Surah Al-Waqi'ah (The Event)

It has ninety-six verses and is a Meccan Surah.

{ When the Event occurs, } { Its occurrence will not be denied; } { It will be a humbling [event] and an exalting [event]. }

The Event (Al-Wāqi‘ah): (1) When the Event Occurs

Connection to the Preceding Sūrah

The connection between this Sūrah and the one preceding it is established in several ways:

1. Contrast in Theme: The previous Sūrah enumerates the blessings bestowed upon humanity and demands gratitude while forbidding denial. This Sūrah, conversely, details the recompense: reward for the thankful and punishment for the deniers and disbelievers.
2. Shared Theme of Admonition: The preceding Sūrah uses the mention of divine favors (Alā’) to admonish people. This Sūrah similarly admonishes them by mentioning the recompense on the Day of Calling Out (Yawm al-Tinād).
3. Contrast in Manifestation: The previous Sūrah is one of manifesting Mercy, whereas this Sūrah is one of manifesting Awe/Majesty (Hība), contrasting with the previous one.

The connection between the end of the previous Sūrah and the beginning of this one is that the former alludes to Divine Attributes through negation and affirmation, while the latter points to the Resurrection and the rewards and punishments therein. Both aspects demonstrate the loftiness of His Name, the greatness of His Status, the perfection of His Power, and the might of His Sovereignty.

Following this, there are several scholarly issues concerning the verse:

Issue 1: Interpretation of "When the Event Occurs"

There are several interpretations:

1. The Resurrection/Earthquake: It means when the inevitable Event—the Resurrection or a devastating earthquake—occurs, which everyone will acknowledge and no one can deny. The obstinacy of deniers will cease. The disbelievers will be lowered into the depths of Hell, and the believers will be raised to the heights of Paradise—these in the blazing Fire, and those in bliss.
2. Intense Shaking: It means the Earth will be violently shaken, lowering the high places and raising the low places. This is similar to His saying: “And We made its high parts low” (Al-Hijr: 74). This signifies the severity of the Event, as the punishment that leveled the high places (by destruction) and raised the low places (making the depressed earth like firm mountains, and the firm mountains like depressed earth) is more intense and eloquent. Thus, high structures become level with the ground. The Event that occurs raises the low ground and lowers parts of the sky, as indicated by His saying: “When the earth is shaken violently, and the mountains are ground to dust” (Al-Wāqi‘ah: 4-5). This shows the earth moving with a disturbing motion and the mountains crumbling, making the low earth like firm mountains and the towering mountains like low earth, similar to how the wind affects sandy ground.
3. Manifestation and Inevitability: It means when the Event occurs, its occurrence and manner will become apparent to everyone, leaving no room for falsehood or interpretation. Thus, His saying “Lowering, Raising” (خافضة رافعة) is coordinated with “a falsehood” (كاذبة) in sequence. It is like someone saying: "I have no doubt or error in this matter," meaning no one has the power to raise the lowered or lower the raised.

Issue 2: The Nature of the Word "Al-Wāqi‘ah" (The Event)

The word Al-Wāqi‘ah can be interpreted in two ways:

1. An Adjective for an Omitted Noun: The omitted noun is the Resurrection or the Earthquake, as explained above.
2. An Indefinite Noun with an Intensifying Feminine Marker: The omitted noun is indefinite, and the feminine tā’ (ة) indicates the intensity and horror of the occurring matter, similar to saying: “The happening occurred” (كانت الكائنة), meaning something happened, whatever it was.

The phrase "the matter is happening" (الأمر كائن) only implies the occurrence of something, even if minor, compared to "the happening occurred" (كانت الكائنة), as the latter carries an added description beyond mere existence.

We clarify this by examining the use of the feminine tā’ for intensification, as in the saying: "So-and-so is a great narrator" (فلان راوية) or "a great genealogist" (نسابة). If they intended to emphasize the quality of narration, they could have added an adjective after the noun, saying: "So-and-so is a good/excellent/virtuous narrator." Instead, they opted for conciseness with added meaning, using a letter to substitute for a word. This is analogous to using the feminine tā’ where they say ظالمة (a female oppressor) instead of saying "an oppressing female" (ظالم أنثى). This is why they must specify the feminine when the tā’ cannot suffice, such as in شاة أنثى (a female sheep). Similarly, in plurals, they use قالوا (they said) instead of "said, said, said," and قالا (the two said) instead of "said, said."

Therefore, in intensification, they intended to use a letter to replace a word, and the letter indicating addition should be at the end, as addition comes after the original thing. They used the tā’ when it was not for grammatical femininity or singularity in a singular noun, but for intensification.

If this is established, then in كانت الكائنة and وقعت الواقعة, this meaning (intensification) is achieved in meaning, but not strictly in form.

• In meaning: They intended by كانت الكائنة that the happening is extra beyond the basic state of being.
• In form: If the tā’ were for intensification, it would not be permissible to retain the feminine pronoun in the verb; they should have said كان الكائنة and وقع الواقعة. This is impossible.

Therefore, we maintain that the intended meaning is intensification.

Issue 3: The Governing Factor (Al-‘Āmil) for "If" (إذا)

There are three views regarding what governs the word إذا (If):

1. A preceding verb taking it as a direct object (not an adverb): The implied verb is "Remember" (اذكر), as if saying: "Remember the Resurrection."
2. The governing factor is not its occurrence (لوقعتها): Similar to saying: "On Friday, I have no business" (يوم الجمعة ليس لي شغل).
3. The governing factor is implied by the following phrase: Some say it is governed by خافضة رافعة (Lowering, Raising), as mentioned in the exegesis. Others say it is governed by the subsequent verse: “And the companions of the Right—what are the companions of the Right?” (Al-Wāqi‘ah: 8), meaning: on the day the Event occurs.

Issue 4: The Meaning of "Not False for Its Occurrence" (ليس لوقعتها كاذبة)

This phrase indicates that the Event occurs suddenly, all at once, as Waq‘ah refers to a single instance. The word كاذبة (false/lying) has several interpretations:

1. Adjective for an Omitted Noun: The omitted noun is a self (نفس), meaning: "There is no self that lies concerning its occurrence."
2. Intensifying Feminine Marker: The tā’ is for exaggeration, as discussed previously regarding الواقعة.
3. A Verbal Noun (Maṣdar): It is like العاقبة (the consequence).

If we adopt the first view (adjective for an omitted self), the preposition لـ (for/to) can have two meanings:

• Causality: Meaning, no self will lie on that Day because of the severity of its occurrence, just as one says, "There is no liar before the King because of his strict control over affairs." This implies a general negation: everyone believes what is said. Or, it could be a specific negation: no one will lie saying, "There is no Resurrection," due to the clarity and manifestation of the matter, meaning no one will deny it.
• Transitivity: Similar to saying, "Zayd has no striker" (ليس لزيد ضارب). In this case, the meaning is: When the Event occurs, there is no person who can be found to lie about its occurrence. If someone reports on it, it is خافضة رافعة (Lowering, Raising), lowering some and raising others. Under this interpretation, it does not govern إذا. It means "There is no liar concerning it," implying it is an easy, manageable matter. This is said to one who undertakes a great matter thinking he can handle it: "You considered the matter easy for yourself, but it is not easy."

If we adopt the second view (intensification), there are two possibilities:

1. No Great Liar: Meaning, one who lies and commits a great lie cannot lie about this, due to the horror of that Day.
2. No One Capable of Such a Great Lie: If someone were to lie and say, "There is no Resurrection or Event on that Day," they would be a great liar, but no one is capable of such a great lie on that Day.

The first possibility better indicates the horror of the Day. Under the third view (verbal noun), it reverts to the idea that there will be no liar on that Day; everyone will believe it.

Issue 5: "Lowering, Raising" (خافضة رافعة)

The basic meaning is that "It is Lowering, Raising," as previously mentioned in the general exegesis. There are other interpretations:

1. Adjectives for the Lying Self: They are adjectives for the lying self (النفس الكاذبة). Meaning: "There is no one who lies concerning its occurrence, nor one who alters speech, thus lowering one matter and raising another; therefore, it is Lowering."
2. Emphasis on Truthfulness: It is an addition to emphasize the truthfulness of creation on that Day and the impossibility of their lying. A liar alters speech. When one wishes to negate lying from oneself, they might say, "I did not know a single word," or "I did not know a single letter." This is because a liar might lie about the reality of the matter, or lie about a description of its attributes. The description might be considered or not considered, or not considered at all.
   • Example 1 (Considered): Saying "Zayd did not come" when he did come.
   • Example 2 (Not considered): Saying "Zayd did not come on Friday" when he came early on Friday morning.
   • Example 3 (Not considered at all): Saying "Zayd did not come early on Friday morning" when he came early on Friday morning, but not at the very beginning of the early morning.

The second example is less significant than the first, and the third is less significant than the second. If someone says, "I do not know a lying word" (ما أعرف كلمة كاذبة), they negate lying in reporting and in description. If they say, "I do not know a single letter," they negate something beyond that. If they say, "I do not know a single utterance" (ما عرفت أعرافة واحدة), it is even stronger.

Therefore, His saying: “Not false for its occurrence, Lowering, Raising” means there will be no one who alters speech, even slightly.

Then, the Almighty said: