Surah An-Naba — Verse 20

Word Meanings:

• وَسُيِّرَتِ الْجِبَالُ — The mountains will be moved and driven from their places.
• سَرَابًا — A mirage; something that appears as water from a distance but is in reality nothing; here it means dust and scattered particles that resemble a mirage.

Tafsir (Explanation):

On that Day of Judgment, the mountains that once stood firm and immovable upon the earth will be set in motion, uprooted from their foundations, and driven from their places. They will be crushed and pulverized until they become like scattered dust, then transformed into something resembling a mirage — an illusion of solidity that vanishes into nothingness. Just as a mirage appears to be water but is merely a deceptive shimmer, so too will these mighty mountains become a fleeting, unreal sight, reduced to particles floating in the air. This verse paints a vivid picture of the total upheaval of the natural order, where even the most stable and massive features of the earth are rendered utterly powerless and transient before the command of Allah.

A Call to Reflection:

Behold, dear reader, how the Creator who set these mountains as firm anchors upon the earth — providing stability to the land and balance to your life — is the very One who will reduce them to a mirage with a single command. If the mightiest of His creations cannot withstand His power on that Day, then how can you, O soul, afford to neglect His call? The mountains you see today, towering and majestic, will one day be as nothing. Let this truth awaken your heart: the world with all its apparent strength and permanence is but a passing illusion. Turn to Allah now, before that Day arrives when every firm mountain becomes a fleeting mirage, and only your deeds will stand before you. Seek His mercy, for He is the Most Merciful, and His door of repentance remains open until the final hour.