لِيَجۡزِىَ ٱللَّهُ كُلَّ نَفۡسٍ۬ مَّا كَسَبَتۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ
So that Allah will recompense every soul for what it earned. Indeed, Allah is swift in account.
Allah affirms His promise,
(So think not that Allah will fail to keep His promise to His Messengers.) His promise to grant them victory in this life and on the Day when the Witnesses shall come forth. Allah affirms that He is All-Able and that nothing He wills escapes His power and none can resist Him. Allah affirms that He is Able to exact retribution from those who disbelieve in Him and deny Him,
(Woe that Day to the deniers!) (77:15) Allah said here,
(On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens,) meaning, His promise shall come to pass on the Day when the earth will be changed to an earth other than this earth that we know and recognize. It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that Sahl bin Sa`d said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(On the Day of Resurrection, the people will be gathered on a white (barren), flat earth just like the wheat bread, it has no recognizable features for anyone.) Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said, "I was the first among all people who asked the Messenger of Allah about this Ayah,
(On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens,) saying, `O Allah's Messenger! Where will the people be then' He said,
(On the Sirat.)'' Muslim, but not Al-Bukhari, collected this Hadith. At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah also recorded it, and At-Tirmidhi said "Hasan Sahih''. Imam Muslim bin Al-Hajjaj recorded in his Sahih that Thawban the servant of the Messenger of Allah said, "I was standing next to the Messenger of Allah when a Jewish rabbi came to him and said, `Peace be to you, O Muhammad.' I pushed him with such a force that almost caused him to fall down and he asked me why I did that. I said, `Why did you not say, `O Messenger of Allah' The Jew said, `We call him by the name which his family gave him.' The Messenger of Allah said,
(Muhammad is indeed the name which my family gave me.) The Jew said, `I came to ask you about something.' The Messenger of Allah replied,
(Would it benefit you if I replied to your question) He said, `I will hear it with my ear.' The Messenger of Allah poked the ground with a staff he had and said,
(Ask.) The Jew said, `Where will the people be when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will the heavens' The Messenger of Allah said,
(In the darkness before the Bridge (Jasr).) He asked, `Who will be the first to pass it' He said, (The poor emigrants (Muhajirin).) He asked, `What will their (refreshment) be when they enter Paradise' He said, (The caul of fish liver.) He asked, `What will they have after that' He said, (A bull of Paradise which grazed through its pathways will be slaughtered for them.) He asked, `From what will they drink' He said, (From a fountain whose name is Salsabil.) He said, `You have said the truth. I have come to ask you something about which none of the inhabitants of the earth knows, with the exception of a Prophet or one or two other men.' He said, (Would you benefit by me informing you about it) He replied, `I would listen. I have come to ask you about the child.' He said, (The fluid of the man is white, and the woman's is yellow. When they meet, if the discharge of the man is greater than that of the woman, then it becomes a male, by Allah's permission. When the woman’s discharge is greater than the man's, it becomes a female by Allah's permission.) The Jew said, `You have told the truth and are indeed a Prophet.' Then he left. So Allah's Messenger said; (He asked me such things that I had no knowledge of it until Allah gave it to me.) Allah said next,
(and they will appear before Allah), describing when the creatures will be resurrected before Allah from their graves,
(the One, the Irresistible.) Who has full power and control over all things and to Whom the necks and minds are subservient.
(49. And you will see the criminals that Day, Muqarranun (bound together) in fetters.) (50. Their garments will be of Qatiran (tar), and fire will cover their faces.) (51. That Allah may requite each person according to what he has earned. Truly, Allah is swift at reckoning.)
هَـٰذَا بَلَـٰغٌ۬ لِّلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنذَرُواْ بِهِۦ وَلِيَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ۬ وَٲحِدٌ۬ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ
This [Qur’an] is notification for the people that they may be warned thereby and that they may know that He is but one God and that those of understanding will be reminded.
Allah said,
(On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens) `and the creations will be brought before their Lord, and you, O Muhammad, will witness the criminals who committed the crimes of Kufr and mischief,'
(Muqarranin) bound together, each with his or her like, just as Allah said,
(Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions.) (37:22)
(And when the souls are joined with their bodies.) (81:7),
(And when they shall be thrown into a narrow place thereof, chained together, they will exclaim therein for destruction.) (25:13) and,
(And also the Shayatin from the Jinn (including) every kind of builder and diver, and also others bound in fetters.) (38:37-38) Allah said next,
(Their garments will be of Qatiran (pitch),) that is used to coat camels. Qatadah commented that Qatiran (tar) is one of the fastest objects to catch fire. Ibn `Abbas used to say that the Qatiran, mentioned in the Ayah, is dissolved lead. It is possible that this Ayah reads as: (سَرَابِيلُهُمْ مِنْ قَطِرٍآنٍ) referring to heated lead that has reached tremendous heat, according to Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa'id bin Jubayr Al-Hasan and Qatadah. Allah said next,
(and fire will cover their faces), which is similar to His other statement,
(The Fire will burn their faces, and therein they will grin, with displaced lips.) (23:104) Imam Ahmad recorded that Yahya bin Abi Ishaq said that Aban bin Yazid said that Yahya bin Abi Kathir said that Zayd bin Abi Salam said that Abu Malik Al-Ash`ari said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Four characteristics from the time of Jahiliyyah will remain in my Ummah, since they will not abandon them: boasting about their family lineage, discrediting family ties, seeking rain through the stars, and wailing for their dead. Verily, if she who wails, dies before she repents from her behavior, she will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection while wearing a dress of Qatiran and a cloak of mange.) Muslim collected this Hadith. Allah said next,
(That Allah may requite each person according to what he has earned.) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection. Allah said in another Ayah,
(That He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done.) (53:31) Allah said here,
(Truly, Allah is swift at reckoning.) when He wills to reckon a servants of His, for He knows everything and nothing ever escapes His observation. Verily, His power over all of His creation is the same as His power over one creature,
(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as a single person.) )31:28) And this is why Mujahid said,
(swift at reckoning), means "keeping count.''
(52. This (Qur'an) is a Message for mankind (and a clear proof against them), in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is the only One God and that men of understanding may take heed.)