ʿAbbas, who said:

A man (1) said to Ibn ʿAbbas, “I find certain passages in the Qur’an that seem to conflict with one another.” He replied:

Allah says, “On that Day no ties of kinship will remain between them, nor will they ask one another” (2); yet He also says, “They will turn to one another, asking questions” (3).

He says, “They will not be able to hide any statement from Allah” (4); yet He likewise quotes them as saying, “By Allah, our Lord, we were never idolaters” (5)—so in this verse they are in fact concealing.

He further says, “Did He not raise up the heaven …” until His words, “and spread it out” (6), mentioning the creation of the heaven before the creation of the earth. Then He says, “Do you truly disbelieve in the One who created the earth in two days …” up to “willingly” (7), where the creation of the earth is mentioned before the heaven.

And He says, “Allah has always been Forgiving, Merciful,” and “Allah has always been Mighty, Wise” (8), and “Allah has always been Hearing, Seeing” (4)—as though He had once been so and then ceased to be.

He explained: “The verse about the absence of kinship ties (9) refers to the first Blowing. Then the Trumpet will be blown (10) and everyone in the heavens and on earth will swoon, except those whom Allah wills; at that moment there will be no kinship between them (11) and they will not question one another. Then, at the second Blowing, they will turn to one another, questioning.”