Tafseer of Surat Al-'Inshiqāq (The Sundering)
From Tafseer Namuneh by Ayatullah Naser Makarem Shirazi
Translated into English by Fatima Zabeth beenesh
In the beginning of Sura e Inshiqaq it indicated about the terrific and weird events of the end of the universe and said:
ÅöÐóÇ ÇáÓøóãóÇÁ ÇäÔóÞøóÊú (84:1
When the sky (heavenly bodies) gets split up the heavenly bodies and spheres will disjoin, get collapsed and the organization of the stars will disintegrate and disarranged. It is the declaration of the world’s end and its destruction.
Then it adds: get submitted to the command of the bountiful and generous God and He deserves to be like that (submitted to his commands).
æóÃóÐöäóÊú áöÑóÈøöåóÇ æóÍõÞøóÊú (84:2
One must not think that the sky with all its grandeur will not oppose with a single sign in front of the divine command. The sky is like a complete obedient and submissive slave before the command of Merciful God.
ÃóÐöäóÊú is taken from the word ÃóÐöäó that means ears or to hear and to be receptive and responsive.
ÍõÞøóÊú is taken from the mother word ÍÞ which means worthy and deserving.
How it could not be submissive? When every favor of the God, the Maintainer and the Protector, is reaching him every moment. And if the God gets disconnected for a moment with the man, man will be shattered and destroyed.
Yea the earth and the sky are not only in the beginning of the creation were obedient to the God according to the ayat 11 Surat Fuşşilat (Explained in Detail) - ÓæÑÉ ÝáÊ they will be under the command of God till the end of the life.
Ëõãøó ÇÓúÊóæóì Åöáóì ÇáÓøóãóÇÁ æóåöíó ÏõÎóÇäñ ÝóÞóÇáó áóåóÇ æóáöáúÃóÑúÖö ÇöÆúÊöíóÇ ØóæúÚðÇ Ãóæú ßóÑúåðÇ ÞóÇáóÊóÇ ÃóÊóíúäóÇ ØóÇÆöÚöíäó (41:11)
41:11
Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly."
In the next stage it is expressed the condition of the earth and said: at that moment the earth will get vast and stretched.
By the witness of many ayaat, the mountains will get dispersed and removed. The entire ups and downs will vanish away; the earth will become even and extended for the assemblage of human beings in the scene of the resurrection day. Same thing is mentioned in the ayaat as follows:
æóíóÓúÃóáõæäóßó Úóäö ÇáúÌöÈóÇáö ÝóÞõáú íóäÓöÝõåóÇ ÑóÈøöí äóÓúÝðÇ (20:105)
20:105
And they ask you concerning the mountains, say; "My Lord will blast them and scatter them as particles of dust.
ÝóíóÐóÑõåóÇ ÞóÇÚðÇ óÝúóÝðÇ (20:106)
20:106
And He will leave the earth a level plain;
áóÇ ÊóÑóì ÝöíåóÇ ÚöæóÌðÇ æóáóÇ ÃóãúÊðÇ (20:107)
20:107
You will see therein nothing crooked or curved."
That kind of massive tribunal (court) will be formed for the first to the last man of the creation. This kind of gathering needs such vast landscape. Some said the meaning of this ayat is that: The sovereign Lord Almighty will make the present earth very much vast than its present size, to prepare it for the assembling and resurrection of the creatures of the Holy God, the source of the peace.
In the third phase it adds:
æóÃóáúÞóÊú ãóÇ ÝöíåóÇ æóÊóÎóáøóÊú (84:4)
84:4
And has cast out all that was in it and became empty,
The meaning of the ayat among the interpreters is famous. All the dead bodies lying in the graves and relaxing under the earth, all at a same time, the earth throw them entirely outside and the earth will wear the garment of life again.
Some of the scholars explained: besides the human beings the mines and treasures which are concealed in the earth. They too will be thrown out and everything under the earth will get empty and peaceful.
Then continued its words and adds: The earth will get submissive to God and it is beneficial for it (the earth) to be submissive and obedient.
æóÃóÐöäóÊú áöÑóÈøöåóÇ æóÍõÞøóÊú (84:5
This magnanimous event occurs by the complete submission of the entire creation. From one side it is mentioning the mortality of the earth, sky, human beings, and treasures and from the other side it refers and proves the point where a new and a fresh life starts again in the creation.
And in the third juncture it includes, the signs of the power of the guardian, the defeater God who is never defeated. He prevails upon everything and evident specifically on the judgment day.
Yea when these events happens human being will see the result of his evil and virtues deeds.
Then addressed the human being and made clear that his future is in front of him and said: O man by bearing lot of pains, discomfort and endeavors the people are proceeding towards God, the guardian of faith and the creator of power. He will turn over the entities, the entire existence and finally you will meet him.
íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáúÅöäÓóÇäõ Åöäøóßó ßóÇÏöÍñ Åöáóì ÑóÈøößó ßóÏúÍðÇ ÝóãõáóÇÞöíåö (84:6)
˜ÏÍ means endeavor, efforts with pains and hardships which has its effects on the body and soul. This ayat indicates the basic and elementary roots of human existence that the life is continuously blended with agony and labor; even if the aim is to reach the worldly commodities leave aside the struggle to attain the eternal bliss, esteem and treasures of hereafter. This is the nature of the world, even those people who has fully lavish and extravagant life; they too are not away from the pains, torments and difficulties of life. Yea the comfort without the pain is only obtainable in that world only. We all are the travelers of abode of love and we did not come to get the loving gestures of the countenance of the beloved (without undergoing any pain).
Surat An-Najm (The Star) - ÓæÑÉ ÇáäÌã
æóÃóäøó Åöáóì ÑóÈøößó ÇáúãõäÊóåóì (53:42)
53:42
And that to your Lord (Allah) is the End (Return of everything).
Surat Fāţir (Orignator) - ÓæÑÉ ÝÇØÑ
æóÅöáóì Çááøóåö ÇáúãóöíÑõ (35:18)
35:18
And to Allah is the (final) Return (of all).
Here the people are divided between two groups as it is mentioned: However the person whose book of deeds was given into his right hand
ÝóÃóãøóÇ ãóäú ÃõæÊöíó ßöÊóÇÈóåõ Èöíóãöíäöåö (84:7
Soon the account of justification will become smooth and comfortable for him.
ÝóÓóæúÝó íõÍóÇÓóÈõ ÍöÓóÇÈðÇ íóÓöíÑðÇ (84:8
Gleefully and overjoyed they return to their family and household.
æóíóäÞóáöÈõ Åöáóì Ãóåúáöåö ãóÓúÑõæÑðÇ (84:9
They are the people who are moving in the principal orbit of the creation in which the Mighty and Compassionate God had provided for them the wealth and the power. Their struggle and efforts is continues in the way of God and their movement and endeavor is towards the Majestic and all aware God. There the deeds file is given to their right hand. It is the sign of their pure act, right believe, salvation and liberation on the judgment day. And originates for them elation and exaltation before the multitude mob of the resurrection.
When they are placed before the scale of justice, the scale measures the smallest deed. And the All Forgiving and Benevolent God will make the accounts easy for them and forgive their deviations and mistakes. For the right believe and the right deed he transform their ill deeds to good acts.
ÍöÓóÇÈðÇ íóÓöíÑðÇ what is the meaning of this? Some said, It is the easy and smooth account and calculation in which there is no severity and minuteness. To forgive the bad deeds and reward for the Good acts.
In a narration from the honorable and generous prophet we read as he said: if three things are present in a person his calculation of deeds and its accounts will get easy and convenient with all the mercy and grace of Mighty God. And he bless him entrance in the heaven.
They asked him: O prophet of Almighty God, the Guardian, what are those three things?
He replied: 1- To grant to the person who deprived you 2- Establish your link with the person who had cut off relation with you and dropped you out. 3- To forgive the person who had oppressed upon you.
The result is acquired from the narrations that severity and accuracy will happen though the accounts of deeds which depends upon the wisdom and knowledge of the people. Hence Imam Baqir alaihis salam stated: The most high and sublime God in counting and the calculating the acts of the person on the day of resurrection. He shows his severity and accuracy in the account of the deeds according to their wisdom which is blessed to them in the world.
A marvelous hadith
A narration from the amir mominan the leader of the true believers hazrat Ali alaihis salam in interpretation of the ayat:
ÅöÐóÇ ÇáÓøóãóÇÁ ÇäÔóÞøóÊú (84:1
As he mentioned the heavenly bodies will get apart from the Galaxy. This narration is meaningful, delicate and precise. The scientists of celestial bodies (Astronomers) by their observation of the total galaxies from the stars to the solar system with the help of the massive and strong telescopes stated them as the cities of the stars. The galaxy of the Milky Way is observable that is a great circle of all the stars and the heavenly systems. They are so much far away from us that we see all those stars as the white cloud but in reality they are total bright stars close to each other.
In a meaningful hadees from hazrat Ali alaihis salam we read: There is no ease and comfort at all in this world for the human kind. Contentment and prosperity is only present in the heaven. The pain and hardship of the worldly life is created for the heavenly people. For this reason the people of the world, each and every body had in his hands, the standard of its measuring unit of deeds. He gets here double of the greed than his destiny and those who have more of this worldly life they are poorer. As they need others to look after and protect their valuables and wealth. They need much more provisions to protect it therefore there is no pleasure in the worldly affluences.
Imam Ali alaihis salam related this hadees: The friend of the Merciful God, in this world never undergo the pains and toil to get the world but they tolerate the pains in this world only to acquire the hereafter.
Those who take their deeds file from the back side out of shame
These ayaat speaks about the infidels, the criminals and the quality of their deeds file and in the beginning mentioned: But the one whose deed file is given from his back side.
æóÃóãøóÇ ãóäú ÃõæÊöíó ßöÊóÇÈóåõ æóÑóÇÁ ÙóåúÑöåö (84:10
Soon he will cry, woe upon me, I am destroyed.
ÝóÓóæúÝó íóÏúÚõæ ËõÈõæÑðÇ (84:11
He will be burnt into the flames of fire
æóíóúáóì ÓóÚöíÑðÇ (84:12
The interpreters defined variedly how the deed file is given in the hands from the back side and how this ayat and other ayaat said their deeds file will be given to their left hand.
Some said: Their right hand will be tied on their necks with the chain and the deeds file will be given into their left hand from the back side and it is the sign of insult, shame and disgrace.
Some other said: According to the ayat 47 Sura e Nisa
ãøöä ÞóÈúáö Ãóä äøóØúãöÓó æõÌõæåðÇ ÝóäóÑõÏøóåóÇ Úóáóì ÃóÏúÈóÇÑöåóÇ 
Before abolishing their face bring their faces to the back side.
The faces of these evil doers will be bought to their back side and personally they will be made to read the deed file. Hence they are given into their left hand from the back side.
But it is appropriate to mention that the people of the right hand with honor, elation and dignity hold their deed file into their right hand and say loudly: O people come and take our file of deeds and read.
ÝóÃóãøóÇ ãóäú ÃõæÊöíó ßöÊóÇÈóåõ Èöíóãöíäöåö ÝóíóÞõæáõ åóÇÄõãõ ÇÞúÑóÄõæÇ ßöÊóÇÈöíåú (69:19)
69:19
Now as for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand, he will exclaim: "Come you all!" Read this my record!
When the deeds file is given to the left hand of the evil doers they, with shame and humility, bring their hand with that file to their back side so that it is seen less by the others but of no veil, nothing is concealable on that day.
The words íóÏúÚõæ ËõÈõæÑðÇ( (84:11indicates that when the Arabs express it at the time of the outbreak of mishap and cry ËõÈõæÑðÇ æÇ . This wailing will be of no use and it will not reach anywhere which means woe to me I am destroyed. ËõÈõæÑðÇ Means to destroy. But this cry, wailing and moaning will not reach anywhere and behind it there is æóíóúáóì ÓóÚöíÑðÇ a torrid and a blazing fire.
Then it mentioned the cause of the sinner’s ghastly destiny and said: It is for the reason that he was incessantly returning to his family and friends happy with whatever committed in his infidelity and sins.
Åöäøóåõ ßóÇäó Ýöí Ãóåúáöåö ãóÓúÑõæÑðÇ (84:13
The happiness combined with pride. The pride blended with ignorance and ignorance mixed with disregards towards God. The joy and delight which was due to sheer attachment to the world and no concern for the life after death.
It is evident that the happiness and glee is not disagreeable and faulty by nature but the believer must be mirthful by the kindness of the benevolent God and he must be cheerful and jolly in association with the people. The joy which makes one ignores and neglects the God and begins to sink the man in the lustful and lecherous life is prohibited.
And hence it adds: this is because he was thinking he will never return and there was no resurrection going to happen.
Åöäøóåõ Ùóäøó Ãóä áøóä íóÍõæÑó (84:14
To the extent of mocking the prophets and when he was returning to his home he was extremely delighted and overjoyed by his ridiculous and rustic attitude.
In the story of Qaroon the rich, arrogant and ignore of the Merciful God, to whom the knowledgeable people of Bani Israel used to say, as mentioned in Quran:
Surat Al-Qaşaş (The Stories) - ÓæÑÉ ÇáÞ
Åöäøó ÞóÇÑõæäó ßóÇäó ãöä Þóæúãö ãõæÓóì ÝóÈóÛóì Úóáóíúåöãú æóÂÊóíúäóÇåõ ãöäó ÇáúßõäõæÒö ãóÇ Åöäøó ãóÝóÇÊöÍóåõ áóÊóäõæÁõ ÈöÇáúÚõúÈóÉö Ãõæáöí ÇáúÞõæøóÉö ÅöÐú ÞóÇáó áóåõ Þóæúãõåõ áóÇ ÊóÝúÑóÍú Åöäøó Çááøóåó áóÇ íõÍöÈøõ ÇáúÝóÑöÍöíäó (28:76)
28:76
Verily, Quran (Korah) was of Musa's (Moses) people, but they behaved arrogantly towards him. And we gave him of the treasures, that of which the keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men. When his people said to him: "Do not be glad (with ungratefulness to Allah's Favors). Verily! Allah likes not those who are glad (with ungratefulness to Allah's Favors).
- áøóä íóÍõæÑóhe will never return back
This ayat indicates that not believing in the judgment day is the fountain head of ignorance, pride and getting contaminated in the sins.
In the last ayat to negate the wrong belief, said: His God the Sustainer is watching him.
Èóáóì Åöäøó ÑóÈøóåõ ßóÇäó Èöåö ÈóöíÑðÇ (84:15
Recorded and saved all his deeds in the file to count them on the day of resurrection.
íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáúÅöäÓóÇäõ Åöäøóßó ßóÇÏöÍñ Åöáóì ÑóÈøößó ßóÏúÍðÇ ÝóãõáóÇÞöíåö (84:6)
84:6
O mankind, indeed you are laboring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet it.
The perfect expedition of man ÓیÑʘÇãá in the way of the Sovereign Lord, Allah which never can be stopped by death and the life of this world, is very less to fulfill this expedition (to reach the perfection).
And the Almighty God’s watching with power and irresistibility, to our deeds and he is saving and keeping them as a record. Certainly it is an initial stage of the accounts and their rewards else Mighty God’s keeping to watch the human’s deeds is of no use.
Constantly you change
It continued the previous discussion on the excursion in the way of perfection to reach the generous, great and all forgiving God. To emphasis upon that subject the noble Quran said:
ÝóáóÇ ÃõÞúÓöãõ ÈöÇáÔøóÝóÞö (84:16
I swear by the twilight of the sunset.
æóÇááøóíúáö æóãóÇ æóÓóÞó (84:17
I swear by the night whatever it gathers from the dispersed affairs.
æóÇáúÞóãóÑö ÅöÐóÇ ÇÊøóÓóÞó (84:18
I swear by the moon when it reaches to perfection and transforms into the full moon.
As you all change from one state to another state.
áóÊóÑúßóÈõäøó ØóÈóÞðÇ Úóä ØóÈóÞò (84:19)
ÔÝÞ
Means the light of the day mixed with the darkness of the night. Hence ÅäÔÞÇÞ gives the meaning of the favor mix with the fear for example: a person loves somebody but the same time he had the fear of an infliction, the beloved person may get and this state of mind is called ÅäÔÞÇÞ inshiqaq and the person is called ãÔÝÞ.
ãóÇ æóÓóÞ what does it means? æóÓóÞ means 1- to gather the disperse thing 2- the return of the birds, animals and even human beings to their abodes and nests at the sunset. As the result it is source of peace and comfort of the entire creatures. And it is counted as one of the most important source to get the secret of the night.
Çááøóåõ ÇáøóÐöí ÌóÚóáó áóßõãõ Çááøóíúáó áöÊóÓúßõäõæÇ Ýöíåö æóÇáäøóåóÇÑó ãõÈúöÑðÇ Åöäøó Çááøóåó áóÐõæ ÝóÖúáò Úóáóì ÇáäøóÇÓö æóáóßöäøó ÃóßúËóÑó ÇáäøóÇÓö áóÇ íóÔúßõÑõæäó (40:61)
40:61
IT IS GOD who has made the night for you, so that you might rest therein, and the day, to make [you] see. God is indeed limitless in His bounty towards the man - but most men are ungrateful.
The benevolent God is one who created the night for you to rest and be in peace.
ÅöÐóÇ ÇÊøóÓóÞó Gives the same meaning to gather and here it gives the meaning of the perfect light of the moon on the 14th night of the lunar month . As we know that on this night the moon has its own charm and luster. It attracts all the eyes towards itself, its light and shine covers the entire expanse of the earth. The pale light of full moon never disturbs the calmness of the night and even open the way for the travelers in the night. Hence it is the super manifestation of the dominant and merciful God.
The interesting thing here is that which points towards the constant change in the disposition of the nature that occurs in the universe. The Sun covers its face in the veil.
ÔÝÞ Which is the remaining light of the Sun. At the sunset, the existing creatures soon return to their dwelling place and the moon appears in its full display. Point to be noted that the full moon appears in the beginning of the night. All these vows were swore in to define the sentence áóÊóÑúßóÈõäøó ØóÈóÞðÇ Úóä ØóÈóÞò which mentioned that man faces and tolerates inconvenience and pain in the life to reach the perfection, such as
1 ØóÈóÞò here gives the meaning of the stages which the man precedes in the excursion towards the ascension.
2 It indicates towards the condition which the man goes from the state of foetus to the death. Some counted them that they have 37 conditions and stages.
3 The ayat pointed towards the various circumstances such as health, illness, delight, sorrows, comforts, hardships, war and peace which the man undergoes in the worldly life.
4 It means the diverse states and extremity which the Human being tolerates on the judgment day till he gets free from the accounts of the deeds and to reach the hell or the heaven due to the result of his or her deeds.
5 It states about the incidents happened upon the previous nations, sweet and bitter and the various kinds of the denials from the opponents which is mentioned in a narration from the Imam Jafar e Sadiq alaihis salam.
It proves the instability of the worldly life and the other sign is the perpetual movement of man towards God, the creator of the universe and the judgment day. As in the previous ayat it is mentioned:
íóÇ ÃóíøõåóÇ ÇáúÅöäÓóÇäõ Åöäøóßó ßóÇÏöÍñ Åöáóì ÑóÈøößó ßóÏúÍðÇ ÝóãõáóÇÞöíåö (84:6)
84:6
O mankind, indeed you are labouring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet it.
To reach a decision from the past discussion said: why they do not bring faith?
ÝóãóÇ áóåõãú áóÇ íõÄúãöäõæäó (84:20
The proves of the truth are clear and evident, the proof of the God’s unity, the piety and the judgment day, the manifestations of horizons which creates the day and the night, the moon, the sun, the light and the darkness, the sunset and the sunrise, the sunlight and the evening twilight, the concealment of night and the perfect bright moon. The indications of the human body’s creation from the period when the foetus lodges itself in the womb and by passing through the different stages, one after another it reaches the stage of perfection as an embryo.
Then from the moment of birth to death the man passes through different phases. With all these clear signs why the man did not bring faith?
Then from the book of genesis (creation) goes towards the book of organization and systematic arrangement and added: why when the Quran is read to them they do not prostrate in submissiveness and obedience.
æóÅöÐóÇ ÞõÑöÆó Úóáóíúåöãõ ÇáúÞõÑúÂäõ áóÇ íóÓúÌõÏõæäó (84:21
The Quran like the sun light is the proof of itself. The light of its miracles spreads from its different directions and the contents of Quran are bright and obvious proves that it is taken from the fountain head of the revelations.
Every just and neutral spectator of the noble Quran knows that it is impossible the Quran to be the creation of the human brains. That too then the prophet grew up in the period when the society was not literate, with dark environment full of superstitions.
Here by prostration it means to be obedient, submissive with humbleness.
In the next ayat it adds: But the infidels and unbelievers constantly denies the signs of the Almighty God, Resurrection and the Judgment day.
Èóáö ÇáøóÐöíäó ßóÝóÑõæÇú íõßóÐøöÈõæäó (84:22
But they stressed upon their denial, the persistence in their infidelity whose fountain head was enmity and ill feelings, the denial which was not due to the insufficient reason of truth but it was because of the intolerance and following blindly the traditions of their fore fathers to protect their material profits acquires freedom to satiate their lustful devilish desires.
Then in a warning tone said: God, the Exalter knows well whatever they conceal in their hearts.
æóÇááøóåõ ÃóÚúáóãõ ÈöãóÇ íõæÚõæäó (84:23
The Majestic God is well aware about their intentions and purposes. The motive of their persistent denial, as much they hide it, the Sublime God have the entire knowledge of it and finally He will definitely punish them all.
In the next ayat it is said: Give them the Good tiding of the torment.
ÝóÈóÔøöÑúåõã ÈöÚóÐóÇÈò Ãóáöíãò (84:24
The word ÈÔÇÑÊ is commonly used for the happy news but here it is used as sarcasm and taunt. In fact the good news of the vast favors of the heaven is for the believers so that the deniers in the hell sink in the sorrows and regrets.
In the end of the Sura describing the fate and the destiny of the virtues believers and said: but those who believe and performed the virtues deeds, for them is the nonstop rewards and without any reduction and compulsion.
ÅöáøóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÂãóäõæÇú æóÚóãöáõæÇú ÇáøóÇáöÍóÇÊö áóåõãú ÃóÌúÑñ ÛóíúÑõ ãóãúäõæäò (84:25)
ãóãúäõæäò is taken from the word ãä which means to stop or loss. As the favors of the hereafter unlike the attainments of the worlds which are baseless and full of short comings, often blended with unwanted inflictions, responsibilities and obligations. They do not decrease, diminish and die or have any bad results, they are eternal and without any harshness and debts.
Its main purpose is to turn back the infidels and unbelievers towards God by telling: this painful torment returns from those who believe, apologize God, repent and perform Good deeds and the great God, the Dominant give rewards to him constantly and endlessly.
O God, the Sustainer and the Provider, the day when the entire creation is present before your court of justice, make convenient the accounts of our deeds.
O God, the great, Just and high Judge, the way in which the believers move towards you, Guide and help us in this path.
O God the Protector and the Maintainer, we salute before the noble Quran with heartfelt respects. Please grant us the ability to follow rules of the holy Quran.
Ameen O the Provider of the Universe