Tafseer of The Enshrouded One · Al-Muzzammil · 73:17
Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white- haired?
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says to the polytheists who ascribe partners to Him: How will you, O people, protect yourselves against a Day that turns the children grey, if you do not believe in Allah and do not hold Him to be true? And it was mentioned that it is so in the reading of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd.
In the spirit of what we have said about this, the people of exegesis spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words: "How then will you protect yourselves, if you disbelieve, against a Day that turns the children grey" — he says: how will you protect yourselves against a Day, while you have become disbelievers in it and do not hold it to be true?
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: "How then will you protect yourselves, if you disbelieve", he said: by Allah, whoever was a disbeliever in Allah will not protect himself on that Day.
And His words: "a Day that turns the children grey" — He means the Day of Resurrection; and the children turn grey only because of the severity of its terror and distress.
As was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning His words: "a Day that turns the children grey": Ibn Masʿūd used to say: "When the Day of Resurrection comes, our Lord, the King, will call Ādam and say: O Ādam, arise and send forth the delegation of the Fire. Then Ādam will say: O Lord, I have no knowledge except what You have taught me. Then Allah will say to him: take out of every thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine. Then they will be driven to the Fire, black, chained together, blue (with dread), with hideous faces; and there every child will turn grey."
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His words: "a Day that turns the children grey", he said: the little ones turn grey from the distress of that Day.
