The Earth-Shaking Reality: A Reflection on Surah Al-Hajj – (22:1-4)

Dhul Hijjah is approaching.

The days are drawing near. Hearts are beginning to shift. Preparations have begun–not just in luggage and journey, but in intention.

Soon, the roads to Makkah will fill. Voices will rise in “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk…” and the legacy of Ibrahim (AS) will come alive once again.

But before Surah Al-Hajj speaks about rituals, sacrifice, and the journey of Hajj–

It begins by shaking you.

Not gently.

Not gradually.

But in a way that forces you to stop, reflect, and feel.

When the Ground Beneath You Is No Longer Stable

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ
“O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the earthquake of the Hour is a terrible thing.”
– Qur’an 22:1

Notice how the Surah doesn’t say “O believers.”

It says: “O mankind.”

This is universal.

No one is exempt.

No one is outside this خطاب.

Whether you believe, doubt, or ignore–this reality is coming for you.

And then comes the image: an earthquake.

An earthquake is one of the few things that instantly removes your sense of control.

In seconds, the world you trusted betrays you.

Walls crack, structures fall, direction disappears.

Now imagine that–not as a moment in time–

but as the beginning of eternity.

This isn’t just a natural disaster.

This is the unraveling of the entire system of dunya.

Allah is teaching us something subtle here:

The things you rely on most in this world are not as reliable as you think.

Your plans.

Your stability.

Your sense of “I have time.”

All of it can collapse.

And the word used–“shay’un ʿaẓim” (عظیم )–is not just “big.”

It is something beyond your capacity to fully comprehend.

So the ayah starts with fear–but not the kind that breaks you.

The kind that should wake you up.

When Even Love Cannot Anchor You

يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَىٰ وَمَا هُم بِسُكَارَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ

“On the Day you see it, every nursing mother will forget what she was nursing, every pregnant woman will miscarry, and you will see people as if they are intoxicated, but they are not intoxicated—rather, the punishment of Allah is severe.”
– Qur’an 22:2

This ayah takes the fear from abstract… to deeply human.

Allah doesn’t describe kings or warriors.

He describes a mother.

Because if there is anything in this world that feels unbreakable, it is the bond between a mother and her child.

A nursing mother is physically connected.

Emotionally attached.

Fully present with her baby.

Yet on that Day–

she will forget.

Not out of neglect.

But because the terror of that moment will override even the strongest instinct Allah placed within us.

And then: pregnant women miscarrying.

This is the interruption of life before it even begins.

It’s a symbol of how everything that represents continuity, hope, and future… will come to a halt.

Then comes one of the most striking images:

People will look drunk–but they are not.

Think about it.

When someone is intoxicated, they lose balance, awareness, control.

But here–

there is no substance.

No escape.

No worldly distraction.

Just pure, unfiltered reality.

This ayah dismantles a quiet assumption we live with:

“When things get hard, I’ll manage. I’ll figure it out.”

But this is a moment where no one is managing.

No one is composed.

No one is in control.

Because this is not a test anymore.

This is the result.

The Danger of Blind Following

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّبِعُ كُلَّ شَيْطَانٍ مَّرِيدٍ

“And among mankind is he who disputes about Allah without knowledge and follows every rebellious devil.”
– Qur’an 22:3

كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ مَن تَوَلَّاهُ فَأَنَّهُ يُضِلُّهُ وَيَهْدِيهِ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ
“It has been decreed for him that whoever turns to him–he will misguide him and lead him to the punishment of the Blaze.”
– Qur’an 22:4

After shaking your sense of safety, Allah shifts your attention to something more dangerous than the earthquake itself:

How people choose to live before it happens.

There are people who talk about Allah–

who argue, question, debate–

But “without knowledge.”

Not sincere questioning.

Not seeking truth.

But talk for the sake of ego.

To win arguments.

To justify desires.

And then comes the deeper issue: they follow.

Not revelation.

Not guidance.

But “every rebellious devil.”

This isn’t always obvious.

It doesn’t always look like evil.

Sometimes it looks like:

“Everyone around me does this.”

“It’s not that serious.”

“I’ll fix myself later.”

Blind following is dangerous because it feels safe.

It makes you feel like you’re not alone.

But on the Day of Judgment–

You Will Stand Alone.

And the one you followed?

Will not stand next to you.

Allah says it is already decreed:

If someone chooses that path–misguidance will meet them halfway.

Because guidance is not just about what you hear–

It’s about what you are willing to accept.

Why This Matters as Dhul Hijjah Nears

It’s almost unexpected.

You would think a Surah named Al-Hajj would begin with rituals.

With ihram. With tawaf. With sacrifice.

But it doesn’t.

Because before actions–

you need awareness.

Before the journey of Hajj–

you need to understand why you’re going.

Hajj is a physical reminder of this exact reality:

You wear simple cloth — like the shroud you will be buried in.

You stand in crowds — like the gathering of the Day of Judgment.

You leave everything behind — like you will one day leave this world.

Surah Al-Hajj begins by telling you:

Don’t wait until that Day to wake up.

Let the reminder reach you now–

while your soul can still respond.

A Quiet Question to End With

Right now, everything feels stable.

Your surroundings.

Your routine.

Your plans.

But Allah has already told you–

a moment is coming when none of this will hold.

So ask yourself honestly:

Am I living in a way that would still make sense…

if everything ended suddenly

Because the earthquake of that Day is not just about the world shaking–

It is about revealing what was always unstable within us.