Allah, in His wisdom, has ordained that there be many signs that indicate the approaching of the Day of Judgment, and these signs indicate a change in conditions and events that follow.
Among these signs are the flattening of the earth until it becomes level, the cracking and tearing of the sky, the eruption of magma from the seas, and other events that change the system of the universe.
On Judgement Day, the features of the sky will change as it cracks and collapses, causing the stars to go out and change shape, which is called smothering.
The stars will also fall, and the planets will become darkened and obscured, and they will stop moving and rotating. Therefore, we will become acquainted with the horrors of the Day of Judgment and the signs of its approach through the following. enroll now in an Islamic studies free trial course to Get deeper into it.
What is Judgment Day
The Final day is the day that comes after the end of worldly life and the destruction of all living things. No one remains except for Allah, the Ever-Living who does not die.
On that day, Allah will resurrect all of His creation to stand before Him and be held accountable for their deeds in worldly life.
Then, the servants will be led to the abode of eternity, each according to their deeds, either to paradise or to hellfire.
The Day of Judgment is a great day of horrors, and no one can escape those horrors except those who did good deeds and believed in Allah.
Different Interpretations of Judgment Day
Allah has given several names to the Day of Judgment, including The Great News, The Overwhelming Event, The Striking Calamity, The Day of Recompense, The Day of Resurrection, The Crying Out, The Gathering, The Day of Separation, and others.
It is worth noting that the Quran’s description of the Day of Resurrection and its names indicate that no one can truly know their meanings.
The Quran describes the Day of Judgment in an interrogative style, to emphasize its significance and awe-inspiring nature.
Although the Arabs were knowledgeable in the Arabic language, they could not comprehend the true meanings of these names, indicating that the meaning of words in language differs from their technical meaning.
Additionally, the meanings of the names of the Judgment Day, such as The Gathering and The Striking Calamity, were transferred from their linguistic meaning to their unseen meaning, and no one can comprehend the reality of these meanings except Allah, Subahnahu.
The Resurrection
The term “Al-Qiyamah” in the Arabic language is derived from the trilateral root verbs “QAM” and “Yaqum”, with the addition of the feminine marker “taa” for exaggeration purposes.
It was named as such due to the great matters that will take place on that day, including people rising for the sake of Allah (Allah Almighty).
The Day of Resurrection has been mentioned in the Holy Quran in over seventy places.
The Judgment
The term “the Day of Judgment” refers to two things:
- The destruction of this entire world and the end of this current life.
- The beginning of the afterlife.
The phrase “the Day of Judgment” refers to the last day of this life, as well as the first and last day of the next life. It is a single day with no others like it.
The Final Destination
The Day of Judgment is named the final destination because Allah ( Almighty) holds his servants accountable for everything they have done in their worldly life.
The Imam Al-Qurtubi explained that the meaning of “Al-Hisab” is that Allah ( Almighty) records, counts, and enumerates the actions of His creation, whether good or bad.
Then, He enumerates the blessings that they received in life, such as the blessings of creation, sustenance, guidance, and religion.
After that, Allah (Allah Almighty) matches the good and bad deeds against each other. Whatever exceeds the other in merit will be the judge for the person who committed it, either in good or bad.
Judgment Day Signs
The signs of the Hour, or the signs of the end of times, in Islamic religion are a set of phenomena and events that indicate the proximity of the Day of Judgment.
In Arabic, the word “Ashrat” is the plural of “sharţ,” which means a sign. Thus, the “Ashrat al-sa’ah” means the signs of the Hour or the signs that will occur before the Hour takes place.
The Hour refers to the time when the Day of Judgment will take place, and it is called the Hour because it will come suddenly and unexpectedly, and all creatures will die at once.
The signs of the Hour can be divided into two categories: the major signs and the minor signs.
The major signs are those that will occur shortly before the Hour takes place, and they will have a significant impact, and all people will feel their occurrence.
As for the minor signs, they may precede the Hour by some time, and they will occur in different places and times, and only some people will notice them.
What are the Major signs that Judgment Day is near?
The major signs of the Day of Resurrection refer to the signs that occur shortly before the Resurrection Day, and they are unusual events. These signs include:
- The appearance of the Mahdi, about whom scholars have differing opinions on whether he is a minor or major sign. The Mahdi is a man who emerges at the end of time and becomes a caliph for Muslims, ruling with justice and fairness. Some of his characteristics have been mentioned in authentic hadiths.
- The emergence of the Antichrist, who is a man with some special abilities, was sent by Allah as a test for people. The Prophet and all other prophets warned against him, and he is one of the greatest and biggest trials.
- The descent of Jesus (peace be upon him).
- The appearance of Gog and Magog, two tribes from the children of Adam who are known for their corruption.
- The occurrence of three major earthquakes in different locations: one in the east, one in the west, and one in Arabia.
- The appearance of smoke will cover the sky for forty days.
- The rising of the sun from the west is a sign that no one’s faith will be accepted after it.
- The emergence of a beast is one of the signs that cannot be repented after it.
What can we do to prepare for Judgment Day?
Death is considered the rope that connects the transient world to the eternal afterlife. The world is also considered a measure that determines one’s fate in the afterlife.
If a person’s actions in the world were good, their reward is an eternal stay in Paradise, but if their actions were evil, their fate is Hell, except if Allah forgives them.
Death cannot be considered as annihilation, but rather the transition of the human from one world to another. The soul separates from the body, and each remains in a different world. This is what the scholars of the Sunni tradition have agreed upon.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) urged us to remember death frequently as a means of preparing for it, by performing good deeds, avoiding injustice, repenting, and other acts of obedience that will save us on the Day of Resurrection.
Conclusion
The Day of Judgment is the day of resurrection when all people will rise to meet the Lord of the Worlds.
It is called Judgment Day because three things will happen on this day. Firstly, people will rise from their graves to meet Allah.
Secondly, the witnesses will rise, who will testify to the prophets and messengers for their righteous deeds, and will bear witness against the nations for their oppression, stubbornness, and disbelief in Allah.
This day is also called the Day of Judgment because justice will be served on this day. The worldly life is full of injustice, but in the hereafter, there will be no injustice or tyranny.