Surah Al-Haqqah 69:7
سُورَةُ الحَاقَّةِ · Meccan · Verse 7 of 52
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍۢ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًۭا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍۢ
Translation
that God let loose against them for seven consecutive nights, eight consecutive days, so that you could have seen its people lying dead like hollow palm-trunks.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This powerful verse from Surah Al-Haqqah paints a vivid picture of the destruction of the people of Aad, offering profound lessons through its precise wording. It invites us to witness Allah's absolute power and the consequences of rebellion.
The Wind's Mastery
The verse begins by saying Allah "سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ" (sakhkharahā 'alayhim), meaning He subjected or compelled the wind upon them. As Imam al-Razi observes, this word choice is deeply significant. It tells us this wasn't a random natural disaster. Rather, Allah Himself directly controlled and directed this wind, making it obey His command for their destruction. Ibn Ashur further explains that "sakhkharahā" implies compelling something to act beyond its usual capacity, highlighting that this wind was made extraordinarily powerful, almost as if forced into its devastating role. This reminds us that all forces in the universe, even the most destructive, are entirely at Allah's disposal.
A Relentless Onslaught
The Quran then specifies the duration: "سَبْعَ لَيَالٍۢ وَثَمَٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًۭا" (sab'a layālin wa thamāniyata ayyāmin husūmā) – seven nights and eight days. Imam al-Razi notes that this precise count makes the scale of the punishment clear; it was not a brief event but a prolonged, terrifying ordeal. The word "حُسُومًۭا" (husūmā) is particularly rich. Scholars like al-Jalalayn, al-Razi, and Ibn Ashur explain it carries multiple powerful meanings simultaneously. It signifies that the wind was "continuous" or "consecutive," never letting up. Imagine a wound being cauterized repeatedly until the ailment is entirely eradicated; Ibn Ashur likens "husūmā" to this process. It also means "annihilating" or "uprooting," from the same root as the word for a sharp sword. Thus, this single word conveys both the relentless, non-stop nature of the wind and its absolute, complete destruction of Aad.
A Gripping Vision
The verse shifts to "فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍۢ" (fa tarā al-qawma fīhā ṣar'ā ka’annahum a'jāzu nakhlin khāwiyah) – "so you would see the people therein fallen dead as if they were the trunks of hollowed-out palm trees." Ibn Ashur explains that the address "you would see" is for any observer, pulling us into the scene as if we were witnessing the calamity ourselves, making the horror immediate and tangible. The word "صَرْعَىٰ" (ṣar'ā) vividly describes them as prostrate, lifeless, thrown down by the force.
The simile that follows is unforgettable: they were like "أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍۢ" (a'jāzu nakhlin khāwiyah), the stumps or roots of hollowed-out palm trees. The people of Aad were known for their immense size and strength, yet the wind uprooted them completely, leaving them like the thick, broken trunks of palms. The additional description "خَاوِيَةٍۢ" (khāwiyah), meaning hollowed-out or empty, adds to the desolate imagery. Al-Razi suggests it could imply the wind tore through their bodies, leaving them empty, or it could describe the utter ruin of the palm trees themselves, symbolizing the barrenness left behind. This chilling image powerfully conveys the overwhelming might of Allah's punishment, reducing powerful people to decaying, empty husks.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Haqqah 69:7 is discussed in 6 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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