Quran Universe
86:12

وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ ذَاتِ ٱلصَّدۡعِ

Waalardi thati alssadAAi

And [by] the earth which cracks open,

Word by word
  1. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِAnd the earth
  2. ذَاتِwhich
  3. ٱلصَّدۡعِcracks open
At-Tariq · 86:12Makkah

And by the earth that cracks open with growth.

Life breaking through the ground

The earth's answer
rain fallsverse 11
then
the earth splitsplants push through
A picture of rising
seeds rise from soilevery spring
like
people rise from gravesverse 8

Ibn Abbas, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Ikrimah and others said it means splitting to bring forth plant growth. The introduction says rain and growth are no child's play, but serious work.

A green shoot forcing its way through a crack in the pavement outside your flat. Small, stubborn, unstoppable.

Plants growing is just nature doing its thing.

Every sprout breaking the soil is a sign of how the dead will rise.

Try this

Notice one plant growing somewhere unexpected today and say subhanAllah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 86:11)

By the sky which gives rain, again and again (11)And the earth which splits (12)Verily, this is the Word that separates (13)And it is not a thing for amusement (14)Verily, they are but plotting a plot (15)And I am planning a plan (16)So, give a respite to the disbelievers; deal gently with them for a while (17)

Swearing to the Truthfulness of the Qur'an and the Failure of Those Who oppose it

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Ar-raj' means rain." It has also been narrated from him that he said, "It means the clouds that contain rain." He also said,

وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ

(By the sky (having rain clouds) which gives rain, again and again.)

"This means that it rains and then it rains (again)." Qatadah said, "It returns the sustenance of the servants (creatures) every year. Were it not for this, they would all be destroyed and so would their cattle."

وَالْأَرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ

(And the earth which splits.) Ibn 'Abbas said, "Splitting to bring forth plant growths." This was also said by Sa'id bin Jubayr, 'Ikrimah, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. Concerning Allah's statement,

إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلٌ فَصْلٌ

(Verily, this is the Word that separates.)

Ibn 'Abbas said (Fasl is), "True." Qatadah also said the same. Someone else said, "A just ruling."

وَمَا هُوَ بِالْهَزْلِ

(And it is not a thing for amusement.)

meaning, rather it is serious and true. Then Allah informs about the disbelievers saying that they reject Him and hinder others from His path. Allah says,

إِنَّهُمْ يَكِيدُونَ كَيْدًا

(Verily, they are but plotting a plot.) meaning, they plot against the people in their calling them to oppose the Qur'an. Then Allah says,

فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ

(So, give a respite to the disbelievers;) meaning, wait for them and do not be in haste concerning them.

أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا

(deal gently with them for a while.) meaning, a little while. This means that you will see what befalls them of torment, punishment and destruction. This is as Allah says,

نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ

(We let them enjoy for a little while, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.)(31:24)

This is the end of the Tafsir Surat At-Tariq, and unto Allah is all praise and thanks.