Surah Al-Hajj

(The Pilgrimage),

No. 22

This Holy Surah was revealed in Medina and contains 78 verses.

The Contents of the Surah

Since some verses of this Surah are about Hajj pilgrimage, it has been called Surah Al-Hajj.

In view of the fact that the commandment of Hajj pilgrimage accompanied with some of its details, as well as the command of Holy War, which were related to the circumstances of the Muslims in Medina, the verses of this Surah are somehow like the Medinan Suras.

From the point of the contents, the matters recited in this Surah can be divided into several parts:

Many verses of this Surah are about Resurrection and its logical reasoning. They also consist of some warnings upon those people who are negligent of the events of the Hereafter, and the like.

A considerable part of this Holy Surah speaks about the struggles against idolaters and polytheists.

Another part of it invites people to verify the instructive fate of those who passed away, and the painful Divine punishments which were sent down upon them.

And, another part of it is about the Hajj pilgrimage and its historical background.

Again, a part of it is rather about the struggles which were performed against the hostile invaders.

And, finally, a part of the Surah contains some advices upon different fields of life, and some encouragement to prayer, almsgiving, trust, and considering Allah.

The Virtue of Reciting the Surah

A tradition narrated from the holy Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) indicates that he said:

“Whoever recites Surah Al-Hajj, Allah will reward him both the reward of pilgrimage and lesser pilgrimage of all those who have done them in the past and all those who will do them in the future.”1

No doubt this great reward and virtue is not for a mere recitation of the Surah in expression, but it is a recitation which provides contemplation, and a contemplation which leads to action.

Also, Imam Sadiq (as) has been narrated who said:

“Whoever recites this Surah every three days, he will not go out of the year but he will be honored to go to the Sacred House.”2

Section 1: The Awful Day of Judgment

Surah Al-Hajj - Verses 1-2

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ‌ يا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْ‌ءٌ عَظِيمٌ (1) يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَها تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَ تَضَعُ كُلُّ ذاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَها وَ تَرَی النَّاسَ سُكاری‌ وَ ما هُمْ بِسُكاری‌ وَ لكِنَّ عَذابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ (2)

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

1. “O Mankind! Be in awe of your Lord! Verily the earthquake of the Hour (of doom) is a grievous thing.”

2. “On the Day you shall behold it, every suckling mother shall forsake her suckling baby, and every pregnant woman shall lay down her burden, and you shall see the people (as) intoxicated, yet they are not intoxicated, but the chastisement of Allah is severe.”

This Surah begins with two shaking and exciting verses concerning Resurrection and its preparations. These are verses that may take the reader involuntarily out from this material fleeting life and make him mindful of the dreadful future which he waits for.

At first, the Holy Qur’an addresses the whole human beings, with no exception, and says:

“O Mankind! Be in awe of your Lord! Verily the earthquake of the Hour (of doom) is a grievous thing.”

The Qur’anic phrase /ya ’ayyuhannas/ (O mankind) is a clear evidence upon this fact that there is no exception and difference in this idea from the point of: races, languages, nations, tribes, ages, places, and geographical regions, whether they are believers, disbelievers, young, old, man and woman. All of them, who live at the present time and in the future, are addressed totally.

This verse has illustrated some examples of the great terror of the Day of Resurrection in a few sentences.

It implies that, on that Day, you will observe, by your own eyes, that every suckling mother shall forget her little child and every pregnant woman, who attends in that scene, shall face with abortion, because, as a result of the earthquake of the Resurrection, horror and fear will encompass all people thoroughly.

The verse says:

“On the Day you shall behold it, every suckling mother shall forsake her suckling baby, and every pregnant woman shall lay down her burden…”

The third illustration of the verses, which is visualized, is the circumstances that people shall be in it on That Day.

It says:

“…and you shall see the people (as) intoxicated, yet they are not intoxicated, but the chastisement of Allah is severe.”