Tafseer of The Moon · Al-Qamar · 54:11
Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down
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.
The explanation of His — exalted is His mention — word: فَفَتَحْنَا أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍ ("So We opened the gates of heaven with water pouring down") (54:11).
The Exalted — exalted is His mention — says فَفَتَحْنَا ("So We opened"): when Nūḥ called upon Us seeking Our aid against his people, أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍ ("the gates of heaven with water pouring down") — and that is the water that pours itself out, as Imruʾ al-Qays said in the description of a rain-shower:
The east wind drove it back in the evening, then it poured itself down, within it a pouring downpour from the south wind.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, concerning بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍ ("with water pouring down"), he said: it pours itself down, gushing forth.
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The footnotes:
The verse is by Imruʾ al-Qays ibn Ḥujr, from a fragment of eight verses in which he describes a rain-shower (Mukhtār al-shiʿr al-jāhilī with the commentary of Muṣṭafā al-Saqqā, al-Ḥalabī edition 110–111). The commentator says: rāḥa: the cloud returned at the end of the day with the rain. Tamrīhi: he turns his back to it; its origin lies in marā al-ḍarʿ, namely stroking the udder by hand so that it gives milk. When the cold east wind strikes the cloud, it gathers and thickens and falls down as rain; then the south wind came to them, laden with rains from the Indian Sea, and added to this cloud yet another southern downpour, so that the rain doubled and poured itself down pouring forth. End [commentary]. The point of the evidentiary citation in the verse is that al-munhamir in His word "with water pouring down" means: that which pours itself out, which gushes down violently. End.
