Al-Muzzammil 73:13–19

The verse says in conclusion: وَّعَذَابًا اَلِيْمًا (...and a

painful punishment... 73:13).

Having described specific forms of punishment, this description is general - indicating that there will be many more horrible and terrible forms of punishment which man cannot even imagine. [ 0 Allah, save us from all forms of punishment!]

The Righteous Elders' Fear of the Hereafter

Imam Alhmad, Ibn Abi Dawud, Ibn ` Adiyy and Baihaqi record a narration that a person heard this verse and fell fainted. One day Hasan al-Basri (رح) تعالیٰ was fasting. When the food was brought to him at the time of iftar (ending the fast), this verse occurred in his mind and he could not eat. As a result, he sent it away. The following day he was fasting again. The same thing happened in the evening and he sent the food away. On the third day the same thing happened. So, his sons went to Thabit Bunani, Yazid Dabb, and Yahya Al-Bakka' and recounted the story. All three personalities went to Hasan and insisted on his eating something. At their insistence, the latter ate a little. [ Ruh-u1-Ma’ ani ]

يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الْاَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ كَثِيْبًا مَّهِيْلًا (on the Day when the earth and the mountains will quake, and the mountains will turn into a slipping heap of sand. [ 14] We have sent to you a messenger, as a witness over you, just as We sent a messenger to Fir'aun (the Pharaoh). [ 15] Then, Fir'aun disobeyed the messenger; so We seized him with a severe seizure. [ 16] So, if you disbelieve, how will you save yourself from a day that will turn the small boys into grey-headed old men...17).

These verses describe the horrors and terrors of the Day of Resurrection. Verse [ 14] describes that the punishment will take place on the Day when the earth and mountains will shake and the mountains will be reduced to a heap of dust or shifting dunes. Thereafter, reference is made to the story of Musa (علیہ السلام) and Fir'aun in order to threaten the pagans of Makkah. Allah sent a Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ ، to bear witness against the pagans of Makkah just as He sent a Messenger, Musa (علیہ السلام) to Fir'aun. But Fir'aun disobeyed Musa (علیہ السلام) and Allah seized him with terrible severity right in this world. Likewise, if the pagans of Makkah persist stubbornly in their pagan conduct, they too can be seized similarly with terrible severity in this very world. Towards the conclusion, the verse says that if no torment is inflicted in this world, no one can escape the horrors and terrors and length of the Day of Resurrection that will turn the children grey. This could be a metaphor for the most calamitous happenings which bring about disastrous changes. But some scholars say that this is a description of reality, in that the Day of Resurrection will be so long that a little child will grow old. [ Qurtubi and Ruh ].