Another indication of how terrible that Day will be in the fact that it will be so long. Allah said: “The angels and Jibreel ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years. So be patient (O’ Muhammad), with a good patient. Verily, they see it (the torment) afar off. But we see it (quite) near.” (Al-Ma’arij: 4-7)

The contact of the verses clearly indicates that what is referred to here is the Day of Resurrection. It is reported with a saheeh isnad from Ibn Abbas that this does indeed refer to the Day of Resurrection. This was also the view of Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Zaid. Because that Day will be so long, on the Day of Resurrection, people will think that they only stayed in this world for a part of a day, as Allah said: “And on that Day when He shall gather (resurrect) them together, it will be as if they had not stayed (in the life of this world and graves) but an hour of a Day.” (Yunus: 45)

Ibn Kathir said in his Tafseer of this verse: “Allah is reminding mankind of the Hour and when they will be gathered from their graves. ‘And on the Day when He shall gather (resurrect) them together’ – this is like the verse: “The Day they see it, it will be as if they had not tarried in this world except an afternoon or a morning.” (An-Nazi’at: 46).

This indicates how short the life of this world is in comparison with the Hereafter, as Allah said: “Allah will say, ‘What number of years did you stay on earth?’ They will say, ‘We stayed a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep account.’ Allah will say, ‘You stayed not but a little, if you had only known!’” (Al-Mu’minun: 112-114)

The Qur’an speaks of the horrors of that Day,which will shock people and leave them staringin terror, when they will be shaken to the core of their being.

One of the greatest of these horrors will be the total destruction of this earth with its mountains, and the heaven with its stars, sun and moon.

Allah tells us that this earth will be shaken and turned to powder, that the mountains will be made to pass away and will be blown away, the seas will become as blazing fire or will overflow, the sky will be rent asunder and will shake with a dreadful shaking, the sun will be wound round and will disappear, the moon will be eclipsed, the stars will fall and their light will be extinguished, and the entire system of the universe will collapse.

I will mention some of the texts which describe these terrible events, then I will mention what will happen to each of these great things on that Day.

Allah will grasp the earth in His hand on the Day of Resurrection, and will role up the heavens in His Right Hand, as He said: “They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified be He, and High be He above all that they associate as partners with Him!” (Az-zumar: 67)

Elsewhere, Allah tells us how He will rolled up the heavens:” And remember the Day when We shall roll up the heaven like a scroll rolled up for books. As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. It is a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it.” (Al-Anbiya’: 104)

(Prepared by Dr. Umar. Al-Ashqar)