Tafsir of Ibraheem 14:48

(The day when the earth is replaced with another earth): This is a temporal adverb for an implied, incipient verb that is governed by the aforementioned prohibition—meaning: "He shall execute it [on] the day..."—or it is a conjunction following a previous structure, such as "And await the day..." and so forth.

Some distinguished scholars considered it a governing object for an omitted "Remember," as has been said regarding its counterparts. It has also been said: It is a temporal adverb for "the vengeance," which is [the same as] "The day the punishment comes to them." Yet, it possesses numerous states, each time mentioned with a specific title. The restriction—despite the generality of His vengeance, glory be to Him, over all times—is for the sake of clarifying what is intended by the torment of the disbelievers, which is delayed until that day in accordance with the wisdom that necessitates it.

Abu al-Baqa’ permitted it to be linked to "He does not break the promise," assuming it is based on its predecessor, and it contains the same facet as before regarding the need for an apology. Al-Hawfi said: It is linked to "Vengeful," and "Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might, Owner of Vengeance" is a parenthetical sentence. Therein lies a rebuttal to those who said: "It is not permissible to link it to that because what precedes 'indeed' (Inna) cannot govern what follows it, as 'Inna' possesses initiality." The response is that, because it and what follows it constitute a parenthetical clause, it does not matter that it acts as a separator.

Al-Zamakhshari permitted it to be in the accusative case as a substitute (badal) for "the day the punishment comes to them," being a total-for-total substitution. Some of those who forbade its linkage to "Vengeful" followed him, due to the aforementioned reason of initiality. The irony is that the governor (amil) in that case would be "Warn," and thus he would fall into the same trap as the one who claimed it was linked to the aforementioned. It is as if he went to the view that the substitute has an implied governor, which is weak.

Regarding His saying, Exalted is He: "(And the heavens)," it is a conjunction linked to the nominative, meaning: "And the heavens shall be replaced with other than the heavens." Replacement may occur in the essence, as in "I replaced dirhams with dinars," from which is His saying, Exalted is He: "We replaced them with skins other than them." It may also occur in the attributes, as in your saying: "I replaced the ring [circle] with a seal" if you changed its shape; from this is His saying, Exalted is He: "He replaces their evil deeds with good deeds." The noble verse is not definitive regarding one of the two interpretations. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, stated: The earth shall be replaced, having additions and subtractions, and its mounds, mountains, valleys, trees, and everything upon it shall vanish. It shall be stretched like the stretch of a tanned hide and become level, such that you will see no crookedness or unevenness in it. The heavens shall be replaced by the vanishing of their sun, moon, and stars. The sum of it is that everything shall be changed from what it is in the world. He recited: "And the people are not the people whom I knew, nor is the house the house I once recognized." Ibn al-Anbari said: The heavens are replaced by their folding and being rendered sometimes like molten copper and sometimes like rose-colored paint.

Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Ibn Jarir, and others reported from Ali, may Allah’s countenance be ennobled, that he said: The earth shall be replaced by silver and the sky by gold. Ibn al-Mundhir reported from Mujahid that the earth will be like silver and the heavens likewise. It is authentic from Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: The earth shall be replaced by a white earth like a silver ingot, in which no forbidden blood was shed and no sin was committed. This has also been reported as a prophetic tradition (marfu'), though the suspended tradition (mawquf) is, according to al-Bayhaqi, more authentic. Ali's statement may be interpreted metaphorically.

The Imam said: It is not far-fetched to say that the intent behind replacing the earth is rendering it Hell, and replacing the heavens is rendering them Paradise. This was critiqued as being far-fetched because it would necessitate that Paradise and Hell are not currently created, whereas the established consensus in theology and hadith is the contrary. It was answered that what is established is their existence in an absolute sense, not that both were created [at the same time]; thus, it is possible that what exists now is a portion of them, and then the heavens and earth become a portion of them. This, even if validated, does not bring it closer [to certainty]. The proof cited for this—His saying, Exalted is He: "No! Indeed, the record of the righteous is in 'Illiyyun" and "No! Indeed, the record of the wicked is in Sijjin"—is extremely strange on the part of the Imam, for there is scrutiny regarding whether this indicates the intent, let alone proving it. Yes, some traditions do support what he said. Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim reported from Ubayy ibn Ka'b that he said regarding the verse: "The heavens shall become gardens, and the place of the sea shall become fire, and the earth shall be replaced with another."

Ibn Jarir reported from Ibn Mas'ud that he said: The entire earth shall be fire on the Day of Resurrection. Other narrations regarding the replacement of the earth have emerged. Ibn Jarir reported from Ibn Jubayr that he said: The earth shall be replaced by a white loaf, and the believer shall eat from beneath his feet. Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi reported the same, as did al-Bayhaqi in Al-Ba'th from 'Ikrimah. Ibn Marduyah reported from Aflah, the freed slave of Abu Ayyub, that a man from the Jews asked the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: "What will the earth be replaced with?" He replied: "A loaf of bread." The Jew said: "Fine, white flour (darmakah), may my father be sacrificed for you!" The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, laughed and then said: "May Allah curse the Jews! Do you know what darmakah is? It is the purest of bread."

The report that the earth shall be a single loaf on the Day of Resurrection, which the Compeller shall turn in His hand just as one of you turns his loaf during a journey—as hospitality for the people of Paradise—has already been mentioned. It is in the two Sahihs on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, attributed to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Some recounted that the replacement occurs on the earth, but it is replaced for each group according to what its state necessitates: one group of believers will be upon bread they eat from; one group will be upon silver; and the group of disbelievers will be upon fire. Its replacement by anything at all is no greater than its creation after it was nothing.

Some mentioned that its quality is replaced first in the manner reported from Ibn Abbas, then its essence is replaced. This latter occurrence happens after it relates its news. There is no hindrance to there being multiple types of replacements here. In Sahih Muslim, from the hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, it is attributed to the Prophet that people on the day of replacement will be on the Bridge (Sirat). In the hadith of Thawban, it is mentioned that a Jew asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, "Where will the people be on the day the earth is replaced with other than the earth?" He replied, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: "They will be in the darkness before the Bridge." Perhaps the intent behind this replacement is a specific kind of it; and Allah, Exalted is He, knows the reality of the matter. The mention of the earth's replacement is prioritized due to its proximity to us and because its replacement is a greater matter in relation to us.

"(And they have emerged)," i.e., the creatures, or the wrongdoers indicated by the context, as has been said. The intent is their emergence from their graves that are in the depths of the earth. It is also permitted that the intent is their appearance with the deeds they used to commit in secret, which they assumed would not appear, or they act like one who assumes such. The attribution of "emergence" to them, even though it refers to their deeds, is to signify that they will take on forms that correspond to those deeds. You know that the obvious meaning is their emergence from their graves. It is a conjunction linked to "is replaced," and the shift to the past tense is to signify the certainty of the occurrence.

Abu al-Baqa' permitted the sentence to be incipient or a circumstantial clause (hal) for "the earth," assuming a subject "they lie," with the "wa" serving as the connector. Zayd ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with them, recited it as "wa-burrizu," with the 'ba' dammaed and the 'ra' kasraed and doubled, rendering it passive (maf'ul) in a manner of amplification, considering the large number of those being brought forth.

"(For Allah)," i.e., for His judgment, Exalted is He, and His requital, "(The One)," Who has no partner, "(The Irresistible)," the Prevailing over everything. The usage of these two attributes is for the sake of terrifying the situation and cultivating awe, because if they are standing before a Great King, the Irresistible, whom no one shares authority with, they are in danger, for there is no one who can resist Him nor any rescuer besides Him. Therein also lies the confirmation of the coming of the promised punishment, upon the assumption that "The day of replacement" is a substitute for "The day the punishment comes to them."