Surah Haqqah

Haqqah (حاقه), meaning “the Inevitable Reality”, is one of the names of Qiyamah. Surah Haqqah, also called Silsilah (سلسله) and Wa’iyah (واعیه) is the 69^th surah of the Noble Quran in Juz’ 29 with 52 verses. As the name itself clearly illustrate, a major theme discussed herein in a graphic detail is the Incontestable Day where believers and non-believers face the result of the deeds they had sent forward in the material world.

Surah Haqqah mentions the history of ancient tribes like ‘Ad, Thamud, Lut, the people of Noah and the Pharaoh who rejected their prophet and were destroyed by the wrath of God.

 In surah Haqqah you also read about the magnitude and magnificence of the Quran and the truthfulness of prophet Muhammad (S).

Facts about Surah Haqqah

Names of Surah Haqqah

Other names of surah Haqqah are the Incontestable, The Reality, The Indubitable, The Inevitable Hour and The Inevitable Truth.

Theme of the verse	Verse number
The Day of Resurrection; Fate of believers and non-believers on that day	1-3, 13-37
The history of ancient tribes (The pre-Islamic tribes of Thamud, ‘Ad, Lut and the Pharaoh	4-12
The Magnanimous Quran and noble Prophet (S)	40-52

Arabic Text and Translation of Surah Haqqah

Surah Haqqah in a nutshell

Surah Haqqah is the 69^th surah of the noble Quran in Juz’ 29 with 52 verses. It gets its name from the first three verses of this surah, where the word Haqqah meaning the Inevitable Truth, which is one of the names of Qiyamah , is repeated thrice. Surah Haqqah includes three of the names of the Last Day: “al-Haqqah” (الحاقه), al-Qari’ah (القارعه), and al-Waqi’ah (الواقعه).  

In this article you will read:  

Benefits of reciting surah Haqqah

The Noble Prophet (S) says in a narration that one who recites surah Haqqa , will have a lessened burden of sins. ² Elsewhere his holiness says, one who recites the entire surah Haqqah will be granted light all over his body. ³

In another narration from Imam Baqir (AS) Muslims have been recommended to recite surah Haqqa frequently, since its recitation in obligatory and supererogatory prayers serves as a token of their belief in God and His Messenger (S). Moreover, one who recites it shall have an intact faith until he meets his Lord, ⁴ provided that he acts upon his religious obligations.

It has also been cited that surah Haqqah helps in protecting the child that a pregnant woman carries in her womb and makes it grow to become intelligent. ⁵

What is the Inevitable Truth?

One of the essential topics discussed in the Quran and by the messengers of God throughout history has been Qiyamah, referred to as the Inevitable Truth in surah Haqqah, which is not comprehended solely through the intellect but through revelation.

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحَاقَّةُ ﴿3﴾

What will show you what is the Besieger?!

 Verses 1 to 3 and 13 to 37 of surah Haqqah deal with this Incontestable Reality.

Signs of the occurrence of Haqqah

Different verses of the luminous Quran have described the events leading to the Last Day. Surah Haqqah too, includes some of these signs:

• When the Trumpet is blown with a single blast

فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ نَفْخَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ ﴿13﴾

When the Trumpet is blown with a single blast

• and the earth and the mountains are lifted and levelled with a single levelling,

وَحُمِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةً وَاحِدَةً ﴿14﴾

and the earth and the mountains are lifted and levelled with a single levelling,

• and the sky will be split open—for it will be frail on that day—

وَانشَقَّتِ السَّمَاءُ فَهِيَ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَاهِيَةٌ ﴿16﴾

and the sky will be split open—for it will be frail on that day—

• with the angels all over it, and the Throne of your Lord will be borne that day by eight [angels].

وَالْمَلَكُ عَلَىٰ أَرْجَائِهَا ۚ وَيَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ ثَمَانِيَةٌ ﴿17﴾

with the angels all over it, and the Throne of your Lord will be borne that day by eight [angels].

• That day you will be presented [before your Lord]: none of your secrets will remain hidden.

يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَىٰ مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ ﴿18﴾

That day you will be presented [before your Lord]: none of your secrets will remain hidden.

Surah Haqqah and two distinct groups on Qiyamah

The most significant criteria of dividing people into two groups on the Inevitable Hour is belief in the one God and Righteous deeds. Surah Haqqah distinctly distinguishes the two groups as the ones whom receive their books either in their right or left hands.

One who receives one’s book in the right hand

Surah Haqqah describes the righteous whom on that day are happy and proud of their conduct in this world.

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَاؤُمُ اقْرَءُوا كِتَابِيَهْ ﴿19﴾

As for him who is given his book in his right hand, he will say, ‘Here, take and read my book!

One who receives one’s book in the left hand

There is another group depicted in surah Haqqah who are shameful, desperate and in pain.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَابِيَهْ ﴿25﴾

But as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he will say, ‘I wish I had not been given my book,

• He wishes he had never received his book, nor had he known of his account and that death would have ended all for him

وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ ﴿26﴾

nor had I ever known what my account is!

يَا لَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ الْقَاضِيَةَ ﴿27﴾

I wish death had been the end of it all!

• His wealth and authority will not benefit him;

مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنِّي مَالِيَهْ ۜ ﴿28﴾

My wealth did not avail me.

هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ ﴿29﴾

My authority has left me.’

• He is seized, chained in a chain seventy cubits in length and put into hell

خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ ﴿30﴾

[The angels will be told:] ‘Seize him, and fetter him!

ثُمَّ الْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ ﴿31﴾

Then put him into hell.

ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ ﴿32﴾

Then bind him in a chain, seventy cubits in length.

Why so much pain and punishment?

إِنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّـهِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿33﴾

Indeed he had no faith in Allah, the All-supreme,

وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ ﴿34﴾

and he did not urge the feeding of the needy,

فَلَيْسَ لَهُ الْيَوْمَ هَاهُنَا حَمِيمٌ ﴿35﴾

so he has no friend here today,

وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ ﴿36﴾

nor any food except pus,

لَّا يَأْكُلُهُ إِلَّا الْخَاطِئُونَ ﴿37﴾

which no one shall eat except the iniquitous.’

Feeding of the needy

Supporting the needy either directly if one has the means or indirectly by urging others to do so comes side by side faith in God. In other words, one of the manifestations of belief in God is helping his creatures. Care, compassion and love for others are radiant rays of belief in God. The more God-fearing a nation becomes, the more sympathetic they would be towards one another.

One of the most beautiful embodiment of this principle can be seen in the family of the noble daughter of the messenger of God, Fatimah:

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا ﴿8﴾

And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive:

ِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّـهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا ﴿9﴾

We only feed you for Allah’s sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks.

Worldly punishment for those who deny the Last Day

Surah Haqqah mentions the bitter fate and worldly punishment of some of those people who denied the Cataclysm. God had sent them His messengers to guide them to the truth and to guarantee an everlasting blissful life but to no avail.

Nations and people who denied the Inevitable Truth	Their worldly punishment
Thamud (ثمود)	They were destroyed by the Cry (69:5)
‘AD	They were destroyed by a fierce icy gale clamped on them for 7 nights and 8 days (69:6-7)
Pharaoh	He and his people were Drowned (10:90)
People of Lut	Their town was overturned (69:9)
People of Noah	They were destroyed by the Flood (69:11)

The sequence of events leading to one’s destruction

Based on the teachings of surah Haqqah, verses 4, 9 and 10, one’s destruction is originally rooted in the denial of the Last Day. Once one lives based on the presupposition that there is no perpetual world, and that life ends with one’s death, one would start sinning, regardless of the guidance of apostles of God and would eventually be seized by God’s punishment.   

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌ بِالْقَارِعَةِ ﴿4﴾

Thamud and ‘Ad denied the Cataclysm.

وَجَاءَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَن قَبْلَهُ وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَاتُ بِالْخَاطِئَةِ ﴿9﴾

And Firon and those before him and the overthrown cities continuously committed sins. ⁶

فَعَصَوْا رَسُولَ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَهُمْ أَخْذَةً رَّابِيَةً ﴿10﴾

And they disobeyed the Apostle of their Lord, so He punished them with a vehement punishment. ⁷

A reminder

لِنَجْعَلَهَا لَكُمْ تَذْكِرَةً

that We might make it a reminder for you,

Surah Haqqah mentions the fate of past nations who denied Qiyamah as reminder for the noble prophet (S) and all those who hear their story. The educational technique used in surah Haqqah is quite intriguing. It intends to teach a lesson about the Inevitable Reality, the knowledge of which changes one’s perception and worldview to life. Upon introducing the topic, surah Haqqah mentions factual historical information about the fate of different nations living in the past who had denied this truth.

In the next stage, surah Haqqah depicts the future to come. It very explicitly and clearly visualizes the scene on the Last Day, where people would be divided into two groups based on their belief in God and the Indisputable Reality.

Receptive ears

وَتَعِيَهَا أُذُنٌ وَاعِيَةٌ ﴿12﴾

and that receptive ears might remember it.

Upon the revelation of this verse in surah Haqqa, the messenger of God (S) informed Ali (AS) that these receptive ears are his. ⁸

Perhaps that is why the prophet of mercy (S) says in a hadith,

I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate.⁹

Qualities of Prophet Muhammad (S) in surah Haqqah

In surah Haqqah, Almighty God swears the greatest oath sworn in the Quran. He swears by what is seen and not seen. ¹⁰ In other words, He swears by the entire creation to make an important statement: That the Quran is the speech of an apostle who:

• Is noble ¹¹
• Is not a poet ¹²
• Is not a soothsayer ¹³
• Had not faked any sayings in God’s name. ¹⁴

Muhammad (S) never lies

The noble Quran has mentioned in different verses that prophet Muhammad (S) says nothing but the truth. For instance in chapter al-Najm we read:

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ﴿3﴾

Nor does he speak out of [his own] desire:

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ ﴿4﴾

it is just a revelation that is revealed [to him]. ¹⁵

According to Tafsir al-Burhan, in the event of Qhadir Khum when the noble prophet (S) appointed Ali bin Abi Talib (AS) as his successor and uttered the famous statement of “مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَوْلَاه” ¹⁶ meaning whomsoever I am the Mawla (Guardian), after me Ali is his Mawla (Guardian), a person objected and said that Muhammad was fabricating a lie ¹⁷ against God, that is when verse 44 of surah Haqqah was revealed stating, 

وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ

had he faked any sayings in Our name,

God would have seized him by the right hand and cut off his aorta and no one could have helped him. ¹⁸

Qualities of the Quran in surah Haqqah

The glorious Quran has been introduced as a Book of guidance to the God-wary ¹⁹ and a cure and mercy for the faithful ²⁰ .

Surah Haqqah states other distinct qualities for this Book of light: 

• It is gradually sent down from the Lord of all the worlds. ²¹
• It is a reminder for those who fear God. ²²
• It will be a matter of regret for the unbelievers. ²³
• It is indeed certain truth. ²⁴