What does al-muʿṣirāt mean in Surah An-Naba 78:14?

Answer

In 78:14, "and sent down from al-muʿṣirāt water pouring forth" (wa-anzalnā mina l-muʿṣirāti māʾan thajjājā), the word al-muʿṣirāt has been discussed at length by the exegetes. Al-Ṭabarī reports several views from the early authorities: the majority understand it as the clouds that bear and discharge rain—either the clouds pressed until they release water, or by extension the winds that press them—while a minority read it as the heavens or even the years. Al-Ṭabarī and al-Qurṭubī both favour the reading of rain-laden clouds, which is how Ibn Kathīr and al-Saʿdī also take it. The root ʿ-ṣ-r carries the sense of "pressing/squeezing," so the image is of clouds being squeezed until water pours out. The accompanying word thajjāj means water poured down abundantly and continuously—heavy, successive rainfall, not a trickle. Together the verse paints a vivid picture of dense clouds releasing copious rain. The purpose, as the next verses make clear (78:15–16), is that this water brings forth grain, plants, and dense gardens—God's provision and a sign of His power.