Al-Azhari said: “The qaylulah (midday rest) and the maqil (place or time of midday rest) refer to resting at midday, even if it is not accompanied by sleep, for Allah, exalted is He, says, ‘and have a finer resting place,’ while there is no sleep in Paradise.” It is related that the Day of Resurrection will be shortened for the believers until it is like the time between the afternoon prayer and sunset. (1)

“And on the Day when the sky is split open with clouds, and the angels are sent down in successive descent. True sovereignty on that Day belongs to the Most Merciful, and it will be a difficult Day for the disbelievers. And on the Day when the wrongdoer will bite upon his hands, saying, ‘Oh, would that I had taken a path with the Messenger!’” (25–27)

His words, exalted is He, “And on the Day when the sky is split open with clouds”: that is, from the clouds. The prepositions bi (“with”) and ‘an (“from”) may be used interchangeably, as one may say, “I shot from the bow” and “I shot with the bow.” The verb means “it splits open”; one of its two initial t’s has been assimilated. Abu Amr and the readers of Kufa recited it here with an ungeminated sh sound, and in Surah Qaf by omitting one of the two t’s. The others recited it with the sh sound doubled; that is, the sky splits open with the clouds. They are thin, white clouds like mist, such as had previously been granted only to the Children of Israel during their wandering.

“And the angels are sent down in successive descent”: Ibn Kathir recited, “And We send down,” with two ungeminated n’s and the lam in the indicative, with “the angels” in the accusative. Ibn Abbas said: “The lowest heaven will split open, and its inhabitants will descend; they are more numerous than all the jinn and human beings on earth. Then the second heaven will split open, and its inhabitants will descend; they are more numerous than those in the lowest heaven, as well as the jinn and human beings. This will continue until the seventh heaven splits open, and the inhabitants of each heaven are more numerous than those of the heaven before it. Then the cherubim will descend, followed by the bearers of the Throne.” (2)

“True sovereignty on that Day belongs to the Most Merciful”: that is, the sovereignty which is truly and rightfully sovereign belongs to the Most Merciful on the Day of Resurrection. Ibn Abbas said: “This means that, on the Day of Resurrection, there will be no sovereign other than Him whose judgment is carried out.” (3)

“And it will be a difficult Day for the disbelievers”: that is, severe. This wording indicates that it will not be difficult for the believer. It is reported in the hadith: “The Day of Resurrection will be made easy for the believers, until it is lighter for them than an obligatory prayer which they performed in this world.” (4)

“And on the Day when the wrongdoer will bite upon his hands”: the wrongdoer referred to is Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt. Uqbah was in the habit that whenever he returned from a journey, he would prepare food and invite the leading men of his people. He also frequently sat with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. One day, he returned