Tafsir of Al-Muddathir 74:29

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Abu Razin, and the majority have said: "It changes the complexions," meaning it blackens the skins. In some narrations from some, there is an addition: "burning." The intended meaning in general is that lawwahah (scorching) comes from the sun scorching a person (lawahat-hu) when it blackens his exterior and extremities. It is said: "You say, 'How the midday heat has scorched you, O traveler!'" [And the poet says:] "O daughter of my uncle, the midday heats have scorched me."

Bashar is the plural of basharah, which is the outer layer of the skin. In some traditions, it is said that it lashes the skin with a lashing that leaves it blacker than the night. This has been objected to, arguing that it is not correct to describe it as blackening the outer layer of the skin while the Almighty says, "It neither leaves [anything] nor spares [anything]," which is explicit regarding burning.

The response given is that upon the first encounter, it blackens the skin, then it burns and destroys it. Alternatively, the first is its state with those who enter it, and this is its state with those who approach it. You should know that if it is said that it is not appropriate to describe it as blackening the outer layer of skin after describing it as one that "neither leaves nor spares," then this answer is not sufficient. It may be answered, then, that the intention is to mention its horrific and gruesome attributes without intending a progression from the horrific to the more horrific; its being lawwahah is one of its attributes, perhaps in consideration of the first encounter.

It is also said that it refers to destruction, and its mention contains the terror that it holds, for blackening the skin—apart from the pain involved—is a disfigurement of one's appearance and person; thus, it is a form of completion. Whether the destruction of bodies necessitates the blackening of them is a matter of debate, even if it is claimed. Reflect upon this.

Based on the interpretation of lawwahah as mentioned, it is permitted that al-bashar be a collective noun meaning "mankind," and the meaning returns to what has preceded. Al-Hasan, Ibn Kaysan, and al-Asamm said: Lawwahah is an intensive form derived from laha (to appear), and al-bashar means "mankind." That is, it appears to people due to its enormity and terror, as the Almighty said: "And Hell will be brought forth for [all] to see." It has come down that it appears to them from a distance of five hundred years.

Lawwahah is in the nominative case as the predicate of an omitted subject, meaning "It is lawwahah." 'Atiyyah al-'Awfi, Zayd ibn 'Ali, al-Hasan, and Ibn Abi 'Ablah recited it in the accusative case as a form of specialization for the sake of intimidation, meaning "I specify or I mean [to describe]." It is also permissible for it to be an emphatic state (hal) from the pronoun in tubqi (it spares) or tadhar (it leaves), based on the claim of necessity, or that it is a state from Saqar, with the operator being what has already passed.