How will the Day of Judgement come about? The details of what will ensue at the advent of this day are mentioned in the Quran at a number of places. What will happen to the heavens and the earth and what will befall the sun and the moon, the planets and stars and what situation will be faced by the creatures of the earth and how people will emerge from their graves to gather around their Lord is all portrayed in the Quran. A study of pre-Islamic Arabic literature shows that the Arabs relished parables more than similes. The Quran while taking this into account has portrayed the picture of the cataclysm that will take place on that day in such a graphic manner that the reader feels and sees all these events happening before him. The sequence of events which will take place as per the Quran is the following:

1. People would be deeply involved in their life-routine. Some would be on the way, some in the market, some in a gathering and some at their homes and no one would have the slightest inkling that this whole world is about to be disrupted when suddenly the trumpet would be blown and the upheaval of the Day of Judgement would take place:

وَيَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَاء اللَّهُ (87:27)

And remember the day when the trumpet is sounded and all who are between the heavens and the earth will be horror-struck except for those whom God will choose to spare. (27:87)

The word al-sur has been translated as “the trumpet”. What actually would be the nature of this trumpet of course cannot be determined, and as such it belongs to the mutashabihat category. However, one can have some idea of what it implies because the word trumpet does give us an idea of what it would be. In order to delineate the system and affairs of His world, the Almighty uses words found in the vocabulary of human beings which are akin to their own system and affairs. The purpose is to take us closer in our imagination to what is being discussed and the purpose is not to make us understand the exact nature and form of what is being discussed the way it is found in this world. In ancient times, the trumpet was sounded during royal processions or to herald an attack. It is evident from the Quran that a similar thing would be sounded to announce the advent of the Day of Judgement. As the Quran (81:4-5) portrays, this sound would strike panic and fear among the creatures of this earth causing people to even forget their dearest possessions and animals of the forest would gather together in utter confusion. Finally, all creatures of the earth would pass out because of this horrific sound:

وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَاء اللَّهُ (68:39)

And the trumpet shall be sounded and all those between the heavens and the earth shall fall down fainting except those whom God shall spare. (39:68)

At various places, the Quran has graphically depicted what will happen to the creatures of this earth when this commotion ensues. When after the first earthquake tremor the second tremor comes, the state of the earth would be much like a ship which is being swept by the tumultuous waves around it and whose inhabitants as a result would be trembling with fear with eyes horror-struck and they would be so overcome and stricken by the situation as if the horrific punishment of God has driven them mad. The Quran says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُم بِسُكَارَى وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ (22: 1-2)

O People! Have fear of your Lord. The cataclysm of the Day of Judgement is very dreadful indeed. The day you see it, on that day every suckling mother shall forget her infant and every pregnant female shall cast her burden, and you shall see mankind in a state of inebriation though they would be not inebriated but it would be because God’s punishment would be so grave. (22:1-2)

2. It would be at this time when great disruption in the physical world will begin. Such great commotion would ensue all over this universe that mountains would be crushed to grains, seas would burst forth and all galaxies and heavenly bodies would be displaced and would fuse into one another. So great would this all-embracing upheaval be that minds cannot imagine it and words cannot describe it. This turmoil would continue for a period known only to God:

إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْوَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انكَدَرَتْوَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْوَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْوَإِذَا الْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْوَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ… عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَا أَحْضَرَتْ(81: 1-6، 14)

At the time when the sun ceases to shine, and when the stars are bedimmed, and when the mountains are set moving, and when camels, ten-months pregnant are left untended, and when wild beasts [forgetting all their enmities] are herded together, and when the seas burst forth … Then [O people! Each one of you] will know what he has brought forward. (81:1-6,14)

إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انشَقَّتْوَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْوَإِذَا الْأَرْضُ مُدَّتْوَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْوَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ(84: 1-5)

That day when the sky is rent asunder, and obeys its Lord’s command as is befitting for it. And when the earth is stretched out and casts out all that is within her and becomes empty and obeys its Lord as it should do. [That will be the day when you shall meet your Lord]. (84:1-5)

3. After this, the second phase will begin. In the Quran, this phase has been called the phase in which mankind will be re-created. Thus from this very turmoil, a new physical world will emerge:

يَوْمَ نَطْوِي السَّمَاء كَطَيِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ (104:21)

Remember the day when We shall roll up the heavens like a scroll wrapped in parchment. Just as We brought about the first creation, so will We do it again. This is a promise liable on us and We shall assuredly fulfil it. (21:104)

In what manner would this next phase come about? The Almighty has told us that all heavenly bodies including this earth, sun, moon and galaxies made of billions of stars and planets would change into an earth and heavens having new physical laws: يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ الأَرْضُ غَيْرَ الأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ (48:14) (keep in mind the day when the earth is changed into a different earth and the heavens also, (14:48)). According to the Quran, at this juncture, the trumpet would be sounded once again after which mankind would rise from their graves and would advance to the court of justice set up by their Lord for them:

ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَى فَإِذَا هُم قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ (68:39)

Then the trumpet will be blown again and they shall suddenly rise and look around them. (39:68)

وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَنسِلُونَ (51:36)

And the trumpet will be blown and all of a sudden they will rise up from their graves and hasten to their Lord. (36:51)

(Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)