Al-Kifat: From 'kafata' (to encompass or gather something), it is the name of what encompasses. Like their saying: 'al-dhamam' and 'al-jama' for what encompasses and gathers. It is said: this door is the gathering of doors. And by it, 'ahya' (the living) and 'amwat' (the dead) are established, as if it were said: 'kafita' (encompassing) the living and the dead. Or by an implied action indicated by it, which is 'takfut'. The meaning is: it encompasses the living on its back, and the dead in its belly. Some of the companions of Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, have used this to argue for the prohibition of grave robbing, as Allah, the Exalted, made the earth a kifat for the dead, so its belly is a refuge for them. Thus, the grave robber is a thief from the refuge.

If you say: why is it said 'ahya' and 'amwat' in the indefinite form, while it is the kifat of the living and the dead altogether? I say: it is from the indefiniteness of magnification, as if it were said: 'it encompasses living that cannot be counted and dead that cannot be enumerated,' considering that the living of mankind and their dead are not all the living and the dead. It may also mean: 'I encompass you, living and dead,' and they are in the accusative case as a state from the pronoun, for it is known that they are the kifat of mankind. If you say:

What about the indefiniteness in 'rawasi shamikhatin' (towering mountains) and 'ma'an furatan' (sweet water)? I say: it may imply partiality, because in the sky there are mountains, as Allah, the Exalted, said: 'And He sends down from the sky mountains in it of hail and in it sweet water as well,' rather it is its source and its outlet, and it may be for magnification.