Surah Anbiya ayat 104 Tafsir Quran 21:104

﴿يَوْمَ نَطْوِي السَّمَاءَ كَطَيِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ۚ كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ ۚ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ﴾
[ الأنبياء: 104]

21:104 The Day when We will fold the heaven like the folding of a [written] sheet for the records. As We began the first creation, We will repeat it. [That is] a promise binding upon Us. Indeed, We will do it.

The day yawma is in the accusative because of an implied preceding udhkur ‘mention’ when We shall roll up the heaven as the Scribe al-sijill being the name of an angel rolls up the written scroll that is the scroll of the son of Adam when he dies the lām of li’l-kitāb is extra; alternatively one may read the verse so that al-sijill is ‘the scroll’ and al-kitāb means al-maktūb ‘what is written’ in which case the lām of li’l-kitāb has the sense of the particle ‘alā ‘over’; a variant reading for li’l-kitāb has the plural li’l-kutub ‘the books’. As We began the first creation from non-existence We shall repeat it after making it non-existent the kāf of ka-mā ‘as’ is semantically connected to nu‘īdu ‘We shall repeat it’ and its suffixed pronoun -hu ‘it’ refers back to awwala ‘the first’; the mā relates to the verbal noun — a promise binding on Us wa‘dan is in the accusative because it is the direct object of an implied preceding wa‘adnā ‘We promised’ and the clause constitutes a confirmation of the import of the preceding verse 103. Truly We shall do that which We have promised.

This is the Day when We fold the heavens the way the scribe rolls together the scrolls that are ready for the publishing of books, so that as We effected the first creation so will We effect recreation* a promise that We are Omnipotent enough to fulfill and bring to an end

The Heavens will be rolled up on the Day of Resurrection Allah says: this will happen on the Day of Resurrection: يَوْمَ نَطْوِى السَّمَآءَ كَطَىِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ( And (remember ) the Day when We shall roll up the heaven like a Sijill for books.) This is like the Ayah: وَمَا قَدَرُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالاٌّرْضُ جَمِيعـاً قَبْضَـتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَالسَّمَـوَتُ مَطْوِيَّـتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ سُبْحَـنَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ( They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him.
And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand.
Glorified be He, and High be He above all that they associate as partners with Him! ) 39:67 Al-Bukhari recorded that Nafi` reported from Ibn `Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«إِنَّ اللهَ يَقْبِضُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الْأَرَضِينَ وَتَكُونُ السَّمَوَاتُ بِيَمِينِه»
( On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will seize the earth and the heavens will be in His Right Hand. ) This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him. كَطَىِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ( like a Sijill rolled up for books. ) What is meant by Sijill is book.
As-Suddi said concerning this Ayah: "As-Sijill is an angel who is entrusted with the records; when a person dies, his Book ( of deeds ) is taken up to As-Sijill, and he rolls it up and puts it away until the Day of Resurrection." But the correct view as narrated from Ibn `Abbas is that As-Sijill refers to the record ( of deeds ).
This was also reported from him by `Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-`Awfi.
This was also stated by Mujahid, Qatadah and others.
This was the view favored by Ibn Jarir, because this usage is well-known in the ( Arabic ) language.
Based on the above, the meaning is: the Day when the heaven will be rolled up like a scroll.
This is like the Ayah: فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ ( Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the will of Allah ), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead.) 37:103 There are many more linguistic examples in this respect.
Allah knows best. كَمَا بَدَأْنَآ أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ وَعْداً عَلَيْنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ( As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it.
(It is ) a promise binding upon Us.
Truly, We shall do it.) means, this will inevitably come to pass on the Day when Allah creates His creation anew.
As He created them in the first place, He is surely able to re-create them.
This must inevitably come to pass because it is one of the things that Allah has promised, and He does not break His promise.
He is able to do that.
Because He says: إِنَّا كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ( Truly, We shall do it. ) Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood among us exhorting us, and said:
«إِنَّكُمْ مَحْشُورُونَ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلًا، كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُعِيدُهُ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا، إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِين»
( You will be gathered before Allah barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.
As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it.
(It is ) a promise binding upon Us.
Truly, We shall do it.) And he mentioned the entire Hadith.
It was also recorded in the Two Sahihs, and Al-Bukhari mentioned it in his Tafsir of this Ayah.

The Heavens will be rolled up on the Day of Resurrection Allah says: this will happen on the Day of Resurrection: يَوْمَ نَطْوِى السَّمَآءَ كَطَىِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ( And (remember ) the Day when We shall roll up the heaven like a Sijill for books.) This is like the Ayah: وَمَا قَدَرُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالاٌّرْضُ جَمِيعـاً قَبْضَـتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَالسَّمَـوَتُ مَطْوِيَّـتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ سُبْحَـنَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ( They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him.
And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand.
Glorified be He, and High be He above all that they associate as partners with Him! ) 39:67 Al-Bukhari recorded that Nafi` reported from Ibn `Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِنَّ اللهَ يَقْبِضُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الْأَرَضِينَ وَتَكُونُ السَّمَوَاتُ بِيَمِينِه» ( On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will seize the earth and the heavens will be in His Right Hand. ) This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him. كَطَىِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ( like a Sijill rolled up for books. ) What is meant by Sijill is book.
As-Suddi said concerning this Ayah: "As-Sijill is an angel who is entrusted with the records; when a person dies, his Book ( of deeds ) is taken up to As-Sijill, and he rolls it up and puts it away until the Day of Resurrection." But the correct view as narrated from Ibn `Abbas is that As-Sijill refers to the record ( of deeds ).
This was also reported from him by `Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-`Awfi.
This was also stated by Mujahid, Qatadah and others.
This was the view favored by Ibn Jarir, because this usage is well-known in the ( Arabic ) language.
Based on the above, the meaning is: the Day when the heaven will be rolled up like a scroll.
This is like the Ayah: فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ ( Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the will of Allah ), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead.) 37:103 There are many more linguistic examples in this respect.
Allah knows best. كَمَا بَدَأْنَآ أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ وَعْداً عَلَيْنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ( As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it.
(It is ) a promise binding upon Us.
Truly, We shall do it.) means, this will inevitably come to pass on the Day when Allah creates His creation anew.
As He created them in the first place, He is surely able to re-create them.
This must inevitably come to pass because it is one of the things that Allah has promised, and He does not break His promise.
He is able to do that.
Because He says: إِنَّا كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ( Truly, We shall do it. ) Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood among us exhorting us, and said: «إِنَّكُمْ مَحْشُورُونَ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلًا، كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُعِيدُهُ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا، إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِين» ( You will be gathered before Allah barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.
As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it.
(It is ) a promise binding upon Us.
Truly, We shall do it.) And he mentioned the entire Hadith.
It was also recorded in the Two Sahihs, and Al-Bukhari mentioned it in his Tafsir of this Ayah.

( The Day ) this is the Day of Judgement ( when We shall rolleth up the heavens ) with the right hand ( and a recorder rolls up a written scroll. As We began the first creation ) through a sperm, ( We shall repeat it ) We shall resurrect from dust. ( (It is ) a promise ( binding ) upon Us) this is incumbent upon Us. ( Lo! We are to perform it ) We will bring them back to life after they die.

And (remember) the Day when We shall roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books, as We began the first creation, We shall repeat it, (it is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it.

Page 331 English transliteration