Tafsir of Az-Zumar 39:69

"And the earth will shine": Meaning the earth of the place of gathering (Mahshar), which is the earth that will be exchanged for the known earth. In the authentic traditions, it is stated: "The people will be gathered on a white, reddish earth, like a loaf of pure bread; there will be no landmark on it for anyone." It is much wider than the known earth, and in some narrations, it is said that on that day it will be made of silver.

The meaning of "with the light of its Lord": This is, according to what is narrated from Ibn Abbas, a light that Allah Almighty creates without an intermediary of luminous bodies like the sun or moon. The Imam [Fakhr al-Razi] favored this, interpreting the genitive construction (Idafah) as being of the type "the she-camel of Allah" (Naqat Allah—denoting creation and attribution to Him). According to Muhyi al-Sunnah [al-Baghawi], it is interpreted as the manifestation of the Lord to render judgment. According to al-Hasan and al-Suddi, it is interpreted as justice (al-'adl). This is a case of metaphor, which is used in the Revelation for justice, the Quran, and clear proof. It means the earth will shine with the truth and justice He establishes within it, and the fairness He spreads in the reckoning and the weighing of good and evil deeds.

Al-Zamakhshari favored this, and justified this metaphor firstly by its recurrence in the Great Quran, and secondly by stating: "It is signaled by its attribution to His name, the Almighty, for He, Majestic and Exalted is He, is the Truth and the Just." This indicates the one who turns [the reader] toward this interpretation. He identified it thirdly by the attribution of His name, "The Lord" (al-Rabb), to the earth, for justice is what adorns the earth, not [abstract] proof. Fourthly, [he justified it] by what follows the shining of the earth: the placement of the Book, the bringing of the prophets and witnesses, and the judgment with truth, for that is the detail of justice in reality. Fifthly, he supported it by general custom, for people say to a just king: "The horizons shone with your justice, and the world was illuminated by your equity." Sixthly, by the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: "Oppression is darkness on the Day of Resurrection," for it implies that justice is light therein. Seventhly, by the fact that the verse opens and closes with the negation of injustice, indicating that it should be in the style of returning the end to the beginning (radd al-'ajuz 'ala al-sadr) in the manner of opposition and correlation.

The Imam [al-Razi] argued that the default is the literal meaning, and there is no obstacle to it, for attribution is valid through the slightest connection. He supported what was narrated from Muhyi al-Sunnah with some Hadith. The author of al-Kashf [al-Zamakhshari] rebutted this, saying: "Attribution through connection is metaphorical, and the preference goes to what Jarullah [al-Zamakhshari] chose due to the benefits he mentioned, and because it is the common usage in the Quran. Do you not see the Almighty’s saying: 'Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth'?"

As for the manifestation of the Lord, may He be glorified, whether it is interpreted as a manifestation of Majesty or Beauty, the earth cannot shine with a light unless it is one of the two meanings: either justice, or an accident [a quality] that Allah creates upon the manifestation on the earth. If one imagines that because of His manifestation, a light reflects from Him onto the earth, it would be impossible except through the interpretation mentioned as a third view—which is supported by the Hadith that does not necessarily imply it is the interpretation of the verse, [a Hadith] which includes the narration of the Vision and Allah casting His veil over the servant to remind him of what he had done and what he had committed.

Perhaps the most fitting—given what many reports suggest—is that His saying: "And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord," is a sign of His manifestation, the Exalted and Almighty, for the final judgment. This is sometimes expressed as "the coming" (al-ityan), as stated explicitly in His saying: "Will Allah come to them in covers of clouds and the angels?" The predecessors did not interpret this metaphorically; rather, they affirmed it for Him, may He be glorified, just as they affirmed the Descent (al-nuzul) in the manner that He, the Almighty, affirmed for Himself.

It is not far-fetched that this light is the light mentioned in the authentic Hadith: "Indeed, Allah does not sleep, and it does not befit Him to sleep; He lowers the scale and raises it; the deed of the night is raised to Him before the deed of the day, and the deed of the day before the deed of the night; His veil is Light." It is spoken of as a veil in the same way the predecessors spoke of other ambiguous (mutashabih) texts, or it is another light that appears at that time of manifestation. I do not say it is a light reflected from the Sacred Essence, like the reflection of sunlight from the sun; rather, the matter is beyond what intellects can reach. How—and far from it—could one conceive of reaching the truth of that? The expression of the title of Lordship, added to the pronoun of the earth, points to the fact that this manifestation is coupled with justice. And Allah knows best what He intends.

Ibn Abbas, Ubayd ibn Umayr, and Abu al-Jawza’ read "ashraqat" in the passive voice. Al-Zamakhshari said: "It is from sharuqat al-daw' (to shine), meaning it became full of it and congested, and Allah made it shine, just as you say: 'He filled the earth with justice and covered it with justice'." Ibn Atiyyah said: "This only follows from a verb that takes an object." Thus, it is as if one says: "The house shone (ashraqa)" and "The lamp made the house shine (ashraqahu)," so the verb is intransitive and transitive. The author of al-Lawami' said: "It is necessary that the shining in this reading be derived from 'the sun rose' (sharuqat al-shams), so it becomes transitive, and the meaning is: 'He removed the darkness of the earth'." It is not permissible for it to be from ashraqat (to shine/emit light) because that is intransitive, while this [form] can be transitive toward an object.

"And the Book will be placed": Al-Suddi said: "The reckoning." The Book is a metaphor for the reckoning, and its placement is an elaboration of it, meaning the commencement of it. It is permissible to consider the expression as a representation. Some said: "The scrolls of deeds will be placed in the hands of the workers," so the definite article refers to the genus or totality. It is said: "The Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) was placed so that the scrolls could be compared against it," so the definite article refers to a specific known entity. This view is narrated from Ibn Abbas, but Abu Hayyan deemed it unlikely and said: "It may not be authentic from Ibn Abbas."

"And the prophets will be brought": It is said: to be asked if they conveyed [the message] to their nations. It is also said: to be present for their reckoning.

"And the witnesses": Ata, Muqatil, and Ibn Zayd said: "The guardian angels." It is as if they intended that they will testify for every nation that they conveyed [the message], or testify to what they know, as He, the Almighty, said: "And every soul will come with a driver and a witness." In some traditions, it is said that the Preserved Tablet will be brought, trembling, and it will be said to it: "Did you convey to Israfil?" It will say: "Yes, O Lord, I conveyed it to him." Then Israfil will be brought, trembling, and it will be said to him: "Did the Tablet convey to you?" He will say: "Yes, O Lord." Upon that, the terror of the Tablet will subside. Then it will be said to Israfil: "And you, did you convey to Jibril?" He will say: "Yes, O Lord." Then Jibril will be brought, trembling, and it will be said to him: "Did Israfil convey to you?" He will say: "Yes, O Lord." Upon that, the terror of Israfil will subside. Then it will be said to Jibril: "And you, did you convey?" He will say: "Yes, O Lord." Then the Muslims will be brought, trembling, and it will be said to them: "Did Jibril convey to you?" They will say: "Yes." Upon that, the terror of Jibril will subside. Then it will be said to them: "And you, did you convey?" They will say: "Yes." Then it will be said to the nations: "Did the messengers convey to you?" Their disbelievers will say: "No human and no warner came to us." The situation will become grave for the messengers, and the confusion will intensify. It will be said to them: "Who will testify for you?" They will say: "The Unlettered Prophet and his nation." The Muhammadan nation will be brought, and they will testify for them that they conveyed. It will be said to them: "How did you know that?" They will say: "From a Book that Allah Almighty revealed to us, in which He, the Almighty, mentioned that the messengers conveyed to their nations." The Prophet (peace be upon him) will validate them. That is the Almighty’s saying: "And thus We have made you a middle nation, that you may be witnesses over the people and the Messenger may be a witness over you." From here it is said: The intent by "witnesses" in the verse is the nation of our Prophet (peace be upon him). Al-Jubba’i and Abu Muslim said: "They are the just ones of the Hereafter, testifying for the nations and against them." It is also said: "It is a plural of witnesses from the angels, the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him), the limbs, and the place." Regardless, "witnesses" is the plural of "witness." Qatadah and al-Suddi said: "The intent by them are those who were martyred in the path of Allah Almighty," so it is the plural of "martyr," but that is not strong.

"And it will be judged between them": That is, between the servants, understood from the context. "With truth": With justice. "And they will not be wronged": By a decrease of reward or an increase of punishment, according to what the promise has established, based on the fact that injustice, in reality, is inconceivable regarding Him, the Almighty, for the entire command belongs to Him, Majestic and Exalted is He.