SURAH 99 AL-ZALZALAH (THE EARTHQUAKE)

THE HOUR OF UNIVERSAL RESURRECTION will be preceded by an enormous earthquake that will shake the whole of the planet.  Earthquakes manifest themselves in many different ways, and with widely varying degrees of magnitude; some may last a few seconds, others a few minutes, but their effect is often devastating and always frightening.

The effect is even more calamitous if an earthquake is accompanied by explosions and volcanic eruptions, which appears to be the scene described in the surah, thus:  "When the earth is rocked by a mighty earthquake and throws up her burdens, and man wonders what has happened to her.... " (1-3).

An endless series of questions will be asked then in an endeavour to grasp what is going on and what the end will be, and so:  "On that Day the earth shall reveal all her history, as your Lord would have instructed her" (4-5).

Human beings will, as a result on that tumultuous event, come to appreciate the significance of that momentous Day and reaslise that the moment of truth and accountability has arrived.  "On that Day, people will be dispatched in various directions to be shown the fruits of their labour"  (6).

Accountability, on that Day, shall be meticulous and to the very last atom, and people will wish that their evil deeds had never existed.  This is borne out elsewhere in the Qur'an, where we read:

 The surah ends with a most profound and succinct statement "Whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil shall see it" (7-8).

When asked one day about the rate of zakah that should be paid out for donkeys, the Prophet is reported to have made reference to verse 7 of this surah, as the most comprehensive and concise reply.  

TRAGEDI AKHIRAT

"Apabila bumi digoncangkan dengan goncangan (yang dashyat).  Dan bumi telah mengeluarkan beban-beban (yang dikandung) nya.  Dan manusia bertanya:  "Mengapa bumi (menjadi begini)?"  Pada hari itu bumi menceritakan beritanya.  Kerana sesungguhnya Tuhanmu telah memerintahkan (yang sedemikian itu) kepadanya.  Pada hari itu manusia keluar dari kuburnya dalam, keadaan bermacam-macam supaya diperlihatkan kepada mereka (balasan) pekerjaan mereka."  Barangsiapa yang mengerjakan kebaikan seberat zarah pun, pasti dia akan melihat (balasan) nya.  Dan barang siapa yang mengerjakan kejahatan sebesar zarah pun, pasti dia akan melihat (balasan) nya pula.

Surah al-Zalzalah ayat 1-8

Gambaran tragedi kiamat telah diungkapkan dengan terperinci dalam al-Quran, sehingga manusia dapat berimaginasi tentang kedahsyatan peristiwa kiamat nanti.  Peristiwa ini dirincikan dalam surah tersebut sehingga menggetarkan hati insan-insan yang mampu memahami isi kandungan al-Quran dengan baik.  Tidak hairanlah jika hadis yang diriwayatkan oleh Imam at-Tarmizi, Rasulullah SAW menyebutkan bahawa surah al-Zalzalah setara dengan separuh daripada al-Quran. 

Ayat terakhir daripada surah ini agak luar biasa pengertiannya.  Menurut sebuah hadis yang diriwayatkan oleh Anas bin Malik ra.  Nabi Muhammad SAW menyebutkan bahawa ayat ini, "Suatu lafaz tapi menyeluruh."  Abdullah bin Mas'ud ra. menyebutkan, "Ayat tersebut merupakan ayat al-Quran yang luar biasa dan tegas maknanya."

Diciptakan manusia sebagai kalifah yang memimpin diri, keluarga, masyarakat dan daulah.  Sudah pasti dalam melaksanakan tugas memimpin itu pelbagai perkara akan dilakukan manusia.  Peringatan dan amaran daripada Allah SWT bahawa setiap amal dan perbuatan  walau sekecil zarah akan dibalas buruk baiknya . Manusia wajar berhati-hati dan teliti mengisi masa, membelanjakan harta, melakuan kebajikan dan memegang amanah.  Setiap sisi akan ditanya sehingga jawapan yang memuaskan diterima oleh yang Maha Adil lagi Bijaksana.  Seandainya seluruh hidup bergelumang dengan politik wang, kronisme, nepotisme, salah guna kuasa, pecah amanah dan seribu satu jenayah alaf ini, bayangkanlah zarah-zarah kecil tadi akan membengkak menjadi bongkah besar yang mengheret kita ke lembah neraka jahannam.  Na'uzubillah.

SURAH 12 YUSUF (JOSEPH)

IT IS POSSIBLE that, from a very early age, young Joseph felt that he had a special position in God's estimation.  He had clearly shown certain qualities of leadership. For, although he was the youngest of his brothers, his personality had stood out amongst them and he won their father's love more than any of them had done.   Jacob (Ya'qub) Joseph's father, inherited religious leadership from his own  father, Isaac( Ishaq), who had inherited it from his father, Abraham (Ibrahim).  Would it be unreasonable to deduce that Joseph would expect to inherit that legacy from his father, Jacob?

Joseph related to his father a dream he had, saying:  "'Father,(in a  dream) I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them all prostrate themselves before me ...'" (4).  Jacob understood the meaning of that dream and was filled with apprehension over his young son's future:  he feared his brothers' jealously, and so said to him:

"My son, do not relate your dream to your brothers, lest they plot to harm you; for, Satan is man's sworn enemy.  Thus your Lord has chosen you and will teach you the interpretation of dreams, and He will bestow the full measure of His favour upon you and upon the house of Jacob...." (5-6) 

Jealousy drove Joseph's brothers to collude to take him out to the fields one day with the intention of harming him or somehow, intentionally losing him so that his father would never see him again.

They put their plan into action and Joseph found himself at the bottom of a dark pit in the middle of a wilderness.  The young Joseph remained calm and confident that he would be saved and would one day face his brothers and make them ashamed of what they  had done to him.

A few decades were to pass before Joseph's dream would come true.  They were not to know it, but his brothers were to go and beg him for food, after he had become an important official in the government of Egypt.

God's infinite wisdom had seen to it that Joseph's ordeal at the bottom of that dark and desolate pit would become the first step on the road to power and glory.  When his brothers arrived home after leaving him for dead in the pit, they said to their father:

'We went off racing with one another, and left Joseph behind to look after our things, but the wolf came and attacked him. We know  you will not believe us, though we do speak the truth.'  (17)

Their father's reply was:  '"No. Your hearts have tempted you to do something evil to Joseph.  Sweet patience! God alone can help me bear what you are telling me"' (18).  It was, indeed, sweet patience which eventually paid off for Joseph and his father.

Joseph's model for diligence and devotion in the service of God and His message, no matter how great the obstacles might be, is an honorable and commendable one.  The surah tells us that his prophethood began as soon as he had come of age. "And when he reached maturity We bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge.  Thus do We reward the righteous"  (22).

However ironic it may seem, despite his noble lineage, Joseph was sold into slavery by people whose main concern was the price they would get for him, and "the Egyptian who bought him said to his wife, "Be kind to him.  He may prove useful to us, or we may adopt him as our son" (21).  Thus a prophet's son found himself serving in a king's household, where he was to face another type of temptation.  Even at that ripe young age, Joseph was very conscious of God and well-known for his piety.  God says in the surah:  "Thus We established Joseph in the land, and taught him to interpret dreams.  God has power over all things, though most people may not realise it" (21).

Faith triumphed over temptation, and Joseph's integrity and chastity were preserved intact.  As Joseph turned  away, making his way towards the door, the Egyptian chief's wife ran after him, grabbing his shirt and tearing it as he dashed way from her towards the door.  The drama reached a fever pitch when the husband appeared on the scene and the wife, spurned and driven by rage and guilt,  immediately retorted  by accusing Joseph of attacking her, demanding that he should be punished.  She said: "' A man who wished to violate your wife should be imprisoned or severely punished''' (25).  Convinced of his own innocence, Joseph said without hesitation: "'It is she who attempted to seduce me''' (26).  Simple logic and common sense pointed to the fact that since his shirt was torn from the back, Joseph must have been innocent.

The Egyptian chief's wife persisted in protesting her innocence, but as the rumours spread outside her household she could no longer hide her infatuation with Joseph while at the same time seeking justification for her behaviour.

He was rescued from his lady's scheming and, notwithstanding his honesty and trustworthiness, was put in prison.  "Yes, for all the evidence they had seen, they decided to jail him for a while" (35).

In this surah, we are told of three different dreams.  The first was when Joseph himself saw a vision of the sun, the moon and eleven stars prostrating themselves before him.  The second occasion was during his imprisonment.  The third one was the Egyptian king's dream.

Joseph was offered an important public position in the Pharaoh's government, and chose to take charge of its treasury affairs.

Joseph said, "Give me charge of the treasures of the realm;  I am trustworthy and competent."  Thus did We establish Joseph in the land (of Egypt), with full authority to do as he pleased.  We bestow Our mercy on whom We will, and never deny the righteous their reward (55-56).