Al-Infitar 82:1 - Linguistic Miracle

When the sky tears apart

This surah again follows the same principle of advancing the subject and the object before the verb, against normal Arabic usage to denote how unusual all these things are. A better way to render it is, “When even the sky is torn.”

Allah uses the word Al -samāʾ for the sky, which is singular. Whereas, in other places of the Qurʾān, Allah has the plural Al Samawāt, for the heavens. Using Al -samāʾ here is to convey the ease and swiftness with which the sky will be torn apart. Secondly, the word Infiṭār is translated as “torn” but it has a very interesting root. It was used for tearing something apart but specifically, the very first cut that you made. For example, when someone started digging a well, the very first dig was called Fatr, from the same root.

The use of this word denotes two things. Firstly, the heavens will be torn apart easily and swiftly despite their vast size and solid structure. Secondly, because of this, they will be restored to their original, initial state that they were in before Allah put them in order. This represents a complete collapse and destruction of the heavenly structure.

This surah follows the same pattern of speech as the last one, starting in a similar manner with the events on judgment day. The difference between this and the last surah is only subtle. After the initial events of judgment day, the last surah described the truthfulness of the Qurʾān. After the truthfulness of the Qurʾān has been established, this surah mentions the salient and core message of the Qurʾān - that people will be taken to account for their actions because this is what justice entails. This is why Allah will use the word Dīn for the accounting of deeds on judgment day which means recompense and religion both, simultaneously.

This surah serves as a short simple treatise by the Qurʾān on why judgment day is necessary, and why without it, God is defective. People often speak of the problem of evil which is a legitimate concern only if one focuses on this life and does not believe in judgment day. Any religion that does not believe in the final reckoning falls flat in front of this argument.