Allah argues that the Day of Resurrection will come, as evidenced by natural phenomena that progress in stages. On that Day, the sky will split open and the earth will be leveled and empty out all buried remains. People will be judged based on their deeds - those who believed and did good will receive forgiveness, while disbelievers who rejected signs will face a painful punishment. The disbelievers deny the afterlife despite clear signs and progressing in stages like night and the moon, but Allah knows their deeds and they will be held accountable.

1. (85)
Surah Al-Inshiqaq
(85)

2. Introduction
The name of the surah means to split
asunder. It is referring to the splitting of the
heavens.
This is one of the earliest surahs to be
revealed in Makkah. The persecution of the
Muslims did not yet start when this surah was
revealed. However, the main message of the
Quran was clear to the public and people were
denying that Resurrection would ever occur.

3. Introduction (cont.)
The main theme of the surah is Resurrection
and Hereafter.
Allah argues that the day of Resurrection will
come.
The sky on that Day will split.
The earth will be spread out and flat
The earth will throw out whatever lies inside it
of the dead bodies of human beings and will
become completely empty within

4. Introduction (cont.)
Whether or not we are aware of it, we as well as
all human beings are moving towards our final
destination.
Every human being will be made to stand in front
of Allah and will be judged based on their deeds.
Human beings will be categorized into two parts:
1. those who will be given their record of deeds on
their right hand. They will be forgiven without any
severe reckoning.
2. those who will be given their record behind their
backs. These people will have a harsh fate.

5. Ayah One: When the sky is rent asunder Ayah
Two: and hearkens to the command of its Lord,
doing what it should;
As the DOJ approaches, Allah will command the
sky to split and it will do so.
This is the first sign of the Day mentioned in this
surah.

6. Ayah Three: and when the earth is stretched
out
This is the second sign that is menioned in this
surah.
The earth spreading out means:
The oceans and rivers will fill up
The mountains will be crushed into pieces and will scatter
away
The earth will be leveled and turned into a smooth plain

7. Ayah Four: and casts out what is within it and is
emptied,
The earth will throw out all the dead bodies in it
as well as all traces of their deeds that are lying
within the earth
Nothing will remain hidden or buried within the
earth

8. Ayah Five: and hearkens to the command of its
Lord, doing what it should.
All that the earth will do, it will do only because
Allah (swt) would command it to do so

9. Questions (Intro + 1-5)
1. What does the name of the surah mean?
2. During what time period was this surah
revealed?
3. What is the main theme of this surah?
4. What are the two categories of human
beings?
5. What is the first sign of the DOJ mentioned
in this surah?
6. What does it mean that the earth will
stretch out?
7. What will the Earth case out of it?

10. Ayah Six: O man, you are striving unto your
Lord and you will meet Him.
Whether we realize it or not, the more days we
live, the closer we are to our death and returning to
Allah.
No matter what we work towards, our end is the
same: we all go back to Who we came from

11. Ayah Seven: Whoever is given the Record in his right
hand Ayah Eight: shall be called to an easy
accounting. Ayah Nine: and shall return to his people
joyfully.
On that Day, there will be two groups of people.
The first group of people are the good people
who will be given their record or book of deeds in
their right hand.
They will be judged easily, as in their sins will be
overlooked since they overwhelmingly did good
and tried to do good in this life.
These people will be happy with their deeds and
excited to go back to others.

12. Ayah Ten: But he who is given the Record
behind his back, Ayah Eleven: shall cry for
“perdition” Ayah Twelve: and will enter the
Blazing Fire.
The second group of people are the bad,
disbelieving people who will be given their record
on their left but in shame will hide it behind their
back (this is one explanation of the verse)
Perdition means a death of their body and soul
These people will wish that they could die
They will be thrown into the Hellfire.

13. Ayah Thirteen: He used to live joyfully among
his people, Ayah Fourteen: thinking he would
never revert (to Us).
This is referring to the disbelieving people. They
lived their lives in this world however they wanted
and with no restrictions.
They committed sins without thinking that they
would ever have to answer for it.
However, they do.

14. Ayah Fifteen: But no; (how would he not
revert)? His Lord was ever watching him.
But these people were wrong.
Allah was watching them throughout their entire
life and knows what they did.
Without a doubt, He would bring justice.

15. Questions (6-15)
1. What does Allah say that all human beings
are striving towards?
2. Who will receive the book in their right
hand?
3. What does it mean to get an easy
reckoning?
4. Who will cry for perdition?
5. What does perdition mean?
6. How is it that the second group of people
will have their book behind their back? Why?
7. How did the disbelievers live in this life?

16. Ayah Sixteen: Nay; I swear by the twilight;
Ayah Seventeen: and by the night and what it
enfolds, Ayah Eighteen: and by the moon, when it
reaches its fullness:
Allah swears by passage of time: from the
twilight to the night and by the moon as it goes
through all of its stages
What Allah swears on is related to what He
swears that.
He says that human beings go through stages
the same way the things in this world goes through
stages.

17. Ayah Nineteen: you shall proceed onwards
from stage to stage.
Humans go through stages:
From our birth to the different stages of our life, to
death, to resurrection
The fact that everything goes in stages is a proof or
sign that we will get to the next stage after death:
resurrection.

18. Ayah Twenty: So, what is the matter with them that
they do not believe, Ayah Twenty-One: and when
the Quran is recited to them, they do not prostrate
themselves?
Allah is saying here that despite leaving signs on
the Earth for us to consider, why still is there so
many human beings that deny Him and the
Hereafter?
Why do these people not prostrate to Allah and
refuse to follow the Quran when it is recited to
them?

19. Ayah Twenty-Two: Instead, the unbelievers
reject it, calling it a lie.
Instead of following the Quran, they call it a lie.
They reject the teachings of Allah.

20. Ayah Twenty-Three: Allah knows best what
they are accumulating (in their Record).
Allah knows best about all the deeds the
disbelievers are doing, those that are public and
those that are hidden.
He will account them all to justice in the
Hereafter.

21. Ayah Twenty-Four: So give them the ngood ews of a painful
chastisement. Ayah Twenty-Five: except for those who believe
and do good deeds. Theirs be an unending reward.
For those people who reject the Quran and
continue living their lives doing evil, they will
receive the gravest punishment.
Allah is being sarcastic when He says “good
news”
The only ones who will be saved from such a
punishment will be the believers.
The reward will be eternal.

22. Questions (16-22)
1. What does Allah swear by and why?
2. What does Allah swear that?
3. What does Allah ask about the
disbelievers?
4. What news is to be given to both groups
of people?

23. Disclaimer
These slides are an abridged, simplified
version of tafseer. For detailed explanations,
please view other sources.