Surah Al-Anbiya 21:104
سُورَةُ الأَنبِيَاءِ · Meccan · Verse 104 of 112
يَوْمَ نَطْوِى ٱلسَّمَآءَ كَطَىِّ ٱلسِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ۚ كَمَا بَدَأْنَآ أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍۢ نُّعِيدُهُۥ ۚ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَآ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ
Translation
On that Day, We shall roll up the skies as a writer rolls up [his] scrolls. We shall reproduce creation just as We produced it the first time: this is Our binding promise. We shall certainly do all these things.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 104, delivers a profound message directly from Allah, both to reassure the righteous and to powerfully affirm the certainty of resurrection for those who deny it. It paints a vivid, awe-inspiring picture of the end of this world and the absolute guarantee of the next.
The Unfolding of the Heavens
The verse opens with a breathtaking image: "يَوْمَ نَطْوِى ٱلسَّمَآءَ كَطَىِّ ٱلسِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ" (The Day We will fold the heaven like the folding of a scroll for books). The Arabic word "نَطْوِى" (natwi), meaning "We fold," is a majestic declaration. It immediately tells us that the universe's transformation is not a random event, but an active, deliberate action by Allah Himself. The imagery of "طَىِّ ٱلسِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ" (the folding of a scroll for books) is particularly powerful. Scholars like al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur explain "السِّجِلِّ" (as-sijill) can refer to a scroll that is folded after being written upon, or even a scribe who completes his writing and then rolls up the scroll. This comparison illustrates that the vast, seemingly endless expanse of the heavens, much like an open scroll, will be rolled up and closed with ease. Ibn Ashur notes this signifies "the dissolution of the current order," a dramatic, divinely orchestrated end to this world as we know it.
A Promise of Return
Following this grand scene, the verse presents an undeniable truth: "كَمَا بَدَأْنَآ أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍۢ نُّعِيدُهُۥ" (As We began the first creation, We will repeat it). The word "كَمَا" (kama), meaning "just as," establishes an absolute equivalence. This is not merely a statement, but an argument for the certainty of resurrection. Ibn Ashur emphasizes that this comparison highlights Allah's boundless power and the *possibility* of both the initial creation and the recreation. Since Allah brought everything into existence from nothing (as al-Zamakhshari explains, "its beginning is its creation from nothingness"), repeating this creation is no more difficult for Him. The Quran's powerful word order here also guides our reflection: "As We began the first creation" is mentioned *before* "We will repeat it." Ibn Ashur observes that this sequence presents the undeniable proof *before* the claim, anchoring the certainty of resurrection deeply in the mind.
A Guaranteed Decree
The verse concludes with an emphatic, unwavering declaration: "وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَآ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ" (A promise binding upon Us; indeed, We will do it). The word "وَعْدًا" (wa'dan) signifies a definite and solemn promise. The addition of "عَلَيْنَا" (alayna), meaning "upon Us" or "binding upon Us," highlights that Allah has, out of His wisdom and justice, taken this as an obligation upon Himself, as Ibn Ashur notes. It is a divine commitment that cannot be broken. The final phrase, "إِنَّا كُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ" (inna kunna fa'ileena), further strengthens this certainty. The emphatic "إِنَّا" (inna, indeed We) paired with "كُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ" (kunna fa'ileena, We have always been doers of it, or We are those who will surely do it) underscores Allah's continuous and active capability, and His unwavering resolve to fulfill what He has promised. It is a direct refutation of any doubt regarding His power, assuring us that His promise will undoubtedly come to pass.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:104 is discussed in 5 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
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