Surah Al-Waaqia 56:9 — Meaning, Translation & Reflection
سُورَةُ الوَاقِعَةِ · Meccan · Verse 9 of 96
وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ مَآ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ
English: Those on the Left––what people they are!
Bengali: এবং যারা বামদিকে, কত হতভাগা তারা।
Meaning & Reflection
'And the companions of the left — what are the companions of the left!' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the phrasing now carries dread rather than wonder — 'ma ashab al-mash'ama' — a marvelling at the wretchedness of the people of the left hand, the ruined. Ask yourself: the same grammatical frame that expressed awe at the saved now expresses horror at the lost, forcing me to hold both destinies side by side. There is no third, neutral shore — the verse just before divided humanity, and here are two of the three, opposite in everything. The uncomfortable question the pairing presses is not abstract: of these two hands, right and left, which does the actual shape of my private life — my habits, my loves, my refusals — point toward?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Reflect with the Five Lenses
Maani's framework for Tadabbur (heart-centred reflection) on Surah Al-Waaqia 56:9:
- Wording. Look closely at the specific words and structure. Which word stands out, and why might Allah have chosen it here?
- Quranic Worlds. Place the verse in its context — what is happening around it, and what world does it open up?
- Personal Experience. Ask not just what this means, but what it means TO me and FOR me, right now in my life.
- Connections. How does this verse connect to other verses, to the Sunnah, or to themes across the Quran?
- General Lessons. What timeless lesson or action point can I carry away and live by?