Quran Verses about Earthquakes

فَعَقَرُواْ ٱلنَّاقَةَ وَعَتَوۡاْ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَقَالُواْ يَٰصَٰلِحُ ٱئۡتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ٧٧

Faʿaqarun-nāqata wa ʿataw ʿan amri rabbihim wa qālū yāṣāliḥuʾtinā bimā taʿidunā in kunta minal-mursalīn.

So they hamstrung the she-camel and were insolent toward the command of their Lord and said, "O Ṣāliḥ, bring us what you promise us, if you should be of the messengers."

فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلرَّجۡفَةُ فَأَصۡبَحُواْ فِي دَارِهِمۡ جَٰثِمِينَ ٧٨

Fa akhadhathumur-rajfatu fa aṣbaḥū fī dārihim jāthimīn.

So the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.

وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن قَوۡمِهِۦ لَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتُمۡ شُعَيۡبًا إِنَّكُمۡ إِذٗا لَّخَٰسِرُونَ ٩٠

Wa qālal-malaʾul-ladhīna kafarū min qawmihī laʾinittabaʿtum shuʿayban innakum idhal lakhāsirūn.

Said the eminent ones who disbelieved among his people, "If you should follow Shuʿayb, indeed, you would then be losers."

فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلرَّجۡفَةُ فَأَصۡبَحُواْ فِي دَارِهِمۡ جَٰثِمِينَ ٩١

Fa akhadhathumur-rajfatu fa aṣbaḥū fī dārihim jāthimīn.

So the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.

وَٱخۡتَارَ مُوسَىٰ قَوۡمَهُۥ سَبۡعِينَ رَجُلٗا لِّمِيقَٰتِنَاۖ فَلَمَّآ أَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلرَّجۡفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوۡ شِئۡتَ أَهۡلَكۡتَهُم مِّن قَبۡلُ وَإِيَّٰيَۖ أَتُهۡلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّآۖ إِنۡ هِيَ إِلَّا فِتۡنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَهۡدِي مَن تَشَآءُۖ أَنتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَاۖ وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡغَٰفِرِينَ ١٥٥

Wakhtāra mūsā qawmahū sabʿīna rajulal limīqātinā, falammā akhadhathumur-rajfatu qāla rabbi law shiʾta ahlaktahum min qablu wa iyyāy, atuhlikunā bimā faʿalas-sufahāʾu minnā, in hiya illā fitnatuka tuḍillu bihā man tashāʾu wa tahdī man tashāʾ, anta waliyyunā faghfir lanā warḥamnā, wa anta khayrul-ghāfirīn.

And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment.¹ And when the earthquake seized them,² he said, "My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well]. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is not but Your trial by which You send astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of forgivers.

وَإِلَىٰ مَدۡيَنَ أَخَاهُمۡ شُعَيۡبٗا فَقَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱرۡجُواْ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَ وَلَا تَعۡثَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُفۡسِدِينَ ٣٦

Wa ilā madyana akhāhum shuʿayban faqāla yāqawmiʿbudullāha warjul-yawmal-ākhira wa lā taʿthaw fil-arḍi mufsidīn.

And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shuʿayb, and he said, "O my people, worship Allāh and expect the Last Day and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَتۡهُمُ ٱلرَّجۡفَةُ فَأَصۡبَحُواْ فِي دَارِهِمۡ جَٰثِمِينَ ٣٧

Fakadhdhabūhu fa akhadhathumur-rajfatu fa aṣbaḥū fī dārihim jāthimīn.

But they denied him, so the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.

أَفَأَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَكَرُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَخۡسِفَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ أَوۡ يَأۡتِيَهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ٤٥

Afaʾaminal-ladhīna makarus-sayyiʾāti ay yakhsifallāhu bihimul-arḍa aw yaʾtiyahumul-ʿadhābu min ḥaythu lā yashʿurūn.

Then, do those who have planned evil deeds feel secure that Allāh will not cause the earth to swallow them or that the punishment will not come upon them from where they do not perceive?

أَفَأَمِنتُمۡ أَن يَخۡسِفَ بِكُمۡ جَانِبَ ٱلۡبَرِّ أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حَاصِبٗا ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُواْ لَكُمۡ وَكِيلًا ٦٨

Afaʾamintum ay yakhsifa bikum jānibal-barri aw yursila ʿalaykum ḥāṣiban thumma lā tajidū lakum wakīlā.

Then do you feel secure that [instead] He will not cause a part of the land to swallow you or send against you a storm of stones? Then you would not find for yourselves an advocate.

فَخَسَفۡنَا بِهِۦ وَبِدَارِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَمَا كَانَ لَهُۥ مِن فِئَةٖ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنتَصِرِينَ ٨١

Fakhasafnā bihī wabidārihil-arḍa famā kāna lahū min fiʾatiy yanṣurūnahū min dūnillāhi wa mā kāna minal-muntaṣirīn.

And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allāh, nor was he of those who [could] defend themselves.

فَكُلًّا أَخَذۡنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ حَاصِبٗا وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَخَذَتۡهُ ٱلصَّيۡحَةُ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ خَسَفۡنَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَغۡرَقۡنَاۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظۡلِمَهُمۡ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ ٤٠

Fakullan akhadhnā bidhanbih, faminhum man arsalnā ʿalayhi ḥāṣibaw wa minhum man akhadhathuṣ-ṣayḥatu wa minhum man khasafnā bihil-arḍa wa minhum man aghraqnā, wa mā kānallāhu liyaẓlimahum wa lākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūn.

So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allāh would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.

أَفَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ إِن نَّشَأۡ نَخۡسِفۡ بِهِمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ أَوۡ نُسۡقِطۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ كِسَفٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّكُلِّ عَبۡدٖ مُّنِيبٖ ٩

Afalam yaraw ilā mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum minas-samāʾi wal-arḍ, in nashaʾ nakhsif bihimul-arḍa aw nusqiṭ ʿalayhim kisafam minas-samāʾ, inna fī dhālika laʾāyatal likulli ʿabdim munīb.

Then, do they not look at what is before them and what is behind them of the heaven and earth? If We should will, We could cause the earth to swallow them or [could] let fall upon them fragments from the sky. Indeed in that is a sign for every servant turning back [to Allāh].

ءَأَمِنتُم مَّن فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ أَن يَخۡسِفَ بِكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَمُورُ ١٦

Aʾamintum man fis-samāʾi ay yakhsifa bikumul-arḍa fa idhā hiya tamūr.

Do you feel secure that He who is above¹ would not cause the earth to swallow you and suddenly it would sway?²

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمۡۚ إِنَّ زَلۡزَلَةَ ٱلسَّاعَةِ شَيۡءٌ عَظِيمٞ ١

Yāʾayyuhan-nāsuttaqū rabbakum, inna zalzalatas-sāʿati shayʾun ʿaẓīm.

O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing.

يَوۡمَ تَرَوۡنَهَا تَذۡهَلُ كُلُّ مُرۡضِعَةٍ عَمَّآ أَرۡضَعَتۡ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمۡلٍ حَمۡلَهَا وَتَرَى ٱلنَّاسَ سُكَٰرَىٰ وَمَا هُم بِسُكَٰرَىٰ وَلَٰكِنَّ عَذَابَ ٱللَّهِ شَدِيدٞ ٢

Yawma tarawnahā tadhhalu kullu murḍiʿatin ʿammā arḍaʿat wa taḍaʿu kullu dhāti ḥamlin ḥamlahā wa taran-nāsa sukārā wa mā hum bisukārā wa lākinna ʿadhāballāhi shadīd.

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.

إِذَا رُجَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ رَجّٗا ٤

Idhā rujjatil-arḍu rajjā.

When the earth is shaken with convulsion

وَبُسَّتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ بَسّٗا ٥

Wa bussatil-jibālu bassā.

And the mountains are broken down, crumbling

فَكَانَتۡ هَبَآءٗ مُّنۢبَثّٗا ٦

Fakānat habāʾam munbaththā.

And become dust dispersing,

يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَٱلۡجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَثِيبٗا مَّهِيلًا ١٤

Yawma tarjuful-arḍu wal-jibālu wa kānatil-jibālu kathībam mahīlā.

On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down.

يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ ٦

Yawma tarjufur-rājifah.

On the Day the blast [of the Horn] will convulse [creation],

تَتۡبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ ٧

Tatbaʿuhar-rādifah.

There will follow it the subsequent [one].

كـَلَّآۖ إِذَا دُكَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ دَكّٗا دَكّٗا ٢١

Kallā, idhā dukkatil-arḍu dakkan dakkā.

No! When the earth has been leveled - pounded and crushed

إِذَا زُلۡزِلَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ زِلۡزَالَهَا ١

Idhā zulzilatil-arḍu zilzālahā.

When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake

وَأَخۡرَجَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ أَثۡقَالَهَا ٢

Wa akhrajatil-arḍu athqālahā.

And the earth discharges its burdens¹

وَقَالَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا لَهَا ٣

Wa qālal-insānu mā lahā.

And man says,¹ "What is [wrong] with it?" -