Tafsir of An-Naba' 78:18

(The Day the Horn is blown) – meaning the second blowing. "The Day" is a substitute for "the Day of Decision," or it is a conjunctive clause serving as an elaboration to increase its majesty and terror. There is no harm in the delay of the "Decision" after the "Blowing," for it is an extended duration; the blowing occurs at its beginning, and the remaining time comprises the decision, its commencement, and its consequences. Discussion regarding the Sur (Horn) has already preceded. Abu 'Iyad read it as al-suwar (with a fathah on the waw), plural of surah (form), and discussion on that has also passed.

The fa (particle) in His saying, "so you come," is fasiha (eloquent), revealing a sentence that has been omitted, relying on the state of affairs to indicate it, and signaling the utmost speed of arrival, just as in His saying, "So We said, 'Strike the sea with your staff,' and it parted." That is: you are brought to life, resurrected from your graves, and you come to the place of gathering immediately thereafter, without any delay at all.

Afwajan (in multitudes) – meaning nations, every nation with its leader, as He, the Glorified, said: "The Day We will call every people with their leader." Or, it means groups and throngs of varying states and differing conditions according to the divergence and contrast of their deeds. Evidence for this was sought from what Ibn Marduyah narrated from al-Bara' ibn 'Azib, that Mu'adh ibn Jabal said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the meaning of Allah's saying: 'The Day the Horn is blown, and you come in multitudes'?" He replied: "O Mu'adh, you have asked about a momentous matter." Then his eyes overflowed, and he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Ten categories have been distinguished by Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, from the community of Muslims, their forms altered: some in the form of monkeys, some in the form of swine, some inverted with their feet above their heads dragging upon them, some blind and wandering, some deaf and dumb who do not understand, some chewing their tongues which hang down to their chests with pus flowing from their mouths like saliva that those at the gathering find repulsive, some with their hands and feet severed, some crucified on trunks of fire, some with a stench worse than carcasses, and some wearing long coats of liquid pitch sticking to their skins. As for those in the form of monkeys, they are the slanderers among the people; as for the swine, they are the consumers of ill-gotten wealth; as for those inverted on their faces, they are the usurers; as for the blind, they are those who oppress in judgment; as for the deaf and dumb, they are those who are conceited with their deeds; as for those chewing their tongues, they are the scholars and storytellers whose actions contradicted their words; as for those whose hands and feet were cut off, they are those who harm their neighbors; as for those crucified on trunks of fire, they are those who incite people against others to the authorities; as for those with a stench worse than carcasses, they are those who indulged in desires and pleasures while withholding Allah’s right from their wealth; and as for those wearing the coats, they are the people of arrogance, vanity, and pride."

As Ibn Hajar stated, this hadith is mawdu' (fabricated), and the marks of fabrication are evident upon it. Based on it, it was said that one must assume a generalization (taghlib) in His saying, "you come," since it is impossible for the crucified, the one dragged on his face, or the one whose hands and feet were cut off to walk. This was challenged by saying it is of no weight, for the affairs of the Hereafter are not measured by the affairs of this world. He who is capable of resurrection is capable of making them walk without hands or feet, or having the trunks of fire upon which they are crucified walk with them—especially since it does not necessarily follow that they must come by their own volition, as it is permissible that the Zabanīyah (angels of punishment) might bring them.