Tafsir for verse: 68:42
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَن سَاقٖ وَيُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ ٤٢ ﴿42
42On the Day when the Shin will be exposed, and they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, they will not be able to.
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Commentary

'On the Day' may be an indication of the Day of Resurrection. It is based on its addition to the sentence, and it may be an adverb for 'they will come,' or it may be in the accusative case due to what it takes from the meaning of the words, such as: 'They will know what they will encounter from the consequences of these transactions.' Even if they enjoyed all the pleasures in this world on the day that 'is uncovered,' meaning the uncovering occurs in it. It is built for the passive voice because the frightening thing is the occurrence of the uncovering, which is a metaphor for the escalation of matters and their exceeding the limits of endurance, not because it is from a specific entity, while it is known that there is no doer there other than Him, glorified and exalted is He. 'About the shank' means the matter intensifies to the utmost intensity, for whoever the matter has intensified upon finds it necessary to roll up his sleeves for it, and his family rolled up their skirts without modesty in flight. This is a metaphor for this, and for that reason, it was made indefinite for the purpose of intimidation and magnification. This interpretation has been transmitted from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Sa'id ibn Jubair, may Allah be pleased with him, and others. It also refers to the unveiling of all truths and the appearance of the great and subtle matters from the horrors and others, just as these verses have unveiled all doubts and left the listener to it as if in the light of day. In the thirty-fifth part of the Musnad of Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili from Abu Burda from his father, may Allah be pleased with them, from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, regarding this, he said:

About a great light, they fall down in prostration to it. This does not contradict what has been mentioned of the two interpretations: severity and revelation. When this revelation, which has revealed to them the meanings in this Qur'an, is indeed for the sake of worship, which is the submission expressed by prostration. It is its sign and an indication of what the inner self contains of it. They will come to it while they are capable of it. He reminded them of a day they desire it, but they will not be able to arrange it for themselves, nor will they have an increase in loss and the manifestation of misguidance and loss. This is because their appearances and limbs will be in one state, not bending. Whenever they intend to prostrate, they will turn on their backs. He said, establishing the action as an indication of their desire for submission and their inclination towards it from any caller. This indicates that the obligation does not cease except by the entry of each of the two groups into its abode. 'And they will be called' meaning by the caller of the Sovereign, the Just. 'To prostration' as a reprimand for their abandonment of it now, and as an arrangement and reprimand, not as worship and obligation. They desire it to harm themselves from what they see of fears. 'So' meaning it will result from that that they [do not] 'have the ability' meaning because they are not sound. They have no limbs that submit with them, along with the severity of their treatment of themselves. The fact is that their limbs will not volunteer for them, as this phrase implies, that if a person among them intends to act and strives with strength but cannot do it, then their appearances will be in a state that does not bend with it. Rather, there will be in it the utmost regret for their abandonment of it in this world while they were capable of it. At that time, it would have been beneficial for them, and their treatment of it would be the most severe treatment while they are unable to do it, and it is not beneficial for them. If they are unable with treatment, they will be more incapable without it. This is because a person is resurrected upon what he died upon and will be gathered upon what he was raised upon, if good, then good, and if evil, then evil.

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