SURAH (84) AL-INSYIQAAQ (AYA 1 to 25)

Sura (84) AL-INSYIQAAQ (The Rending Asunder) Aya 1 to 25 verses in 1 Section

Revealed at Makka

SECTION 1

The Day of Reckoning

The receivers of the Deed-Book in their right hand and those who will receive their Deed-Book from behind them---The happenings on the Day of Jufgment---Respect and obeisance to Qur’an---Announcement of severe punishment to the disbelievers and the righteous getting an unending reward.

إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انْشَقَّتْ {84:1}

[Q84:1] Izas samaaa‘un shaqqat 
[Q84:1] When the heaven is split asunder,

Refer to the commentary of Infitar 83:1 to 4 and Takwir 81:1 to 13. AS SOON AS ALLAH (SWT) ISSUES HIS COMMAND THE WHOLE MATERIAL EXISTENCE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED BY HIM WILL DISINTEGRATE IN OBEDIENCE because every created being, by its nature, must hearken to the voice (will) of its creator even to the extent of its own extinction.

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(84:1) When the sky is rent asunder

وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ {84:2}

[Q84:2] Wa azinat li Rabbihaa wa huqqat.
[Q84:2] And listens and obeys its Lord, and it must do so;

The heaven with their greatness, and limitless extent, only await the command of the Lord which shall be carried out.

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(84:2) and hearkens to the command *1 of its Lord, doing what it should;

*1 Literally: "... and hears its Lord's Command." However, according to Arabic usage adhina lahu does not only mean: "He heard the Command but it means: "Hearing the Command he carried it out promptly like an obedient servant."

وَإِذَا الْأَرْضُ مُدَّتْ {84:3}

[Q84:3] Wa izal ardu muddat 
[Q84:3] And when the earth is stretched forth,

The earth will be changed from its global form to a flat level plain.

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(84:3) and when the earth is stretched out *2

*2 "When the earth is spread out": when the oceans and rivers are filled up, the mountains are crushed to pieces and scattered away, and the earth is levelled and turned into a smooth plain. In Surah Ta Ha, the same thing has been expressed, thus: "He will turn the earth into an empty level plain, wherein you will neither see any curve nor crease." (vv 106-107) Hakim in Mustadrak has related through authentic channels on the authority of Hadrat Jabir bin 'Abdullah a saying of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to the effect: "On the Resurrection Day the earth will be flattened out and spread out like the table-cloth; then there will hardly be room on it for men to place their feet." To understand this saying one should keep in mind the fact that ou that Day aII men who will have been born from the first day of creation till Resurrection, will be resurrected simultaneously and produced in the Divine Court. For gathering together such a great multitude of the people it is inevitable that the oceans, rivers, mountains, jungles, ravines and aII high and low areas be levelled and the entire globe of the earth be turned into a vast plain so that aII individuals of human race may have room on it to stand on their feet.

وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ {84:4}

[Q84:4] Wa alqat maa feehaa wa takhallat 
[Q84:4] And has cast out all that was in it and became empty,

All the things—minerals, metals and the bodies of the innumerable generations buried in it, i.e., all its contents, will be thrown out, i.e., the earth will vanish with all its contents destroyed, and reduced to nothing.

In this verse and verse 99:2 points out the time for the disintegration, i.e., when the earth’s productive capacity get exhausted and this principle is applicable to all growingand evolutionary movement in every part and particle of the universe.

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(84:4) and casts out what is within it and is emptied, *3

*3 That is, it will throw out aII dead bodies of men and also the traces and evidences of their deeds lying within it  so that nothing remains hidden and buried in it. 

وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ {84:5}

[Q84:5] Wa azinat li Rabbihaa wa huqqat 
[Q84:5] And listens and obeys its Lord, and it must do so;

 (see commentary for verse 1)

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(84:5) and hearkens to the command of its Lord, doing what it should. *4

*4 Here, it has not been expressly told what will happen when such and such an event takes place, for the subsequent theme by itself explains this, as if to say: "O man, you are moving towards your Lord and are about to meet Him; you will be given your conduct book; and rewarded or punished according to your deeds." 

يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَاقِيهِ {84:6}

[Q84:6] Yaaa ayyuhal insaanu innaka kaadihoon ilaa Rabbika kad han famulaaqeeh. 
[Q84:6] O man! Verily, you are returning towards your Lord with your deeds and actions (good or bad), a sure returning, so you will meet (i.e. the results of your deeds which you did).

ALTHOUGH THE LIFE OF THIS WORLD is sometimes full of toil and misery for the believers and the righteous YET they strive hard to follow the right path BECAUSE they are convinced that there is a Day of Resurrection when they shall go to their Lord with their account to meet Him before His throne of judgement.

The [1] disbelievers and the [2] transgressors, the [3] deniers and [4] beliers of the day of reckoning shall also come before the Lord but without the hope of salvation.

THE PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS, i.e., the path of those who earnestly wish to get nearer to the Lord, is full of toil and misery. It is the godly ones that scorn and forego the pleasures of this life and choose the lfe of want and difficulties. Those who toil in the sincere hope of meeting the Lord, are assured of their success so that they may not fall victims to dejection and give up their quest for Him.

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(84:6) O man, you are striving unto your Lord *5 and you will meet Him.

*5 That is, "You may if you so like think that alI your efforts and endeavours in the world are confined to worldly life and motivated by worldly desires, yet the truth is that you are moving, consciously or unconsciously, towards your Lord and you have ultimately to appear before Him in any case.." 

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ {84:7}

[Q84:7] Fa ammaa man ootiya kitaabahoo biyameenih 
[Q84:7] Then, as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand,

Refer to the commentary of Bani Israil 17:71 and Waqi-ah 56:7 to 56 and Mulk 67:19. For those who spent their lives in goodness and truth their reckoning will be made easy. They will rejoice in the rewards given to them.

Those who suffered, and yet led pure lives of faith and righteousness and suffered miseries in the way of the Lord and yet continuously to earn His pleasure for which they avoided the pleasures of this life and chose for themselves and remained contented with the miseries and sufferings. They avoided evil in spite of its strong attractions and earned goodness at all cost.

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(84:7) Whoever is given the Record in his right hand

فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا {84:8}

[Q84:8] Fasawfa yuhaasabu hi saabai yaseeraa 
[Q84:8] He surely will receive an easy reckoning,

The reckoning will be effected without the least difficulty. The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said THAT HE WHO HAS THESE THREE QUALITIES SHALL MEET A VERY EASY ACCOUNTING AT THE JUDGMENT.

He said:-

1.        To provide the one who hath deprived thee of the legitimate due.

2.        Meet the one who shuns you.

3.        Pardon him who has been unkind to you.

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(84:8) shall be called to an easy accounting, *6

*6 That is, his reckoning will be less severe: he will not be asked why he had done such and such a thing and what excuses he had to offer for it. Though his evil deeds also will be there alongwith his good deeds in his records, his errors will be overlooked and pardoned in view of his outweighing good deeds. ln the Holy Qur'an, for the severe reckoning of the wicked people the words su-al-hisab (heavy reckoning) have been used (Ar-Ra'd: 181, and concerning the righteous it has been said: "From such people We accept the best of their deeds and overlook their evils." (AI-Ahqaf: 16). The explanation of it given by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been related in different words by lmam Ahmad Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Abu Da'ud, Hakim, Ibn Jarir, `Abd bin Humaid, and Ibn Marduyah on the authority of Hadrat 'A'ishah. According to one of these traditions the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: "Doomed will be he who is called to account for his deeds. Hadrat 'A'ishah said: O Messenger of AIIah, has not AIlah said: 'He whose record is given in his right hand shall have an easy reckoning?' The Holy Prophet replied: That is only about the presentation of the deeds, but the one who is questioned would be doomed." In another tradition Hadrat 'A'ishah has related: "I once heard the Holy Prophet supplicate during the prayer, thus: O God, call me to a light reckoning. When he brought his Prayer to conclusion, I asked what he meant by that supplication. He replied: Light reckoning means that one's conduct book will be seen and one's errors will be overlooked. O 'A'ishah, the one who is called to account for his deeds on that Day, would be doomed.

وَيَنْقَلِبُ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا {84:9}

[Q84:9] Wa yanqalibu ilaaa ahlihee masrooraa. 
[Q84:9] And will return to his family in joy!

To this people, i.e., to his kith and kin and the others spiritually on the same level with him without the restriction of the age, i.e., preceding or succeeding him in time.

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(84:9) and shall return to his people joyfully. *7

*7 "His kinsfolk": his family and relatives and companions who will have been pardoned even like himself. 

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ وَرَاءَ ظَهْرِهِ {84:10}

[Q84:10] Wa ammaa man ootiya kitaabahoo waraaa'a zahrin 
[Q84:10] But whosoever is given his Record behind his back,

Refer to the commentary of Haqqah 69:24 and 25. The wicked will cry for death and annihilation, BUT they will neither live nor die as said in verse 20:74 of Ta Ha.

In the life of this world they were, **in utter neglect of the hereafter, **in extreme self-complacency and **self-conceit, imagining that they would not be called upon to account for their evil deeds.

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(84:10) But he who is given the Record behind his back, *8

*8 In Surah Al Haaqqah: 25, it was said that his record will be given him in his left hand but here "behind his back! This will probably be for the reason that he would already have lost aII hope that he would be given his record in his right hand, for he would be well aware of his misdeeds and sure to receive his record in his left hand. However, in order to avoid the humiliation of receiving it in the left hand, in front of all mankind, he will withdraw his hand behind and so would receive it 'behind his back." 

فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُو ثُبُورًا {84:11}

[Q84:11] Fasawfa yad’oo subooraa
[Q84:11] He will invoke (his) destruction,

The wicked would wish for death and annihilation once for all BUT they will be in a state which will be neither life nor death. See Ta Ha 20:74.

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(84:11) shall cry for “perdition,”

وَيَصْلَىٰ سَعِيرًا {84:12}

[Q84:12] Wa yaslaa Sa‘eeraa. 
[Q84:12] And shall enter a blazing Fire, and made to taste its burning.

 (see commentary for verse 10)

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(84:12) and will enter the Blazing Fire.

إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِي أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا {84:13}

[Q84:13] Innahoo kaana feee ahlihee masrooraa. 
[Q84:13] Verily, he was among his people in joy!

While in this life the wicked one was happy rejoicing and enjoying the pleasures of the world among his people, i.e., relatives and friends, WITHOUT ANY REGARD to the pleasure or displeasure of the Lord.

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(84:13) He used to live joyfully among his people, *9

*9 That is, his way of life was different from that of God's righteous men, about whom in Surah At-Tur: 26, it has been said that they lived among their kinsfolk in fear and dread of God, i.e. they fear lest they should ruin their own Hereafter on account of their absorption in the love of children and endeavours for the sake of their well-being and prosperity in the world. On the contrary, this tnan lived a life free from every care and worry and helped his children and kinsfolk also to enjoy life fully, no matter what wicked and inunoral methods he had to use to procure the means of enjoyment, how he had to usurp the rights of others and transgress the bounds set by AIIah for the sake of the worldly pleasures.

إِنَّهُ ظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ يَحُورَ {84:14}

[Q84:14] Innahoo zanna al lai yahoor. 
[Q84:14] Verily, he thought that he would never come back (to Us)!

MAN IS LED INTO THE EVIL WAYS OF LIFE MOSTLY OF HIS [1] SELF-COMPLACENCE and [2] SELF-CONCEIT and [*3] GETTING HIMSELF INTOXICATED OF THE ENJOYMENT OF HIS CARNAL DESIRES IN HIS LOWER LIFE, forgetting his personal responsibility and his accountability on his return to the Lord in the ultimate.

v  HE MUST REMEMBER THE INEVITABILITY OF HIS RETURN TO HIM.

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(84:14) thinking he would never revert (to Us).

بَلَىٰ إِنَّ رَبَّهُ كَانَ بِهِ بَصِيرًا {84:15}

[Q84:15] Balaaa inna Rabbahoo kaana bihee baseeraa. 
[Q84:15] Yes! Verily, his Lord has been ever beholding him!

MAN FORGETS THAT THE LORD IS EVER WATCHFUL OF HIM for [1] his motives as well as [2] his deeds.

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(84:15) But no; (how would he not revert)? His Lord was ever watching him. *10

*10 That is, it was against God's justice and His wisdom that He should overlook the misdeeds that he was committing and should not summon him before Himself to render his account of the deeds. 

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالشَّفَقِ {84:16}

[Q84:16] Falaaa uqsimu bishshafaq 
[Q84:16] So I swear by the afterglow of sunset;

See commentary of Muddaththir 74:32 for "I call to witness"- adjuration. MAN'S ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO THE FLAWLESS FUNCTIONING OF THE UNIVERSE UNDER THE PRECISE LAWS MADE BY ALLAH (SWT).

µ  Man, therefore, must observe study and understand the disciplined functioning of the material existence AND ALSO follow the laws ordained by ALLAH (SWT) and CONVEYED TO HIM THROUGH the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), not only to establish a fair, just and harmonious social order in this world BUT also attain success in the life of hereafter.

There is something wrong with his understanding and will if he does not do so. He must follow the laws given to him in the Qur’an which is the real submission and gratitude to ALLAH (SWT).

Ì  THE IGNORANT AND OBSTINATE AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WEAK IN WISDOM DO NOT UNDERSTAND, SO THEY DISBELIEVE AND CONSEQUENTLY SUFFER PUNISHMENT.  

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(84:16) Nay; I swear by the twilight;

وَاللَّيْلِ وَمَا وَسَقَ {84:17}

[Q84:17] Wallaili wa maa wasaq. 
[Q84:17] 17. And by the night and whatever it gathers in its darkness;

Man’s attention is drawn to the mystic functioning of the great and the wonderful phenomena of nature in the daily life in this world, the functioning of the wonderful organisation of the universe being before man’s eyes all the while he takes these great events of the life, to be so common and so easy that he does not from one stage or state into another or regulated and controlled that the daily repetition is maintained with perfect success without the least failure.

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(84:17) and by the night and what it enfolds,

وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا اتَّسَقَ {84:18}

[Q84:18] Walqamari izat tasaq 
[Q84:18] And by the moon when it is at the full,

 (see commentary for verse 16 & 17)

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(84:18) and by the moon, when it reaches its fullness:

لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَنْ طَبَقٍ {84:19}

[Q84:19] Latarkabunna tabaqan 'an tabaq 
[Q84:19] You shall certainly travel from stage to stage (in this life and in the Hereafter).

 (see commentary for verse 16 & 17)

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(84:19) you shall proceed onwards from stage to stage. *11

*11 That is, "You will not remain in one and the same state, but will have to pass through countless stages gradually, from youth to old age, from old age to death, from death to barzakh (the intermediary state between death and Resurrection), from barzakh to Resurrections from Resurrection to the Plain of Assembly, then to the Reckoning, and then to the meting out of rewards and punishments. An oath has been sworn by three things to confine this:
(1) by the twilight, (2) by the darkness of night and the gathering together in it of aII those human beings and animals who remain scattered in the day time, AND (3) by the moon's passing through different phases to become full. These are some of those things which testify that rest and stillness is unknown in the universe in which man lives. There is a continuous and gradual change taking place everywhere. Therefore, the disbelievers are wrong in thinking that life comes to an end after man has breathed his last. 

فَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ {84:20}

[Q84:20] Famaa lahum laa yu’minoon 
[Q84:20]  What is the matter with them, that they believe not?

WITH SO MUCH OF THE GUIDANCE FROM HEAVEN THROUGH

1.        the wonderful manifestation of the Might, and the Wisdom and the Existence of ALLAH (SWT)

AND SO MUCH OF THE EXERTION TO BRING HOME TO MAN THE TRUTH,

2.        through a long line of ALLAH (SWT)’s inspired men, His apostles,

IF MAN STILL FAILS TO BELIEVE IN THE REALITY, IT IS NATURALLY A MATTER OF WONDER AND SURPRISE.

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(84:20) So, what is the matter with them that they do not believe,

وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ ۩ {84:21}

[Q84:21] Wa izaa quri'a 'alaihimul Quraanu laa yasjudoon 
[Q84:21] And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they fall not prostrate,

THE PROSTRATION means [1] respect [2] reverence and the [3] humble submission to ALLAH (SWT) ---

ß  Prostration on the part of the reciters of this verse is only ‘Sunnat’, traditional, and not ‘Wajib’, i.e., compulsory.

See also verses 7:206; 13:15; 22:77; and 32:15.

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(84:21) and when the Qur’an is recited to them, they do not prostrate *12 themselves?

*12 "They do not fall prostrate": they do not bow down to God out of fear of Him. To perform a sajdah (prostration) here is confirmed by the practice of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). lmam Malik, Muslim and Nasa'i have related a tradition concerning Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him>, saying that he recited this Surah in the Prayer and performing a sajdah here said: "The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) performed a sajdah at this point." Bukhari; Muslim, Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i have cited this statement of Abu Rafi`: "Hadrat Abu Huraira recited this Surah in the 'Isha' Prayer and performed a sajdah When I asked why he had done so, he replied: I prayed under the leadership of Abul Qasim (upon whom be Allah's peace) and he performed a sajdah here. Therefore, I will continue to perform this sajdah likewise as long as 1 live." Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and others have related another tradition saying that Hadrat Abu Huraira said: "We performed sajdah behind the Holy Messenger of Allah in this Surah and in Iqra' bi-ismi Rabbik-alladhi khalaq.

بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُكَذِّبُونَ {84:22}

[Q84:22] Balil lazeena kafaroo yukazziboon.
[Q84:22] Nay, (on the contrary), those who disbelieve, belie (Prophet Muhammad (pbuh & hp) and whatever he brought, i.e. this Qur'an and Islamic Monotheism, etc.).

NOTES FOR VERSES 22 to 24.

It is said that when the above said verse 21 was revealed, the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) went into prostration and the believers present there followed his example. The disbelievers got over the backs of the believers lying in prostration and standing on the heads began clapping their hands. It was then these verses were revealed.

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(84:22) Instead, the unbelievers reject it, calling it a lie.

وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُوعُونَ {84:23}

[Q84:23] WaLLaahu a’lamo bimaa yoo‘oon 
[Q84:23] And Allah knows best what they gather (of good and bad deeds),

 (see commentary for verse 22)

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(84:23) Allah knows best what they are accumulating (in their Record). *13

*13 Another meaning also can be: "Allah knows best what tilth of disbelief, malice, hostility to the Truth and evil intentions and designs they keep tilled in their breasts." 

فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ {84:24}

[Q84:24] Fabashshirhum bi’azaabin aleem. 
[Q84:24] So announce to them a painful torment.

 (see commentary for verse 22)

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(84:24) So give them the good news of a painful chastisement,

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ {84:25}

[Q84:25] illal lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati lahum ajrun ghairu mamnoon. 
[Q84:25] Save those who believe and do righteous good deeds, for them is a reward that will never come to an end (i.e. Paradise).

 (see commentary for verse 22)

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(84:25) except for those who believe and do good deeds. Theirs shall be an unending reward.

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