Tafsir of Al-Qari`ah 101:9

Surah Al-Qari'ah (The Calamity)

Regarding His saying, the Exalted, "So his abode will be Hawiyah," there are several interpretations:

1. Hawiyah is one of the names of the Fire. It is as if it is the deep Fire into which the inhabitants of Hell fall from a great height. The meaning is: his dwelling place is the Fire. It is also said that Umm (abode/mother) is used metaphorically, similar to a mother to whom a child turns in distress, and the afflicted turn to her.

2. His head will be cast down (Hawiyah) into the Fire. This was mentioned by Al-Akhfash, Al-Kalbi, and Qatadah. They said this is because they will fall into the Fire headfirst.

3. It refers to the curse, "May his mother perish (Hawiyat ummuhu)." When people invoke ruin upon someone, they say, "His mother has perished" (Hawiyat ummuhu). This is because when someone falls (i.e., perishes/is destroyed), his mother has perished out of grief and bereavement. Thus, it is as if the meaning is: "As for the one whose scales are light, he has perished."

The author of Al-Kashshaf said that the pronoun Hiyah (it) refers to the calamity implied by the statement: "So his abode will be Hawiyah."

In the third interpretation mentioned above, the pronoun Hiyah refers back to Hawiyah (the Abyss). The final hā' (هاء) is a quiescent marker. If one connects the words, it can be omitted, but it is preferred to pause with the hā' to conform to the Uthmanic script, where this hā' is fixed. We have already discussed this hā' when mentioning verses such as: Lam yatasannah, Fabi-hadāhum, Al-Qāḍiyah, and Mā aghnā ‘annī māliyah.