The Beginning of the End: Surah Zilzal l Ep 07 l Tafsir from Duhā to An-Nās | Imam Nadim Bashir

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We are today talking about سُورَةُ الزِّلْزَالِ or سُورَةُ الزَّلْزَالَهِ. As I've said before, there's always connection between the Surah that we are covering and the previous Surah. So what is the connection? In the previous Surah, لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ Three groups Allah mentioned, the Kuffar, the Mushrikun and the Ahlul Kitab.

One of the things that you will find in Arabia is that, and this is a Surah that was revealed in Mecca. So the primary audience is your Quraish. One of the things that they would openly reject was the idea of the Akhira.

Something that will happen, the idea of the Akhira, there will be resurrection, this earth will collapse. They will reject this notion altogether. And that is why in many of the Meccan Surahs, you will find a very consistent theme.

The consistent theme is Tawheed. It is about the finality of Rasulullah ﷺ as being a prophet. It also talks about the previous nations, and not all the previous nations.

قَوْمِ عَادٍ، قَوْمِ ثَمُودَ، قَوْمِ النُّوحِ It will talk about nations that they were familiar with. And then also Allah very extensively, He talks about the Akhira. Versus the Madinah Surahs, you don't find Allah talking about the Akhira as much as He did in the Meccan Surahs.

Because again, the primary opposition in Madinah did not reject the idea of the Akhira. So that is why this is something that you will find very consistently in this Surah. In this Surah, Allah begins by talking about the beginning of the end.

He talks about the beginning of the end. From the time that beginning process starts, till the time of Hisab, until the time of accountability, Allah shares a certain amount of events that will take place. So the very first verse Allah says:

This is Allah talking about the beginning of the end, but at the same time He is saying that when this will happen, when the earth will shake, it's not talking about if the earth will shake, when the earth will shake.

And this by the way tells you, tells the audience, and tells the listener, that there is no doubt in this fact. Number two is that Allah is saying that this earthquake, or this shaking, or this collapse of the entire world is not like any earthquake that you have seen. Because today you see earthquakes happening, and then you will have the tremors afterwards, you will have the post effects of an earthquake.

But this is what happens is that when an earthquake is taking place, it will come for around probably like a minute, a minute and a half, two minutes. And it destroys the entire place where it has struck. Now think about the entire world, that at one time there is such a catastrophic event that is taking place.

And often when a person is in that situation, because so much panic has settled in, what happens is that a person is saying, when will this come to an end? Who is behind this? Who is doing this? Right? The fact that Allah did not mention who is doing this, is also causing that suspense to the listener. That when this will be happening, and people are asking who is behind all this, they have no idea who is behind this. Which creates again more fear, it's more of a terrifying event that Allah is talking about.

Another interesting thing about this verse is, Allah is not talking about one thing that will happen after another right away. You see, if you have ever seen a horror movie, if you have ever seen a horror movie, it doesn't happen where you just walk into a place and you see the horrifying situation. You open the door, there is always that squeaky noise, there is always that suspense music in the back, that sound, and it just builds up so much anticipation.

Likewise, Allah is not talking about everything in one ayah. إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا This is Allah talking about the mountains will collapse. This is Allah talking about everything that will happen during this time.

And for us as a human being, the lesson that we need to take from this is that every single thing that we see around us will all come to an end. There is nothing on this earth that will remain forever. In fact, when Allah destroys everything, then Allah will ask Himself:

Who does this authority belong to? Who does this dominion belong to? Today on earth, everyone boasts about how much they have and the power that they have.

When no one will respond, Allah Himself will say:

So this is Allah teaching us that this earth will shake. And by the way, another beautiful lesson that the ulema have mentioned is that this verse teaches us that when the earth will shake, it will shake physically. But the Qur'an is supposed to shake us spiritually.

The Qur'an should be shaking us spiritually. If Allah is telling the earth to shake and it's shaking, and Allah gave us the Qur'an and it's not shaking us spiritually, that means that our hearts are more solid than the mountain. That's why Allah says, if the Qur'an was revealed on a mountain, it would turn into dust.

But the Qur'an is being revealed on our hearts, and it has no effect on this. So this is the spiritual component behind this. Then Allah says in the next ayah:

One is that there is sheer panic everywhere. The entire world is collapsing. But Allah is saying, that's not all that will happen. Everything in the earth.

And what the ulema, they say, is that everything that's in the earth means that people that are buried, the treasures that are buried, the secrets that are buried, every single thing. وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ The earth will take out أَثْقَالَهَا You know what أَثْقَالَ is? It's the plural of the word ثِقْلٌ. ثِقْلٌ means something that is heavy.

You know when you've gone through a lot of trauma in life, you go to a psychologist and you tell them that my heart is very heavy. Why do you say my heart is very heavy? Because there's so much emotion stored up in that heart that you have not got the opportunity to express those emotions, to express those feelings. Hence, my heart is very heavy.

Likewise, the earth is very heavy. Why? Because it has stored so much in there for so many centuries and so many throughout human history. So much has been stored in the earth.

Allah is saying now on that day, the earth will unload. It will take out all its burden. Everything has been stored up. Everything will come out on that day of judgment. And again, this is the beginning of the end. This is talking about how the day of judgment will begin.

And at that time, think about it. If the earth is collapsing and then everything that's in the earth is also coming out. Again, think about the terrifying situation that Allah is talking about.

And again, the spiritual component for us is that there is nothing. Just like the earth will unload all its secrets, there is nothing that remains a secret from Allah. Everything becomes exposed before Allah.

Whatever you and I, we do in secrecy, nothing remains in secret when it comes to Allah. And just like again, when Allah tells us to stay away from certain things. Think about this.

One is the entire earth collapsing and then the earth is unloading everything. All these things are doing, they're doing what they have to do based on the command of Allah. Yet Allah is reminding us, I've told you so many times to pray salat, you don't pray salat.

How many times did I tell you to enjoy good and forbid evil? How much do you do that? It's Allah telling us that His other creations are more obedient to Allah than the human being themselves. They have become so disobedient to Allah. Now, the earth is collapsing, everything is coming out.

Now the very first thing that the human says is, because of course now Allah is shifting from talking about what's happening there now to the human being. And He says:

The person will say, what is happening? Like when you are in a state of panic, and you're trying to make sense of everything, what's going on? Oh my God, what's going on? وَقَالَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا And by the way, this is not just a kind of ask, like, you know, what's going on? No, this is a kind of asking that is filled with terror, that is filled with shock. And because one is like you know what's going on, but then one is like you have no idea what's going on.

Like, you know, has it ever happened to any of you that you went to sleep? You went to sleep. You probably went to sleep in your car for example, and you woke up, and you're like, Oh my God, where am I? Where do I have to go? What time is it? What day is it? It happens, right? That moment where you're in utter confusion, Allah is saying that this will be the permanent situation of everyone on that day. Everyone is watching all this.

وَقَالَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا What is going on over here? There's so much humiliation that is taking place in this whole process. And again, Allah is teaching us what is the lesson in all this for us? That we are not in control. We are not in control.

Human beings think that they're in control. Human beings think that they have all the power. Just because you have so many millions of followers today on social media, everyone thinks they're powerful. Just because they have money, and they can manipulate governments. They can destroy people's lives. They can justify a genocide.

They think they're in control. وَقَالَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا Every single person will say, what is happening on that day? Their wealth, their followers, whatever they have, all the resources on that day will fall flat. Because Allah is teaching them a very powerful lesson.

Then in the next verse Allah says:

Continuing with the same thing. That on that day, the earth will speak about everything that has taken place on this earth. Just like on the day of judgment, Allah will allow our hands, our feet, our body parts to testify against us.

On that day, the earth will testify against us. Where you pray Salat, the earth will testify that, Ya Allah, this person, he performs Salat on my place. The places where we commit sins, not just the body parts, the places where we commit sins. Those places will testify that, Ya Allah, he committed sin upon me. Every place will testify. And why will it testify? Allah answers that question in the next verse.

Because Allah gave it permission. You again, Allah is continuing the same thing what happened before. Just like Allah said, وَقَالَ إِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا What is going on? They have no control.

Likewise, they have no control over the earth when it will testify against them. And when they will criticize the earth, Allah will say, بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَى لَهَا Allah gave it permission. Then Allah says in the Qur'an, in the next verse:

On that day, people would depart in scattered groups and they'll be shown their deeds. Allah is talking about a situation that on the day of judgment... See, in this world, the righteous and the corrupt live together. The righteous and the corrupt live together. The truthful people and the liars and the deceitful people live together.

The believers and the unbelievers live together. The oppressors and the oppressed, they all live in the same society. But on the day of judgment, when they will come out from their graves, when Allah says, يَوْمَئِذٍ وَأَخْرَجْتِ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا Everything will come out, now when they're heading towards the Akhirah, at that time, they'll all be scattered and they all will be separated, not scattered, they'll be all be separated into groups.

The righteous people, the non-righteous people, the liars, the truthful people, everyone will come into groups. Though they live in society together, but on the day of judgment, they will come into groups. And again, this shows the justice of Allah.

This shows the justice of Allah. You know how many times I have... I mean people call me and they've been oppressed in their families or they got the short end of the stick when it came to a business dealing. Someone took their money and did not give them their money.

And I have to remind everyone every single time that this dunya is not the place of jaza. You know how many times I've heard women, I mean women call me, they got divorced. For what reason? No good reason.

Now they're sitting on the streets, they're bouncing around from one shelter home to the next shelter home. And they're asking me, that Imam Nadim, where do I get my justice? And I have to always remind them, you'll get your justice in the akhirah. Why? Because in the next verse Allah says:

You do any good deed, any good deed, even at the size of an atom, you will see that on the day of judgment.

Even if you do something small, something small that is considered as an evil sin or something that is evil or something that is considered as a wrongdoing in the eyes of Allah, you will see that also. No person is going to escape the justice of Allah. They will see it. In fact, you know sometimes when you see your credit report and you see, man, I made one late payment and the credit union, the credit bureau caught that also.

Come on, right? You get upset. Allah says when people will see when everyone will see their good deeds and their sins that they have committed, they will say:

They will get upset. What's wrong with this book?

It has not left out anything. But this is a reminder for all of us. So in a nutshell, this surah, let me just quickly summarize this surah, this entire surah for you. Ayah number one:

Allah destroys the illusion of stability. This earth, we think is so stable. On that time, it will become unstable. So this illusion that we have, Allah is destroying that illusion.

Second ayah, وَأَخْرَجَتْ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا Allah is destroying the illusion of secrecy. Everyone thinks they can do whatever they want and they'll get away with it. No. This illusion that they have that everything is a secret, Allah is destroying that thought with ayah number two. Ayah number three to five, Allah is destroying the illusion of control. Everyone thinks they're in control.

Allah is destroying all that. Ayah number six, يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيَرَوْا عَمَالَهُمْ Allah is destroying the illusion of permanence. The people who were in their graves, they're not there forever.

We always are told about this, right? When you are laid in the grave, it is called بَرْزَخٌ. Why is it called بَرْزَخٌ? It's just a place between this dunya and the akhirah. When people will come out, that shows that this قَبْرٌ or this grave or this بَرْزَخٌ was not permanent.

And in ayah number seven and eight:

Allah destroys the illusion of insignificance. What does that mean? You do something small, good, you're like, oh, it's a small good deed. No one's going to know. No one's going to appreciate me. Allah will appreciate you. And you do something small, which is considered as a sin.

Oh, no one's going to catch me. Allah will catch you. This idea of insignificance that we have, Allah destroys that illusion.

So from beginning to end, Allah is destroying all these illusions one after another. So this is again a reminder for all of us. Allah has told the world to do all these things and they listen, they obey.

We as a human being, how much do we obey Allah? May Allah grant all of us tawfiq inshaAllah. May Allah grant us the ability to become obedient to Allah. And may Allah grant us the ability to prepare for the Akhirah.

Amin Rabbil Alameen. Wa jazakumullahu khair. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.