Surah Al-Kahf 18:47
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · Meccan · Verse 47 of 110
وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ ٱلْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى ٱلْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةًۭ وَحَشَرْنَٰهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًۭا
Translation
One day We shall make the mountains move, and you will see the earth as an open plain. We shall gather all people together, leaving no one.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'And the Day We will move the mountains, and you will see the earth laid bare, and We will gather them, leaving out not one of them.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the scene of total exposure, the mountains, the last hiding places, removed; the earth flattened and open; and 'lam nughadir minhum ahada', not a single soul left out of the gathering. Ask yourself: everything I use to hide, the complexity of my life, the crowds I blend into, the mountains of distraction behind which I bury what I don't want seen, is stripped away on that Day. The earth laid bare is a picture of a self with nowhere left to conceal anything. And 'not one left out' closes the fantasy of slipping through unnoticed. If a Day is coming when there is no cover and no exception, what am I currently hiding behind mountains that I would do better to bring into the open, with God, now?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Wording
This powerful verse opens a window into the Day of Judgment, following a reminder of how quickly the worldly life fades. It directly addresses those who might be engrossed in temporary riches and status, or simply heedless, urging them to remember the stark reality that awaits everyone. Here, Allah (God) Himself is speaking, detailing monumental events with an awe-inspiring tone of absolute certainty and command.
The Moving Mountains
The verse begins by describing `يَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ ٱلْجِبَالَ` (the Day We will move the mountains). The word `نُسَيِّرُ` (nusayyiru), meaning "We will cause to move" or "We will remove," is used by Allah with the plural of majesty, underscoring His supreme power and direct involvement. As al-Razi points out, this is not a passive event but an active, divine decree. While some recitations might suggest the mountains move on their own, the prevalent reading emphasizes Allah's direct action. The sheer scale of this event – the stable, colossal mountains being dislodged – signifies an unprecedented transformation of the earth. What is left unsaid about *where* these mountains go is equally profound; as other Quranic verses imply, they are scattered and cease to exist, utterly obliterating the familiar landscape.
The Bare Earth
Immediately after, we are told `وَتَرَى ٱلْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةًۭ` (and you will see the earth manifest). The word `بَارِزَةً` (bārizah) vividly conveys an earth that is utterly exposed, bare, and open. Scholars like al-Razi and Ibn Ashur explain this in several ways: its surface will be stripped bare, devoid of any mountains, trees, or structures that once adorned or concealed it. It might also mean the earth reveals everything within it, including the dead, or that its true expanse becomes visible after the mountains and seas are gone. The phrase `تَرَى` (tarā), "you will see," speaks to anyone who witnesses this Day, emphasizing the undeniable, universal sight of this stark, flat, and exposed ground.
The Unmissable Gathering
The verse continues with `وَحَشَرْنَٰهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًۭا` (and We gathered them, so We will not leave anyone of them). The use of the past tense `حَشَرْنَٰهُمْ` (hasharnāhum), "We gathered them," to describe a future event is a powerful rhetorical device noted by al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur. It signifies the absolute certainty and inevitability of this gathering. It is as if it has already occurred due to its definite nature in Allah's decree. The phrase `فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًۭا` (fa-lam nughādir minhum ahadā), meaning "We did not leave anyone of them," stresses the complete comprehensiveness of this gathering. From the earliest to the latest generations, no one will be missed, overlooked, or able to escape this assembly for accountability. It is an all-encompassing call from which there is no refuge.
Sources: al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Kahf 18:47 is discussed in 4 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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