إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا
When the earth is rocked with a terrible quake
Commentary on Quran 99:1
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 99:1] See commentary of Ghashiyah. It refers to the uprooting which will take place when the present order of the world is destroyed and the new order of justice and truth begins in the spiritual hereafter. It will dissolve the material world as if it never existed.
وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا
and discharges its burdens,
Commentary on Quran 99:2
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 99:2] (see commentary for verse 1)
وَقَالَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا
and man says, ‘What is the matter with her?’
Commentary on Quran 99:3
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 99:3] As after the terrible disaster the day of judgement will begin, it will be so a far-reaching convulsion that no earthquake which has taken place before can even be compared to it. It only gives some idea of the world-shaking event. Having no idea of such a tremendous convulsion, consequences of which will be totally different from any convulsion experienced by man, he will not be able to make head or tail of it. He will be in a puzzled agony of total confusion.
يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا
On that day she will relate her chronicles
Commentary on Quran 99:4
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 99:4] The earth will divulge all the events that ever took place on her. The present order will pass away, but the deeds done therein, even the most secret, will be made known when Allah will give the command. See commentary of Nahl: 68 for the inspiration (wahi) or direction given to bees. It is written in Minhajus Sadiqin that according to Fatimah Zahra one day an earthquake sent the people of Madina into a panic, and all of them along with Abu Bakr and Umar came to Ali. He took them outside the city and addressed them: "The quaking of the earth has overwhelmed you with fright. What will you do when it will quake before the day of judgement?" Then he put his hand on the earth and commanded it to cease quaking. It stopped to quake. He said: "Do you wonder at what has happened? I am he to whom the earth will speak on the day of judgement," and recited surah al Zilzal.
بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَى لَهَا
for her Lord will have inspired her.
Commentary on Quran 99:5
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 99:5] (see commentary for verse 4)
يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ
On that day, mankind will issue forth in various groups to be shown their deeds.
Commentary on Quran 99:6
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 99:6] Refer to Infitar: 5. In this world good and evil is mixed together, but on the day of resurrection each grade of good and evil will be sorted out. So they will proceed in groups to receive judgement. Refer to the commentary of Bani Israel: 71. They will be shown the exact import of everything that they had thought, said and done in the life of this world of test and trial.
فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ
So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it,
Commentary on Quran 99:7
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 99:7] See commentary of Baqarah: 48; An-am: 165; Rum: 7; Fatir: 18 and Najm: 38. The smallest deed, good or bad, will be taken into account for reward or punishment. No one will be deprived of the fruit of any good deed done by him, nor spared the punishment for the evil deed committed by him. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: Verse 6 refers to the first stage of resurrection. At the stage of judgement intercession (see commentary of Baqarah: 48) will be allowed to whomsoever Allah wills and gives permission.
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ
and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.
Commentary on Quran 99:8
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 99:8] (see commentary for verse 7)
