Tafseer of The Announcement · An-Naba · 78:19
And the heaven is opened and will become gateways
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.
And His statement: وَفُتِحَتِ السَّمَاءُ فَكَانَتْ أَبْوَابًا ("And the heaven shall be opened and shall become gates") (78:19). The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: and the heaven shall be split and torn open, and shall become roads, whereas before it was firm, without clefts in it and without breaches.
And it has been said: its meaning is: and the heaven shall be opened and shall become pieces, like pieces of wood that are split for the gates of houses and dwellings. They said: the meaning of the verse is: and the heaven shall be opened and shall become pieces like gates. When the particle of comparison kāf ("like") was omitted, "the gates" became the predicate, just as one says in common speech: "ʿAbdallāh was a lion," meaning: like a lion.
