Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:30
سُورَةُ الوَاقِعَةِ · Meccan · Verse 30 of 96
وَظِلٍّۢ مَّمْدُودٍۢ
Translation
with spreading shade,
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'And extended shade.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note 'zillin mamdud', shade that is stretched out, unbroken, never shifting or shrinking as the sun moves. Ask yourself: shade here is the very picture of relief, the cool refuge from the heat and glare of exposure. But earthly shade always moves, thins, and passes; I am forever chasing it as it slips. This verse promises shade that stays, permanent, unfailing relief. Beneath the image it names a longing I know well: for a rest that does not keep slipping away the moment I settle into it. The relief I chase all day, only to watch it move on, this verse locates where it is finally made to hold still. Am I seeking lasting shade in things that can only offer a passing patch of it?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:30 is discussed in 9 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:30 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.