Tafsir of Al-Waqi'ah 56:3

(It is) a predicate for an omitted subject, meaning: it brings low some nations and raises others, as stated by Ibn Abbas, and as transmitted from him by a group. The sentence is an affirmation of its magnitude and a depiction of the terror of its affair, for the nature of great events is to lower and raise, as is observed in the rotation of states and the emergence of tribulations—the humiliation of the noble and the exaltation of the lowly.

The lowering is placed before the raising to intensify the horror, or as an explanation of what will occur on that day: the descent of the wretched to the lowest depths and the ascent of the blessed to the degrees of the Gardens. Based on this is the saying of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "It lowered the enemies of Allah the Exalted to the Fire, and raised His allies to Paradise." Or, it may be an explanation of what will happen in terms of removing celestial bodies from their positions, the scattering of the stars, and the movement of the mountains in the atmosphere like clouds.

Al-Dahhak, after interpreting "the Event" (Al-Waqi'ah) as the "Blast," said: "It is Khafida (lowering)—it lowers its power so that those near can hear it; Rafi'a (raising)—it raises it so that those far can hear it." This has also been narrated from Ibn Abbas and Ikrimah.

Abu Ali estimated the subject to be coupled with the fa (فـ), meaning: "Then it is Khafida," and he made the sentence the response to "if" (idha). It is as if it were said: "If the Event occurs, it will lower some and raise others."

Zayd ibn Ali, Al-Hasan, Isa, Abu Haywah, Ibn Abi Ablah, Ibn Muqsim, Al-Za'farani, and Al-Yazidi (in his selection) read it in the accusative case (Khafidatan Rafi'atan). The explanation for this is to treat them as two circumstantial qualifiers (hal) for the "Event," provided that "there is no denying its occurrence" is a parenthetical clause, or as two circumstantial qualifiers for its "occurrence."