Tafsir of Al-Qamar 54:8

"Hastening towards the caller"

They are rushing towards him. Abu Ubaydah said: Some added that it means extending their necks, and others that it involves humility, distress, and staring fixedly. Ikrimah said: They are opening their ears towards the sound. From Ibn Abbas: They are looking towards him, their eyes not turning away from him. He recited the verse of Tubba':

“Nimr ibn Sa'd enslaves me, though I see that Nimr ibn Sa'd is for me [obedient and hastening (muhti')].”

In another narration, he interpreted it as "submissive," and cited the same verse. It is also said: It means lowering the space between their eyes. Sufyan said: Their eyes are fixed towards the sky. It is also said: The root of al-hat' is the extending of the neck or the extending of the gaze; it is then used metonymically for hastening or for staring and contemplation, so do not be heedless.

"The disbelievers say, 'This is a difficult day.'"

It is a hard and severe day because of the signs of its terror they witness and the evil outcome they expect within it. Attributing this statement to the disbelievers contains an indication that, for the believers, it is not so.