Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Meccan surah is primarily dedicated to proving the certainty of the Resurrection and divine recompense. Its purpose is to describe the cosmic terror preceding the Hour and to establish the principle of accountability based on the weighing of deeds, assuring the reader of either eternal bliss or the consuming Fire.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Meccan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed early in the Prophet’s mission to counter the polytheists’denial and mockery of the Resurrection, using strong, imaginative imagery to make the event tangible.

Chronology: It is counted as the 30th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat Quraysh and before al-Qiyāmah.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known by one name: "Sūrat al-Qāriʿah" (The Striking Calamity), for the unique word al-Qāriʿah [1], which is one of the many names for the Day of Judgment, signifying an event that will strike or smash the heart with terror.

Ayah Count: 10 ayahs (Madinah/Makkah) or 11 (Kūfah).

Surah Overview:

• Establishing the certainty of the Resurrection and detailing the cosmic terrors that precede it. [1-3]
• Describing humanity on that day as being like scattered moths and the mountains as carded wool. [4-5]
• Affirming the principle of Judgment based on the weighing of deeds, and describing the two contrasting destinies based on that. [6-11]