The first word of the Soorah, Al-Ĥaaqqah, has been adopted as its identifier. Al-Ĥaaqqah means something that is inevitable and indispensable, its occurrence is beyond doubt and unstoppable. This refers to the end of this world and the occurrence of the Day of Judgment.

This was revealed in the early Makkan period when the Makkans were refusing to believe in the Day of Judgment and the life Hereafter. At this stage, they were opposing the mission of the Prophet by discounting the Qur-aanic revelations as fancies of a poet or speculations of a soothsayer.

This Soorah warns them by citing examples of previous nations that were punished for rejecting the prophet or messenger sent to them. It then presents some of the scenes that will be seen on the Last Day. Towards the end, the Soorah explains that the Qur-aan is not the product of a poet or a soothsayer, as they speculate, but it is a revelation from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala. The Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is presenting it exactly as he is receiving it. Were he to add or subtract anything at all from what was revealed to him, he would be severely punished right away.

‘Umar Faarooq radhiallaahu ‘anhu reported that before he became Muslim, one day he heard the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam recite this Soorah while performing Allaah’s worship (Ŝalaah) in the Holy Ka‘abah. While he was listening to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s recitation and being impressed by the quality of the language and the beauty of its composition, he thought that the Prophet must be a poet as some people claimed. Soon the verse of the Qur-aan itself negated it. Then he thought that the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam must be a soothsayer, but the very next verse negated that notion as well. It rather claimed to be from the Lord of the universe. At this he felt drawn to Islam, but he continued to resist.