It is derived from the word inshaqqat in the first verse. Inshaqqat is infinitive which means to split asunder, thereby implying that it is the Surah in which mention has been made of the splitting asunder of the heavens.
This too is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah. The internal evidence of its subject matter indicates that persecution of the Muslims had not yet started; however, the message of the Quran was being openly repudiated at Makkah and the people were refusing to acknowledge that Resurrection would ever take place when they would have to appear before their God to render an account of their deeds.
Its theme is the Resurrection and Hereafter. In the first five verses not only have the state of Resurrection been described vividly but an argument of its being true and certain also have been given. It has been stated that the heavens on that Day will split asunder, the earth will be spread out plain and smooth, and it will throw out whatever lies inside it of the dead bodies of men and evidences of their deeds so as to become completely empty from within. The argument given for it is that such will be the Command of their Lord for the heavens and earth; since both are His creation. they cannot dare disobey His Command. For them the only right and proper course is that they should obey the Command of their Lord.
Then, in vv. 6-19 it has been said that whether man is conscious of this fact or not, he in any case is moving willy nilly to the destination when he will appear and stand before his Lord. At that time all human beings will divide into two parts: first those whose records will be given in their right hands: they will be forgiven without any severe reckoning; second those whose records will be given them behind their back. They will wish that they should die somehow, but they will not die; instead they will be cast into Hell. They will meet with this fate because in the world they remained lost in the misunderstanding that they would never have to appear before God to render an account of their deeds, whereas their Lord was watching whatever they were doing, and there was no reason why they should escape the accountability for their deeds. Their moving gradually from the life of the world to the meting out of rewards and punishments in the Hereafter was as certain as the appearance of twilight after sunset, the coming of the night after the day, the returning of men and animals to their respective abodes at night, and the growing of the crescent into full moon.
In conclusion, the disbelievers who repudiate the Quran instead of bowing down to God when they hear it, have been forewarned of a grievous punishment and the good news of limitless rewards has been given to the believers and the righteous.
Maududi
Bismi Allahi alrrahmani alrraheemi
84 : 1
1. Itha alssamao inshaqqat
When the sky is torn asunder, -
84 : 2
2. Waathinat lirabbiha wahuqqat
And acquiesces to her Lord in total submission, -
84 : 3
3. Wa-itha al-ardu muddat
And when the earth is stretched, -
84 : 4
4. Waalqat ma feeha watakhallat
And has evacuated all that which is buried inside and has become empty,
84 : 5
5. Waathinat lirabbiha wahuqqat
And acquiesces to her Lord in total submission!
84 : 6
6. Ya ayyuha al-insanu innaka kadihun ila rabbika kadhan famulaqeehi
O man! Verily you will run to meet your Lord and face your deeds in His presence!
84 : 7
7. Faama man ootiya kitabahu biyameenihi
Then whoever is given his account to be held in his right hand -
84 : 8
8. Fasawfa yuhasabu hisaban yaseeran
For him the reckoning will be made easy, -
84 : 9
9. Wayanqalibu ila ahlihi masrooran
And he will return to his folk blissful!
84 : 10
10. Waamma man ootiya kitabahu waraa thahrihi
But whoever is given his account to be held behind his back, -
84 : 11
11. Fasawfa yadAAoo thubooran
Verily he will wish to be struck down, -
84 : 12
12. Wayasla saAAeeran
And will be cast in the fierce flames!
84 : 13
13. Innahu kana fee ahlihi masrooran
Verily he had a comfortable life along with his folk, -
84 : 14
14. Innahu thanna an lan yahoora
And verily he believed that he would never return!
84 : 15
15. Bala inna rabbahu kana bihi baseeran
But the truth is, his Lord has indeed been constantly perusing him!
84 : 16
16. Fala oqsimu bialshshafaqi
I swear by the twilight of dusk, -
84 : 17
17. Waallayli wama wasaqa
And by the night and all that which it conceals in its dark layers, -
84 : 18
18. Waalqamari itha ittasaqa
And by the moon when her orb is at its fullest, -
84 : 19
19. Latarkabunna tabaqan AAan tabaqin
That you will surely journey on from one level to another level!
84 : 20
20. Fama lahum la yu/minoona
What then is wrong with them that they do not believe -
84 : 21
21. Wa-itha quri-a AAalayhimu alqur-anu la yasjudoona
And, when the Qur'aan is recited to them, they do not prostrate before Allah?
84 : 22
22. Bali allatheena kafaroo yukaththiboona
But on the contrary, those who disbelieve persist with their repudiations regardless!
84 : 23
23. WaAllahu aAAlamu bima yooAAoona
And Allah is well aware of what they hide in their heart!
84 : 24
24. Fabashshirhum biAAathabin aleemin
So convey to them the warning of an acerbic doom!
84 : 25
25. Illa allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati lahum ajrun ghayru mamnoonin
Except those who believe and perform righteous deeds, for theirs is an infinite reward! (R)
1. When the heaven is split asunder,
2. And listens and obeys its Lord, and it must do so;
3. And when the earth is stretched forth,
4. And has cast out all that was in it and became empty,
5. And listens and obeys its Lord, and it must do so;
6. O man! Verily, you are returning towards your Lord with your deeds and actions (good or bad), a sure returning, so you will meet (i.e. the results of your deeds which you did).
7. Then, as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand,
8. He surely will receive an easy reckoning,
9. And will return to his family in joy!
10. But whosoever is given his Record behind his back,
11. He will invoke (his) destruction,
12. And shall enter a blazing Fire, and made to taste its burning.
13. Verily, he was among his people in joy!
14. Verily, he thought that he would never come back (to Us)!
15. Yes! Verily, his Lord has been ever beholding him!
16. So I swear by the afterglow of sunset;
17. And by the night and whatever it gathers in its darkness;
18. And by the moon when it is at the full,
19. You shall certainly travel from stage to stage (in this life and in the Hereafter).
20. What is the matter with them, that they believe not?
21. And when the Qur'ân is recited to them, they fall not prostrate,
22. Nay, (on the contrary), those who disbelieve, belie (Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and whatever he brought, i.e. this Qur'ân and Islâmic Monotheism, etc.).[]
23. And Allâh knows best what they gather (of good and bad deeds),
24. So announce to them a painful torment.
25. Save those who believe and do righteous good deeds, for them is a reward that will never come to an end (i.e. Paradise).
084.001
YUSUFALI: When the sky
is rent asunder,
PICKTHAL: When the
heaven is split asunder
SHAKIR: When the
heaven bursts asunder,
084.002
YUSUFALI: And hearkens
to (the Command of) its Lord, and it must needs (do so);-
PICKTHAL: And
attentive to her Lord in fear,
SHAKIR: And obeys its
Lord and it must.
084.003
YUSUFALI: And when the
earth is flattened out,
PICKTHAL: And when the
earth is spread out
SHAKIR: And when the
earth is stretched,
084.004
YUSUFALI: And casts
forth what is within it and becomes (clean) empty,
PICKTHAL: And hath
cast out all that was in her, and is empty
SHAKIR: And casts
forth what is in it and becomes empty,
084.005
YUSUFALI: And hearkens
to (the Command of) its Lord,- and it must needs (do so);- (then will come Home
the full reality).
PICKTHAL: And
attentive to her Lord in fear!
SHAKIR: And obeys its
Lord and it must.
084.006
YUSUFALI: O thou man!
Verily thou art ever toiling on towards thy Lord- painfully toiling,- but thou
shalt meet Him.
PICKTHAL: Thou,
verily, O man, art working toward thy Lord a work which thou wilt meet (in His
presence).
SHAKIR: O man! surely
you must strive (to attain) to your Lord, a hard striving until you meet Him.
084.007
YUSUFALI: Then he who
is given his Record in his right hand,
PICKTHAL: Then whoso
is given his account in his right hand
SHAKIR: Then as to him
who is given his book in his right hand,
084.008
YUSUFALI: Soon will
his account be taken by an easy reckoning,
PICKTHAL: He truly
will receive an easy reckoning
SHAKIR: He shall be
reckoned with by an easy reckoning,
084.009
YUSUFALI: And he will
turn to his people, rejoicing!
PICKTHAL: And will
return unto his folk in joy.
SHAKIR: And he shall
go back to his people joyful.
084.010
YUSUFALI: But he who
is given his Record behind his back,-
PICKTHAL: But whoso is
given his account behind his back,
SHAKIR: And as to him
who is given his book behind his back,
084.011
YUSUFALI: Soon will he
cry for perdition,
PICKTHAL: He surely
will invoke destruction
SHAKIR: He shall call
for perdition,
084.012
YUSUFALI: And he will
enter a Blazing Fire.
PICKTHAL: And be
thrown to scorching fire.
SHAKIR: And enter into
burning fire.
084.013
YUSUFALI: Truly, did
he go about among his people, rejoicing!
PICKTHAL: He verily
lived joyous with his folk,
SHAKIR: Surely he was
(erstwhile) joyful among his followers.
084.014
YUSUFALI: Truly, did
he think that he would not have to return (to Us)!
PICKTHAL: He verily
deemed that he would never return (unto Allah).
SHAKIR: Surely he
thought that he would never return.
084.015
YUSUFALI: Nay, nay!
for his Lord was (ever) watchful of him!
PICKTHAL: Nay, but lo!
his Lord is ever looking on him!
SHAKIR: Yea! surely
his Lord does ever see him.
084.016
YUSUFALI: So I do call
to witness the ruddy glow of Sunset;
PICKTHAL: Oh, I swear
by the afterglow of sunset,
SHAKIR: But nay! I
swear by the sunset redness,
084.017
YUSUFALI: The Night
and its Homing;
PICKTHAL: And by the
night and all that it enshroudeth,
SHAKIR: And the night
and that which it drives on,
084.018
YUSUFALI: And the Moon
in her fullness:
PICKTHAL: And by the
moon when she is at the full,
SHAKIR: And the moon
when it grows full,
084.019
YUSUFALI: Ye shall
surely travel from stage to stage.
PICKTHAL: That ye
shall journey on from plane to plane.
SHAKIR: That you shall
most certainly enter one state after another.
084.020
YUSUFALI: What then is
the matter with them, that they believe not?-
PICKTHAL: What aileth
them, then, that they believe not
SHAKIR: But what is
the matter with them that they do not believe,
084.021
YUSUFALI: And when the
Qur'an is read to them, they fall not prostrate,
PICKTHAL: And, when
the Qur'an is recited unto them, worship not (Allah)?
SHAKIR: And when the
Quran is recited to them they do not make obeisance?
084.022
YUSUFALI: But on the
contrary the Unbelievers reject (it).
PICKTHAL: Nay, but
those who disbelieve will deny;
SHAKIR: Nay! those who
disbelieve give the lie to the truth.
084.023
YUSUFALI: But Allah
has full knowledge of what they secrete (in their breasts)
PICKTHAL: And Allah
knoweth best what they are hiding.
SHAKIR: And Allah
knows best what they hide,
084.024
YUSUFALI: So announce
to them a Penalty Grievous,
PICKTHAL: So give them
tidings of a painful doom,
SHAKIR: So announce to
them a painful punishment~
084.025
YUSUFALI: Except to
those who believe and work righteous deeds: For them is a Reward that will never
fail.
PICKTHAL: Save those
who believe and do good works, for theirs is a reward unfailing.
SHAKIR: Except those
who believe and do good; for them is a reward that shall never be cut off.