Tafseer of The Beneficent · Ar-Rahmaan · 55:37
And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-colored like oil -
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.
He said: And His statement: ( And when the heaven is split asunder and becomes rosy-red like molten fat (red leather) ) — the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: and when the heaven is split asunder and bursts open, and that is on the Day of Resurrection, then its color will be the color of the reddish-rosy riding-horse.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of those who said that:
Sulaymān ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbār related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn al-Ṣalt related to us, saying: Abū Kudayna related to us, on the authority of Qābūs, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: ( and becomes rosy-red like molten fat ) — he said: like the reddish horse.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, His statement: ( And when the heaven is split asunder and becomes rosy-red like molten fat ) — he says: its color changes.
ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥaywiya related to us, saying: Shihāb ibn ʿAbbād related to us, saying: Ibrāhīm ibn Ḥumayd related to us, on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ, concerning His statement: ( rosy-red like molten fat ) — he said: like the color of the reddish riding-horse, and thereafter it becomes like molten fat.
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His statement: ( and becomes rosy-red like molten fat ) — he says: the heaven changes, so that its color becomes like the color of the reddish riding-beast.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( rosy-red like molten fat ): today it is green as you see, but its color on the Day of Resurrection will be another color.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Marwān related to us, saying: Ibn al-ʿAwwām related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: ( And when the heaven is split asunder and becomes rosy-red like molten fat ) — he said: today it is green, but its color on that Day will be red.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: ( rosy-red like molten fat ) — he said: today it is green, and on that Day it will have another color.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: ( and becomes rosy-red like molten fat ) — he said: radiant like molten fat.
The exegetes differed concerning the meaning of His statement: ( like molten fat (al-dihān) ). Some of them said: its meaning is like oil, clear in its redness and radiant.
* Mention of those who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: ( rosy-red like molten fat ) — he said: like oil.
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His statement: ( like molten fat ) — he means: pure.
Others said: by it was meant: and it became rosy-red like tanned leather. And they said: al-dihān is a plural, whose singular is dihn (oil/leather).
And the correct of the two statements concerning this is the statement of those who said: by it was meant the oil, in the radiance of its color, for that is what is well known in the language of the Arabs.
