1. The words adhinat li rabbihā literally mean that he will listen to his Lord's command. However, idiomatically this expression includes the idea of unquestioning obedience to the command, not mere listening.

2. "When the earth is stretched out" refers to the time when the seas and rivers will be filled up, the mountains will be reduced to particles of dust that will be made to dissipate, and the earth will be levelled and turned into a flat plain.

At another place, the Qur'an states this phenomenon thus: "My Lord will leave the earth a levelled plain in which you shall find no crookedness or curvature," (Ta Hā 20: 106-107). In his Mustadarak, Hakim on the basis of a sound chain of narrators, relates: "According to Jäbir ibn 'Abd Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "On the Day of Judgement the earth will be like a levelled plain and men will move about on it," Kitab al-Tafsir, Vol. II. Let it be borne in mind that on that Day, all human beings born since the beginning of the world until the Last Day, will be gathered together. For such a grand assembly it is necessary that all seas, mountains, forests, valleys and deserts be levelled plain so that there will be sufficient space for them all.

3. This refers to the fact that the earth will throw up the dead that had been buried within it. This will bring to the surface all evidence pertaining to their deeds that had thus far remained hidden from sight. Nothing regarding them will then remain unknown.

4. It is not specified as to what else will happen after these events. What is significant is that man is on his way to meet his Lord. On the basis of his record of deeds he will be punished or rewarded.

5. Man should realize that all his striving and its results will be confined to this worldly life. The important thing is man's eventual return to his Lord.

6. That some will be given the record in their right hands is indicative of their being righteous. As a result, they will be subjected to a relatively light reckoning. In other words, such people will not be subjected to strict interrogation as to why they committed certain deeds; nor will they be asked to produce extenuating explanations for their misdeeds. Likewise, even though there will be evil along with good deeds in their records, forbearance will be shown to them because their good deeds will outweigh their evil deeds, and they will be forgiven. In contrast, the evil-doers, however, "will be subjected to a severe reckoning," (al-Ra'd 13: 18).

'A'ishah reported the Prophet's elucidation of this phenomenon of divine reckoning, which, in turn, is cited by Ahmad, Bukhārī, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'ī, Abu Dawūd, Hākim, Ibn Jarir, 'Abd ibn Humayd and Ibn Marduwayh. One such reports states: "Woe for him who is subjected to reckoning." Upon hearing this 'A'ishah reminded him of these Qur'anic verses: "Whoever is given the record in his right hand shall be called to an easy accounting," (al-Inshiqaq 84: 7-8). The Prophet (peace be upon him) clarified: "It refers to only the presentation of one's record. However, one who is interrogated will not be spared." Another report reads thus: 'A'ishah says: "Once I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) making this supplication while offering Prayer: 'O my Lord! Call me to an easy accounting!' When he finished Prayer, I requested him to explain to me his supplication. He replied: 'Easy accounting stands for Allah overlooking one's record of deeds. O'Ã'ishah! Woe to him who is interrogated on that Day,'" Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Tafsīr.

7. "His people" denotes those members of a person's family and those relatives and companions who will be forgiven in the same manner that he himself was forgiven.

8. It is stated in Surah al-Haqqah 69: 25 that the record of an unrighteous person will be handed over to him in his left hand. Here, however, it is stated that such people will be given the record behind their backs. What will probably happen is that when a person's record is given to them to hold in their left hand, they will be greatly embarrassed. They will, therefore, put their hand behind their back so as to receive their record. This effort to hide their deeds will not be of much avail, for they will in any case still be handed their record. What difference will it then make whether they receive their record with their hand outstretched, and hence in the full sight of others, or behind their backs?

9. He behaved differently from Allah's pious servants, regarding whom the Qur'an informs: "When they were living among their kinsfolk, they lived in constant fear of Allah," (al-Țür 52: 26). They were cognizant all the time about their prospects in the Hereafter lest these might suffer on account of their doting on their children or their desire to provide ample means of ease and comfort to their immediate dependents. In contrast to such God-fearing people, this evil-doer was immersed wholly in worldly joys, along with his family, at the expense of committing unlawful deeds, usurping others' dues and transgressing the limits set by Allah.

10. It is against Allah's justice and wisdom to let such a sinner go unpunished. He deserves to be subjected to a severe reckoning.

11. Man's life does not remain in one state; instead, it goes through various stages: from youth to old age, from old age to death, from death to barzakh (the transitory stage between death and Resurrection), from barzakh to resurrection, from resurrection to the Plain of Gathering, then to Reckoning and then to the meting out of reward and punishment. It is emphasized here that all this is bound to happen. This is reinforced by a sworn statement mentioning (i) the twilight, (ii) the darkness of the night and the gathering together in it of those humans and animals that remain scattered during the day, and (iii) the moon's passing through different phases from being a mere crescent until becoming full. These are among the phenomena-that testify to the fact that the universe in which man lives is not static. On the contrary, incessant changes occur all over it. Thus, there is no basis to support the view that everything ends with a person's breathing his last.

12. The unbelievers' hearts are devoid of any fear of Allah. They do not prostrate themselves before Him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to prostrate whenever he recited this particular Qur'ānic verse. Mälik, Muslim and Nasa'ī also reported that Abū Hurayrah used to prostrate on reciting this verse, pointing out that it was the Prophet's practice. Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd and Nasa'i have quoted Abū Rāfi": "Abū Hurayrah recited this Surah in 'Isha' Prayer and prostrated. When I asked him, he told me that when he offered Prayer standing behind the Prophet (peace be upon him), he had prostrated after reciting this verse. I will therefore follow this practice until my last breath." Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhi, Nasā'î, and Ibn Majah all recorded another report in which Abu Hurayrah said: "We prostrated after reciting this verse and Surah al-'Alaq, while offering Prayer behind the Prophet (peace be upon him)," (Tirmidhi, Kitāb al-Tafsir).

13. This could also mean that God knows well the unbelief, the hostility to and the rancour against the Truth, and the evil intentions with which some people have filled their hearts.