Overview - Surah 56: al-Waqi`ah (The Occurrence)

The Surah talks about the resurrection that will definitely take place. It is a fact undeniable. The human beings then will be in three different groups. The faithful are of two types: those who are the pioneers and are foremost in their faith and struggle in the path of Allah.  They are a large number from amongst the earlier community and a small from among the later generations. Then the rest of the people are believers and those who oppose the faith. Allah's rewards are for the faithful and his anger and chastisement is waiting for the opponents of faith.

The Surah then invites human beings to think about themselves and the things that they use daily and consider who created all these things. It talks about the Qur’an and its profound and consistent message and then finally reminds about death and the coming end of every being.

Sections:

1. The reality will come to pass. The humanity will be in three camps: people of the right hand, people of the left hand and the foremost in faith. The reward of the believers.
2. The guilty and their punishment. Arguments about the Tawhid and Akhirah.
3. The Qur’an and its consistent message. Reminder about death, divine  judgment and the reward and punishment.

This Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ "When the Occurrence occurs," (56:1).

There are 96 Ayat in this Surah. 

The Surah talks about the resurrection that will definitely take place. It is a fact undeniable. The human beings then will be in three different groups. The faithful are of two types: those who are the pioneers and are foremost in their faith and struggle in the path of Allah.  They are a large number from amongst the earlier community and a small from among the later generations. Then the rest of the people are believers and those who oppose the faith. Allah's rewards are for the faithful and his anger and chastisement is waiting for the opponents of faith.

The Surah then invites human beings to think about themselves and the things that they use daily and consider who created all these things. It talks about the Qur’an and its profound and consistent message and then finally reminds about death and the coming end of every being.

Sections:

1. The reality will come to pass. The humanity will be in three camps: people of the right hand, people of the left hand and the foremost in faith. The reward of the believers.
2. The guilty and their punishment. Arguments about the Tawhid and Akhirah.
3. The Qur’an and its consistent message. Reminder about death, divine  judgment and the reward and punishment.

This Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ "When the Occurrence occurs," (56:1).

There are 96 Ayat in this Surah. 

Theme 1: Gradation and ranks of people on the Day of Judgement

Its theme is the Hereafter, Monotheism (Tawhid) and refutation of the Makkan disbelievers suspicions about the Qur’an. What they regarded as utterly incredible was that Resurrection would ever take place, then the entire system of the earth and heavens would be upset, and when all the dead would be resurrected and called to account, after which the righteous would be admitted to Paradise and the wicked cast into Hell. They regarded all this as imaginary, which could not possibly happen in actual fact. In answer to this, it was said: “When the inevitable event will take place, there will be none to believe its happening, nor will anyone have the Power to avert it, nor prove it to be an unreal happening. At that time all nations will be divided into three classes:

1.         The foremost in rank and position;
2.         The common righteous people;
3.         Those who denied the Hereafter and persisted in disbelief and polytheism and major sins till the last.

How these three classes of the people will be rewarded and punished has been described in detail in v. 7-56. Then, in v. 57-74 arguments have been given, one after the other, to prove the truth of the two basic doctrines of Islam, which the disbelievers were refusing to accept; the doctrines of Monotheism and the Hereafter. In these arguments, apart from everything else that exists in the earth and heavens, man’s attention has been drawn to his own body and to the food that he eats and to the water that he drinks and to the fire on which he cooks his food, and he has been invited to ponder the question: What right do you have to behave independently of, or serve any other than, the God Whose creative power has brought you into being, and Whose provisions sustain you? And how can you entertain the idea that after having once brought you into existence He has become so helpless and powerless that He cannot recreate you once again even if he wills to?

Then, in v. 75-82 their suspicions in respect of the Qur’an have been refuted and they have been made to realise how fortunate they are that instead of deriving any benefit from the great blessing that the Qur’an is, they are treating it with inadequate attention and have set only this share of theirs in it that they deny it. If one seriously considers this matchless argument that has been presented in two brief sentences about the truth of the Qur’an, one will find in it the same kind of firm and stable system as exists among the stars and planets of the Universe - and the same is the proof of the fact that its Author is the same Being Who has created the Universe. Then the disbelievers have been told that this Book is inscribed in that Writ of Destiny which is beyond the reach of the creatures, as if to say “You think it is brought down by the devils to Muhammad, whereas none but the pure angels has any access to the means by which it reaches Muhammad from the well guarded Tablet.”

In conclusion, man has been warned, as if to say: “You may brag and boast as you like and may shut your eyes to the truths in your arrogance of independence, but death is enough to open your eyes. At death you become helpless: you cannot save your own parents; you cannot save your children; you cannot save your religious guided and beloved leaders. They all die in front of your very eyes while you look on helplessly. If there is no supreme power ruling over you, and this assumption is correct that you are all in all in the world, and there is no God, then why don’t you restore to the dying person his soul? Just as you are helpless in this, so it is also beyond your power to stop God from calling the people to account and measure out rewards and punishments to them. You may or may not believe it, but every dying person will surely see his own end after death. If he belongs to those nearest to God, he will see the good end meant for them if he be from among the righteous, he will see the end prepared for the righteous; and if he be from among the deniers of the truth, he will see the end destined for the criminals.

Theme 1: Gradation and ranks of people on the Day of Judgement

Its theme is the Hereafter, Monotheism (Tawhid) and refutation of the Makkan disbelievers suspicions about the Qur’an. What they regarded as utterly incredible was that Resurrection would ever take place, then the entire system of the earth and heavens would be upset, and when all the dead would be resurrected and called to account, after which the righteous would be admitted to Paradise and the wicked cast into Hell. They regarded all this as imaginary, which could not possibly happen in actual fact. In answer to this, it was said: “When the inevitable event will take place, there will be none to believe its happening, nor will anyone have the Power to avert it, nor prove it to be an unreal happening. At that time all nations will be divided into three classes:

1.         The foremost in rank and position;
2.         The common righteous people;
3.         Those who denied the Hereafter and persisted in disbelief and polytheism and major sins till the last.

How these three classes of the people will be rewarded and punished has been described in detail in v. 7-56. Then, in v. 57-74 arguments have been given, one after the other, to prove the truth of the two basic doctrines of Islam, which the disbelievers were refusing to accept; the doctrines of Monotheism and the Hereafter. In these arguments, apart from everything else that exists in the earth and heavens, man’s attention has been drawn to his own body and to the food that he eats and to the water that he drinks and to the fire on which he cooks his food, and he has been invited to ponder the question: What right do you have to behave independently of, or serve any other than, the God Whose creative power has brought you into being, and Whose provisions sustain you? And how can you entertain the idea that after having once brought you into existence He has become so helpless and powerless that He cannot recreate you once again even if he wills to?

Then, in v. 75-82 their suspicions in respect of the Qur’an have been refuted and they have been made to realise how fortunate they are that instead of deriving any benefit from the great blessing that the Qur’an is, they are treating it with inadequate attention and have set only this share of theirs in it that they deny it. If one seriously considers this matchless argument that has been presented in two brief sentences about the truth of the Qur’an, one will find in it the same kind of firm and stable system as exists among the stars and planets of the Universe - and the same is the proof of the fact that its Author is the same Being Who has created the Universe. Then the disbelievers have been told that this Book is inscribed in that Writ of Destiny which is beyond the reach of the creatures, as if to say “You think it is brought down by the devils to Muhammad, whereas none but the pure angels has any access to the means by which it reaches Muhammad from the well guarded Tablet.”

In conclusion, man has been warned, as if to say: “You may brag and boast as you like and may shut your eyes to the truths in your arrogance of independence, but death is enough to open your eyes. At death you become helpless: you cannot save your own parents; you cannot save your children; you cannot save your religious guided and beloved leaders. They all die in front of your very eyes while you look on helplessly. If there is no supreme power ruling over you, and this assumption is correct that you are all in all in the world, and there is no God, then why don’t you restore to the dying person his soul? Just as you are helpless in this, so it is also beyond your power to stop God from calling the people to account and measure out rewards and punishments to them. You may or may not believe it, but every dying person will surely see his own end after death. If he belongs to those nearest to God, he will see the good end meant for them if he be from among the righteous, he will see the end prepared for the righteous; and if he be from among the deniers of the truth, he will see the end destined for the criminals.

The Surah is named after one of the names of the Day of Judgement, al-Qiyamah [the standing]. The Surah begins with the scene on the Day of Judgement where humanity will be split into 3 categories.

The Surah is named after one of the names of the Day of Judgement, al-Qiyamah [the standing]. The Surah begins with the scene on the Day of Judgement where humanity will be split into 3 categories.

• The three types of people are mentioned in the beginning and at the end:
  
  وَكُنتُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ثَلَاثَةً ﴿٧﴾ فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ ﴿٨﴾ وَأَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ ﴿٩﴾ وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ ﴿١٠﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ ﴿١١﴾ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ﴿١٢﴾ ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ 
  
  "And you become [of] three kinds: Then the companions of the right - what are the companions of the right? And the companions of the left - what are the companions of the left? And the forerunners, the forerunners - Those are the ones brought near [to Allah]. In the Gardens of Pleasure, A [large] company of the former peoples. And a few of the later peoples," (56:7-14)

  فَأَمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾ فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍ ﴿٨٩﴾ وَأَمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ ﴿٩٠﴾ فَسَلَامٌ لَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ ﴿٩١﴾ وَأَمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ الضَّالِّينَ ﴿٩٢﴾ فَنُزُلٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ ﴿٩٣﴾ وَتَصْلِيَةُ جَحِيمٍ

  " And if the deceased was of those brought near to Allah, Then [for him is] rest and bounty and a garden of pleasure. And if he was of the companions of the right, Then [the angels will say], "Peace for you; [you are] from the companions of the right." But if he was of the deniers [who were] astray, Then [for him is] accommodation of scalding water. And burning in Hellfire." (56:88-94)

• The three types of people are mentioned in the beginning and at the end:
  
  وَكُنتُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ثَلَاثَةً ﴿٧﴾ فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ ﴿٨﴾ وَأَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ ﴿٩﴾ وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ ﴿١٠﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ ﴿١١﴾ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ﴿١٢﴾ ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ 
  
  "And you become [of] three kinds: Then the companions of the right - what are the companions of the right? And the companions of the left - what are the companions of the left? And the forerunners, the forerunners - Those are the ones brought near [to Allah]. In the Gardens of Pleasure, A [large] company of the former peoples. And a few of the later peoples," (56:7-14)

  فَأَمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾ فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍ ﴿٨٩﴾ وَأَمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ ﴿٩٠﴾ فَسَلَامٌ لَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ ﴿٩١﴾ وَأَمَّا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ الضَّالِّينَ ﴿٩٢﴾ فَنُزُلٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ ﴿٩٣﴾ وَتَصْلِيَةُ جَحِيمٍ

  " And if the deceased was of those brought near to Allah, Then [for him is] rest and bounty and a garden of pleasure. And if he was of the companions of the right, Then [the angels will say], "Peace for you; [you are] from the companions of the right." But if he was of the deniers [who were] astray, Then [for him is] accommodation of scalding water. And burning in Hellfire." (56:88-94)

• Both Surah ar-Rahman and al-Waqiah end with similar Ayat
  تَبَارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ ذِي الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ "Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor." (55:78)
  
  فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ "So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great." (56:96)
   
• Surah al-Waqiah ends with  فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ "So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great." (56:96) and Surah al-Hadeed begins with, سَبَّحَ لِلَّـهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ "Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allah, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (57:1) 

• Both Surah ar-Rahman and al-Waqiah end with similar Ayat
  تَبَارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ ذِي الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ "Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor." (55:78)
  
  فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ "So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great." (56:96)
   
• Surah al-Waqiah ends with  فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ "So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great." (56:96) and Surah al-Hadeed begins with, سَبَّحَ لِلَّـهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ "Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allah, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (57:1) 

According to the chronological order that Abdullah bin Abbas has given of the Surahs, first Surah 20: Ta Ha was sent down, then Surah 56: al-Waqi’ah (The Occurrence) and then Surah 26: ash-Shu’ara’ (The Poets).

According to the chronological order that Abdullah bin Abbas has given of the Surahs, first Surah 20: Ta Ha was sent down, then Surah 56: al-Waqi’ah (The Occurrence) and then Surah 26: ash-Shu’ara’ (The Poets).

• Surah al-Waqiah [56] is one of the Surahs that aged the Prophet due to inensity/pressure/repurcussions of the implications of the words.  

   قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ‏:‏ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، قَدْ شِبْتَ، قَالَ‏:‏ شَيَّبَتْنِي هُودٌ، وَالْوَاقِعَةُ، وَالْمُرْسَلاتُ، وَعَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ، وَإِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

  It has been reported that once Abu Bakr  said to the Prophet, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you have become old.’ The Prophet said, ‘I have become old [due to] [Surah] Hud, al-Waqiah [56], al-Murasalat [77], Amma yatasailoon [an-Naba 78] and Waidha ash-Shamsu kuwirat [at-Takweer 81].” Tirmidhee no. 3297

•  كان رسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلم يصلِّي الصلواتِ كنحوٍ من صلاتِكم التي تصلُّونَ اليومَ ولكنه كان يخفِّفُ ، كانت صلاتهُ أخفُّ من صلاتِكم ، وكان يقرأُ في الفجرِ الواقعةَ ونحوَها من السُّوَرِ
  
  Jabir ibn Samra said, "The Prophet [saw] prayed like [how ] you prayed today but he prayed lighter. He would recite in Fajr, Surah al-Waqiah or similar [sized] Surahs." Musanaf Abdur Razzaq, Hakim - Saheeh.- Musanaf Abdur Razzaq, Hakim

• Surah al-Waqiah [56] is one of the Surahs that aged the Prophet due to inensity/pressure/repurcussions of the implications of the words.  

   قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ‏:‏ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، قَدْ شِبْتَ، قَالَ‏:‏ شَيَّبَتْنِي هُودٌ، وَالْوَاقِعَةُ، وَالْمُرْسَلاتُ، وَعَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ، وَإِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

  It has been reported that once Abu Bakr  said to the Prophet, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you have become old.’ The Prophet said, ‘I have become old [due to] [Surah] Hud, al-Waqiah [56], al-Murasalat [77], Amma yatasailoon [an-Naba 78] and Waidha ash-Shamsu kuwirat [at-Takweer 81].” Tirmidhee no. 3297

•  كان رسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلم يصلِّي الصلواتِ كنحوٍ من صلاتِكم التي تصلُّونَ اليومَ ولكنه كان يخفِّفُ ، كانت صلاتهُ أخفُّ من صلاتِكم ، وكان يقرأُ في الفجرِ الواقعةَ ونحوَها من السُّوَرِ
  
  Jabir ibn Samra said, "The Prophet [saw] prayed like [how ] you prayed today but he prayed lighter. He would recite in Fajr, Surah al-Waqiah or similar [sized] Surahs." Musanaf Abdur Razzaq, Hakim - Saheeh.- Musanaf Abdur Razzaq, Hakim

• Scene of the Doomsday when:
• Some will be abased and some exalted
• The earth will be shaken up
• According to the majority of the scholars, it is not permissible to touch the Qur'an except if you are in a state of wudhu [abolution] (56:79)
• The mountains will be crumbled to scattered dust
• Mankind will be divided into three groups: the foremost in rank and position, the common righteous people and the disbelievers.
• Admonition to the disbelievers with the examples of creation.
• The testimony of Allah about the Qur'an.
• The Sabiqun [fore-runners] will be few in number, especially during the end times (56:13), (56:14)

• Scene of the Doomsday when:
• Some will be abased and some exalted
• The earth will be shaken up
• According to the majority of the scholars, it is not permissible to touch the Qur'an except if you are in a state of wudhu [abolution] (56:79)
• The mountains will be crumbled to scattered dust
• Mankind will be divided into three groups: the foremost in rank and position, the common righteous people and the disbelievers.
• Admonition to the disbelievers with the examples of creation.
• The testimony of Allah about the Qur'an.
• The Sabiqun [fore-runners] will be few in number, especially during the end times (56:13), (56:14)

• Surah 56. Al-Waqi'ah - Saad al Ghamidi   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FL278icEgo&index=56&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN
• Surah 56. Al-Waqi'ah Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKygH8FWgiU&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM&index=56​
• Surah 56. Al-Waqi'ah Muhammad Al Luhaydan  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u5XZ33mUkc&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe&index=56​
• Idris Akbar Surah Al-Waqi'ah  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAp_sUQeeqE​
• Surah 56. Al-Waqi'ah Muhammad Minshawi  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3pmy9vT-EE&index=56&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG​