Surah Al-Furqaan (25) — Ayah 25

(Ayah 25) {وَ يَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ السَّمَآءُ بِالْغَمَامِ …: ’’ يَوْمَ ‘‘} is in the accusative due to the omitted {’’اُذْكُرْ‘‘}, meaning "Remember that Day." {’’تَشَقَّقُ ‘‘} is originally {’’تَتَشَقَّقُ‘‘}, one tā’ has been omitted for lightness. The meaning of "the sky will burst open with clouds" is that the sky will split and clouds will emerge from it, just as it is said: {’’ تَشَقَّقَتِ الْأَرْضُ بِالنَّبَاتِ ‘‘} "the earth split with vegetation," meaning the earth split and vegetation came out from it. That is, remember the day when the sky will split and from it a cloud will emerge in the form of canopies, in which angels will be sent down continuously in groups to the plain of resurrection, which will be on the earth. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Allah Almighty is mentioning the terror of the Day of Resurrection and the great events that will occur in it, among which is the splitting of the sky and its opening with clouds, which will be in the form of great canopies of light. Then the angels will descend and surround all mankind in the plain of resurrection, then Allah will come to judge between His servants." Mujahid said, this will happen just as Allah Almighty said: «{ هَلْ يَنْظُرُوْنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْ يَّاْتِيَهُمُ اللّٰهُ فِيْ ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ وَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُ وَ قُضِيَ الْاَمْرُ وَ اِلَى اللّٰهِ تُرْجَعُ الْاُمُوْرُ }» [ البقرۃ : ۲۱۰ ] "Are they waiting for anything except that Allah should come to them in canopies of clouds and the angels (as well), and the matter is decided? And to Allah all matters are returned."

Some of the state of that Day is described in these verses, He said: «{ فَاِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّوْرِ نَفْخَةٌ وَّاحِدَةٌ (13) وَّ حُمِلَتِ الْاَرْضُ وَ الْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةً وَّاحِدَةً (14) فَيَوْمَىِٕذٍ وَّقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ (15) وَ انْشَقَّتِ السَّمَآءُ فَهِيَ يَوْمَىِٕذٍ وَّاهِيَةٌ (16) وَّ الْمَلَكُ عَلٰۤى اَرْجَآىِٕهَا وَ يَحْمِلُ عَرْشَ رَبِّكَ فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَىِٕذٍ ثَمٰنِيَةٌ (17) يَوْمَىِٕذٍ تُعْرَضُوْنَ لَا تَخْفٰى مِنْكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ }» [ الحاقۃ : ۱۳ تا ۱۸ ] "So when the trumpet is blown with a single blast. And the earth and the mountains are lifted and crushed with a single crushing. Then on that Day, the Event will occur. And the sky will split, for that Day it will be frail. And the angels will be on its edges, and the Throne of your Lord will be carried above them by eight (angels) that Day. That Day you will be presented (for judgment), not a secret of yours will remain hidden." And He said: «{ وَ نُفِخَ فِي الصُّوْرِ فَصَعِقَ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَنْ فِي الْاَرْضِ اِلَّا مَنْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيْهِ اُخْرٰى فَاِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَّنْظُرُوْنَ (68) وَ اَشْرَقَتِ الْاَرْضُ بِنُوْرِ رَبِّهَا وَ وُضِعَ الْكِتٰبُ وَ جِايْٓءَ بِالنَّبِيّٖنَ وَ الشُّهَدَآءِ وَ قُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَ هُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُوْنَ (69) وَ وُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ وَ هُوَ اَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَفْعَلُوْنَ}» [ الزمر : ۶۸ تا ۷۰ ] "And the trumpet will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on. And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record (of deeds) will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged. And every soul will be fully compensated for what it did, and He is most knowing of what they do." And He said: «{ كَلَّاۤ اِذَا دُكَّتِ الْاَرْضُ دَكًّا دَكًّا (21) وَّ جَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَ الْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا (22) وَ جِايْٓءَ يَوْمَىِٕذٍۭ بِجَهَنَّمَ١ۙ۬ يَوْمَىِٕذٍ يَّتَذَكَّرُ الْاِنْسَانُ وَ اَنّٰى لَهُ الذِّكْرٰى }» [ الفجر : ۲۱ تا ۲۳ ] "No! When the earth is pounded and crushed, and your Lord comes and the angels, rank upon rank. And Hell will be brought that Day, that Day man will remember, but how will the remembrance benefit him then?" Despite such clear verses, many unfortunate ones deny Allah Almighty's descent to the earth on the Day of Resurrection and make such interpretations that are even worse than denial. See also the commentary of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:210), Al-Fajr (21–23), and Al-Haqqah (16, 17).

25-1. This means that the sky will be rent asunder and clouds will cast their shade, Allah ﷻ will appear in the field of resurrection, accompanied by angels, where all creation will be gathered for reckoning, as is clear from Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 210.

25. On that Day, the sky will be split open with clouds appearing, and the angels will be sent down in ranks [35].

[35]
The Heavens and the Earth Will Become as Smoke and Mixed Up as Before on the Day of Resurrection:

One meaning of this verse is as apparent from the translation. The second meaning is that the matter from which the heavens were created will be returned to that same matter. In Surah Fussilat, Allah Almighty said: ﴿ثُمَّ اسْتَوٰٓي اِلَي السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ﴾ [11:41] "Then Allah turned to the sky, and at that time it was only smoke." And in another place He said: The heavens and the earth were all mixed and joined together, then Allah separated and parted them. [21: 30]
In the beginning, there was only smoke or a collection of gases. From this, Allah Almighty made the earth and the heavens. And on the Day of Resurrection, these heavens will be turned back into smoke, which will take the form of clouds. From these clouds, the angels will be sent down in groups towards the plain of resurrection.