The Implosion

..

وَخَسَفَ الۡقَمَرُۙ‏ ٨

[Al-Quran, Surah al-Qiyamah, Ayat 8]

Surah alQiyamah informs of an event commencing the Day of Qiyamah: it is the 'khasafa' of the Moon. Looking up the occurrence of this word in The Quran, we find it used in the following ayaat: 

اَفَاَمِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ مَكَرُوا السَّيِّاٰتِ اَنۡ يَّخۡسِفَ اللّٰهُ بِهِمُ الۡاَرۡضَ اَوۡ يَاۡتِيَهُمُ الۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُوۡنَۙ‏ ٤٥

[Al-Quran, Surah an-Nahl, Ayat 45]

....

اَفَاَمِنۡتُمۡ اَنۡ يَّخۡسِفَ بِكُمۡ جَانِبَ الۡبَرِّ اَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حَاصِبًا ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُوۡا لَـكُمۡ وَكِيۡلًا ۙ‏ ٦٨

[Al-Quran, Surah al-Isra, Ayat 68]

....

فَخَسَفۡنَا بِهٖ وَبِدَارِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ فَمَا كَانَ لَهٗ مِنۡ فِئَةٍ يَّـنۡصُرُوۡنَهٗ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الۡمُنۡتَصِرِيۡنَ‏ ٨١

وَاَصۡبَحَ الَّذِيۡنَ تَمَـنَّوۡا مَكَانَهٗ بِالۡاَمۡسِ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ وَيۡكَاَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَبۡسُطُ الرِّزۡقَ لِمَنۡ يَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهٖ وَيَقۡدِرُ​ۚ لَوۡلَاۤ اَنۡ مَّنَّ اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَا​ ؕ وَيۡكَاَنَّهٗ لَا يُفۡلِحُ الۡكٰفِرُوۡنَ‏  ٨٢

[Al-Quran, Surah al-Qasas, Ayaat 81-82]

....

فَكُلًّا اَخَذۡنَا بِذَنۡۢبِهٖ​ ۚ فَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ حَاصِبًا​ ۚ وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ اَخَذَتۡهُ الصَّيۡحَةُ​ ۚ وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ خَسَفۡنَا بِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ​ ۚ وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ اَغۡرَقۡنَا​ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ اللّٰهُ لِيَـظۡلِمَهُمۡ وَلٰـكِنۡ كَانُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُوۡنَ‏ ٤٠

[Al-Quran, Surah al-'Ankabut, Ayat 40]

....

اَفَلَمۡ يَرَوۡا اِلٰى مَا بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ ؕ اِنۡ نَّشَاۡ نَخۡسِفۡ بِهِمُ الۡاَرۡضَ اَوۡ نُسۡقِطۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ كِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ؕ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰ لِكَ لَاٰيَةً لِّكُلِّ عَبۡدٍ مُّنِيۡبٍ‏ ٩

[Al-Quran, Surah Saba, Ayat 9]

....

ءَاَمِنۡتُمۡ مَّنۡ فِىۡ السَّمَآءِ اَنۡ يَّخۡسِفَ بِكُمُ الۡاَرۡضَ فَاِذَا هِىَ تَمُوۡرُۙ‏ ١٦

[Al-Quran, Surah al-Mulk, Ayat 16]

....

The triliteral root khā sīn fā (خ س ف) occurs eight times in the Quran as the form I verb khasafa (خَسَفَ):

(16:45:6) yakhsifa	Allah will cave	أَفَأَمِنَ الَّذِينَ مَكَرُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ اللَّهُ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ
(17:68:3) yakhsifa	He will cause to swallow	أَفَأَمِنْتُمْ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ بِكُمْ جَانِبَ الْبَرِّ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًا
(28:81:1) fakhasafnā	Then We caused to swallow up	فَخَسَفْنَا بِهِ وَبِدَارِهِ الْأَرْضَ
(28:82:21) lakhasafa	He would have caused it to swallow us	لَوْلَا أَنْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَا
(29:40:15) khasafnā	We caused to swallow	وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَغْرَقْنَا
(34:9:14) nakhsif	We (could) cause to swallow them	إِنْ نَشَأْ نَخْسِفْ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ
(67:16:6) yakhsifa	He will cause to swallow	أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَمُورُ
(75:8:1) wakhasafa	And becomes dark	وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ

As can be seen, seven out of eight times, the word is translated in terms of caving in / being swallowed by the Earth. The only instance where it is translated differently is in Q75:8 where the Day of Qiyamah is being described. For some reason, the translators have chosen to translate this in terms of darkening, like an eclipse. I've tried to understand this in terms of eclipse in an earlier post. However, the overarching meaning seems to be in terms of caving in, imploding, so that whatever is on top sinks in. 

The Quran presents the example of Qarun* being sunk in the Earth along with all his wealth, and it mentions that some entire nations were punished as such. It also warns of such a punishment. There are modern-day examples of sinkholes. So, it is not something unthinkable. 

The Moon is also expected to meet a similar fate. Another ayat that mentions something happening to the Moon is: 

اِقۡتَـرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الۡقَمَرُ‏ ١

The Hour (of doom) has drawn near, and the moon has split asunder.

— T. Usmani

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder (the people of Makkah requested Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to show them a miracle, so he showed them the splitting of the moon).1

— Al-Hilali & Khan

[1](V.1) Narrated Anas رضي الله عنه: The people of Makkah asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to show them a sign (miracle). So he showed them (the miracle) of the cleaving of the moon. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol.6, Hadîth No.390).

قیامت کی گھڑی قریب آچکی اور چاند شق ہوگیا۔

— (بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)

پاس آ لگی قیامت اور پھٹ گیا چاند 1

— Shaykh al-Hind Mahmud al-Hasan(with Tafsir E Usmani)

قیامت قریب آ گئی1 اور چاند پھٹ گیا.2

— Maulana Muhammad Junagarhi

قیامت قریب آگئی اور چاندپھٹ گیا

— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

[Al-Quran, Surah al-Qamar, Ayat 1]  

The sign that the Hour has approached is the cleaving of the Moon. 

The sign that the Day of Qiyamah has approached is the implosion / darkening / eclipsing of the Moon. 

Also read: 

Hypocrisy and the Darkness it will bring 

Moon, Magic, and Envy 

When the Earth Sways! 

* Qarun was from the Bani Israel, who lived during the time of Moses (Musa عليه السلام). While most of the Bani Israel were suffering, he lived a life of luxury and overwhelming wealth. He thought that the wealth he had accumulated was due to his knowledge. He was rebellious against his people. Eventually, he was punished for his crimes. His story is narrated in Surah al-Qasas starting at ayat 76.