Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Jathiyah -> Some of the Conditions of the Day of Resurrection and its Horrors

Allah mentions that He is the King and Owner of the heavens and earth, and the Only Ruler over them in this life and the Hereafter. Allah's statement,

﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ﴾

(And on the Day that the Hour will be established) on the Day of Resurrection,

﴿يَخْسَرُ الْمُبْطِلُونَ﴾

(the followers of falsehood shall lose.) those who disbelieve in Allah and reject the clear proofs and unequivocal evidences that He has sent down to His Messengers. Allah said,

﴿وَتَرَى كُلَّ أُمَّةٍ جَاثِيَةً﴾

(And you will see each nation humbled to their knees (Jathiyah),) kneeling, fearful of the tremendous calamity and events. It was said that this will occur when Hellfire will be brought forth, for she will exhale once, and everyone will fall to their knees, including Ibrahim, the Khalil. He will proclaim, "Myself, myself, myself! Today, I will not ask You (O Allah) but about myself.'' And even `Isa, will proclaim, "Today, I will only argue before You on my own behalf, I will not ask You about Maryam, who gave birth to me.'' Allah said next,

﴿كُلُّ أمَّةٍ تُدْعَى إِلَى كِتَـبِهَا﴾

(each nation will be called to its Record. ) meaning, Record of deeds. Allah said in a similar Ayah,

﴿وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَـبُ وَجِـىءَ بِالنَّبِيِّيْنَ وَالشُّهَدَآءِ﴾

(And the Book will be presented; and the Prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward) (39:69). This is why Allah said here,

﴿الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

(This Day you shall be recompensed for what you used to do.) `you will be judged according to your deeds, good and evil.' Allah said in similar Ayat;

﴿يُنَبَّأُ الإِنسَـنُ يَوْمَئِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ - بَلِ الإِنسَـنُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ - وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ ﴾

(On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind. Nay! Man will be a witness against himself, though he may put forth his excuses.) (75:13-15) Allah said,

﴿هَـذَا كِتَـبُنَا يَنطِقُ عَلَيْكُم بِالْحَقِّ﴾

(This, Our Record speaks about you with truth.) It contains the record of all your actions, without addition or deletion. Allah also said:

﴿وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَـبُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يوَيْلَتَنَا مَا لِهَـذَا الْكِتَـبِ لاَ يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلاَ كَبِيرَةً إِلاَّ أَحْصَاهَا وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرًا وَلاَ يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا ﴾

(And the Book will be presented, and you will see the criminals, fearful of that which is therein. They will say:"Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!'' And they will find all that they did, placed before them, and your Lord treats no one with injustice.) (18:49) Allah's statement,

﴿إِنَّا كُنَّا نَسْتَنسِخُ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

(Verily, We were recording what you used to do.) means, `We ordered Our scribe angels to record your deeds.' Ibn `Abbas and others commented, "The angels record the deeds of the servants and then ascend to heaven with them. There, they meet the angels entrusted with the Records of deeds sent down from Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz on each Night of Al-Qadr, containing what Allah has written will occur from the servants, long before He created them. They will compare their records and find out that not a single letter was added or deleted.'' He then recited this Ayah,

﴿إِنَّا كُنَّا نَسْتَنسِخُ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

(Verily, We were recording what you used to do.)

﴿فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ فَيُدْخِلُهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ فِى رَحْمَتِهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْمُبِينُ - وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَفَلَمْ تَكُنْ ءَايَـتِى تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ وَكُنتُمْ قَوْماً مُّجْرِمِينَ - وَإِذَا قِيلَ إِنَّ وعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَالسَّاعَةُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهَا قُلْتُم مَّا نَدْرِى مَا السَّاعَةُ إِن نَّظُنُّ إِلاَّ ظَنّاً وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُسْتَيْقِنِينَ - وَبَدَا لَهُمْ سَيِّئَـتُ مَا عَمِلُواْ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ - وَقِيلَ الْيَوْمَ نَنسَاكُمْ كَمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَـذَا وَمَأْوَاكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ - ذَلِكُم بِأَنَّكُمُ اتَّخَذْتُمْ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ هُزُواً وَغَرَّتْكُمُ الْحَيَوةُ الدُّنْيَا فَالْيَوْمَ لاَ يُخْرَجُونَ مِنْهَا وَلاَ هُمْ يُسْتَعَتَبُونَ - فَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ رَبِّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَرَبِّ الاٌّرْضِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - وَلَهُ الْكِبْرِيَآءُ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعِزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴾

(30. Then, as for those who believed and did good deeds, their Lord will admit them to His mercy. That will be the evident success.) (31. But as for those who disbelieved (it will be said to them): "Were not Our Ayat recited to you But you were proud, and you were a people who were criminals.'') (32. And when it was said: "Verily, Allah's promise is the truth, and there is no doubt about the coming of the Hour,'' you said: "We know not what is the Hour: we do not think it but conjecture, and we have no firm convincing belief (therein).'') (33. And the evil of what they did will appear to them, and that which they used to mock at will completely encircle them.) (34. And it will be said: "This Day We will forget you as you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours. And your abode is the Fire, and there is none to help you.'') (35. This, because you took the revelations of Allah in mockery, and the life of the world deceived you. So this Day, they shall not be taken out from there (Hell), nor shall they be returned to the worldly life.) (36. So all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of all that exists.) (37. And His is the majesty in the heavens and the earth, and He is Al-`Aziz, Al-Hakim.)