Surah Az-Zalzalah
الزلزلة
Surah Az-Zalzalah is an 8-verse surah describing the great earthquake of the Last Day, when the earth reports what happened on it and every person sees even an atom's weight of their deeds.
- Meaning
- The Earthquake
- Surah
- 99 of 114
- Verses
- 8
- Revealed in
- Medina
- Found in
- Juz 30
What Surah Az-Zalzalah is about
Surah Az-Zalzalah, "The Earthquake", opens with the earth shaken by its final quake (verse 1) and throwing out its burdens, understood as the dead and what lies buried (verse 2). Verse 3 captures a human reaction, a person asking what is wrong with it.
Verses 4 and 5 add a striking idea: on that Day the earth will report its news, because its Lord has inspired it to. Commentators explain this as the earth bearing witness to what each person did upon it. Verse 6 shows people coming out in scattered groups to be shown their deeds.
The surah ends with its best-known lines. Verses 7 and 8 say that whoever has done an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil will see it. The surah is listed as Medinan, though many scholars considered it Meccan.
Main themes
The final earthquake
The surah describes the earth's last and greatest shaking, as it gives up what it holds. Verse 3 records the shock of the people who witness it.
Verses 1–3The earth as witness
The ground people walk on will tell what was done on it. Nothing done anywhere on earth is outside the record.
Verses 4–6Even the smallest deed counts
Verses 7 and 8 say that the tiniest amount of good or evil will be seen. It encourages small good deeds and caution with small wrongs.
Verses 7–8
Verses to know
يَوۡمَئِذٖ تُحَدِّثُ أَخۡبَارَهَا ﴿٤﴾ بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوۡحَىٰ لَهَا ﴿٥﴾
4On that Day, it will tell its tales. 5For your Lord will have inspired it.
The earth itself telling its news on the Day of Judgment. A narration in Sunan at-Tirmidhi explains that it will testify to what each person did on its surface, though some hadith scholars have graded that narration weak.
فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡرٗا يَرَهُۥ ﴿٧﴾ وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٖ شَرّٗا يَرَهُۥ ﴿٨﴾
7Whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it. 8And whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil will see it.
Among the most quoted verses in the Quran about accountability. Sahih al-Bukhari reports the Prophet ﷺ describing them as a unique, comprehensive verse.
When Surah Az-Zalzalah is recited
Some narrations in Sunan at-Tirmidhi say this surah equals half the Quran in reward, but their chains have been questioned by hadith scholars, so that virtue is not firmly established.
Surah Az-Zalzalah in Arabic and English
All 8 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
إِذَا زُلۡزِلَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ زِلۡزَالَهَا
Itha zulzilati alardu zilzalaha
When the earth is shaken with its quake.
- 2
وَأَخۡرَجَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ أَثۡقَالَهَا
Waakhrajati alardu athqalaha
And the earth brings out its loads.
- 3
وَقَالَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا لَهَا
Waqala alinsanu ma laha
And man says, “What is the matter with it?”
- 4
يَوۡمَئِذٖ تُحَدِّثُ أَخۡبَارَهَا
Yawmaithin tuhaddithu akhbaraha
On that Day, it will tell its tales.
- 5
بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوۡحَىٰ لَهَا
Bianna rabbaka awha laha
For your Lord will have inspired it.
- 6
يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَصۡدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ أَشۡتَاتٗا لِّيُرَوۡاْ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ
Yawmaithin yasduru alnnasu ashtatan liyuraw aAAmalahum
On that Day, the people will emerge in droves, to be shown their works.
- 7
فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡرٗا يَرَهُۥ
Faman yaAAmal mithqala tharratin khayran yarahu
Whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it.
- 8
وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٖ شَرّٗا يَرَهُۥ
Waman yaAAmal mithqala tharratin sharran yarahu
And whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil will see it.
Surah Az-Zalzalah PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Az-Zalzalah
What does an atom's weight mean in Surah Az-Zalzalah?
The Arabic word dharrah refers to the smallest possible thing, such as a tiny ant or a speck of dust. Verses 7 and 8 use it to say that even the smallest good or evil deed will be seen.
How many verses are in Surah Az-Zalzalah?
Surah Az-Zalzalah has 8 verses. It is the 99th surah.
Is Surah Az-Zalzalah Meccan or Medinan?
It is listed as Medinan, but scholars differ and many considered it Meccan because of its focus on the Last Day.