Pars Today

Welcome to our latest episode of “Path towards Enlightenment”, which is an endeavour to make you and us familiar with an easy and fluent explanation of God’s Final Scripture to all mankind, the holy Qur’an that was revealed to the Last and Greatest of all Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

In our previous episode we completed explanation of “Surah Qalam” and today we take up explanation of the next Surah, that is, “Surah Haqqah” – the number 69 in the serial order of compilation of the holy Qur’an.

Revealed in Mecca, it has 52 Ayahs and opens by proclaiming one of the names of the Day of Resurrection, that is, al-Haqqah or The Inevitable Reality, so named because the matter of truth in every affair shall forever be decided on Judgement Day. It describes punishment in the transient life of the mortal world for disbelievers as well as the more terrible fate that awaits them in the Hereafter. The bliss to be enjoyed by the believers is eloquently contrasted with the torments of hell for the disbelievers. The truth of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam is also confirmed. The Surah is also known as The Concrete Reality, The Catastrophe, The Indubitable, The Inevitable Hour, The Sure Occurrence, and The Undeniable

It is narrated from the Prophet that recitation of Surah Haqqah lessens the burden of sins. It is narrated from Imam Mohammad Baqer (AS), the Prophet’s 5^th Infallible Heir, that it is incumbent to recite this Surah many a time, since its recitation in the ritual obligatory and supererogatory prayers serves as a token of belief in God Almighty and His Messenger; and whoever recites it, his/her faith shall remain intact until Resurrection provided that religious obligations are fulfilled.

We continue from where we left you last time, and here Ayahs 13, 14, 15, and 16:

“When the Trumpet is blown with a single blast;

“And the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with a single leveling;

“Then, on that day, will the Imminent [event of reckoning] befall;

“And the sky will be split open- for it will be frail that day.”

If you might recall, in our explanation last week of the previous Ayahs of this Surah we had referred to the terrible fate that befell the powerful but sinful nations of the past, such as those who rejected Prophet Noah’s call, the wicked tribes of Aad and Thamoud, and the tyrannical kings, Nimrod and the Pharaoh.

The Ayahs that we recited to you now are about the events to occur in last days on the threshold of Resurrection and the Day of Judgement, preceded by the deafening sound of the Divine Trumpet that will end all life, including plants. Mountains will crumble and be leveled and the earth will be flattened at the occurrence of the Great Imminent Event for evaluation of deeds, while the sky is rent asunder and appears frail, with the celestial spheres spinning off their orbits and becoming scattered.

As mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an, the second deafening blast of the Divine Trumpet will revive all dead human beings to life even if their bones had become dust, for judgement in the Divine Court which will determine rewards and punishment in the fairest of manner on the basis of the Almighty Creator’s Infinite Mercy.

From these Ayahs we learn that:

1. This world with all its wonders, whether on earth or in the sky, all of which are manifestations of Divine Favour, is but mortal and finite, and will end with the deafening sound of the Celestial Trumpet.
2. The Earth with all its mountains and valleys will be flattened as the new world takes shape for the Day of Resurrection when all the dead are brought to life with the second deafening blast of the Celestial Trumpet.
3. The Great and Imminent Event is revival of dead for the final judgement in comparison to which everything and events are trivial.

Now let us listen to Ayahs 17 and 18 of the same Surah:

“And the angels shall be on the sides thereof; and above them eight shall bear (that is, manifest) on that day your Lord's Power;

“That day you will be exposed: none of your secrets will remain hidden.”

When after demolition of all physical things the new order of the universe takes shape, the angels will be on all sides, while above them will be eight exclusive personages or groups made up of the Prophets and the Infallible Imams holding the Celestial Throne which is not any material object but is manifestation of the Divine Attributes of Wisdom, Might, Authority, and Infinity that encompass the entire cosmos, since the Almighty Creator is far too glorious to have any form or place.

On that day all that whatever we did during the transient life of the mortal world will be revealed and none of our secrets remain hidden.

These Ayahs teach us the following:

1. The new order of the universe on the Day of Resurrection after the present system of existence has been overhauled will witness the physical presence of angels and the glory granted to God to His chosen ones.
2. All that the human beings had done while alive will be fully exposed with no question of denial since everything, even secrets, have been recorded.

In conclusion of this week’s episode of ‘Path towards Enlightenment’ let us listen to Ayahs 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 of Surah al-Haqqah:

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

“Indeed I knew that I shall encounter my account.’

“So he will have a pleasant life;

“In an elevated garden;

“Whose clusters [of fruits] will be within easy reach,

“[He will be told]; ‘Enjoy your food and drink, for what you had sent in advance in past days.”

As is clear from these Ayahs, those who were true believers and were virtuous will rejoice and feel happy on being given the book of their deeds in the right hand. They will display its contents and say with firm faith and conviction that they had believed with certainty in the Day of Resurrection and the promise of God to reward the true believers with innumerable bounties.

They will thus enter the eternal bliss of Paradise which has unimaginably beautiful gardens abounding in a variety of delicious fruits which are in easy reach without the trouble of making efforts to procure them.

Ayah 24 is an affectionate address by the Almighty Creator to the true believers to enjoy in undisturbed comfort their food and drink, which are actually manifestation of the good deeds they had done for the sake of God, thereby sending in advance their virtues to ensure lasting favours from the Almighty Creator.

These Ayahs teach us the following points:

1. It is true belief in God and whatever He has commanded that ensures success on the Day of Resurrection and the innumerable bounties reserved for them in Paradise.
2. Certainty in the day of Resurrection, refrainment from the forbidden, and faith in the Prophet of Islam and his Infallible Successors is the passport to Paradise and immunity from the fires of hell.

RM/AS/SS