Surah Al-Inshiqaaq 84
سُورَةُ الانشِقَاقِ“The Splitting Open”25 Ayat
إِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ ٱنشَقَّتْ
When the sky has split [open]
وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ
And has responded to its Lord and was obligated [to do so]
وَإِذَا ٱلْأَرْضُ مُدَّتْ
And when the earth has been extended
وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ
And has cast out that within it and relinquished [it]
وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ
And has responded to its Lord and was obligated [to do so] -
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَٰقِيهِ
O mankind, indeed you are laboring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet it.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَٰبَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ
Then as for he who is given his record in his right hand,
فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا
He will be judged with an easy account
وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا
And return to his people in happiness.
وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِىَ كِتَٰبَهُ وَرَآءَ ظَهْرِهِ
But as for he who is given his record behind his back,
فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُوا ثُبُورًا
He will cry out for destruction
وَيَصْلَىٰ سَعِيرًا
And [enter to] burn in a Blaze.
إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِىٓ أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا
Indeed, he had [once] been among his people in happiness;
إِنَّهُ ظَنَّ أَن لَّن يَحُورَ
Indeed, he had thought he would never return [to Allah].
بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّ رَبَّهُ كَانَ بِهِ بَصِيرًا
But yes! Indeed, his Lord was ever of him, Seeing.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِٱلشَّفَقِ
So I swear by the twilight glow
وَٱلَّيْلِ وَمَا وَسَقَ
And [by] the night and what it envelops
وَٱلْقَمَرِ إِذَا ٱتَّسَقَ
And [by] the moon when it becomes full
لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَن طَبَقٍ
[That] you will surely experience state after state.
فَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
So what is [the matter] with them [that] they do not believe,
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ
And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah]?
بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُكَذِّبُونَ
But those who have disbelieved deny,
وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُوعُونَ
And Allah is most knowing of what they keep within themselves.
فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
So give them tidings of a painful punishment,
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ
Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds. For them is a reward uninterrupted.
The Prostration of Recitation in Surat Al-Inshiqaq
It is reported from Abu Salamah that while leading them in prayer, Abu Hurayrah recited,
إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انشَقَّتْ
(When the heaven is split asunder.) and he prostrated during its recitation. Then when he completed the prayer, he informed them that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prostrated during its recitation. This was recorded by Muslim and An-Nasa'i on the authority of Malik.
Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Rafi' that he prayed the Night prayer with Abu Hurayrah) recited,
إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انشَقَّتْ
(When the heaven is split asunder.) then he prostrated. So Abu Rafi' said something to him about it (questioning it). Abu Hurayrah replied, "I prostrated behind Abul-Qasim (the Prophet ﷺ), and I will never cease prostrating during its recitation until I meet him."
Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — the surah's virtues, naming and revelation context.