Description of Surah Al Inshiqaq
Surah Al Inshiqaq, the 84th surah of the Holy Quran, is called The Sundering because it refers to the Day of Resurrection when the sky will split apart. Revealed in Mecca, its discourse is in the same style as other surahs of the Juz Amma that also mention the events of the Last Day.
What are the themes of Surah Al Inshiqaq?
This surah presents 4 parts:
Verse 1 to verse 5: Allah presents the Signs of the Last Day
Verse 6 to 15: Allah presents what will become of mankind, each according to his deeds. Those who will receive their Book in their right hand and will return to their family in Paradise, and those who mocked the believers on Earth and exulted among their family, will receive their Book behind their back and will be cast into Hell.
Verse 16 to 20: Life is presented with the metaphor of “stages to climb”. Just as nature, by which Allah swears, and which has a system of progression, humans pass through a succession of stages in their life.
Verse 21 to 25: Allah warns those who do not believe of a painful punishment.
The following 3 surahs have the same style of Divine Discourse, also beginning with the term “When” (Idha):
(84)Al Inshiqaq: V. 1 When the sky splits apart(...)
(82)Al Infitar: V. 1 When the sky is cleft asunder(...)
(81)At Takwir: V.1 When the sun is darkened(…)”
These surahs begin with a series of inevitable stages. Indeed, Allah does not say “if”, but “when”, because these things will happen on the Last Day. This succession of stages leaves room for a question: what is going to happen there? In a complex sentence beginning with “when” we inevitably expect the sentence to be completed by the main clause. Some elements seem to be missing from this series, and yet Allah's discourse is perfect. What appears to be a void is an invitation to reflect, for afterwards Allah, to Him be the Glory, moves directly to the address to mankind: O you, Man!
To say that the sky opens, Allah, to Him be the Glory and the Majesty, uses varied words. Here, Shaqqat, in Arabic, is different from the word Infatarat, used in Surah Al Infitar. To be cleft is truly different from being torn apart. If the first speaks of a rupture, the second verse here describes a situation with a stronger, irreversible dimension, which is the sundering. Can a torn piece of paper be repaired? Can one go back and make it as it was, identical?
It also means “when the sky opens completely”.
In the second verse, Allah speaks of the obedience of the sky. Adhinat comes from two nouns in Arabic: one expressing permission and the other listening. This means that the sky listened to its Lord and obeyed Him. Or that it was given the Permission to open completely to allow this Day to take place. The sky can only obey the Lord of the Universe.
Allah compares the obedience of His Creation to the disobedience of Man.
We do not see them obey, do not understand the expression of their obedience (to the elements of nature), but Allah tells us thereby that His Creation obeys when He commands it. How is it that we rebel?
Then He describes the Earth which will stretch out, level itself. The word AlQat has several meanings, including “to throw in front” or “to be in front”. This means that the Earth will throw out the dead after having been spread out. It will throw them out without omitting anyone, for “Takhallat” means to empty oneself completely, or to leave someone alone, in Arabic.
In verse 5 Allah repeats that Creation obeys when He commands it. It has no other choice. Everything obeys the Command of Allah.
The repetition of this verse twice in this surah makes us reflect. It is meant to bring us to introspection. Where do I stand in my obedience to Allah in my everyday life? How can I stay here disobeying while the elements of life themselves obey Him?
This is why Allah calls upon us at this moment. “O you who strive…”.
This life is made of difficulties, of a succession of stages to be crossed, in impatience. We are all the time waiting for something, for some accomplishment, for one more need. Yet we will be brought back to our Lord.
The conclusion of all this is that, whether we want it or not, whether we are Muslim or not, whether we work towards it or not, we will have difficulties in life, and, whether we want it or not, we will meet our Lord. We might as well make these efforts in His Service.
The following verse, for the needs of translation, has been rendered in the future tense, whereas Allah uses the past form of classical Arabic: “The one who has received his Book in his right hand”. Indeed, nothing is more certain than that which has already happened! It is a classical formulation to emphasise the fact that this will happen.
The one who will thus receive his Book in his right hand will have an easy reckoning. The right hand has, among the Arabs, a solemn connotation. It has several meanings such as acceptance, agreement and the honour of receiving something, as when, in a marriage contract, the husband must take the right hand of the guardian of the bride-to-be to solemnly accept to marry, to take charge of the bride from the hands of her guardian.
On that Day, the Day of Judgement, there will reign a nervousness while waiting for the Judgement to take place. This nervousness, the Companions of the Prophet Mohamed, peace and blessings be upon him, felt it. Omar Ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
If the Caller were to call for that Day and everyone were to go to Paradise except one person, well, I am sure that person would be me.
Omar Ibn Al Khattab, a person to whom Paradise was granted from the mouth of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, thought like that. How do we think? How do we evaluate our efforts?
To have one's Kitab (book) in one's right hand does not mean that one does not err, does not commit sins, but that the Lord will overlook the faults of His Servants.
Then, after this easy reckoning, people will return to their family happy. Masrour comes from “sir” which means secret. This means an inner, deep happiness. True happiness is when one sees one's family praying and believing with us in Allah, in the hope of being together in Paradise.
Whereas in our society everything we do for our family is synonymous with proof of love, Allah tells us to be careful, for they are a test for us (S.8 V. 28). Following our feelings for our children can lead us to close our eyes to blameworthy acts, to abandon our religion out of fear of offending, etc. Also, holding firm to one's religion requires love and rigour, and everything we do to call them to our Din (religion) is the true proof of love that will lead us to be reunited in Paradise, happy for one another.
This Ayah shows us that only the members of our family (all those with whom we share bonds of blood) will be able to join us in Paradise.
Then Allah says that those who will receive their Book behind their back will weep, will ask to be destroyed. Why behind their back and not in the left hand? Well, because their hands (and thus the left one) will be tied behind their back. May Allah preserve us from receiving our Book in this way.
Thubura means to be in tears and to scream, cry out, beg while shouting. They will prefer to call for their destruction rather than go to Hell, but in that place neither a return to life nor death will be possible. Hell for Eternity.
The Fire, here, is not called Jahim. There are indeed several levels in Hell, and here Allah uses the word Sa’ir. This name for Hell is associated with the call to destruction (thubura). A place in the Fire full of rage.
Allah says that previously, they were with their family happy, in bliss, and they cared about no one. They had no empathy, but rather contempt. They mocked those who were humble and who believed in Allah. They did not suspect that they would return to Allah, whereas Allah sees what is inside them, what they concealed in their breast. It is an invitation to take stock of what our heart contains. Each and every one should carry out an introspection to see what he conceals in terms of beliefs, doubts, secrets, for he will have to give an account of it before the One from whom nothing can be hidden.
Then comes the moment in the surah where Allah swears by a series of elements of nature that show a progression. Allah swears first by the sunset, then by the night that envelops everything, and then by the moon when it becomes full.
It is a progression of the stages of the night with which Allah tells us that we too follow a succession of stages in life, just like nature. He, to Him be the Majesty and the Glory, uses the metaphor of climbing stairs to say that everything follows a logic with successive stages.
And He, to Him be the Glory, asks: Why do they not believe? And why do they not prostrate when the Quran is recited? Then the fact that Allah knows what they conceal within themselves is mentioned once again with another word: You’oun which means to hide inside something.
And finally, Allah uses a formulation as if to mock those who mocked the believers. He tells the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to announce to them a painful punishment, using the word Bashir (to announce in Arabic), which is normally a term used to announce something joyful, to congratulate. Allah mocks them with this formulation.
Whereas for the believers is reserved a reward without interruption, without end.
We see that Surah Al Inshiqaq begins with “When the sky splits apart” and ends with the fate of the disbelievers and the believers: “a painful punishment” for the ones and “a reward without measure” for the others, which will be announced on that Day. SubhanAllah!
May Allah grant us an easy reckoning and our Book in our right hand. Ameen
