Surah Al-Inshiqaq – Abdullah Ibn Ali Basfar

Al-Inshiqaq ("The Sundering") is the 84th surah of the Quran, in the 30th juz. It is a Meccan surah of 25 verses, 83rd in the traditional order of revelation, after Al-Infitar. It describes the sky splitting and the earth stretched out in obedience to their Lord, reminds man that he is toiling toward his meeting with God, and contains a verse of prostration.

When the sky is split open and the earth is stretched out and casts forth what it holds, both obeying their Lord (84:1-5): O man, you are toiling steadily toward your Lord, and you will meet Him (84:6). Whoever is given his record in his right hand will have an easy reckoning; whoever is given it behind his back will cry out for destruction, for he thought he would never return to God (84:7-15).

An oath by the twilight, the night and the full moon announces that people will pass from stage to stage (84:16-19). Why then do they not believe, and why do they not prostrate when the Quran is recited to them? (84:20-21). Only those who believe and do good have an unfailing reward (84:25).

Verse 21 is a place of prostration of recitation for most jurists, though not in the prevailing Maliki view. Abu Hurayra prostrated there while leading the evening prayer and said he had done so behind the Prophet ﷺ (al-Bukhari, Muslim). With At-Takwir and Al-Infitar, it is one of the three surahs recommended to whoever wishes to see the Day of Resurrection as if with his own eyes (at-Tirmidhi, graded hasan).