Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:103

His saying, Exalted is He: "The greatest terror will not grieve them," is an explanation of their total salvation from being terrified, after their salvation from the Fire; for if the greatest of terrors does not grieve them, then by necessity, that which is lesser than it will not grieve them. This is what has been said. Let this be considered alongside what has come in the reports: that the Fire will exhale a breath on the Day of Gathering, such that no prophet or angel remains who does not fall upon his knees. If we say that this does not contradict the absence of grief, then there is no problem. But if we say that it does contradict it, then it is problematic, unless it is said that due to the brevity of its duration and the swiftness of the ensuing security, it is placed in the position of non-existence; so contemplate this.

Al-Faza’ (terror), as Al-Raghib stated, is a contraction and aversion that befalls a person due to a frightening thing, and it is of the same genus as al-jaza’ (distress). It is also used to refer to departing with speed due to something terrifying.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the time of this "greatest terror." It is narrated from Al-Hasan, Ibn Jubayr, and Ibn Jurayj that it is at the time when the people of the Fire depart toward the Fire. It is reported from Al-Hasan that he interpreted the "greatest terror" as this very departure, so al-faza’ would have the meaning of the aforementioned departure.

According to Al-Dahhak, it is at the time when the lid of Hell falls upon it and closes upon those within it; this has come in a narration by Ibn Abi al-Dunya from Ibn Abbas. It is also said that it is when the people of the Fire are called: "Go away into it, and do not speak to Me." It is said that it is when death is slaughtered between Paradise and the Fire. It is said that it is the Day when the heaven is folded. It is said that it is the time of the final blast; Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this from Ibn Abbas. The apparent meaning is that it refers to the blast for rising from the graves to the Lord of the worlds.

Regarding His saying, Exalted is He: "The angels will meet them," it means they will receive them with honor when they rise from their graves. It is said they will receive them with peace at that time, saying: "This is your Day which you were promised" in the worldly life, and you were given glad tidings of what it held for you of rewards for faith and obedience.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Mujahid that he said regarding the verse: "The angels who were their companions in the worldly life will meet them on the Day of Resurrection, saying: 'We were your allies in the worldly life and [will be] in the Hereafter; we will not leave you until you enter Paradise.'" It is also said that they meet them at the gate of Paradise with gifts or with peace.

The most apparent view is that this occurs when they rise from their graves, which serves as evidence that the absence of grief is at the time of the final blast. The apparent meaning of most of the sentences necessitates that the angels are not included in the previous relative pronoun (al-ladhina - those who...); rather, His saying, Exalted is He, "The angels will meet them," is explicit in that. Perhaps the attribution of that, for those who included the angels—peace be upon them—in the generality of the relative pronoun due to the cause of revelation, is by way of taghlib (predominance). Or, it may be said that their exclusion from the previous generality is by way of the indication of the text, just as their inclusion in what preceded was likewise.

Abu Ja’far read "la yahzunuhum" (will not grieve them), the imperfect of ahzana, which is the dialect of Tamim; whereas hazana is the dialect of Quraysh.