِينِ۔ فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ۔ هذه خاتمة لا تدع مجالاً لإضافة أي شيء بعدها۔

We well know that among you are some who deny its truth. Yet it will be a cause of bitter regret for the unbelievers. It is indeed truth absolute. Extol, then, the glory of the name of your Lord, the Supreme.” (Verses 48-52) It is a finale that leaves no room for anything further to be added.

تتمحور السورة حول موضوع رئيسٌ تسعى إلى توضيحه توضيحًا تامًّا، ويتعاون الأسلوب والإيقاع والصورُ والمشاهدُ التي ترسمها على إبراز هذا الموضوع في نفوسنا بأسلوب بالغ التأثير. فالسورة تقدّم لنا جملةً عظيمةً من الصور، بل تحيط بنا منها من كل جانب، ولا يسعنا إلا أن نراها حيّةً كأنها تجري أمام أعيننا. ها هنا نرى مصائر ثمود وعاد وفرعون وقوم لوط، ونشعر بأننا محاطون بآثارها المروّعة. ويُرسم مشهد الطوفان العظيم والقليل من الناجين من البشر الذين حملتهم السفينة في آيتين قصيرتين. فاقرأ، إن شئت، كيف لقيت عادٌ مصيرها الرهيب: «فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَأُهْلِكُوا بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ * سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا فَتَرَى الْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ * فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّن بَاقِيَةٍ» (الحاقة: ٦-٨). أفيمكن أن لا تتصور في خيالك كيف استمرت هذه العاصفة الهائجة تنشر دمارها الجارف ثماني ليالٍ وسبعة أيام، فتركت عادًا مُهلَكةً تشبه جذوع النخل الخاوية المقلوعة؟ إنه مشهد حيّ إلى حدٍّ لا نملك معه إلا أن نبصره بأعيننا ونرسمه بعقولنا. وينطبق الأمر نفسه على جميع الصور لمصائر الكافرين الرهيبة في القديم.

The surah has a central theme, which it aims to make absolutely clear. The style and beat it employs and the images and scenes it draws work in unison to drive this home to us in a highly inspiring way. Thus, the surah gives us a great host of images indeed it surrounds us with them from all sides. We cannot fail to see them brought alive as if they are taking place in front of our very eyes. Here, we see the fates of the Thamud, the 'Ad, Pharaoh, Sodom and Gomorrah and feel engulfed by their terrible effects. The scene of the great floods and the few human survivors carried in the Ark is painted in two short verses. Read, if you will, how the 'Ad suffered their terrible fate: “ The (Ad were destroyed by a furiously howling wind, which He caused to rage upon them for seven nights and eight decisive days. You could see their people lying dead, like uprooted trunks of hollow palm trees. Can you see any trace of them now? ” (Verses 6-8) Can you fail to see in your mind’s eye how this raging storm continued to vent its furious havoc for eight days and seven nights leaving the 'Ad utterly destroyed and resembling hollow, uprooted tree trunks? It is such a vivid scene that we cannot help but see it with our eyes and paint it with our minds. The same applies to all images of the terrible fates suffered by unbelievers of old.

ثم تُعرض علينا مرةً أخرى صورُ الفناء المروِّع للكون؛ نسمع الصخبَ الذي يصاحبها فنمتلئ رعباً وكرباً. اسمع هذه الآية: ﴿وَحُمِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةً وَاحِدَةً﴾ (الآية ١٤). ألا تسمع ذلك الدَّكَّ العظيم بعد أن رأيت الرفعَ ثم السقوط؟

Then again the images of the terrible end of the universe are brought before us; we hear the noise accompanying them and we are filled with terror and distress. Listen to this verse: “ The earth and mountains are lifted up and with one mighty crash are flattened. ” (Verse 14) Do you not hear that mighty crash after having seen the lifting up and then the fall?