Tafseer of Mary · Maryam · 19:90
The heavens almost rupture therefrom and the earth splits open and the mountains collapse in devastation
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
His statement: تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ ("The heavens are about to burst apart therefrom") — Allah, Exalted in His remembrance, says: The heavens are about to fall apart into pieces because of their claim: اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَنُ وَلَدًا ("The Most Merciful has taken a child"). From this verb one also says: "it burst open (faṭarnā bihi)" when something tears apart.
In accordance with what we have said about this spoke also the interpreters (ahl al-taʾwīl).
Mention of those who said this:
ʿAlī related to me — he said: ʿAbd Allāh related to us — he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his statement: تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنْشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا * أَنْ دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَنِ وَلَدًا — he said: "The ascribing of partners to Allah (shirk) has made the heavens, the earth, the mountains, and all creatures tremble with fear, except for the two weighty ones (al-thaqalayn: humans and jinn); and they were about to collapse because of the immensity of Allah. And just as the good deed of the polytheist (mushrik) does not benefit him alongside his shirk, so do we hope that Allah forgives the sins of those who affirm His Oneness (al-muwaḥḥidīn)." And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Prompt your dying ones to pronounce the testimony (shahāda) that there is no god but Allah; whoever pronounces this at the moment of his death, for him paradise (janna) is assured." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah, and whoever pronounces it in health?" He said: "That is even more assured and more assured." Then he said: "By Him in whose hand is my soul: if the heavens and the earths and what they contain and what is between them and what is beneath them were placed on one pan of a scale, and the testimony that there is no god but Allah on the other pan — then that pan would be heavier."
Al-Qāsim related to us — he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us — he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنْشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا — it has been mentioned to us that Kaʿb used to say: "The angels were thrown into panic and the Hellfire (jahannam) blazed fiercely when they said what they said."
His statement: وَتَنْشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ — that is to say: and the earth is about to tear apart and split therefrom. وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا — that is to say: and the mountains are about to come crashing down upon one another, collapsing. Al-hadd is the collapse; it is a verbal noun from hadadtu fa-anā ahuddu haddan.
In accordance with what we have said about this spoke also the interpreters (ahl al-taʾwīl).
Mention of those who said this:
ʿAlī related to me — he said: ʿAbd Allāh related to us — he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his statement: وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا — he said: "Collapse (hadman)."
Al-Qāsim related to us — he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us — he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj — he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا — he said: "Al-hadd is: the crashing down (al-inqiḍāḍ)."
Yūnus related to me — he said: Ibn Wahb informed us — he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning his statement: وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا — he said: "Out of anger for Allah." He said: "And indeed Allah called to repentance those who attributed this to Him — that for which the heavens, the earth, and the mountains became indignant because of their words — and invited them to it, and said: لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ — they said: He and His consort and His son; they made both of them gods alongside Him — وَمَا مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِلَّا إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ — up to His statement: وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَهُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ."
