Sūrat al-Inshiqāq
سورۃ الانشقاق
Sūrat al-Inshiqāq — revealed in Makka — it has twenty-five (25) verses.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انشَقَّتْ
idhā l-samāʾu nshaqqat.
"When the heaven shall be rent asunder." (al-Inshiqāq 84:1)
Idhā — when. Al-samāʾu — the sky, the heaven. Inshaqqat — shall be split, shall be rent; to become cleft — to be cut, to be split open.
Friends! The Arabic word samā in Arabic has two meanings — one is the sky, the other is the upper portion of everything — pas har ūpar kī chīz kā nām samā hay — the name for everything that is above is samā. Astronomers and Greeks understood this word to mean the spheres — some Muslims also took this idea from the philosophers and came to accept it according to the Qurʾānic context. The stars of the sky — zayyanā l-samāʾa l-dunyā bi-maṣābīḥ — the sky is adorned with stars — the sky is nearby us — the sky of this world — whose stars are closest to us — and to the extent of this world the sky is expansive — everything is an example of the ranks of the world. This world's rank is an example — and the world of witnessing (ʿālam-e shuhūd) is an example — and the world of souls (ʿālam-e arwāḥ) is an example of the highest sky — and the highest sky is itself an example of the ranks of the divine attributes of power (ʿālam-e ulūhiyyat). The order of the world will be broken — the world's order will be destroyed beforehand — this discussion has already taken place about the order of fanāʾ.
وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ
wa-adhināt li-rabbihā wa-ḥuqqat.
"And hearkened to its Lord — and it was right that it should do so." (al-Inshiqāq 84:2)
Wa-adhināt — and it lent its ear; it gave ear — lirabbiha — to its Lord — to God's command. Wa-ḥuqqat — and it was deserving of this — this sky was deserving of God's command — who can withstand God's command?
Death and life are both in Your lane — / To die in Your lane and to live in Your lane — (Ḥaḍrat Ṣiddīqī)
Translation: "And it (the heaven) obeyed (hearkened to) the command of God (its Lord and Sustainer) — and it was proper that it should do so (and the heaven was deserving of this)."
وَإِذَا الْأَرْضُ مُدَّتْ
wa-idhā l-arḍu muddat.
"And when the earth shall be stretched out." (al-Inshiqāq 84:3)
Wa-idhā l-arḍu — and when the earth. Muddat — shall be stretched, shall be spread flat — that is to say, the world's framework shall be broken apart.
Translation: "And when the earth shall be stretched out."
وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ
wa-alqat mā fīhā wa-takhallat.
"And cast out what is within it and became empty." (al-Inshiqāq 84:4)
Wa-alqat — and it threw out, cast out. Mā fīhā — that which is in it; whatever is in the earth — that which the earth contains — wa-takhallat — it shall become empty — it shall become vacant. In any case the earth shall throw out whatever it has — and (from the earth the lava emerges) because of the lava the earth shall become empty — this is all the signs of Qiyāma — and at the time of Qiyāma all people shall come out from the earth.
Translation: "And the earth shall cast out what is within it (that is, all the dead) and shall become empty."
وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ
wa-adhināt li-rabbihā wa-ḥuqqat.
"And hearkened to its Lord — and it was right that it should do so." (al-Inshiqāq 84:5)
Translation: "And it (the earth) obeyed (hearkened to) the command of God — and it was proper and deserving that it should do so."
يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَاقِيهِ
yā-ayyuhā l-insānu innaka kādiḥun ilā rabbika kadḥan fa-mulāqīh.
"O man! Verily you are striving towards your Lord with a striving — and you shall meet Him." (al-Inshiqāq 84:6)
Yā-ayyuhā l-insānu — O man, O human being. Innaka kādiḥ — without doubt you are striving with effort. Kādḥ — one who toils intensely, makes an arduous effort. Ilā rabbika — towards your Lord — by absolute compulsion, willingly or unwillingly — good people go before the divine court willingly — and bad people are sent without any intention or choice. Fa-mulāqīhi — then at all events you shall meet God — you shall encounter Him, you shall present your deeds to Him, you shall give account of your deeds.
Translation: "O man! You are striving towards your Lord — then surely you shall reach Him — and his meeting shall happen (you shall receive good reward and bad recompense)."
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ
fa-ammā man ūtiya kitābahu bi-yamīnih.
"Then as for him who is given his record in his right hand." (al-Inshiqāq 84:7)
Fa-ammā man — then as for him who — ūtiya — is given. Kitābahu — his record, his book of deeds. Bi-yamīnihi — in his right hand — in the right hand.
Translation: "Then as for the person who is given his book of deeds in his right hand."
فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا
fa-sawfa yuḥāsabu ḥisāban yasīrā.
"He shall be called to account with an easy reckoning." (al-Inshiqāq 84:8)
Fa-sawf — then presently. Yuḥāsab — he shall be called to account, he shall be reckoned with. Ḥisāban yasīrā — an easy accounting — meaning his book of deeds shall be shown to him and Allah Almighty shall say: "You did such-and-such — we have forgiven you."
Translation: "Then he shall be reckoned with an easy reckoning."
وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا
wa-yanqalibu ilā ahlihi masrūrā.
"And he shall return to his people rejoicing." (al-Inshiqāq 84:9)
Wa-yanqalib — and he shall return, he shall come back. Ilā ahlihi — to his own household, to his own family and dependants — when he returns to them, they shall be waiting to see him. Masrūrā — masrūr — joyful, happy — the happiness that wells up from the depths of the heart — bashārat — it is the happiness that appears on the face — the secret (sirr) — the wife who hides happy secrets —
Translation: "And he shall return to his own household overjoyed and happy."
وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ وَرَاءَ ظَهْرِهِ
wa-ammā man ūtiya kitābahu warāʾa ẓahrih.
"But as for him who is given his record behind his back." (al-Inshiqāq 84:10)
Wa-ammā man — and as for the person who — ūtiya kitābahu — is given his book of deeds. Warāʾa — behind; the word warāʾ is used for both behind and in front — ẓahrih — his back — the word ẓahr meaning behind — the phrase is used in both senses. Warāʾa ẓahrih — his back shall be turned aside — it shall be difficult for him to take his book of deeds — and he shall fail to take his book of deeds easily — he shall receive it from behind.
Translation: "Then the person whose book of deeds is given behind his back."
فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُو ثُبُورًا
fa-sawfa yadʿū thubūrā.
"He shall call out for destruction." (al-Inshiqāq 84:11)
Fa-sawf — then presently he shall. Yadʿū — he shall call out, he shall invoke. Thubūrā — destruction — calling for death. He shall invoke destruction — he shall wish for death to come — death shall be wished for — calling out "destruction is upon us" — but death shall not come — all efforts shall be unavailing.
Translation: "Then he shall call for death (death shall come to his aid — but death shall not come)."
وَيَصْلَىٰ سَعِيرًا
wa-yaṣlā saʿīrā.
"And he shall burn in a blazing fire." (al-Inshiqāq 84:12)
Wa-yaṣlā — and he shall enter, he shall be thrust in. Saʿīrā — blazing fire — into the fire of Hell.
Translation: "And he shall be thrown into the fire of Hell."
إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِي أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا
innahu kāna fī ahlihi masrūrā.
"Indeed he was living in joy among his family." (al-Inshiqāq 84:13)
Innahu — without doubt he. Kāna fī ahlihi — was among his own household. Masrūrā — joyful, happy and merry — in joy.
Translation: "He was (in the worldly life) living in joy and contentment among his household."
Friends! Two joys and two griefs cannot both gather at once — one who is joyful and merry in this world — in the afterlife they shall be disgraced and dishonoured. And those who were grieved and sad for God in this world — in the afterlife felicity shall be their portion.
إِنَّهُ ظَنَّ أَن لَّن يَحُورَ
innahu ẓanna an lan yaḥūr.
"Indeed he thought that he would never return." (al-Inshiqāq 84:14)
Innahu ẓann — without doubt he thought, he assumed. An lan yaḥūra — that he would never return — yaḥūr — to return — ḥaūr — yaḥūru — revolving — to return, to revert. Maḥwara — an axis, a pivot — the thing around which something revolves. That he would not return to (the divine court).
Translation: "He thought (understood) that he would never return (to the divine court)."
بَلَىٰ إِنَّ رَبَّهُ كَانَ بِهِ بَصِيرًا
balā inna rabbahu kāna bihi baṣīrā.
"Nay! Indeed his Lord was Ever-Watchful over him." (al-Inshiqāq 84:15)
Balā — why not! Certainly he shall return — to God's side he shall definitely go. Inna rabbahu — without doubt his Lord, his Sustainer. Kāna bih — was with him — regarding him. Baṣīrā — one who sees well, a watchful observer, a seer — God knew about him well (He was fully aware of him).
Translation: "Why not! His Lord was watching over him very well (He was fully aware of him)."
فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالشَّفَقِ
fa-lā uqsimu bi-l-shafaq.
"But nay — I swear by the twilight." (al-Inshiqāq 84:16)
Falā — but nay — here it can be taken as lā meaning no, and not swearing is also possible — fa-lā — the meaning of lā uqsimu is: swearing is not at all necessary — the matter is clear and evident and bad practices are also visible — therefore it is not necessary to swear. Yet according to Arabic rhetoric it is beautiful and evidence of the well-foundedness of the matter — therefore in this regard Imām al-Shāfiʿī and the Sunnī Ḥanbalī school who come after the Magrebi time — and Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and Ḥaḍrat Imām Abū Ḥanīfa al-Ṣafidī who say that after the setting of the sun, the rosy red glow vanishes — and Allah Almighty testifies to the setting and of the fourteen-night-moon by making the moon bear witness — the detail of this shall come ahead.
Translation: "But nay, the twilight shall bear witness."
وَاللَّيْلِ وَمَا وَسَقَ
wa-l-layli wa-mā wasaq.
"And by the night and what it envelops." (al-Inshiqāq 84:17)
Wa-l-layli — and the night. Wa-mā wasaqa — and all those things that hide in the darkness of night — whose light is extinguished — that is, the night that has gathered them, that has hidden them from view.
Translation: "And the night and all those things that are hidden in the darkness of night."
وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا اتَّسَقَ
wa-l-qamari idhā ttasaq.
"And by the moon when it becomes full." (al-Inshiqāq 84:18)
Wa-l-qamari — and the moon. Idhā ttasaqa — when it becomes full — ittasaqa — the act of becoming full; wassaqa — ittsāq — to become full, to become complete.
Translation: "And by the moon when it becomes full (this is the nature of people — some are full and some are not)."
Allah Almighty is narrating some properties of human kinds — which have nights — some hold fully and some hold averagely — and some hold the light at half — and there are at times three kinds of states a person passes through: (1) great troubles (aʿlā khaṭarāt) (2) ordinary troubles (maʿmūlī khaṭarāt) (3) higher affairs (bahttar khaṭarāt) — meaning God's bondspeople — some are always complete — and some maintain an average — and some remain — just like ordinary Muslims — and some are bad and worse — just like those who are deeply obstinate towards religion — Allah Almighty presents these things as evidence.
Now I give the commentary on these three verses:
Friends! Just look — there is the shafaq and we give testimony to it and all those things of the night that are hidden in the darkness of night. And when the moon becomes full — it is the nature of people.
لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَن طَبَقٍ
la-tarkabunna ṭabaqan ʿan ṭabaq.
"You shall surely travel from stage to stage." (al-Inshiqāq 84:19)
La-tarkabunna — you shall certainly ride, you shall pass through. Ṭabaqan ʿan ṭabaq — stage after stage — state to state — one state after another.
Translation: "O people! You shall pass from one state to another state."
فَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
fa-mā lahum lā yuʾminūn.
"So what has happened to them that they do not believe?" (al-Inshiqāq 84:20)
Fa-mā lahum — then what has happened to them. Lā yuʾminūn — they do not bring faith, they have no faith.
Translation: "Then what has happened to them that they do not bring faith."
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لَا يَسْجُدُونَ
wa-idhā quriʾa ʿalayhimu l-qurʾānu lā yasjudūn.
"And when the Qurʾān is recited to them they do not prostrate." (al-Inshiqāq 84:21)
Wa-idhā — and when. Quriʾa — it is recited. ʿAlayhimu l-qurʾānu — the Qurʾān upon them, upon them. Lā yasjudūn — they do not prostrate — they do not perform sajda.
Thus sajda has the literal meaning of bowing down and making the neck submissive — the meaning of sajda is the act of submission and bowing. Here — towards God — they do not incline and they are not humbled and submissive in their hearts and before God and in worship. Imām Abū Ḥanīfa is of the view that the sajda of this verse is wājib (obligatory) — and Imām al-Shāfiʿī and the Sunnat al-Qurʾān — here the meaning is: whenever any verse comes, there should be khushūʿ (submission) and khuḍūʿ (humility) in the heart and one should always be inclined towards listening to the Qurʾān and should not be averse — it is our farḍ (obligation) to surrender before His command and before it.
So then — read this and meditate upon it — the sajda you must perform here — the literal sajda means to perform sajda before it and the sajda of the Qurʾān means to put the alfāẓ (words) of the Qurʾān into practical observance — to act upon it in an obedient manner.
Translation: "And when the Qurʾān is recited to them they do not prostrate (neither in the literal nor in the spiritual sense are they inclined nor do they prostrate)."
بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُكَذِّبُونَ
bal al-ladhīna kafarū yukadhdhibūn.
"Rather, those who disbelieve are engaged in denial." (al-Inshiqāq 84:22)
Bal al-ladhīna — rather those people who. Kafarū — are disbelievers, are deniers — they do not accept. Yukadhdhibūna — they deny, they call it lies, they reject — they fabricate lies, they accuse of lying.
Translation: "Rather these disbelievers (the infidels and the deniers of the Prophet) are active in denial and accusation."
The disbelievers shall face their consequence — God's hand shall never let go of them wherever they flee.
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُوعُونَ
wa-llāhu aʿlamu bi-mā yūʿūn.
"And Allah knows best what they conceal in their hearts." (al-Inshiqāq 84:23)
Wa-llāhu — and Allah. Aʿlamu — knows well, knows better — fully knowing. Bi-mā yūʿūna — about the things that — wāʿā — yuʿṭī — yuʿṭā — to give, to grant — iʿṭāʾ — waʿāʾ — a vessel, a container — yuwaʿu — waʿā — to put into a vessel; to put, to retain — waʿā, meaning: to retain.
Translation: "And Allah has full knowledge of these things that they (the deniers) keep in their hearts."
فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
fa-bashshirhum bi-ʿadhābin alīm.
"So give them the glad tidings of a painful chastisement." (al-Inshiqāq 84:24)
Fa-bashshirhum — so give them the glad tidings. Bi-ʿadhābin alīm — of a painful chastisement — because it is not a glad tiding; it is ironic (istiʿāra-e taḥakkumiyya) — for the painful chastisement is not a joyful announcement (khushkhabarī) but rather a sorrowful one — of painful chastisement, of the torment of punishment, of grievous afflictions.
Translation: "So give them the announcement of a painful chastisement."
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ
illā l-ladhīna āmanū wa-ʿamilū l-ṣāliḥāti lahum ajrun ghayru mamnūn.
"Except those who believe and do righteous deeds — for them is a reward unceasing." (al-Inshiqāq 84:25)
Illā l-ladhīna āmanū — except those people who bring faith — the believers — Muslims. Wa-ʿamilū l-ṣāliḥāti — and do righteous deeds, appropriate works — for them. Lahum ajrun ghayru mamnūn — for them is a reward that shall not end — mann — yamnun — manat — minnī — manna — gratitude, favour, goodwill — mamnūn — mann — meaning the reward which shall not be cut off and shall not be contingent upon (anyone's) favour.
Translation: "Except those people who keep faith and do righteous deeds — their reward and recompense shall not be cut off and shall not be contingent."