Tafsir of Al-Waqi'ah 56:4

The Event (Al-Wāqiʿah): (4) When the Earth is violently shaken...

That is, the earth becomes a raised mound, and the mountains become scattered dust.

The Almighty's saying: {And the mountains become scattered dust} is like His saying regarding the description of the mountains: {Like carded wool} (Al-Qāriʿah: 5).

We have previously explained the benefit of mentioning the verbal noun (the maṣdar), which is that it indicates the action was a significant, acknowledged occurrence, not something negligible. If one says, "I struck him a striking blow," no one would say, "This is not a strike worthy of consideration," as one might say, "This is nothing."

The operative factor for {When the earth is violently shaken} allows for several interpretations:

1. That idhā rujjat (when it is violently shaken) is an apposition (badal) to idhā waqaʿat (when the event occurs), and the operative factor is what we mentioned previously.
2. That the operative factor for {When the event occurs} (Al-Wāqiʿah: 1) is His saying: {No one can deny its occurrence} (Al-Wāqiʿah: 2). And the operative factor for {When the earth is violently shaken} is His saying: {A humbling, an exalting} (Al-Wāqiʿah: 3).

The meaning is: The Event humbles some and exalts others at the time the earth is shaken and the mountains are scattered.

The conjunction fa (then) indicates temporal sequence, because the earth will not become scattered dust until it has moved, and the mountains will not be scattered until they are pulverized.

Al-Bas means to turn something over and over.

Al-Habāʾ (scattered dust) is air mixed with earthly particles that become visible in the sun's rays when light enters an opening.

Some scholars who believe there is a correspondence between letters and meanings suggest that when air is mixed with heavy, earthly particles, it becomes heavy. Therefore, the light letter wāw (و) was substituted with the letter bāʾ (ب), which cannot be pronounced except by strongly closing the lips, as if the bāʾ carries some weight.

{And you will be three kinds: So, the companions of the right hand—what are the companions of the right hand? And the companions of the left hand—what are the companions of the left hand?} (Al-Wāqiʿah: 7-9)