Abu al-Faraj al-Muzaffar ibn Isma‘il al-Tamimi informed us; Abu al-Qasim Hamzah ibn Yusuf al-Sahmi informed us; Abu Ahmad Abdullah ibn ‘Adi, the hadith scholar, informed us; Abdullah ibn Sa‘id related to us; Asad ibn Musa related to us; Ibn Lahi‘ah related to us from Darraj Abu al-Samh, from Abu al-Haytham, from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked concerning a Day whose measure is fifty thousand years: “How exceedingly long this Day is!” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “By Him in whose hand is my soul, it will indeed be made light for the believer, until it is lighter for him than an obligatory prayer that he performs in this world.” (1)

It has also been said that it means: if anyone other than Allah were charged with reckoning the servants on that Day, it would not be completed in fifty thousand years. This is the meaning of what ‘Ata’ narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, and of Muqatil’s statement. ‘Ata’ said: Allah will complete it in the span of half a day of this world’s days.

Muhammad ibn al-Fadl narrated from al-Kalbi, who said: He says, “If I were to entrust the angels, jinn, and human beings with the reckoning of that Day and burden them with taking account of one another, they would not complete it until fifty thousand years had passed; whereas I shall complete it in a single hour (2) of the daytime.”

Yaman said: It is the Day of Resurrection, containing fifty stations, each station lasting a thousand years. The wording involves an inversion, as though He had said: “None can repel it: a punishment from Allah, Lord of the ways of ascent, on a Day whose measure is fifty thousand years, when the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him.”

“So be patient with gracious patience. Indeed, they see it as distant, but We see it as near—the Day the sky will be like molten metal, and the mountains like dyed wool.” (5–9)

“So be patient with gracious patience,” O Muhammad, in the face of their denial. This was before he was commanded to fight. “Indeed, they see it as distant”—meaning the punishment—“but We see it as near,” because whatever is coming is near. “The Day the sky will be like molten metal”—that is, like the dregs of oil. Al-Hasan said: like silver when it is melted. “And the mountains like dyed wool”—that is, like dyed wool; the term is used only for wool that has been dyed. Muqatil said: like fluffed wool. Al-Hasan said: like red wool, which is the weakest kind of wool. ⦗174/b⦘ And the first stage of the mountains’ transformation