Tafsir of Al-Qalam 68:42

This phrase is related to His saying, "Let them come [with their associates]," according to both interpretations. It is also permissible for it to be related to an implied verb, such as "Remember," or "It is such and such." Some say it relates to "humbled" (khashi'atan), and others to "covered by" (tarhaquhum). Regardless, the "Day" intended here, according to the majority, is the Day of Resurrection, and the "shin" (saq) is the part above the foot.

Exposing the shin and tucking up the garments from it is a metaphor for the intensity of a matter and the difficulty of the situation. It is used in such a way that no actual leg is imagined, as in the words of Hatim: "A man of war, if war bites him, he bites back, And if war tucks up its shin, he tucks up [his garment]."

And the words of the rajaz poet: "I marveled at my soul and its trepidation, And the withdrawing of horses from their sustenance; In a year that has tucked up its shin, A crimson one, flaying the flesh from the bone."

Its origin lies in women tucking up their garments to flee; they do not do this except when the situation is grave and the matter intense, causing them to become heedless of modesty under the veil of preservation. Mujahid, Ibrahim al-Nakha’i, ‘Ikrimah, and a group [of scholars] have followed this view.

It has also been narrated from Ibn Abbas—reported by ‘Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Al-Hakim (who authenticated it), and Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat through the path of ‘Ikrimah—that he was asked about this and replied: "If something of the Quran is hidden from you, seek it in poetry, for it is the register of the Arabs. Have you not heard the words of the poet: 'Have patience, ‘Anaq, for it is a lasting evil, Your people have sharpened the beheading for me, And war has risen for us upon a shin [i.e., in earnest].'"

The narrations from him—may Allah be pleased with him—with this meaning are numerous.

Others have said that the saq (shin) of a thing is its essence and that which provides its stability, like the trunk of a tree or the leg of a human. The meaning is: "The Day when the essence of the matter is laid bare," so that the realities and origins of things appear, such that they become visible. Al-Rabi’ ibn Anas points to this; ‘Abd ibn Humayd reported that he said regarding this: "The day the veil is lifted." Likewise, what Al-Bayhaqi reported from Ibn Abbas, who also said: "When the matter is revealed and deeds are made apparent." In this sense, the use of "shin" is a primary metaphor (isti'ara tasrihiyya), and the "unveiling" is another figurative expression, or it serves to reinforce the metaphor while remaining literal.

The indefiniteness of "a shin" is said to be for the purpose of terror in the first view, and for magnification in the second. Some say one should not look to either of these in the first view, because the discourse there is a parable, and in parables, one does not look at the individual words at all.

Some have taken the view that the saq refers to the Shin of Allah Almighty, and that the verse belongs to the Mutashabih (allegorical) texts. They provide as evidence what Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Nasa’i, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Mardawayh reported from Abu Sa’id, saying: "I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: 'Our Lord will uncover His Shin, so every believing man and woman will prostrate before Him, while those who used to prostrate in the world for show and reputation will remain, and when they try to prostrate, their backs will turn into a single plate.'"

Sa’id ibn Jubayr denied this. ‘Abd ibn Humayd and Ibn al-Mundhir reported that when he was asked about this verse, he became intensely angry and said: "Some people claim that Allah Almighty uncovers His Shin; it is only that the severe matter is unveiled." According to this, what is in the hadith is also interpreted as the "severe matter," and its attribution to Him—the Exalted and Majestic—is for the purpose of terrifyingly emphasizing the matter, implying it is an affair that no one can endure except Him.

The masters of inward knowledge (Sufis) speak of the literal sense while claiming that this occurs at the moment of the visual manifestation. They also interpret in this way the report recorded by Ishaq ibn Rahwayh in his Musnad, as well as Al-Tabarani, Al-Daraqutni in Al-Ru’ya, and Al-Hakim (who authenticated it) and Ibn Mardawayh from Ibn Mas’ud, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said: "Allah will gather the people on the Day of Resurrection... and the Lord, the Exalted and Majestic, will manifest to them, and they will be told, 'Why have you not set out as the people have set out?' They will say, 'We have a Lord whom we have not yet seen.'... They will say, 'There is a sign between us and Him; if we see Him, we will recognize Him.' He will say, 'What is it?' They will say, 'He will uncover His Shin.' Thereupon it will be uncovered." This—and its likes—are among the Mutashabih according to the predecessors.

Ibn Mas’ud and Ibn Abi ‘Abla recited yakshifu (with a fatha on the ya), making it the active verb. There is a narration from Ibn Abbas to this effect. Ibn Hurmuz recited nakshifu (with an 'nun'). It has also been recited yukshafu (with a damma on the ya and a kasra on the shin) from akshafa, meaning "to enter into the unveiling." It has also been recited takshifu (with a ta) as an active verb, where the subject is the pronoun for the "known Hour" (mentioned in the context of the Day of Resurrection) or the "known situation" (indicated by the context). If it is read as passive (tukshafu), the pronoun still refers to the Hour or the situation.

This has been challenged by the argument that, in that case, the original construction would be, for example, "Allah will uncover the Hour from its shin," and if that were said, it would not be sound, as it would require revealing the shin while the Hour vanishes—as one says, "She removed the veil from her face," but the Hour is not a veil covering the shin that must be removed. It was answered that it [the Hour] is made a veil as an exaggeration, for a secluded woman exaggerates in veiling herself as much as she can, so she is as if she were the veil itself. Thus, it is said "the Hour is unveiled." This is like saying, "He exposed his ignorance," if you are exaggerating the display of his ignorance, because it was a veil covering his faults; so he laid it bare and showed it in a way that was hidden from no one.

It has also been argued that the "leaving" in this case is purely conceptual, and the strain in this is not hidden. There is no consideration for the fabricated example mentioned. Less strained than this is the view that "from a shin" is a substitute for the tafsil (a part) of the hidden pronoun in the verb after removing the preposition. The original would be "uncover from it," meaning from the Hour or the situation, then the preposition was removed and the pronoun hidden. This has been challenged on the grounds that substituting a prepositional phrase for a nominative pronoun is not correct according to the rules of Arabic; it is a "burden upon a burden" and a strain upon a strain. Others say that "from a shin" is the deputy subject, but this is challenged because the verb ought to be masculine (like surifa 'an hind).

"And they are called to prostrate"—as a rebuke and a chastisement for their having abandoned it in the world, and a cause of regret for their dereliction.

"But they will not be able"—because the capacity for it has vanished. In this is evidence that they will intend to do it, but it will not be possible for them. From Ibn Mas’ud, it is reported: "Their spines will become stiff," meaning they will turn into bones without joints that do not bend when rising or lowering. Preceding this, in the hadith of Al-Bukhari and those with him, is what you have heard. And in the hadith: "The spines of the hypocrites and disbelievers will become like the horns of cattle, a single bone." The inviter is either Allah Almighty or an angel. It is also said that it is what they see of the believers' prostration.

Abu Muslim used this verse as evidence that the "Day of Unveiling" is in this world, saying: "Because He said, 'And they are called to prostrate,' and on the Day of Resurrection, there is no worship or obligation." Thus, it is intended to refer either to the last days of a person in his worldly life when he sees the angels, or the time of sickness and old age. The miracle is rejected by what we have pointed to [above].