Ibn `Abbas said,

[إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الاٌّرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا ]

(When the earth quakes with its Zilzal.) "This means that it will move from beneath it.''

[وَأَخْرَجَتِ الأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا ]

(And when the earth throws out its burdens.) meaning, it will throw forth that which is in it of the dead. More than one of the Salaf have said this and it is similar to Allah's statement,

[يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَىْءٌ عَظِيمٌ ]

(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord! Verily, the earthquake (Zalzalah) of the Hour is a terrible thing.) (22:1) This is also similar to His saying,

[وَإِذَا الاٌّرْضُ مُدَّتْ - وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ ]

(And when the earth is stretched forth, and has cast out all that was in it and became empty.) (84:3-4) Muslim recorded in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,

«تُلْقِي الْأَرْضُ أَفْلَاذَ كَبِدِهَا أَمْثَالَ الْأُسْطُوَانِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ، فَيَجِيءُ الْقَاتِلُ فَيَقُولُ فِي هَذَا قَتَلْتُ، وَيَجِيءُ الْقَاطِعُ فَيَقُولُ فِي هَذَا قَطَعْتُ رَحِمِي،وَيَجِيءُ السَّارِقُ فَيَقُولُ: فِي هَذَا قُطِعَتْ يَدِي، ثُمَّ يَدَعُونَهُ فَلَا يَأْخُذُونَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا»

(The earth will throw out the pieces of its liver (its contents). Gold and silver will come out like columns. A murderer will come and say, `I killed for this' The one who broke the ties of kinship will say, `For this I severed the ties of kinship' The thief will say, `For this I got my hands amputated' Then they will leave it there and no one will take anything from it.)'' Then Allah says,

[وَقَالَ الإِنسَـنُ مَا لَهَا ]

(And man will say: "What is the matter with it'') meaning, he will be baffled by its situation after it used to be stable, settled and firm, and he used to be settled upon its surface. This refers to the alteration of the state of things and the earth moving and shaking. There will come to it inescapable quaking that Allah prepared for it. Then it will throw out its dead people -- from the first to the last generations. At that time the people will be baffled by the events and the earth changing into other than the earth, and the heavens as well. Then they will be presented before Allah, the One, the Irresistible. Concerning Allah's statement,

[يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا ]

(That Day it will declare its information.) meaning, it will speak of what the people did upon its surface. Imam Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and Abu `Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i all recorded a Hadith from Abu Hurayrah -- and in the wording of An-Nasa'i's version it states -- that he said, "The Messenger of Allah recited this Ayah,

[يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا ]

(That Day it will declare its information.) Then he said,

«أَتَدْرُونَ مَا أَخْبَارُهَا؟»

(Do you know what is its information) They said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said,

«فَإِنَّ أَخْبَارَهَا أَنْ تَشْهَدَ عَلَى كُلِّ عَبْدٍ وَأَمَةٍ بِمَا عَمِلَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ: عَمِلَ كَذَا وَكَذَا يَوْمَ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَهَذِهِ أَخْبَارُهَا»

(Verily, its information is that it will testify against every male and female servant, about what they did upon its surface. It will say that he did such and such on such and such day. So this is its information.)'' Then At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Sahih Gharib.'' Concerning Allah's statement,

[بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَى لَهَا ]

(Because your Lord will inspire it.) It is apparent that the implied meaning here is that He will permit it (the earth). Shabib bin Bishr narrated from `Ikrimah that Ibn `Abbas said,

[يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا ]

(That Day it will declare its information.) "Its Lord will say to it, `Speak.' So it will speak.'' Mujahid commented (on "inspire it''), " He commands it (i.e., to speak). '' Al-Qurazi said, "He will command it to separate from them.'' Then Allah says,

[يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتاً]

(That Day mankind will proceed in scattered groups (Ashtat)) meaning, they will return from the station of the Judgement in separate groups. This means that they will be divided into types and categories: between those who are miserable and those who are happy, and those who are commanded to go to Paradise and those who are commanded to go to the Hellfire. As-Suddi said, "Ashtat means sects.'' Allah said,

[لِّيُرَوْاْ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ]

(that they may be shown their deeds.) meaning, so that they may act and be rewarded for what they did in this life of good and evil.