Surah Az-Zalzala 99
سُورَةُ الزَّلۡزَلَةِ“The Earthquake”8 Ayat
إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا
When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake
وَأَخْرَجَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا
And the earth discharges its burdens
وَقَالَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مَا لَهَا
And man says, "What is [wrong] with it?" -
يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا
That Day, it will report its news
بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَىٰ لَهَا
Because your Lord has commanded it.
يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ ٱلنَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيُرَوْا أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ
That Day, the people will depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds.
فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ
So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it,
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ
And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.
The Virtues of Surat Az-Zalzalah
Imam Ahmad recorded from 'Abdullah bin 'Amr that he said, "A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, 'Teach me what to recite, O Messenger of Allah!' The Prophet ﷺ said,
اقْرَأْ ثَلَاثًا مِنْ ذَوَاتِ "الر"
(Recite three from those [which begin] with the letters Alif, Lam, Ra')
The man then said to him, 'I have become old in age, my heart has hardened and my tongue has become harsh.' The Prophet ﷺ said,
فَاقْرَأْ مِنْ ذَوَاتِ "حم"
(Then recite from those [which begin] with the letters Ha-Mim.)
The man said the same thing as he had said before, so the Prophet ﷺ said,
اقْرَأْ ثَلَاثًا مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحَاتِ
(Recite three from the Musabbihat.)
The man again said the same thing as he had said before. Then the man said, 'Rather give me something to recite that is comprehensive (of all of these), O Messenger of Allah.' So the Prophet ﷺ told him to recite
إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا
(When the earth quakes with its Zilzal.)
Then when he (the Prophet ﷺ) finished reciting the Surah to him the man said, 'By He Who has sent you you with the truth as a Prophet, I will never add anything else to it.' Then the man turned away and left, and the Prophet ﷺ said,
أَفْلَحَ الرُّوَيْجِلُ، أَفْلَحَ الرُّوَيْجِلُ
(The little man has been successful, the little man has been successful.) Then the Prophet ﷺ said,
عَلَيَّ بِهِ
(Bring him back to me.)
So the man came to him and the Prophet ﷺ said to him,
أُمِرْتُ بِيَوْمِ الْأَضْحَى جَعَلَهُ اللهُ عِيدًا لِهَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ
(I have also been commanded to celebrate 'Id Al-Adha, which Allah has made a celebration for this Ummah.)
The man said 'What do you think if I am only able to acquire a borrowed milking she-camel – should I slaughter it?' The Prophet ﷺ said,
لَا، وَلَكِنَّكَ تَأْخُذُ مِنْ شَعْرِكَ وَتُقَلِّمُ أَظَافِرَكَ وَتَقُصُّ شَارِبَكَ وَتَحْلِقُ عَانَتَكَ فَذَاكَ تَمَامُ أُضْحِيَّتِكَ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
(No. But you should cut your hair, clip your nails, trim your mustache, shave your pubic area and that will be the completion of your sacrifice with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.)" Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith.
Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — the surah's virtues, naming and revelation context.