Surah Al-Waqi'ah (الْوَاقِعَة) — The Inevitable
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Al-Waqiah is the 56th surah, 96 verses, and there's a popular hadith about it that says whoever recites it every night will never face poverty. The hadith's chain is debated by scholars, with some classifying it as weak. But the practice of reciting it for sustenance is widespread, and a lot of Muslims keep it as a daily habit regardless of the hadith debate.
The surah is Makki. It opens with the Day of Judgment and divides humanity into three groups. The People of the Right Hand (the righteous, who go to paradise). The People of the Left Hand (the wrongdoers, who go to Hell). And the Foremost (a smaller group, the closest to Allah, given the highest ranks in paradise).
Most of the surah describes what each group experiences. The Foremost get jewelled couches, eternal youthful servants, fruits they can pick easily, wine that doesn't intoxicate, and companions of pure character. The People of the Right Hand get something similar but slightly less elevated. The People of the Left Hand are described in the opposite direction: scorching wind, boiling water, dark smoke, food that doesn't nourish.
Then the surah pivots back to this world. It asks the reader to think about ordinary things. The crops you grow. Allah grew them, not you. The water you drink. Allah brought it down from clouds. The fire you light. Allah put it in the wood. The point is that everything you take credit for came from somewhere else, and the same Power who set up your meal is the One who decides where you end up after death.
How many verses are in Surah Al-Waqiah?
Ninety-six verses. It's the 56th surah in the Quran.
Why is Surah Al-Waqiah recited for sustenance?
There's a hadith that says whoever recites Al-Waqiah every night won't face poverty. Scholars are divided on whether the hadith is authentic, but the practice is common across the Muslim world either way.
What are the three groups in Surah Al-Waqiah?
The People of the Right Hand (the righteous), the People of the Left Hand (the wrongdoers), and the Foremost (the closest to Allah). The surah describes what each group experiences after the Day of Judgment.