Surah Al-Qariah - سورة القارعة

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir explanation) for verses 6-11 of Surah

 Al-Qariah - تفسير بن كثير للآية 6-11 من سورة القارعة

فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَزِينُهُ

(Then as for him whose Balance will be heavy.) meaning, his good deeds are more than his bad deeds.

فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ

(He will live a pleasant life.) meaning, in Paradise.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَزِينُهُ

(But as for him whose Balance will be light.) meaning, his bad deeds are more than his good deeds. Then Allah says,

فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ

(His mother will be Hawiyah.) It has been said that this means he will be falling and tumbling headfirst into the fire of Hell, and the expression `his mother' has been used to refer to his brain (as it is the mother of his head). A statement similar to this has been reported from Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Abu Salih and Qatadah. Qatadah said, "He will fall into the Hellfire on his head.'' Abu Salih made a similar statement when he said, "They will fall into the Fire on their heads.'' It has also been said that it means his mother that he will return to and end up with in the Hereafter will be Hawiyah, which is one of the names of the Hellfire. Ibn Jarir said, "Al-Hawiyah is only called his mother because he will have no other abode except for it.'' Ibn Zayd said, "Al-Hawiyah is the Fire, and it will be his mother and his abode to which he will return, and where he will be settled.'' Then he recited the Ayah,

وَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ

(Their abode will be the Fire.) (3:151) Ibn Abi Hatim said that it has been narrated from Qatadah that he said, "It is the Fire, and it is their abode.'' Thus, Allah says in explaining the meaning of Al-Hawiyah,

وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَهْ

(And what will make you know what it is). Allah's statement

نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ

(A fire Hamiyah!) meaning, extreme heat. It is a heat that is accompanied by a strong flame and fire. It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,

«نَارُ بَنِي آدَمَ الَّتِي تُوقِدُونَ، جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّم»

(The fire of the Children of Adam that you all kindle is one part of the seventy parts of the fire of Hell.) They (the Companions) said, "O Messenger of Allah! Isn't it sufficient'' He replied,

إِنَّهَا فُضِّلَتْ عَلَيْهَا بِتِسْعَةٍ وَسِتِّينَ جُزْءًا

(It is more than it by sixty-nine times.) This has been recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. In some of the wordings he stated,

إِنَّهَا فُضِّلَتْ عَلَيْهَا بِتِسْعَةٍ وَسِتِّينَ جُزْءًا، كُلُّهُنَّ مِثْلُ حَرِّهَا

(It is more than it by sixty-nine times, each of them is like the heat of it.) It has been narrated in a Hadith that Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,

إِنَّ أَهْوَنَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ عَذَابًا مَنْ لَهُ نَعْلَانِ، يَغْلِي مِنْهُمَا دِمَاغُه

(Verily, the person who will receive the lightest torment of the people of the Hellfire will be a man who will have two sandals that will cause his brain to boil. )''

اشْتَكَتِ النَّارُ إِلَى رَبِّهَا فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَبِّ أَكَلَ بَعْضِي بَعْضًا، فَأَذِنَ لَهَا بِنَفَسَيْنِ: نَفَسٍ فِي الشِّتَاءِ، وَنَفَسٍ فِي الصَّيْفِ، فَأَشَدُّ مَا تَجِدُونَ فِي الشِّتَاءِ مِنْ بَرْدِهَا، وَأَشَدُّ مَا تَجِدُونَ فِي الصَّيْفِ مِنْ حَرِّهَا

(The Hellfire complained to its Lord and said, "O Lord! Some parts of me devour other parts of me.'' So He (Allah) permitted it to take two breaths: one breath in the winter and one breath in the summer. Thus, the most severe cold that you experience in the winter is from its cold, and the most severe heat that you experience in the summer is from its heat. ) In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that he said,

إِذَا اشْتَدَّ الْحَرُّ فَأَبْرِدُوا عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ، فَإِنَّ شِدَّةَ الْحَرِّ مِنْ فَيْحِ جَهَنَّم

(When the heat becomes intense pray the prayer when it cools down, for indeed the intense heat is from the breath of Hell.) This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Qari`ah, and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.

Surah Al-Qariah - سورة القارعة

Muhammad Muhsin Khan - Muhammad Taqi-ud Din al Hilali Translation

1. Al-Qari'ah (the striking Hour i.e. the Day of Resurrection),
2. What is the striking (Hour)?
3. And what will make you know what the striking (Hour) is?
4. It is a Day whereon mankind will be like moths scattered about,
5. And the mountains will be like carded wool,
6. Then as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be heavy,
7. He will live a pleasant life (in Paradise).
8. But as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be light,
9. He will have his home in Hawiyah (pit, i.e. Hell).
10. And what will make you know what it is?
11. (It is) a hot blazing Fire!