Surah Al-Hajj (22): Read Online and Download - English Translation

Which was revealed in Makkah

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Another Version of this Hadith

At-Tirmidhi recorded from `Imran bin Husayn that when the words,

(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord.) Until His saying,

(but Allah's torment is severe.) were revealed, the Prophet was on a journey, and he said:

(Do you know what Day that is) They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." (He said: That is the Day on which Allah will say to Adam, "Send forth (those of your progeny) who are to be sent to the Fire." He will say, "O Lord, how many are to be sent to the Fire" He will say, "From every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine will be in the Fire and one will be in Paradise.") The Muslims started to weep, then the Messenger of Allah said:

(Be close in your rank and be straight forward, for there was never any Prophet but there was a time of ignorance just before his advent, so the number will be taken from that time of ignorance, and if that is not enough, it will be made up from the hypocrites. A parable of yours in comparison to the other nations is that, you are like a mark on the foreleg of an animal, or a mole on the flank of a camel.) Then he said,

(I hope that you will be a quarter of the people of Paradise.) They said, "Allahu Akbar!" Then he said,

(I hope that you will be a third of the people of Paradise.) They said, "Allahu Akbar!" Then he said,

(I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise.) They said, "Allahu Akbar!" Then he the narrator said, "I do not know if he said two-thirds or not." This was also recorded by Imam Ahmad. Then At-Tirmidhi also said, "This is a Hasan Sahih Hadith." In his Tafsir, under this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id said, "The Prophet said:

(On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will say: "O Adam." He will say, "At Your service, O Lord." Then a voice will call out: "Allah commands you to send forth from your progeny those who are destined for the Fire." He will say, "O Lord, who is destined for the Fire" He will say, "From every thousand" -- I think he said -- "nine hundred and ninety-nine." At that time every pregnant female will drop her load and children will turn grey. (and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but Allah's torment is severe.)) That will be so difficult for mankind to bear that their faces will change. The Prophet said:

(Nine hundred and ninety-nine from Ya'juj and Ma'juj, and one from you. Among mankind you are like a black hair on the side of a white bull, or a white hair on the side of a black bull. I hope that you will be one quarter of the people of Paradise.) We said "Allahu Akbar!" Then he said, (A third of the people of Paradise.) We said, "Allahu Akbar!" Then he said, (One half of the people of Paradise.) We said: `Allahu Akbar!" Al-Bukhari also recorded this elsewhere. It was also recorded by Muslim, and An-Nasa'i in his Tafsir. The Hadiths and reports about the terrors of the Day of Resurrection are very many, and this is not the place to quote them all.

(Verily, the earthquake of the Hour is a terrible thing.) means, a serious matter, a terrifying crisis, a horrendous event. This earthquake is what will happen to people when they are filled with terror, as Allah says:

(There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking.) 33:11. Then Allah says:

(The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling,) means, she will be distracted by the horror of what she is seeing, which will make her forget the one who is the dearest of all to her and to whom she shows the most compassion. Her shock will make her neglect her infant at the very moment of breastfeeding, Allah says,

(every nursing mother), and He did not say a mother who has an infant of breastfeeding age.

(her nursling) means, her nursing infant that has not yet been weaned.

(and every pregnant one will drop her load,) means, before the pre- gnancy has reached full term, because of the intensity of the horror.

(and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state,) means, because of the severity of their situa- tion, when they will lose their minds, so that whoever sees them, will think, that they are drunk,

(yet they will not be drunken, but Allah's torment is severe.)

Condemnation of the Followers of the Shaytan

(And among mankind is he who disputes about Allah, without knowledge,) meaning, without sound knowledge.

(and follows every rebellious Shaytan. For him it is decreed.) Mujahid said, "This refers to that Shaytan." meaning that is a matter written in the decree.

(that whosoever follows him,) and imitates him,

(he will mislead him, and will drive him to the torment of the Fire.) means, he will mislead him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will drive him to the torment of the Fire, which is unbearably hot, painful and agonizing. As-Suddi reported that Abu Malik said, "This Ayah was revealed about An-Nadr bin Al-Harith. This was also the view of Ibn Jurayj.

Evidence of the Resurrection in the creation of Man and of Plants

When Allah speaks of disbelief in the Resurrection, He also mentions the evidence of His power and ability to resurrect that is evident from the way He initiates creation. Allah says:

(O mankind! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection,) which means the time when souls and bodies will be raised up on the Day of Resurrection,

(then verily, We have created you from dust,) meaning, `you were originally created from dust', which is what Adam, peace be upon him, was created from.

(then from a Nutfah,) 32:8 meaning, then He made his offspring from semen of despised water.

The Development of the Nutfah and Embryo in the Womb

(then from a clot then from a little lump of flesh) if the Nutfah establishes itself in the woman's womb, it stays like that for forty days, then more material is added to it and it changes into a red clot, by the leave of Allah, and it remains like that for forty days. Then it changes and becomes a lump of flesh, like a piece of meat with no form or shape. Then it starts to take on a form and shape, developing a head, arms, chest, stomach, thighs, legs, feet and all its members. Sometimes a woman miscarries before the fetus is formed and sometimes she miscarries after it has formed. As Allah says:

(then from a little lump of flesh -- some formed and some unformed) meaning, as you see.

(that We may make (it) clear to you. And We cause whom We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed term,) meaning that sometimes the fetus remains in the womb and is not miscarried.

(some formed and some unformed, ) Mujahid said, "This means the miscarried fetus, formed or unformed. When forty days have passed of it being a lump of flesh, then Allah sends an angel to it who breathes the soul into it and forms it as Allah wills, handsome or ugly, male or female. He then writes its provision, its allotted length of life and whether it is to be one of the blessed or the wretched." It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that Ibn Mas`ud said, "The Messenger of Allah , who is the true and truly inspired one, told us:

(Every one of you is collected in the womb of his mother for the first forty days, and then he becomes a clot for another forty days, and then a lump of flesh for another forty days. Then Allah sends an angel to write four words: He writes his provision, his deeds, his life span, and whether he will be blessed or wretched. Then he blows the soul into him.)"

Man's Development from Infancy to Old Age His saying;

(then We bring you out as infants,) means, weak in his body, hearing, sight, senses, stamina and mind. Then Allah gives him strength, gradually and causes his parents to treat him with tender kindness night and day. Allah says:

(then (give you growth) that you may reach your age of full strength.) meaning, his strength increases until he reaches the vitality and handsomeness of youth.

(And among you there is he who dies,) means, when he is young and strong.

(and among you there is he who is brought back to the miserable old age,) meaning advanced old age with its weakness in mind and body, in steady decline in comprehension, and disability to grasp. As Allah says:

(so that he knows nothing after having known.)

(Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.) 30:54

Another Parable of the Resurrection from Plants

(And you see the earth Hamidatan,) This is another sign of the power of Allah to bring the dead back to life, just as He brings the dead, barren earth back to life, the lifeless earth in which nothing grows. Qatadah said, "(This means) the eroded, dusty earth." As-Suddi said, "Dead."

(but when We send down water on it, it is stirred (to life), and it swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth).) When Allah sends the rain upon it, it is stirred to life, that is, vegetation begins to grow and it comes alive after it was dead. Then it rises after the soil had settled, then it puts forth its different kinds of fruit and crops with all their varied colours, tastes, fragrances, shapes and benefits. Allah says:

(and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth).) meaning, beautiful in appearance and with delightful fragrances.

(That is because Allah: He is the Truth,) means, the Creator, the Controller, the One Who does as He wills.

(and it is He Who gives life to the dead,) means, just as He gives life to the dead earth and brings forth from it all these kinds of vegetation.

(Verily, He Who gives it life, surely is able to give life to the dead. Indeed He is able to do all things.) 41:39

(Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!" -- and it is!) 36:82.

(And surely, the Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it;) meaning, it will inevitably come to pass.

(and certainly, Allah will resurrect those who are in the graves.) means, He will bring them back to life after they have become dust; He will create them anew after they have become nothing.

(And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: "Who will give life to these bones after they are rotten and have become dust" Say: "He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!" He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle there- with.) 36:78-80. And there are many similar Ayat.