وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ ﴿۸۲﴾ وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فَوْجًا مِمَّنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ ﴿۸۳﴾

﴾82﴿ Wa izaa waqa'al qawlu 'alaihim akhrajnaa lahum daaabbatan minal ardi tukal limuhum annan naasa kaanoo bi aayaatinaa laa yooqinoon
﴾83﴿ Wa Yawma nahshuru min kulli ummatin fawjan mimmany yukazzibu bi Aayaatinaa fahum yooza'oon

﴾82﴿ And when the decree of punishment is fulfilled against them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth, speaking to them, because the people did not have certainty in Our signs
﴾83﴿ And the Day We will gather from every nation a group of those who denied Our signs, and they will be assembled in ranks

[82] This verse is a worldly warning (takhwīf dunyawī) due to the people’s rejection of the signs and the Qur’an.
The phrase “waqa‘a al-qawl” (وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ) refers to the fulfillment of Allah’s decisive decree of wrath—meaning that repentance and faith will no longer be accepted from the deniers.
According to a narration from Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudrī, this moment will come when people abandon amr bil-ma‘rūf (enjoining good) and nahi ‘an al-munkar (forbidding evil).
According to a narration from ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd, it refers to a time when the scholars of truth pass away and the knowledge of the Qur’an and religion disappears.
At such a time, repentance will no longer be accepted, and true believers will not be found—just as Allah revealed to Nūḥ (peace be upon him): "None of your people will believe except those who have already believed.” (Hūd 11:36)
At that time, a creature (Dābbah) will emerge from the earth. In a ḥadīth narrated by Muslim, it is mentioned that when three major signs of the Hour appear, faith will no longer be accepted: 1. The rising of the sun from the west 2. The appearance of the Dajjāl 3. The appearance of Dābbat al-Arḍ (the Beast of the Earth)
Another ḥadīth in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim lists ten signs of the Hour, and Dābbat al-Arḍ is among them. Thus, it is confirmed that this Beast will certainly appear.
However, details such as its shape, location, and other specific characteristics are not established through authentic narrations—despite what has been written by al-Qurṭubī and other commentators.
Therefore, having a general belief (īmān ijmālī) in it is sufficient.
Those who have claimed that the Dābbah refers to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) or other righteous callers have been strongly refuted by al-Qurṭubī.
--- Regarding the phrase: “Tukallimuhum anna an-nāsa kānū bi-āyātinā lā yuqinūn” (تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ): First interpretation: “Anna” is the second object (maf‘ūl thānī) of tukallimuhum. So the meaning is: the Dābbah will speak to the people and inform them that “the people had no certainty in the signs of our Lord”—thus, I have been sent to them.
Second interpretation: The object of tukallimuhum is omitted and understood to be something like: “It will speak to them about the falsification of all religions other than Islam, and the rejection of their repentance.” Here, “anna” relates to “akharajnāhā” (We brought it out), meaning: We brought out the Dābbah to inform the people that all religions besides Islam are invalid, or to inform them that their repentance will no longer be accepted.
Third interpretation: “‘Alayhim” is used in its literal sense—meaning the Dābbah will mark the people with this statement: “That indeed the people did not have certainty in the signs.” And “bi-āyātinā” refers to “the signs of our Lord.”
[83] From this verse begins the otherworldly warning (takhwīf ukhrawī) through the divine signs for the deniers.
“Yūza‘ūn” (يُوزَعُونَ) means: they will be restrained and gathered in one place, then driven forward to the field of accountability (the Day of Judgment).