Allah says,

﴿فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْماً يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَنَ شِيباً ﴾

(Then how can you proctect yourselves from the punishment, if you disbelieved, on a Day that will make the children gray-headed) Ibn Jarir quoted in the recitation of Ibn Mas`ud: "How can you, O people, fear a Day that makes the children grey-headed, if you disbelieve in Allah and do not testify to Him'' So the first interpretation would mean, `how can you attain safety for yourselves from the Day of this great horror if you disbelieve' It could imply the meaning, `how can you all attain piety if you disbelieve in the Day of Judgement and reject it.' Both of these meanings are good. However, the first interpretation is closer to the truth. And Allah knows best. The meaning of Allah's statement,

﴿يَوْماً يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَنَ شِيباً﴾

(On a Day that will make the children gray-headed) is that this will happen due to the severity of its horrors, its earth- quakes and its distur- bing confusion. This is when Allah will say to Adam, "Send a group to the Fire.'' Adam will say, "How many'' Allah will then reply, "From every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine to the Fire, and one to Paradise.'' Then Allah says,

﴿السَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرٌ بِهِ﴾

(Whereon the heaven will be cleft asunder) Al-Hasan and Qatadah both said, "This means, because of it (the Day of Judge- ment), due to its severity and its horror.'' Then Allah says,

﴿كَانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولاً﴾

(His promise is certainly to be accomplished.) meaning, the promise of this Day will be fulfilled. This means it will occur and there is no way around it, and it will come to pass and there is no avoiding it.

﴿إِنَّ هَـذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَن شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلاً - إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِن ثُلُثَىِ الَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَآئِفَةٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ الَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ عَلِمَ أَلَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُمْ مَّرْضَى وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَـتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلَوةَ وَءَاتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ وَأَقْرِضُواُ اللَّهَ قَرْضاً حَسَناً وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لاًّنفُسِكُمْ مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْراً وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْراً وَاسْتَغْفِرُواْ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴾

(19. Verily, this is an admonition, therefore whosoever wills, let him take a path to His Lord!) (20. Verily, your Lord knows that you do stand a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and also a party of those with you. And Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you are unable to pray the whole night, so He has turned to you. So, recite you of the Qur'an as much as may be easy for you. He knows that there will be some among you sick, others traveling through the land, seeking of Allah's bounty, yet others fighting in Allah's cause. So recite as much of the Qur'an as may be easy,