Sūrah No. 56. Revealed in Makkah, 96 verses.
Sūrat al-Wāqi ‘ah
Merits of reciting the Sūrah
1) Whoever recites Sūrat al-Wāqi‘ah it is written that he is not from the heedless ones.
The Holy Prophet a
(This is because the verses bring about awareness so one who understands cannot be heedless.)
2) When the Prophet was asked: O Prophet of God! Your hair became grey too fast?” The Prophet replied, “Four chapters of the Holy Quran made my hair grey. They are Hūd (No 11), al-Waqi‘ah (No 56), al-Mursalāt (No 77) and al-Naba’ (No 78).
3) Whoever recites al-Wāqi‘ah on Thursday night, Allah loves him and will make people love him, he will not see difficulties, poverty or afflictions in the world, and will be from among the friends of Amīrul Mu’minīn (a) – Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (a)
Note: Quranic Scholars say that the reward is connected to the contents of the Sūrah and requires that recitation be done with awareness, comprehension, reflection and having an intention of implementation.
General synopsis of contents
The central theme in this Sūrah is the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. It includes:
1) The beginning of the Day of Judgment (vv. 1-6)
2) Division of people into three groups; people of the right hand, people of the left hand, and the foremost ones (vv. 7-10)
3) Detailed discussions of each of the three groups and what they will receive (vv. 11-56)
4) Signs of creation (vv. 57-73)
5) The Quran and nature of revelation (vv. 77-82)
6) The approach of death (vv. 83-96)
Selected Lessons
1) There will be different groups on the Day of Judgment according to their deeds in the world.
2) The Quran gives vivid descriptions of Heaven and Hell which can be visualized.
3) Everything that we see around us is from Allah and He can give it or take it away from us as He wishes. Reflecting on these signs strengthens belief in a Creator.
4) The Quran cannot be touched (physically and understanding it fully) except by the purified ones.
5) The approach of death reveals how helpless human beings are.
Suggested verses for reflection and memorization.
56:77-79 – This is indeed a noble Quran, in a guarded Book, no one touches it except the pure ones.
Activities for self-study
Choose one paragraph to explore in detail: the description of the foremost ones, description of the people of the right hand, and approach of death. Write down the details the verses give us about it.