Surah Al-Waqi‘ah Full Text — When the Inevitable Comes (Hafs)

إِذَا وَقَعَتِ ٱلْوَاقِعَةُ﴿١﴾لَيْسَ لِوَقْعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ﴿٢﴾خَافِضَةٌۭ رَّافِعَةٌ﴿٣﴾إِذَا رُجَّتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ رَجًّۭا﴿٤﴾وَبُسَّتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ بَسًّۭا﴿٥﴾فَكَانَتْ هَبَآءًۭ مُّنۢبَثًّۭا﴿٦﴾وَكُنتُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا ثَلَٰثَةًۭ﴿٧﴾فَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ مَآ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ﴿٨﴾وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ مَآ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ﴿٩﴾وَٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ﴿١٠﴾أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ﴿١١﴾فِى جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ﴿١٢﴾ثُلَّةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ﴿١٣﴾وَقَلِيلٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْءَاخِرِينَ﴿١٤﴾عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍۢ مَّوْضُونَةٍۢ﴿١٥﴾مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ عَلَيْهَا مُتَقَٰبِلِينَ﴿١٦﴾يَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَٰنٌۭ مُّخَلَّدُونَ﴿١٧﴾بِأَكْوَابٍۢ وَأَبَارِيقَ وَكَأْسٍۢ مِّن مَّعِينٍۢ﴿١٨﴾لَّا يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنْهَا وَلَا يُنزِفُونَ﴿١٩﴾وَفَٰكِهَةٍۢ مِّمَّا يَتَخَيَّرُونَ﴿٢٠﴾وَلَحْمِ طَيْرٍۢ مِّمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ﴿٢١﴾وَحُورٌ عِينٌۭ﴿٢٢﴾كَأَمْثَٰلِ ٱللُّؤْلُؤِ ٱلْمَكْنُونِ﴿٢٣﴾جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ﴿٢٤﴾لَا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًۭا وَلَا تَأْثِيمًا﴿٢٥﴾إِلَّا قِيلًۭا سَلَٰمًۭا سَلَٰمًۭا﴿٢٦﴾وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْيَمِينِ مَآ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْيَمِينِ﴿٢٧﴾فِى سِدْرٍۢ مَّخْضُودٍۢ﴿٢٨﴾وَطَلْحٍۢ مَّنضُودٍۢ﴿٢٩﴾وَظِلٍّۢ مَّمْدُودٍۢ﴿٣٠﴾وَمَآءٍۢ مَّسْكُوبٍۢ﴿٣١﴾وَفَٰكِهَةٍۢ كَثِيرَةٍۢ﴿٣٢﴾لَّا مَقْطُوعَةٍۢ وَلَا مَمْنُوعَةٍۢ﴿٣٣﴾وَفُرُشٍۢ مَّرْفُوعَةٍ﴿٣٤﴾إِنَّآ أَنشَأْنَٰهُنَّ إِنشَآءًۭ﴿٣٥﴾فَجَعَلْنَٰهُنَّ أَبْكَارًا﴿٣٦﴾عُرُبًا أَتْرَابًۭا﴿٣٧﴾لِّأَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْيَمِينِ﴿٣٨﴾ثُلَّةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ﴿٣٩﴾وَثُلَّةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْءَاخِرِينَ﴿٤٠﴾وَأَصْحَٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ مَآ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ﴿٤١﴾فِى سَمُومٍۢ وَحَمِيمٍۢ﴿٤٢﴾وَظِلٍّۢ مِّن يَحْمُومٍۢ﴿٤٣﴾لَّا بَارِدٍۢ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ﴿٤٤﴾إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَبْلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُتْرَفِينَ﴿٤٥﴾وَكَانُوا۟ يُصِرُّونَ عَلَى ٱلْحِنثِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ﴿٤٦﴾وَكَانُوا۟ يَقُولُونَ أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًۭا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ﴿٤٧﴾أَوَءَابَآؤُنَا ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ﴿٤٨﴾قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ وَٱلْءَاخِرِينَ﴿٤٩﴾لَمَجْمُوعُونَ إِلَىٰ مِيقَٰتِ يَوْمٍۢ مَّعْلُومٍۢ﴿٥٠﴾ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ أَيُّهَا ٱلضَّآلُّونَ ٱلْمُكَذِّبُونَ﴿٥١﴾لَءَاكِلُونَ مِن شَجَرٍۢ مِّن زَقُّومٍۢ﴿٥٢﴾فَمَالِـُٔونَ مِنْهَا ٱلْبُطُونَ﴿٥٣﴾فَشَٰرِبُونَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْحَمِيمِ﴿٥٤﴾فَشَٰرِبُونَ شُرْبَ ٱلْهِيمِ﴿٥٥﴾هَٰذَا نُزُلُهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلدِّينِ﴿٥٦﴾نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَٰكُمْ فَلَوْلَا تُصَدِّقُونَ﴿٥٧﴾أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تُمْنُونَ﴿٥٨﴾ءَأَنتُمْ تَخْلُقُونَهُۥٓ أَمْ نَحْنُ ٱلْخَٰلِقُونَ﴿٥٩﴾نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ﴿٦٠﴾عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ أَمْثَٰلَكُمْ وَنُنشِئَكُمْ فِى مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴿٦١﴾وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ فَلَوْلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ﴿٦٢﴾أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تَحْرُثُونَ﴿٦٣﴾ءَأَنتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُۥٓ أَمْ نَحْنُ ٱلزَّٰرِعُونَ﴿٦٤﴾لَوْ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَٰهُ حُطَٰمًۭا فَظَلْتُمْ تَفَكَّهُونَ﴿٦٥﴾إِنَّا لَمُغْرَمُونَ﴿٦٦﴾بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ﴿٦٧﴾أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱلْمَآءَ ٱلَّذِى تَشْرَبُونَ﴿٦٨﴾ءَأَنتُمْ أَنزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُزْنِ أَمْ نَحْنُ ٱلْمُنزِلُونَ﴿٦٩﴾لَوْ نَشَآءُ جَعَلْنَٰهُ أُجَاجًۭا فَلَوْلَا تَشْكُرُونَ﴿٧٠﴾أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ ٱلنَّارَ ٱلَّتِى تُورُونَ﴿٧١﴾ءَأَنتُمْ أَنشَأْتُمْ شَجَرَتَهَآ أَمْ نَحْنُ ٱلْمُنشِـُٔونَ﴿٧٢﴾نَحْنُ جَعَلْنَٰهَا تَذْكِرَةًۭ وَمَتَٰعًۭا لِّلْمُقْوِينَ﴿٧٣﴾فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ﴿٧٤﴾۞ فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِمَوَٰقِعِ ٱلنُّجُومِ﴿٧٥﴾وَإِنَّهُۥ لَقَسَمٌۭ لَّوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ﴿٧٦﴾إِنَّهُۥ لَقُرْءَانٌۭ كَرِيمٌۭ﴿٧٧﴾فِى كِتَٰبٍۢ مَّكْنُونٍۢ﴿٧٨﴾لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْمُطَهَّرُونَ﴿٧٩﴾تَنزِيلٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ﴿٨٠﴾أَفَبِهَٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ أَنتُم مُّدْهِنُونَ﴿٨١﴾وَتَجْعَلُونَ رِزْقَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ تُكَذِّبُونَ﴿٨٢﴾فَلَوْلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلْحُلْقُومَ﴿٨٣﴾وَأَنتُمْ حِينَئِذٍۢ تَنظُرُونَ﴿٨٤﴾وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنكُمْ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُبْصِرُونَ﴿٨٥﴾فَلَوْلَآ إِن كُنتُمْ غَيْرَ مَدِينِينَ﴿٨٦﴾تَرْجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ﴿٨٧﴾فَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ﴿٨٨﴾فَرَوْحٌۭ وَرَيْحَانٌۭ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍۢ﴿٨٩﴾وَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْيَمِينِ﴿٩٠﴾فَسَلَٰمٌۭ لَّكَ مِنْ أَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْيَمِينِ﴿٩١﴾وَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ﴿٩٢﴾فَنُزُلٌۭ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍۢ﴿٩٣﴾وَتَصْلِيَةُ جَحِيمٍ﴿٩٤﴾إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ ٱلْيَقِينِ﴿٩٥﴾فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ﴿٩٦﴾

About Surah Al-Waqi‘ah

Surah Al-Waqi‘ah is the 56th surah in the order of the mushaf, and one of the Meccan surahs according to the majority of commentators. It contains 96 ayahs, and is among the greatest surahs in describing the Day of Judgment and in dividing people into three categories according to their deeds in this life.

The surah is named «Al-Waqi‘ah» after its first ayah, “When the Inevitable Event comes to pass.” “Al-Waqi‘ah” is one of the names of the Day of Judgment, because its occurrence is inevitable. It is among the surahs of which the Prophet ﷺ said in the well-known hadith reported by At-Tirmidhi: “Surah Hud and its sisters have made me grey,” because of what they contain of the terrors of the Day of Judgment and the gravity of the matter of the hereafter.

The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, the reading used in most of the Muslim world, in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf.

The virtue of reciting Surah Al-Waqi‘ah

1. The general virtue of reciting the Holy Quran

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever recites a single letter from the Book of Allah will have a good deed credited to him, and the good deed is multiplied by ten. I do not say that ﴿Alif-Lam-Mim﴾ is a letter — but rather Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Mim is a letter.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi and graded sahih.) This includes Surah Al-Waqi‘ah and every other surah of the Quran.

2. Among the surahs the Prophet ﷺ singled out for their gravity

Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “O Messenger of Allah, you have aged.” He ﷺ replied: “Hud, Al-Waqi‘ah, Al-Mursalat, ‘Amma Yatasa’alun, and Idhash-Shamsu Kuwwirat have made me grey.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi and graded hasan.) That the Prophet ﷺ placed it among these five surahs is a sign of the gravity of what it contains of the terrors of the hereafter.

3. A note on the hadith “Whoever reads it every night will not be touched by poverty”

A narration is reported in some of the books of sunan: “Whoever reads Surah Al-Waqi‘ah every night will never be touched by poverty.” It has been graded weak by the majority of the hadith scholars — including Al-Bayhaqi himself, Ad-Daraqutni and Al-Albani — while some of the people of knowledge graded it hasan. The most appropriate approach is to recite the surah for the general virtue of the Quran and for the greatness of its meanings, rather than relying on this hadith.

Themes of the Surah

1. The Inevitable Event and the great earthquake ([ayahs 1–10](#ayah-1))

The surah opens with the occurrence of the Day of Judgment, the shaking of the earth and the crumbling of the mountains. It then divides people into three categories: the companions of the right, the companions of the left, and the foremost — the foremost. A strong call to reflect on where one will end up.

Read from ayah 1 →

2. The foremost and their bliss ([ayahs 11–26](#ayah-11))

A description of the highest rank of the people of Paradise — those drawn close to their Lord — on couches inlaid with gold and jewels, reclining and facing one another, served by youths with cups and ewers, with fruit and the meat of birds as they desire. No idle talk and no sin.

Read from ayah 11 →

3. The companions of the right and their bliss ([ayahs 27–40](#ayah-27))

A description of the state of the general body of believers in Paradise: thornless lote-trees, bunched bananas, extended shade, pouring water, abundant fruit — neither cut off nor forbidden — and raised couches. A throng from the early generations and a throng from the later ones.

Read from ayah 27 →

4. The companions of the left and their punishment ([ayahs 41–56](#ayah-41))

A counterpart description of the state of the deniers and those who strayed: scorching wind and boiling water, a shade of black smoke, and food from the tree of Zaqqum. They are reminded that they had lived in luxury before, and that they used to persist in great sin and reject the resurrection.

Read from ayah 41 →

5. Signs of power and proofs of the resurrection ([ayahs 57–74](#ayah-57))

Five decisive proofs for the resurrection: the creation of man from a drop, the sprouting of crops from a seed, the sending down of fresh water from the clouds, and the bringing of fire out of a green tree. The section closes with the command to glorify the name of the Mighty Lord.

Read from ayah 57 →

6. The honour of the Holy Quran ([ayahs 75–82](#ayah-75))

A great oath by the positions of the stars: that this is a noble Quran, in a well-protected Book, which none touch except the purified — a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. A magnification of the matter of revelation and a refutation of those who deny it.

Read from ayah 75 →

7. The moment of death and the recompense ([ayahs 83–96](#ayah-83))

A precise, moving description of the moment the soul departs and the inability of the creation to bring it back. Then the recompense of each of the three categories at death is laid out: rest and fragrance and a garden of bliss, or peace for the companions of the right, or a feast of boiling water and the burning of Hellfire. The surah closes with the command to glorify the name of the Mighty Lord.

Read from ayah 83 →

Tips for reading and memorising

Reflect on the description of the three categories and ask yourself: which of the three would I be?
Split memorisation across the seven sections of the surah, memorising one section every 3 days.
Pause at the proofs of the resurrection and reflect on the magnificence of Allah’s creation.
Use the “font size” buttons at the top of the page for a comfortable read.
You can print the surah from your browser (Ctrl+P) for a clean paper copy.

Frequently asked questions

How many ayahs are in Surah Al-Waqi‘ah?

Surah Al-Waqi‘ah has 96 ayahs. It is the 56th surah in the order of the mushaf, and it is a Meccan surah.

Why is it called Surah Al-Waqi‘ah?

It is called Surah Al-Waqi‘ah because it opens with Allah’s words «Idha waqa‘at al-waqi‘ah» — “When the Inevitable Event comes to pass.” “Al-Waqi‘ah” is one of the names of the Day of Judgment, because its occurrence is inevitable. The surah as a whole describes the terrors of that day and the categories of people on it.

What are the themes of Surah Al-Waqi‘ah?

The surah covers: (1) the earthquake of the Day of Judgment and the division of people into three categories, (2) the foremost (al-Sabiqun) and their reward in the gardens of bliss, (3) the companions of the right and what is prepared for them, (4) the companions of the left and their punishment, (5) proofs of the resurrection drawn from creation, the seed, the rain and fire, (6) the honour of the Holy Quran, (7) the state of a dying person.

Who are al-Sabiqun, the companions of the right, and the companions of the left?

Al-Sabiqun (the foremost) are the highest rank of the people of Paradise — those who raced to good deeds in this life and so were the first into Paradise in the next; they are the close ones (al-muqarrabun). The companions of the right are the general body of believers, who will be given their books in their right hands. The companions of the left are the disbelievers and persistent sinners, who will be given their books in their left hands and face a painful punishment.

What is the virtue of reciting Surah Al-Waqi‘ah?

There is a great reward for reciting the Holy Quran in general. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever recites a single letter from the Book of Allah will have a good deed credited to him, and the good deed is multiplied by ten” (reported by At-Tirmidhi). Several specific narrations have been reported about the virtue of Surah Al-Waqi‘ah, but some of them are graded weak by the hadith scholars; so it is recommended to recite it because of the general virtue of the Quran and the depth of its meanings about the hereafter.

Is the hadith “Whoever reads Surah Al-Waqi‘ah every night will not be touched by poverty” authentic?

This hadith was reported by Ibn As-Sunni, Al-Bayhaqi and others. Many of the people of knowledge have weakened it — including Ad-Daraqutni, Al-Bayhaqi himself, and Al-Albani — while others graded it hasan. The stronger view among the majority of the hadith scholars is that it is weak, so no specific practice should be built on it. The recitation of the surah remains, like every other surah of the Quran, among the greatest acts of nearness to Allah.

Is Surah Al-Waqi‘ah Meccan or Medinan?

According to the majority of commentators, Surah Al-Waqi‘ah is Meccan — that is, revealed before the migration. Some scholars have made an exception of certain ayahs which they considered Medinan, but its overall character is that of the Meccan surahs which deal with creed, resurrection, and recompense.

What is the meaning of “Surah Hud and its sisters made me grey”?

It is reported in a hadith narrated by At-Tirmidhi (and graded hasan) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Surah Hud and its sisters have made me grey.” The scholars explained these as Hud, Al-Waqi‘ah, Al-Mursalat, ‘Amma Yatasa’alun (An-Naba’) and Idhash-Shamsu Kuwwirat (At-Takwir) — because of what they contain of the terrors of the Day of Judgment and the stories of the nations who denied the messengers.

When is the best time to read Surah Al-Waqi‘ah?

Surah Al-Waqi‘ah can be read at any time of the day or night. Many people make a habit of reading it after ‘Asr or before sleep. The most appropriate course is for the Muslim to be regular in reading the Quran, without tying a specific time to a particular virtue that is not firmly established.

Which recitation is the text on this page based on?

The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim — the most widely used reading in the Muslim world — written in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf.

How long does it take to read the full surah?

A complete recitation of Surah Al-Waqi‘ah takes about 8 to 12 minutes at a moderate pace. Its ayahs are mostly short, which makes it relatively easy to read and to memorise.

How can I memorise Surah Al-Waqi‘ah easily?

A simple plan: split it by its themes (the foremost, companions of the right, companions of the left, proofs of the resurrection, the closing) and memorise about 5 ayahs a day to finish in around 20 days. Listen to it from the reciters of Quran Radio, and use the font-size buttons on this page for a clear, comfortable read.

Surah Al-Waqi‘ah — Full Text in Clear Arabic Script