Themes and purpose:

This Makkan surah is dedicated to proving the certainty of the Resurrection and Judgment. It achieves this by describing the dramatic cosmic dissolution that precedes the Hour, questioning humanity's failure to prepare for the meeting with their Lord, and vividly contrasting the ease of the rewarded believer with the severe fate of the rejecter.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed to strongly affirm the reality of the Hereafter, which the polytheists consistently denied. The surah's recitation caused the early believers to perform a prostration.

Chronology: It is counted as the 83rd surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Infiṭār and before al-Rūm.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known both as "Sūrat al-Inshiqāq" (The Splitting Asunder) and "Sūrat Idhā al-samā’u inshaqqat" (When the Heaven is Split Asunder) due to its opening.

Important Feature: Its recitation includes a prostration [21], a practice attested to by the Prophet (ﷺ).

Ayah Count: 25 ayahs (Madinah/Makkah/Kūfah) or 23 (Baṣrah/Shām).

Surah Overview:

• Describing the cosmic collapse that signals the arrival of the Hour. [1-5]
• Establishing the reality of the Resurrection and the gathering of deeds. [6-12]
• The Journey to Allah: Warning humanity that their life is a continuous, hard struggle toward their Lord. [6]
• Detailing the two different ways humans receive their book of deeds (by the right hand or behind the back). [7-12]
• Contrasting the eternal pleasure of the righteous (who return to their families happily) with the torment of the wicked (who desired only worldly pleasure). [9, 13-15]
• Affirming that Allah is observant of all deeds and will bring them forth for judgment. [17-19]
• Concluding with a warning of the painful punishment for deniers and a promise of eternal reward for the believers. [22-25]