Surah Al-Waqiah: Meaning, Summary and Virtues (Is the Poverty Hadith Authentic?)

Surah Al-Waqiah is the surah many Muslims read every night, often after Maghrib or Isha, hoping it will protect them from poverty. Its real subject is the Day of Judgement, and the three kinds of people everyone will be sorted into.

This article goes through what the surah says, section by section, with its key verses in Arabic and English, and then looks honestly at the hadith about reading it for provision.

About the surah

Al-Waqiah is the 56th surah of the Quran, with 96 verses, in the 27th juz, straight after Surah Ar-Rahman. It is Meccan. Its name, al-Wāqiʿah, means "the Occurrence" or "the Inevitable Event", one of the Quran's names for the Day of Resurrection: the event that will certainly happen. You will also see it spelled Waqia, Waqiya or Vakia.

It was one of the surahs that weighed on the Prophet ﷺ. Abu Bakr said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, you have gone grey!" He replied: "Hud, al-Waqiʿah, al-Mursalat, ʿAmma yatasāʾalūn and Idhash-shamsu kuwwirat have made me grey" (Jami' al-Tirmidhi 3297, graded sahih by al-Albani).

You can read and listen to the whole of Surah Al-Waqiah with its translation and transliteration, or read it with the Urdu translation.

Verses 1-12: When the Event happens

إِذَا وَقَعَتِ ٱلۡوَاقِعَةُ لَيۡسَ لِوَقۡعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ خَافِضَةٞ رَّافِعَةٌ

When the Occurrence occurs, there is, at its occurrence, no denial. It will bring down [some] and raise up [others]. (56:1-3)

When it comes, no one will deny it any more. Khāfiḍatun rāfiʿah: it will lower some people and raise others. Many who were important in this world will be brought low, and many who were ignored will be raised. The earth will be shaken and the mountains crumbled into scattered dust (verses 4-6).

And people will become three groups:

وَكُنتُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا ثَلَٰثَةٗ فَأَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ مَآ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ وَأَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ مَآ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ وَٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ

And you become [of] three kinds: then the companions of the right - what are the companions of the right? And the companions of the left - what are companions of the left? And the forerunners, the forerunners - those are the ones brought near [to Allāh]. (56:7-11)

The companions of the right receive their record in their right hand: the people of Paradise. The companions of the left receive it in their left: the people of the Fire. And above both are the forerunners, as-sābiqūn: those who raced ahead in faith and good deeds in this life, and so are ahead in the next. The verse repeats the word, "the forerunners, the forerunners", as if to say: and what forerunners they are.

Verses 13-26: The forerunners

They are "a [large] company of the former peoples and a few of the later peoples" (verses 13-14). They recline on woven thrones facing each other, served by immortal youths with cups from a flowing spring that causes no headache and no intoxication, with any fruit they choose and the meat of birds they desire (verses 15-21).

جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغۡوٗا وَلَا تَأۡثِيمًا إِلَّا قِيلٗا سَلَٰمٗا سَلَٰمٗا

As reward for what they used to do. They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin - Only a saying [of] peace, peace. (56:24-26)

The best part of the description is the conversation: no idle talk and no sin, only salāman salāmā, "peace, peace".

Verses 27-40: The companions of the right

They are among lote trees with their thorns removed, trees layered with fruit, extended shade, flowing water and fruit that is never out of season or forbidden (verses 28-33).

About that shade, the Prophet ﷺ said: "In Paradise there is a tree in whose shade a rider could travel for a hundred years without crossing it. Recite if you wish: And shade extended" (Sahih al-Bukhari 4881).

This group, unlike the forerunners, is "a company of the former peoples and a company of the later peoples" (verses 39-40): many from every generation, ours included.

Verses 41-56: The companions of the left

They are in scorching wind and scalding water, under "a shade of black smoke", neither cool nor kind (verses 42-44). The surah says why:

إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَبۡلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُتۡرَفِينَ وَكَانُواْ يُصِرُّونَ عَلَى ٱلۡحِنثِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ وَكَانُواْ يَقُولُونَ أَئِذَا مِتۡنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابٗا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبۡعُوثُونَ

Indeed they were, before that, indulging in affluence, and they used to persist in the great violation, and they used to say, "When we die and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected?" (56:45-47)

Luxury that made them careless, persisting in the great sin of associating partners with Allah, and denying the resurrection. Their food will be from the tree of zaqqūm, and they will drink like thirsty camels (verses 52-55). "That is their accommodation on the Day of Recompense" (verse 56).

Verses 57-74: Seed, water and fire

Then the surah answers the doubt "Are we to be resurrected?" with four questions about things everyone handles every day:

• Life. "Have you seen that which you emit? Is it you who creates it, or are We the Creator?" (verses 58-59)
• Crops. "And have you seen that [seed] which you sow? Is it you who makes it grow, or are We the grower?" (verses 63-64) He could turn it into debris, and you would be left lamenting your loss.
• Water. "And have you seen the water that you drink? Is it you who brought it down from the clouds, or is it We who bring it down?" (verses 68-69) He could make it bitter, "so why are you not grateful?"
• Fire. "And have you seen the fire that you ignite? Is it you who produced its tree, or are We the producer?" (verses 71-72)

We plant, but we don't make the seed sprout. We drink, but we didn't make the rain. The One who does all that, and who created us the first time, can create us again (verses 60-62). The section ends with a command:

فَسَبِّحۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ

So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great. (56:74)

This is the subḥāna rabbiyal-ʿaẓīm we say in rukuʿ. A report in Abu Dawud says that when this verse was revealed the Prophet ﷺ said, "Put it in your bowing" (Sunan Abi Dawud 869). Its chain is debated (al-Albani graded it weak), but saying subḥāna rabbiyal-ʿaẓīm in rukuʿ is established practice.

Verses 75-87: The oath by the stars

۞ فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِمَوَٰقِعِ ٱلنُّجُومِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَقَسَمٞ لَّوۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ إِنَّهُۥ لَقُرۡءَانٞ كَرِيمٞ فِي كِتَٰبٖ مَّكۡنُونٖ لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلۡمُطَهَّرُونَ تَنزِيلٞ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Then I swear by the setting of the stars, and indeed, it is an oath - if you could know - [most] great. Indeed, it is a noble Qur’ān. In a Register well-protected; none touch it except the purified [i.e., the angels]. [It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. (56:75-80)

Allah swears by mawāqiʿ an-nujūm, the places where the stars set, and says it is a mighty oath, if you only knew. The point sworn to: this is a noble Quran, kept in a protected Book, touched only by the purified.

Most commentators say "the purified" here are the angels, who handle the protected Book in the heavens. Many scholars also take from it, together with the letter the Prophet ﷺ sent to ʿAmr ibn Hazm ("None should touch the Quran except one who is pure", in Malik's Muwatta), that a Muslim should be in wudu to touch the mushaf. For how wudu is done, see the wudu guide.

Then verse 82: "And make [the thanks for] your provision that you deny [the Provider]?" Ibn ʿAbbas said these verses were revealed when it rained and some people said, "It rained because of such-and-such star" (Sahih Muslim 73). The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah says: "Whoever says, We were given rain by the grace and mercy of Allah, believes in Me. Whoever says, by such-and-such star, disbelieves in Me" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1038).

The surah then brings the reader to the bedside of a dying person:

فَلَوۡلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلۡحُلۡقُومَ وَأَنتُمۡ حِينَئِذٖ تَنظُرُونَ وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُبۡصِرُونَ فَلَوۡلَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ غَيۡرَ مَدِينِينَ تَرۡجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ

Then why, when it [i.e., the soul at death] reaches the throat and you are at that time looking on, and We [i.e., Our angels] are nearer to him than you, but you do not see, then why do you not, if you are not to be recompensed, bring it back, if you should be truthful? (56:83-87)

Family stand around helplessly. If no one is going to be held to account, the surah asks, then bring the soul back. No one can.

Verses 88-96: Where the soul goes

The surah ends where it began, with the three groups, now at the moment of death:

• If they were of those brought near: "Then [for him is] rest and bounty and a garden of pleasure" (verse 89), rawḥun wa rayḥān.
• If they were of the companions of the right: "Peace for you" from the companions of the right (verses 90-91).
• If they were of the deniers: scalding water and burning in Hellfire (verses 92-94).

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ ٱلۡيَقِينِ فَسَبِّحۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ

Indeed, this is the true certainty, so exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great. (56:95-96)

Does Surah Al-Waqiah protect from poverty?

The hadith people quote is from Ibn Masʿud: "Whoever recites Surah al-Waqiʿah every night will never be struck by poverty." It is recorded by al-Bayhaqi in Shuʿab al-Iman and by Ibn al-Sunni and others. Its chain is weak: scholars including Imam Ahmad, Abu Hatim, al-Daraqutni and later al-Albani criticised it. There is also a report that Ibn Masʿud, on his deathbed, told his daughters to read it every night for this reason; it comes through the same weak chain.

So the promise of being protected from poverty can't be attributed to the Prophet ﷺ with confidence. What is certain:

• Every letter of the Quran you recite carries reward (Jami' al-Tirmidhi 2910).
• Al-Waqiah itself is about provision: who makes the seed grow, who sends the rain, and the warning against crediting provision to anything but Allah.
• A person who reads it every night and reflects is reminded daily that provision is from Allah, and that the real wealth is being among the forerunners.

Reading it every night is a good habit. Just know which part is the Quran's promise, and which part is a weak report.

Living by Surah Al-Waqiah

• Race ahead. The highest rank goes to the sābiqūn, those who hurried to good. Don't leave good deeds for later.
• Don't let comfort make you careless. The people of the left were "indulging in affluence" before they denied.
• Thank the One who sends the rain. Say muṭirnā bi-faḍlillāhi wa raḥmatih ("we were given rain by Allah's grace and mercy") when it rains.
• Look at your seed, water and fire. Each one is a sign of Who provides.
• Respect the mushaf. Touch it in a state of purity.
• Prepare for the moment at the throat. It comes to everyone, and the surah tells you what follows it.

Open Surah Al-Waqiah to read and listen to all 96 verses with translation and transliteration.