←Prev   Ayah ar-Rahman (The Beneficent, The Mercy Giving, The Merciful) 55:37   Next→ 

Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
And when the sky is rent asunder and becomes red like [burning] oil
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
˹How horrible will it be˺ when the heavens will split apart, becoming rose-red like ˹burnt˺ oil!
Safi Kaskas   
And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-colored like oil

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
فَإِذَا ٱنشَقَّتِ ٱلسَّمَاۤءُ فَكَانَتۡ وَرۡدَةࣰ كَٱلدِّهَانِ ۝٣٧
Transliteration (2021)   
fa-idhā inshaqqati l-samāu fakānat wardatan kal-dihān
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
Then when is split the heaven, and it becomes rose-colored like murky oil.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
And when the sky is rent asunder and becomes red like [burning] oil
M. M. Pickthall   
And when the heaven splitteth asunder and becometh rosy like red hide
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
When the sky is rent asunder, and it becomes red like ointment
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
˹How horrible will it be˺ when the heavens will split apart, becoming rose-red like ˹burnt˺ oil!
Safi Kaskas   
And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-colored like oil
Wahiduddin Khan   
When the sky is rent asunder, and becomes red like red leather
Shakir   
And when the heaven is rent asunder, and then becomes red like red hide
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
Then, when the heaven was split then, it had been crimson like red leather,
T.B.Irving   
When the sky splits open and becomes like a rose [painted] by some artist,
Abdul Hye   
When the heaven will burst and it becomes rosy (or red) like red hide.
The Study Quran   
When the sky shall be rent asunder and when it shall turn ruddy like hide
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
When the sky is ripped apart, and it becomes a rose, like paint.
Talal Itani (2012)   
When the sky splits apart, and becomes rose, like paint
Dr. Kamal Omar   
So when the heaven has developed cracks and it has become rosy pink like (olive) oil
M. Farook Malik   
When the heaven will burst and will become red like red hide
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
Then, when the heaven is cloven so it becomes rosy-like ointment
Muhammad Sarwar   
(On the Day of Judgment) when the heavens are rent asunder they will have a flowery color and flow like oil
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
So, (it will be a terrible event) when the sky will be split apart and will become rosy, like (red) hides
Shabbir Ahmed   
And when the high elite will disperse and adapt to a stunning change
Dr. Munir Munshey   
And then the sky shall split asunder and turn red, just like (freshly tanned) leather
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
When the sky is split open, and it becomes red like (molten) ointment
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-colored like oil
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
Then, when the universe is torn, and turns like a rose coloured paint
Abdel Haleem   
When the sky is torn apart and turns crimson, like red hide
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And when the heaven will be rent in sunder and will become rosy like Unto red hide
Ahmed Ali   
When the sky will split asunder, and turn rosy like the dregs of annointing oil
Aisha Bewley   
When heaven is split apart and goes red like dregs of oil.
Ali Ünal   
And finally when the heaven is rent asunder, and it becomes rosy like red hide –
Ali Quli Qara'i   
When the sky is split open, and turns crimson like tanned leather
Hamid S. Aziz   
And when the heaven is rent asunder and then becomes red like red hide
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
When the sky splits and it becomes red like the red rawhide (or red-hot oil).
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
When the sky is rent asunder, and it becomes red like ointment
Musharraf Hussain   
When the sky splits up it will be bright red, like red leather.
Maududi   
(What will happen) when the heaven will be split asunder and will become crimson like leather
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
When the heaven is torn, and turns like a rose colored paint.
Mohammad Shafi   
Then as the sky disintegrates it would appear a rose-coloured stretch of leather

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And when the sky will split it will become rose like red hide.
Rashad Khalifa   
When the sky disintegrates, and turns rose colored like paint.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
When the heaven splits asunder and turns crimson, like red leather
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
So when the heaven is rent asunder, so it becomes red like red hide
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
So if the sky/space split/cut open , so it was a red/a rose as/like the paint/painted with oil
Bijan Moeinian   
The Day that the [ozone layer of the] sky is cracked down and its color is changed into red
Faridul Haque   
And when the heaven will split, it will appear like a rose painted red
Sher Ali   
And when the heaven is rent asunder and become red like red hide
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And when the heavens will split apart and will become rosy like burnt oil (or red leather)
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And when the heaven splits up and turns crimson like red hide (how will you fare then)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Then when the heaven is rent asunder, and it becomes rosy or red like red-oil, or red hide

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
And when heaven is split asunder, and turns crimson like red leather -
George Sale   
And when the heaven shall be rent in sunder, and shall become red as a rose, and shall melt like ointment
Edward Henry Palmer   
And when the heaven is rent asunder and become rosy red - (melting) like grease
John Medows Rodwell   
When the Heaven shall be cleft asunder, and become rose red, like stained leather
N J Dawood (2014)   
When the sky splits asunder, and reddens like a rose or stained leathe

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And when the sky is cleft asunder so that it becomes a red rose like an unguent.
Munir Mezyed   
When the sky is rent asunder, it becomes red like murky oil.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
Then when the sky breaks up and is like red tanned leather.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
The sky will be ripped apart and will look like rosy red oil.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And when the sky ruptures and becomes rose-colored like oil—
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
When the sky splits open and becomes like a rose [painted] by some artist,
Samy Mahdy   
So if the sky splits, and becomes a rose color, like the melted fat paint.
Ahmed Hulusi   
And when (during death) the heaven (the identity; ego) is split asunder and (the reality) becomes (undeniably clear and the ego-self disappears) burnt oil colored, like a rose (the reality is observed)!
Mir Aneesuddin   
So when the sky splits and becomes red like red hide.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Then when the heaven is rent asunder and becomes a red molten mass that soaked up all the rose of the flames of the fire
The Wise Quran   
And when the heaven is split asunder and it becomes rosy red, like oil.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
When the sky is rent asunder, and it becomes red like ointment
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Then when is split the heaven, and it becomes rose-colored like murky oil
OLD Transliteration   
Fa-itha inshaqqati alssamao fakanat wardatan kaalddihani