In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The gentle commentary
on the book *Identification Cards*
*for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*
by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nassif,
may Allah preserve him.
Surah al-Haqqah.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah,
and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
We continue our gentle commentary on the identification cards,
focusing now on Surah al-Haqqah.
In the book, commenting on the name of the surah in the footnote,
it states: "Al-Haqqah is one of the names of the Resurrection."
Here, it is preferable to modify the phrasing as I will now mention,
because what is written there does not quite express the intended meaning.
He says: "Al-Haqqah is one of the names of the Resurrection;
it is called so because in it the promise of Allah is realized,
or because it realizes and manifests that promise."
These are two possible interpretations
mentioned in *Tafsir al-Jalalayn*.
And the meaning is subtle, brothers:
"Al-Haqqah" is the Resurrection.
The Resurrection itself does not actively realize anything,
nor does it manifest anything by itself;
rather, what takes place within it
is the promise—Allah's promise—
as well as the resurrection, the reckoning, and the recompense.
This is one possibility,
and it falls under the linguistic principle of
"a standing night," as rhetoricians say.
"A standing night":
the night itself does not stand in prayer,
and likewise the Resurrection does not actively realize the promise;
rather, the promise is realized within it.
The other meaning,
which is indicated by the words of al-Jalalayn
and which I pointed out in the phrasing I dictated to you,
is because I said: "Al-Haqqah is one of the names of the Resurrection;
in it the promise of Allah comes true,"
or—this being the second possibility—
"because it realizes and manifests that promise."
That is to say, it is as though the Resurrection itself
is what actively fulfills the promise.
This is similar to the expression
"a pleasant life" (literally: a pleased life).
A life itself does not experience pleasure,
and the Resurrection does not actively realize anything;
thus, the style is metaphorical.
Whoever understands Arabic rhetoric
will understand what I mean.
It indicates
that the realization on the Day of Resurrection will be complete,
and the promise of Allah will surely come to pass,
just as Allah Almighty has stated;
so the action was attributed to the time itself for hyperbole and emphasis.
The second pause:
He said: "It opens with a declarative sentence."
This is regarding the discussion
on the opening of the surah.
He said: "It opens with a declarative sentence,"
and we should add here:
"in which nothing is explicitly stated
except a single word."
Because notice:
"Al-Haqqah" is a declarative sentence,
yet it constitutes an independent verse
consisting of just one word.
This occurs in the Qur'an,
such as *Al-Haqqah* and likewise *Al-Qari'ah*,
but despite its existence, it is rare.
It signifies
the immense importance of the word mentioned;
thus it was stated on its own
in this manner as a complete verse,
so that we give it due attention
in contemplating it,
and to show that it alone
is sufficient to constitute
a verse in the Mighty Book.
Of course, this discussion
is based on the Kufan verse-counting method,
which we follow in the transmission of
Hafs that we recite;
otherwise, the majority of verse-counters
of the Qur'an
consider *Al-Haqqah*
and *Mal-Haqqah* to be a single verse.
In either of the two methods
of counting—whether
we say "Al-Haqqah" and stop,
and then "Mal-Haqqah",
or combine them into a single verse:
"Al-Haqqah, Mal-Haqqah"—
the fact remains that *Mal-Haqqah*
is a sentence that serves
as the predicate (*khabar*) for the initial *Al-Haqqah*.
Thus, pausing
at *Al-Haqqah* according to the verse-count
that we recite
creates suspense for what follows
and emphasizes its significance.
And Allah knows best.
There remains the third pause,
regarding the central theme of the surah
and its thematic sections.
By contemplating its two sections—
and if we look at the sections of the surah—
he said: "It is divided into two parts,"
and that is correct;
but it is more precise to say: "By contemplating
its two sections,"
for it is divided into two parts:
the first is about the Resurrection,
and the second is about the Qur'an.
Regarding the second section, he said:
"And in the second section,
the oath opening..."
He means by this
the words of the Almighty: "So I swear by what you see."
He said:
"...preceded by *la*."
It is better to omit this phrase,
because there is a scholarly difference of opinion here:
is it for emphasizing the oath,
or is it a refutation of a previous claim,
among other views that are not suitable
to mention in this introductory book.
Therefore, it is simply said: "In the second section,
the oath opening..."
Now, here is a point of reflection:
a discourse on the Resurrection, followed by a discourse on the Qur'an.
This resembles Surah at-Takwir:
"When the sun is wrapped up, and when the stars fall dispersing,"
until He said:
"A soul will know what it has brought."
This is a discourse on the Resurrection, and then He said:
"So I swear by the retreating stars, those that run and disappear, and the night
as it closes in, and the morning as it breathes:
Indeed, it is the word of a noble messenger."
And thus the discourse on the Qur'an began.
There is a similarity between al-Haqqah
and at-Takwir that warrants contemplation:
it is as though a person's remembrance
of the Day of Resurrection
softens their heart
and urges them to search
for what will save them,
so there comes the mention of
the Qur'an, through which salvation is attained,
as well as the mention of
people's attitudes toward the Qur'an.
He said:
"And indeed, it is a reminder for the righteous,
and indeed, We know that among you
are deniers,
“And lo! it is indeed an anguish for the disbelievers.” (69:50)
and indeed, it is the truth of certainty.
So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great."
May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family and all his Companions.