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The LAST DAY (Also Known as the Day of Judgement)
Below are Two topics to do with the Day of Judgement:
About the Day of Judgement/ Last Day
The Signs of the Day Of Judgement/ Last Day
Introduction
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY HARUN YAHYA- AND MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON HIS WEBSITE: http://www.harunyahya.com/
And the Moon is eclipsed, and the Sun and the Moon are fused together, on that Day man will ask: "Where can I run?" No indeed! There will be no safe place. That Day, the only resting place will be your Lord. (
Consider the people and events that shape your life. You are working hard to get somewhere, trying to find your place in the struggle for a good life. You are very attentive to some matters and reflect deeply upon them. At the same time, you carefully avoid thinking about other matters and, as it happens, many people close to you do the same. Everyone knows what subjects to avoid in conversation and thought. Death is one of these, perhaps the most important one. For them, death is an end to which there is no solution.
The Day of Judgment, which will bring "death" to the universe just like the death of people, is a matter that people do not like to think about; rather, they consider it as a remote and distant matter. They have a vague idea of what will happen on that Day, but since the thought of it scares them, people are inclined to forget about it. Rather than facing up to it, they just get on with their lives instead.
People are most affected by the final day aspect of this Day for all beings, whether living or non-living. The Day of Judgment is the final day of life on Earth and for the universe. But at the same time, it is the beginning of the eternal life in the Hereafter. On that Day, people will be resurrected, created anew. Believers in Allah and the Hereafter will be hosted in
Not so! All who submit themselves completely to Allah and are good-doers will find their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and know no sorrow. (
Those who believed in this Day and in the Qur'an, as well as that the real life is in the Hereafter, while alive and lived accordingly will be safe. They did not disregard the existence of death and were not too vain to worship Allah. Such people will be received in the most pleasant way in the Hereafter, and Allah's guiding light will be with them on the Day of Judgment. The faithful are given the good news in the Qur'an, as follows:
… on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed along with him. Their light will stream out ahead of them and on their right. They will say: "Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us! You have power over all things." (
This book reveals the Day and its events, and warns of its difficulties. What matters most is that the Day of Judgment is a reality for all people and, as such, should not be ignored. This book will help you to think about its existence and reality in the light of the Qur'an's verses.
The purpose here is to warn you of a Day on which you will meet whatever happens, and to guide you to safety and the eternal life in
The Day Of Judgement is Approaching
And the Hour is coming without any doubt, and Allah will raise up all those in the graves. (
Death is coming closer by the day. Whether you are young or old, death is a little closer to you every day, even every minute. You cannot resist time or prevent death's approach. Nothing you do can change the fact that you and those close to you are only "temporary" beings. Like every other living being, you are advancing toward the Day on which your life will end.
Humanity is not the only part of creation that is subject to death. All other creatures, Earth itself and the whole universe, have a day of death fixed for them. The Day of Judgment is a day of terror and unimaginable fear. But at the same time, it is most wondrous. Everything on Earth will be flattened, the stars will be extinguished and fall in rapid succession, and the Sun will be wrapped up in darkness. All human beings who have ever lived will be gathered and made to witness this Day. This Final Day will be dreadful for the unbelievers, and its Lord will be Allah, Who owns all that exists.
The Day of Judgment, contrary to many people's belief, is approaching; it is not in the distant future. When it arrives, Earth and everything belonging to it will be destroyed. Ambitions, desires, anger, expectations, lusts, enmities, and pleasures will cease. Plans made for the future will become meaningless, for those who had forgotten that they will be returned to Allah, preferring this world over the eternal life and its misleading wealth, beauty, and pleasures, will have met their end. On this Day, everyone will witness clearly Allah's existence and will come face to face with the death that they had tried so hard to forget. Their attempt to forget Allah and the Hereafter is finished, and a new beginning, one which will be eternal and bring no happiness to the unbelievers, is awaiting them. From the very first moment of this eternal life, the punishment is so fearsome that those who experience it will beg for "death" and "annihilation." The beginning of this life is the Day of Judgment and, "the Hour is coming without any doubt."
LIFE ON EARTH IS TEMPORARY, AND DEATH IS A CERTAIN REALITY
From your earliest childhood onwards, you head for certain goals or are guided by others. You probably will have a family and a job, try to earn more in order to have a better life, educate your children, and hope that they will have a better life than you did. Once a week you meet the other members of your extended family. You take vacations, go to work, and spend the rest of your time at home. Except for a few hiccups on the way, your life progresses orderly and you usually encounter nothing outside the ordinary.
Everything in your life seems to be premeditated, and everyone's life is like everyone else's. You need to work to realize these goals, and you need to have a family to continue your lineage. According to this worldview, what else could you possibly want besides "a good job" and "a nice family?" Having achieved these goals, you expect to lead a happy life. In this way, everything is wonderful and you will live happily ever after.
However, some important changes are happening in your body and environment. Many cells with diverse functions fulfill their purpose and die. As you age, it becomes harder to replace them. Your body is ageing visibly, as seen through your illnesses and weaknesses. Time moves fast, and the impossibility of reversing it becomes clearer every day. Thinking that you were going to live happily and comfortably forever, you are nevertheless nearing death. Thus, this worldly life can never give the sense of contentment and peace you expect. When this "satisfying" life ends, you will come face to face with the real truth. Given this fact, none of your life ambitions should become your true purpose in life. This life is a temporary trial to separate the righteous from the evildoers. Allah reveals this reality in the following verse:
He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (
The true purpose of life is not a decent job and a nice family. Rather, everybody has been created for one purpose: to serve Allah. We become attached to our children, rank, and status but with the first instance of death, these worldly pleasures lose their value and importance. Everybody knows this, but many choose to ignore it. And so such things should not be the ultimate goals of life. We must reflect carefully and realize what is the real purpose and the true gain. Allah reveals the true purpose of our creation, as follows:
I only created jinn and man to worship
Only by fulfilling this responsibility can we expect the gifts of the Hereafter. Most people have some unfounded expectations and comfort themselves with them. But this is a great error. If one has nothing to expect from the Hereafter, there is only one possibility left: To become nothing with death, a possibility that is scarier than all the others. The unbelievers develop various methods of forgetting this possibility, because they fear it so much. Among these methods are not talking about, discussing, or remembering death, even though it is a certainty for everyone. Everybody acts as if it does not exist. That most people behave in such a way might be reassuring to some extent, but in reality they are all misguided. People know about death, the Last Day, and the Hereafter, but refuse to ponder them. They are satisfied with this worldly life, or at least make themselves believe that they are. However, Allah reveals that death will find everyone:
Say: "Death, from which you are fleeing, will certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, and He will inform you about what you did." (
The universe and all of its contents, not just humanity, will die on the Day of Judgment, for on that Day the trial will end. Many people will recognize its coming by its signs, and the events leading up to the universe's death will be literally hair-raising. Finally, on that Day, Allah will raise up all those in the graves and all people on the Earth will be called to account. Those who did not expect to experience such a Day will no longer be able to deny it, and so will bow to Allah's will whether they want to or not. Allah has prepared a spectacular end for the universe, and despite most people's attempts to deny this reality, the Day of Judgment will come at its appointed time.
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT IS A CERTAIN REALITY
So when the Trumpet is blown with a single blast, and Earth and the mountains are lifted and crushed with a single blow, on that Day, the Occurrence will occur. (
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT'S HOUR IS PREDETERMINED
As time progresses, we are speedily approaching the Day of Judgment. Most people think that this Day is in the distant future. However, they would be well-advised to remember that previous generations had the same attitude. In reality, everyone who has ever lived will witness these events and assemble in Allah's presence; no one will be able to escape. As only Allah knows when the Day of Judgment will come, there is no guarantee that it will not happen while you are making plans for the future and are busying yourselves with your everyday lives, for:
Say: "I do not know whether what you are promised is close or whether my Lord will appoint a longer time before it." He is the Knower of the Unseen, and does not divulge His Unseen to anyone. (
The great order in which Allah created life will terminate at a time unknown to us. Those who doubt this fact and choose not to believe in it may consider themselves reasonable, and so this Day will be a hard and scary one for them. For this reason, it is far more beneficial and positive to believe in it, for it will be of no use to believe in it when the Hour has struck, or to feel remorse for their self-deception. One verse describes such remorse, as follows:
When the Great Calamity comes: that Day man will remember what he has striven for. (
The Events of that Day
As the Qur'an reveals, the Day of Judgment is "the Day mankind will stand before the Lord of all the worlds" (
The Qur'an presents several allegories of this event. This chapter provides a general description of this Day's events and explores their meanings. Allah knows best, and only His knowledge is infinite. We, on the other hand, can understand and relate only what He has revealed and taught.
Everything related in this chapter comes from the Qur'an, and therefore is beyond doubt. Given that only Allah knows how all of these events will occur, things might happen differently than we expect. We only know the following facts for certain: His promised events will take place, people on the Day of Judgment will come face to face with a spectacular scene unlike anything seen before, and that the universe and all of its contents will be completely destroyed. People will not have the opportunity to learn the reason for this, to escape and save themselves, or to strive for a solution. Everyone will realize that Allah and the Hereafter exist.
THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET
The Day Begins When the Trumpet Is Blown
The Trumpet will be blown. That is the Day of the Threat. (Surah Qaf, 20)
The sounding of the trumpet proclaims that the Day of Judgment, promised by Allah, has finally come, that this world has ended, and that the Hereafter has begun. Everyone has been informed of this great Day and what it holds, and has been warned that they would be brought to account. Now, they are face to face with this promised reality. This unexpected sound, which is unlike anything ever heard before, will cause people to realize that their time is up, for it indicates the beginning of infinite fear, terror, and hopelessness for the unbelievers—a very hard Day for them indeed. Allah says:
For when the Trumpet is blown, that Day will be a difficult day, not easy for the unbelievers. (
Those who are fooled by the world order's temporary attractions and attach themselves tightly to such things are blind to the reality of Allah's existence and unity. They are supposedly happy and content with this illusion, and live without any consideration for the Creator of all or for His creation and its progress toward its end. In reality, since Allah created this order, He will cause this spectacular system to cease to be, by giving a single command, in a mind-blowing fashion. Those who do not think that they will meet such a day will awake from their slumber immediately when the trumpet sounds. However, their new state will be of no benefit to them, for by this time it will be far too late to do anything for Allah and the Hereafter.
But why is it too late? Allah informs us that the reason behind this is that such people wasted their lives and ignored the trial and also the reality of the Hereafter. Such an attitude engenders a severe punishment, for its source is the individual's satisfaction with this limited world and ignoring the possibility of a past and future. People holding this attitude crave this life's temporary pleasures and disregard creation's purpose, and so spend their lives without wondering why they live, why they were created, what the Creator expects of them, and why they will die. They know about death, but are also aware that its reality raises questions that beg for answers. Therefore, they turn away and try to distance themselves from these thoughts as much as possible. In reality, however, the sole purpose for each person's creation and short life on Earth is to serve Allah. People who are aware of death's proximity, the shortness of this life, and that whatever happens to them is part of their trial, are also aware that they will meet with what the Qur'an reveals to them. Therefore, they understand that their sole purpose for being alive is to live for Allah. Realizing this while alive is a great benefit, for it causes people to distance themselves from the deceptive world and turn to their real home: the Hereafter.
The greatest desire of those who chase after pleasure and lust is that this order will go on forever. But even that sometimes does not make them content, for life always contains problems and difficulties. Moreover, Satan has countless tactics to keep them from believing in the infinite sufferings of the Hereafter and has them prefer this life of hardship and sadness over faith. But when such people hear the trumpet sound, maybe while driving to work or while getting ready for bed, they will realize that all of their postponed ambitions and expectations are for naught, and thus will fall into a state of utmost despair. The order that they had hoped would go on forever has ended, as have their own lives. Everything that they refused to believe in, despite knowing about them, now has caught up with them. Those people who lived in the shadow of false powers that were "protecting them" now have nowhere to seek refuge, because all people except the believers are in the same hopeless situation. They have surrendered to the inevitable, and all people whoever lived are now assembled together in Allah's presence:
The Trumpet will be blown, and at once they will be sliding from their graves toward their Lord. (Surah Ya Sin, 51)
For the unbelievers, this event means "meeting the very thing from which he or she ran away," as well as "the end of the last opportunity to correct one's errors." The fear of that moment is indescribable, for such panic and terror has never been heard of or seen before. It might have been possible to make good mistakes or they might have been forgotten over time, but the trumpet's sound proclaims that no more time is left. On that Day, this sound will bring great fear to the unbelievers, and everybody will surrender to this reality. Allah reveals that:
On the Day the Trumpet is blown and everyone in the heavens and everyone on Earth is terrified—except those Allah wills, everyone will come to Him abject. (
All people are aware of this Day, for Allah has warned people with His messengers and verses about a "day of no return." In addition, He has reminded them to turn to Him and has told them that those who refuse to do so will not be helped after death. The Qur'an reveals the regret experienced by those who met with punishment at a moment they did not expect, and the reality that they will not be helped, in the following way:
Turn to your Lord and submit to Him before punishment comes upon you, for then you cannot be helped. Follow the best that has been sent down to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly, when you are not expecting it, lest anyone should say: "Woe to me, for neglecting what Allah was due and for being one of the scoffers!" or lest they should say: "If only Allah had guided me, I would have been more heedful," or lest he should say, when he sees the punishment: "If only I could have another chance so that I could be a good-doer!" "No, the fact is that My Signs came to you, but you denied them and were arrogant and were one of the unbelievers." On the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied about Allah with their faces blackened. Do not the arrogant have a dwelling place in Hell? (
This life of temporary pleasure comes to an end when the trumpet sounds. All people have come face to face with what was promised. The fear and terror that they experience when confronted with such events is beyond words. All people are following the same call and realize that they have met with a reality from which they cannot escape.
EARTH
Earth Will Be Shaken by Quakes
When Earth is convulsed with its quaking, and Earth then disgorges its charges, and man asks: "What is wrong with it?" on that Day it will impart all of its news, because your Lord has inspired it. (
On the Day of Judgment, an ear-shattering sound will follow the sounding of the trumpet, and an unequalled tremor will rock Earth. Massive mountains, trees, skyscrapers, buildings—in fact every place on Earth—will begin to rock at the same time. People will panic and be gripped by great fear. The most fear-inspiring aspect is that no one can escape it or find any sort of refuge, for this tremor is not like the ones with which we are familiar; rather, this tremor will continue until Earth has been flattened. (Allah knows best.) Allah describes these tremors, as follows:
On the Day the first blast shudders, and the second blast follows it, hearts that Day will be pounding and eyes will be cast down. (
Try to imagine how much the tremors known to us affect those who experience them. These tremors lasted only for seconds, but the results were nevertheless devastating. Hundred of thousands died in or under collapsed buildings, and survivors were left destitute. Homes, property, earnings, and savings were destroyed in no time. These calamities were seen by everyone and, in those seconds, no person or force could resist them. The tremors of the Day of Judgment will have no equals in terms of severity, consequence, and the size of area affected. When they are over, there will be no ruins or life left on this planet.
No matter how severe the tremor, people who are prepared for such an event often find a way to survive. However, upon hearing the trumpet sound, even they will realize that this is no ordinary tremor and that there is no possibility of escape.
The Qur'an warns of this event and of the tremors, as follows:
Mankind, heed your Lord! The quaking of the Hour is a terrible thing. (
At that moment, nothing on Earth will have any meaning. Everything that led people astray (e.g., luxurious houses, gigantic skyscrapers, 5-star hotels, ambitiously accumulated life savings, houses, decorations, palaces, bridges, all of the most famous buildings, the Pyramids that have survived all natural disasters so far, historic castles, and whole cities) all will crumble like sand castles on the beach. Everything that makes people proud to possess it, as well as their fame, honor, prestige, and power, will be destroyed instantly and become meaningless instantaneously, for:
No indeed! When Earth is crushed and ground to dust, and your Lord arrives with the angels rank upon rank, and that Day Hell is produced, that Day man will remember. But how will the remembrance help him? (
When the entire planet gives way, those who found all kinds of excuses to deny Allah and who did not engage in any acts of worship, despite knowing what was required, finally will realize that there is refuge only in Allah. However, it now is too late for them to make amends, and their remorse is of no use either.
After fear, the next most-felt emotion on that Day will be incapacity. Humanity, who took precautions against every possible calamity and deadly disaster (e.g., severe earthquakes, fierce hurricanes, and even nuclear war), will be unable to hide from or survive this event. Nothing and nobody, regardless of how they were perceived while alive, will be able to guide them to safety.
Earth Disgorges Its Charges
And Earth then disgorges its charges, and man asks: "What is wrong with it?" on that Day it will impart all of its news, because your Lord has inspired it. (
Earth's core, beginning at a depth of 5,000-6,000 kms (3,000-3,700 miles) from the surface, consists of highly pressurized magma that has an estimated temperature of 5,000oC (9,000oF).1 The lava flows from volcanic eruptions come from areas close to the core. Throughout history, volcanic eruptions have caused terror, brought death to many people, and, in some cases, buried whole cities. Lava emerges from cracks in Earth's crust and, the higher the pressure, the higher it spurts into the sky. The main factor in this process is the presence of various gases that separate from the liquid substance on the way to the surface, for they form a layer above the magma and increase the pressure. The higher the proportion of gases, the greater the force of the resulting explosions. The boiling lava turns the area's surface into a quasi Hell. Such localized eruptions affect only a limited area. Researchers can anticipate such calamities and ensure that the necessary precautions are taken.
The Qur'an says that "Earth will disgorge its charges," indicating that, in addition to the many other things underground, the magma will spill over. The rocking tremors that are cracking the planet's crust on a global level, will prepare the ground for such a disaster. On the Day of Judgment, devastating earthquakes will turn Earth upside down, and people trying to escape the debris falling on them will get caught in the lava spilling out of Earth's cracked surface. Once again, they will realize that there is no escape from death. Disaster will follow disaster, and people will get caught in one or the other. (Allah knows best.)
Earth bows to Allah's will, for:
When Earth is flattened out and disgorges what is inside it and empties out, hearkening to its Lord, as it is bound to do! (
The Final Day has arrived, humanity's time is up, and everything has ended. No living thing can escape this day, for when it finally ends, there will be nothing left: no seed, plant, microorganism—not even Earth itself.
Magma is not the only load that will be emptied out on that Day. Magma conducts heat and chemical reactions to the outer layer (the mantle) and between the mantle and the crust. Therefore, it probably will carry intense heat and many other subterranean substances to the surface, thereby increasing the surface temperature to previously unknown levels. Such events will cause Earth to spew forth all of its contents: minerals, coal, crude oil, fossils, corpses, ruins, and so on. Earth will be turned upside down, for:
When the graves are emptied out, each self will know what it has sent ahead and left behind. (
Ground water will emerge from the cracks and, due to its highly pressurized nature, will cause damage in the vicinity and flood the entire planet.
Volcanic eruptions will send pollutants into the higher atmosphere. History shows us that following such eruptions, dust and ash rain down on the affected area and sometimes even bury it. Allah says that "the mountains become scattered dust in the air" (
People will be met by a devastating punishment. The dust and smoke clouds blanketing every place, as well as the gases spreading out all at once, will suffocate people and cause great suffering. All of these events will make the unbelievers realize the scale of the eternal suffering awaiting them in Hell. Allah ends the lives of people with such a shocking spectacle, and for the unbelievers He has prepared an unspeakable spiritual and physical suffering. In the face of such overpowering events, a devastating fear of death will cover the planet, and nothing but fear and remorse will be left.
THE MOUNTAINS
Mountains Will Be Uprooted and Scattered as Dust
When the mountains are pulverized. (
As we know, mountains act as quasi shock absorbers. The Qur'an says:
He cast firmly embedded mountains on Earth so it would not move under you, and rivers and pathways so that hopefully you would be guided. (
Have We not made the Earth a resting place and the mountains as stakes? (
The most severe earthquake ever recorded measured 9.5 on the Richter Scale.2 Such an earthquake devastates the surrounding area in a matter of seconds. The tremors of the Day of Judgment, unless Allah decrees otherwise, will be of a force never seen before. Even the mountains, which usually reduce the effects, will be unable to withstand it. The most solid buildings and rock-solid mountains will be shaken up and begin to slide, as follows:
And the mountains shift about. (
And the mountains are shifted and become a mirage. (
On the Day We make the mountains move and you see the Earth laid bare, and We gather them together, not leaving out a single one of them. (
A great part of our planet is covered by mountains. Without a doubt, seeing all of them shaken from their places, pushed across Earth's face, and smashed up against one another, thereby flattening the whole planet, will be one of the most shocking scenes ever seen. We can hardly imagine such a scene.
Imagine that the Himalayas, the Alps, and the
Building roadways through mountainous areas requires great technological means, machines, and tools. But even then, they are often used to no avail. Using dynamite to make a path is of little use, because it has only a local effect, or sometimes no effect at all. For this reason, many mountainous areas cannot be reached. On the Day of Judgment, all mountains will be pulverized. This is a very effective example of the destruction that will be wrought on that Day. Simultaneously, all mountains will be reduced to dust and spectacular buildings will collapse—a truly awe-inspiring situation. These events help us understand Allah's infinite power. The Qur'an says that:
On the Day the Earth and mountains shake and the mountains become like shifting dunes. (
The Qur'an also states that Earth will be devoid of hills and craters, for the destruction of the mountains will cause the planet's surface to become level, as follows:
They will ask you about the mountains. Say: "My Lord will scatter them as dust. He will leave them as a barren, level plain on which you will see no dip or gradient." (Surah Ta Ha, 105-107)
The uneven ground we see today will be flat on that Day, for all people will be assembled on an endless plain:
On the Day We make the mountains move, you see the earth laid bare, and We gather them together, not leaving out a single one of them. (
Mountains Will Be Scattered like Colored Fluffs of Wool
On that Day, the mountains, together with all of the plants, flowers, vegetation, minerals, and differently colored soils will be scattered around together. The mountains, having become dust and smoke, will be dispersed. This color scheme is described in the verses:
[On the Day] the mountains [will be] like tufts of colored wool. (
On that Day, the Subduer's command will have everything under its control, living or nonliving. A great fear will dominate every scene. People who panic at the slightest tremor, and who, fearing for their lives, cannot return to their homes for hours afterwards, will be in an unbearable situation when they see the mountains shaken from their places, the ground spitting out everything that it had concealed, graves being turned inside out, disaster chasing disaster, and all people being gathered together. There will be no one left to trust, and no safe refuge. The event's terror will pass far beyond their limits of endurance. There will be nothing that they can do, no starting over, and no place left to go. The new beginning is in the Hereafter, which is endless and full of suffering and remorse for those who did not seek Allah's good pleasure while they were alive. All of their worldly pleasures, ambitions, and life are finished. The terror they encounter will reflect Allah's infinite power.
In truth, Allah's Messengers and the believers have informed them of these facts. But this devastating Day seemed far off, and so they relied on temporary possessions and themselves. Allah reveals that the unbelievers have been warned, as follows:
Warn mankind of the Day when the punishment will reach them. Those who did wrong will say: "Our Lord, reprieve us for a short time. We will respond to Your call and follow the Messengers." [But it will be said] "But did you not swear to Me before that you would never meet your downfall, even though you inhabited the houses of those who had wronged themselves, and it was made clear to you how We had dealt with them, and We gave you many examples?" (Surah Ibrahim, 44-45)
Now they are all alone amidst the danger. Everybody fears for their own lives, and no one cares for anyone else. No one can escape, for Allah's promised day has arrived. Fleeing one's house will be of no use, for everything is being destroyed, and the ground and mountains are shifting all at once. There is no refuge, no protector, and no preventive action. The Qur'an describes the mountains' destruction on the Day of Judgment, as follows:
And the Earth and the mountains are lifted and crushed with a single blow, on that Day, the Occurrence will occur. (
THE OCEANS
We should remind ourselves of an important point when describing all of these scenes, which are based upon Qur'anic verses: All of these events will take place according to Allah's will, for He has promised that they will occur. No doubt, Allah can destroy and then level everything in a spectacular manner, for:
That is Allah's promise. Allah does not break His promise. But most people do not know it. (
People who were proud of themselves will be worth nothing. Humanity, who considered itself great and powerful before Allah, who denied Him out of self-conceit, will be forlorn and weak amid these events. Everything that people considered greater than themselves will surrender on this Day, as decreed by Allah. Mountains, oceans, the whole universe—all will lose their rock-solid appearance and bow to Allah's will. Everything will be finished by Allah's command "Be!," for they have obeyed Allah's order and fulfilled their roles as His submissive servants. When the mountains are destroyed and scattered like colored wool, and when the ground gives up its contents, Allah's infinite greatness will be reflected. The Qur'an reveals that the oceans will be ablaze and boil over on that Day.
The Inferno of the Oceans
It is almost impossible to imagine the oceans, which cover three-fourths of Earth's surface, coming to a furious boil all at once. Even when forcing the limits of their minds, people can have only a vague idea of just how terrifying that event will be. So far, our personal experience probably consists of images of erupting volcanoes or burning crude oil tankers seen on television or in photographs. However, the descriptions given in the verses are beyond comparison. Only our knowledge of Allah's infinite greatness, power, and might can give an idea about the scale of these expected calamities, for He can alter or overturn the universe's order as part of the greater scheme of things.
Along with everything else being spewed out of the ground, hot lava, having an estimated temperature of 5,000oC (9,000oF) will spill over wherever it can, including into the oceans. Those who have seen lava emerging from the bottom of the ocean in documentaries have witnessed something really amazing. The scenes on the Day of Judgment, however, will be very different, for they will be all-encompassing and far more terrifying. The oceans will burn, and an inescapable wall of fire will engulf people. On that Day, all oceans will be set alight.
As Allah says in the Qur'an:
When the seas are filled with flame. (
As a result of this, all aquatic life, as well as all terrestrial life, on Earth will cease. The oceans, usually soothing and cooling, suddenly will spread an incredible heat. Instead of huge waves, there will be waves of fire, and oxygen will be replaced by smoke. The scene of oceans burning ferociously, boiling over and spewing forth their contents, will dominate a great part of the world and bring vast devastation.
The Oceans Will Spill Their Contents
In addition to all of the above, the oceans will also rise, as mentioned in the following verse:
When the oceans flood and overflow. (
By Allah's will, calamities also will come from the oceans. As Allah is the All-Mighty and the Creator of Earth and all of its contents, all He has to do is utter the command "Be!," and whatever He wills occurs. The probable circumstances (only Allah knows the exact ones) leading up to these events serve to remind us of, and to be awed by, Allah as we draw closer to Him.
Some of the probable events have to do with the rising of the oceans. As we know, earthquakes on the ocean floor cause tidal waves on the surface. The resulting tremors can send waves racing toward the shore at speeds of up to 750 kms (466 miles) per hour. Waves that start out as less than a meter (3 feet) high in the open sea can be 60 meters (200 feet) high by the time they reach the shore. A 25-35 meters (80 to 100 feet) high tidal wave created by a strong earthquake in
Volcanic eruptions are another cause of tidal waves. The tidal wave created by the eruption of the volcano on Krakatoa in 1883 caused
The oceans will rise for other reasons as well. Their calm nature depends on the laws of nature. On that Day, however, these laws will be overturned, just like all the other laws upon which the delicate balances of the heavens, Earth, and people rest. The pillars of this perfect equilibrium, all of which were created by Allah's will, will be destroyed at once again by His will. Also, it is quite probable that the underground heat will increase the atmospheric temperature, thus melting the ice at both poles and raising the water levels.
We also know that landslides can cause unusually high waves on a lake or bay. On the Day of Judgment, not one mountain will be left standing, and Earth's surface will be leveled. Rocks rolling down the mountains will fill the ocean beds and cause floods.
Once Allah's appointed time has come, such fear-inspiring events will unfold one after another: a deafening blast; the pulverizing of mountains; lava erupting from under people's feet; dust, gas, and smoke clouds suffocating Earth's surface; and scolding hot water overflowing onto people… a sudden remorse befalling those who did not contemplate Allah's existence or His might while alive… an overwhelming torment that subdues everyone indiscriminately, that exposes people's helplessness, the worthlessness of all that they valued while alive… The people's fear and the terror will be indescribable. They will be running from place to place, hunting for cover and salvation, knowing that there is no escape.
THE SKIES
The Day of Judgment's terror and destruction is not limited just to the events taking place on Earth. On that Day, all beings as well as all that we consider to be habitual and familiar and take for granted will be destroyed. It is also the universe's final day, the scale of which has defied human comprehension throughout history, along with the incredibly huge stars that we only began to understand in the last century. The sky, the Moon and the Sun, stars and planets, will all be destroyed, in accordance with what Allah has revealed:
What you are promised will certainly happen. When the stars are extinguished, when Heaven is split open. (
For those who can sense just how extraordinary everything is and wish to perceive the absolute Creator's existence, many signs, in the form of objects and events that He has created since time began, lead them to faith in Him. Allah created the stars, planets, and all other objects in the infinite universe by a single command and sustains all of them in perfect equilibrium. This origination and balance preserves its mystery and continues to occupy people's minds. In reality, people who are looking for answers find only one truth: The existence of Allah. The events of the Final Day will reflect the Creator's greatness, for Allah has prepared a unique and spectacular end for the heavens, just as he has for everything in existence.
The sky has always been like a ceiling to people, certain to exist and persist; a glorious ceiling raised and sustained without pillars by Allah: a fabulous screen between the vast universe and them.
This ceiling has protected our world and its inhabitants from countless dangers (e.g., ultraviolet radiation, meteorites, and the freezing temperatures of space) without fail for ages, and remains an absolute necessity for the continuation of life. The light coming through the darkness of space is distributed on Earth as it is because of the atmosphere's qualities, and warms and lights the planet. And, the delicate balance of the atmosphere's oxygen content enables humanity to breathe and live. However, on that Day the sky will no longer fulfill its functions, for it will have reached its end. The Qur'an reveals these events, as follows:
On the Day when Heaven sways to and fro. (
The Heaven will be split apart therefrom; His promise will be fulfilled. (Surat al- Muzzammil, 18)
And Heaven will be split apart, for that Day it will be very frail. (
Air, so essential for life, also will lose its function, for the laws that apply on that Day will be different from the usual laws. The atmosphere, so delicately sustained in a stable equilibrium by the laws of physics, will just melt and flow away. The end of the heavens is described, as follows:
On the Day the sky is like molten brass. (
The atmosphere will melt and be ignited, and people will see the usual blue sky as flame-red, split apart, molten, and just like oil:
When Heaven is split apart and goes red, like dregs of oil. (
The Day of Judgment is a day of great remorse for those who did not acknowledge Allah's greatness and power and turned away from Him knowingly. This regret will be eternal, for there will be no more time for reflection, learning, or redemption. Every person will have to realize that Allah, Who has infinite power and might, is the only friend, helper, and protector. No person will be able to deny or persist in denying Allah and the Day of Judgment at such a time, as the Qur'an reveals:
They do not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole Earth will be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Resurrection, the heavens folded up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! He is exalted above the partners they ascribe! (
On that Day, all of the familiar rules will disappear. The heavens and Earth, which responded to Allah's command of "come willingly or unwillingly" with "we come willingly" upon their creation, will again submit to their true owner and creator: Allah. The Qur'an reveals Allah's call to the heavens and Earth:
Say: "Do you reject Him Who created Earth in two days, and make others equal to Him? That is the Lord of all the worlds." He placed firmly embedded mountains on it, towering over it, blessed it and measured out its nourishment in it, laid out for those who seek it—all in four days. Then He turned to Heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to Earth: "Come willingly or unwillingly." They both said: "We come willingly." (Surah Fussilat, 9-11)
One of the materialists' most prominent claims is that matter formed by itself. In addition, all of the beauty they behold in their environment is ascribed to nature. The remaining details or how this intelligent design could issue from a lifeless nature, when nature itself did not even exist, are ignored. According this irrational claim, nature created everything. In other words, the awesome wonder of harmony and balance is inherent in the soil, stones, air, and water. But on the Day of Judgment, people will see what happens to the mountains, rocks, and soil, and finally will realize that nature in itself has no power, for although thought to be the source from which everything living or nonliving issued, it will be unable to save itself. Allah will demonstrate that everything exists only by His will and power and depends upon His protection and sustenance. Many will remember at that very moment, and thus feel great regret, the truths that they ignored even though their own consciences acknowledged them. Allah reveals the events of the Day of Judgment, as follows:
When the sky bursts open, hearkening to its Lord as it is bound to do! When Earth is flattened out and disgorges what is inside it and empties out, hearkening to its Lord as it is bound to do! O Man! You are toiling laboriously toward your Lord, but meet Him you will! (
THE STARS, THE SUN, AND THE MOON
Contrary to space's cold darkness, Earth has an atmosphere that accommodates the Sun's light and an average temperature that supports life. In other words, the atmosphere, our planet's protective ceiling, has light and heat diffusing properties that allow the rays of sunlight to reach, heat, and light our world. Like everything else that exists, on the Day of Judgment the heavens will split apart and lose their functions, melt, and flow. The phrase "When the Sun is compacted in blackness" (
On the Day of Judgment, the Sun and the Moon, Earth's two sources of light, will be darkened one after the other. The disappearance of the atmosphere is not the only reason why there will be no light on Earth on that Day; rather, the Qur'an reveals that not only will the heavens, Earth and everything in between be destroyed, but that it is the final day for the entire universe. As the first few verses of
It is quite impossible for the human mind to truly grasp the vastness of the mysterious universe. However, we can try to estimate its scale. The Sun is one of the predicted 200-250 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Considered one of the smaller stars, even though it is 333,000 times as massive as our own Earth, it is located 28,000 light years away from the center of the Milky Way, which itself is 100,000 light years across (one light year is equal to 9,460,800,000,000 kms or 5,879,000,000,000 miles.) Earth rotates around its axis at a speed of 1,670 kms (1,040 miles) per hour, and weighs 6,000 quintillions of metric tons (6 x 1021). The Sun moves around the center of the galaxy at a speed of 792,000 kms (492,000 miles) per hour, and the Milky Way spins through space at around 2.1 million kms (1.3 million miles) per hour. But on the Day of Judgment, this awesome universe will be destroyed, and stars of indescribable proportions will be extinguished.
Every spot in the universe is another sign of Allah's existence, greatness, and power. They have existed until now only by His will and permission, and for the duration that He wills for them. Certainly Allah, Who creates and sustains this balance, can destroy it whenever He wills. The universe's death will occur only when and where He wills. Everything that awed people with its greatness will be destroyed, for all planets and stars, the Sun and the Moon, will leave their orbits. Stars will fall, and all that exists will die out one by one as in "When the stars are strewn about." (
The Sun is a star that diffuses energy incessantly. Many other stars are far larger and hold much more energy. But on the Day of Judgment, all of them will lose their power, fade, and fall, as the Qur'an relates:
When the stars fall in rapid succession. (
When the stars are extinguished. (
The Sun, which has been this planet's source of life and energy forever, will darken, as will the stars that have decorated the heavens. And people will once again realize that Allah, their true owner, maintained their orbits and made them shine until that Day, for they existed only by His will.
Moreover, He will not help the unbelievers, and no other power will be able to do so. Even if technological advances enables travel to the far corners of the universe, people will not be able to avoid Allah's punishment, because the Day of Judgment will envelope the whole universe and everything, bowing to His will, will be destroyed. The Qur'an describes humanity's helplessness on that Day, as follows:
And the Moon is eclipsed, and the Sun and the Moon are fused together. On that Day man will say: "To where can I run?" No indeed! There will be no safe place. That Day, the only resting place will be your Lord. That Day man will be told what he did and failed to do. (
PEOPLE ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
All of the events related so far begin with hearing a previously unrecognized sound at an unexpected time. All people who had thought until that moment that everything would remain unchanged and undamaged will be proven wrong.
Everything that takes place just before the trumpet sounds is no different from the day before. Earth is revolving at the same pace, the Sun is illuminating our planet, life goes on, and many people continue to live according to their habitual routines without wondering why and by whom they were created and what end they will meet. People will be thinking about the meal to be served that night, focusing on an upcoming business meeting, shopping, or sleeping, and many will be denying Allah's existence when they hear this sound. Everything will begin and end in one instant.
Their bodies, which people think of as strong and brag about, will be unexpectedly gripped by death from all sides. Their only concern will be for survival. Out of sheer terror, people will cease to care about the things that they so valued, craved, and took risks for while alive.
All of this fear, terror, and shock results from their living in ignorance. The Day's unbearable hardship will never cease to pursue the unbelievers. Each unfolding event will increase their panic and terror, and each passing moment will bring fresh suffering and peril. The awesome events they encounter will demonstrate Allah's majesty, Whom they had denied until then. Humanity, who will be utterly weak and helpless in the face of this power, will be able to do nothing but feel remorse, helplessness, and fear. As the seconds pass, their realization of the frightening punishment that Allah has prepared for them in the Hereafter will only increase. During these frightening minutes, they will encounter only a fraction of the suffering awaiting them. The Qur'an recounts this fear in some detail.
People's Fear
Allah tells people that although they passionately cling to the worldly life, their passion will not benefit them in the Hereafter. All of the things that they value, hold dear, and take risks for will bring nothing but loss if they were not done to win Allah's good pleasure. Every worldly attraction has been created as a test for humanity. The true life is in the Hereafter as the Qur'an reveals:
To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colors: women and children, heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All of that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. The best homecoming is in the presence of Allah. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 14)
People desperately desire the worldly attractions mentioned in the verses, and can spend their entire lives pursuing them. The Qur'an says the following about the worldly life:
Know that the life of this world is merely a game and a diversion, and ostentation and a cause of boasting among yourselves, and trying to outdo one another in wealth and children: like the plant-growth after rain, which delights the cultivators, but then it withers and you see it turning yellow, and then it becomes broken stubble. In the Hereafter, there is terrible punishment but also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion. (
For some, one of life's biggest ambitions is to show off one's wealth, sons and daughters, and other valuables. One of the most highly prized possessions is children. This is true for all societies and is pointed out specifically in the Qur'an. The desire to have children is learned at a young age. Children are simultaneously a cause for unnecessary competition between people as well as a source of reassurance for their future.
Another ambition is the craving for property and wealth. As we know, people's aims, plans and efforts center around these ambitions. The craving for money and wealth clouds people's vision, moral values lose their importance, and materialism becomes the defining factor for their character. The Qur'an's morality, together with its commands and prohibitions, lose their precedence; amassing wealth becomes a goal itself, and personal gain becomes preeminent in relationships.
On the Day of Judgment, however, everything will be reversed. People will forget all about what they used to value, for now they will realize that the objects of their desires have no more meaning. Their values will alter in moments, for wealth and children will have no value and parental emotions will lose their meaning. In the face of this Day's terror, they will forget their most loved people: their children. No one will remember his or her children, much less inquiring about their well-being. In every way, this will be a very hard Day for the unbelievers.
On the Day, the sky is like molten brass and the mountains like tufts of colored wool. No good friend will ask about his friend, even though they can see each other. An evildoer will wish that he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by means of his sons, his wife, his brother, or his family who sheltered him or everyone else on Earth, if that only meant that he could save himself. (
The Day when Heaven is split apart in clouds, and the angels are sent down rank upon rank. The Kingdom that Day will belong in truth to the All-Merciful. It will be a hard Day for the unbelievers. (
Families will desert infants, and people will be confused as to what to do. The fear will strike so suddenly and forcefully that pregnant women will miscarry and mothers will forget about their breast-feeding children:
On the day they see it, every nursing woman will be oblivious of the baby at her breast, and every pregnant woman will abort the contents of her womb... (
All people who rejected the appeals to believe and so became oblivious to their only true friend and creator, Allah, will want to avoid one another. They will be so preoccupied with themselves, that friendship, lineage, and family bonds will cease to exist:
The Day a man will flee from his brother and his mother and his father, and his wife and his children. On that Day every man among them will have concerns enough of his own. (Surah ‘Abasa, 34-37)
People WillAct as if Drunk
People will lose all their calmness, self-control, and, self-confidence. When death is met, everything loses its value, and facial expressions, behavior, and speech all change.
We witness people's fear and terror in the face of death in films. Their responses are enough to explain their state of mind. In most scenarios, people have a hope, no matter how slim, of escaping. Even those who realize that death has come do not know what is awaiting them, or they simply believe that they will become nothingness. However, this Day's events will leave no doubt in people's mind that escape is impossible, even before death comes to them. The unbelievers will find themselves confronted with a Day that they did not expect to meet, despite being warned of it, a Day on which the existence of a Creator and a Sustainer of the universe will become clear for everyone to see, but also on which everything will be destroyed in submission to His will.
They never reflected on what comes after death, because they did not believe in Allah's or the Hereafter's existence, but they will come to realize clearly Allah's existence and power. They also will realize that there is no hope for salvation and that their new life is eternal. Their eternal suffering and sorrow will be incomparably worse than that Day's events, and the Qur'an says that the unbelievers will prefer death over such a life:
We have warned you of an imminent punishment on the Day when a man will see what he has done, and the unbeliever will say: "Oh, if only I were dust!" (
People's panic, terror and astonishment will make them appear drunk, for:
. . . And you will think people drunk when they are not drunk; it is just that the punishment of Allah is so severe. (
The physical and behavioral changes in people experiencing extreme fear are very similar to those of drunken people. In such instances, dizziness, hysteria, and impeded sight are common.
As we see from what has been revealed so far, people will experience great panic on that hard day. Allah compares this chilling fear and the resulting behavior to drunkenness, for people will display uncontrolled behavior and run from place to place as if drunk. Allah makes a comparison in the Qur'an:
It is the Day when mankind will be like scattered moths. (
The Terror in Their Eyes
And [when] the True Promise is very close, the eyes of those who did not believe will be transfixed: "Alas for us! We were unmindful of this! No, rather we were definitely wrongdoers." (
The eyes are the first organs to reveal people's fear. The eyes of people who witness the fearful events of that Day will spring from their sockets in terror. The phrase "the eyes of those who did not believe will be transfixed" describes the scale of their fear. Instantly, the pupils widen, the whites of the eyes are exposed, and they freeze. All people will taste this fear, and nothing can prevent what is coming in the face of hair-raising events. The only thing they feel will be terror.
Children
How will you safeguard yourselves, if you disbelieve, against a Day that will turn children gray. (
This fear will even grip small children. Children who do not understand this Day's true nature and that this is the first day of eternal damnation for unbelievers will have a different kind of fear. People will be full of remorse for their wrongdoings during their temporary worldly lives; but children, who lack the capacity to comprehend what is happening, will have their hair turned gray. Such a physical change is an important illustration of that Day's severity. People have seen many calamities, and they have instilled a deep fear into their hearts and affected them severely. But none of these, when compared to this Day's events, will be shocking enough to turn the children's hair gray.
Animals
Try to imagine wild animals, leopards, lions, wolves, jackals, bears… These animals will cease to fight with one another and come together due to these events. It is clearly an awe-inspiring sight to see thousands of wild animals like this. Allah reveals in many verses that major changes will affect Earth and humanity on the Day of Judgment. Likewise, wild animals will be completely affected, as the Qur'an relates:
When the camels in foal are neglected, when the wild beasts are all herded together. (
Allah Created the Universe
Many different theories have been posited to explain the universe's creation. Some people, who disregarded the scientific evidence about the beginnings of the universe, suggested that matter has always existed. One hypothesis put forward to support this view is the "Steady-state Hypothesis." Comprehensive and long research has revealed strong evidence that the universe has a beginning. The Steady-state hypothesis, on the other hand, has become a distant memory in the history of science.
Data shows that the universe came into being from nothing. Accordingly, the universe has an explosive beginning: the "Big Bang." Before that, there was nothing: no matter, energy, space, time, or a universe. As a consequence of an explosion of an infinitely dense, zero volume point, matter was blasted out at an incredible speed in all directions, forming stars, planets and other heavenly bodies. The universe expanded, inflated, grew rapidly, and, over time, cooled and assumed its present shape.
At the present time, most books on cosmology, science journals, and articles on the subject, as well as supporting evidence, assert that the universe began with a Big Bang and therefore has a certain age. As it is impossible to squeeze all of this written material into a few lines, we will provide one or two examples.
Professor George O. Abell (
The steady-state universe is infinite and eternal and has much philosophical appeal. But we have already seen that certain objects, especially quasars, change as the universe ages, which violates the perfect cosmological principle. Moreover, we shall see subsequently that there is direct evidence that the universe has evolved from a hot, dense state, strongly supporting the idea of a big bang.3
When American scientists announced the discovery of radiation patterns in space that may mark the beginning of time itself, astrophysicist George Smoot, leader of the research team said: "What we have found is evidence for the birth of the universe—It's like looking at God. The order is so beautiful and the symmetry so beautiful that you think there is some design behind it."4 Somewhere else, he added: "It is a mystical experience, like a religious experience. It really is like finding the driving mechanism for the universe."5
Given that the universe has a beginning, it has to have been made from nothing. In other words, it was created. If there was a creation, there has to be a creator. This universe was created without a preceding model and even before time and space existed. The most crucial fact discovered by this theory is that the universe has a beginning and an absolute and all-powerful creator. Allah created the universe!
The Big Bang is the first movement that we can calculate in the universe. Every single move and event since that moment has happened by Allah's will and under His control. It is unacceptable as well as irrational to assume that matter dispersed by an unconscious explosion could form, by itself, such a galactic order, star systems, and the solar system to which our planet belongs. Everything that can be observed in the environment, including one's own body, has been created in an infinite order within Allah's control and knowledge. The Qur'an reveals that He first created the heavens, then Earth, and finally living beings.
Allah created the universe with a very delicate balance and order. Countless factors are interlinked with one another, from the proportion of the atmosphere's different gases to Earth's surface temperature, from the speed of rainfall to the iron content of Earth's core. The force of gravity, which keeps all of the stars and planets in their respective orbits, is another example of this. All matter in the universe is subject to gravitational forces, according to its size. Earth's gravitational force holds the oceans and everything else, including living beings, firmly on Earth's surface. This way, people and other creatures, as well as oceans and mountains, do not fall into the void of space. Earth's mass is of crucial importance here: If its mass had been slightly larger, it would have exerted a greater pull on everything on the planet's surface. Consequently, groundwater would have receded, people would have been unable to walk, water could not have reached the tree branch's leaves, vegetation would have disappeared, and blood circulation would have become dysfunctional and concentrated the blood in the feet. All of these and similar examples prove that Earth's mass is adjusted in such a way to sustain its ecological systems and life forms.
Scientists investigating the universe's eventual end believe that everything is in the process of decaying, and that the universe's end will be a result of this decay. They suggest that even one unstable proton could cause this event, and warn of this great danger:
Cosmic entropy, if it is real, will continue for centuries but when it happens, nothing will remain, no stars, people, poems, atoms or memories…
After pointing out this fact, our attention is drawn to the real danger:
Not one research project and not one experiment ever undertaken has been able to prove the disappearance of a single proton. However, this has not discouraged scientists from continuing to research in this field. For scientists to witness a proton decay would mean that the universe is face to face with the threat of annihilation. The obliteration of even just one proton means that everything in the universe is decaying, The decay of a single proton would demonstrate that all protons decay and that therefore atoms, molecules, and DNA could not be formed.6
These few examples are enough to prove that the universe was created by a superior power, who gave it a great order and balance. Our all-powerful Lord protects and watches over this faultless order, for:
Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and Earth, preventing them from vanishing away. And if they vanished, no one could then keep hold of them. Certainly He is Most Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Fatir, 41)
Allah reveals in the Qur'an that everything in the universe will end. It is obvious that Allah, Who created and sustains this universe, can destroy it whenever He wills. On this great Final Day, all existing orders will cease, and everything that people admired, investigated and incessantly tried to comprehend will be turned on its head, for:
His command when He desires a thing is just to say to it, "Be!" and it is. Glory be to Him Who has the Dominion of all things in His Hand. To Him you will be returned. (Surah Ya Sin, 82-83)
THE UNIVERSE'S EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION
Our world is surrounded by deadly threats. Surprisingly, even though we know of such dangers, many of us live as if no life-threatening danger faces the universe and as if our lives were guaranteed. Many of us do not reflect upon death or what comes after death.
Our world is on a long journey in an endless space. In reality, the factors making this journey possible are more numerous than anticipated. Earth faces many dangers on this journey: from comets to falling stars, from black holes to supernova explosions. It must stay in its orbit around the Sun, revolving at a constant speed on its axis, following a spiral path at the required angle to the Sun, and maintain all of the prevailing balances in its systems for life to be possible on it.
However, there is no reason why external dangers should not destroy these balances. Scientists, who point out these dangers at every opportunity, agree that Earth could face such dangers at any time. As Professor Carl Sagan says:
The earth is a lovely and more or less placid place. Things change but slowly. We can lead a full life and never personally encounter a natural disaster more violent than a storm. And so we become complacent, relaxed, unconcerned. But in the history of Nature, the record is clear. Worlds have been devastated. Even we humans have achieved the dubious technical distinction of being able to make our own disasters, both intentional and inadvertent. On the landscapes of other planets where the records of the past have been preserved, there is abundant evidence of major catastrophes. It is all a matter of time scale. An event that would be unthinkable in a hundred years may be inevitable in a hundred million. Even on Earth, even in our own century, bizarre natural events have occurred.7
It would not be surprising to see the universe destroyed by some of the things mentioned earlier. Maybe all of the things Allah says will happen on the Day of Judgment will happen because Earth's equilibrium will be damaged. No doubt, damaging the faultlessly functioning order could cause many catastrophes, and maybe, the Last Day, which people consider unlikely or far in the future, is just round the corner.
THE PROBABLE CAUSES OF EARTH'S DEATH
The countless factors that enable our world to continue its existence must be present at the same time and in the same way as they are. Many scientists are studying how to preserve these natural balances. A small example: Scientists and environmentalists predict that it will not be possible to reduce the economic and environmental damage caused by the consumption of such fossil fuels as oil and coal.8 Experts in the field say that the following disaster scenarios will be caused by the escalating consumption of fossil fuels in the very near future:
1. The deltas of the world's greatest rivers, like the Ganges or the Nile, will be flooded and lost, and one-quarter of
2. The
3. Great areas of fertile countries (e.g., the US Midwest, Europe, and
4. The frozen landmasses of Siberia and
5. One-third of all forests will be destroyed. Due to this reduced amount of vegetation, the lungs of our world, the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will increase. This will fuel the global warming process and lead to various epidemic health problems.
6. In tropical areas, typhoons, cyclones, and other natural disasters will occur more often. Such currents as the Gulf Stream and El Niño in the Pacific and
7. In
8. One-quarter of all glaciers and permanent ice in the Alps and the
All of the above dangers have been predicted by scientific research. Once Earth begins this process, only Allah will be able to stop it. The 25 percent increase in carbon dioxide in 1997 alone increased the greenhouse effect, which caused the following events: parts of polar glaciers melted, icebergs melted and raised the oceans' water levels, colder winters than usual, extreme rainfall, and devastating hurricanes and floods. The hole in the ozone layer exposed Earth to harmful radiation from space, increased cancer rates, caused new illnesses to be identified and diagnosed, and revealed degenerative developments in plant life. American scientists and Greenpeace activists discovered during their research in Alaska that the Bering Glacier has shrunk by 12 kms (7.5 miles) in length and 130 m2 (155 square yards) in size.10 The ocean's water temperature increased by 0.8 degrees; corals, which play a vital role in the ecosystem's balance, began to die; and 80 percent of the plankton was destroyed.11
Over the last few centuries, many new probable causes for the world's end have emerged, and their number continues to increase every day. Our planet's current situation contains a strong message: Earth's end is a certainty, and its time is approaching. Physicists, in particular, frequently express their concerns about this, as follows:
If the universe has a finite stock of order, and is changing irreversibly towards disorder—ultimately to thermodynamic equilibrium—two very deep inferences follow immediately. The first is that the universe will eventually die, wallowing, as it were, in its own entropy. This is known among physicists as the "heat death" of the universe. The second is that the universe cannot have existed for ever, otherwise it would have reached its equilibrium end state an infinite time ago. Conclusion: the universe did not always exist.12
It is surprising that so many people continue to live without considering their own end and being in awe of Allah, and remain totally absorbed by their worldly lives despite the proximity of death. And, it is even more surprising that most people, when reminded of death and the ensuing hardships, consider it a distant possibility. As they reject the Qur'an outright, its descriptions of the Day of Judgment have no meaning for them. They behave as if they will live forever, and so endanger the eternal life for the sake of a temporary life. Death, which people try to avoid at all costs, will find all of them, for neither humanity nor the universe can avoid or prevent death. The Qur'an reveals this reality, as follows:
Say: "Death, from which you are fleeing, will certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, and He will inform you about what you did." (
Given that Earth's destruction is a physical fact rather than a belief, the factors that will contribute to its end reveal themselves in the light of scientific discoveries. Even people who do not believe in Allah or any other religion must acknowledge that the universe is approaching its inevitable end. Hence, a new reality besides belief in the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter emerges. This is a frightening reality, because it means endless nothingness. The signs of the approaching Last Day leave people with a number of options: Some unbelievers see it is an endless nothingness, whereas believers see it is either eternal pleasure or eternal suffering…
THE END OF THE UNIVERSE:THE CLOSED
UNIVERSE AND OPEN UNIVERSE MODELS
Scientists agree that the Big Bang theory is irrefutable and wholly based on scientific data. Accordingly, the universe was born out of the sudden explosion of an infinitely dense point and its subsequent rapid expansion and growth in space. Over time, it began to cool and assumed its current shape.
So, for how long will this expansion continue? The greater an object's mass, the greater its gravitational force—to the extent that the gravitational force will overwhelm the rate of expansion. However, if the gravitational force is smaller, expansion cannot be prevented. According to scientists, if the universe's mass exceeds a certain limit, the expansion will cease one day and the universe will collapse back in on itself. This is the closed universe model. But if its mass is below this limit, the gravitational forces will be unable to overcome expansion and so it will continue to expand infinitely. This is the open universe model.
The universe will either close and end, or expand until it is exhausted and then end, unless Allah causes it to end in another way. In order to predict by which model the universe will die, we need to know its total mass.
As determining this is very difficult, scientists have tried to measure its density rather than its mass, because if the density reaches a critical point, its gravity may overcome the expansion of galaxies. Thus, the universe would begin to collapse by sucking in all of the galaxies. But if its density does not reach this critical value, the expansion will continue forever, because gravity cannot overcome the the galaxies' expansion. Scientists setting out from this premise undertook to discover the end of the universe. They conducted many experiments and spent endless hours analyzing light from distant galaxies through telescopes.
The speed of galactic systems was measured; their size, intensity, and distance were calculated; and the universe's real density was researched. The emerging data confirms that the universe's present density is close to critical density. In other words, it is more probable that the universe is closed. Once the data obtained by the American scientists Edwin Loh and Earl Spillar—research that is based on the study of thousands of galaxies—was added to the existing data in 1986, the probability of the universe being closed reached 90 percent.
Furthermore, several factors were disregarded while calculating the universe's density, which led to the 90 percent figure. For instance, black holes were not taken into account. If they had been, the density value would have increased by a certain amount. Once the dark matters' density—present in all galaxies—is added to the equation, the emerging picture shows that the universe will cease to expand and collapse within itself. Dr. John Gribbin, a well-known physicist and science writer, also stated that the evidence for the closed universe model has never been so strong.13
Phrasing it differently, the universe has reached a critical point and is ready to implode at any time. Allah reveals that one day He will return the universe to its original state, as follows:
That Day We will fold up Heaven like folding up the pages of a book. As We originated the first creation so shall We bring it back again. It is a promise binding on Us. That is what We will do. (
It is highly probable that this verse indicates the closed universe model. What we have related here shows that scientific data implies that the universe is likely to implode. Moreover, the guardians of materialist ideologies can posit no serious counterclaim in the face of such research results.
Dr. Scherman, dean of the
Our universe has been expanding for 15 billion years, but according to the obtained results and at the time when Allah wills, gravity probably will overcome expansion and bring it to a close. Once gravity becomes the dominant force in a closed and extremely dense universe, everything will begin to implode and be reversed, for all that had until then been cooling and expanding will contract and heat up. As a result, all of the galaxies will be rapidly brought closer to one another.
According this model, gravity will end the universe's expansion and cause the galaxies to move toward one another at escalating speeds. Devastating collisions will take place; huge stars will collide and fuse. The Moon, the Sun, and Earth, as well as all other stars and planets, will fuse, and at the end of this process the imploding universe will be concentrated in one point and destroyed. The whole universe will be turned upside down. Given that a small deviation in Earth's orbit would lead to either the burning up or freezing to death of all living beings, that a small hole in the atmosphere can have devastating effects, and that a change to the 23o 27' angle of Earth's axis would prevent the seasons, it is not difficult to estimate the negative effect of the universe's contraction on the precarious balances upon which its order rests.
Allah reveals that the Sun and the Moon will be fused together on the Day of Judgment. Perhaps these verses indicate the closed universe model. If contraction occurs, the world, our solar system's other planets and stars, as well as the Sun and the Moon, will merge.
The Qur'an also reveals that the stars will fall from their places in the heavens in rapid succession (
We can summarize this as follows: If the closed universe model is true, the universe will merge in one point and be extinguished by Allah.
However, this does not mean that the expanding universe model will save the universe from destruction. If this scenario is true, it simply means that the universe will be destroyed in another way. Ever since it was created, the universe's density has continued to increase, and its temperature nearly reached absolute zero. The presently prevailing temperature in space is -270oC—only 3 degrees warmer than absolute zero.15 As long as the expansion continues, the universe's temperature will continue to decrease. A temperature of -270oC is the most suitable for life to exist.16 Even minor fluctuations will doom all life to death. This temperature cannot remain constant in an expanding universe. So, when it falls, humanity and all other living parts of creation will die.
Confirmed findings of recent research suggest that the closed universe model is applicable. Although uncertain of exactly which model it might be, scientists agree that the fate of the universe will be the same: In both models the universe dies, albeit in different ways. As we have explained above, both models lead to the Last Day. However, there are other factors that can bring about the universe's end, such as the Sun's completion of its life cycle. Allah knows best.
THE SUN COMPLETES ITS LIFE-CYCLE
Stars are born, live for a certain period of time, and then die. Our Sun has a limited lifetime. Before the universe meets its end, the Sun might have completed its life cycle, which, in turn, means that Earth will have to die as well.
The Sun is an estimated 5 billion years old. Every second, it converts 564 million tons of hydrogen into 560 million tons of helium.17 The remaining 4 million tons of matter is converted into energy. When it reaches the phase in which it will burn up and use up its hydrogen, Earth's end will have come. At this stage, the abundant hydrogen in the Sun's core will be replaced by helium, and the core's temperature will increase from its present 20 million degrees to 100 million degrees Centigrade. While the Sun's core overheats, its outer layers will expand and its color will take on a red hue instead of its usual yellow. In this way, the Sun will become a "red giant."
Scientists make the following predictions: The Sun, so vital for earthly life, will bloat and expand in space; our solar system's planets will catch fire; and those small planets near to it will be destroyed. Despite the Sun's outer temperature remaining the same, nearby planets will be greatly affected by its heat radiation, which is caused by its increased volume. First Mercury and then Venus will burn up.
The continuation of life on Earth depends on the preservation of the universe's many existing balances. For instance, if Earth were to come a little closer to the Sun, all life on it would die. Thus, Earth will be greatly affected by the expanding Sun way before its outer fringes reach it. By the time Mercury and Venus are engulfed in flames, all of Earth's natural conditions will have been destroyed and all life on it will have been destroyed. In a very short time, the extreme heat will evaporate the oceans and melt the rocks and mountains, which soon will become gases. In a moment, the planet will burn up and become a handful of ash scattered across the universe. Scientists reached this conclusion after studying stars that have a similar size to our own Sun. Many distant stars are becoming "red giants," which cause many extraordinary events in the universe.18 When the giant Sun uses up its fuel, it will no longer be able to support the weight of its inner layers, and they will begin to collapse toward the core, eventually producing a small, dense, cool star called a white dwarf. After it becomes a white dwarf, it will cool slowly for billions of years, eventually becoming so cool that it will no longer emit light.
Professor of Theoretical Physics and renowned science writer Paul Davies expresses his concerns about the Sun's decreasing energy levels in the following way:
As far as the sun is concerned, it clearly cannot continue burning away merrily ad infinitum. Year by year its fuel reserves decline, so that eventually it will cool and dim. By the same token its fires must have been ignited only a finite time ago: it does not have unlimited sources of energy.19
As a natural consequence of this process, the disaster issuing from the Sun is unavoidable. In addition, research reveals many other factors that could destroy Earth.
METEORS
The universe contains millions of moving large and small meteors. The consequences of a collision between these and a planet vary, according to the mass of the meteor involved.
Scientists estimate that 1,000 tons to more than 10,000 tons of meteoritic material falls on the Earth each day. However, most of this material is very tiny—in the form of micrometeoroids or dust-like grains a few micrometers in size.20 And most of the rest is reduced to ash partly because of the friction they encounter upon entering the atmosphere. In other words, Earth's atmosphere protects us from possible catastrophes day after day. Somewhat distressingly, however, some meteors are large enough to destroy all life on Earth. Scientists have shown that meteor strikes in Earth's past have altered its geological and ecological landscape significantly.
One meteorite, estimated to have a diameter of 60 kms (37 miles), exploded in the atmosphere above Tunguska in
This event brought home to people the great threat of catastrophic natural disasters. This is how it happened:
In the early morning hours of June 30, 1908, in
Eyewitnesses can give us clues about other potential disasters:
I was sitting on the porch of the house at the trading station of Vanovara at breakfast time and looking towards the north. I just raised my axe to hoop a cask, when suddenly... the sky was split in two, and high above the forest the whole northern part of the sky appeared to be covered with fire. At the moment I felt a great heat, as if my shirt had caught fire... I wanted to pull off my shirt and throw it away, but at that moment there was a bang in the sky, and a mighty crash was heard. I was thrown on the ground about three sajenes [about 7 meters or 23 feet] away from the porch and for a moment I lost consciousness. My wife ran out and carried me into the hut. The crash was followed by a noise like stones falling from the sky, or guns firing. The Earth trembled, and when I lay on the ground I covered my head, because I was afraid that stones might hit it. At that moment when the sky opened, a hot wind, as from a cannon, blew past the huts from the north. It left its mark on the ground...23
We do not know from where the next meteor might come or strike.
According to scientists, every 2 centuries a meteor the size of the
If such an impact occurred today it might be mistaken, especially in the panic of the moment, for a nuclear explosion. The cometary impact and fireball would simulate all effects of a one-megaton nuclear burst, including the mushroom cloud, with two exceptions: there would be no gamma radiation or radioactive fallout.24
The impact of such a massive object on a large city could kill millions of people. If it fell in the ocean, it would still be devastatingly dangerous, for its velocity and mass would create tidal waves that would destroy the shoreline's populated areas. Furthermore, the likelihood of much larger meteors colliding with Earth is highly probable and gives food for thought. Scientists consider such an event inevitable, and say that it would be able to destroy whole continents and fill the atmosphere with toxic gases. They also readily admit that they are still fervently looking for a solution.
ASTEROIDS AND COMETS
Scientist state that the probability of a collision between Earth and some of the known asteroids increases by the day. Duncan Smith, reader in space technology at the University of Salford said scientists had identified more than a thousand asteroids, of various dimensions, that have orbits around the Sun that cross the path of the Earth. Scientists say that big asteroids have hit Earth before and it is only a matter of time before one strikes the Earth again.25
Each year, many fragments of debris hit our planet, but most of them are so small that they burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, unnoticed by us. However, some of this material is larger than what the atmosphere can handle.
Geologist Walter Alvarez lists the probable events of a comet (shooting star) entering Earth's atmosphere in his book T-Rex and the Crater of Doom where he describes the world 65 million years ago:
Doom was coming out of the sky, in the form of an enormous comet or asteroid—we are still not sure which it was. Probably ten kilometers across, traveling tens of kilometers a second, its energy of motion had the destructive capability of a hundred million hydrogen bombs. If an asteroid, it was an inert, crater-scarred rock, dark and sinister, invisible until the last moment before it struck. If a comet, it was a ball of dirty ice, spewing out gases boiled off by the heat of the Sun, and it announced impending doom with a shimmering head and a brilliant tail splashed across half the sky, illuminating the night, and finally visible even in the daytime as Armageddon approached.26
Scientists believe that a very large celestial body (most probably a comet) collided with Earth 65 million years ago and marked it considerably. Based on this experience and subsequent collisions, it is possible to predict the events following such an impact and the probable consequences for our planet.
The potential energy of a comet before impact is equivalent to 100 billion megatons of TNT, which will cause it to evaporate in seconds and can leave a crater 40 kms (25 miles) deep. In comparison, a hydrogen bomb has the force of 1 megaton of TNT. At the height of the cold war, there were 10,000 such weapons. On the other hand, a comet's potential force is 10 million times greater than the force of all of the explosives that existed at that time.
The Qur'an reveals that on the Day of Judgment there will be shocking tremors, that everything will be leveled, and that the oceans will boil over. A collision with a comet or an asteroid could cause all of these disasters. Massive seismic waves would disturb the ocean beds, causing landslides and huge tidal waves. Scientists remark that previous tidal waves caused in this way were of such a magnitude that they left their marks on the ocean bed.
Recent research reveals that a large object that fell into the Gulf of Mexico created large-scale tidal waves headed for
Fourteen centuries ago, Allah revealed that on the Day of Judgment the sky will split apart (
Paul Davies, in his book The Last Three Minutes, says that a comet on a collision course with Earth will emit such an intense light that the atmosphere will begin to burn up from above and melt like metal. He also states that the escaping gases in the vacuum of space will create a tornado. These statements are quite similar to what the Qur'an says, as follows:
When Heaven is split apart and goes rose-red, like dregs of oil. (
The melting and running of the heavens like molten brass or dregs of oil is reminiscent of a hot, thick-flowing liquid. In such a case, the skies would take on a red-hot color. As Davies states, on that Day the superheated gases could form tornados, and the resemblance thereof to a red rose is obvious.
Allah will bring the Day of Judgment at a predetermined time and fulfill His promises. These events may take place one by one, or all at once. Similar things have happened before, for both asteroids and comets have caused localized and, at other times, widespread, damage. Only Allah knows the time of the next one.
Scientists predict that an asteroid will come close to Earth in 2028. According to them, if it falls into the Atlantic Ocean,
Scientists refer to the Swift-Tuttle comet, which passed close by in 1993 and is expected to return in 2126. Calculations suggest a high probability of a collision, as it is expected to pass by at 2 weeks' distance—a close encounter indeed—and many scientists are genuinely concerned and worried about such a near miss. The inconsistent orbits of these objects create a continuous traffic, which means that Earth and other planets are constantly at risk. According to experts, Swift-Tuttle or some other object eventually will collide with Earth. Some of them could cause greater devastation than all of humanity's nuclear weapons combined. We just do not know when this will happen.
Davies says "when it does, it will be bad news for people. There will be an abrupt and unprecedented interruption in the history of our species." He says that a collision would almost certainly spell the end for humanity.29 He deals extensively with this subject in his book The Last Three Minutes, in which he states that on the 21st of August 2126, Swift-Tuttle will strike Earth and thereby usher in our planet's final day. There is a great similarity between what he relates and what Allah reveals, as follows:
The date: August 21, 2126.
Doomsday.
The place: Earth.
… The diminutive head of the comet belies its enormous destructive power. It is closing on planet Earth at a staggering 40,000 miles per hour, 10 miles every second—a trillion tons of ice and rock, destined to strike at seventy times the speed of sound.
… Directly above ground zero, the sky splits open. A thousand cubic miles of air are blasted aside. A finger of searing flame wider than a city arcs groundward and fifteen seconds later lances the Earth. The planet shudders with the force of ten thousand earthquakes. A shock wave of displaced air sweeps over the surface of the globe, flattening all structures, pulverizing everything in its path. The flat terrain around the impact site rises in a ring of liquid mountains several miles high, exposing the bowels of the Earth in a crater a hundred miles across. The wall of molten rock ripples outward, tossing the landscape about like a blanket flicked in slow motion...
Within the crater itself, trillions of tons of rock are vaporized. Much more is splashed aloft, some of it flung out into space. Still more is pitched across half a continent to rain down hundreds or even thousands of miles away, wreaking massive destruction on all beneath. Some of the molten ejecta falls into the ocean, raising huge tsunamis that add to the spreading turmoil. A vast column of dusty debris fans out into the atmosphere, blotting out the sun across the whole planet. Now the sunlight is replaced by the sinister, flickering glare of a billion meteors, roasting the ground below with their searing heat, as displaced material plunges back from space into the atmosphere.30
No doubt, this description is not farfetched. Just one comet can cause such damage, but we do not know when it will collide with Earth. Regardless of how much people try to deny the existence of the Day of Judgment, it can confront them as a possibility that is closer than they think, for the Qur'an reveals that:
The Unseen of the heavens and Earth belongs to Allah. The matter of the Hour is only the blink of an eye away, or even nearer. Allah has power over all things. (
BLACK HOLES
At present, scientists believe that black holes of enormous mass exist in the center of many galaxies. Their massive gravitational force swallows its own radiation and everything else that comes within its vicinity, an action that only further increases their size and gravitational force. They can pull in stars many times their own size, planets, smaller black holes, and even whole galaxies. As our planet travels rapidly in the endless void of space, one day it might enter the gravitational zone of a black hole.
Black holes are a most dense phenomenon that pulls in everything. Their gravitational force is so strong that nothing in its path can escape it. Just like a vacuum cleaner, black holes suck in everything in their gravitational spectrum: planets, satellites, asteroids, and even stars. Once they enter this field of gravity, they cannot escape.
Why do black holes suck in everything?
As we know, every object exerts a certain gravitational force. For example, if we throw a stone into the sky, it will go up until it exhausts its velocity and then falls to the ground by the force of gravity. For an object to escape Earth's gravity, it needs to exceed a certain speed in one direction (velocity). If a rocket is to break free of Earth's gravity, it must reach a velocity that can overcome gravity: 11.2 kms (7 miles) per second.
To escape a black hole, the object must travel faster than the speed of light. However, since nothing can exceed the speed of light, nothing can escape a black hole's gravity, not even bundles of light traveling at a speed of 300,000 kms (190,000 miles) per second. Since not even light can escape, black holes are always dark. There is no reason why our planet, traveling at high speeds through space, should not enter a black hole's gravitational field. In fact, scientists in
The American Astronomers Association recently published a scientific report in which it says that one of the black holes is right in the center of our galaxy, just 26,000 light years away from Earth (one light year is almost 9.5 trillion kilometers, or nearly six trillion miles). It is called "Sagittarius A" or "A-Star,"31 and is as large as our solar system but has a mass millions of times higher. Based upon calculations, its mass is 2.6 billions times that of the Sun and it sucks in stars at a speed of 965 kms (600 miles) per second. This is no doubt a serious discovery and poses a great danger to our planet.
The other black hole, "
The fact that A-Star swallows up the stars in its environment at a speed of 965 kms (600 miles) per second shows that its gravitational force increases with every star it swallows. Therefore, at the end of this process, the escalating speed with which it draws objects to itself will reach an incredible magnitude.
As black holes swallow up light, they cannot be seen or perceived even by the most highly developed telescopes and other technology. Therefore, scientists must determine their existence through research and measurement. By using such tools, scientists have already proven the existence of several black holes. However, there is a strong probability that many more have not yet been discovered yet, as the current level of research is insufficient.
Many scientists believe that our Sun has a twin, which likely became a black hole. The reasoning behind this assumption is that all other stars in our solar system exist in groups of twos, threes, and fives, except for our Sun. The supporting evidence is considerable and is being analyzed. Considering that the Sun is only 150 million kms (93 million miles) away from Earth, the potential danger is undeniable. In short, there is no reason why Earth should not fall into a black hole's gravitational field at any given moment.
Many scientists believe that a black hole will annihilate Earth by swallowing it. Even if Earth avoids this end, there is a great danger of a black hole's passing by our solar system. And, what would happen if a black hole quietly approached our solar system? Such an event could alter the orbits of many planets, which of course would affect Earth's balance. Hundreds and even thousands of asteroids could be affected by such a gravitational force. Many would be sucked in by the black hole, and hundreds or thousands of them would fall on Earth.
COLLIDING GALAXIES
There are an estimated 200 other galaxies besides our own in the universe, each of which consists of 200 billion stars, revolves around its own axis, and follows an orbit. Our galaxy is traveling at a high speed in the direction of an imaginary point called the Solar Apex near the bright star Vega. Due to all of this movement in the universe, collisions and huge explosions occur. But because they happen millions of light years away, we do not notice them.
For instance, the Hubble telescope took pictures of two galaxies colliding some 63 million light years away. As a result of this event, new stars were born and massive hydrogen clouds were formed and released into space. If such a collision were to take place near Earth, it could become one of the factors that would destroy our planet.
Furthermore, scientists state that such an end probably awaits our solar system. One such disclosure is the following:
Astrophysicists speak of serious problems the Earth will have in the near future. The first of these is a supernova explosion (a supernova: a star that explodes and becomes extremely luminous in the process). Even if the time and location of this explosion is unknown, predictions put forward are looking at the near future and they are not very encouraging. According to scientists, the reddish supergiant Betelgeuse star at a distance of 430 light years, appears ready to explode. They reckon that hypernovas are created by the fusion of black holes or by the merger of black holes with neutron stars. But none of them knows how these time bombs are distributed in space or what would happen to us if they were to come near our world.32
The Qur'an reveals that on that Day, Earth will be rocked by devastating tremors; that people will experience pure terror; that the Sun, the Moon, and stars will be extinguished; and that everything will be destroyed rapidly. A collision could cause all of these events, and would affect not only Earth but our entire solar system as well.
Scientific research reveals that the promised Day of Judgment will definitely come, that all living and non-living things and Earth too will be destroyed, and that Allah will create a new sky and a different world. All of this is related to point out that Earth can also die by natural causes. However, there is no doubt that Allah does not require a cause to do such things and that if Allah wills it, he can make the Day of Judgment happen at any time and even without the need for a collision or an explosion.
The probabilities we have examined here are only a few of the possible ways for life to be destroyed. Moreover, scientific research confirms that such an event is a realistic expectation.
The universe's continued expansion is another probable cause for Earth to die. People are untouched by such concerns, because they see them as very distant possibilities or simply prefer to let future generations deal with them. However, there are even greater risks, and only Allah knows which one will bring about the Day of Judgment. Regardless of how remote a possibility seems to people, research and an increase in catastrophic events suggests that such a day is approaching. And only Allah knows when this will happen, for:
He created the heavens and Earth with truth. The day He says "Be!" it is. His speech is Truth. The Kingdom will be His on the Day the Trumpet is blown, the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware. (
ALLAH IS ALL-POWERFUL
For many years, people have wondered how the universe will end. Many possibilities spring to mind, but Allah can make it happen without a cause and all of a sudden. The probabilities revealed by scientific research constitute a warning and give us the opportunity to reflect and turn to Allah before that difficult Day comes in accordance with His will. The believers are certain that the Day of Judgment will happen at the predetermined time in His presence. All people will experience it, for they will be in the All-Powerful's grip, as follows:
Or let you see what We have promised them. They are completely in Our power. (
Many events can cause Earth's existing order to collapse and all life to be lost. Furthermore, as time progresses, even more probable causes are added to the already existing ones. Many signs indicate that our world is moving rapidly toward its predetermined end, even if most people deny the existence of the Day of Judgment. The Qur'an points out this reality in the following verse:
The Hour is coming, but I have concealed it so that every self can be repaid for its efforts. (Surah Ta Ha, 15)
Scientists have reached a consensus, based on scientific data, that the universe will be destroyed. Newspapers, magazines, television programs, and other media outlets often inform people of the latest scientific discoveries. Researchers who are aware of these facts are looking for ways to prevent such calamities in order to delay the universe's death. Another area of research focuses on the probable changes that would take place on Earth and its effects on life were such a disaster to strike. The resulting data bears a striking resemblance to many of the events foretold in the Qur'an.
After the Universe Dies
On the Day of Judgment, everyone will see reality clearly. The unbelievers will be face to face with the reality of the Hereafter in which they never believed, refrained from pondering, and rejected. They will see the consequences of their error and will desperately seek a way out; however, they will not find one. They will have met a disastrous end and will be full of remorse. The Qur'an relates their psychology in great detail.
Confronted by the Day of Judgment, whether they like it or not, they will witness the unique events after the trumpet is sounded: the devastation of Earth and the heavens, and the destruction of the universe and all of its contents. After this is accomplished, Allah will recreate the heavens, the world, and humanity anew. Allah, Who created the heavens, Earth, and all the worlds, certainly has the power to create the likes of them, for:
Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and Earth, has the power to create the like of them, and has appointed fixed terms for them of which there is no doubt? But the wrongdoers still spurn anything but unbelief. (
Do they not see that Allah—Who created the heavens and Earth and was not wearied by creating them—has the power to bring the dead to life? Yes indeed! He has power over all things. (
The events of the Day of Judgment will bring new heavens and a new world, for such is His will. People will be brought to His presence to account for all that they have done, for:
On the Day Earth is changed to other than Earth, and the heavens likewise, and they parade before Allah, the One, the All-Conquering. (Surah Ibrahim, 48)
This difficult Day is termed the "Day of Recompense," "Doomsday," or "Last Day" in the Qur'an. The newly created Earth and heavens will be eternal, and humanity will be resurrected. Believers and unbelievers will be separated and sent to their respective places in the eternal life. No one, including the unbelievers, will be a stranger to this day.
The believers, who prepared for their life in the Hereafter, will find this Day's events exactly as the Qur'an foretold them, and will have the comfort of receiving what Allah promised them. On the other hand, the unbelievers will experience inexplicable fear, remorse, and apprehension, for they spent their lives opposing Allah's system. But at this moment they will be painfully aware of their mistake. They will be face to face with the truth that they once pondered in terms of "what if it is true" in uncertainty and apprehension. They will begin the first few moments of their eternal condemnation, which cannot be prevented or deflected, and are doomed to experience this condition forever, for:
How can you reject Allah, when you were dead and then He gave you life, then He will make you die and then give you life again, then you will be returned to Him? (
THE SECOND TRUMPET BLAST AND
THE DAY OF RESURRECTION
Those who have been given knowledge and faith will say: "You tarried in accordance with Allah's Decree until the Day of Resurrection. And this is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know it." On that Day the excuses of those who did wrong will not help them, nor will they be able to appease Allah. (
Allah sent His Messengers to all people throughout history to inform them of His existence and that of the Day of Judgment, and to invite them to belief. But as the Qur'an reveals, except for a small minority, most people chose not to believe, resisted Allah and His Messengers, and denied the resurrection, as the following verses reveal:
They swear by Allah with their most earnest oaths that He will not raise up those who die, when, on the contrary, it is a binding promise on Him; but most people do not know it. So that He can make clear to them the things they differed about, and so that those who did not believe will know that they were liars. (
[The ruling circle of Nuh's people said:] "If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, you would, in that case, definitely be the losers. Does he promise you that when you have died and become dust and bones that you will be brought forth again? What you have been promised is sheer nonsense! What is there but our life in this world? We die and we live, and we will not be raised again." (
One of the main reasons behind their denial is that they consider this life to be the only life there is. This false reasoning leads them to think that there is only nothingness after death, which encourages them to reject the resurrection, the events revealed in the Qur'an, and the Day of Judgment, even though all living things and the world will die. The Qur'an gives many examples, some of which are given below:
He makes likenesses of Us and forgets his own creation, saying: "Who will give life to bones when they are decayed?" Say: "He Who made them in the first place will bring them back to life. He has total knowledge of each created thing; He Who produces fire for you from green trees so that you use them to light your fires." Does He Who created the heavens and Earth not have the power to create the same again? Yes indeed! He is the Creator, the All-Knowing. His command when He desires a thing is just to say to it: "Be!" and it is. Glory be to Him Who has the Dominion of all things in His Hand. To Him you will be returned. (Surah Ya Sin, 78-83)
Among His Signs is that you see the earth laid bare, and then when We send down water on it, it quivers and swells. He Who gives it life is He Who gives life to the dead. Certainly He has power over all things. (Surah Fussilat, 39)
Even humanity's creation is in itself an important proof of the resurrection. Each person was made into a complete being from a single sperm cell and an egg. The fact that, over time, a single cell becomes a thinking, seeing, and reasoning being without any human interference is a clear indication of creation. Allah created humanity from nothing and so can easily reassemble each person's withered bones to re-create him or her. People who disregard this creation are ignoring their own existence and reason, and reject their resurrection with a devilish boldness. This is an act of great impudence, for such people are taking a stance against Allah and will be confronted by this reality in the Hereafter. Following the Day of Judgment, of which people will be made aware of by the trumpet's first sounding, the second sounding will inform them that the resurrection has arrived. Emerging from their graves, they will stand waiting at the beginning of their everlasting lives, as the following verse makes clear:
The Trumpet will be blown, and those in the heavens and those in the earth will all lose consciousness, except those Allah wills. Then it will be blown a second time, and at once they will be standing upright, looking on. (
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT'S FEATURES
Allah will bring about the Day of Judgment with the same ease as He created Earth, the heavens, and humanity. Such an event is affirmed with such words as "beyond doubt" and "certain." These terms, which express an absolute certainty, increase the believers' awe of Allah and their efforts on Earth, and answer the unbelievers' doubts and rejection of that Day most clearly.
Just as in the past, the majority of people either reject religion outright or have left true religion for a false one based on and merged with tradition and folklore. However, there is no rationale for people who can think and reason normally to disregard the possibility of the Day of Judgment. Scientific data also suggests that Earth's end is nigh. Some people continue to disregard this fact because they do not know and appreciate Allah as required, and so deviate from the Qur'an's true guidance and do not contemplate how they will be held accountable for their deeds on that Day. The believers, who act in awe of Allah, are aware of the approaching end, whereas those who follow the guidance of their selfish selves disregard this great truth. Allah reveals this reality, as follows:
Say: "Allah gives you life, then causes you to die, and then will gather you together for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. But most people do not know it." (
Those who disregard the truth, despite being repeatedly invited to religion, can only fully comprehend the shocking end awaiting them on the Day of Judgment. Only when they are confronted by all that they denied will they clearly see the emptiness of their efforts:
[On the Day of Threat, they will be told:] "You were heedless of this, so We have stripped you of your covering and today your sight is sharp." (Surah Qaf, 22)
The reason why they cannot understand this great Day is that they trust too much in the guidance of their lower selves and thoughts, are committed only to their own desires and interests, and turn away from the truth, thereby blinding their consciences, which could lift the veils of their ignorance. Allah reveals that people who seek the world follow their selfish egos and disregard their consciences. As a result, they have no understanding. This is the meaning behind the Qur'anic phrase that such people will have their hearts sealed, which makes it impossible for them to see and distinguish the truth. But on the Day of Judgment, they will witness Allah's existence and greatness, as well as the truth of His promise.
If a person believed in the Day of Judgment and its events even for a moment, or considered the possibility of its truth only for a second, he or she would feel an indescribable fear. Rejecting the possibility of the Hereafter's existence from the outset or never thinking about it causes some people to be misled and to think that they will enter a state of nothingness after death. As they do not reflect on the fear of becoming nothingness, they find it easier to believe this than to believe in the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. Such is Satan's strategy, for he seeks to prevent people from contemplating such things and urges them to waste their worldly lives with desires for unattainable superiority and cravings for increased wealth. This is one of the main reasons why people ignore the Hereafter. However, its reality will evoke remorse and hair-raising fear, for they will be unable to escape this hard Day, since:
Necks outstretched, eyes transfixed, rushing headlong to the Summoner. The unbelievers will say: "This is a pitiless day!" (
THE RISING OF THE DEAD
The Trumpet will be blown, and those in the heavens and those in the earth will all lose consciousness, except those Allah wills. Then it will be blown a second time, and at once they will be standing upright, looking on. (
As this verse states, when the trumpet is sounded for a second time, the graves will be emptied out. Since no one or force can withstand or delay our Lord's command, all people in the ground will be resurrected, despite their denial that such a thing would ever happen. The Qur'an says:
Among His Signs is that heaven and Earth hold firm by His command. Then, when He calls you forth from the earth, you will emerge at once. (
They will say, "Are we to be restored to how we were when we have become perished, worm-eaten bones?" They say: "That will clearly be a losing restoration!" There will be but one Great Blast, and at once they will be on the surface, wide awake! (
People act as if this world will exist forever. This is one of the greatest mistakes of their lives, for it causes them to think that the world's amazing order, created by Allah, is self-sufficient and eternal. But after they die, they will see that death does not finish everything; rather, it is the beginning of their eternal lives. Having believed that they would enter a realm of nothingness, they are suddenly gripped by terror when they hear the trumpet's second sounding. The scrolls of their deeds are not yet unfolded, nor have they had a taste of what is in store for them. Nevertheless, they say "Woe to us!" and rise from their graves. In reality, they knew that this day would come. The Qur'an describes their fear on that Day, as follows:
They will say: "Woe to us! Who has raised us from our resting place? This is what the All-Merciful promised us. The Messengers were telling the truth." (Surah Ya Sin, 52)
Now it is too late, for their lives on Earth yielded neither true pleasure nor true comfort, and everything they had done until then only prepared for them this hardest of all days.
They Will Turn To A Caller
On that day they will follow the Summoner, who has no crookedness in him at all. Voices will be humbled before the All-Merciful, and nothing but a whisper will be heard. (Surah Ta Ha, 108)
When people emerge from their graves and begin to run toward a call, the like of which they have never heard before, they will not stop running until they reach the place from where they were called. The believers will arrive contented and peaceful, whereas the unbelievers will arrive as if they had sensed what is awaiting them, saying over and over again "This is a pitiless day!" (
The Day they will emerge swiftly from their graves, as if rushing to rally to the flag, eyes downcast, darkened by debasement, that will be the Day which they were promised. (
[They say:] "When we are dead and turned to dust and bones, will we then be raised up again alive? And our earlier ancestors as well?" Say: "Yes, and you will be in a despicable state." (
Unbelievers, who did not observe Allah's boundaries, were arrogant and disobedient on Earth, will now become very obedient and submissive. They will follow the call unconditionally, for they will not be able to act of their own volition. They will have surrendered to Allah and will bow to His will, whether they like it or not, because the ego-driven life that they led in the world is now over. They will clearly understand their incapacity in front of Allah, the severity of His punishment, and the truth thereof:
Turn away from them then. On the Day the Summoner summons them to something unspeakably terrible. (
All people finally will realize that they have no option but to obey Allah and bow to His will. They will be unable to do otherwise, even if they wanted to.
This promised Day is an exceedingly tragic one for the unbelievers. The terror of the Day of Meeting and the frightening experience of rising from the graves is undisputable. People will see their predecessors facing the same reality as they are and that Allah has kept His promise.
They Will Be Like Swarming Locusts
Those who do not believe in the Hereafter have an evil likeness. Allah's is the Highest Likeness. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (
As the verse says, every example given by Allah depicts the situation in the most concise manner and the best possible way. For this reason, the Qur'an states that each of its verses is "consummate wisdom" (
They will emerge from their graves with downcast eyes, like swarming locusts. (
This allegory enables us to visualize that moment in the best way. The swarming of locusts is unique. Migrating locusts travel in huge swarms and cause damage on a massive scale. Swarms can fly between 1,500 and 1,800 meters (4,900-5,900 feet) above the ground and they descend like a cloud formation. Locust swarms can migrate great distances very rapidly and remain airborne for long periods. Some swarms cover an area as large as 75 x 15 miles (120 x 25 kms), and contain about as much as 150 billion locusts.33 Numbering in the billions, they literally appear out the blue, cover huge areas, and strip away all vegetation wherever they go.
As the verses state, billions of people will suddenly appear on the ground after hearing the trumpet and, like locusts, will begin to move together toward the caller. The Qur'an mentions that:
Among His Signs is that heaven and Earth hold firm by His command. Then, when He calls you forth from the earth, you will emerge at once. (
It is a mind-blowing scene, for all people who have ever lived will emerge from their graves, assemble all at once, and await the judgment foreseen for them.
Holding Their Heads Up, They Will Run To One Point
On that Day, the unbelievers' heads will be up in the air, their eyes fixed on one point only, and they will run as if hypnotized. They are only moving in the way prescribed by Allah and facing the call's direction. According to Allah's will, everybody except the believers, who are safe, will be gripped by a great fear:
Each of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection all alone. As for those who believe and do right actions, the All-Merciful will bestow His love on them. (Surah Maryam, 95-96)
The unbelievers will run in fear and astonishment, unable to look at others or themselves. It does not even occur to them to do so. On the Day of Judgment, wealth, children, or worldly ambitions will lose their value. Everybody will be in a state of unconditional obedience, and the only thing of value is faith. Allah describes the unbelievers' state at that moment in the following way:
Do not consider Allah to be unaware of what the wrongdoers perpetrate. He is merely deferring them to a Day on which their sight will be transfixed, rushing headlong—heads back, eyes vacant, hearts hollow. (Surah Ibrahim, 42-43)
What is the matter with those who do not believe? They run about in front of you, with outstretched necks and staring eyes, on the right and on the left in scattered groups! Does each one of them aspire to be admitted into a
The unbelievers will not be able to attempt their own rescue or to even consider it. Their hearts will be void, and they will be aware of the end awaiting them. People's rising from their graves to be judged and their running will end with them congregating in the Lord's presence, as follows:
They will be paraded before your Lord in ranks: "You have come to Us just as We created you at first. Yes indeed! Even though you claimed that We would not fix a time with you." (
A great majority of people did not believe that this meeting would ever take place. But on that great Day, they will be captured and realize its truth and that they cannot escape it.
GATHERING FOR THE JUDGMENT
Allah has designed this moment of truth, as befits His power and glory, which the unbelievers disregarded and evaded all their lives, whereas the believers were preparing themselves for it. Jibril and all the angels will assemble in rows for the judgment, all people will be judged fairly, and those who speak will only be able to speak the truth:
On the Day when the Spirit and the angels stand in ranks, no one will speak, except for him who is authorized by the All-Merciful and says what is right. (
As Allah reveals, He will show His glory to His servants at the highest level, and eight angels will bear His throne:
The angels will be gathered round its edge. On that Day, eight will bear the Throne of their Lord above their heads. On that Day you will be exposed—no concealed act you did will stay concealed. (
All the people emerging from their graves will enter Allah's presence in multitudes:
The Day of Decision is a fixed appointment: the Day the Trumpet is blown, and you come in droves. (
The Qur'an reveals that the believers' faces will be radiant and they will be gazing at their Lord, whereas the unbelievers will not even raise their heads because of their shame. Their behavior at that moment will be as follows:
Faces will be humbled to the Living, the All-Sustaining, and anyone weighed down with wrongdoing will have failed. (Surah Ta Ha, 111)
When we add the billions of people who are living now to all of the people who lived in the past and will live in the future, we can get an impression of the astonishing scenes of the huge mass of people rising from their graves. People will gather, see, and comprehend clearly one another, what they have done, and what is going on, because their sight will be sharp:
[On the Day of Threat, they will be told:] "You were heedless of this, so We have stripped you of your covering and today your sight is sharp." (Surah Qaf, 22)
All the people one has ever known will be there. Famous or ordinary, rich or poor, all of humanity will assemble in Allah's presence, without any sign of their worldly fame or their status. Only the believers will not feel remorse. Every person, even if they marked an era or wrote history, will be sorry and will experience the same fear due to the severity of their punishment in His presence. They may have been presidents, musicians, artists, or rich. But such "superiority" no longer matters, and money, office, and other marks of worldly distinction will lose their value. In other words, both the admired as well as the admirer will be in the same situation, for:
On the Day We gather them all together... (Surah Yunus, 28)
Say: "Allah gives you life, then causes you to die, and then will gather you together for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. But most people do not know it." (
On that Day, worldly status and wealth will have no value, no one will follow in the footsteps of another, and no one will try to impress anyone else. Aristocrats, the rich, the rulers, and the bosses will be held accountable for their sins in the same way as all the ordinary people, and the only superiority will be one's closeness to Allah. All people will understand clearly that nothing but trying to win Allah's approval and good pleasure has any value, and they will know with certainty that Allah is the sole possessor of everything. And, as the Qur'an relates, the unbelievers who encounter this reality will be unable to return to their former lives to make amends or to help one another:
Then when the Trumpet is blown, that Day there will be no family ties between them; nor will they ask about one another. (
THE MOMENT OF JUDGMENT
The Qur'an reveals the true purpose of human life in the following manner:
O Man! You are toiling laboriously toward your Lord, but you will meet Him! (
Such events like going to university, graduating, marrying, or having children are considered turning points in a person's life. People with worldly ambitions count the days, make plans, and prepare for the day when they will achieve their ambitions. They admit that their lives are geared toward these ends and that they live for such goals. But in reality, humanity was created to serve Allah. Even if they do not acknowledge it, deep down they know it. However, people consider this life to be eternal and spend it trying either to forget or completely ignore the reason for their creation. Regardless of what they do while alive, their final destination is Allah's presence: the moment of justice on the Day of Judgment.
Every passing day brings us a little closer to that Day. Every hour, minute, and second is a new step toward resurrection and judgment. This progress, which cannot be reversed or stopped, is followed by everyone, for:
Certainly it is to Us they will return. Then their reckoning is Our concern. (
When that time comes, everything will reach its conclusion and there will be no way to go back and make amends. All of those who disregarded the truth, shown to them by their conscience, will experience a previously unknown degree of astonishment and panic. All of those who rejected Allah's existence and unity will undergo an unequaled punishment, for His Messengers warned and informed them how to live and invited them to the true religion. Moreover, Allah gave them enough time and opportunity to reflect and reason upon the truth they were told, for:
... Did We not let you live long enough for anyone who was going to pay heed to pay heed?... (
Now the time is up and the moment of truth has arrived. Allah, Who has witnessed everything that each person has done during his or her life, is closer to each person than their jugular vein. And now everybody has become sure about Who created them, why He created them, what was required of them, and that they will be returned to Allah. They chose to fool themselves with a devilish boldness, even though they knew about it, and so will be punished accordingly. On that Day, everybody will be told what they did and what they postponed:
On the Day Allah raises up all of them together, He will inform them of what they did. Allah has recorded it while they have forgotten it. Allah is a Witness of all things. (
That Day people will emerge segregated to see the results of their actions. Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. Whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. (
Allah calls all people to prepare for the moment of truth: "… Whatever good you do, Allah knows it. Take provision; but the best provision is doing your duty (taqwa)..." (
And that Day Hell is produced, that Day man will remember; but how will the remembrance help him? He will say: "Oh! If only I had prepared in advance for this life of mine!" That Day no one will punish as He punishes. (
NO ONE WILL BE WRONGED
And Earth will shine with the Pure Light of its Lord, the Book will be put in place, the Prophets and witnesses will be brought, it will be decided between them with the truth, and they will not be wronged. (
The immensity of this Day will reflect Allah's greatness, infallible justice, and His attributes of al-Jabbar (The Compeller), al-Qahhar (The Subduer), and al-Muntaqim (The Avenger). As on Earth, His justice will govern the questioning of deeds and their final reward or punishment. Everyone will receive justice based upon the placement of "just scales":
We will set up the Just Balance on the Day of Resurrection, and no self will be wronged in any way. Even if it is no more than the weight of a grain of mustard-seed, We will produce it. We are sufficient as a Reckoner. (
Every deed will be put on these scales, which will decide one's eternal suffering or eternal salvation or happiness. People whose good deeds weigh heavier will go to
As for him whose balance is heavy, he will have a most pleasant life. But as for him whose balance is light, his motherland is Hawiya. And what will convey to you what that is? A raging Fire! (
THE DRIVER AND THE WITNESS
Two angels will come with every person for their trial on the Day of Judgment, for:
[On that Day] every self will come together with a driver and a witness. (Surah Qaf, 21)
Every place will be bright with Allah's light on the Day of Reckoning. The witnesses and Messengers who will testify will be ready. Prophets who advised and reminded people of their duty to serve Allah and the other witnesses will be with those who will be questioned on that Day. These witnesses will do no wrong.
Nobody will be able to claim that they did not know that their duty was to serve Allah, for every member of humanity has been informed of this fact by Allah's Messengers. Nor will they be able to deny, in His presence, what they have done. All of their good as well as evil deeds will be exposed. Even if they deny the truth, the witnesses will be just and expose their lies. Every nation will be present with its own book and leader (imam) in this great order in our Lord's presence. On this Day, where all nations since Adam, peace be upon him, will be gathered, Allah's great wisdom and infinite justice will be manifest in the way the trial is conducted, as follows:
You will see every nation on its knees, every nation summoned to its Book: "Today you will be repaid for what you did." (
SURPRISE WITNESSES
On that Day, the witnesses to the evil committed by the guilty sinners will be present. Besides the believers, the angels who recorded all of one's deeds, and the other witnesses brought there by Allah, surprise witnesses also will testify against the unbelievers. These are astonishing signs of Allah's total rule, even when people thought that they were alone. Among those who will testify will be one's own senses of sight and hearing, as well as one's own skin. Each of these will speak, by His will, and state the truth. The fact that even their own senses and skin, which they considered their own, will betray them will only increase the unbelievers' psychological breakdown. Some of the verses in this regard are the following:
On the Day We crowd the enemies of Allah into the Fire and they are driven in close-packed ranks, when they reach it [the Fire], their hearing, sight, and skin will testify against them concerning what they did. They will ask their skins: "Why did you testify against us?" and they will reply: "Allah gave us speech, as He has given speech to everything. He created you in the first place, and you will be returned to Him. You did not think to shield yourselves from your hearing, sight, and skin testifying against you, and you thought that Allah would never know much of what you did. It is that thought you had about your Lord that has destroyed you, so now you find yourselves among the lost." If they are steadfast, the Fire will still be their residence! If they ask for favor, no favor will be given. (Surah Fussilat, 19-24)
People can find a plausible (as well as an implausible) explanation for whatever they do, and can even make themselves believe in it. The only thing wanted at such a moment is convincing oneself or the other party. In other words, they believe in what they want, devise a logic in support thereof, and provide explanations based on that. For this reason, maybe the evidence they use even to deny Allah's existence has become valid for them and caused them to put up a determined fight against the believers.
But none of these explanations or proofs will have any validity on the Day of Judgment. They will see just how invalid these arrogant explanations are, and will realize in the face of their own senses and skins' testimony that they can conceal nothing. The things they thought nobody had seen, the things done in utmost secrecy, will be revealed one by one and will be acknowledged by their own bodies.
THEY WILL BE CALLED TO ACCOUNT ALONE
In addition, those who expected to receive their friends' help will find themselves giving account for their deeds "alone." This will cause the unbelievers to see the pointlessness of expecting anyone or anything other than Allah to help them. They will receive the due returns of such an error. The Qur'an reveals the reality of giving such an account alone, as follows:
Each of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone. (Surah Maryam, 95)
To be alone is one of the scariest thoughts for people, especially in times of hardship. It is painful to be lonely, even under the conditions of life on Earth. In the Hereafter, loneliness will not be the only problem. The worst will be the unbelievers' strong fear of the moment of justice, because they will be painfully aware of the evil they committed. Nobody in whom they can trust or from whom they can seek help and support will be nearby, and not even their most trusted and close family members will care about them. Everything will have turned upside down, and even their bodies will begin to testify against them. Such loneliness is hard to describe.
Hoping that their false deities and friends would help them was one mistake; another one was their belief that their secret sins and evil deeds would not be exposed on the Day of Judgment. In reality, Allah witnesses all that they did while alive, for:
On that Day you will be exposed—no concealed act you did will stay concealed. (
Every self will be repaid in full for what it did. He knows best what they are doing. (
All of the unbelievers' sins will be fully exposed. People who lied throughout their lives even to their families and closest friends, committed fraud and took every conceivable risk to satisfy their self-interest, who denied Allah's Messengers and rejected their words, thinking that such things would never be exposed, will be called to account alone, for:
On the Day when the secrets are sought out and man will have no strength or helper. (
NO FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY, OR CLOSENESS
On that Day, people will not have the strength or the opportunity to deal with anyone but themselves. People will not even think about their families, which they so cherished and trusted. Due to their terror, they are totally preoccupied with themselves. The bonds between them and their ancestors, of whom they were so proud, for whom they prepared family trees and learned their history, will be severed, for:
Then when the Trumpet is blown, that Day there will be no family ties between them; they will not be able to question one another. (
The strong forts in which they trusted and sought refuge, such as family wealth and their offices, all will be destroyed. Those who sought superiority and power from their ancestors' titles or inherited wealth, who thought that they would profit from a life removed from the morality of religion and even considered this a sign of superiority, will now realize their mistake. On this Day, only faith has value.
In societies divorced from the values of religion, the most important factor for friendship to develop and continue is self-interest. Self-interest seeks to invest in and guarantee one's future, obtain money, status, and connections. But on the Day of Judgment, no one will be in a state to seek pleasure, ambition, and lust, and so all friendships will be forgotten at once. The Qur'an says:
[On that Day] no good friend will ask about his friend. (
The fear will be so great that everybody would forsake all they have if only they could escape the fearsome punishment. Moreover, the wealth that they did everything to acquire will have lost its appeal. They would give all of Earth's wealth, if it belonged to them, as a ransom, along with their own wealth. All of the property that they possessed and guarded so closely will have lost its meaning. They would spend all of their wealth in the cause of Allah without a second thought, but now it is too late.
Instead of using their wealth in the path of Allah, they used it during their short lives for temporary worldly gains and passions in a futile attempt to ensure that their names, deeds, and status would be remembered and preserved after they died. And so they disregarded this difficult day. The Qur'an reveals this dead-end situation, as follows:
If those who did wrong owned everything on Earth, and the same again with it, they would offer it as a ransom to save themselves from the evil of the punishment on the Day of Resurrection. What confronts them from Allah will be something with which they did not reckon. (
He [Ibrahim] said: "You have adopted idols apart from Allah as tokens of mutual affection in this world. But then on the Day of Resurrection, you will reject one another and curse one another. The Fire will be your shelter. You will have no helpers." (
Despite being party to many hypocrisies, no unbelievers will acknowledge that their friendships were false. For many, the friendships and love they experienced were "different from all others." In reality, they all made the same mistakes and did not experience true loyalty, not even on Earth. Furthermore, the offers that they will make on that Day to prevent their deserved punishment reveals their attitude toward friendship. Their families and friends, about whom they felt so strong while alive, will be considered a potential ransom. This fact is revealed in the Qur'an, as follows:
[On that Day] no good friend will ask about his friend, even though they can see each other. An evildoer will wish that he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by means of his sons, his wife, his brother, or his family who sheltered him or everyone else on Earth, if that only meant that he could save himself. But no! It is a Raging Blaze. (
By making this ransom, the unbelievers will finally expose their true character. All people will realize that even the closest relationships on Earth were based on self-interest. And, due to the clear conflict of interest exposed by that Day, these friendships will have lost all their value. Allah gave them all of the blessings they had to try them for a predetermined time. The fact that they offer them as a ransom after the time is up reveals the unbelievers' inability to comprehend reality yet again.
HANDING OUT THE BOOKS OF DEEDS
All deeds are recorded by two angels: one on the right and one on the left. Each person receives his or her record on the Day of Judgment. Not a single deed can be denied, for nothing has been left out of this record. And, it is this record that will inform people of what they have prepared for themselves in the Hereafter. The believers will receive it in their right hands, and the unbelievers will receive it in their left hands. No one will be wronged, for each deed, no matter how small, will be accounted for. The believers receive their books in great joy and pass them to those who are nearby for them to read. Allah says in the Qur'an:
On that Day you will be exposed—no concealed act you did will stay concealed. As for him who is given his Book in his right hand, he will say: "Here, come and read my Book! I counted on meeting my Reckoning." He will have a very pleasant life in an elevated Garden, its ripe fruit hanging close to hand. "Eat and drink with relish for what you did before in days gone by!" (
The Prophet says the following about the believers' reward: "Verily, Allah does not treat a believer unjustly in regard to his virtues. He would confer upon him (His blessing) in this world and would give him reward in the Hereafter." (Sahih Muslim).
On the other hand, the unbelievers will be ashamed and in great fear. Their books, which they will receive with their left hands, will contain everything they did throughout their lives, and so will be full of deeds of which Allah does not approve. The verse below reveals their fear and astonishment when confronted with this reality, as follows:
The Book will be set in place, and you will see the evildoers fearful of what is in it. They will say: "Woe to us! What is this Book that does not pass over any action, small or great, without recording it?" They will find there everything they did, and your Lord will not wrong anyone at all. (
Not fearing Allah, associating partners with Him, putting other people's approval above His, lying, gambling, fornicating, and all other sins will be recorded in their books. As they have not assessed Allah with the assessment due to Him, they believe that they can live as they wish with their hypocrisy and that they can put forward some ostentatious good deeds they did as factors for forgiveness. Thus, fear and astonishment awaits those who did not worship Allah or who just appeared to worship Him, for their intentions also are recorded. The unbelievers' hopeless remorse is clearly understandable from what they say, as the Qur'an reveals:
But as for him who is given his Book in his left hand, he will say: "If only I had not been given my Book and had not known about my Reckoning! If only death had really been the end! My wealth has been of no use to me. My power has vanished." (
Another verse describes the difference between the believers, who believed in Allah and the Hereafter with certainty and prepared for the moment of truth, and the unbelievers, who forgot about the Hereafter and turned away from Allah and the believers, as follows:
As for him who is given his Book in his right hand, he will be given an easy reckoning and return to his people joyfully. But as for him who is given his Book behind his back, he will cry out for destruction but will be roasted in a Searing Blaze. He used to be joyful among his people. He thought that he was never going to return. But, in fact, his Lord was always watching him! (
PEOPLE WILL BE SEPARATED
The moment awaited by those who lived according to Allah's boundaries has arrived. The believers will experience the joy of receiving what they were promised, whereas the unbelievers will experience an indescribable and great fear, one that they have never known before. The believers will not experience this fear. The Qur'an reveals that the believers and the unbelievers will be separated on this Day, for:
This is the Day of Distinction [between the true and the false] that you used to deny. (
The Qur'an reveals that people will be separated into groups: the "Companions of the Right" (the believers) and the "Companions of the Left" (the unbelievers). Among the believers, are those who were at the forefront of the struggle on His path and were close to Him. The Qur'an refers to them as forerunners:
[Some] faces that Day will be radiant, gazing at their Lord. And [some] faces that Day will be glowering, realizing that a back-breaking blow has fallen. (
The Companions of the Right: What of the Companions of the Right? The Companions of the Left: what of the Companions of the Left? And the Forerunners, the Forerunners. Those are the Ones Brought Near. (
HELL WILL BE DISPLAYED
On that Day, everybody will give an account of what they have done. Those who realize that they are destined for Hell will be full of regret for preferring a short life to the eternal one. While they led lives of illusory comfort, believing that they would not be punished, that the Day of Judgment would not happen, and that Allah would not punish them, Allah caught them at an unexpected moment. Now it is all over, and everyone's place has been determined. The believers and the unbelievers, before they are separated, will be shown Hell. On that Day, every person will kneel around Hell, hear its fearsome seething and rasping, and witness its hair-raising scenes. Then the believers will be saved, while the unbelievers will be left kneeling, as follows:
Man asks: "When I am dead, will I then be brought out again alive?" Does not man recall that We created him before, when he was not anything? By your Lord, We will collect them and the devils together. Then We will assemble them around Hell on their knees. Then We will drag out from every sect the one among them who is the most insolent toward the All-Merciful. Then We will know best those most deserving to roast in it. There is not one of you who will not come to it. That is the final decision of your Lord. Then We will rescue those who guarded against evil and will leave the wrongdoers in it on their knees. (Surah Maryam, 66-72)
There is obviously much wisdom in showing Hell to the believers. When they see the state of Hell from close up, they will fully realize the distinction and beauty of the faith given to them by Allah, because Hell is so frightening that their being saved from its suffering evokes a sense of sheer happiness and gratefulness. They are given the chance to compare Hell and Paradise, and so are far more appreciative of the value of
On the Day of Judgment, all believers, "the best of creatures" (
When the Messengers' time [for testimony] is appointed—until what day is that deferred? Until the Day of Distinction [between the true and the false]. And what will teach you what the Day of Distinction is? On that Day, woe to the unbelievers! Did We not destroy the earlier peoples, then succeed them with later ones? That is how We deal with evildoers. On that Day, woe to the unbelievers! (
This Day of Distinction begins with death, continues with the resurrection and judgment, and concludes with people being sent to their eternal abode. The Qur'an describes the journey of the believers and unbelievers to their eternal place of abode in the following terms:
The throes of death come revealing the truth. That is what you were trying to evade! The Trumpet will be blown. That is the Day of the Threat. Every self will come together with a driver and a witness. "You were heedless of this, so We have stripped you of your covering and today your sight is sharp" His inseparable comrade will say: "This is what I have ready for you." "Hurl into Hell every obdurate disbeliever, impeder of good, doubt-causing aggressor, who set up another deity together with Allah. Hurl him into the terrible punishment." His inseparable comrade will say: "Our Lord, I did not make him overstep the limits. He was, in any case, far astray." He will say: "Do not argue in My presence when I gave you advance warning of the Threat. My Word, once given, is not subject to change, and I do not wrong My servants." On the Day He says to Hell: "Are you full?" it will ask: "Are there no more to come?" And the Garden will be brought up close to the heedful, not far away: "This is what you were promised. It is for every careful penitent, those who stand in awe of the All-Merciful in the Unseen and come with a contrite heart. Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Timeless Eternity." (Surah Qaf, 19-34)
TRUE LIFE BEGINS WITH DEATH
There is a difference between what the believers, who spend their lives obeying Allah's commands, receive in return for their obedience, and what the unbelievers, who spend their lives chasing their desires, forgetting Allah and the Day of Judgment, receive in return for their rejection. This difference makes itself known at the moment of death. Whereas the angels take the lives of believers nicely, they take the unbelievers' lives in a most agonizing manner. The angels greet the believers and give them the good tidings of
On the other hand, the unbelievers meet death with overwhelming pangs of regret, having tried to evade it all their lives, having known its existence and yet still having ignored its reality. The Guards of Hell reach out for them, striking their faces and their backs, plucking out their souls harshly, which causes much pain, and then send them to a humiliating and burning punishment. One verse says:
If only you could see when the angels take back those who did not believe at their death, beating their faces and their backs: "Taste the punishment of the Burning!" (
The believers have prepared for this Day all their lives, and have prayed to Allah that He may not disgrace them, as the following verse indicates:
[Those who remember Allah say:] "Our Lord, give us what You promised us through Your Messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. You do not break Your promise." (Surah Al ‘Imran, 194)
The events of the Day of Judgment increase the believers' awe of Allah, but He reveals that He will protect them from the evil of that hard Day, for:
"Truly We fear from our Lord a glowering, calamitous Day." So Allah has safeguarded them from the evil of that Day and has made them meet with radiance and pure joy. (
THE BELIEVERS ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
Their Physical Condition
On the Day you see the men and women of the believers, with their light streaming out in front of them, and to their right: "Good news for you today of Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever. That is the Great Victory." (
The believers will be protected against the fear of this Day, and their faces will be radiant with the joy and trust of receiving their reward. They will be "laughing, rejoicing" (Surah ‘Abasa, 39). The Qur'an describes the different facial expressions of the believers and the unbelievers, as follows:
Those who do good will have the best and more! Neither dust nor debasement will darken their faces. They are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, forever. But as for those who have earned bad actions—a bad action will be repaid with one the like of it. Debasement will darken them. They will have no one to protect them from Allah. It is as if their faces were covered by dark patches of the night. Those are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever. (Surah Yunus, 26-27)
The unbelievers will beg the believers for some of the light, although they had fought them while alive. The meaning of this light is illumination, safety, and joy. This light radiating from those who have earned
That Day the men and women of the hypocrites will say to those who believe: "Wait for us so that we can borrow some of your light." They will be told: "Go back and look for light!" And a wall will be erected between them with a gate in it, on the inside of which there will be mercy, but before whose exterior lies the punishment. (
The believers will receive the reward for their efforts to win Allah's good pleasure while alive, and they will be well-pleased with it (
The Believers' Reward
To those who do not believe, the life of this world is painted in glowing colors and they laugh at those who believe. But on the Day of Resurrection, those who do their duty will be over them. Allah provides for whoever He wills without any reckoning. (
As we can see from the verses, the believers who fulfilled their duty to their Lord without seeing Him, who waited for the judgment in apprehension will be under His protection. Another verse that gives the good news of the believers being protected on that Day is the following:
… on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed along with him. Their light will stream out ahead of them and on their right. They will say: "Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us! You have power over all things." (
Whereas the unbelievers will be debased as never seen before, the believers will know no fear. They will live the joy and pleasure of receiving what Allah has promised them, and will be given their books in their right hands and wait in peace to be directed to
Say: "Who has forbidden the fine clothing Allah has produced for His servants and the good kinds of provision?" Say: "On the Day of Resurrection such things will be exclusively for those who believed during their life in this world." In this way We make the Signs clear for people who know. (
Once judgment has been passed and Hellfire has been shown to them, the believers will be directed to
And those who have heeded their Lord will be driven to the Garden in companies. When they arrive there, finding its gates open, its custodians will say to them: "Peace be upon you! You have done well, so enter it timelessly, forever." (
The Qur'an details the rewards that the believers will receive in the eternal life of the Hereafter. One example is given below, as follows:
The heedful will be in Gardens of Delight, savoring what their Lord has given them. Their Lord will safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire: "Eat and drink with relish for what you did." They will recline on couches ranged in rows, and We will marry them to dark-eyed maidens. We will unite those who believed with their offspring, who followed them in faith, and We will not undervalue their own actions in any way. Every man is in pledge for what he earned. We will supply them with any kind of fruit and meat that they desire. They will pass around there a drinking cup to one another with no foolish talk and no wrong action in it. Circulating among them there will be youths like hidden pearls. Some of them will come up to others and they will question one another. They will say: "Beforehand we used live in fear among our families. But Allah was gracious to us and safeguarded us from the punishment of the searing wind. Beforehand we certainly used to call on Him because He is the All-Good, the Most Merciful." (
The Trial of the Two Groups
The trial of the unbelievers, who did not follow Allah's path and pursued either their own desires and cravings or the twisted values or beliefs of their societies, will be very hard indeed. On that Day, there will be no mercy or compassion for them, and no power will be able to end their suffering. The main reason for this is that they did not respect Allah's boundaries, even though they were sent reminders, and that they would not have done so even if they were sent back to Earth. This truth is revealed in the following verses:
If only you could see when they are standing before the Fire and saying: "Oh! If only we could be sent back again, we would not deny the Signs of our Lord and we would be among the believers." No, it is simply that what they were concealing before has been shown to them; and if they were sent back they would merely return to what they were forbidden to do. Truly they are liars. (
While they are accounting for their deeds, the blazing Hell is awaiting them. They will be sent to Hell in return for what they did while alive, for:
When the Pages are opened up, when the Heaven is peeled away, when the Fire is set ablaze, when the Garden is brought up close: then each self will know what it has done. (
Other verses reveal that the believers will have an easy trial:
O Man! You are toiling laboriously toward your Lord, but meet Him you will! As for him who is given his Book in his right hand, he will be given an easy reckoning and return to his family joyfully. (
The believers who have lived their lives according to the will of our Lord, Who created and guided them onto the right path, will have their sins forgiven by Allah the Most Merciful, Who has revealed that He will forgive sins and turn them into goodness for those who believe and do good. On that Day, our Lord will address the believers, who will already have received what was promised:
"O self at rest and at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleasing and well-pleased! Enter among My servants! Enter My Garden." (
In this way, they will be saved from the eternal Hellfire by His grace and favor and enter
They will say: "Praise be to Allah, Who has fulfilled His promise to us and made us the inheritors of this land, letting us settle in the Garden wherever we want. How excellent is the wage of those who work!" (
THE UNBELIEVERS ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
Their
On the Day of Judgment, people will be raised up and re-created. The believers' faces will manifest the light and beauty unique to the faithful, while the unbelievers' faces will be made hideous:
We pursued them with a curse in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be hideous and spurned. (
Yet many other verses relate that dust, gloom, and darkness also will cover the unbelievers' faces:
That Day some faces will be dust-covered, overcast with gloom. Those are the dissolute unbelievers. (Surah ‘Abasa, 40-42)
On the Day of Resurrection, you will see those who lied against Allah with their faces blackened. Do not the arrogant have a dwelling place in Hell? (
Blackening the face is a metaphysical phenomenon. Those people who forsook an honorable life, one lived according to Allah's will, for one lived according to their selfish desires acquire only debasement. Thus, the resulting ugliness and dishonor is placed upon them. For this reason, they are driven to Hell in shame:
If We had wanted to, We would have raised him up by them. But he gravitated toward Earth and pursued his whims and base desires. His metaphor is that of a dog: If you chase it away, it lolls out its tongue and pants, and if you leave it alone, it lolls out its tongue and pants. That is the metaphor of those who deny Our Signs. So tell the story so that hopefully they will reflect. (
People who allow themselves to be ruled by their selfish desires will be debased in the Hereafter in return for their conceit on Earth. In addition to physical ugliness, they also will be disgraced, for:
Some faces that Day will be humiliated. (
The unbelievers, who disregarded the verses despite the threat, did not practice them, and would not improve themselves, will experience the astonishment of being debased and helpless at an unexpected moment. They deserve this punishment, and so their situation on that Day will be very difficult. Allah will fulfill His promises, for His rule is just. The verses say:
… We will gather them on the Day of Resurrection, flat on their faces, blind, dumb, and deaf. Their shelter will be Hell. Whenever the Blaze dies down, We will increase it for them. (
He will ask: "My Lord, why have you gathered me blind when before I was able to see?" [Allah] will say: "Just as Our Signs came to you and you forgot them, in the same way you too are forgotten today." (Surah Ta Ha, 125-26)
In the Qur'an, Allah relates that the unbelievers' faces will be made humble by disgrace:
They will emerge from their graves with downcast eyes, like swarming locusts. (
The expression in their eyes and their fear-evoking appearance will be given to them on that Day. Allah describes them, as follows:
On the Day the Trumpet is blown—and We will gather the evildoers on that Day, blue-eyed [their eyes dimmed by terror and sightless]. (Surah Ta Ha, 102)
The Qur'an also reveals that those who were in conceit over Allah's Messengers and verses will be branded on their noses:
We will brand him on the snout! (
This is an important source of shame, for calling their noses "snouts" and being branded is enough to reveal their debasement and ugliness in the Hereafter. Whereas the believers will live in the Hereafter in comfortable environments, the unbelievers will begin a life of everlasting disgrace. The Qur'an reveals all of this, as follows:
[Some] faces that Day will be radiant, gazing at their Lord. And [some] faces that Day will be glowering, realizing that a back-breaking blow has fallen. (
There is no chance of hiding or escaping. Allah reveals that the unbelievers, who are instantly recognizable by their appearance, will be seized by their forelocks and feet and then cast into Hell.
The evildoers will be recognized by their mark and seized by their forelocks and their feet. (
In a hadith, our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, describes the state of the unbelievers in this way:
Anas ibn Malik reported that a person said: "Allah's Messenger, how will the unbelievers be made to assemble on the Day of Resurrection (by crawling) on their faces?" Thereupon he said: "He Who is powerful enough to make them walk on their feet, is powerful enough to make them (crawl) upon their faces on the Day of Resurrection." (Sahih Muslim)
They Will Not Be Permitted to Speak
The unbelievers will receive their books with great astonishment and regret. Their exclamations of "If only!" and "Alas for us!" show that they will be aware of their remorse's vanity. There is no point in moaning and complaining, as they are said to do in the following verse: "They will exclaim on the Day their faces are rolled over in the Fire: 'If only we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger!'" (
"Today We have forgotten you, as you forgot the meeting of this your Day..." (
Despite of all this, they will continue to make demands on Allah: to send them into a realm of nothingness, to allow them to give all they have in ransom to escape the suffering, and even to be sent back to Earth to rectify their wrongs. The Qur'an says:
If only you could see the evildoers hanging their heads in shame before their Lord: "Our Lord, we have seen and we have heard, so send us back again and we will act rightly. Truly we now have certainty." (
They will beg to save themselves from the shocking punishment. But Allah reveals that they will never change their old ways and that there is now no way for them to save themselves. The unbelievers have committed the most serious sin: rebellion against Allah, Who created and sustained them. Therefore, they are not permitted to defend themselves. Allah says:
On that Day, woe to the unbelievers! This is the Day on which they will not say a single word, nor will they be allowed to offer any excuses. On that Day, woe to the unbelievers! (
Allah will not speak with, protect, or purify them as a consequence of what they have done, for:
Those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and sell it cheap take nothing into their bellies but the Fire. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not speak to them or purify them. They will have a painful punishment. (
Those who sell Allah's contract and their own oaths for a paltry price, such people will have no portion in the Hereafter, and on the Day of Resurrection Allah will not speak to them or look at them or purify them. They will have a painful punishment. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 77)
He will say: "Slink away into it and do not speak to Me." (
People's anger cannot be compared to Allah's anger with the unbelievers. Irrespective of how furious people might get, their vengeance is limited, whereas Allah's is beyond our comprehension. This vengeance culminates in an incredibly painful recompense, one that exceeds the limits of our intellect and imagination. The Qur'an reveals this fact, as follows:
The ones who do not believe will be addressed [as follows]: "Allah's disgust will be even greater than your own disgust is toward one another when you are called upon to believe and [still] do not believe." (Surah Ghafir, 10)
They Are in Fear
The unbelievers' eternal fear and remorse begins when the angels of death take their lives. None of them can escape this event, because this is their final capture and, after their death, they will pass through the gates of eternity. At that moment, an indescribable fear will grip their whole being, and they will realize that the promised punishment has just began. As Allah says in the Qur'an:
... If you could only see the wrongdoers in the throes of death when the angels are stretching out their hands, saying: "Disgorge your own selves! Today you will be repaid with the punishment of humiliation for saying something other than the truth about Allah, and being arrogant about His Signs." (
Having left all their earthly wealth, which has been rendered worthless and meaningless, they will find that none of their treasures or people whom they had counted upon can help them. As the verse says, they will be all alone, for:
You have come to Us all alone, just as We created you at first, leaving behind you everything We bestowed upon you. We do not see your intercessors accompanying you, those whom you claimed were your partners with Allah. The link between you is cut. Those for whom you made such claims have forsaken you. (
As if their hands and feet are bound, they will be unable to control or guard their bodies, which they had liked so much and thought that they could control and use to fulfill their desires. They just cannot do what they want to. The verses reveal that they will be invited to prostrate before Allah, but that they will not be able to:
On the Day when legs are bared and they are called on to prostrate, they will not be able to do so. Their eyes will be downcast, darkened by debasement, for they were called on to prostrate when they were in full possession of their faculties. (
Allah is the possessor of everything, and everything happens according to His will. The unbelievers will be asked to prostrate so that they will feel remorse and pain for delaying this while alive. These people, who were too vain to prostrate before Allah will not be able to do so now, even though they will want to. They will be captured, called to account, and sent to Hell.
They Feel Remorse
Those who deny the meeting with Allah have lost, so that, when the Hour comes upon them suddenly, they will exclaim: "Alas for what we neglected there!" They will bear their burdens on their backs. How evil is what they bear! (
People often experience remorse, but even when they can rectify what they have done, for some reason their pride prevents them from doing so. They think that they know best and shut their ears to all advice. But on that Day, they will experience remorse for their behavior. Even though they will plead, full of remorse, to be sent back to Earth to make amends, their request will be refused. They will realize that the wealth, children, partners, traditions, ideologies, and all of the other things they strove for and defended have no value, and that only those deeds done for Allah's good pleasure have true value. But this realization will not benefit them anymore.
Some will try to conceal their remorse because of their pride, as follows:
If every self that did wrong possessed everything on Earth, it would offer it as a ransom. They will confide regret when they see the punishment. Everything will be decided between them justly. They will not be wronged. (Surah Yunus, 54)
Even though they know their guilt, they still try to conceal their remorse. They get exactly what they deserve, for Allah's justice demands it. Allah will separate the believers and the unbelievers on that Day. All that the unbelievers experience on the Day of Judgment is a consequence of preferring Satan's path over Allah's, and something that is truly deserved, for:
Those who perform bad actions will be flung headfirst into the Fire: "Are you being repaid for anything other than what you did?" (
Many factors will bring on this remorse. For example, their meeting with Allah's punishment, being all alone, watching their skins testify against them, being made hideous, sensing the terror of eternal suffering, seeing Hell and, comprehending the damnation that is awaiting them, seeing the false deities they followed blindly and trusted in suddenly disappear, and seeing that Satan, whose path they followed consistently, also has deserted them. The Qur'an recounts what Satan will tell his followers on that Day in the following words:
When the affair is decided, Satan will say: "Allah made you a promise, a promise of truth, and I made you a promise but broke my promise. I had no authority over you, except that I called you and you responded to me. Do not, therefore, blame me, but blame yourselves. I cannot come to your aid, nor you to mine. I reject the way you associated me with Allah before." The wrongdoers will have a painful punishment. (Surah Ibrahim, 22)
The believers will watch the unbelievers' hopeless situation, whereas the unbelievers will regard the believers from the corner of their eyes, as their heads will be lowered in shame and remorse. This reality is revealed in one verse:
You will see them as they are exposed to it, abject in their abasement, glancing around them furtively. Those who believe will say: "Truly the losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection." The wrongdoers are in an everlasting punishment. (
The degree of remorse in the Hereafter is far too great to be compared with anything on Earth. There is no return or escape from this remorse, for it is the end of the unbelievers' inevitable and unstoppable breakdown, which they are forced to bear on their shoulders. This devastation and remorse is the consequence of their denial of Allah, Who created them and then offered almost all there is on Earth for their use. This path of denial determined their final destination in the Hereafter: Hell. There, they will experience for eternity every conceivable sorrow, pain, and worry they would rather not have thought about. Allah's retribution will face them with all of its might.
They Bicker between Themselves
Arguing in it with one another, they will say: "By Allah, we were plainly misguided when we equated you with the Lord of all the worlds. It was only the evildoers who misguided us, and now we have no one to intercede for us. We do not have a single loyal friend. If only we could have another chance, then we would be among the believers!" There is certainly a Sign in that, yet most of them are not believers. (
The unbelievers will meet a suffering of unequalled proportions. They will be extremely angry at their situation and furious with the people who led them away from Allah's path. Their greatest ambitions, such as wealth and position, will have lost all meaning. They will be furious with their leaders, who led them away from His path, and try to distance themselves from them. The dispute between those who led and those who followed is revealed, as follows:
When those who were followed disown those who followed them, and they see the punishment and the connection between them is cut, those who followed will say: "If only we could have another chance, we would disown them just as they have disowned us." In that way Allah will show them their actions as a cause of anguish and remorse for them. They will never emerge from the Fire. (
They will say on the Day their faces are rolled over in the Fire: "If only we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger!" And they will say: "Our Lord, we obeyed our masters and great men, and they misguided us from the Way. Our Lord, give them double the punishment and curse them many times over!" (
Allah points out that such leaders are one of the factors that lead people away from belief in Him. People who are considered superior because of other people's values and not because of Allah's values, have an enormous influence over their followers. People who submit to these leaders are tricked into living according to this world's impermanent values and thus waste their lives. However, unable to recognize their mistakes on Earth, they supported one another in disobedience against Allah and abided by their own creeds. When their error is exposed on this Day, they will begin to blame one another. Regardless of these accusations, neither party will be saved from Hell.
Allah describes such leaders in the following terms:
We made them leaders, summoning to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped. We pursued them with a curse in this world... (
He [Pharaoh] will go ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection and lead them down into the Fire. What an evil watering-hole to be led to! (Surah Hud, 98)
The unbelievers will wish that there was a distance as great as that between East and West between them and the leaders whom they followed. Allah states that:
If someone shuts his eyes to the remembrance of the All-Merciful, We assign him a devil who becomes his bosom friend—they debar them from the path, yet they still think they are guided—so that, when he reaches Us, he says: "If only there was the distance of the two Easts [East and West] between you and me!" What an evil companion! It will not benefit you today, since you did wrong, that you share equally in the punishment. (
People will not want to know some of those whom they loved, trusted, or were attached to with desire while alive; they will deny others and condemn the rest. The Qur'an says:
He [Ibrahim] said: "You have adopted idols apart from Allah as tokens of mutual affection in this world. But then on the Day of Resurrection you will reject one another and curse one another. The Fire will be your shelter. You will have no helpers." (
The Qur'an relates their ensuing arguments, as follows:
[The custodians of Hell will be told:] "Hurl into Hell every obdurate unbeliever, impeder of good, doubt-causing aggressor who set up another deity together with Allah. Hurl him into the terrible punishment." His inseparable comrade will say: "Our Lord, I did not make him overstep the limits. He was, in any case, far astray." He will say: "Do not argue in My presence when I gave you advance warning of the Threat. My Word, once given, is not subject to change, and I do not wrong My servants." (Surah Qaf, 24-29)
Those who despised the believers' righteous path will be astonished when they do not find the believers beside them on that Day, as described below:
They [the profligate] will say: "How is it that we do not see some men whom we used to count among the worst of people? Did we turn them into figures of fun? Did our eyes disdain to look at them?" All this is certainly true—the bickering of the people of the Fire. (Surah Sad, 62-64)
While they were alive, their disputes with each other never ended and, in fact, they actually darkened their own lives. In reality, they are well aware of the cruelty that they inflicted upon one another. They did not find peace even among those close to them or in their own environment, and yet they would not cease their arguing. Whereas the believers always live in contentment here and in the Hereafter, the unbelievers always live in a state of restlessness and discontent. They will receive pain from all sides, as well as dispute continually with those whom they consider close.
They Are Disgraced
Arrogance toward Allah will bring humiliation. People who do not believe in the Hereafter, deny Allah's evident existence, and live a carefree life will pay a heavy price in return. As they do not consider His punishment probable and so do not think about it, they become Satan's servants by falling for his diversionary tactics and thus waste their lives. Instead of living life as a test, they live it as empty cause. Their arrogance caused them to commit many sins, such as fighting Allah and looking for ways to deny Him. This is no doubt a great sin, one that will lead to great suffering and humiliation in the Hereafter.
Obviously, the unbelievers are wrong. They never inquire into the source of Allah's gifts or how they came by their wealth, and consider it their right to enjoy life's pleasures without remembering and giving thanks to their Creator. But the consequences of such arrogance will be massive. The verses reveal:
On the Day when those who did not believe are exposed to the Fire [it will be said]: "You dissipated the good things you had in your worldly life and enjoyed yourself in it. So today you are being repaid with the punishment of humiliation for being arrogant in the land without any right and for being deviators." (
Those who spend their lives pursuing the world and never reflect upon the Hereafter will be humiliated on the Day of Judgment and after. Allah reveals this truth in the following verses:
Has news of the Overwhelmer reached you? Some faces on that Day will be downcast, laboring, toiling endlessly. (
Then on the Day of Resurrection He will disgrace them and ask: "Where are My partner deities, for whose sake you became so hostile?" Those given knowledge will say: "Today there is disgrace and evil for the unbelievers." (
And on the Day of Resurrection his punishment will be doubled, and he will be humiliated in it timelessly, forever. (
People who continue their war on Allah with an ugly impudence disregard the Day of Judgment. They live unaware of the plan Allah has devised for them, a plan that is unrivalled. Only small groups of people accepted and then abided by the Messengers' calls. These calls increased other people's unbelief and also increased their burden. In the end, Allah will show the reality of the Hereafter to all people in the most spectacular fashion. And the unbelievers will clearly understand the consequences of Allah's promises. Their lives are not eternal, and their time on Earth has been exhausted. Pleasures and desires have lost their appeal, and the only reality that matters is His judgment. The evil that they did against Allah has been repaid, for He has judged them fit to live forever in suffering and sorrow. On the other hand, the believers' eternal life will be shown to all people with all of its splendor and beauty.
Conclusion
The final hour and the eternal life that follows are the most important realities awaiting people. For this reason, this book has stressed the impermanence of this life. Nothing on Earth, not your career, marriage, wealth, or property, is important enough to waste your eternal life pursuing. The only thing worth pursuing and living for is Allah's good pleasure. Allah will begin the eternal life in the most spectacular way. Everyone who meets this Day will realize that this temporary life has definitely come to an end, and will comprehend the Hereafter's existence with certainty.
Before they meet this Day, every person has to remember the hour of the Day of Judgment and what it brings, even though they may never have contemplated it.
The contents of this book have been designed to help you extract yourself from your everyday occupation and desires for a while so that you can see the true purpose for your life. It seeks to inform you in advance about the Day of Judgment that you will most certainly encounter. This is an important warning, because everybody who ignores this Day and its aftermath will witness unbearable events on the Day of Judgment and experience endless hardship in the Hereafter.
You will most certainly encounter this Day, which the Qur'an describes in great detail. You will see that all of your possessions, even your body, will desert you. And then you will be created anew. You must use the opportunity given to you by Allah to obtain the reward, happiness, and peace awaiting you in the Hereafter, which cannot be compared to anything on Earth. The only thing that you have to do is to believe in Allah and the certainty of the Hereafter and be thankful for all the blessings that He gives to you. If you do not, you will experience all-pervasive regret in the Hereafter, for the Qur'an states that:
Those who deny the meeting with Allah have lost, so that, when the Hour comes upon them suddenly, they will exclaim: "Alas for what we neglected there!" They will bear their burdens on their backs. How evil is what they bear! (
This is why you should accept that the Hereafter is a certainty and so prepare accordingly. Only then will your actions during this life have a lasting value, and will you receive an unequalled return on Earth as well as in the Hereafter. This reward will be the hospitality of
O you who believe! Heed Allah, and let each self look to what it has sent forward for tomorrow. Heed Allah. Allah is aware of what you do. Do not be like those who forgot Allah so He made them forget themselves. Such people are the deviators. (
The Minor Signs:
What follows is a small sample of the signs which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) enumerated for us. They have been divided into minor and major signs...
- The disappearance of knowledge and the appearance of ignorance (Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah, & Ahmad)
The Major Signs:
Although they appear here in no particular order, it is important to point out that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that these last, major signs will follow each other like pearls falling off of a necklace...
Masih ad-Dajjal (The AntiChrist)
