Az-Zalzala (ٱلزَّلْزَلَة)

Surah Az-Zalzala is the 99th Surah in the Quran and can be found in the last Juz of the Quran. It has eight verses and was revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ) after he migrated to Madinah. As we can see from the name, Az-Zalzala means ‘The Shaker’ or “The Quake,” and the Surah talks about the wrongdoers and The Hour. The Surah conveys a future message of a terrible earthquake that will throw everything up on the Day of Judgement. Let’s look in-depth at the Surah and discuss its theme, subject matter, virtues, and benefits.

Shaan e Nazool (Historical Background)

Surah Az-Zalzalah is a Makki Surah, revealed primarily to address the doubts of disbelievers about the Resurrection on the Day of Judgment. They believed that when a person dies and his body disintegrates into particles over time, how can he be resurrected? At the same time, the disbelievers also rejected the occurrence of the Hour, when everything in this world would come to an end. This short Surah comprehensively describes the occurrence of the Hour and Resurrection on that Day.

The Surah describes that on that Day the earth will be shaken so severely that it is beyond the imagination of humans. With this immense shaking, the earth will throw out everything inside it. The exact word used here in the Surah is that the earth will throw out all its burden when the Hour comes. It is, in fact, a confirmation of Resurrection that will happen on the Day of Judgment. Every human who has ever lived on this earth will be resurrected, which is mentioned in this Surah as "all its burden" or "everything in it". It is a stern warning to all mankind that the Resurrection will certainly happen, reaffirming two main Islamic concepts: the Resurrection and the Final Judgment.

Then the Surah specifically describes that on that Day, the earth will disclose all the information stored in it, by the command of Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ. It implies that every action and deed of each individual person is being recorded, and this record will be disclosed and thrown out by the earth on the Day of Resurrection. Furthermore, the Surah declares that humans will come out in separate groups, based on the deeds they committed during their lives in this world. Everyone will be shown his account of deeds, which will decide their final destiny. The Surah specifically declares that everyone will be shown every good deed done by him, whether it is equal to an atom's weight. Similarly, everyone will be shown each and every evil deed done by him, whether it is equal to an atom's weight. It means that good or evil deeds, irrespective of their magnitude, are being recorded and will be shown to everyone on the Day of Resurrection, and final Judgment will be based on these deeds.

Makki or Madni Surah

Surah Az-Zalzalah is a Makki Surah according to the vast majority of scholars, although some others believe it was revealed in Medina. However, it is generally included in the Makki Surahs.  

Place in the Quran

Surah Az-Zalzalah is the 99^th Surah of the Quran and is placed in the 30^th Juzz (Para). It comes after Surah Al-Bayyinah and before Surah Al-A’diyat. It is the 93^rd Surah in the order of revelation and is placed at number 99 in the sequence of recitation.

• Number of Verses: Surah Az-Zalzalah has 8 verses.
• Number of Ruku (Sections): The verses of Surah Az-Zalzalah are grouped into 1 Ruku (section).

Significance of Surah Az-Zalzalah  

Surah Az-Zalzalah holds great significance in Islam, as it addresses core Islamic beliefs: the Resurrection, the occurrence of the Hour, and Final Judgment on the Day of Judgment.

Some of the major significances are summarized here:

• A Reminder of the Hereafter – The Surah primarily reminds us of the Hereafter. The concept of a second life, after death, is described in this Surah by explaining how the earth will throw out all its burden; i.e., everyone who died till that Day will be resurrected to be presented before Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ.
• A Reminder of the Day of Judgment – This Surah also explains that the purpose of Resurrection is to present everyone before Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ for the final Judgment, which will be entirely based on the deeds and actions committed by each individual person during his life in this world.
• A Reminder that Every Deed Matters – It describes that on the Day of Resurrection, humans will come out in different groups based on the deeds and actions they committed in this world, which will determine their final destiny. Everyone will be shown his record of deeds. Even the smallest good and evil deed has been recorded and will be shown on that Day.
• A Reminder of Divine Justice – The Surah also reminds us that Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ justice is perfect. None of the deeds, good or evil, will go unaccounted for. Everyone's final destiny will be based entirely on what they have done.
• A Reminder for Self-Accountability – The Surah encourages Muslims to reflect upon their acts and dealings in this world. Even the smallest evil can throw us into Hellfire, whereas a tiny good action might help us to get rewarded. So, the lesson from this Surah is to strive continuously for good deeds and make every effort to avoid evil deeds.

Theme and Subject Matter of Surah Az-Zalzalah

Surah Az-Zalzala's main theme is the Day of Judgment and humankind's accountability for their actions. The Surah starts by describing the horrific event of an intense earthquake that will reveal everything, no matter where it is hidden. This earthquake marks the end of the world and brings the Day of Judgement that Allah has always mentioned in the Quran, the day many people on earth do not believe will occur. 

The Surah reminds us of the reality of the Day of Judgment and our roles as human beings and Muslims in this world. It highlights that all humans will be accountable for their deeds, and even the smallest of actions will be accounted for on the Day of Judgment. 

The Surah highlights the consequences of human actions on the Day of Judgement. Allah is justice and loves justice, and every man and woman will be rewarded or punished for their deeds based on divine justice. Even the slightest good and even the smallest bad deeds will be counted, and everyone will get rewards or punishments based on what they have done in this world.

Virtues and Benefits of Surah Az-Zalzalah

Surah Az-Zalzala is a powerful reminder of the ultimate reality that Allah has promised. It reminds us of our death, the temporary luxuries of this world, the Day of Judgement, and eternal hereafter life. Allah reminds us that this world is temporary and it will end horrifically and no one can hide themselves from this day. 

Everyone is accountable for their deeds and lives in the gardens of Paradise or in the fire of Hell according to what they have done on this Earth. So, Surah Az-Zalzala reminds us that this earth is a temporary place, and all the luxuries we fight for in this Duniya will remain here, and only our deeds will be transferred to the next world.

Upon our good or bad deeds, we will be rewarded Jannah or Jahanum and will spend the rest of the eternal life there. So keep asking for forgiveness and repent before it’s too late and before all our deeds come right in front of our eyes because that time, we will not be able to change it.

It will happen when we talk about major earthquakes, even during the time of Dajjal. Narrated by Anas bin Malik (R.A):

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal will not enter except Mecca and Medina, and there will be no entrance (road) (of both Mecca and Medina) but the angels will be standing in rows guarding it against him, and them Madinah will shake with its inhabitants thrice (i.e. three earthquakes will take place) and Allah will expel all the non-believers and the hypocrites from it.” (Sahih Bukhari 1881, Book 29, Hadith 15)

In another Hadith mentioning the Hour, Rasool (ﷺ) mentioned some signs of the Hour, including frequent earthquakes. As narrated by Abu Huraira (R.A):

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The Hour will not be established until (religious) knowledge will be taken away (by the death of religious learned men), earthquakes will be very frequent, time will pass quickly, afflictions will appear, murders will increase and money will overflow amongst you.” (Sahih Bukhari 1036, Book 15, Hadith 31)

We can see most of the signs in today’s world, so it’s the right time to tighten our belts and prepare ourselves for the Day of Judgement. We must serve mankind in the best possible way and perform all the obligatory commandments from Allah to be recognized as the best person of the Ummah of Rasool (ﷺ) and get the reward of living our eternal life in Paradise.

Listen to the Recitation of Surah Az-Zalzalah by Renowned Qaris

Correct Quran recitation is very important. The language of the Quran is Arabic, which can be difficult for non-Arabic speakers to understand. Even Arabic speakers may struggle to recite the Quran correctly. Correct pronunciation of Quranic verses becomes even more sensitive when a slight mistake can change the meaning. The correct recitation was taught by the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ to his companions. That highlights the importance of correct recitation of the Quranic Surahs. It takes some coaching and learning, especially for non-Arabic speakers.

The art of correct Quranic recitation is highly important, especially for non-Arabic speakers, and can be achieved with the help of a qualified Arabic teacher or a renowned, authentic reciter (Qari). One of the best practical ways to learn correct Quranic recitation is to listen to authentic, renowned Qaris (reciters). One can easily learn how to pronounce a particular Quranic phrase correctly, including Surah Az-Zalzalah. Consistently listening to an authentic Qari's recitation helps listeners pronounce Quranic words correctly with Tajweed. It also supports those who want to listen to the Quran instead of reading it themselves.   

The MuslimandQuran mobile app lets you listen to Quran recitation. Recitations by renowned, authentic Qaris are available on our website and mobile app, and you can listen on your mobile devices or laptop whenever you like. You can select a Qari of your preference to listen to and learn the correct recitation of the Quran. You only need to download the MuslimandQuran mobile application to listen to any Surah of the Quran, including Surah Az-Zalzalah.

You can download our mobile app for both Android and iOS by clicking the links given below:

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Surah Az-Zalzalah PDF

The MuslimandQuran mobile app lets you read the Quran online. If you want to read it offline, you can also download any Surah of the Quran, including Surah Az-Zalzalah, as a PDF.

You can download Surah Az-Zalzalah in PDF by following these simple steps:

• Press Ctrl + P on your keyboard.
• In the Destination dropdown menu, choose Save as PDF.
• Click Save to download Az-Zalzalah to your device.

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