In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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:

"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.

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.

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)

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)

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)

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.

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.

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.

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?

Listen again: “ The sky will be rent asunder, for, it will have become frail on that day.” (Verse 16) Does this sad end, with a beautiful sky torn apart, present itself clearly before you? Keep listening: “ The angels will stand on all its sides and, on that day, eight of them will bear aloft the Throne of your Lord. On that day you shall be brought to judgement and none of your secrets will remain hidden. ” (Verses 17-18) The majesty of this awesome scene can only but fill your imagination.

Then look at the image of the person receiving his record in his right hand. The whole world is too small for his joy. He cheerfully calls on all creatures to come and read his record: “Come you all! Read this my record.

I certainly knew that one day I would have to face my account” (Verses 19—20) Contrast this with the image of the one whose record is given to him in his left hand: his words, tone and expression reflect his heart-felt grief: “ 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 25-29)

Who of us will fail to shudder when we listen to the judgement in the case of the latter person: “Lay hold of him and shackle him, and bum him in the fire of hell, and then fasten him in a chain seventy cubits long.” (Verses 30-32) We almost see those receiving the command rushing to carry it out, and we visualize his situation there as we read: “So, no friend has he here today, nor any food except the filth that none other than the sinners eat” (Verses 35—37) Finally, who of us will not experience fear when our minds receive this stern warning: “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) Combined, all these images and scenes are so powerful, clear and effective as to require our pressing attention.

The surah's verse endings and their variation contribute to its clearly profound effect. At the very beginning, we have a very long V followed by a doubled plosive sound and a fricative 'h. Then we have a long stretch in which all the verses end with a clear 'yah final syllable. This passage takes us through the scenes of ruin in this world and in the life to come, as well as those of joy and lamentation when personal records are given. Then the ending changes to WA’ when the judgement is pronounced. When the basis of the judgement is outlined in all seriousness, the ending again changes to give us a firm and final sound formed of a long 'e* followed by either 'm! or 'h. This change of the last consonant and the vowel preceding it, as well as the beat, is a clear phenomenon that parallels the change of scene, image and aura. It fits perfectly with the subject matter and the images drawn. It contributes to the powerful effect the surah has generally. Having said all this, I would like to conclude by saying that the surah itself is far more powerful than can be shown by any analysis or comment anyone can make.