The first word of the Soorah became its name.

As mentioned in the introduction for Al-Zilzaal, this Soorah was also revealed in the very early period of the mission in Makkah when the basic concepts of the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter were being taught.

Al-Zilzaal taught about the Day of Judgment by presenting some vivid images of the conditions of that day and by describing the completeness of the accountability for every action a person performs. This Soorah offers two thoughts for human reflection: Firstly, it presents human ingratitude as one reason that calls for accountability; and secondly, it informs that not only will all human actions but also the intentions behind those actions be disclosed during the accountability process.