His saying, Exalted is He: “Those shall have a tremendous punishment.”

“On the Day when some faces will be whitened and some faces blackened. As for those whose faces are blackened, ‘Did you disbelieve after having faith? Then taste the punishment for your disbelief.’” (106)

“On the Day when some faces will be whitened and some faces blackened”: “On the Day” is in the accusative as a temporal adverb—that is, “on a day.” Its use as an adverb in the accusative is analogous to that of the direct object. It means that the faces of the believers will be whitened and the faces of the disbelievers blackened. It was also said: the faces of the sincere will be whitened, and the faces of the hypocrites blackened.

Saʿid ibn Jubayr related from Ibn ʿAbbas, may Allah be pleased with them, that, upon reciting this verse, he said: “The faces of the followers of the Sunnah will be whitened, and the faces of the adherents of blameworthy innovation will be blackened.”

Al-Kalbi related from Abu Salih, from Ibn ʿAbbas: When the Day of Resurrection comes, the object which every people used to worship will be brought forth for them, and each people will hasten to what they used to worship. This is indicated by His saying, Exalted is He: “We will leave him to that to which he has turned.” (al-Nisa 4:115) When they reach it, they will grieve, and their faces will blacken from sorrow. The Muslims, the Jews, and the Christians will remain, having recognized nothing of what was brought forth for them. Then Allah will come to them, and whoever used to prostrate in this world in willing obedience and faith will prostrate to Him. The People of the Book and the hypocrites will remain, unable to prostrate. Then they will be permitted, and will raise their heads. The believers’ faces will be white as snow; but when the hypocrites and the People of the Book look upon the believers’ faces, they will grieve intensely, and their faces will blacken. They will say, “Our Lord, why are our faces blackened? By Allah, we were not polytheists!” Allah will then say to the angels, “See how they lied against themselves.” (al-Anʿam 6:24)

The scholars of meaning said: The whitening of faces is their radiance, gladness, and joy at their knowledge of Allah’s reward; and their blackening is their sorrow, dejection, and darkening because of their deeds and Allah’s punishment. This is indicated by His saying, Exalted is He: “For those who do good is the finest reward and more besides; neither gloom nor humiliation will cover their faces.” (Yunus 10:26) And He, Exalted is He, said: “As for those who earn evil deeds, the recompense of an evil deed is one like it, and humiliation will cover them.” 66/b (Yunus 10:27) And He said: “On that Day, some faces will be radiant, looking upon their Lord; while other faces on that Day will be grimacing.” (al-Qiyamah 75:22–24) And He said: “On that Day, some faces will be bright, laughing and rejoicing; while other faces on that Day will be covered with dust.” (ʿAbasa 80:37–40)

“As for those whose faces are blackened: ‘Did you disbelieve after having faith?’” That is, they will be told: “Did you disbelieve after having faith?” “Then taste the punishment for your disbelief.”