to cause human beings and jinn to die and then bring them back to life. He, glorified be He, has said:

“He is the One who originates creation and then repeats it, which is even easier for Him.”

It is established in authentic hadiths transmitted through several chains from more than one of his Companions that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“When Allah speaks words of revelation, the angels are overcome by a swoon.”

In another version:

“When the angels hear His speech, they fall unconscious.”

And in another version:

“The angels hear a sound like a chain being dragged over smooth stone, and they fall unconscious. Then, when fear is lifted from their hearts, they ask, ‘What has your Lord said?’ They reply, ‘The truth,’ and call out, ‘The truth! The truth!’”

These authentic hadiths thus tell us that the angels are struck down unconscious. If they can be struck down unconscious, they can also be struck down in death. Yet these philosophizers allow neither possibility. Being struck down unconscious is like what happened to Moses, peace be upon him. Allah, Most High, says:

“When his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, He leveled it to dust, and Moses fell unconscious.”

The Quran speaks of three blasts of the Trumpet: the blast of terror, mentioned in Sūrat al-Naml in His words:

“On the Day the Trumpet is blown, all those in the heavens and on earth will be terrified, except those whom Allah wills.”

And the blast that strikes them down and the blast of rising, both mentioned in His words:

“And the Trumpet will be blown, striking down those