Sūrat al-Inshiqāq

Sūrah No. 84. Revealed in Makkah, 25 verses.

Merits of reciting the Sūrah

The Prophet a has said: Whoever recites Sūrat al-Inshiqāq, Allah will save him from receiving his book from behind his back.

According to Imam al-Sadiq (a) in the book Thawab al-A’maal, there is great reward for reciting Sūrat al-Infitār and Sūrat al-Inshiqāq in obligatory and recommended prayers.

Note: Scholars indicate that this reward will be for those who do the tilāwah and implement the messages of the Sūrah in their actions.

General synopsis of contents

1) Events before the Day of Judgment (vv. 1-5)

2) Human beings receive the consequence of their deeds (vv. 6-15)

3) Oaths on the truth of the human being moving from stage to stage (vv. 16-19)

4) Actions of the disbelievers (vv. 20-23)

5) Punishment and reward in the hereafter (vv. 24-25)

Selected Lessons

1) Struggle is required to meet the Lord in a pure state.

2) Continuous merriment in this world and ignoring the hereafter will result in intense regret on the Day of Judgment.

3) Human beings go through various stages, in physical as well as spiritual development. There is constant change.

Suggested verses for reflection and memorization.

1) 84:6 O man, indeed you are laboring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet Him.

2) 84:7-9 – Then, as for him who is given his record [of deeds] in his right hand, he will receive an easy reckoning, and he will return to his folks joyfully.

3) 84:20 – What is the matter with them that they will not believe?

Activities for self-study

1) Compare Sūrat al-Infitār and Sūrat al-Inshiqāq and check the following in each:

a) The descriptions of the Day of Judgment

b) How Allah ‘azza wajall addresses the human being

c) Distress of the rejecters of faith on the Day of Judgment.