—indeed, it is to this that Allah, Exalted be He, refers when He says:
“On the Day when the quaking quake will quake (6),
followed by the subsequent quake (7),
on that Day hearts will tremble (8),
their eyes humbled (9).” [al-Nazi‘at].
The earth will sway with its people upon its surface; nursing mothers will be distracted from their sucklings, pregnant women will miscarry, and children will turn grey-haired. The devils will flee in terror until they reach the horizons, where the angels will meet them, striking their faces, and they will be driven back as they turn to retreat, crying, “You have no protector against Allah!”—each calling out to the other. Concerning this Allah Most High says: “The Day of Calling Out (32)” [Ghafir].
While they are in that state, the earth will split into two great rifts from end to end, and they will behold a scene the like of which they have never seen. Such anguish and dread will seize them as only Allah knows. Then the heaven will be folded up, becoming like molten metal; it will crack open, its stars scattering, and its sun and moon will be extinguished.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The dead will know nothing of any of that.”
Abu Hurayrah asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who are those whom Allah exempts when He says, ‘And all who are in the heavens and on the earth will be stricken with terror, except those whom Allah wills’ (al-Naml 27:87)?”
He replied, “They are the martyrs. Terror only reaches the living, while the martyrs are alive with their Lord, being provided for. Allah will spare them the dread of that Day and grant them safety from it. That dread is a punishment Allah unleashes upon the most wicked of His creation. About it Allah the Exalted says:
‘O mankind, fear your Lord; the quake of the Hour is a tremendous thing (1). The Day you behold it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, every pregnant woman will miscarry, and you will see people as though drunk, while they are not drunk—but the punishment of Allah is severe (2).’ [al-Hajj 1-2].
“They will remain in that punishment for as long as Allah, Glorified, wills—and it will indeed be prolonged—until Allah commands Israfil, whereupon he will blow the Blast of Swooning. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth will fall unconscious, except those whom Allah wills. When all have become still, the Angel of Death will come before the Almighty and say, ‘My Lord, the dwellers of the heavens and the earth have died, save those You willed.’ Allah—though He knows best who remains—will ask, ‘Who is left?’
“He will answer, ‘My Lord, You are the Ever-Living Who never dies; the bearers of Your Throne remain, Gabriel remains, Michael remains, and I remain.’
“Allah, Glorious and Exalted, will say, ‘Let Gabriel and Michael die.’ He will then cause the Throne to speak, and it will ask, ‘My Lord, will Gabriel and Michael die?!’ Allah will say to the Throne, ‘Be silent; I have ordained death for everyone beneath My Throne.’ So they will both die.
“The Angel of Death will return to the Almighty and say, ‘My Lord, Gabriel and Michael have died.’ He will ask—though He knows best—‘Who is left?’ He will reply, ‘You are the Ever-Living Who never dies; the bearers of Your Throne remain, and I remain.’ Allah the Most High will say, ‘Let the bearers of My Throne die.’ They will die, and Allah will command the Throne to take the Trumpet from Israfil—who is one of the bearers of the Throne—then the Angel of Death will come again to the Sovereign, Glorious and Exalted, and say, ‘My Lord, the bearers of Your Throne have died.’ He will ask—though He knows best—‘Who is left?’
“He will reply, ‘My Lord, You are the Ever-Living Who never dies, and I remain.’ Allah will say to him, ‘You are a creature among My creatures; I created you for what you have accomplished. Now die.’ And he will die—so that none remains save Allah alone.”
Ibn Abī al-Dunyā said: Muhammad ibn al-Ḥusayn narrated to us; Yūnus ibn Yaḥyā al-Umawī, Abū Nabātah, narrated to us; Ismā‘īl ibn