Tafsir of Al-Mulk 67:27

The fa (ف) in His saying, "But when they saw it" (فلما رأوه), is fasiha (eloquent), expressing an underlying ellipsis of two clauses and the sequence of the conditional sentence upon them. It is as if it were said: "The promised [punishment] came to them, and they saw it; so when they saw it..." This is analogous to His saying, "But when he saw it set before him," except that what is implied there is an actual event sequential to what preceded it by virtue of the fa, whereas here it is a matter treated as though it were a reality, introduced by way of isti'naf (resumption/start of a new discourse).

His saying, "Approaching" (zulfa), is a state (hal) of the object in "they saw it." This is either by implying a genitive construct, meaning "possessing proximity" (dha zulfa); or as an infinitive used in the sense of the active participle, meaning "drawing near" (muzdalifan); or as an infinitive used as an adjective for hyperbole; or as an adverb, meaning "they saw it in a place of proximity." Some interpreted zulfa as "the near," and the matter is clear in this regard, as it is in what was narrated from Ibn Zayd regarding his interpretation of it as "the present." Al-Raghib said: Zulfa is status, privilege, and rank. As for what is in the verse, it is said its meaning is "the zulfa (nearness) of the believers," and it is said, "a zulfa for them." Zulfa has been used in the context of the station of punishment, just as bishara (glad tidings) and similar terms are used [ironically]. End quote. And there is no zulfa (nearness/privilege) in either of these two interpretations.

"The faces of those who disbelieved will be distressed" (si'at wujuh): Seeing it will cause them distress, in that gloom will cover them because of it, and they will be overcome by dust and humiliation. Placing the relative pronoun ("those who disbelieved") in the position of a pronoun is to disparage them for their disbelief and to attribute their distress to it. Abu Ja'far, Al-Hasan, Abu Raja', Shaybah, Ibn Wathab, Talha, Ibn 'Amir, Nafi', and Al-Kisa'i pronounced the sin in si'at with ishmam (blending the vowel) of damma [into the kasra].

"And it will be said": As a rebuke to them and to intensify the punishment upon them.

"This is that which you used to call for" (hadha alladhi kuntum bihi tadda'un): That is, you requested it in the world and sought its hastening, as an act of denial and mockery, on the basis that it is the tafa''ul form from du'a (calling/summoning), with the ba being connected to the verb. It is said that it is from da'wa (the claim), meaning: you used to claim that there is no resurrection or gathering, and the ba is causal or denotes association regarding the mention. The first interpretation is supported by the recitation of Abu Raja', Al-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ibn Yasar, 'Abdullah bin Muslim, Sallam, and Ya'qub: tad'un with a quiescent dal (without the tashdid), which is also the recitation of Ibn Abi 'Ablah, Abu Zayd, and 'Ismah from Abu Bakr, and Al-Asma'i from Nafi'. Al-Zamakhshari mentioned in Surah Al-Ma'arij that tad'un is the lightened form of their saying "He called for such-and-such" when one requests it. Al-Farra' stated it is from "I call, I am calling" (da'awtu ad'u). The meaning is: "This is that which you used to hasten," and you used to call upon Allah Almighty to hasten it, meaning their saying: "If this is the truth from You..." etc. It was narrated from Mujahid that the promised thing is the punishment of the Day of Badr, though this is far-fetched. As for what was said that the promised thing is the khasf (earth-swallowing) and the hasib (hail of stones), and that they have already occurred—because what is meant by khasf is humiliation, as in the poem:

"He does not abide by humiliation (khasf) sought against him, Except the two most humiliated: the beast of the clan and the tent peg."

And by the hasib, the pebbles, as the Prophet (may Allah grant him peace) threw them into their faces, as in the famous report; or that they did not occur based on what was known first regarding the meaning of the two—this does not cause harm. If the threat is not fulfilled, there is no harm in it; this is empty, as is not hidden. The disbelievers of Makkah used to pray for destruction against the Messenger (may Allah grant him peace) and the believers, so He, Glory be to Him, said to him (upon him be prayer and peace)...