وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ 9
Translations
And the mountains will be like wool,
Transliteration
wa-takūnu al-jibālu ka-al-'ihni
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes a scene from the Day of Judgment wherein the mountains will become like colored wool (carded and fluffed), losing their solidity and strength. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this imagery conveys the complete dissolution of the physical world's most stable elements, emphasizing the absolute power of Allah and the certainty of the afterlife. Al-Qurtubi notes that 'ihn (wool) specifically refers to wool that has been carded and dyed in various colors, symbolizing how these mighty mountains will become light, scattered, and powerless.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Ma'arij is a Meccan chapter that addresses the disbelievers' mockery of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and provides vivid descriptions of the Day of Judgment to warn them of its reality. This ayah is part of a broader sequence (70:8-14) depicting apocalyptic events, serving to motivate believers toward righteousness and warn against negligence regarding the Hereafter.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The Day of Judgment will not come until the earth becomes like silver and the mountains become like wool.' (Sunan Ibn Majah, with similar accounts in Musnad Ahmad). This hadith directly parallels the Quranic description and emphasizes the complete transformation of creation.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that no matter how permanent and immovable worldly things appear, they are ultimately temporary and will dissolve before Allah's might; therefore, believers should focus their efforts on the eternal Hereafter rather than becoming attached to the fleeting material world.