Fate of Deniers of God and Day of Judgment as Described in Surah Al-Ahqaf
Al-Ahqaf is the name of the 46th chapter of the Quran. It is a Makki Surah that has 35 verses and is in the 26th Juz. It is the 66th Surah revealed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
The name of this chapter comes from the word Ahqaf in verse 21, which features the story of the people of A’ad and Prophet Hud (AS). Prophet Hud (AS) warned the people of A’ad about God’s punishment but they refused to listen. Ahqaf means a sandy land and the place where the people of A’ad lived was sandy. The word Ahqaf has only been mentioned in the Quran once.
Surah Al-Ahqaf is about the Day of Judgment and the status of the believers and disbelievers on that day. It says the world has not been created in vain. It underlines that God is capable of bringing the dead back to life. It also stressed the need to treat one’s parents well.
According to some Hadiths, verse 15 of this Surah is about Imam Hussein (AS).
It has been said that anyone who reads Surah Al-Ahqaf every night or every Thursday night, God will remove fear from his heart in this world and the next.
The purpose of this Surah is warning the disbelievers who reject the invitation to faith in God, His messenger and the Resurrection Day. It warns of a severe punishment for deniers. The Surah begins with proving the Day of Judgment and reiterates this concept in the following verses.
In this Surah, the oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) have been emphasized. There is also a reference to what happened to the people of A’ad and villages near Mecca, warning disbelievers not to repeat their mistake.
The Surah also says some jins came to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and accepted Islam after hearing some verses from the Quran.
At the time of the revelation of this Surah, the disbelievers in Mecca considered themselves to be at the height of power and imagined they would not need to accept the Holy prophet’s (PBUH) invitation. That is why they promoted idolatry and deviated people and kept mocking and denying the truthfulness of Islam and the Quran.
Surah Al-Ahqaf was revealed to warn the disbelievers of the Quraysh Tribe in Mecca and remind of what awaits them in this world and the hereafter if they continue their denials and follow the path of falsehood.
