18410 - From Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, who said: "Allah will fold the heavens with all the creatures within them, and the seven earths with all the creatures within them. He will fold everything with His right hand, such that it will be in His hand like a mustard seed."

His saying: "Except whom Allah wills."

18411 - From Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him, regarding the verse, he said: "No one will remain except that they die, and He has made an exception, and Allah knows best who He excepted."

18412 - From Abu Hurayrah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying while a group of his companions were with him: "When Allah, Blessed and Exalted, finished the creation of the heavens and the earth, He created the Trumpet (al-Sur), and gave it to Israfil. He is holding it to his mouth, his gaze fixed upon the heavens, waiting to see when he will be commanded so that he may blow into it." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the Trumpet?" He said: "A horn." I said: "How is it?" He said: "Immense. By the One who sent me with the truth, the size of the circle within it is like the breadth of the heavens and the earth. He will blow into it the first blast, and those in the heavens and those in the earth will be struck dead. Then he will blow into it another time, and behold, they will be standing, looking toward the Lord of the worlds. Allah will command Israfil, peace be upon him, regarding the first blast to extend and prolong it, and he will not slacken. This is what Allah speaks of: 'And they do not await except one blast, which will not be delayed.' Allah will cause the mountains to move and they will become a mirage. The earth will shake with its inhabitants, trembling, becoming like a ship tossed in the sea, beaten by the winds, tilting with its occupants like lanterns hanging from the Throne, rocked by the winds. This is what Allah speaks of: 'On the day the quake shall quake, followed by the succeeding one. Hearts that day shall tremble.' People will sway on its surface; nursing mothers will be distraught, pregnant women will miscarry, children will turn gray, and the devils will fly away, fleeing in terror until they reach the borders. The angels will meet them and strike their faces, and they will turn back. The people will turn fleeing, calling out to one another. While they are in this state, the earth will split apart, crack from one end to the other. They will see a tremendous affair, the likes of which they have never seen, and they will be seized by such distress and terror, the extent of which only Allah knows. Then they will look toward the sky, and it will be like molten copper. Then it will split asunder, its stars will be scattered, and its sun and moon will be eclipsed," at which point the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "And the dead will not know anything of that." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, whom did Allah exempt when He said: 'And those in the heavens and those on the earth shall be struck dead, except whom Allah wills'?" He said: "They are the martyrs. The terror only reaches the living, while they are alive, receiving sustenance from their Lord [Allah], and Allah protected them from the terror of that day and secured them from it. This is what Allah speaks of: 'O mankind, fear your Lord! Indeed, the convulsion of the Hour is a terrible thing,' up to His saying: 'But the punishment of Allah is severe.' Then the Trumpet will be blown, and those in the heavens and those in the earth will be struck dead except whom Allah wills, and they will be motionless. Then the Angel of Death will come to the Almighty and say: 'O Lord, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth have died, except whom You willed.' He will say—and He is most knowing—'Who remains?' He will say: 'O Lord, You remain, the Living Who does not die, and the Bearers of Your Throne remain, and Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil remain, and I remain.' Allah will say: 'Let Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil die.' And Allah will make the Throne speak, and it will say: 'O Lord, will You cause Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil to die?' Allah will say to it: 'Be silent, for I have decreed death upon those who were beneath My Throne.' So they will die. Then the Angel of Death will come to the Almighty and say: 'O Lord, Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil have died.' Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, will say—and He is most knowing—'Who remains?' Then Allah will say to him: 'Let the Bearers of My Throne die.' So they will die. And Allah will command the Throne, and it will seize the Trumpet. Then the Angel of Death will come to the Lord, the Exalted and Majestic, and say: 'O Lord, the Bearers of Your Throne have died.' Allah will say—and He is most knowing—'Who remains?' He will say: 'O Lord, You remain, the Living Who does not die, and I remain.' Allah will say to him: 'You are a creation from My creations, whom I created for what you have seen, so die.' So he will die. When only Allah remains—the One, the Subjugator, and the Eternal Refuge Who neither begets nor is born—He will be the Last as He was the First. He folded the heavens and the earth like the folding of a scroll for writings, then He said with them and wrapped them up. Then He said: 'I am the Almighty, I am the Almighty' three times. Then He will call out with His voice: 'To whom belongs the dominion today? To whom belongs the dominion today? To whom belongs the dominion today?' No one will answer Him. Then He will say to Himself: 'To Allah, the One, the Subjugator.' On the day the earth will be replaced by another earth, and the heavens, He will spread it out and flatten it, then extend it like the stretching of leather from 'Ukaz, and you will not see in it any curve or depression. Then Allah will rebuke the creation with a single rebuke, and behold, they will be in this replaced earth; whoever was in its depths will be in its depths, and whoever was on its surface will be on its surface. Then Allah will send down water upon you from beneath the Throne, and Allah will command the sky to rain, and it will rain for forty days until the water is twelve cubits above you. Then Allah will command the bodies to grow, and they will grow."