Friday 6 May 2011

What is meant by the blowing of the Trumpet?

What is meant by the blowing of the Trumpet?
What is the “Trumpet” mentioned in the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 


“And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allaah wills”


[al-Zumar 39:68]? 


How will it be blown?.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

The word “soor” (translated here as trumpet) means a horn,
like a trumpet or bugle. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) was asked about the Trumpet and he explained it in
terms of what the Arabs knew in their own language, as narrated in Sunan
al-Tirmidhi (3244) and elsewhere from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah
be pleased with him) who said: A Bedouin said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what
is the Trumpet?’ He said: “A horn that is blown into.” Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in al-Saheehah, 1080. 

With regard to the one who will blow into it, it is well
known that he is Israafeel (peace be upon him). Some of the scholars
narrated that there is consensus on this, and it is stated clearly in some
ahaadeeth. See Fath al-Baari, 11/368. 

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) has told us that the one who will blow the Trumpet has been ready to do
so since Allaah created him, as it is narrated in al-Mustadrak from
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The gaze of
the one who will blow the Trumpet has been fixed since he was entrusted with
it, looking towards the throne, ready (to blow it), in case he will be
commanded to do so before he blinks, as if his eyes are two shining stars.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1078. 

The majority of scholars are of the view that the Trumpet
will be blown twice: the first time all creatures will swoon and the second
time the resurrection will come to pass. This is based on the verse in which
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the
heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allaah
wills. Then it will be blown a second time, and behold they will be
standing, looking on (waiting)”

[al-Zumar 39:68] 

And it is based on the saheeh ahaadeeth which mention these
two blowings and what will follow them. al-Bukhaari (4651) and Muslim (2955)
narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between the two blowings of the
Trumpet there will be forty.” The people said, “O Abu Hurayrah! Forty days?”
I said: “I am not sure.” They said, “Forty years?” I said: “I am not sure.”
They said, “Forty months?” I said: “I am not sure. Then Allaah will send
rain down from the sky and they will grow as herbs grow. There is no part of
a man which will not decay except a single bone at the base of the coccyx,
from which he will be re-created on the Day of Resurrection.”  

Al-Nawawi said: what is meant by the words of Abu Hurayrah,
“I am not sure” is that he could not be certain as to whether what was meant
was forty days or years or months; all that he was certain of was that it
was forty in general terms. 

In Saheeh Muslim (2940) it is narrated that
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “… then the
Trumpet will be blown and no one will hear it but he will bend his neck to
one side and raise it from the other side. The first one who will hear it
will be a man who is busy in setting right the cistern meant for supplying
water to the camels. He will swoon and the other people
will also swoon. Then Allah will send or He will send down rain which
will be like dew and there will grow out of it the
bodies of people. Then the trumpet will be blown
again, and they will stand up and begin to look
around.”  

Some of the scholars said that the trumpet will be blown
three times, including the time when it will be blown and all people will be
terrified, which will come before the people swoon. … They based this on the
verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And (remember) the Day on which the Trumpet will be blown,
and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth, will be
terrified except him whom Allaah will (exempt). And all shall come to Him,
humbled”

[al-Naml 27:87]

 But the fact that swooning is
mentioned in one verse and terror is mentioned in another does not mean that
they will not happen at the same time when the Trumpet is blown for the
first time. Rather they will happen at the same time, so when the Trumpet is
blown the people will be terrified, and will swoon as a result and die. 

They also quoted as evidence some ahaadeeth in which it is
mentioned that the Trumpet will be blown three times. 

But the hadeeth which they quote as evidence is the lengthy
hadeeth about the Trumpet, which is a da’eef (weak) hadeeth, as al-Haafiz
ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said. And Allaah knows best. See
al-Tadhkirah by al-Qurtubi (184); Fath al-Baari, 11/369. 

From the above it may be
understood that when Allaah decrees that all living beings should die, He
will command the angel to blow the Trumpet, so he will give a mighty blast
which will terrify all creatures, as a result of which they will swoon and
die. Then they will stay like that for as long as Allaah decrees, which is
described as forty without specifying whether that is years, months or days
– Allaah knows best how long it is. Their bodies will decay within this
period until there is nothing left but the bone from the base of the coccyx,
which is a round bone at the base of the spine. Then Allaah will send a
cloud that will release rain, and when the water reaches this bone, the body
will grow from it like a plant grows and they will be recreated from this
bone, just as Allaah created them the first time, for He is able to do all
things. Then he will blow the Trumpet to signal the Resurrection, and the
souls will return to their bodies and will come forth from their graves and
hasten to the place of gathering. We ask Allaah for His mercy and kindness. 

What the Muslim has to do is to prepare for these decisive
moments by hastening to do righteous deeds and keeping away from evil things
and bad deeds. 

If the one who most feared Allaah said, “How can I
be at ease when the one who blows the trumpet has
put it to his mouth, bent his forehead and
inclined his ear, waiting to see when he will be ordered to
blow it?” – as narrated by al-Tirmidhi in al-Sunan, 243, and
others, and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah, 1079 –
then what about us who are weak and fall short? We ask Allaah to make us
among those who will not be grieved by the greatest terror when the angels
will meet them (with the greeting), “This is your Day which you were
promised.” (cf. al-Anbiya’ 21:103). 

And Allaah knows best. 

See al-Qiyaamah al-Kubra by Shaykh ‘Umar al-Ashqar,
33-42; A’laam al-Sunnah al-Manshoorah, 122.

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