Sunday, June 5, 2016

SURAH AL-ZILZAL (THE EARTHQUAKE)

Surah Al-Zilzal (The Earthquake) is the 99th Surah of the Glorious Qur’an, the Last Message of the Creator to His creatures. This Surah surround three topics viz. preliminary signs of the Day of Judgment, earth as a witness to man’s deeds, and the two groups of people; good and evil, who will receive the fruits of their actions.
The Infallible Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) said: “Be never tired of reciting this Surah, because anyone who recites this Surah in optional prayer will never be involved in an earthquake and die in it and also will be safe from getting hit by a lightening or any calamity.

                                                 In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
                “When the earth shall shake by a terrible quake and it throws out its burden, the man will say, “What is happening to it. On that day the earth will declare all (the activities of the human being) which have taken place on it, having been inspired by your Lord. On that day, people will come out of their graves in different groups to see (the results of) their deeds. Whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil will also see it.”

These Ayahs refer to the violent effects of destruction the earth will suffer on the Day of Judgment. Tamim bin Hatim says: “Once we went to Basra and while we were about to camp, an earth quake was felt. We were all panicky but Ali (a.s.) got down from his camel and placing his hand on the ground addressing the earth, said, ‘What has happened to you?’ The tremor stopped.”
The Infallible Lady of Paradise Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.) reports that once in Madina an earthquake was felt and the people got panicky and rushed to( caliph) Abu Bakr and(caliph) Omar who escorted all the people and came to the door of (Imam) Ali and (Imam) Ali came out with perfect peace of mind and took all the people outside Madinah and sitting on a mound and said to them: “You are panicking at this quaking of the earth, what will you do when it will quake before the Day of Judgment?” Saying this (Imam) Ali placed his hands on the ground and addressing the earth, said, “What has happened to you?” The quaking stopped and the shaking of the houses of Madinah suddenly ceased. Then (Imam) Ali turned towards the people and said: “Do you wonder at this? I am the one to whom the earth will speak on the Day of Judgment.”
The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) is reported to have said: “Save yourselves from calamities by always being clean with ablutions. Save yourselves by always being regular in your prayers. Beware of your good and evil deeds on earth, for it will disclose everything on the Day of Judgment.”
The Infallible Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “Say your prayers at different points in the mosque, because on the Day of Judgment every part will bear witness for the one who had prayed thereon.”
The man is warned of the strictness with which he will be dealt with in the accounting of his deeds. Even the smallest deed, good or evil, will not escape the accounting and will be duly recompensed, and no one will be able to bear the burden of the other.
There is a tradition that once a man came in the presence of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) and asked him to share his divine knowledge, the Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) sent him to one of his followers to teach him the Glorious Qur’an. He taught the man Surah al-Zilzal. The man was ready to leave saying that the last Ayahs were sufficient for him. The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said: “Let him go he became a scholar.” It is clear that when a man knows that his smallest deeds will be counted and he has to account for it, hence he will be careful not to commit any sin.

Sources:    The Glorious Qur’an (English translation) by Ayatollah Agha H.M.M. Pooya Yazdi
                  The Glorious Qur’an (Urdu translation) by Maulana Sayyid Farman Ali

                   Enlightening Commentary Light of Holy Qur’an volume 20

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