Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:4
سُورَةُ الوَاقِعَةِ · Meccan · Verse 4 of 96
إِذَا رُجَّتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ رَجًّۭا
Translation
When the earth is shaken violently
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'When the earth is shaken violently.' al-Biqa'i and Ibn Ashur note 'rujjat rajja', the whole earth, for all its vast weight and solidity, convulsed with ease at a single command. The most stable thing I know, made to tremble like a sieve. Ask yourself: 'solid ground' is my very metaphor for security, 'stable', 'grounded', 'on firm footing'. This verse takes the literal ground and shakes it to dust, exposing that even the earth's steadiness is held, not owned by it, and can be revoked in an instant. If the ground itself is not ultimately stable, then building my sense of security on any earthly 'solid footing' is building on something borrowed. Where is the only footing that this Day cannot shake?
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Biqa'i, Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:4 is discussed in 2 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:4 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.