Table Of Contents

Meet the Key Figures in Surah Qariah: Roles, Significance & Takeaways

This Character Compendium provides a definitive resource on the key archetypes and powerful symbols within Surah Al-Qari’ah, the 101st chapter of the Holy Qur’an. A powerful and concise early Makkan Surah, its name, “The Striking Calamity,” refers to the Day of Judgment, an event that will strike the hearts with terror. The chapter paints a vivid and dramatic picture of the cosmic upheaval of that Day, when humanity will be like scattered moths and the mountains like carded wool. The Surah then establishes the clear, simple, and ultimate criterion for salvation and damnation: the weight of one’s deeds on the divine scale, leading to one of two final and eternal destinies—either a pleased, contented life or the fiery embrace of the Abyss. Each character card delves into the specific portrayal of these figures and concepts, extracting the timeless lessons on the certainty of accountability and the true measure of a life’s worth.

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Al-‘Ihn al-Manfush (The Carded Wool)

Brief Biography / Background

Al-‘Ihn al-Manfush, The Carded Wool, is a powerful simile used to describe the state of the mountains on the Day of Judgment. *’Ihn* is wool, often brightly colored, and *manfush* means carded, fluffed up, or teased apart, rendering it weightless and easily dispersed by the wind.

Role in the Surah

This simile is used to describe the fate of the mountains, the ultimate symbols of firmness and stability in our world. On the Day of the Striking Calamity, they will completely lose their form and substance. “And the mountains will be like carded wool.” (Al-Qari’ah, 101:5).

Personality & Attributes

The Carded Wool is the archetype of **stability rendered into dust**. It is a symbol of the complete and utter collapse of the worldly order. The image of the mighty mountains being turned into flimsy, weightless fibers is a testament to the awesome and world-shattering power of the Final Day.

Major Lessons & Morals

• A believer must never be deceived by the apparent permanence of the physical world; it is all temporary and will be utterly transformed.
• If even the mighty mountains will be turned into flimsy wool, how much more insignificant are the worldly powers and structures that humans rely on?
• Contemplating the fate of the mountains should instill in the heart a profound sense of awe for the power of Allah and the reality of the Last Day.

Supporting References

The Qur’an uses several different similes to describe the fate of the mountains on that Day. In other places, they are described as being set in motion or crushed to dust. The image of “carded wool” here is particularly powerful, as it not only conveys their loss of solidity but also their complete disintegration into colorful, weightless fibers, a sign of the complete and utter collapse of the physical universe as we know it.

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Al-Farash al-Mabthuth (The Scattered Moths)

Brief Biography / Background

The Scattered Moths is a powerful simile used to describe the state of humanity as they emerge from their graves on the Day of Judgment. Moths are known for their chaotic, aimless flight towards a source of light, lacking any sense of direction or purpose.

Role in the Surah

This simile serves as the graphic depiction of the state of mankind on the Day of the Striking Calamity. “It is the Day when people will be like moths, scattered.” (Al-Qari’ah, 101:4).

Personality & Attributes

The Scattered Moths are the archetype of the **resurrected masses in a state of chaotic and humbled confusion**. It is a symbol of their vast numbers, their helplessness, and their complete lack of any individual control. They are a swarm, moving about chaotically, utterly bewildered by the terror of the event.

Major Lessons & Morals

• The Qur’an uses powerful and vivid imagery from the natural world to make the realities of the Hereafter feel tangible and real.
• The Resurrection will be a moment of great chaos and confusion for humanity.
• This image should serve as a stark reminder of the Day when all of humanity, from the first to the last, will be brought forth from their graves in a state of awe and terror.

Supporting References

This simile is a masterclass in Qur’anic eloquence. In a few simple words, it paints a complete picture of the scene, conveying the vast numbers of people, their chaotic state of emergence, and their ultimate helplessness. It transforms an abstract theological concept into a vivid and unforgettable image.

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Al-Jibal (The Mountains)

Brief Biography / Background

Al-Jibal, the Mountains, are the ultimate symbols of weight, firmness, and stability in our world. They are the pegs that hold the earth firm and are a sign of permanence in the human experience.

Role in the Surah

The Mountains are mentioned as a key participant in the cosmic upheaval of the Day of Judgment. Their very nature will be undone. On that day, they will be transformed from the hardest and heaviest of all things into the lightest and most flimsy. “And the mountains will be like carded wool.” (Al-Qari’ah, 101:5).

Personality & Attributes

The Mountains on the Last Day are the archetype of **stability rendered weightless and transient**. They represent the principle that all the foundations of our physical world are temporary and will be effortlessly obliterated by the command of Allah. They are a symbol of the awesome and world-shattering power of the Final Day.

Major Lessons & Morals

• A believer must never be deceived by the apparent permanence of the physical world; it is all temporary and will be utterly transformed.
• If even the mighty mountains will be turned into flimsy wool, how much more insignificant are the worldly powers and structures that humans rely on?
• Contemplating the fate of the mountains should instill in the heart a profound sense of awe for the power of Allah and the reality of the Last Day.

Supporting References

The Surah’s description of the cosmic events is a powerful one. It first describes the state of humanity (scattered moths) and then the state of the mountains (carded wool). This shows that the entire order of creation, from the weakest of humans to the strongest of mountains, will be in a state of complete and utter transformation.

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Al-Qari’ah (The Striking Calamity)

Brief Biography / Background

Al-Qari’ah, The Striking Calamity, is one of the most powerful and evocative names for the Day of Judgment. The word comes from a root meaning to strike or to knock, conveying a sense of a sudden, terrifying, and heart-stopping event. It is the namesake of the Surah.

Role in the Surah

The Striking Calamity is the central theme of the Surah. The chapter opens with a powerful and repetitive declaration of its reality: “The Striking Calamity – What is the Striking Calamity? And what can make you know what is the Striking Calamity?” (Al-Qari’ah, 101:1-3).

Personality & Attributes

The Striking Calamity is the archetype of **the ultimate, terrifying, and heart-stopping event**. It is characterized by its awesome and unimaginable nature. The repeated questions are a rhetorical device designed to build a profound sense of awe and to emphasize that its true reality is beyond human comprehension.

Major Lessons & Morals

• A believer must have absolute and unwavering certainty in the reality of the Day of Judgment.
• The Qur’an’s description of this Day is designed to shake the human soul from its heedlessness and to impress upon it the sheer magnitude and seriousness of the event it is heading towards.
• The entire purpose of life is to prepare for this “Striking Calamity,” to ensure that one will be among the successful on that Day.

Supporting References

The Surah’s opening is a masterclass in rhetoric. The repetition and the questioning (“What is the Striking Calamity?”) are designed to create a profound sense of awe and to shake the listener out of their complacency. It establishes from the very first verses that the subject of this Surah is the most serious and terrifying of all future events.

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Allah (The One God)

Brief Biography / Background

Allah is the proper name for the One, True God, the sole Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all existence. In Surah Al-Qari’ah, He is the ultimate, unseen authority who will bring about the Day of Judgment and will preside over the final, just reckoning.

Role in the Surah

Allah is the ultimate actor behind all the events in the Surah. He is the one who will bring about “The Striking Calamity.” He is the one who will transform the people into scattered moths and the mountains into carded wool. He is the ultimate Judge who will weigh the deeds of mankind on His perfect scales, determining their final and eternal destiny.

Personality & Attributes

This Surah magnificently illustrates Allah’s attributes:

• Al-Qadir (The All-Powerful): He has the power to bring about the end of the cosmos and to resurrect all of humanity.
• Al-Hakam al-‘Adl (The Just Judge): His judgment is perfect and is based on the precise weight of a person’s deeds.
• Al-Muntaqim (The Avenger): His punishment for those whose scales are light is a blazing fire.
• Al-Karim (The Most Generous): His reward for those whose scales are heavy is a pleasing and contented life.

Major Lessons & Morals

• A believer must have a profound sense of awe for the power and the perfect justice of Allah.
• The entire universe is under His absolute command and will be transformed at His will.
• The ultimate purpose of life is to prepare for the Day when we will stand before Him for the final, just reckoning.

Supporting References

The Surah’s power lies in its concise and direct attribution of all events to the divine will. The entire chapter is a description of the final act of the King, the ultimate sorting of His subjects based on the clear and simple criterion of the weight of their deeds. It is a powerful and unforgettable lesson in divine sovereignty.

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An-Nas (The People)

Brief Biography / Background

An-Nas, The People, is the general term for all of humanity. In this Surah, it refers to the entirety of the human race as they emerge from their graves and face the terror of the Day of Judgment.

Role in the Surah

Their role is to be the subject of a powerful simile that describes their state of helplessness and confusion on the Last Day. “It is the Day when people will be like moths, scattered.” (Al-Qari’ah, 101:4).

Personality & Attributes

The People on the Last Day are the archetype of the **resurrected masses in a state of chaotic and humbled confusion**. They are like “farash al-mabthuth” (scattered moths), a symbol of their vast numbers, their lack of any direction, and their utter bewilderment in the face of the cosmic upheaval. They are no longer in control, but are a chaotic swarm awaiting their final sorting.

Major Lessons & Morals

• The Resurrection will be a moment of great chaos and humility for humanity.
• This image should serve as a stark reminder of the Day when all of humanity, from the first to the last, will be brought forth from their graves in a state of awe and terror.
• A believer should strive to be among those who are granted security on that Day, not among the confused and scattered masses.

Supporting References

The Surah uses two powerful similes to describe the state of creation on that Day. The people will be like scattered moths (a symbol of weak, chaotic life). The mountains will be like carded wool (a symbol of strong, stable matter rendered weightless). Together, they paint a complete picture of a universe, both living and inanimate, that has been completely undone.

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Hawiyah (The Abyss)

Brief Biography / Background

Hawiyah is one of the specific and terrifying names of the Hellfire. The word comes from a root meaning to fall from a great height, and it connotes a deep, bottomless pit or abyss. It is the personification of a mother “embracing” her child in a terrible and final way.

Role in the Surah

The Abyss is the specific destination for the one whose scales of deeds are light. The Surah poses a rhetorical question to describe their fate: “But as for he whose scales are light, his mother will be an abyss.” (Al-Qari’ah, 101:8-9).

Personality & Attributes

The Abyss is the archetype of **a punishing and inescapable home**. The metaphor of it being one’s “umm” (mother) is one of the most powerful and terrifying in the entire Qur’an. A mother is the ultimate source of comfort, refuge, and gentle embrace. To have the Abyss as one’s “mother” is a horrifying inversion of this reality. It means that one’s final and eternal home, the place that will embrace them, is this bottomless pit of fire.

Major Lessons & Morals

• The punishments of the Hereafter are a perfect and terrible inversion of the blessings of this world.
• A believer should be profoundly moved by this terrifying image and should strive with all their might to avoid the deeds that lead to such a destination.
• The descriptions of Hell in the Qur’an are a mercy, a powerful warning designed to save people from this terrible fate.

Supporting References

The Surah then asks, “And what can make you know what that is? It is a fiercely burning fire.” This final clarification removes all ambiguity. The “mother” that awaits the one with light scales is not a place of comfort, but is a “narun hamiyah” – a fire of the most intense and scorching heat. It is a powerful and unforgettable conclusion to the warning.

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The One whose Scales are Heavy

Brief Biography / Background

This is the archetype of the successful believer on the Day of Judgment. Their success is determined by the “weight” of their deeds. The *Mawazin* (scales) are the divine instrument of perfect justice, and having one’s scales be “heavy” (*thaqulat*) is the ultimate sign of a life well-lived in the service of Allah.

Role in the Surah

This character is the first of the two great human archetypes whose fate is described after the cosmic upheaval. They are the ultimate victor. “Then as for he whose scales are heavy, he will be in a pleased life.” (Al-Qari’ah, 101:6-7).

Personality & Attributes

This archetype is characterized by **righteousness, sincerity, and ultimate success**. Their “heavy scales” are a direct result of a life filled with sincere faith and abundant good deeds. They are the ones who passed the test of the worldly life and are now receiving their magnificent reward.

Major Lessons & Morals

• A believer’s primary goal in life should be to make their “scales of deeds” heavy.
• Every good deed, no matter how small, adds weight to one’s scales.
• The ultimate reward for a life of righteous deeds is not just salvation, but a state of being in a “‘ishatin radiyah” – a life that is pleasing and with which one is perfectly pleased.

Supporting References

Tafsir literature explains that the deeds that weigh most heavily on the scales are the declaration of Tawhid (“La ilaha illallah”) and good character. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ emphasized the importance of deeds that are “light on the tongue but heavy on the scale,” such as the glorification of Allah. This verse provides the ultimate motivation for a believer to fill their life with these weighty actions.

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The One whose Scales are Light

Brief Biography / Background

This is the archetype of the failed disbeliever on the Day of Judgment. Their failure is determined by the “weight” of their deeds. Having one’s scales of good deeds be “light” (*khaffat*) is the ultimate sign of a wasted life and a terrible final end.

Role in the Surah

This character is the second of the two great human archetypes whose fate is described. They are the ultimate loser. “But as for he whose scales are light, his mother will be an abyss.” (Al-Qari’ah, 101:8-9).

Personality & Attributes

This archetype is characterized by **heedlessness, sinfulness, and ultimate failure**. Their “light scales” are a direct result of a life that was either empty of good deeds or was filled with the heavy burden of disbelief and sin, which nullified any good they may have done. They are the ones who failed the test of life and are now facing their terrifying destination.

Major Lessons & Morals

• A believer must be constantly vigilant to ensure that their scales are not light on the Day of Judgment.
• The path to having light scales is a path of neglecting one’s duties to God and living a life of heedlessness.
• The metaphor of the “Abyss” being one’s “mother” is a terrifying warning of the eternal and inescapable nature of their punishment.

Supporting References

The Surah presents a very clear, simple, and binary outcome. There is no middle ground. Either one’s scales are heavy, leading to a pleased life, or one’s scales are light, leading to the Abyss. The entire purpose of the Qur’anic guidance is to teach the human being how to ensure they are in the first category and not the second.

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The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)

Brief Biography / Background

While not mentioned by name, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is the one to whom this Surah was revealed. He is the messenger who is delivering this powerful and concise warning about the Day of Judgment.

Role in the Surah

His role is that of the bearer of the message. The entire Surah is a divine tool for his mission, providing him with a powerful and concise sermon on the certainty of the Hereafter. He is the one who must convey the warning of the “Striking Calamity” and the reality of the final, just reckoning.

Personality & Attributes

As the addressee of the Surah, the Prophet ﷺ is the archetype of the **patient warner and the faithful guide**. He is the one who must convey these profound and often terrifying realities to a heedless people. The Surah equips him with a divine argument that is both awe-inspiring and perfectly clear.

Major Lessons & Morals

• The message of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the absolute and unalterable truth from Allah.
• A believer must have complete confidence in the revelation he brought.
• The Qur’an’s primary function is to serve as a reminder and a warning for humanity to prepare for the Last Day.

Supporting References

The Surah’s structure is a perfect sermon. It starts with a startling question to grab the attention, describes the event with powerful imagery, and then provides the clear and simple moral of the story: the final outcome is based on the weight of one’s deeds. This is the core of the prophetic message, delivered in one of the most powerful and concise chapters of the Qur’an.