Thus, He—glorified be He—made that an unmistakable proof of His power to revive the dead and of the coming of the Hour, in which there is no doubt. Allah, exalted is He, knows best.

A Reminder of the Vanishing of This World and the Arrival of the Hereafter

The very first event that will overtake the people of the earth once the portents of the Hour have appeared is the nafkhatu l-fazaʿ (the Blast of Terror). Allah—glorified and exalted is He—will command Isrāfīl to blow the Trumpet with that Blast, and he will prolong it. No creature in the heavens or on earth will remain but is seized with dread—except those whom Allah wills. Everyone on earth who hears it will cock one ear while craning the other, stretching the side of his neck and tilting the other, straining to hear this momentous affair that will wrench people away from their worldly pursuits and distractions when this tremendous reality breaks upon them.

Allah the Exalted says:
“On the Day the Trumpet is blown, everyone in the heavens and everyone on earth will be struck with terror—except those whom Allah wills—and all will come to Him in utter humility. You will see the mountains, which you thought to be solid, passing away like drifting clouds; such is the handiwork of Allah, Who perfects all things. He is indeed fully aware of what you do. ⦗27:87-88⦘”

He says:
“They are only awaiting a single Cry, for which there will be no respite. ⦗38:15⦘”

And He says:
“When the Trumpet is sounded, that Day will be a Day of hardship—no easy day for the disbelievers. ⦗74:8-10⦘”

And He says:
“His word is the truth, and His is the dominion on the Day the Trumpet is blown. He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware. ⦗6:73⦘”

After an interval, Allah Almighty will command Isrāfīl to blow the Blast of Obliteration; everyone in the heavens and on earth will be struck senseless, except those whom Allah wills. Then He will order him to blow it a second time, whereupon all people will stand before the Lord of all worlds, as He says:
“The Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will fall lifeless, except those whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and behold—they will be standing, looking on. The earth will shine with the light of its Lord; the Record will be set forth; the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and judgment will be passed between them in truth; they will not be wronged. Every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and He knows best what they do. ⦗39:68-70⦘”

He, exalted, says:
“They say, ‘When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful?’ They are only waiting for a single Cry to seize them while they are still disputing… until His words, ‘So they were unable to proceed, nor could they return.’ ⦗36:48-67⦘”

He says:
“It will be but a single blast, and suddenly they will be upon the open plain. ⦗79:13-14⦘”

And He says:
“Our command is only a single word, like the blink of an eye. ⦗54:50⦘”

And He says:
“The Trumpet will be blown, and We shall gather them all together. ⦗18:99⦘”

And He says:
“When the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship between them on that Day, nor will they question one another. ⦗23:101⦘”

And He says:
“When the Trumpet is blown with a single blast… up to His words, ‘None will eat of it but the sinners.’ ⦗69:13-37⦘.”} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }