101:1. The Catastrophe!

101:2. What is the Catastrophe?

101:3. How could you know what the Catastrophe is?

101:4. [It will occur] on the day when people will be like scattered moths

101:5. and the mountains will be like tufts of dyed wool.

101:6. Then as for him whose good deeds weigh heavily in the balance,

101:7. he will have a well-pleasing life.

101:8. And as for him whose good deeds weigh lightly in the balance.

101:9. his abode will be the abyss.

101:10. And how could you know what it is?

101:11. It is a fire, blazing hot.

﴾The Catastrophe﴿ - al-Qari ah - is one of the names of the Day of Resurrection. It is so called because it will disturb (taqra') and distress people with its horrors.

Hence Allah highlights how significant it is and emphasises its importance by saying:

﴾The Catastrophe! What is the Catastrophe? How could you know what the Catastrophe is? [It will occur] on the day when people﴿, because of the intensity of its hardship and horror ﴾will be like scattered moths﴿ that is, it will be as if they are moving in waves like locusts. Moths are creatures that move about at night, moving together in waves, not knowing where they are going, but if a fire is lit they rush towards it, because of their lack of understanding. This is the condition of humans, who are possessed of reason.

As for the strong and solid mountains, they ﴾will be like tufts of dyed wool﴿ that is, they will be like tufts of wool that are flimsy and blow away with the slightest puff of wind.

Then after that, they will become scattered dust; they will disappear and nothing visible will be left of them. At that point the balance will be set up and the people will be divided into two groups, the blessed and the doomed.

﴾Then as for him whose good deeds weigh heavily in the balance﴿ that is, his good deeds outweigh his bad deeds ﴾he will have a well-pleasing life﴿ in the gardens of bliss.

﴾And as for him whose good deeds weigh lightly in the balance﴿ because he does not have good deeds to outweigh his bad deeds, ﴾his abode will be the abyss﴿ that is, his abode and dwelling place will be hell, one of the names of which is the abyss.f﴾And how could you know what it is?)J This serves to emphasise the seriousness of the matter. Then Allah explains it by saying that it is fire, blazing hot﴿ that is, it is intensely hot, for its heat is seventy times hotter than the fire of this world. We seek refuge with Allah from it.

This is the end of the commentary on Soorat al-Qari‘ah.

All praise and thanks are for Allah, and may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his family, and his Companions abundantly until the Day of Judgement.