Surah Az-Zalzalah 99:6
سُورَةُ الزَّلۡزَلَةِ · Medinan · Verse 6 of 8
يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَصْدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًۭا لِّيُرَوْا۟ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ
Translation
On that Day, people will come forward in separate groups to be shown their deeds:
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
The Day of Departure
This profound verse, Surah Az-Zalzalah (99:6), describes a pivotal moment on the Day of Judgment. It addresses all of humanity, speaking directly from Allah, in a tone that reminds us of ultimate accountability.
The verse begins with the phrase يَوْمَئِذٍ (yawma'idhin), meaning "on that Day." This particular phrasing, repeated from earlier verses, acts as a literary device (as noted by Ibn Ashur) that creates anticipation. It's not just *if* these events will happen, but *when* they unfold and what they will entail, building a sense of certainty and awe.
People Issue Forth
Next, we encounter يَصْدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ (yasdurun-nas), meaning "the people will issue forth" or "return." The word يَصْدُرُ (yasdur) is significant. As scholars like al-Razi and Ibn Ashur explain, it describes leaving a place after having gathered there, much like people returning from a watering hole after having arrived. Here, it suggests that after the initial gathering for judgment on the vast plain of the assembly, humanity will then depart towards their final, predetermined destinations.
In Scattered Groups
The ayah emphasizes this departure by stating people will issue forth أَشْتَاتًۭا (ashtātan), meaning "in scattered groups" or "variously." This word highlights their disunity, a stark contrast to their unified state during the initial resurrection. Al-Jalalayn and Ibn Ashur clarify that these groups are separated according to their deeds, with some turning towards Paradise and others towards Hellfire. Al-Razi adds vivid imagery, suggesting some will move with bright faces and honor, while others will be dragged, disgraced, with blackened faces, reflecting their deeds. This scattering is not random; it is a precise sorting based on each individual's life choices.
To Be Shown Their Deeds
Finally, the verse concludes with لِّيُرَوْا۟ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ (liyuraw a'mālahum), "that they may be shown their deeds." The passive voice here, "may be *shown*," is crucial. It means Allah, or His appointed agents, will reveal their actions to them. Scholars like al-Jalalayn, al-Razi, and Ibn Ashur interpret this in two ways: it could mean they will literally see the records or "scrolls" of their deeds, or, more broadly, they will witness the *recompense* and consequences of their actions in the form of Paradise or Hellfire. Since physical deeds themselves cannot be seen, seeing their "deeds" ultimately means experiencing the outcome and consequence that directly corresponds to what they did in life. The terrifying clarity of this revelation will leave no room for denial or argument.
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 Az-Zalzalah 99:6 is discussed in 4 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Az-Zalzalah 99:6 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.