Surah Al-Infitar (The Splitting) Full Text — Idha As-Sama’u Infatarat (Hafs)

About Surah Al-Infitar

Surah Al-Infitar is the 82nd surah in the order of the mushaf, and one of the Meccan surahs — revealed to the Prophet ﷺ before the migration to Madinah. It contains 19 ayahs, and it is the fifth surah of Juz ‘Amma, the final part of the Quran that most Muslims begin their memorisation with.

The surah takes its name from its opening words — «idha as-sama’u infatarat» (“When the sky splits apart”) — which begin a series of scenes of cosmic upheaval: the stars scatter, the seas burst forth, and the graves are overturned, when “a soul will know what it has sent ahead and what it has left behind.” Then comes the surah’s piercing address to every human being: “O man, what has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord?” — the Lord who created him, proportioned him and balanced him. The surah reminds the deniers of the Judgment that noble recording angels — «kiraman katibin» — are appointed over every person, contrasts the righteous in bliss with the wicked in Hellfire, and closes with the Day when no soul possesses anything for another, and the command belongs entirely to Allah.

The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, the reading used in most of the Muslim world, in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.

Virtues and place of Surah Al-Infitar

1. A window onto the Day of Resurrection

Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever would be pleased to look at the Day of Resurrection as if seeing it with his own eyes, let him recite ‘When the sun is wrapped up’ (At-Takwir), ‘When the sky breaks apart’ (Al-Infitar) and ‘When the sky splits open’ (Al-Inshiqaq).” The hadith was recorded by at-Tirmidhi and Ahmad, and graded hasan. Al-Infitar is one of these three surahs that place the scenes of that Day before the reader’s eyes.

2. A short, piercing address to every human being

At the heart of the surah stands the question «ya ayyuha al-insanu ma gharraka bi-rabbika al-karim» — “O man, what has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord?” It is addressed to every person who lets Allah’s generosity and patience lull him into heedlessness, and it has long been a favourite of the scholars for softening hearts and awakening them to gratitude and obedience.

3. Living under the gaze of the noble scribes

The surah plants in the believer a constant awareness of the recording angels — guardians, noble writers, who know whatever people do. Keeping their presence in mind is one of the most effective guards against sin. And with only 19 short ayahs, Al-Infitar is also an ideal surah for those beginning their memorisation of the Quran.

Themes of the Surah

1. When the sky splits apart (ayahs 1–5)

The surah opens with four scenes of the world’s undoing: the sky splits apart, the stars scatter, the seas burst forth, and the graves are overturned — and then the point of it all: “a soul will know what it has sent ahead and what it has left behind.”

Read from ayah 1 →

2. O man, what deceived you? (ayahs 6–8)

The piercing address at the heart of the surah: “O man, what has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord, who created you, proportioned you and balanced you, assembling you in whatever form He willed?”

Read from ayah 6 →

3. The noble recording angels (ayahs 9–12)

No — rather, they deny the Judgment. Yet over every person are appointed guardians: «kiraman katibin», noble writers, who know whatever they do.

Read from ayah 9 →

4. The righteous and the wicked (ayahs 13–16)

A stark contrast: the righteous («al-abrar») will surely be in bliss, and the wicked («al-fujjar») in Hellfire — entering it on the Day of Judgment, and never absent from it.

Read from ayah 13 →

5. The Day no soul avails another (ayahs 17–19)

The surah closes with a question repeated for emphasis — “And what can make you know what the Day of Judgment is?” — and its answer: the Day no soul possesses anything for another soul, and the command, that Day, belongs entirely to Allah.

Read from ayah 17 →

Tips for reading and memorising

It is a short surah of 19 short ayahs — ideal for beginning your Quran memorisation.
A simple plan is about four ayahs a day over five days.
Listen to the recitation above by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi and repeat after him.
Pause at ayah 6 — “O man, what has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord?” — and let the question sink in.
Use the “font size” buttons at the top of the page for a comfortable read.
You can print the surah from your browser (Ctrl+P) for a clean paper copy.

Frequently asked questions

How many ayahs are in Surah Al-Infitar?

Surah Al-Infitar has 19 ayahs. It is the 82nd surah in the order of the mushaf, and it is a Meccan surah.

Why is it called Surah Al-Infitar?

It is called Surah Al-Infitar (“The Splitting” or “The Cleaving”) after its opening words «idha as-sama’u infatarat» — “When the sky splits apart” — which describe the breaking open of the sky at the onset of the Day of Resurrection.

What is Surah Al-Infitar about?

It opens with scenes of the end of this world — the sky splitting, the stars scattering, the seas bursting forth, and the graves overturned — when every soul will know what it sent ahead and what it left behind. It then addresses man directly about being deceived concerning his Generous Lord, reminds him of the noble angels recording his every deed, contrasts the righteous in bliss with the wicked in Hellfire, and closes with the Day when no soul possesses anything for another and the command belongs entirely to Allah.

Who are the “kiraman katibin” (the noble writers)?

They are the recording angels mentioned in ayahs 10 to 12: guardians appointed over every person — «kiraman katibin», noble writers — who know whatever people do and write down their every deed.

What does “O man, what has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord?” mean?

According to the commentators, the address in ayah 6 is a warning against being deluded by Allah’s generosity and patience into sinning — mistaking His kindness and the delay of punishment for permission to disobey Him, when the One who created, proportioned and balanced man deserves gratitude and obedience.

Is there a hadith about the virtues of Surah Al-Infitar?

Yes. Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever would be pleased to look at the Day of Resurrection as if seeing it with his own eyes, let him recite ‘When the sun is wrapped up’ (At-Takwir), ‘When the sky breaks apart’ (Al-Infitar) and ‘When the sky splits open’ (Al-Inshiqaq).” It was recorded by at-Tirmidhi and Ahmad, and graded hasan.

Where does Surah Al-Infitar fall in the Quran?

It is the 82nd surah of the mushaf and the fifth surah of Juz ‘Amma — the 30th and final juz of the Quran, which is the part most Muslims begin their memorisation with.

How long does it take to read the full surah?

A complete recitation of Surah Al-Infitar takes about 2 minutes at a moderate pace. Its 19 ayahs are short, which makes it well suited to daily reading and memorisation.

Which recitation is the text on this page based on?

The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim — the most widely used reading in the Muslim world — written in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation on this page is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.

Surah Al-Infitar (The Splitting) — Full Text in Clear Arabic Script

Listen to the recitation