In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Ever Merciful.

Love for All, Hatred for None.

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Holy Quran on Surah Zilzal

The Ahmadiyya Gazette, August 1996

  1. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

  2. When the earth is shaken with her violent shaking. (1)

  3. And the earth throws up her burden. (2)

  4. And man says, `What is the matter with her?'(3)

  5. On that day will she tell her news, (4)

  6. For, thy Lord will have commanded her. (5)

  7. On that day will men issue forth in scattered groups (6) that may be shown the results of their works. (7)

  8. Then whoso does an atom's weight of good will see it.

  9. And whoso does an atom's weight of evil will also see it. (8)

Commentary

Surah Zilzal was revealed before the Hijra. In the preceding Sura (Al Bayyanah) it was mentioned that a great moral revolution was brought about by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. In this Sura it is mentioned that a similar change will take place at a later date, in the time of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, when all human institutions will be shaken to their foundations, and new discoveries and inventions in the domain of science and knowledge will change the entire shape of things, and the ideals and ideas of men will be given a new orientation.

Explanatory Notes taken from the Five Volume Commentary. Please refer to the parenthetical numbers of each verse above.

  1. The whole earth will experience all manner of internal as well as external commotions and upheavals.

  2. (a) The bowels of the earth will be ripped open and it will throw up its treasures of mineral earth; (b) there will be a vast release and upsurge of knowledge of all kinds relating to physical as well as spiritual sciences, especially to the sciences of geology and archeology.

  3. The changes will be so many and so far-reaching and the discoveries made so great that men will exclaim in wonder and bewilderment, "what is the matter with the earth?"

  4. When asked about the meaning of the verse, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said that every action done in secret will come to light. (Tirmidihi)

  5. The earth will throw out its treasures because God had commanded her to do so, the word Auha meaning, He commanded (Aqrab).

  6. In the Latter Days, in order to protect and safeguard their political, social, and economic interests, people will form themselves into parties, companies, and groups on political and economic basis; and powerful guilds, cartels and syndicates will come into existence.

  7. Individuals will pool their resources and collective efforts take the place of individual efforts that they might make their weight felt and their labours to produce good result.

  8. No action of man, good or bad, is wasted. It must and does produce its results.