وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ 10
Translations
And when the pages are spread [i.e., made public]
Transliteration
Wa-idha as-suhuf ushirat
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the scrolls of deeds being opened and unrolled on the Day of Judgment, when each soul will be confronted with the record of their actions in this life. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that these are the preserved records (lawh mahfuz) that document every deed, and their unveiling represents the moment of divine accountability when nothing can be hidden. This is a powerful reminder that all actions are recorded and will be presented as evidence before Allah on the Day of Reckoning.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah At-Takwir, a Meccan chapter describing the cosmic events and scenes of the Day of Judgment. It is part of a vivid sequence depicting the unfolding of events at resurrection (81:1-14), emphasizing the certainty and inevitability of the Hereafter for the Arabian polytheists who denied the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Each soul shall know what it has sent forward and kept back' (Quran 82:5), which is contextually related. Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet described how deeds are sealed and presented: 'The souls of the dead are taken up to the seventh heaven, then they are recorded in the 'Illiyyun (highest record)' - referencing the recording of deeds.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to maintain consciousness of Allah's all-seeing knowledge and the certainty of accountability, motivating righteous conduct in this life. Understanding that our deeds are permanently recorded should inspire us to be mindful of our actions and intentions, knowing we will face their consequences in the afterlife.
Related Ayahs
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُو قَالَ أَكَذَّبْتُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِى وَلَمْ تُحِيطُوا۟ بِهَا عِلْمًا أَمَّاذَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
Until, when they arrive [at the place of Judgement], He will say, "Did you deny My signs while you encompassed them not in knowledge, or what [was it that] you were doing?"
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allāh, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allāh is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allāh is ever, of what you do, Aware.
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ
Indeed, to your Lord is the return.
فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ ۘ يَوْمَ يَدْعُ ٱلدَّاعِ إِلَىٰ شَىْءٍ نُّكُرٍ
So leave them, [O Muḥammad]. The Day the Caller calls to something forbidding,