In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Inshiqaq.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
When the sky has split asunder,
And has hearkened to its Lord and is bound to do so.
And when the earth has been extended,
“And hath cast out all that was in her, and is empty” (84:4)
And has hearkened to its Lord and is bound to do so.
When the sky cracks, breaks apart, and becomes like gateways.
The heavens, in their cracking and splitting, hear the command of their Lord.
They obey His command to them.
Allah has made it incumbent upon them to listen to the command to split.
And to submit to His obedience in that matter.
And when the earth is leveled and its expanse is increased.
The earth casts out what is in its belly—the dead—onto its surface, and empties itself of them unto Allah.
In casting out the dead from its belly onto its surface, the earth hears the command of its Lord and obeys.
Allah has made it incumbent upon it to listen to His command in that regard.
And to submit to His obedience.
“Thou, verily, O man, art working toward thy Lord a work which thou wilt meet (in His presence).” (84:6)
As for he who is given his record in his right hand,
“He truly will receive an easy reckoning” (84:8)
“And will return unto his folk in joy.” (84:9)
O mankind, indeed you are laboring toward your Lord with exertion and will meet Him.
Whether that labor of yours was good or evil.
He says:
Let your labor be that which saves you from His wrath and necessitates His pleasure for you.
And let it not be that which incurs His wrath upon you, for then you would perish.
As for he who is given his record of deeds in his right hand,
“He truly will receive an easy reckoning” (84:8)
He shall be examined regarding his deeds; his evil ones will be forgiven,
And he will be rewarded for his good ones.
This person, whose account is easy, will return to his family in Paradise rejoicing.
“But whoso is given his account behind his back,” (84:10)
He will cry out for destruction.
And will burn in a blazing fire.
“He verily lived joyous with his folk,” (84:13)
“He verily deemed that he would never return (unto Allah).” (84:14)
“Nay, but lo! his Lord is ever looking on him!” (84:15)
As for he who is given his record, O people, on that Day from behind his back,
This is because he placed his right hand toward his neck,
And placed his left hand behind his back,
So he receives his record with his left hand from behind his back.
He will call out for destruction,
Meaning he will say:
"Woe is me!"
And "Alas!"
And he will burn in a blazing fire,
Meaning they will enter it and be cast into it, burning therein.
Indeed, he had been among his people in the world rejoicing,
Because of his opposition to the command of Allah and his indulgence in His disobedience.
This person, who is given his record behind his back on the Day of Resurrection,
Thought in the world that he would never return to Us,
And would never be resurrected after his death.
Thus, he did not care what sins he committed,
Because he did not hope for a reward nor fear a punishment.
Rather, he thought we would not bring him back and return him to his Lord alive,
As he was before his death.
But indeed, the Lord of this one who thought he would not return,
Was ever All-Seeing of him while he was in the world, regarding the sins he committed,
And regarding what his affair would become in the Hereafter.
He is All-Knowing of all that.
So I swear by the twilight,
And by the night and what it envelops,
And by the moon when it becomes full,
You will surely experience state after state.
Our Lord swears by the redness in the horizon,
From the direction of the sunset.
And by the night and what it gathers,
Of all that dwells and settles within it, from every creature that flies,
Or crawls by day.
And by the moon when it is complete and perfected.
You, O Muhammad, will surely experience state after state,
And matter after matter of hardships.
The intent behind this,
Even though the address is directed to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Is all of mankind,
That they will encounter conditions of the hardships and terrors of the Day of Resurrection.
“What aileth them, then, that they believe not” (84:20)
And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate.
But those who disbelieve deny.
“And Allah knoweth best what they are hiding.” (84:23)
So give them tidings of a painful punishment.
“Save those who believe and do good works, for theirs is a reward unfailing.” (84:25)
Why do these polytheists not believe in the oneness of Allah?
And why do they not acknowledge the resurrection after death?
And when the Book of their Lord is recited to them, they do not humble themselves nor submit.
Rather, those who disbelieve deny the signs of Allah and His revelation.
Allah is most knowing of what the hearts of these polytheists conceal of denial regarding the Book of Allah and His Messenger.
So give tidings, O Muhammad, to these who deny the signs of Allah,
Of a painful, agonizing punishment for them with Allah.
Except for those among them who repent and believe,
And acknowledge His oneness and the prophethood of His Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,
And the resurrection after death,
And perform the obligatory duties of Allah,
And avoid committing what Allah has forbidden them.
For those who have believed and done righteous deeds,
There is a reward uninterrupted and undiminished.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.