Surah Al-Haqqah 69:4
سُورَةُ الحَاقَّةِ · Meccan · Verse 4 of 52
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌۢ بِٱلْقَارِعَةِ
Translation
The people of Thamud and 'Ad denied that the crashing blowwould come:
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Surah al-Haqqah opens by powerfully introducing "al-Haqqah" (The Inevitable Reality) and asking, "What is the Haqqah?" and "What will make you know what the Haqqah is?" The next verse, "كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ وَعَادٌۢ بِٱلْقَارِعَةِ" (Thamud and 'Ad denied the Striking Calamity), immediately follows, offering a stark answer by showing the fate of those who disbelieved in this grand reality.
The Striking Calamity
The word chosen here is ٱلْقَارِعَةِ (al-Qari'ah), which means "The Striking Calamity." Scholars point out the profound choice of this specific word. It comes from the root *qara'a*, meaning to strike, to hit something forcefully. Instead of simply saying "they denied it" (referring to al-Haqqah), Allah uses the full, descriptive name "al-Qari'ah." This isn't just a stylistic choice; it deepens our understanding. As al-Razi and al-Zamakhshari explain, this emphasizes the very nature of the Day of Judgment: it is an event that "strikes" with immense fright and terrors. It strikes the skies, causing them to split, and the earth and mountains, crushing them to dust. Al-Jalalayn beautifully summarizes its impact, saying it "strikes hearts with its terrors." The word itself encapsulates the overwhelming, unavoidable impact of that Day.
A Powerful Emphasis
Ibn Ashur highlights that this re-naming serves to clarify the profound terror hinted at by the earlier question, "And what will make you know what the Haqqah is?" By calling it "al-Qari'ah," the Quran is explicitly defining *what kind* of reality al-Haqqah is: one that will strike and overwhelm everything. The emphasis is on the *force* and *impact* of the Day, leaving no doubt about its severity and inescapability. This linguistic precision ensures we grasp the full weight of the event that Thamud and 'Ad foolishly dismissed.
Why Thamud and 'Ad?
The verse specifically mentions Thamud and 'Ad. Ibn Ashur notes that these two nations were particularly well-known to the Prophet Muhammad's initial audience in Mecca. Their ruined dwellings were familiar sights to the Arabs, making their stories a tangible and immediate warning. By recounting the fate of these nearby, powerful civilizations who denied the "Striking Calamity," the Quran delivers a powerful lesson to anyone who might similarly deny the Day of Judgment.
This verse, through its precise wording, compels us to not merely acknowledge the Day of Judgment, but to contemplate its striking, terrifying reality, and how such a powerful truth reshaped history for those who denied it.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Haqqah 69:4 is discussed in 5 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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