Ata said: This means that what lies within it—the dead and others—will be brought forth, so that you will see the earth’s interior exposed.
“And We shall gather them all for the place of standing and reckoning, leaving none of them behind.”
“They will be presented before your Lord in rows: ‘You have certainly come to Us as We created you the first time. Yet you claimed that We would never appoint for you a time of meeting.’” (48)
His saying, “They will be presented before your Lord in rows,” means: row after row, group after group, not that they will constitute a single row. It was also said that they will be standing. Then it will be said to them—that is, to the disbelievers—“You have certainly come to Us as We created you the first time,” meaning alive. It was also said: individually, as mentioned in Surah al-An'am (1); and it was also said: uncircumcised.
“Yet you claimed that We would never appoint for you a time of meeting,” that is, the Day of Resurrection. He says this to those who deny the resurrection.
Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na'imi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Ismail narrated to us; Mu'alla ibn Asad narrated to us; Wahb narrated to us, from Ibn Tawus, from Abu Hurayrah, ⦗219/b⦘ may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “People will be gathered in three groups: those gathered in hope and fear; two on one camel, three on one camel, four on one camel, and ten on one camel. The Fire will gather the rest of them, stopping with them wherever they take their midday rest, spending the night with them wherever they spend the night, accompanying them wherever they are in the morning, and accompanying them wherever they are in the evening.” (2)
Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na'imi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Ismail narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Kathir narrated to us; Sufyan ibn al-Mughirah ibn al-Numan narrated to us; Sa'id ibn Jubayr narrated to me, from Ibn Abbas, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “You will surely be gathered barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised.” Then he recited: “Just as We originated the first creation, so shall We bring it back again—a promise binding upon Us. Surely We shall fulfill it.” (al-Anbiya 21:104) “The first to be clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be Abraham. Some people from among my companions will be taken toward the left, and I will say, ‘My companions! My companions!’ It will be said, ‘They continued to turn back on their heels from the time you left them.’ Then I will say as the righteous servant said: ‘And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them,’ up to His saying: ‘the Almighty, the All-Wise.’” (3) (al-Ma'idah 5:117-118)
Abu al-Hasan al-Sarakhsi informed us; [Zahir ibn Ahmad al-Sarakhsi informed us] (4); Abu al-Qasim Ja'far