like scattered moths. Moths are tiny flying creatures that swarm around a fire at night. They are weak, move about almost aimlessly, and crowd together; in their recklessness, they may even fall into the fire without realizing it. People will resemble moths in their weakness, bewilderment, crowding together, and aimless movement. The word ﴿scattered﴾ means dispersed, as in the words of Allah Most High: ﴿They will emerge from the graves as though they were scattered locusts﴾ [al-Qamar: 7].
If you were to picture this scene—people emerging from their graves in this manner—you would envision an immense event without parallel. All these people, from Adam until the establishment of the Hour, will emerge as one man, at one and the same instant, from graves scattered throughout the eastern and western reaches of the earth. This also includes those who had no graves, such as one who was cast into the depths of the sea and devoured by whales, or left in the wilderness and eaten by wild beasts, and other similar cases. They will all emerge at once, surging and roaming across this earth.
As for the mountains—those immense, firmly anchored, solid mountains—they will become ﴿like fluffed wool﴾. The word rendered “wool” means wool, though it has also been said to mean cotton.
﴿Fluffed﴾ means scattered. Thus, after having been solid, mighty, and firmly anchored, these mountains will become like wool—or cotton—that has been teased apart. Whether teased apart by hand or with a carding bow, it becomes light and is carried away by the slightest wind. Allah Most High says in other verses that the mountains will become scattered dust: ﴿And the mountains will be utterly crushed, becoming scattered dust﴾ [al-Wāqia: 5–6]. Here, Glorious and Exalted is He, He says: ﴿And the mountains will be like fluffed wool﴾.
﴿Then as for one whose scales are heavy, he will enjoy a pleasant life. But as for one whose scales are light, his refuge will be the Abyss. And what can make you know what that is? A fiercely burning Fire.﴾ Allah Most High divided people into two categories:
The first category is the one whose scales are heavy—that is, the one whose good deeds outweigh his evil deeds. The second is the one whose scales are light—that is, the one whose evil deeds outweigh