As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is the entirety of Surah 101, Al-Qãri‘ah or The Great Calamity, verses 1-11. This Surah describes Judgment Day as the Day of Clamor when men will be distracted and the landmarks of this world will be lost, but every deed will be weighed in a just balance, and find its real value and setting.
Tafseer for this selection expounds on the metaphors of the moths in verse 4 and the mountains in verse 5.
If you enjoy the podcast, HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Tell your friends and family, subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher and write us a review.
Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.The Qãri‘ah (The Day of Noise and Clamor)![1] What is the (Day) of Noise and Clamor?[2] And what will explain to you what the (Day) of Noise and Clamor is?[3] (It is) when Men will be like moths scattered about[4] and the mountains like colorful carded wool.[5] Then, he whose scale of good deeds is heavy,[6] shall live a life of good pleasure and satisfaction.[7] But he whose scale of good deeds is light[8] will have his home in a (bottomless) pit (Hãviah);[9] and what will explain to you, what it (Hãviah) is?[10] It is a blazing fire.[11] 101:[1-11]
Tafseer
On the moths in verse 4 and the mountains in verse 5:
Moths are frail light things. To see them scattered about in a violent storm gives some idea of the confusion, distress, and helplessness in which men will be at first overwhelmed on the Day of Account. Old memories will be like a book almost blotted out. New hopes will be vague in a new world just rising on the horizon. But it will be a perfectly just world, and no good action will be lost and no evil one but will have its compensating value estimated.
The mountains are solid things, which seem as if nothing could move them. But in that tremendous cataclysm, they will be scattered about like flakes of teased or carded wool. This is a metaphor to show that what we consider very substantial in this list will be as an airy nothing in the spiritual world.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.