Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:25

"And the day the heaven splits..." It is also recited as tashaqqaqa (تَشَقَّقَ). The original form is tatashaqqaqa (تَتَشَقَّقَ); some have elided the [second] ta’, while others have assimilated it [into the shin].

Since the splitting of the heaven is caused by the emergence of clouds from it, the clouds are treated as if they are the instrument by which the heaven is split, just as you say: "He split the camel's hump with a blade," and "It split by means of it." Its parallel is the Almighty’s saying: "The heaven is splitting thereby" (Al-Muzzammil: 18).

If you ask: What is the difference between saying "The earth split bi-hi (by/with) the vegetation" and "The earth split ‘an-hu (away from) the vegetation"? I say: The meaning of "split bi-hi" is that Allah split it by the vegetation’s emergence, so it split because of it. The meaning of "split ‘an-hu" is that the soil rose up away from the vegetation when it emerged.

The meaning here is that the heaven opens up with clouds emerging from it, and within the clouds are the angels descending, holding the scrolls of the servants' deeds. It is narrated: "Heaven after heaven will split, and the angels will descend to the earth."

It is also said: It is a thin, white cloud, like mist, similar to what was for the Children of Israel in their wandering. Its meaning is found in the Almighty’s saying: "Do they await anything but that Allah should come to them in canopies of clouds, and the angels?" (Al-Baqarah: 210).

Recitations: It is recited as wa-nunazzilu al-mala’ikah (and We send down the angels), wa-tanzilu al-mala’ikah (and the angels descend), wa-nuzzila al-mala’ikah (and the angels were sent down), wa-unzila al-mala’ikah (and the angels were sent down). The recitation of the people of Mecca is wa-nazzilu al-mala’ikah (and We send down the angels), with the elision of the nun which is the fa’ of the verb nunazzilu.

"The true sovereignty on that Day will be for the Most Merciful, and it will be a difficult day for the disbelievers."