يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّآ أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى ٱلنَّاسَ سُكَـٰرَىٰ وَمَا هُم بِسُكَـٰرَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنَّ عَذَابَ ٱللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ 2
Translations
On the Day you see it every nursing mother will be distracted from that [child] she was nursing, and every pregnant woman will abort her pregnancy, and you will see the people [appearing] intoxicated while they are not intoxicated; but the punishment of Allāh is severe.
Transliteration
Yawma tarawnahā tathalu kullu murḍi'atin 'ammā arḍa'at wa taḍa'u kullu dhāt ḥamlin ḥamlahā wa tarā al-nāsa sukarā wa mā hum bi-sukarā wa lākinna 'adhāba Allāhi shadīd
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the terrifying scene on the Day of Judgment when people witness the Hour approaching. The shock and fear will be so overwhelming that nursing mothers will forget their infants and pregnant women will miscarry in terror. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that humans will appear intoxicated from the severity of Allah's punishment and the overwhelming nature of that day, though they are not actually intoxicated—this comparison illustrates their complete loss of mental composure due to Allah's intense punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Hajj, revealed in Medina during the period of Islamic consolidation. It appears in the section describing the horrors of the Day of Judgment and serves as a warning to believers about the certainty of the Hereafter. The context emphasizes the gravity of that day as motivation for righteous conduct in this life.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest fear on the Day of Judgment will be when Allah will call out, 'O Muhammad!' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, the Prophet described the Day of Judgment as a day 'when a child's hair will turn grey from fear' (Ahmad), reflecting similar themes of overwhelming terror.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that the Day of Judgment is absolutely real and will be a day of unprecedented terror, serving as motivation to live righteously and prepare for the Afterlife. The vivid imagery emphasizes that no worldly concern will matter on that day, encouraging us to prioritize our spiritual development and obedience to Allah over temporal distractions.