(Revealed before Hijrah)

Date of Revelation and Context
Like the preceding three Chapters, the present one was revealed early at Mecca. These four Chapters very much resemble one another in style, composition and subject matter.  Noldeke and Muir agree with Muslim scholars about the early date of the revelation of this Surah. In fact, it completes the chain of Surahs of which the preceding three Chapters form the component parts. Towards the end of the last Chapter disbelievers were warned in emphatic terms that their power would break and their glory depart. In the present Chapter, however, it is stated that belief will take the place of disbelief and from the ruins of the old decadent and decrepit order a new, vigorous and vibrant order would emerge.

The Surah continues the theme of Surah AI-Infitar, the intervening Surah AI-Tatfif being merely its extension. Surah Al Infitar had opened with the subject of the cleaving asunder of the heaven; and the present Surah begins with an analogous expression, with this difference that whereas in Surah Al-Infitar the cleaving asunder of the heaven was connected with the false doctrines of Christianity, in the present Surah by the bursting asunder of the heaven is meant the descent of Divine revelation and the emergence and spread of spiritual sciences. Thus along with the three preceding Chapters, this Surah forms a chain of Chapters which deal with the subject of the renaissance of Islam in the Latter Days and with the sins and iniquities of the preceding period. It specifically deals with the renaissance of Islam while the preceding Chapters deal especially with Christian corruption and immorality.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم
[1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انشَقَّتْ
[2] When the heaven bursts asunder,[3297]

وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ
[3] And gives ear to her Lord[3298] — and this is incumbent upon her —

وَإِذَا الأَرْضُ مُدَّتْ
[4] And when the earth is spread out,[3299]

وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ
[5] And casts out all that is in her, and becomes empty;[3300]

وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ
[6] And gives ear to her Lord — and this is incumbent upon her —

يَاأَيُّهَا الإِنسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَى رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلاَقِيهِ
[7] Thou, O man, art verily labouring towards thy Lord, a hard labouring; then thou art going to meet Him.

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ
[8] Then as for him who is given his book of record in his right hand,

فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا
[9] He will soon have an easy reckoning,

وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا
[10] And he will return to his household, rejoicing.

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ وَرَاءَ ظَهْرِهِ
[11] But as for him who will have his book of record given to him behind his back,[3301]

فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُو ثُبُورًا
[12] He will soon call for destruction,[3302]

وَيَصْلَى سَعِيرًا
[13] And he will burn in a blazing Fire.

إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِي أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا
[14] Verily, before this he lived joyfully among his family.

إِنَّهُ ظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ يَحُورَ
[15] He indeed thought that he would never return to God.

بَلَى إِنَّ رَبَّهُ كَانَ بِهِ بَصِيرًا
[16] Yea! surely, his Lord sees him full well.

فَلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِالشَّفَقِ
[17] But nay! I call to witness the evening twilight,

وَاللَّيْلِ وَمَا وَسَقَ
[18] And the night and all that it envelops,

وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا اتَّسَقَ
[19] And the moon when it becomes full,[3303]

لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَنْ طَبَقٍ
[20] That you shall assuredly pass on from one stage to another.[3304]

فَمَا لَهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ
[21] So what is the matter with them that they believe not,[3305]

وَإِذَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ لاَ يَسْجُدُونَ
[22] And when the Qur’an is recited unto them, they do not bow down in submission;

بَلْ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُكَذِّبُونَ
[23] On the contrary, those who disbelieve reject it.

وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُوعُونَ
[24] And Allah knows best what they keep hidden in their hearts.[3306]

فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
[25] So give them tidings of a painful punishment.

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ
[26] But as to those who believe and do good works, theirs is an unending reward.

3297. The verse refers to the time when the gates of heaven will be thrown open and heavenly Signs in support of Islam will appear in large numbers and highly placed persons will begin to give serious thought to the revealed guidance.

3298. A new Adam will be born and the angels of the heaven will take their stand on his side, ready to help him in the furtherance and propagation of his Divine mission (69:18), because that is mainly the object of their creation and is their duty and obligation.

3299. The earth will get a new lease of life and the destruction which it had deserved on account of men's sins will be deferred; and new means will be provided for the spiritual progress of its dwellers. The verse may also signify that some planets which appear to pertain to the heaven will be discovered to form a part of the earth and men will try to reach them by means of rockets, etc. The word Mudda possesses all these meanings (Lane).

3300.  The earth will throw out its hidden treasures so abundantly that it would appear as if it was going to empty itself out.

3301. Those who had treated the Qur'an as a discarded thing (25:31).

3302. When a man is in extreme distress, he desires that death might end his life.

3303. The verses (17-19) contain a prophecy about the temporary decline of Muslims and their renaissance through the Great Deputy of the Holy Prophet-the Promised Messiah-who like the full moon was to reflect in his person fully and faithfully the glorious light of the Sun (the Holy Prophet).

3304. Muslims will pass through all the conditions referred to in the preceding verses.

3305. Why have the disbelievers, after having witnessed the fulfillment of the first two parts of the prophecy, despaired of the fulfillment of the third part? They have seen the ruddy glow of the sunset of Islam, followed by the darkness of spiritual night, and yet they do not believe that the moon of the 14th night will appear to dispel that darkness.

3306.  Disbelievers are warned that God knows well the animosity and malice they harbour in their hearts against God's Messenger; He also knows the secret plots they hatch to bring to naught his mission and his efforts to promote the cause of Truth.