Interpretation of Fortress 101 (Crashing Shout)
I seek refuge in God from the cursed Satan
In the Name of God, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful
1. (((Consider) The Crashing Shout!))
2. ((What is the knocking shout?))
3. ((What will enable you to perceive what the knocking shout is?))
4. ((On a Day when people shall be like scattered moths, ))
5. ((And the mountains like carded wool; ))
6. ((Then the one whose scales are found heavy, ))
7. ((Will be in a life of contentment, ))
8. ((But for the one whose scales are found light,))
9. ((His mother will be a bottomless pit.))
10. ((What will enable you to perceive what it is?
11. ((It is a Fire blazing fiercely!))
§§§§§
In ‘Al-Takathur’ Fortress, the Almighty God informed us of every person’s accountability for the deeds they perform in their worldly life. This noble Fortress follows to show us the greatness of the Day when the call will be heard, when all creatures shall stand before the Hands of God. At that time our fate will be known, and there will be a separation between the unhappy people and the happy ones. The first group will dwell in Paradise, and the other in Hell. God says:
1. (((Consider) The Crashing shout!))
((The Crashing Shout!)) This word is derived from the verb ‘to crash’, which means to strike one thing against another, causing a spiritual concussion and annoying effect. For example, you say: ((There was a crashing sound at the door)), because such a vigorous crash at the door would shake and disturbs the spirit.
In Arabic, you can use the same verb to describe the sound of a bell, saying: ((The school’s bell has been clanged)), because this crashing sound causes the spirit to tremble, breaking the students’ indulgence in play and fun, or breaking their stillness and attention to the lesson. In both cases there is a jolt to the spirit.
Accordingly, the ((Crashing Shout)) referred to in this Verse which is meant to be the call which spirits shall hear on the Day of Resurrection after the exodus from their graves.
When people come out of their graves and their souls are sent into their bodies once again, they shall be called to stand before the Hands of their Provider. When they hear the call, their hearts shall be agitated and their spirits shall tremble in fear.
The ((Crashing Shout)) indicates this call, which will disturb those spirits which are distant from God and those hearts which are inattentive to God. They shall tremble on that weighty Day, when their fates shall be determined.
The phrase ((Crashing Shout)) is used in a general way in the first Verse, and encompasses every call or cry which would result in an upsetting spiritual jolt. For this reason, the Almighty wanted to acquaint us with this knocking shout, and so He says:
2. ((What is the knocking shout?)) What is this knocking shout?
The Almighty then elucidated its great importance and effect, saying:
3. ((What will enable you to perceive what the knocking shout is!))
That is: How great it is for you, people, and how extreme will be its effect upon your spirit.
Then, God described the day of its occurrence, saying:
4. ((On a Day when people shall be like scattered moths,))
These ((moths)) are light and weak insects which do not support each other and do not join with one other in spite of their weakness. They have no power to withstand even the weakest events which descend upon them.
((Scattered)) means ‘spread’.
Thus people on that day shall be as weak and scattered as moths. They shall be spread out on a single level, standing before the Hands of their Provider and waiting for the consequences of their deeds.
5. ((And the mountains like carded wool.))
Here, ((carded wool)) means wool whose threads are separate.
The mountains which are now firmly connected will be like carded wool on the day in question. They shall remain standing erect but will be disjointed and their atoms will be dispersed, as there shall be no coherence or connection between these atoms.
If this is to be the state of the high and stable mountains on that day before their Provider’s Hand, then what about you, human? On that day, how much power and strength will you have?
The Almighty revealed the rewards and the ends of people, saying:
6. ((Then the one whose scales are found heavy,))
7. ((Will be in a life of contentment,))
The mention of the weight of a person’s scales is in reference to the judgment that is made on the deeds that a person performs during their life. This judgment depends on the heaviness of the deeds that are carried out, and a deed is regarded as heavy or light according to the truthful intent and honesty behind it in terms of motivation. The heaviness or lightness of a person’s scales will depend on the deeds they performed in this life, and they will be weighed on Doomsday and a judgment will be made justly on this basis.
When an action is carried out for nothing other than to be close to God, and its doer seeks no worldly benefit or personal advantage from it, this action shall be heavy due to the truthfulness folded under it and the good that results. For example, a person may utter a word that gives guidance to somebody, and then this person may be followed by many others. This word is heavy, therefore, and is appreciated by God due to the good things which arise as a result. God says: ((Do you not see how Al’lah gives us parables of a good word?This (a good word) is like a good tree-its root is firm and its branches are in the sky; it yields its fruit every season by its Provider’s Leave. Al’lah gives parables to people so that they can remember))[The Holy Qur’an, Fortress 14, Ibrahim (Abraham), Verse 24 25.]
However, what is the meaning of the heaviness of the scale?
The heaviness of the scale does not mean that one side of the scales is heavier than the other, but relates to the creation of confidence in a person, depending on their charity, so that they will forget all of their wrongdoing.
If a person renders one good action, this deed will outbalance their bad actions, and thereby the spirit will forget all of its faults. Through forgetting its faults, the way by which it can approach its Provider becomes very easy; with this approach, the spirit becomes purified and cured. It will be rid of every ailment and become worthy of every honor and boon, so that the Almighty God will overwhelm it with His Charity and allow it to enjoy a pleasant life.
That is what the words ((Will be in a life of contentment,)) mean. This person will enjoy a good life through the great Godly Donation which will be presented to them: a perfect and increasing Donation, with no defects mixed therein, which will never decrease.
8. ((But for the one whose scales are found light,))
That is, when a person’s deeds emanate from personal motivations and worldly aims, they will be of no weight, because they will be far from any goodness or spiritual advantage.
Therefore, on Doomsday they will see that their deeds are light and valueless, and their wrongdoing will then appear to them, making them stand before their Provider feeling ashamed.
This shame will prevent them from approaching God, and so they will remain ill-spirited and they will cry in suffering and appeal for help. At that time they will be driven to the Fire according to their own wishes and demands. God says:
9. ((His mother will be a bottomless pit.))
The mother is the one to whom a person resorts to find sympathy and mercy in her arms.
The fire will be like a mother to the sinful, as they will resort to it because of their pain and torment. Besides this, it will be an abyss into which they will drop themselves and continue fall, and its burning and flaming will be treatment for them which will lighten the pain and the torment of their spirits.
The Almighty wanted to show us the intensity of the fire and its danger, so He says:
10. ((What will enable you to perceive what it is?)) Then He gave us the reply, saying:
11. ((It is a fire blazing fiercely!))
Good actions are the means which help us to approach God, and this is the way to obtain the cure and to accomplish the pleasant life. On the other hand, bad actions are the reasons for drawing far from God, and through such distance death and destruction come upon the spirit.
Thus, humanity should render good deeds so as to help them draw nearer to God, and those who have no good deeds are subject to destruction, God forbid.
When the noble Prophetic saying states that: ((Poverty is about to become disbelief)), this poverty is not meant as the lack of money, but refers to falling behind in performing charity and neglecting to perform good deeds.