Tafsir of Qaf 50:41

(And listen on the day when the caller calls...)

"And listen" is a command to listen. The outward meaning is that its literal sense is intended, and the object of the listening is omitted; the implied meaning is: "And listen to what has been informed of regarding the terrors of the Day of Resurrection." This is clarified by His saying—Exalted is He—(on the day when the caller calls) and so forth. This method of ambiguous phrasing followed by explanation is employed to instill awe and emphasize the significance of that which is being reported.

"Day" (yawm) is in the accusative case due to an implied object related to it, [implied as:] "That is the day of exiting," meaning: "On the day when the caller calls, they will exit from the graves." It has also been said that the object [of "listen"] is omitted, the implication being: "Listen to the call of the caller." Others say the implication is: "Listen to the calling of the disbelievers for woe and destruction," and "day" is an adverb of time for that omitted object. It is also said that there is no need for an object, and the meaning is: "Be listening, and do not be heedless."

Some say the meaning of "listen" is "wait," and the address is to every listener; others say it is to the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—and "day" is in the accusative case as the direct object of "listen," meaning: "Wait for the day when the caller calls, for in it the truth of what I have said to you will be made manifest," just as you would say to someone whom you promise the arrival of a victory: "Listen for such and such."

As for the "caller," according to some traditions, it is Gabriel—peace be upon him—who calls while Israfil blows the Trumpet, saying: "O you decomposed bones, torn skins, and scattered hairs, indeed Allah commands you to assemble for the settling of accounts." Ibn 'Asakir and al-Wasiti recorded in Fada'il Bayt al-Maqdis (The Virtues of Jerusalem), on the authority of Yazid ibn Jabir, that it is Israfil—peace be upon him—who blows the Trumpet and says: "O you decomposed bones..."—to the end of the statement; thus the caller is he—peace be upon him. In the al-Hawashi al-Shihabiyyah, the first view is noted as the most correct.

(From a near place)

This is the rock of the Temple in Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis), according to what has been narrated from Yazid ibn Jabir, Ka'b, Ibn 'Abbas, Buraydah, and Qatadah. It is, according to what has been narrated from Ka'b, the closest part of the earth to heaven by eighteen miles. In al-Kashshaf, it is stated that it is closer by twelve miles and that it is the center of the earth. You know that such matters are not accepted except through revelation. Furthermore, the claim that it is the center of the earth is rejected by the principles governing the knowledge of latitudes and longitudes.

Hence, it has been said: The meaning of "near" is "near to those whom he calls." So it is said: He calls from beneath their feet; and it is said: From the roots of their hair, so that every hair hears: "O you decomposed bones," etc. Some say that the meaning of its nearness is that the call from it is not hidden from anyone; rather, it is equal in audibility to everyone, and the call in all of this is taken according to its literal meaning.

It is also possible that [the resurrection] in the return is analogous to [the creation] in the beginning, according to the popular view; thus, it is a representation of the reviving of the dead through the mere [Divine] Will, without a literal call or sound. Moreover, what we have mentioned—that the caller is an angel and that he calls with what you have heard—is what has been transmitted [in reports]. It is also possible that his call is His [Allah's] saying to the soul: "Return to your Lord," to enter its place in Paradise or Hell, or "These are for Paradise and these are for Hell."

It is also possible that the caller is Allah Almighty, calling: (Assemble those who did wrong, along with their spouses...) or (Throw into Hell every obstinate disbeliever...) alongside His saying: (Enter it in peace...) or (Seize him and shackle him...) or (Where are My partners?) or other such things. It is also possible that it is someone other than Allah and other than the angel, from among the accountable ones, who calls out: (O Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!) or (Pour upon us some water or from whatever Allah has provided you...) or other such things. However, the reliance is upon what has been mentioned previously.