Surah Al Qalam Tafseer

The Terror of the Day of Judgement

After Allah mentions that those who have Taqwa, will have Gardens of Delight with their Lord, He explains when this will be, and its actual occurrence.

He says,

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

The Day when the Shin shall be laid bare and they shall be called to prostrate themselves, but they shall not be able to do so.

meaning, the Day of Judgement and the horrors, earthquakes, trials, tests and great matters that will occur during it.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that he heard the Prophet saying,

يَكْشِفُ رَبُّنَا عَنْ سَاقِهِ فَيَسْجُدُ لَهُ كُلُّ مُوْمِنٍ وَمُوْمِنَةٍ وَيَبْقَى مَنْ كَانَ يَسْجُدُ فِي الدُّنْيَا رِيَاءً وَسُمْعَةً فَيَذْهَبُ لِيَسْجُدَ فَيَعُودُ ظَهْرُهُ طَبَقًا وَاحِدًا

Our Lord will reveal His Shin, and every believing male and female will prostrate to Him. The only people who will remain standing are those who prostrated in the worldly life only to be seen and heard (showing off). This type of person will try to prostrate at that time, but his back will made to be one stiff plate (the bone will not bend or flex)."

This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs and other books from different routes of transmission with various wordings. It is a long Hadith that is very popular.

Concerning Allah's statement