Tafseer of Surah Inshiqaaq

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

اِذَا السَّمَآءُ  انۡشَقَّتۡ ۙ﴿۱﴾ وَ اَذِنَتۡ لِرَبِّہَا وَ حُقَّتۡ ۙ﴿۲﴾ وَ  اِذَا  الۡاَرۡضُ مُدَّتۡ ۙ﴿۳﴾ وَ اَلۡقَتۡ مَا فِیۡہَا وَ تَخَلَّتۡ ۙ﴿۴﴾ وَ اَذِنَتۡ لِرَبِّہَا وَ حُقَّتۡ ؕ﴿۵﴾ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الۡاِنۡسَانُ  اِنَّکَ کَادِحٌ  اِلٰی رَبِّکَ کَدۡحًا  فَمُلٰقِیۡہِ ۚ﴿۶﴾ فَاَمَّا مَنۡ  اُوۡتِیَ  کِتٰبَہٗ  بِیَمِیۡنِہٖ ۙ﴿۷﴾ فَسَوۡفَ یُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا یَّسِیۡرًا ۙ﴿۸﴾ وَّ  یَنۡقَلِبُ  اِلٰۤی  اَہۡلِہٖ مَسۡرُوۡرًا ؕ﴿۹﴾ وَ اَمَّا مَنۡ اُوۡتِیَ  کِتٰبَہٗ  وَرَآءَ ظَہۡرِہٖ ﴿ۙ۱۰﴾ فَسَوۡفَ یَدۡعُوۡا  ثُبُوۡرًا ﴿ۙ۱۱﴾ وَّ  یَصۡلٰی سَعِیۡرًا ﴿ؕ۱۲﴾ اِنَّہٗ  کَانَ  فِیۡۤ   اَہۡلِہٖ مَسۡرُوۡرًا ﴿ؕ۱۳﴾ اِنَّہٗ ظَنَّ  اَنۡ  لَّنۡ یَّحُوۡرَ ﴿ۚ۱۴﴾ بَلٰۤی ۚۛ  اِنَّ  رَبَّہٗ  کَانَ بِہٖ بَصِیۡرًا ﴿ؕ۱۵﴾ فَلَاۤ  اُقۡسِمُ  بِالشَّفَقِ ﴿ۙ۱۶﴾ وَ الَّیۡلِ وَ مَا وَسَقَ ﴿ۙ۱۷﴾ وَ الۡقَمَرِ اِذَا اتَّسَقَ ﴿ۙ۱۸﴾ لَتَرۡکَبُنَّ  طَبَقًا عَنۡ طَبَقٍ ﴿ؕ۱۹﴾ فَمَا لَہُمۡ  لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۲۰﴾ وَ اِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡقُرۡاٰنُ  لَا یَسۡجُدُوۡنَ ﴿ؕٛ۲۱﴾ بَلِ الَّذِیۡنَ  کَفَرُوۡا یُکَذِّبُوۡنَ ﴿۫۲۲﴾ وَ اللّٰہُ  اَعۡلَمُ  بِمَا یُوۡعُوۡنَ ﴿۫۲۳﴾ فَبَشِّرۡہُمۡ بِعَذَابٍ اَلِیۡمٍ ﴿ۙ۲۴﴾ اِلَّا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَہُمۡ  اَجۡرٌ  غَیۡرُ  مَمۡنُوۡنٍ ﴿٪۲۵﴾

When the sky will split apart and it will listen to (the command of) its Lord, and it ought to do so (i.e. it ought to listen), and when the earth will be stretched out (to give room and space to more people), and it will throw out whatever it contains and it will become empty, and it will listen to (the command of) its Lord, and it ought to do so (i.e. it ought to listen. Then on that day, man will see the consequences of his deeds). O man, you have to work hard constantly to reach your Lord, then you will (certainly) meet him! As for the one whose book (of deeds) will be given to him in his right hand, then he will be called to account in an easy manner and he will return to his people happily, and as for the one whose book (of deeds) will be given to him from behind him, then soon he will pray for death and he will enter the blazing fire. Indeed, he had been happy among his people (in the worldly life). He thought he would never return (to Allah Ta‘ala). Certainly, (he will have to return,) indeed his Lord was watchful over him (in the worldly life). So, I swear by the twilight (after sunset), and by the night and what it envelops, and by the moon when it develops (and reaches its full form) – you shall certainly ascend from stage to stage. So, what has happened to them that they do not believe, and when the Qur’aan is recited to them, they do not fall in sajdah (prostrate)? Rather, those who disbelieve deny (the truth), and Allah is Most Aware of what they keep within themselves. So, give them the good news of a painful punishment, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for them is an unending reward.

This surah depicts the various events that will transpire on the Day of Judgement, such as giving an account for one’s deeds, the pious servants being granted their good reward and recompense, and the evil servants being doomed for punishment in the fire of Jahannum.

The message of this surah is that those who are heedless of the advice and warning of Allah Ta‘ala should look within themselves and the environment they are living in and see which direction they are heading towards. This approach of reflecting and pondering over one’s current condition to see whether one is on the path of righteousness or the path of evil will help one to see his wrong. This approach will then lead one to the straight path and cause him to believe in Allah Ta‘ala and follow the message of the Qur’aan Majeed.

For a kaafir, he will bring imaan in Allah Ta‘ala and follow the deen of Islam, and for a believer who is treading the path of misguidance and transgression, it will cause him to realize his wrongs and begin following the mubaarak sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in the manner it should be followed.

The powerful and dynamic opening verses of this surah give a graphic description of some of the scenes that will unfold in the universe on the Day of Judgement. Firstly, it speaks about the sky that will split apart. Then, it goes on to speak about the earth that will be stretched out and will throw out whatever it contains within it. Whether natural treasures and resources, or whether dead human bodies – all will be thrown above the earth until the inner portion of the earth will be empty.

A new earth will be prepared for Hashr (gathering the creation on the Day of Requital and Recompense). The new earth will neither have hills nor mountains, nor buildings nor trees. Rather, it will be flat and smooth. It will not have any landmarks for anyone to recognize the place of his residence or ownership. The earth will be stretched out in such a way that there will be sufficient space for every human who ever existed, from the former as well as the latter generations, from Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) until the last person to come in the world, to all gather on one plain for the reckoning.

The events of Qiyaamah have also been described in other surahs in a similar style. However, in the verses of this surah, there is an addition i.e. Allah Ta‘ala explains to us how the earth and sky will both comply with the command of Allah Ta‘ala, as they ought to comply. Allah Ta‘ala says:

اِذَا السَّمَآءُ  انۡشَقَّتۡ ۙ﴿۱﴾ وَ اَذِنَتۡ لِرَبِّہَا وَ حُقَّتۡ ۙ﴿۲﴾ وَ  اِذَا  الۡاَرۡضُ مُدَّتۡ ۙ﴿۳﴾ وَ اَلۡقَتۡ مَا فِیۡہَا وَ تَخَلَّتۡ ۙ﴿۴﴾ وَ اَذِنَتۡ لِرَبِّہَا وَ حُقَّتۡ ؕ﴿۵﴾

When the sky will split apart and will listen to (the command of) its Lord, and it ought to (listen), and when the earth will be stretched out (to give room to more people), and it will throw up whatever it contains and will become empty, and it will listen to (the command of) its Lord, and it ought to (listen)…

The verb “اَذِنَتۡ” (listen to) mentioned in the verse above refers to listening and obeying the command of Allah Ta‘ala.

Two Categories of Divine Commands

The obedience of the heavens and earth here can have two meanings, as the divine commands are of two types. One is the divinely legislated commands, also known as the laws and injunctions of the Shariah (tashree’ee commands), and the second is the cosmic commands which pertain to the administration of the world (takweeni commands).

In the case of the first type of commands (i.e. tashree’ee commands), fulfilling the command is compulsory, and violating the command makes one disobedient and worthy of punishment.

This type of command is restricted to humans and jinn, as they are the creations endowed with intellect and understanding, unlike other creations who do not have intellect and understanding at all (e.g. stones and trees), or do not have the level of intellect and understanding which cause them to become accountable for their deeds (e.g. animals), as is the case of humans and jinn.

When humans and jinn have been blessed with this level of intellect and understanding, then they have the ability and choice to do right and wrong, and to believe and disbelieve, and accordingly, they will either be rewarded or punished for their deeds. If they fulfil the command, they will be rewarded, and if they disobey, they will be worthy for punishment. This then divides humans and jinn into believers and disbelievers, and from the believers, it divides them into the obedient and the disobedient.

The second type of commands i.e. the cosmic commands of Allah Ta‘ala (takweeni commands) are such that it relates to all creations and overcomes them without their choice. An example of this is the rain that falls from the sky, or the wind that blows in the earth, causing benefit for the creation or damage and havoc in the world. These commands of Allah Ta‘ala overcome believers and disbelievers, pious and impious, and no person has any choice or ability to avert or avoid these cosmic commands of Allah Ta‘ala which take place in the world.

In these abovementioned verses where Allah Ta‘ala says that the sky and the earth will both obey the command of Allah Ta‘ala, then this command could refer to the second type of commands i.e. cosmic commands, and it could also refer to the first type of commands i.e. tashree’ee commands, in the sense that Allah Ta‘ala will give the sky and the earth intellect, similar to the intellect which humans and jinn have been blessed with.

In other words, the sky and the earth will be blessed with special sense and perception like humans and jinn. Thereafter, when they receive the command from Allah Ta‘ala, then they, out of their own choice and volition, will act upon it and fulfil the command of Allah Ta‘ala.

If these verses refer to the cosmic commands, then these verses will be taken in the figurative sense, as they do not have the choice to disobey Allah Ta‘ala, but if these verses refer to the first type of commands, then it will be taken in the literal sense, and the apparent meaning of these verses indicate towards this.