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Surah 22 · Madinah · 78 āyāt
Phase 05 · Hijrah and the building of Madinah(1–5 AH) — view in timelineAl-ḤajjThe Pilgrimage
الحج
A surah that opens with the terror of the Hour's earthquake and closes with the call to strive for Allah as Ibrāhīm's religion, Al-Ḥajj carries the first Qurʾānic permission granted to the believers to fight after years of enforced patience under persecution. Between these poles it lays out the rites of pilgrimage traced back to Ibrāhīm's own call to mankind, and insists that what reaches Allah from sacrifice is piety, not meat or blood.
Why it was revealed
After thirteen years of Makkan persecution in which believers were commanded only to withhold their hands, the Hijrah brought a community with territory and the capacity to defend itself. Āyah 39 marks the turning point in revelation: permission to fight is given explicitly because the believers had been wronged and driven from their homes for saying 'our Lord is Allah'.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 22:39; Ibn Kathīr on 22:1–2; Ibn Kathīr on 22:26–27; Ibn Kathīr on 22:39; Ibn Kathīr on 22:39–40
Ibn ʿAbbās said this was the first āyah revealed concerning fighting after the Hijrah, and commentators note that until then the Prophet ﷺ had been ordered only to forgive and be patient with the harm of Quraysh.
Cited toAl-Ṭabarī on 22:39; Ibn Kathīr on 22:39
In the Prophet's ﷺ life
Years of commanded patience in Makkah
Believers were repeatedly harmed, boycotted and driven out, while revelation instructed patience and forgiveness rather than retaliation.
Recalled in āyah 40
ٱلَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِم بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّآ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَٰمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَٰتٌ وَمَسَـٰجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُۥٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ
[They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allāh." And were it not that Allāh checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allāh is much mentioned [i.e., praised]. And Allāh will surely support those who support Him [i.e., His cause]. Indeed, Allāh is Powerful and Exalted in Might.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 22:39–40
- Madd — 2 vowels
- Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
- Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
- Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
- Ghunnah — 2 vowels
- Qalqalah
- Ikhfāʾ
- Ikhfāʾ shafawī
- Idghām shafawī
- Idghām with ghunnah
- Idghām without ghunnah
- Idghām mutajānisayn
- Idghām mutaqāribayn
- Iqlāb
- Hamzat al-waṣl
- Lām shamsiyyah
- Silent letter
Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).
The earthquake of the Hour
The surah opens without preamble: fear your Lord, for the convulsion of the Hour is a terrible thing. On that day every nursing mother is distracted from her infant, every pregnant woman miscarries, and people appear drunk though they are not — because Allah's punishment is severe.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 22:2; Ibn Kathīr on 22:1–2
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ ٱلسَّاعَةِ شَىْءٌ عَظِيمٌ
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O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing.
يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّآ أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى ٱلنَّاسَ سُكَـٰرَىٰ وَمَا هُم بِسُكَـٰرَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنَّ عَذَابَ ٱللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ
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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.
From the tafsīr
The scene is described with images that overturn the strongest natural bonds — a mother's attachment to her nursing child — to convey a terror beyond ordinary human experience.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 22:1–2
'You will see the people intoxicated while they are not intoxicated' shows the disturbance is from sheer terror, not from any substance, distinguishing this from any worldly calamity.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 22:2
Key takeaways
- The Hour's terror is described through the reversal of the strongest human instincts.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 22:2; Ibn Kathīr on 22:1–2
- Fear of Allah (taqwā) is the first command of the surah, preceding every ruling that follows.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 22:2; Ibn Kathīr on 22:1–2
- Apparent composure in this life gives no guarantee against the disorientation of that Day.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 22:2; Ibn Kathīr on 22:1–2
Reflect
What would genuinely change in your day if you held this scene in mind for five minutes each morning?
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Question 1 of 2
What image does 22:2 use to convey the terror of the Hour?
Question 2 of 2
Why does 22:2 say people appear intoxicated though they are not?
The first permission to fight
After years in which believers were commanded only to endure harm, permission to fight is granted explicitly because they were wronged — evicted from their homes for no reason but saying 'our Lord is Allah.' The surah adds a universal principle: were it not that Allah checks some people by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques where His name is remembered would all have been destroyed.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 22:39; Ibn Kathīr on 22:40
أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا۟ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ
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Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allāh is competent to give them victory.
ٱلَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِم بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّآ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَٰمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَٰتٌ وَمَسَـٰجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُۥٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ
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[They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allāh." And were it not that Allāh checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allāh is much mentioned [i.e., praised]. And Allāh will surely support those who support Him [i.e., His cause]. Indeed, Allāh is Powerful and Exalted in Might.
From the tafsīr
This is recorded as the first revealed āyah permitting armed struggle, marking the shift from the Makkan command of patience to a Madinan community capable of self-defence.
Cited toAl-Ṭabarī on 22:39
The mention of monasteries, churches and synagogues alongside mosques shows the stated purpose of defensive struggle includes preserving all places where Allah is remembered, not merely Muslim interests narrowly.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 22:40
Key takeaways
- Permission to fight in Islam is grounded in having been wronged, not in initiating aggression.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 22:39; Ibn Kathīr on 22:40
- The stated purpose of defence extends to protecting places of worship generally, a point classical exegetes highlight.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 22:39; Ibn Kathīr on 22:40
- Allah's support is promised to those who support His cause, but victory is framed as His to grant, not humanly guaranteed by numbers alone.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 22:39; Ibn Kathīr on 22:40
Reflect
Where in your own life do you confuse standing your ground for a just cause with seeking a fight?
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Question 1 of 2
On what basis does 22:39 grant the first permission to fight?
Question 2 of 2
What does 22:40 say would happen without Allah checking people by means of others?
The call of Ibrāhīm and the rites of pilgrimage
Allah recalls establishing the House for Ibrāhīm and commanding him to proclaim the pilgrimage to mankind — they will come on foot and on every lean camel, from every distant pass, to witness benefits for themselves and mention Allah's name over the sacrificial animals. Honouring the symbols of Allah is said to spring from taqwā of the heart, and it is stated plainly: neither the meat nor the blood reaches Allah, only the piety from you.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 22:37; Ibn Kathīr on 22:26–27
وَأَذِّن فِى ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ
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And proclaim to the people the ḥajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass -
لِّيَشْهَدُوا۟ مَنَـٰفِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَـٰتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا۟ ٱلْبَآئِسَ ٱلْفَقِيرَ
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That they may witness [i.e., attend] benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allāh on known [i.e., specific] days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَـٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى ٱلْقُلُوبِ
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That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allāh - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.
لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَـٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
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Their meat will not reach Allāh, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allāh for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.
From the tafsīr
The call of Ibrāhīm to a still-uninhabited valley is understood as reaching every soul destined to perform ḥajj until the Last Day, carried by Allah's power beyond Ibrāhīm's own voice.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 22:26–27
Sacrifice is retained as a physical act while its acceptance is tied entirely to the state of the heart, correcting any notion that ritual alone, without sincerity, has value with Allah.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 22:37
Key takeaways
- The pilgrimage traces back to a call issued by Ibrāhīm, sustained by Allah's power across all generations.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 22:37; Ibn Kathīr on 22:26–27
- Honouring the outward symbols of Islam is described as evidence of taqwā within the heart, not empty formality.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 22:37; Ibn Kathīr on 22:26–27
- Ritual acts of worship are valued by Allah according to sincerity, never by their physical scale.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 22:37; Ibn Kathīr on 22:26–27
Reflect
Which of your regular acts of worship have become physically routine but need reviving in intention?
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Question 1 of 2
According to Ibn Kathīr, how did Ibrāhīm's call to pilgrimage reach later generations?
Question 2 of 2
What does 22:37 say actually reaches Allah from the sacrifice?
Striving for Allah, the religion of your father Ibrāhīm
The surah closes by commanding believers to strive for Allah with the striving due to Him, reminding them He has chosen them and placed no hardship upon them in religion — the same faith named for them and their father Ibrāhīm before this revelation. The Messenger will be a witness over them, and they in turn are made witnesses over mankind, so let them establish prayer, give zakāh, and hold fast to Allah, their excellent protector and helper.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 22:78; Ibn Kathīr on 22:78
وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِى هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ
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And strive for Allāh with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. He [i.e., Allāh] named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakāh and hold fast to Allāh. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.
From the tafsīr
'He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty' is explained as the general ease built into Islamic law, including concessions like shortening prayer in travel and dry ablution when water is unavailable.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 22:78
The naming 'Muslims' before this revelation is understood as referring to earlier scripture, and the ummah's role as 'witnesses over the people' parallels the Messenger's witness over them — a chain of accountability.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 22:78
Key takeaways
- Islam is described as free of undue hardship, a defining feature of its legislation.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 22:78; Ibn Kathīr on 22:78
- The ummah inherits the religion of Ibrāhīm by name, carrying continuity with the earlier prophetic line.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 22:78; Ibn Kathīr on 22:78
- Being a witness over mankind is a communal responsibility, not a title of superiority alone.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 22:78; Ibn Kathīr on 22:78
Reflect
How does knowing you are called to be a witness over others change how carefully you practise privately?
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Question 1 of 2
How does Ibn Kathīr explain 'He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty'?
Question 2 of 2
What role does 22:78 assign to the ummah in relation to mankind?
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Roots from this surah
Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.
ز ل ز ل
āyāt 1to shake, convulse
- زَلْزَلَةearthquake/convulsion
- زُلْزِلَتْit was shaken
- زِلْزَالtremor
أ ذ ن
āyāt 27, 39to permit, proclaim
- أَذِّنproclaim!
- أُذِنَpermission was given
- إِذْنpermission
ح ج ج
āyāt 27, 37pilgrimage, to intend/argue
- ٱلْحَجّthe pilgrimage
- حَاجّpilgrim
- حُجَّةproof/argument
ش ع ر
āyāt 32, 36symbol, rite, to perceive
- شَعَآئِرsymbols/rites
- شَعَرَhe perceived
- مَشْعَرsacred site
ظ ل م
āyāt 39, 40to wrong, oppress
- ظُلِمُوا۟they were wronged
- ظَالِمwrongdoer
- ظُلْمinjustice
خ ر ج
āyāt 40to exit, evict
- أُخْرِجُوا۟they were evicted
- خُرُوجexiting
- مُخْرِجone who expels
ج ه د
āyāt 78to strive, struggle
- جَـٰهِدُوا۟strive!
- جِهَادstriving
- مُجَاهِدone who strives
Carry this with you
- The remembrance of the Hour's terror is meant to precede and frame every ruling that follows it.
- Permission to fight in Islam is anchored in having been wronged and evicted, not in initiating hostility.
- Defensive struggle is framed as protecting all places where Allah is remembered, not one community's interest alone.
- The rites of ḥajj trace back to a call issued by Ibrāhīm and sustained across all generations by Allah's power.
- Sacrifice is valued by Allah for the piety behind it, never for the meat or blood itself.
- Islam is deliberately built without undue hardship in its legislation.
- Being named 'Muslims' after Ibrāhīm carries the responsibility of witnessing to mankind, not mere identity.
- Holding fast to Allah is described as sufficient protection and help, regardless of apparent odds.
Where this surah connects
Cross-surah threads
Parts of the Qurʾān explain other parts. Each thread below opens the same subject as it is argued across every other surah you have studied, in revelation order.
Sources behind Sūrah Al-Ḥajj
Every line of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these references. Ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com and āyah references open on quran.com, so you can check the claim rather than take it on trust. The Arabic text itself is fetched live from a verified public corpus.
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Al-Ḥajj — full exam
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Al-Ḥajj · The first permission to fight
What does 22:40 say would happen without Allah checking people by means of others?
Arabic (Uthmānī script) and the Ṣaḥīḥ International translation are fetched live from the Quran.com API (v4), sourced from the King Fahd Complex muṣḥaf — api.quran.com API docs · Translation: Ṣaḥīḥ International · Integrity & testing protocol