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Islamic Studies (Islamabad) 5:2 (1966) 

Islamic Eschatology-V 

THE DAY OF RESURRECTION 

JOHN MACDONALD 

The high drama of the late Islamic eschatology now reaches the 

scene of the Day of Resurrection. First we are given some intro- 

ductory information to give the scene its setting. Topic A explains 

the role of khang gel Isrsfil as blower of the Resurrection Trumpet, 

the latter described in cosmological terms. Isrzfil himself has 

cosmological dimensions (A-1). Isrzfil's unique role among the 

Archangels is further highlighted in A-2, where the cosmological 

aspect of his mission is expounded. 

The Angel of Death's role is introduced in A-3, where the 

awful emptiness of the era of the Trumpet blast is described. A-4 

contains a tradition from Abu Hurayrahl about the mystical nature 

of the Trumpet, again in a cosmological setting. The mystical 

feature concerns the cosmic nature of the Trumpet-the all- 

embracing and enveloping call of God whose justice divides 

all beings into categories. A-5 lists the three Trumpet blasts 

which are to be sounded, while A-6 quotes Iju&ayfah,2 who in 

turn quotes the Prophet describing the suddenness of the day when 

the Trumpet blast will sound. 

The first Trumpet blast-which instills fear into all creatures 

cosmically-is sounded in B-1, and the physical effects on the world 

and men are portrayed. B-2 is a source from Ibn 'Abbzs3 which 

adds further to the terrible nature of the Day of Resurrection by 

quoting the figure of one in a thousand who will be saved. B-3 is 

one of several passages which tell of Muhammad's anxiety for his 

own people-the Muslims-that most of them should reach the 

Garden. A further quotation mentions the figure of one in a 

thousand. 

B-4 quotes Abil Hurayrah that Mubammad said that of all 

God's revealed mercies all but one per cent are reserved for His 

servants on the Day of Resurrection. 

The second Trumpet blast is sounded, described in B-5. This 

is the blast that will bring about the death (swoon) of all living-

130 JOHN MACDONALD 

cosmically-except for the fiuhadii' who live with their Lord. B-6 

further describes the status of the fiuhada' that they receive five 

acts of generosity from God. B-7 also mentions those whom God 

has excepted, but the tradition here concerns the four Archangels 

and the eight Throne-bearers. This is a more ancient Semitic 

tradition. 

Topic C deals with the Angel of Death. C-1 introduces him, 

describing him graphically as clad in the wrath of God. The great 

Archenemy Iblrs is hounded to his destruction (C-1-3). 

Topic D is about the destruction of the world-seas, mountains, 

land-and the sun and moon (D-1-41. D-5 tells of the Angel of - 

Death's self-destruction. Now all is accomplished. In New Testament 

apocalyptic terms 'the first heaven and the first earth had 

passed away, and the sea was no more' (Apocalypse of John xxi. 1). 

The resurrecting and assembling of all creatures is the subject 

of Topic E. First the Archangels are resurrected ; they have work 

to do for God. Isr~fil naturally is the first to be awakened, so that 

he may take up the Trumpet and be ready for the final blast. The 

Ridwan4 of the Garden is bidden prepare the gardens of Paradise 

for the Prophet's arrival (E-1). 

E-2 introduces al-Bursq (discussed at the appropriate point 

below in the commentary), the first riding animal to be resurrected. 

E-3 is the point where the Archangels are commanded to go and 

bring Muhammad from his tomb. Muhammad is clad with crown r 

and vestments and mounts al-BurBq (E-4). but the Apostle of God 

is ever anxious about his people. Al-Bur~q receives full description 

in F-1, while F-2 presents an unnamed source about the meeting of - 

al-Burlq and the Prophet. 

The first step towards the resurrection of ordinary men and 

women is the divine command (F-3) that there should be rain, as a 

result of which growth will return to the soil and life will come 

back to bodies. F-4 is evidently an early tradition about the locus 

of Jihinnoms and the Garden on earth. F-5 is a tradition from 

'7i1it&ah6 (there are many such) about the state of the people at 

the time of earth's change. 

The Resurrection itself is the subject of Topic G. G-1 

proclaims the divine command to Isr~fil. The dead rise up : they 

gaze up to heaven and at the transformed earth with its swollen 

seas. G-2 lists twelve classes of evildoers whose recompense is 

terrible indeed. G-3 presents a dieerent list of eleven kinds of

?'HE DAY OF RESURRECTION 131 

evildoers and the one class of the righteous. The two lists are 

different and come from different sources, the first deriving from 

the Prophet and the second quoted as Mu'%& b. Jabal's? The 

latter is clearly a very late tradition containing extremely gross 

features. 

Topic H tells of the resurrected people and there is more 

detailed description of them (H-1) ; they stand without any kind 

of activity for forty years-a standard Semitic eschatological period. 

The believers are described as shining bright. H-2 is a tradition from 

an unnamed source about the presence of angels (or an angel) 

visiting the graves of believers, a tradition in line with earlier 

passages of an angellangels appearing at the graves or tombs of the 

dead.6 The next tradition (H-3). from Jabir b. 'Abdallah? intro- 

duces the Ridwan of Paradise, who is to command provision of food 

and drink for that class of believers who fasted during their life 

most faithfully. 

H-4 is a tradition from Ibn 'Abbasl0 about the three classes of 

people who are to be most favoured, while H-5, a tradition from 

'A'ihah, concerns the Palace in the Garden reserved for the special 

classes of believers who fasted at certain important times in the 

religious calendar. H-6 gives yet another (unnamed) source which 

speaks of those who fasted receiving special favour. H-7 is a brief 

note concerning classes of people who will be safe from perdition. 

A further tradition from 'A'idah (H-9) deals with the naked 

resurfected people. This tradition repeats the earlier statement 

about the forty years' standing, but adds a further picture of the 

sweat which will pour from the assembled multitude-a figure of 

extreme fear not featured elsewhere in our collection. The emphasis 

on the value and efficacy of fasting is expressed further with 

reference to the months Rajab, Sja'biin and Ramad~n-evidently 

from a different source from the reference in H-5 and H-7. 

H-9 introduces the Sacred Temple in al-Sahirah.ll This is 

evidently an early Islamic tradition, judging from the ensuing brief 

description of the Resurrection. The cosmic significance of the 

Standing is suggested by the vast figures quoted here. There are 

two contradicting traditions about the proportion of believers to 

unbelievers, one at the end of H-9 and the other (quoted as on the 

authority of the Prophet himself) in H-10. 

Finally Topic I pictures the believers and unbelievers respec- 

tively being led to their destination. The reward of the former is

not restricted to the destination itself, but includes comfort on the 

journey over the Sirat to Paradise. 1-1 merely sets out the basic 

concept, with the Qur'anic authority, while 1-2 gives an early Islamic 

tradition (from 'Ali) which is concerned solely with the believers. 

The above summary has been presented in the interest of the 

reader, so that he may have the advantage of a comprehensive look 

at the rather heterogeneous material in this fifth part of our text, 

before the wider Semitic context is introduced, in which we may 

assess these traditions in our collection. As a result of our discus- 

sions below, it will become clear which parts of the material are 

pre-Islamic in origin and which are the product of the Islamic world. 

It is important that we differentiate these. if we are to be able to 

evaluate the factors which motivated the various elements in the 

later Islamic eschatology. The same may be said of the remaining 

contributions dealing with Heaven and Hell in later numbers of 

Islamic Studies. 

A-BEFORE THE TRUMPET SOUNDS 

Yawm al-qiyamah (or yawm al-sa'ah) is regarded by Muslim 

writers under the heading of al-ma'ad (the Return). The teachings 

on which most of our traditions below are based are classed as 

aLsam'iyiit, teachings deriving from both Qur'sn and &zdith.12 

Our collection apparently omits reference to one of the most 

well known subjects in the field of eschatology-the Signs of the 

End-the advent of 'Antichrist' or al-Dajjgl, who will oppose God 

in a great cosmic and final conflict by leading mankind away from 

God through sin, followed by the descent of Jesus ('fs8)-or al-Mahdi 

or both al-Mahdi and 'Is%-to fight the great last battle against God's 

enemy al-Dajjd. After the victory of 'fs21al-Mahdi there will be a 

reconciliation between mankind and God ; this is followed by the 

first blast on the Trumpet by Isr~fil 

. . . and so on, as set out inour 

collection. 

There are many names and descriptions of the Last Hour and 

the best discussion of the terms used in the Qur'an itself is that of 

al-Ghaz~li 

in his Ibyii', IV : 440 ff.13 These include yawm al-bisiib, 

yawm al-fa$. al-&&iyah. al-qiiri'ah, and so on. See further the 

comparative notes in the discussions of E.-4 below. 

The Qur'an has many references to the Trumpet blast (nufiha 

A'l-$ir).14 There is some question whether the Qur'an envisaged 

more than one blast on the Trumpet. In the Qur'an LXIX : 13 there

THE DAY OF RESURRECTION 133 

is one, in XXXIX : 68 two. The first15 causes all creatures to swoon 

and the second brings restoration to life. In our traditions there 

are three distinct blasts, a belief found also in Judaism.l6 In ancient 

Israel the blowing of Trumpets announced important events, such 

as a royal accession (I Kings i. 34.39) and certain religious ceremonies 

(Mishnah, Succah v. 5). or to raise the alarm in time of impending 

danger (Amos iii. 6, Jeremiah vi. 1, Ezekiel xxxiii. 6). 

In the broadest terms we may consider the relationship between 

the Resurrection Trumpet blast or blasts and the Divine blowing of 

His own riih into Adam, giving life to his body (Qur'an XV: 29, 

XXXII : 9, XXXVIII : 72). In both cases the verb nafa&a is used, 

and.thus yawm al-qiyiim repeats in a sense the giving of life by God 

to His creatures. Here we have the full cycle of life and the fruits 

of life. 

We read in the Qur'sn17 of each man having a record of his 

earthly deeds. The record, here called 'the reserved tablet', is also 

known as 'the perspicuouqbook' (X : 611, 'guarded tablet' (LXXXV: 

221, 'mother of the book' (XIII: 39). Beside the tablet in heaven 

is the qalam or pen for inscribing. 

Jews, Samaritans and Christians alike have their early traditions 

about such a record. We may quote from the Samaritan literature : 

Know that on your right and on your left scribers record 

your deeds ; it is sealed up (cf. Islamic 'reserved') in ~od's 

storehouse for the Day of Vengeance and Recompense.l8 

We have already commented on the cosmological description of 

Isrgfil in an earlier article.lg Here we may observe that the Throne, 

the Tablet and Isrzfil are all placed in a context which can only be 

described as cosmic, with vast figures of distance and immense 

outreach of the Archangel's activity. 

(A-I) Chapter concerning the Trumpet, the Resurrection 

and the Assembling 

Know that Israfil is responsible for the Trumpet, and God 

Most High created the reserved tablet from a white pearl, the 

length of which is the distance between heaven and earth seven 

times over. He asxed it to the Throne, (and) there is written 

on it what is to be until the Day of Resurrection. Israfil has 

four wings, a wing in the east, a wing in the west, a wing which 

hides him20 and a wing with which he covers his head and face 

from fear of God Most High, bowing his head towards the 

Throne. He takes the feet of the Throne on his back, so that

y the power of God Most High he bears up the Throne. He 

is, from fear of God, as insignificant as the sparrows. 

The final decision to bring all things to an end is the subject 

of A-2. First there is the 'reserved tablet', to which brief reference 

was made above. The lawh mahfii; (Qur'Bn LXXXV : 22) as the 

original copy of the Qur'gn (hence umm al-kitab) contains also 

decisions of the Divine Will, written with the qalam. The idea of 

such a tablet containing the original Islamic law may be found 

in the Book of Jubilees iii. 10, xii. 28 ff., xxxii. 15. This early 

(1st century A.D.) Jewish work further points a comparison with 

the 'reserved tablet' in that (v. 13) it refers to the tablet as a record 

of divine decisions, where Divine judgment on all that exists on 

earth is 'written on the tablets in heaven'. In the Book of Enoch 

(xci-civ), which comes from the 2nd century B.C. and therefore 

three centuries earlier than the Book of Jubilees, Enoch prophesies 

the future from the contents of these heavenly tablets (xciii. 2, ciii. 

2, cvi. 19). 

The concept of lawh mahfii? became widened into the sphere 

of mysticism and philosophy (see Encyclopedia of Islam under 

lawh). In al-Ghazdi's cosmology it is the 'centre of the eternally 

active ideas' (Wensinck, On the Relation between Ghazali's Cosmology 

and his Mysticism, in No. 6 of the First Series of Med. Ak. Amst. 

Part 15). 

On the subject of Israfil ard the Trumpet, he was called 'lord 

of the Trumpet' because he continuously holds the Trumpet to 

his mouth in order to be able to blow it immediately God gives him 

the order to blow the blast for the resurrection from the graves. 

Tradition has it that Isrdfil will stand on the holy rock in al-Quds 

(Jerusalem) and give the signal for the res~rrection.~~ 

Once more our text shows that the eschatology of Islam is not 

picturing a giant-sized being with a physical Trumpet that makes a 

physical sound, but rather a cosmic being close to the centre of all 

things (cf. al-maziili above quoted) whose action with the Trumpet 

is set in universal terms. 

(A-2) When God Most High decrees something in the 

Tablet, Isrsfil uncovers the veil from his face and he looks at 

what God Most High has decreed22 by way of order or 

command. None of the (Arch) angels is nearer to the Thr~ne 

than Isrzfil, peace be upon him ; between him and the Throne 

are seven veils (folio 29). From one veil to another is a


journey of five hundred years ; between Jibril, upon whom be 

peace, and Israfil, upon whom be peace, are seventy veils.25 

The Trumpet is placed at his right thigh and the head of the 

Trumpet is at his mouth. He awaits the command of God 

Most High; when He c0mmands.2~ he blows it. When the 

world's time is accomplished, the Trumpet is close to the fad5 

of Isrsfil, and Isrdil, upon him be peace, gathers his four wings 

and then blows the Trumpet. 

The of the Angel of Death (his name 'Izril'il rarely 

appears in our text) is introduced now (A-3). The reference 

to his size 'reminds us of the fuller description which appeared 

in an early part of the text2= where he is said to have 'one of his 

feet on the hollow of Gehinnom (Jihinnom) and the other on the 

seat (d3wiin) in the Garden'. 

'All spirits in both worlds' is the universalist expression in this 

subsection to denote the completeness of the Angel of Death's 

work in bringing death to all. It was probably not till the 1st 

century A.D. that the concept of a universal death and resurrection 

was conceived, or at least expounded. This was taught by 

Jesus Christ (Matthew v. 29.30, x. 281, although some other New 

Testament passages suggest only a resurrection of the righteous--as 

the early Jewish eschatological literature has it, as taught in several 

2nd century B.C.-2nd century A.D. apocalypses. See especially 

Matthew xxii. 30, xxiv. 31, Mark xiii. 27, Luke xiv. 14, xx. 36, 37 for 

the New Testament viewpoint. It is distinctive of Islam, and 

possibly early Samaritanism, that the more restricted early eschatology 

was expanded in universalist terms-hence perhaps the 

emphasis in Islamic eschatology on cosmological concepts. 

On the expression 'the two worlds' (or 'the worlds') we may 

note that in the early Jewish and Christian apocalypses and later 

eschatological literature there is little direct reference to the spirits 

in both (or 'the') worlds being resurrected. In the First Epistle of 

Peter (1st century A.D.), however, it is clearly stated that the 

judgment to follow will apply to 'the quick and the dead' (iv. 5)so 

also other New Testament passages such as Acts xvii. 31, Romans 

xiv. 11.2, Timothy iv. 1. 

A3 pictures a universe devoid of life, except for the remaining 

Archangels in heaven and Iblis on earth. Iblis, however, may be 

regarded as an Archangel ; this refers to the question of Iblis's 

stgtus uis-d-vis the jinn. In the Qur'an (XVITI : 50) Tblis is said


to be of the jinn, whereas he is also classed with the angels 

(Archangels) in I1 : 34. According to al-Zama!&&ari Iblis is only 

a jinns and he believed that the name 'angel' in the Qur'in applies 

to both classes.27 According to al-Tabari and others the jinn were 

a division of the angels, whose role was the guarding of the Garden 

-hence jinn and j ann~h.~~ 

Whatever the truth of the matter may be, Iblis is here the 

last enemy, Archangel or not, on earth and in Topic C his destruc- 

tion is described. 

(A-3) [It is said that1 the Angel of Deathz9 puts one 

of his hands under the seventh earth [and the other above the 

seventh He takes the31 spirits of the inhabitants 

of the heavens and of the two worlds.32 On earth only Iblis, 

the curse of God be upon him, remains. In heaven only 

Jibrs'il, upon him be peace, and Mikz'il, upon him be peace, 

and Isriifil, upon him be peace, and 'Izr$il, upon him be peace. 

[remain]. They are the ones whom God Most High excepted 

when he said : 'On that day the Trumpet shall be sounded'33 

'and all who are in heaven and earth shall fall down fainting, 

except those that shall be spared by Allah.'34 

The following tradition from Aha Hurayrah (see note l! is 

one of many which deal with the nature of the Trumpet. The 

mystical point of view of al-Ghaz~li and the lesser concepts of many 

early and late traditionists show between them that men attempted 

to explain away or rationalize the eschatological beliefs both of 

their own time and of their predecessors. Here the concern is not 

with the mystical and philosophical viewpoints, centred first on the 

Divine Centre of all things, but with the lot of humanity (and 

The sense of fair-play which underlies this report is one 

that will attract our attention at various places below. It seems 

likely that the report from Abii Hurayrah here is composite. The 

first part is cosmological in outlook (East, West . . . ), the second 

purely religious in concern (prophets. angels, jinn, humans . . . ) ; 

in the latter (an appendage to the original Aba Hurayrah state- 

ment ?) we have typical, orderly religious categories. Where 

philosophy rationalizes, religion humanizes. 

There may be a parallel to the latter concept in the 1st century 

A.D. Apocalypse of Salathiel (vii. 75, 85.95, 121). where we read 

of special chambers reserved for the righteous and guarded by 

angels. These chambers represent a sort of intermediate abode for


the souls of the righteous before the final judgment. In this work 

the wicked are described as roaming to and fro in torment-a 

typical early Jewish idea. 

The Islamic tradition here does not specify the abode of the 

wicked as distinct from the righteous, and it therefore seems likely 

that there is an element here of the more universalist ideology - 

of later times. 

(A-4) It is on the authority of Aba Hura~rah that he 

said : The Apostle of God, God bless him and give him peace, 

said : God Most High created the Trumpet and it has four 

branches, one in the West, one in the East, one under the 

seventh earth, one above the seventh heaven, In the Trumpet 

are gates corresponding to the number of spirits ; and [each 

contains seventy houses]. In one are the spirits of the prophets. 

in another the spirits of the angels, in the third the 

spirits of the jinn (folio 29a) and in the fourth the spirits of 

humans, in the fifth the spirits of the devils and in the sixth 

the spirits of the reptiles--down to the ant, and so on, including 

all seventy species. 

A-5 probably came from the pen of the collector of our 

material, giving a link between what has gone before and what is 

to come. It is in part repetitious of A-2. Obviously IsrIfil does 

blow three blasts on the Trumpet. though not all at once. Our 

ccllector or editor has merely inserted this passage as a preface to 

the subsequent sections dealing separately with each blast. 

(A-5) God gives it to IsrBfil, on whom be peace, and he 

puts it to his mouth. He awaits God's command and then 

sounds three blasts on it, the blast to bring about fear, the 

blast to bring about swooning and the blast to bring about the 

Resurrection. 

Finally there is a tradition from Hu&ayfah (see note 2) about 

the sheer suddenness of the Trumpet blast (the first presumably). 

The instances given of human activity being cut off suddenly 

accord well with the general Semitic picture of the abrupt coming 

of the Last Day. Sometime in the 1st century A.D., in the 

Apocalypse of Peter (Ethiopic text), it is said that the suddenness 

of the Last Day will be 'As the lightning that shines from the east 

unto the west. so . . . it will come . . . ' (4th para.). Also from 1st 

century A.D. Christian literature we have the description of 

I Thessalonians v. 3: 'When people say, "There is peace and


security." then sudden destruction will come upon them. . . and 

there shall be no escape.' Cf. also I1 Peter iii 10 : 'But the day of 

the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass 

away with a loud noise . . . '. 

The Samaritans of the 3rd century A.D. read in their Memar 

M a ~ a that h ~ 'He ~ w~ll summon creatures as He wills. The earth 

will be split . . . and all of them mill come forth as quick as a wink 

of the eye and will arise in a moment before Him'. 

The emphasis in Islam's sister religions on the suddenness of 

the Day is perhaps greater than it is in Islamic teaching, where 

there is more emphasis on its functions. For most of the names 

used to describe the Last Day see al-(;hazSli, Ihya', IV : 440 ff. See 

also the remarks above in A-1. 

(A-6) Hudhayfah said : [O Prophet of God, how shall 

the creatures be at the sounding of the Trumpet ? The Prophet 

replied, 0 Hu&ayfahl,36 He who has my soul in his hand will 

sound the Trumpet and the hour will surely3' arise when a man 

raises a morsel to his mouth, but will not taste it, or has a 

garment before him to put on, but will not put it on, or a jug is 

at his mouth to take a drink of water, but will not drink ! 

B-THE FIRST TWO TRUMPET BLASTS 

Topic B is a mixture of traditions, some early and some late. 

Some deal with the Last Day itself and some are concerned with 

purely Islamic ideas. On the whole, however, the material of this 

topic lends itself to comparison with the relevant ideas on the 

subject from the other Near East religions. 

B-1 tells of the sounding of the first blast on the Trumpet, the 

blast of fear. The cosmological significance of the great first blast 

may also be seen in the Apocalypse of Thomas (about 3rd century 

A.D.) where we read (in the Vienna fragment) that at the third 

hour of the day 'a great and mighty voice (or sound) will be heard 

in the firmament of heaven. . . great thunderings . . . shall follow 

it, and it shall cover the whole heaven'. 

On the outcome of the first blast-mountains removed, earth 

quaking, etc.-we have abundant comparative evidence from the 

other religions. In the earliest material the catastrophe is usually 

restricted to the destruction of the earth-e.g. in the Book of Enoch 

(Ethiopic Text), part xci-civ, from the 2nd century B.C., the 

former heaven and earth shall be destroyed and a new heaven

aised (xci. 14-61. Much closer to the Islamic picture is that of 

the New Testament : 'But in those days . . . the sun will be 

darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be 

falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken' 

(Mark xiii. 24-25). There are many such pictures in the New 

Testament. We read in the Second Book of the Sibylline--Oracles 

(1st-3rd centuries A.D.) : 'A dark mist shall cover the boundless 

world, of the east and west, the south and north. And then shall 

a great river of flaming fire . . . consume all places, the earth and 

the great ocean . . . rivers . . . the stars shall all fall from heaven into 

the sea. . . all the elements of the world shall be laid waste, air. 

earth, sea, light . . . He shall fuse all things into one and purge them 

clean' (f 179-200). In the Revelation of Stephen (fragment found 

in the 5th century A.D.) it is stated that 'the stars shall fall, the 

heavens open'. On the last point, it is possible that there is some 

connection with the Islamic tradition (F-3 below) that God will 

send down rain to revive the earth. The Samaritan Liturgy also 

speaks of the quaking earth : 'At a time when God shall decide, 

every valley and hill shall tremble'.38 

(&I) Chapter dealing with the blast which brings about 

the fear 

Then he sounds on the Trumpet the blast of fear and the 

fear of it reaches the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, 

except those whom God Most High has excepted.39 The 

mountains are removed and the sky is in commotion and the 

earth trembles like a boat in water. 'Every pregnant female 

shall cast her burden84" and (every) nursing mother shall 

forsake [her suckling Children shall become whitehaired 

and the devils shall begin to flee.42 The stars are then 

scattered over them and the sun and moon are eclipsed.* This 

is as the Most High said : 'The catastrophe of the Hour of 

Doom shall be terrible indeed.'44 It will be like that for forty 

years.45 

The tradition from Ibn 'Abb~ which follows is much more 

Islamic in cast than the preceding material. But the question 

posed-how many out of a thousand will escape doom ?-is by no 

means a new one. The notion 'one in a thousand' (which is almost 

proverbial in English) is found as early as the Book of Ecclesiastes 

in the Old Testament : 'One man among a thousand I found. . . 

Behold, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they

have sought out many devices' (vii. 28-9). 

(B-2) Ibn 'Abb~s related as follows-God be pleased 

with him : The Apostle of God, God bless him and give him 

peace, uttered the Most High's statement, 'Men, (folio 30) 

have fear of your Lord. The catastrophe of the Hour of Doom 

shall be terrible indeed'.& The Prophet said, 'Do you know 

what day it is ?' They said, 'God and His Prophet know'. 

The Prophet said, 'That is a day when God, Blessed and Most 

High, will say to Adam, "Arise, be sent to the Fire ! " He will 

reply, "0 Lord, how many out of every thousand ? "4' Then 

God Most High will say, "Out of every thousand nine hundred 

and ninety-nine are for the Fire and one for the Garden. That 

will be distressing for the people and weeping and grief will 

befall them'." 

Another Islamic passage follows, in which the constant concern 

of Muhammad for his people is expressed (cf. F-2 below). The 

last sentence may be taken as an expression of optimism in terms 

of 'one in a thousand'. 

(B-3) The Prophet said, 'I hope that you will be a 

quarter of the inhabitants of the Garden'. Then he said, 'I 

hope indeed that you will be a half of the inhabitants of the 

Garden'. They rejoiced (at this) and the Prophet said, ['I 

hope moreover that you will be two-thirds of the inhabitants 

of the Garden'. The Prophet further said,]* 'Rejoice, for 

you are among the peoples no more than the hair"ls on a camel's 

side ; you are but one part in a thousand' ! 

Aba Hurayrah is quoted next and this subsection is concerned 

with the mercies of God which will be revealed on the Day of 

Resurrection. The most frequent epithets of God in Islam are 

'Compassionate, Merciful' ; indeed the word Rubmiin appears in all 

Sarah headings except one. See further the discussion of al- 

Baydawi on XLVIII : 26. Under the general heading of 

Rabman are other more specific epithets-al- Giif irlal-Gbaf ur, 

al-' Af uww, al-Halim, al-Tawwi~b, al-SJakur, al-Sabiir , al- Wadud, 

al-Muhayman, etc. No religion has more stress on the mercy 

of God. 

However, the early Jewish and Christian eschatological litera- 

tures were far from oblivious of the mercy of God on the Last Day. 

The Book of Jubilees (1st century A.D.) refers to the righteous 

entering into blessed immortality as follows (xxiii. 31) : 'And their

THE DAY Op RESURRECTION 141 

bones will rest in the earth and their spirits will have much joy, 

and they will know that it is the Lord who executes judgment and 

shows mercies to hundreds and thousands of all that love Him' 

(there is no physical resurrection according to this document). 

Even animals are consideredin the Slavonic Enoch (1st century 

A.D.) the souls of animals are preserved till the final judgment 

in order to testify against the ill-usage of men (Iviii. 5, 6). an 

idea which may have given rise to the much later concept of mercy 

for animals themselves-cf. the abode 'for animals described in A-4 

above. This subject will come under discussion in connection with 

a later part of our series. 

(B-4) Aba Hurayrah said, The Apostle of God, God 

bless him and give him peace, said : God sent down a 

hundred mercies, one of which is shared by jinn and men, 

cattle and reptiles [in the By it they are treated 

favourably and by it they art shown mercy, and He reserves 

ninety-nine mercies?l by which He will be merciful to His 

servants on the Day of Resurrection. 

We come now to the second blast of the Trumpet, when the 

'swooning' of all creatures takes place. Again, Isr~fil is the 

Archangel who figures in this. The place of the Archangels in the 

Call to spirits to assemble is also featured in the early Jewish and 

Christian eschatological literature. For example, in the Apocalypse 

of Peter (probably 2nd-3rd centuries A.D.) we read that it is the 

immortal angels (i.e. Archangels) who will bring all the souls of 

men to judgment. The names of the Archangels are given as 

Barakiel, Ramiel, Uriel, Samiel and Azael, all theophorous names 

as are the Islamic ones. 

In the Book of John the Evangelist (possibly 2nd-3rd centuries 

A.D.) we have the following description of the Trumpet blast and 

the immediate result (this is after the war between Satan and the 

righteous-cf. Islamic al-Dajjd) : 'Immediately the Lord shall 

command an angel to blow the Trumpet, and the voice of the 

Archangel shall be heard in the Trumpet from heaven even unto 

hell. Then shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give 

her light' (continued in D-4). 

The universalist outreach of the second Trumpet blast is 

featured in all the comparable Near Eastern religions. In the 

Samaritan we have the statement that 'all flesh will expire 

before the awesome majesty of God'. In the 1st century A.D.

Apocalypse of Salathiel allowance is made for a very few to be 

saved the agony of the last day (vii. 47-61, viii. 2.3). 

(B-5) Then God will order Isrzfil, upon him be peace, 

to sound the blast that will bring about the swooning. So he 

sounds it and he says, '0 naked spirits, depad3 by the 

command of God (folio 30a) Most High'. Then the inhabitants 

of the heavens and of the earth will swoon and die, except 

those whom God has e~cepted.5~ It is said these are the 

shuhada' for they are alive with their Lord-as God Most 

- 

High said: 'Do not say that those who were slain in the 

cause of Allzh are dead ; they are alive55 with their Lord'. 

In B-6 we have specific reference to those whom Allah spared, 

a theme several times quoted in our material. See further on 

H-8 below. 

The &uhadal have an important place in the sequel, since 

they receive special privileges on the Last Day and, of course, in 

Paradise itself. The &uhadii' include those who have died on the 

Path of God (Qur'zn I11 : 156, 169). Many traditions exist on this 

subject.55" The &uhada' escape examination in the tomb by 

Munkar and Nakir; they do not pass through the barzab 

(barrier) ; 56 they are placed in the highest ranks in the Garden, 

nearest to the Throne. Diir al-suhadii' is the term used by 

Muhammad to describe their wondrous abode in the Garden. 

They do not need the intercession of Muhammad and are freed 

from the guilt of all sins. Indeed. in the latest stratum of the 

Islamic eschatology they are to be found acting as intercessors 

themselves on behalf of other sinners. 

(B-6) It is on record on the authority of the Prophet, 

God bless him and give him peace, that God honours s&uhadii' 

with five acts of generosity : 57- He does not honour anyone 

with these including myself. The first : The spirits-s7 of the 

prophets are seized by the Angel of Death-and I am in that 

category-and the spirits of the duhadii' God Most High 

seizes Himself. The second: All the prcphets are wathcd aftcr 

their death-and I am in that category. The duhadn' are not 

washed. The third : [the prophets]58 are clothed in shroud 

-and I am in that category-while the fiuhada' are not clothed 

in shroud.59 The fourth : the prophets are called dead-so ~,.ith 

me.@-It is said that Muhammad, God bless him and give him 

peace, died.-60 But the fiuhada' are alive; they are not


described as dead. The fifth : the prophets are interceded for 

on the Day of Resurrection-and so in my case-but the 

&uhada' (are interceded for) every day [until the Day of 

Resurre~tion1.6~ 

B-7 consists of a brief exegetical note, explaining the Qur'iinic 

phrase 'except those whom God spares'. As we have seen, Iblis 

may be classed with the Archangels, but has to be destroyed on 

earth, while the (true) Archangels are the last to 'die' before the 

Resurrection begins. 

B-7 It is said to mean 'except those whom God sparess2 

[meaning that there remain163 twelve souls, Jibrs'il, MikH'il, 

Israfil, 'Izra'il and the eight Throne-bearers. So the world 

remains without people or jinn (folio 31), without devil or 

beast. 

C-THE END OF THE LAST ENEMY OF GOD 

Topic C is concerned with the subject of Iblis's destruction. 

It is to be remembered that Iblis, because he refused to bow down 

before the newly created Adam, was banished and branded with 

the curse of God. When he begged that his punishment should be 

delayed until the Day of Resurrection, his petition was granted, and 

he was given power to act as al-Diill, to lead astray all who were 

unrighteous. Thus Iblis and those who followed him constituted 

an army of sinners, who had to be vanquished in the last era before 

the first Trumpet blast. The relationship between this and the 

role of al-Dajjal, as well as the relationship between Iblis and the 

Gog-Magog legend, has not been fully worked out in Islamic terms. 

Similar beliefs about the archenemy of God (Iblis) come from pre- 

Islamic Christian sources, and indeed the Christian sources may be 

the origin of the Islamic belief.c4 There is a similar account from 

Syriac s0urces.6~ 

The inclusion of Iblis in the final judgment is paralleled in the 

1st century B.C. Similitudes of Enoch (Ethiopic Text xxxvii-lxx,) 

where we read that the divine judge will judge all angels, whether 

fallen or unfallen (lv. 4, lxi. 8). According to this document 

(liii. 3-5, liv. 1, 2) fallen angels are to be tortured by the angels 

of punishment (cf. C-1, 2 below). Our tradition here does not 

emphasize the period of waiting to be endured by Iblis, though it 

is implied in many traditions, but in the 1st century A.D. Slavonic


Enoch (vii. 1-3, xviii. 7) the rebellious (=fallen) angels are said to 

be in confinement in the second heaven, waiting in torment the 

eternal judgment, while the fallen, lustful angels are kept in 

durance under the earth. 

(c-1) Then God will say. '0 Angel of Death, I have 

created helpers for you according to the number of those who 

lived in the past and those who are living today, and I have 

given you the strength of the inhabitants of the heavens and 

the worlds. I clothe you this day in the garments of wrath. So 

descend with my wrath and my harsh severity66 on Iblis. and 

make him to taste death. Make him to bear the bitterness of 

[the death of] those who lived before and those who live today 

-both iinn and people-a double portion ! Let there bes7 with 

you seventy thousand of the angels of divine justice,a8 every 

one having one of hellfire's chains. Let an angelaD make 

proclamation that the gates to the fires70 are to be opened up. 

The cosmic struggle between the opposing forces in heaven and 

on earth is graphically portrayed at the beginning of C-2. The 

nescapable power of God is highlighted in C-3 in a way that reminds 

one of the ancient Israelite Psalmist's words : 

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ? Or whither shall I 

flee from thy presence ? 

If I ascend to heaven, thou art there ! If I make my bed in 

Sheol,'l thou art there ! (Psalm cxxxix. 7-81 

The real imagery describing the fugitive Iblis may be traced back to 

the Old Testament Cain, the world's first murderer, who became 

thereafter the standard exemplar of those who would flee from God. 

In time men began to believe that there could be no perfection' in 

the world until the last vestige of evil had been removed. Those 

who followed Cain's example and sinned against God had to be 

destroyed. In eschatological terms-in all the Near Eastern religions 

from the common matrix--the last enemy was he who embodied in 

his person all that stood between man and God, he who was 

al-Ddl. The destruction of the last enemy is a recurrent theme in 

the early and late Jewish, Christian and Islamic literature. There is 

a sense of urgency and thoroughness throughout, that every last 

trace of evil must be removed before the vindication of the last 

judgment. In the 1st century A.D., in the Gospel of Matthew, this 

thought is expressed: 

Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it


will be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his 

angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin 

and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire.. . 

(xiii. 40-42). 

Another element in the Semitic eschatology is the notion of a 

twofold judgment, one on Satan (Baytiin) and one on all men. 

This is clearly stated in the 1st century A.D. Apocalypse of John, 

xx. 1-10. Satan is commanded to go to Hell by the apostle Bartholo- 

mew in the Gospel of Bartholomew (about 5th century A.D.). 

Finally we may note the figure of the 'cup' (C-3): this is an 

ancient Semitic usage. We have several examples from the period 

7th-5th centuries B.C. According to Isaiah there is 'the cup of 

God's fury' (li. 17) ; according to Ezekiel there is the 'cup of desola- 

tion' (xxiii. 33). The prophet Habakkuk well describes the fate 

of him who would turn men against God : 

Woe to him who makes his neighbour drink of the cup of 

His wrath ! The cup in the Lord's right hand will come around 

to you and shame will come upon your glory ! (ii. 15-16). 

(C-2) Then the Angel of Death descends72 in a (different) 

shape-were the inhabitants of the seven heavens and the seven 

earths to look at him, they would surely all die! He goes 

right up to Iblis and drags him forcibly?3 When he has been 

overcome74 [and is demented-were the inhabitants of the 

heavens and earths to hear his cry they would be overcome-175 

by that forcible dragging. The Angel of Death says, 'Stop, 0 

wicked one, I shall certainly cause you to taste death [today] !76 

What age have you reached ? For how long have you been 

leading astray ?' 

(C-3) He went on (with the report) : Ibli~~~ flees to the 

East and lo! the Angel of Death is beside him ; to the West and 

lo! he is with him yet, and this goes on wherever he flees. 

Then Iblis stands in the middle of the world, at the tomb of 

Adam, peace be upon him, and he says, '0 Adam, it was because 

of you that I became accursed and loathed (folio 31a) and 

banished'.78 

Then he says, '0 Angel of Death, with what cup will you 

y give me drink ? With what torture will you seize my spirit ?' 

He replies, 'With the cup of hellfire and the blaze !' Iblis then 

falls into the dust several times, so that--lo ! -he is in the very 

place into which he was brought down?9 and the angels of 

,


divine 

pierce 

death, 

justice strike him with prongss0- which tear at him and 

him. So he is taken with terror-80 and the distress8' of 

as God Most High ~ills.8~ 

D-THE PASSING AWAY OF ALL THINGS 

Topic D completes the command of God that all living creatures 

and all things should come to an end. It is interesting that the seas 

should figure in first place. The Semites, by and large, with the 

exception of the Phoenicians,82' seem to have had an aversion to the 

sea. In their eschatological writings the sea is mentioned quite 

frequently as a sort of enemy to be overcome. In ancient Israelite 

religion there was a belief that monsters lurked in the deep, mon- 

sters who epitomized the chaos and evil that stood in opposition to 

God. The origin of this belief seems to have been in ancient 

Canaanite mythology, with its belief in an original Chaos personified 

which was in opposition to God. In several places in the Old 

Testament we have the figures of Leviathan (Hebrew Zavyathan) and 

Tehom. The sea itself was viewed as a monster in itself (cf. Job 

vii. 12. Psalm Ixxi. 20, Isaiah xxvii. 11, or as the abode of the dead 

(Romans x. 7), or the home of demons (Luke viii. 31, Revelation 

ix. 1,11, xi. 7, xvii. 8, xx. 1). As a figure by mi&l of wicked men it 

occurs in Isaiah Ivii. 20, etc., but for the eschatological significance 

of the sea we have to turn to the Book of the Revelation (Apocalypse 

of John), 1st century A.D., for the notion of the great 'abyss', from 

which the apocalyptic 'Beast' arises-xiii. 1, cf. xi. 7, xvii. 8. The 

most significant occurrence of the sea in eschatological terms is the 

passage in Revelation xxi. 1 : 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth ; for the first 

heaven and the first earth had passed away (Arabic fund), and 

the sea was no more. 

The Angel of Death's annihilation of the sea is therefore to be seen 

as a great cosmic act with a significance going back to the 1st century 

A.D. at least and originating in Canaanite times (about 1,200 B.C. 

or earlier) 

(D-I) Chapter on the passing away of thing9 

Then God Most High commands the Angel of Death to do 

away with the seas-as God Most High said : All things shall 

perish except Himself.* So the Angel of Death comes to the 

seas and says, 'Your time has expired' ; then [the seal says, 

'Permit me to lament for myself'. It says, 'Where are my

waves? Where are my wonders, now that the command of 

God has come ?' The Angel of Death utters a loud cry over it, 

and its water becomes as though it had never been. 

Next the mountains are annihilated (D-2). Again we have 

similar imagery in the literature of the ancient Near East. In the 

Old Testament there is the picture of the mountains melting away 

at the presence of the Lord : 

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the 

Lord of all the earth (Psalm xcvii. 5, etc. ; Judges v. 5). 

In ancient Canaanite and Babylonian mythology there was a belief 

that in the autumn of each year the god (Beal in Canaanite) 

departed from his land ; the mountain (i.e. the Mount of Olives 

overlooking Jerusalem) split in two and the god passed into the 

chasm and was lost-until the spring when he reappeared, witness 

the return of growth to the land. 

(D-2) Next he comes to the mountains and says, '[Your 

time has expired.' The mountains say,185 'Permit me to lament 

over myself.' It says, 'Where is my ascent, where my strength 

now that the command of God has come ?' The Angel of 

Death utters a loud cry over them and they melt away. 

And finally the land, the earth must go. All the Semitic 

eschatologies refer to the splitting of the earth, the toppling of 

mountains, and so on. In Islamic, as well as Jewish, Samaritan and 

Christian eschatologies it was believed that the earthquakes which 

would occur on the Last Day would result in graves opening up 

and the dead appearing from them. But our text does not happen 

to include this item, and so we shall not discuss parallelism 

between the Islamic and other beli efs about this. 

(D-3) Then he comes to the land and say?, '[Your time 

has expired.' The land says,] 'Permit me to lament over 

myself.' It says, 'Where are my kings, my trees, my rivers 

and all my different plants ? ' The Angel of Death (folio 32) 

utters a loud cry over it, and its gardens, trees and plants fall 

away, and its waters86 sink out of sight. 

The lower world is passed away and now the drama moves 

upwards to the stellar realms. It is important to remember the 

cosmological significance of this aspect of the story of the End, 

since it does not seem necessary that the physical heavenly bodies 

should be affected. It is the absoluteness of God's decree that is 

stressed, not some limited application of it to the world of men.

We have already seen something of the other Near Eastern 

religions' teaching about the sun, moon and stars being destroyed 

from their place-see also "Islamic Eschatology-11", p. 491 (B-4). 

Continuing the quotation of the Book of John the Evangelist from 

B-5 above, we read : 'The stars shall fall and the four winds shall 

be loosed from their foundations, and shall cause the earth and 

the sea and the mountains to quake together'. 

Everything having been destroyed, there remain only the 

denizens of the highest realms in heaven, apart from God Himself. 

(D-4) Then he ascends to heaven and utters a loud cry. 

The sun and moon fall aways7 and the stars fall down. Then 

God. Blessed and Most High, says, '0 Angel of Death, who 

yet remain of my creatures' ? He replies, '0 my God. you 

are the Living One who does not die. There remain Jibrii'il. 

Miks'il, Israfil and the Bearers of the Throne, as well as 

myself (Your) weak servant.' [God Most High] says, 'Seize 

their spirit [s]'. [So he seizes their spirits]. Then He says, 

'0 Angel of Death, have you not beard my saying, "Every 

soul tastes death" ? You are one of my creatures. Die !' 

And he dies.B8 

The final subsection of Topic D consists of two traditions 

(properly a&biir rather than ah&&) which seem to come from 

different sources. These concern themselves with the interesting 

question of how the Angel of Death may die. The first Babar is 

not found in the Leeds text. but is reproduced from the Cairo 

text.89 

(D-5) [There is another report : Then God commands 

him to seize his own spirit. He comes to a place between the 

Garden and the Fire. and casts his gaze up to heaven. Then 

he withdraws his spirit and utters a loud cry, which, were all 

the creatures still alive, they would die from (hearing) it ! 

Then he says. 'If I had known that there would be such 

distress as this in the removing of the spirit. I would have been 

more compassionate when I removed the spirits of the 

believers.' Then he dies and no one remains.lgO 

According to another report he goes off and dies between 

the Garden and the Fire, and nothing remains except God. 

Thus the world remains without an~thing.~' 

E-THE RESURRECTION OF THE ARCHANGELS AND MUHAMMAD 

In Topic E we have what might be called the first Resurrection,

f HE DAY OF RESURRECTION 149 

in that this is a Resurrection which is necessary before the general 

Resurrection can take place. The Archangels, and first the Trumpet 

blower Isrlfil, must be brought back to life before even Muhammad 

can be resurrected to enter the Garden, and Muhammad has to be 

in the Garden before those adjudged righteous cross the bridge 

(al-Sirtit) into Paradise. 

The earliest document in ancient Near Eastern religion to 

speak in a specific way about a twofold or double Resurrection is 

the Apocalypse of John (1st century A.D.). Here we learn of a 

double Resurrection and a double judgment. According to the 

Apocalypse there is to be a first Resurrection which is reserved for 

the 'saints'-corresponding to the Islamic concept of the Resurrection 

of the Archangels and Muhammad. Martyred saints in 

particular are included in the first Resurrection (xx. 1-10) ; cf. the 

Islamic emphasis (H-7 below) on special privileges for those who 

died for God. 

E-1 tells in simple terms of the procedure of assembly, noting 

that IsrIfiI will have the Trumpet ready and that the gardens of 

Paradise will be prepared for those who are to dwell in them. 

(E-I) Chapter on the assembling of the creatures 

It is related that when God willsg2 that the creatures 

should be assembled, He brings to life Jibra'il, Mik~'i1. Isr~fil 

and 'Izra'il, upon them be peace. The first of them is Isrsfil. 

upon him be peace. He will take the Trumpet from the 

Throne and [God] will sends3 to the Ridwan of the Garden." 

God Most High will say, '0 Ridwsn, decorate the gardens [and 

lay out the vestments] for Mubarnmad, upon him be peace, 

and his people.' 

E-2 introduces the mythical horse al-Buriq, about which we 

shall have more to say in connection with F-1 below. 

(E-2) Then they come (folio 32a) with al-Bur~q~~ [and 

the Crown] and the standard of praise and two of the vest- 

ments of the Garden. 

The first riding beast to be brought back to life by God is 

aI-Buriq. God says to them, 'Cover him'. They cover him 

with a saddleg6 of red gems ; his bridle is of green topaz. As for 

the two vestments, one of them is green and the other yellow. 

Now we turn to the resurrection of Muhammad himself (E-3). 

where the subject of the Light of Muhammad reappears. It was 

first brought to our attention in "Islamic Eschatology-I", p. 306

We have already seen something of the other Near Eastern 

religions' teaching about the sun, moon and stars being destroyed 

from their place-see also "Islamic Eschatology-11", p. 491 (B-4). 

Continuing the quotation of the Book of John the Evangelist from 

B-5 above, we read : 'The stars shall fall and the four winds shall 

be loosed from their foundations. and shall cause the earth and 

the sea and the mountains to quake together'. 

Everything having been destroyed, there remain only the 

denizens of the highest realms in heaven, apart from God Himself. 

(D-4) Then he ascends to heaven and utters a loud cry. 

The sun and moon fall aways7 and the stars fall down. Then 

God, Blessed and Most High, says, '0 Angel of Death, who 

yet remain of my creatures' ? He replies, '0 my God, you 

are the Living One who does not die. There remain Jibra'il, 

Mika'il. Israfil and the Bearers of the Throne, as well as 

myself (Your) weak servant.' [God Most High] says. 'Seize 

their spirit [s]'. [So he seizes their spirits]. Then He says, 

'0 Angel of Death. have you not beard my saying, "Every 

soul tastes death"? You are one of my creatures. Die!' 

And he dies.* 

The final subsection of Topic D consists of two traditions 

(properly a&biir rather than ahiidig) which seem to come from 

different sources. These concern themselves with the interesting 

question of how the Angel of Death may die. The first habar is 

not found in the Leeds text, but is reproduced from the Cairo 

te~t.~f' (D-5) [There is another report : Then God commands 

him to seize his own spirit. He comes to a place between the 

Garden and the Fire, and casts his gaze up to heaven. Then 

he withdraws his spirit and utters a loud cry, which, were all 

the creatures still alive, they would die from (hearing) it ! 

Then he says, 'If I had known that there would be such 

distress as this in the removing of the spirit, I would have been 

more compassionate when I removed the spirits of the 

believers.' Then he dies and no one remains.loO 

According to another report he goes off and dies between 

the Garden and the Fire, and nothing remains except God. 

Thus the world remains without anything.O1 

E-THE RESURRECTION OF THE ARCHANGELS AND MUHAMMAD 

In Topic E we have what might be called the first Resurrection,

f HE DAY OP RESURRECTION .it9 

in that this is a Resurrection which is necessary before the general 

Resurrection can take place. The Archangels, and first the Trumpet 

blower Israfil, must be brought back to life before even Muhammad 

can be resurrected to enter the Garden, and Muhammad has to be 

in the Garden before those adjudged righteous cross the bridge 

(a2-Sirat) into Paradise. 

The earliest document in ancient Near Eastern religion to 

speak in a specific way about a twofold or double Resurrection is 

the Apocalypse of John (1st century A.D.). Here we learn of a 

double Resurrection and a double judgment. According to the 

Apocalypse there is to be a first Resurrection which is reserved for 

the 'saints1-corresponding to the Islamic concept of the Resurrec- 

tion of the Archangels and Muhammad. Martyred saints in 

particular are included in the first Resurrection (xx. 1-10] ; cf. the 

Islamic emphasis (H-7 below) on special privileges for those who 

died for God. 

E-1 tells in simple terms of the procedure of assembly, noting 

that IsrHfil will have the Trumpet ready and that the gardens of 

Paradise will be prepared for those who are to dwell in them. 

(E-1) Chapter on the assembling of the creatures 

It is related that when God willsg2 that the creatures 

should be assembled, He brings to life Jibrs'il, Mikg'il, Lr~fil 

and 'Izr~'il, upon them be peace. The first of them is Isr~fil. 

upon him be peace. He will take the Trumpet from the 

Throne and [God] will sends3 to the Ridwan of the Garden.w 

God Most High will say, '0 Ridwgn. decorate the gardens [and 

lay out the vestments] for Mubammad, upon him be peace, 

and his people.' 

E2 introduces the mythical horse al-BurHq, about which we 

shall have more to say in connection with F-1 below. 

(E2) Then they come (folio 32a) with al-Buriiqg5 [and 

the Crown] and the standard of praise and two of the vest- 

ments of the Garden. 

The first riding beast to be brought back to life by God is 

al-Bur~q. God says to them, 'Cover him'. They cover him 

with a saddleg6 of red gems ; his bridle is of green topaz. As for 

the two vestments, one of them is green and the other yellow. 

Now we turn to the resurrection of Muhammad himself (E-31, 

where the subject of the Light of Muhammad reappears. It was 

first brought to our attention in "Islamic Eschatology-I", p. 306

note 4. See also I, pp. 291 and 298 (translation) and 289 ft. 

(comments), where the Gnostic background to the idea of Niir 

Muhammad? was noted. 

The description of the earth as 'featureless' (literally 'flat') 

reminds us of the activity of the Angel of Death in destroying 

earth's features-sea, mountains, land. As yet renewal of the earth 

has not taken place and therefore the finding of the tomb of the 

Prophet is described in mystical terms-the Light of Muhammad, 

the confrontation of the Archangels and the Prophet. This may 

be a much more significant passage than appears at first sight, for 

the other ancient Semitic religions also have one occasion in their 

soteriology when the supreme leader (Moses, Christ) experienced 

such mystical confrontation with beings from beyond time and 

place. Moses on Mount Sinai, according to the Samaritan belieflS7 

encountered the angels (though this belief may have arisen through 

Christian influence), and Jesus, according to the New Testament,Qs 

encountered the almost deified Moses and Elijah, again on a 

mountain, the Mount of Transfiguration. 

The relationship between the religious hero or leader and the 

world that lies beyond the senses is a subject that well deserves 

further investigation in Semitic terms. 

(E-3) God says to them, 'Go off to the tomb of Muhammad, 

God bless him and his family and give them peace.' They 

depart, but the earth has become a featureless desert and they 

do not know [where] his tomb is. A light then appearsg9 in 

the shape of a pillarloo from his tomb, going up to ths summit 

of heaven. Jibrii'il, on him be peace, says, 'You are the 

Convoker, 0 Isr~fil-upon them both be peace-of the creatures 

God will assemble through you.' He replies, '0 Jibrii'il, 

you are the Convoker, for you are His agentlo' in the world.' 

Jibrz'il says, 'I am ashamed before him.' Then Lrafil says, 

'You are the Convoker, 0 Mikz'il'. and he says, 'Peace be 

upon you, 0 Mubammad', but he does not answer him. Then 

he102 says to the Angel of Death, 'You are the Convoker' : 

[the Angel of Death] replies, '0 pleasing spirit, return to your 

pleasing body', but he does not make any reply to him. 

Then Isr~fil, peace be upon him, cries out, '0 pleasing 

spirit, [Enter into the pleasant body', but there is no reply. 

Next *Izr~'il, upon him be peace. cries out. '0 pleasing 

spirit,] lo3 arise for the last part1OQ of the Judgment and the


reckoning and the compensation by the Merciful One.' 

In the midst of glorious happenings Muhammad voices the 

supreme concern of Islam, the Mercy of God. The subject of his 

concern for God's people will be discussed in connection with F-2 

below. The necessity for Muhammad to be resurrected before 

the third and final Trumpet blast suggests, no more than that at 

this stage, the doctrine of intercession by the Prophet, but since 

this is not specifically mentioned at this stage we must pass over it. 

The list of epithets of the Day of Resurrection is interesting 

in view of the Samaritan list. Readers may like to compare our 

text with the words of the 4th century A.D. Marqah 905 

It is the day of recompense for all the good, the day of 

resurrection for all men, the day of regret for all the wicked, 

the day of reckoning for all things done, the day of recompense 

for the good and the evil, the day of interrogation about all 

things done by all creatures, the day of trembling for all feet, 

the day of terror for all limbs, the day of reckoning for all 

actions, the day in which every person receives recompense, 

the day of judgment, the day of tears, the day of deliverance, 

the day of assembly. the day of truth, the day of fear. the day 

of the standing, the day of coming forth from the ground, 

the day of grief for all the wicked, the day of joy for all who 

were obedient. . . . 

Long and tedious this may be, but Islamic readers will 

recognize many of the basic elements of the Islamic eschatology of 

all periods. 

(E-4) Then the tomb (of Muhammad) splits open, and 

lo! Muhammad sits in his tomb, shaking the earth from his 

head and beard. JibrB'il, peace be upon him. presents him 

with two vestments and al-Bur~q, and Muhammad says, 

'0 Jibr~'i1.-peace be upon him-what day is this ? Jibrz'il 

says {folio 33)-peace be upon him-'This is the day of the 

Resurrection. This is the day of assembly and convocation. 

This is the day of promise and the day of threat.lM This is 

the day of separation. This is the day of meeting.' 

He says, '0 Jibra'il, give me good tidings ! ' He replies. 

'0 Muhammad-God bless him and give him peace-I have the 

standard of praise and the Crown.' Muhammad says, 'I did 

not ask you about that.' Jibrs'il states, 'The Garden has been 

bedecked for your arrival, and the Fire has been kept back.'


Muhammad says, 'I did not ask you about that. I am asking 

you about my people, those who have sinned, in case you have 

kept them back on the way (to Paradise)'. 

Isriifil says. 'By the command of my Lord, 0 Muhammad, 

I have not blown the Trumpet for the Resurrection [before 

you have been resurrected].'1O7 Muhaminad then takes the 

Crown and the vestments. puts them on and mounts al-Bur~q. 

Topic F is miscellaneous to some extent. The first two sub- 

sections describe al-Bur8q and Muhammad's approach to him, 

while the third speaks of the downpour which will bring resuscita- 

tion to creatures and the fourth seems to be an isolated note about 

the 'change' of the world ; the fifth presents another 'A'i&ah 

tradition in which the Islamic concern for the believer is expressed. 

F-1, 2 give us a full and clear picture of the mystical figure of 

the horse on which Muhammad is to enter Paradise. It is by no 

means certain what prompted this part of the Islamic eschatology. 

but there is likelihood of a Christian origin here, and for this we 

must turn to the 1st century A.D. Apocalypse of John. Here we 

find the great Intercessor and cosmic conqueror sitting on a white 

horse.108 Where the Islamic tradition describes the horse rather 

than the rider, the Apocalypse describes the rider-in terms 

reminiscent or, rather, looking forward to the Islamic. 

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse ! 

He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in 

righteousness he judges and makes war.Io9 His eyes are like a 

flame of fire,lIo and on his head are many diadems ; and he 

has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. He is 

clad in a robe dipped in blood. 

In connection with the divine being's garb we may note that 

Muhammad wore the Crown (figure of victory) and vestments. 

We may go no further than say that it is possible that the Islamic 

imagery has some relationship with our 1st century A.D. text 

here. To go further than this would require a great deal of com- 

parative study in detail. 

(F-1) Chapter describing al-Buraq 

He has two wings. He flies in the space between heaven 

and earth. His face is like the face of man, his speech like the 

speech of the Arabs. His eye-brows are wide-spacedllll his 

horns crooked, his ears thin and made of topaz, his eyes dark- 

green, said to resemble the bright stars.l12 His forelock is of


red rubies, his tail is like the tail of an ox crowned with red 

gold ; his body is like flashing light113-it is said to be [beautiful] 

like the peacock's-higher than the donkey, not so high as 

the mule. The reason for calling him al-Bur~q is that he is so 

quick, moving like [al-bars] lightning. 

In F-2 humility; compassion and divine mercy are the dominant - 

themes. Humility may well underly the assertion in our text that 

al-Bur~q questions Muhammad's right to mount him. Muhammad 

is not distinguished from any other human (but see the end of E4 

where Muhammad is said to have put on the Crown and vestment!) 

and his authority is challenged. compassion is exhibited in the 

Prophet's concern, a constant one as we have noted several times 

above, for his people. Mercy from God is stressed, as so often in 

these eschatological snippets, in His reply to Muhammad's anxiety 

about the Muslims. This is a purely Islamic tradition (or rather 

viewpoint) in that it shows no influence from earlier Semitic 

notions. 

(F-2) When [the Prophet-peace be upon him-] ap- 

proaches, al-Bur8q backs away114 and says, 'According to the 

promise of my Lord (folio 33a) no one is to ride me but the 

Prophet. who is of H~shim. Abtah, Quray&, Muhammad b. 

'AbdallBh, lord of the Qur'an and the Forerunner.'ll5 The 

Prophet says. 'I am Muhammad [b. 'Abdallah]', and he rides 

forth. Then he reaches the Garden and he prostrates himself. 

Proclamation is made from the Powerful One.ll6 'Raise your 

head, My beloved ! '1' This is not the day of prostration and 

bowing down, rather is it the day of reckoning and punish- 

ment. Raise your head, ask. make request.'118 He says, 'My 

people ! My people ! "la Then God, Blessed and Most High, 

says, 'I have given you what you wish.' [Thus as in] the Most 

High's statement : 'You shall be gratified with what your 

Lord will give you.'120 

The idea that life would return to the world and to men through 

water is found also in the early Jewish writing ; e.g. Hagigah 12b 

we read that the dew by which God will revive the dead is stored 

up in heaven. In other Jewish sources, as in Samaritan teaching, we 

have a Gnostic-type concept that earth was created out of dew. 

According to a Christian Gnostic viewpoint Jesus will return at 

the end of days and gather up all the dew (containing the 

spirits of the righteous). However, water has probably always


been associated in the Semitic eschatology with creation. As early 

as the 5th century B.C. the Greek philosopher classed the elements 

of matter as fire, water, air and earth, and ever since his time 

(495435 B.C.) many creation doctrines of the ancients have 

stressed water in some way or another as essential to the life-giving 

creative act of God. In our text here water has the purpose of 

reviving, bringing new life. 

(F-3) Then God Most High gives command to heaven that 

it should rain water,121 (which is life-giving) like men's seed, 

for forty days and the water lies upon everything up to 

twelve cubits. Then the creatures will grow up through that 

water as plants grow up, until their bodies are complete as 

they were bef0re.l"- Then heaven and earth will roll up. 

After the introductory 'song of triumph' which expresses the 

absoluteness of God, we have some details on the transformation 

of the earth on the Day of Resurrection. Everything is now 

prepared for the last Trumpet. In the 1st century B.C. Similitudes 

of Eno~h'~~ heaven and earth are described as transformed (xlv. 4.5) 

and according to the 1st century A.D. Apocalypse of Salathiel, 

vii. 113, this world 'closes' and the next 'begins'-it is to be a new 

creation (vii. 75). The Second Epistle of Peter (1st century A.D.), 

iii. 3-13, teaches, that at the end of days the existing order will be 

'dissolved' : the present heavens and earth are to give place to 'fresh 

heavens and a fresh earth'. A reconstructed world will come forth 

as the abode of the righteous. The most well-known Christian 

teaching on this subject speaks of 'a new heaven and a new earth', 

as well as of a 'perfected city of God' (cf. Islamic Temple in 

Firdaws)-Apocalypse of John xxi-xxii. 5. 

(F-4) God Most High says, 'Who has sovereignty today ?' 

No one answers Him, not even (when He asks) a second and a 

third time. Then God Most High says, 'The One God the 

Subduer' ! Next He says, 'Where are the proud ones ? Where 

are the kings and where are those who eat My bounty and yet 

serve other than Me' 

Then the mountains become like ruffled and He 

transforms the earth. on which the disobedient laboured, and 

He raises up Jihinn0ml2~ upon it. He brings up a land (folio 

34) of white silver and He establishes the Garden upon it. 

The last subsection of Topic F is purely Islamic for the most 

part. Once more we are shown the concern of 'W1i&ah (like that


of Muhammad himself) for the people in those dread days. We 

may say something here on al-Siriit. The term occurs only once 

in the Qur'an (XXXVII : 23) and it is ~iriit al-jabim 'the road to 

Hell'. Tradition has the Sirst as the Bridge. In the Turkish work 

Ma'rifet-name. quoted in the Encyclopedia of Islam, Jihinnom is 

described as placed under the pedestal of the world, above the Bull 

and Fish who support the earth.lZ6 It is composed of seven 

stories127 and above is a bridge @rat) thrown across the whole 

length of it-narrow as a sword-edge-it is to be crossed by all 

souls in order to enter the Garden, the righteous (saints) in a 

flash, the ordinary righteous believers in a somewhat longer time. 

but the unrighteous do not reach the Garden ; they fall into the 

gulf. 

(F-5) It is related on the authority of 'A1i&ah that she 

said : '0 Apostle of God, on the day when the earth is transformed 

into something else, where will people be then ?' He 

replied, 'She has asked me about something great. No one but 

you has ever asked me about it.' He said, 'At that time people 

will be on al-Sirat.' 

G-THE LAST TRUMPET BLAST IS SOUNDED 

The best known part of the eschatology is contained in Topic 

G, where we have the last Trumpet and a description of the state 

of the unbelievers when they rise and come forth from the tomb. 

Like other Semitic eschatologies Islam's is absolute in several ways. 

That it is God's sole decree that brings about the Resurrection is 

agreed by all. That the creatures will arise naked. as they were 

born, is a belief held in common by all the religions concerned, 

although the emphasis in Judaism, Christianity and Samaritanism is 

on the nakedness of the unrighteous only. Emphasis on the naked- 

ness of the resurrected people (cf. H-8 below) is found, for example, 

in the 1st century A.D. Apocalypse of Pet& (quotation by Metho- 

dius) where we read of children looking down from heaven on their 

parents, who were unrighteous, standing naked and suffering 

torments. 

The Islamic traditionists have a good deal to report on this 

theme of nakedness. See, for example, aEBukari Sahib, 81 : 45,128 

Muslim, SabZb, 51 : 56-8, etc. However, the earlier traditions are 

somewhat less gross in their descriptions of the state of the 

unbelievers (G-2,3 below).

We may, on examining the literary structure of G-1, note that 

the last sentence follows naturally on the address of Isrgfil, and it 

may be that the intervening two Qur'anic statements and the 

commentary on the first have been added at a later time. 

(G-1) Chapter concerning the blowing of the Trumpet for 

the Resurrection 

Then God Most High says : '0 Isrxfil, arise and give the 

Resurrection blast on the Trumpet !' Isrzfil does so and pro- 

claims, '0 departed spirits, torn off bones. decayed bodies, 

severed veins, torn off skins and fallen out hairs. stand up for the 

(last) part of the judgment'?3O They stand up at the command 

of God Most High.131 This is in accordance with the Most 

High's statement: 'And they shall rise and gaze around them',132 

that is, they shall gaze [at] the heavens which had split133 and 

at the earth which had changed, and at the(ir) companions 

who had become destitute, and at the wild beasts which had 

been destroyed,13* and at the seas which had become swollen. 

and at the souls which had been paired,135 and at the avenging 

angels which had been brought in, and at the sun which had 

been brought down, and at the scales which had been set up, 

and the Garden which had been brought near. A soul realized 

what had been prepared ! 

This is in accordance with what the Most High said : 

' "Woe to us !" they shall say. "Who has roused us from our 

resting-place ?" The believer answers them : 'This is 

what the Lord of mercy promised ; the apostles have preached 

the truth !'13' They will come forth (folio 34a) from the 

tombs alive and naked. 

G-2 and G-3 belong together as two traditions saying in effect 

the same thing. Despite the differences between them, they are 

remarkably close. The correspondences in the two lists are noted 

below. There is a strgngly Islamic flavour about these sections, 

although in basic terms they are quite distinctively Semitic. The 

difference between the Islamic and non-Islamic eschatologies at 

this point lies in the time to which the descriptions apply. While 

the Islamic descriptions apply to the pre-Judgment period immedi- 

ately after the Resurrection, the Judaist, Christian and Samaritan 

apply to the post-Judgment era. However, the severe. indeed gross 

condemnations recorded in our text are in principle the same in 

non-Islamic texts. In the Judaist and early Christian traditions the


unbelievers (or, as they have it, the unrighteous) will be in outer 

darkness, weeping, wailing and gnashing their teeth. Mention is 

made of the tormenting worms that never die and of the fire that 

burns eternally. The 1st century A.D. Epistle of James (v. 1, 4, 7) 

specifically mentions the retributions of the oppressive rich (cf. G-3 

no. 9 below). 

G-2's list may be summarized as follows (with correspondences 

to G-3 noted in brackets) : 

1. idolaters 2. deceitful traders (4) 

3. those who transgress judg- 4. self-admirers 

ment (7) 

5. the learned whose words 6. false witnesses (6) 

contradicted their acts 

7. self-desiring (3) 8. those who hinder God's right1 

truth (7) 

9. spies 10. slanderers (8) 

11. those who secularize wor- 12. usurers (9) 

ship (2) 

(3-3's list is presented in the same way, with corresponding 

(3-2 numbers in brackets. 

1. those who hurt neighbours 2. those who are scornful during 

worship (11) 

3. those who give no alms 4. deceitful traders (2) 

5. those who conceal acts of 6. false witnesses (6) 

disobedience and do not 

fear God (8) 

7. those who hinder true testi- 8. evil thinkers (10) 

mow (3.8) 

9. those who devour orphans' 10. those who hate parents 

wealth (12) 

11. wine-drinkers 12. the doers of good deeds 

With the exception of G3b no. 12, the two lists represent social 

and religious crimes. From Ikhnaton of Egypt to Hammurabi of 

Babylon to Moses in the Old Testament and the Deuteronomic Law 

(also of the Old Testament) is an evolution of humanitarianism, 

but no matter how humanitarian the Semitic world became in 

outlook, some sins never came to be regarded lightly. The Islamic 

list here largely corresponds with those crimes against man and God 

which the ancient Israelites (and the Babylonians and Egyptians 

before them) regarded as intolerable, For the interest of readers


here are some Biblical references which give the ancient condem- 

nation which corresponds in large measure with the Islamic. For a 

purely Islamic discussion of the fate of the evildoer see al-Gazzli, 

&a', IV : 361-469. 

Idolatry (always condemned in the Old Testament : cf. also 

I Corinthians vi. 9) 

Deceit in trading (Job xxii. 6, xxiv. 3, 7) 

False witness (Exodus xx. 16, xxiii. 13, Deuteronomy xix. 16-21) 

Slander (Exodus xxiii. 1, Deuteronomy xxxii. 13-19) 

Harming neighbours (Deuteronomy xxv. 11,12). 

Hating parents (Unkindness to parents was regarded as a 

violation of God's majesty and therefore condemnable 

Exodus xxi. 17, xxii. 14. Leviticus xx. 9). 

Wine drinking (classed in the New Testament as comparable 

with idolatry, a crime which leads to perdition-I Corin- 

thians vi. 9: cf. also Ephesians v. 5 and Philippians iii. 19). 

Here is a pre-1st century A.D. description of the fate of the 

unrighteous. This is from the Apocalypse of Peter, both the 

Akhmim Fragment and the Ethiopic Version. The punishment 

described is based on the old Semitic Lex Talionis principle, 'an eye 

for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', or in New Testament terms 'As 

they sow, so shall they also reap'. Blasphemers (cf. G-2, no. 11. 

G-3, no. 2) will be hanged by their tongues. Self-admirers (G-2, 

no. 4). especially women, will be hanged by the hair they so 

lovingly adorned. Adulterous men are to be hanged by their loins. 

Murderers (cf. G-3, no. 1) are to suffer the pains they afflicted on 

their victims (cf. the thought of the first tradition in D-5 above). 

Others singled out for appropriate punishment are those who 

failed to honour their parents (G-3, no. 10) and self-admirers 

(G-2, no. 7), etc. As for usurers (G-2, no. 12 and cf. G-3, no. 9) 

the Apocalypse condemns it whole-heartedly (Akhmim Fragment 

8 31): 'they that lent money and demanded usury upon usury will 

be in a great lake of pus and blood . . . up to their knees'. There 

are many such descriptions. 

Where did all this condemnation in such specific terms begin? 

Perhaps the Samaritan 3rd century A.D. Memar of Marqah1S8 

sets out the basic, broad principle : 

Woe to those who are not righteous in this world ! They 

are troubled and on the Day of Vengeance punished. God is 

too righteous for them . . . they cry to Him, but He does not


answer. They are punished, for He recompenses every doer 

according to his deed. 

The Samaritans went further than this in specifying the fate 

of the unbeliever (i.e. non-Samaritan) as follows : 

As for the non-Samaritans, they shall rise from the tombs 

naked, their spirits evil-smelling. They have no deliverer 

from the fire and they will be burnt right down to SheoLlSB 

This quotation well introduces the next translation of our 

Islamic text. 

(G-2) The Apostle of God-God bless him and his family 

and give them peace-was asked about the Most High's saying: 

'On that day the Trumpet shall be sounded and you shall come 

in multitudes.'140 The Prophet-God bless him and his family 

and give them peace-wept so that he wet the earth with the 

tears of his eyes. Then he said, '0 questioner, you have asked 

me about a great matter! On the Day of Resurrection 

peopleslql will assemble in multitudes, of twelve kinds : 

The first will assemble in the form of monkeys,142 and 

they are devils'* amongst men. The Most Hig'h said: 'Idolatry 

is worse than carnage.''M 

The second will assemble in the form of pigs, and they are 

the deceitful traders.145 The Most High said : 'They listen 

to falsehoods and consume what is unlawful.'l46 

The third will assemble blind, faltering,14' and people will 

be disquieted at (the sight of) them?48 They are the ones 

who transgressedlq9 judgment. The Most High said : '(Allah 

commands you) to pass judgment upon men with fairness. 

Noble is that to which Allah exhorts you. He hears all and 

observes aIL'150 

The fourth [will assemble] deaf and dumb. They are the 

ones who admired their own deeds. God Most High said : 'A11~h 

does not love arrogant men.*l51 

The fifth will assemble, with purulent matter pouring from 

their mouths,162 chewing their tongues. They are the learned 

ones whose words were contradicted by their actions. God 

Most High said : 'Would you enjoin righteousness on others 

and forget it yourselves ? Yet you read the Scriptures."* 

The sixth will assemble with sores on their bodies caused 

by [fire]. They are the false witnesses. God Most High said 

(folio 35) : 'Do not follow what you do not know.'l54


The seventh will assemble with their feet at their fore- 

heads's5 tied to their forelocks. They are more foul smelling 

than corpses. They are the ones who followed their own 

desires and pleasures. God Most High said : 'Such are they 

who buy the life of this world at the price of the life to 

~ome.'l5~ 

The eighth will assemble like drunk men falling right and 

left. They are the ones who hindered the right of God Most 

High. God Most High said : 'Believers, give in alms of the 

wealth you have lawfully earned.'ls7 

The ninth will assemble, wearing trousers of tar. They 

are the ones who moved about secretly.168 God Most High 

said: 'Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one 

an0ther."5~ 

The tenth will assemble with their tongues coming out at 

the back of their necks. They are the ones who were involved 

in slander.laO 

The eleventh will assemble intoxicated. They are the ones 

who talked about worldly matters in the mosque. God Most 

High said : 'Temples are built for Alliih's worship ; invoke in 

them no other god beside Him."fio0 

The twelfth will assemble in the form of pigs. They are 

the ones who lived on usury. God Most High said: 'Believers, 

do not live on usury, doubling your wealth many times 

over.''61 

(G-3) There is a tradition from Muk& b. Jaba1,la2 who 

had it on the authority of the Prophet-God bless him and his 

family and give them peace-'When the Day of Resurrection 

comes.'@ the day of assembly and convocation. God Most High 

will assemble (folio 3%) twelve classes of my people from their 

graves. 

The first group will assemble from their graves without 

hands or feet. The herald will make proclamation before the 

Merciful One, 'These are the ones who hurt their neighbours. 

When they died they were unrepentant. This is their re- 

compense-their destination is the Fire ! * [Just as God Most 

High said : "(Show kindness to) your near and distant neigh- 

bours. and to travellers."]lw 

The second group will assemble from their graves in the 

form of riding beasts-it is said also "in the form of pigs". The


herald will make proclamation before God Most High, "These 

are the ones who adopted a scornful attitude during prayer. 


compense- [their destination is] the Fire ! " God Most High 

said : "Woe to those who pray but are heedless in their 

prayer."lG 

The third group will assemble from their graves, tbeir 

bellies like mountains full of snakes and scorpions, like mules. 

The herald will make proclamation before the Merciful One, 

"These are the ones who withheld alrns.l66 When they died 

they were unrepentant. This is their recornpenselheir 

destination is the Fire ! " It is as the Most High said : 

"(Proclaim a woeful punishment to) those that hoard up gold 

and silver and do not spend it in AlIBh's cause. The day will 

surely come when their treasures shall be heated in the fire of 

Hell."la7 hod make every dirhem1G8 of them a tablet of fire ! 

"Then their fronts, their sides and their backs shall feel the 

burning pain of them. This is what you have stored up for 

yourselves. Taste what you have stored up ! "la7 (folio 36) 

The fourth group will assemble from their graves with blood 

flowing from their mouths, their bowels dragging on the 

ground and fire issuing from their mouths. The herald 

will make proclamation before the Merciful One, "These are 

the ones who cheated in selling and buying. When they died 

they were unrepentant. This is their recompense--their 

destination is the Fire ! "' God Most High said : "Those that 

sell the covenant of Allah and their own oaths for a paltry 

price (shall have no share in the world to c0me)."~6~ 

The fifth group will assemble from their graves, despised 

of men, the odour from their corpse a stench ! The herald will 

make proclamation before the Merciful One, "These are the 

ones who concealed (their) acts of apostasy from men and did 

not hide them~elvesl7~ from God When they died they were 

unrepentant. This is their recompense-their destination is 

the Fire ! " The Most High said : "They seek to hide themselves 

from men, but they cannot hide themselves from 

Allah."171 

The sixth group will assemble from their graves with their 

throats cut across. The herald will make proclamation before 

tbe Merciful One, "These are the ones who bore lying and


false witness. When they died they were unrepentant. This 

is their recompense-their destination is the Fire ! " [This is 

as God Most High said : "Who do not bear false witne~s.I"l7~ 

The seventh group will assemble from their graves without 

tocgues in their mouths. with blood and purulent matter 

flowing from their mouths. The herald will make proclamation 

before the Merciful One, "These are the ones who hindered 

[true] testimony. When they died they were unrepen- 

tant. This is (folio 36u) their recompense-their destina- 

tion is the Fire." The Most High said : "You shall not 

withhold testimony. He that withholds it is a transgressor."173 

The eighth group will assemble from their graves, their 

heads upside down and their feet above their heads, with rivers 

of purulent matter and pus flowing from their orifices. The 

herald will make proclamation before the Merciful One, "These 

are the ones who were evil thinking. When they died they 

were unrepentant. This is their recompense-their destination 

is the Fire ! " The Most High said : "You shall not commit 

adultery, for it is foul and indecent."l74 

The ninth group will assemble from their graves, with 

black faces and blue eyes, their bellies full of fire. The herald 


the ones who devoured the wealth of the orphan unju~t1~.~7S 


compense-their destination is the Fire ! " The Most High 

said : "(They) swallow fire into their bellies."l76 

The tenth group will assemble from their graves, diseased 

with elephantiasis and leprosy. The herald will make pro- 

clamation before the Merciful One, "These are the ones who 

hated their parents. When they died they were unrepentant. 

This is their recompense--their destination is the Fire ! " The 

Most High said : "Serve All~h and associate none with Him. 

Show kindness to your parents."177 

The eleventh group will assemble from their graves blind 

in heart (folio 37) and eye, their teeth like the horn of the ox, 

their eyelashes178 cast onto their chests, their tongues cast 

onto their bellies, and [their bellies cast] onto their thighs, 

filth exuding from their bellies. The herald will proclaim 

before the Merciful One, "These are the ones who drank 

wine, When they died they were unrepentant, Tbis is their

THE DAY OF RESURkECTIOhi 163 

recompense-their destination is the Fire ! " The Most High 

said : "Wine and games of chance, [idols] and divining arrows, 

are abominations devised by Satan."179 

The twelfth group will assemble from their graves. their 

faces like the moon on the night of full moon. They will pass 

along the Bridge as fast as the flashing lightning. The herald 


the ones who did good deeds,leO resisted the apostate and 

performed the five prayers with the congregation.lel They 

died repentant. This is their recompense-their destination is 

the Garden. with forgiveness and favour and mercy, because 

they delighted in God and God delighted in them." The Most 

High said : "[As for those who say : Our God is Allah, and 

take the right path to Him, the angels will descend to them, 

saying,] 'Let nothing alarm or grieve you. [Rejoice in the 

Paradise you have been promised.'] " 182 

H-VARIOUS TRADITIONS ABOUT T HE DAY OF RESURRECTION 

No separate categories are possible for the traditions compris- 

ing Topic H. We have a miscellany of subjects, with some 

emphasis on the happy fate of those who kept the fasts in life. 

However, H-1 takes our story a stage further by describing the 

Standing for forty years. For the whole subject of how the re- 

surrected will be gathered see in particular Muslim, Sabih, 51 : 59 ; 

Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, Cairo 1313, Vol. 11, pp. 354, 367. 

The doctrine of a general 'standing' (al-mawqif) is not Qur'gnic. 

The Qur'gn (only VI : 27, 30 ; XXXIV : 31 ; XXXVII : 24) alludes 

to men standing before God, but there is no use of the word mawqif 

itself. Traditions, mostly lacking isniid and derived from folklore 

or influenced by the beliefs of conquered peoples, built up a picture 

of a forty-year period of fearful and anguished waiting before the 

Almighty Judge. Perhaps one of the best and most colourful 

description of the scene as painted in medieval times is that of 

al-Ghazdi, al-Durrat al-Fn&irah (ed. Gautier, 1878, p. 58). For 

the numerous Jewish legends on the same theme see Ginzberg, 

Legends of the Jews, passim. 

All the comparable religions describe the righteous saved 

people as shining and bright. In the 2nd century B.C. Ethiopic 

Enoch (xci-xiv) already quoted (civ. 2. 4) and in the 1st century 

B.C. Ethiopic Enoch (xxxvii-lxx, Ixii. 16). and in the 1st century


A.D. Slavonic Enoch the righteous (xxii. 8) are frequently described 

as clothed in radiance with the garments of God's glory. The 

obvious connection here with the traditional picture of the angels 

as shining ones is further illustrated in the Apocalypse of Baruch 

(I st century A.D.) where (li. 10-12) the rewarded righteous are to 

be made like the angels, changed from light into the splendour of 

glory. Going even further, if that is possible, the 1st century 

Apocalypse of Salathiel (vii. 97) states that the righteous will be 

bright as the stars, sun and moon. From much later times, the 

Samaritan Malef 1241s3 has it that 

On the Day of Judgment.. . bodies and spirits will be 

joined together, but only by the most excellent holy light. 

Their clothing will be light and they shall be good and pure, 

just as Adam was in the Garden of Eden. 

(H-I) Chapter concerning the rising of creatures from the 

graves 

It is said that when the creatures rise from the graves they 

will stand up, in the places from which they rose, for forty 

years, not eating or drinking, not sitting down or even speaking 

(folio 37a). It was said, '0 Apostle of God, how will the religious 

people1* be recognized on the Day of Resurrection? ' He 

replied, 'My people, on the Day of Resurrection, will be shining 

white, gleaming with the traces of the purifying water.'lS5 

H-2 presents purely Islamic material, again with emphasis on 

the benefits which will accrue to the believer from his scrupulous 

adherence to the rites of the faith. Topic H thus specifically men- 

tions purifying water, prostration and fasting as some of the good 

acts which will bring a favourable verdict in the world to come. It 

will be noted that the Leeds text is somewhat longer than the 

Cairo text here, and if one ignores the Leeds extra material we 

have a simple, probably original text. 

(H-2) There is a report that when the Day of Resurrec- 

tion comes, God will resurrect the creatures from their graves. 

Angelsls6 will come to the head1a7 of the graves of the 

believers, and they will wipe away the dust ls7-on their head 

and-la7 the dust la7-will be dispersed-la7 from them, except at 

the places (where their head touches the ground) during their 

prostrations. ls7-The angels will wipe these places,-1s7 but 

[such marks] will not be removed from them. 

Then the herald will make proclamation, ls7-'0 my


angels,-18' that dust is not (the dust of) their graves, but 

rather is it the dust (where they prostrate) in turning for 

w0rship.l8~ LeavelEQ what (dust) is on them so that they may 

cross the Bridge and enter the Garden, and that everyone 

who gazes upon them will know that they are My servants 

and worshippers.' 

H-3 anticipates material more fully described in later parts of 

our text, which we shall describe in comparative terms in a future 

part of the series. 

We may note, however, that the 'Maidens of Paradise' (al-hiir) 

may be intended by the reference to the providing of food and 

drinks. The Cairo text has a special section on the Maidens of 

Paradise: this will be noted in a later section of the commentary. 

(H-3) It is related on the authority of Jabir b. 

'~bdallah,~~~ God be pleased with him ; he said : 'Said the 

Apostle of God, God bless him and his family and give them 

peace, "When the Day of Resurrection comes, whatever is in 

the graves will be resurrected and God Most High will reveal 

to the RidwanlQ1 of the Garden, 'LO Ridwan.] I have brought 

out from their graves those who fasted (in life) ; they are 

hungry and thirsty. Bring forward what they desire in the 

Garden.' " 

Ridwzn will cry out, "[O] young men, 0 children who 

did not attain their maturity . . " (calling them) until they come 

and they bring dishes. There will assemble with Ridwan a 

number greater than (folio 38) the grains of dust and the 

drops of rain and the stars in the sky and leaves of the trees, 

having abundant fruit and appetizing foodslQ2 and delightful 

drinks. When he meets them he will feed them with these 

and he will say to them, "Eat and drink with enjoyment 

greater than you experienced in the days gone by." 

In H-4 we have apparent confusion in that there are two contradictory 

statements about fasting on the day of 'Arafah. According 

to the first, fasting on that day is 'beloved' by God, and 

according to the second anyone who fasts on that pilgrimage day 

will have thirty gates of evil opened upon him. The confusion is 

due to our collector's failure to separate the two traditions by 

inserting an explanatory note. However, a look at the basic 

collections of traditions clears the confusion up. The deciding 

factor in separating the two traditions here (or one tradition in

two parts) is fasting where on the day of 'Arafah ? It is not permis- 

sible to fast on the day of 'Arafah if the faster is there-see 

Bu&~ri, Sahib 25 : 85. etc. Muslim. Sahib 13 : 110-12. It is 

permissible to fast on the day of 'Arafah if the faster is not there- 

see Muslim, op. cat. 13 : 196, Tirrniai, Jiimi' (Cairo text 1292) 

6 : 46. For traditions about not fasting at 'Arafah itself see 

Bubarl, op. cit. 74 : 12 and 29, Tirmihi, op. cit. 6 : 47, etc. On 

the question whether Muhammad fasted on the day of 'Arafah see 

the discussion of Wensinck, Mohammed en de Joden te Medina. 

pp. 126-30. 

(H-4) There is a report on the authority of Ibn 'Abbgs, 

God Most High be pleased with him-He said: Said the 

Apostle of God, God bless him and his family and give them 

peace, 19S-'There are three (classes) whom the angels will 

applaud-l* on the day when they leave their graves. They 

are the martyrs. those who fasted in the month of Ramad~n 

and those who fasted on the day of 'Arafah'. 

(H-5) It is on 'A'i&ah's authority that she said : Said 

the Apostle of God. God bless him and his family and give 

them peace, '0 'A'ishah, there is in the Garden'% a palace of 

pearls, rubies, topazes, gold and silver.' I said. '0 Apostle of 

God, for whom is that (palace) ? ' He replied, 'For those who 

fasted on the day of 'Arafah.' [Then the Apostle said,] 

0 'A'ibah, the days most beloved by God Most High are the 

day of the congregation (Friday) and the day of 'Arafah, 

because of the mercy contained in them. The days most 

repugnant to Iblis are the day of 'Arafah and the day of the 

congregation (Friday). 0 'A'iaah, on him who fasted on the 

day of 'Arafah (while present in 'Arafah) God has opened 

uplQs thirty gates of evil. If in the early morning he drinks 

water, begging His forgiveness, every veinlQa in his body crying 

"0 God" ! He will grant him mercy until the rising of the 

dawn.' 

Before leaving the subject of H-5 we may note that it is not 

clear what exactly is the connection between the Palace and the 

pavilions of the Har: the former is probably the concept of a 

supreme theocratic centre in utmost bliss and felicity. There may 

be some relationship between this and the 'City of God' motif in 

the 1st century A.D. Apocalypse of John xxi. l-xxii. 5, a passage 

already quoted in connection with the teaching in the Apocalypse


about a new heaven and a new earth. In the Epistle to the Hebrews 

(also 1st century A.D.) the recompense of the righteous is 

described, inter alia, as 'a city prepared'-cf. iv. 4, vi. 19-20, ix. 15, 

x. 34,36, xi. 16 and xii. 28 for the full picture. Though the New 

Testament passages here speak of a city and not a palace, the 

basic concept of an elevated 'prepared place' may underly them and 

our Islamic notion. For the full Islamic picture see kutub 51 and 

59 of BuhPri. 

The subject of H-6 we have already touched upon, but we 

may note an interesting comparison between our text and the New 

Testament with regard to what the righteous will be told (middle 

of H-6). According to Matthew's Gospel, xxv. 34-40 (verses 34-36 

only quoted here) : 

Then the King (God) will say to those at his right hand,197 

'Come, 0 blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared 

for you from the foundation of the world ; for I was hungry 

and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, 

I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you 

clothed me, 1 was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and 

you came to me. 

(H-6) There is a report that those who fasted will leave 

(folio 38a) their graves, and while conscious of the scent of 

their fastinglOs they will be met with trays and jugs. They 

will be told. "Eat. for you hungered while other men were 

satisfied. Drink, for you thirsted while other men had abundance 

of drink. (Rest yourselves, for you were wearied)." So 

they will eat and drink and rest, while other men are facing 

the Reckoning. 

There are many traditions on the subject of H-7. Here are 

some of the main qualities or acts which give access to Paradise : 

Confession of Faith-BuhHri, JabZh 3 : 49 : Muslim, Sahib 

1 : 45.47, 53. Particular works-Abmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, 

Vol. 11,192. Allegiance to God and Muhammad-Abo Dg'ud, 

Sunan (Cairo 1292) 8 : 26. Hardship suffered-Zayd b. 'Ali, 

Majm~' al-Fiqh (Milan edition, 1919) No. 981. 

There is a vast list of classes of those who will be rewarded and our 

selection above is but a tiny illustration of the huge corpus of 

traditions, especially from Buhari and Muslim. 

There has been for many centuries a widespread view that 

fasting (especially in Ramadan) makes the most fitting atwement


for sins committed in the course of the year-or a lifetime. On 

God's pleasure over one who fasts see Ahmad b. Hanbal, Mtlsnad, 

Vol. 11, 232-'The scent of the breath of a faster is more pleasant 

to God than the' scent of musk.' Bub~ri (Sawm. chapter 4) and 

Muslim (Siytim, 166) tell of the joys of the faster in the Garden. 

The rewarded fasters will enter by a special gate-al-raiyiin-into 

the Garden, and meet God. See the relevant section of the 

Encyclopedia of Islam ; this subject of the entry into Firdaws will 

be commented on in a later article. 

(H-7) There is a report that the ten will not perish : 

prophets. the warrior of Islam, the learned, the rnartyrs,lm 

he who knows the Qur'an by heart. the Muezzin, the just Imiim, 

a woman who dies in childbirth, he who is killed in oppression 

and he who dies on a Friday, day or night. 

H-8 gives another 'A'ibah tradition, underlying which may 

perhaps be the ancient Jewish (and Christian) belief that sex will 

have no meaning or part to play in the state after death. The 

Jewish and Christian sources refer in particular to the status of 

men and women in heaven.200 There is no marriage in heaven 

according to Islam, though sexual desire is expressed (the Har 

being present in Paradise for just that purpose), but there may be 

possible Jewish support from the later Jewish tractate Shabbat 30b, 

where it is said that in the world to come 'A woman shall conceive 

and bear a child at once' and 'In the future life a woman will bear 

a child every day.' 

On the subject of how men will sweat on the Day of Resurrection 

see Muslim, Sahib 51 : 60-62. Ahmad b. Hanbal mentions this 

subject very many times (Musnad, Vol. 11.70, 105, etc.). 

In connection with those who enter the Garden without facing 

the Reckoning (al-his&), we learn from the main authorities that 

70,000 will escape aZ-hi~iib.~~l According to Muslim202 the spirits 

of the &uhadtil are already in the Garden. 

(H-8) There is a report on the authority of the Prophet, 

God bless him and his family and give them peace, that on the 

Day of Resurrection men will assemble as their mothers gave 

birth to them--naked and barefoot. 'A'ihah said, '0 Apostle 

of God-God bless him and his family and give them peace 

men and women alike ?' He replied, 'Yes.' She said, 'Oh, 

how terrible! Will they look at each other ?' The Prophzt 

gtw~k his hand on ber shoulder and said, '0 daughter of


Abn Quh~fah,~O3 people will be too busy at that time to look. 

Their eyes will be raised204 to heaven, while they stand for 

forty years, not eating or drinking205 There will be some of 

them whose sweat will reach down to their feet. The sweat of 

others will reach to [their legs, that of others will reach to] 

their belly, that of still others to their chest. [The sweat of 

others will reach their face and the sweat will last throughout 

the period of standing.]' 

'A'iaah said, '0 Apostle of God, will the prophets assemble 

(folio 39) on the Day of Resurrection ?' He replied, 'Yes. The 

prophets ard their families, and those who fasted in Rajab and 

- Sha'ban and Ramad~n continuously. All people will fast on 

that day, except the prophets and their households and those 

who fasted in Rajab, - Sha'ban and Ramadan, for they will be 

satisfied and not be hungry or thirsty.' 

The first part of H-9 has attracted our attention already, but 

we have a specific statement here that the land of al-SiihirahZW 

contains the Sacred Temple. This last is the prototype of the 

Ka'bah in Paradise. sometimes called 'the frequented house'. For 

further information on this 'tent' or 'house' see Bubsri, JahTh, 59 : 

8 and 65 on Sarah LV, Muslim. Jabib, 5i: 23-25. On the subject 

of buildings in Paradise in general see further Tirmiai, Jami', 36 : 

2-3, Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 11,304 ff. 

(H-9) It is said that he shall lead them all together to the 

meeting place at the Sacred Temple in a land called al-Snhirah. 

[As God Most High said : 'But with one blast they shall 

return to the earth's surface.']207 It is said that the creatures 

in the areas of the Resurrection will be in one hundred and 

twenty rows, each row being the distance of a fortyZo8 years 

journey [and the extent of each row will be the distance of a 

twenty years jo~rneyl.~~~ It is stated that the believers among 

them will be in three rows, the remainder consisting of 

~nbelievers.~'~ 

On the subject of the rows of believers and unbelievers see 

note 211. H-10 further describes how the believers and unbelievers 

will appear on the Day of Resurrection. In addition to the quotations 

from the other religions, already given under H-1, here is a 

quotation from the 2nd century B.C. Ethiopic Enoch (xci-civ) : 

'The resurrected righteous will become companions of the heavenly 

hosts' (civ. 6) 'and shine as the stars for ever' (civ. 2).


(H-10) There is a report on the authority of the Prophet 

-God bless him and his family and give them peace-'My 

people will occupy one hundred and twenty rows.' This is 

verified. The believers on the Day of Resurrection are described 

as having white, brightly shining faces. The unrighteous are 

described as having black faces (and as) bound to the devils.211 

Topic I rather takes us back to the subject of the Assembly and 

again we have the normal Islamic emphasis on the mercy shown to 

believers. See further note 210. 

The word rendered 'finest camel' or 'camel of finest pedigree', 

etc., is unusual and most dictionaries do not list it. However, it is 

the feminine of a known word najSb, and we may safely assume that 

the reference in 1-1 and 1-2 is to the very best kind of animal- 

camel--although theoretically it could refer to any animal of fine 

pedigree. 

(I-1) Chapter concerning the leading of the creatures to 

the Place of Assembly. 

It is said that the unbelievers will be led on their feet, while 

the believers will be led on their finest camels and mounts : as 

God Most High said, 'The day will surely come when the 

righteous will be assembled in multitudes before the Lord of 

Mercy. 1212 

(1-2) 'Ali, on whom be peace, said : 'He will assemble the 

believersriding on their finest camels when the Day of Resurrec- 

tion comes.' God Most High will say to the angels (folio 39a), 

'Do not lead My servants without their riding camel-which is 

of the finest pedigree-for they have become used to the riding 

came1213 and they are unable to walk. Bring a pedigree camel 

for them-(out of) those which they offered as sacrifice. So 

they mount them and they proceed to the Lord. Therefore 

the Prophet, God bless him and his family and give them peace, 

said. 'Your fine animals are important, because on the Day of 

Resurrection they are your mounts.'214


NOTES 

1. Abii Hura~rah, one of Muhammad's 

traditions came. 

Companions. from whom many 

2. Hu&ayfah. presumably referring to HudJayfah b. al-Yaman, who lived in 

the times of the 'Uaman Caliphate and who warned the Caliph of the 

different recensions of the Qur'an in use in Iraq. 

3. Ibn 'Abbls-see n. 53 in "Islamic Eschatology-111". p. 99. 

4. Ridwan, Guardian of the Garden. The Jews have many legends about the 

angels who guard the entrance to Paradise, thought to be connected with 

the Cherubs who guarded the entrance to the Holy of Holies in the Temple 

of Solomon (Sulaymln). See Ginzberg. Legends of the Jews. Philadelphia. 

1909-38. Vol. I. pp. 70. 139. 

5. Jihinnom (Jahannam!. the Jewish and New Testament Gehinnom. originally 

a valley outside of Jerusalem where the Canaanites, before Israelite times 

in Palestine, sacrificed their babies to the god Moloch. It came to mean 

6. 

Hell in early Jewish and Christian eschatological language. 

'AVi&ah. wife of the Prophet, from whom originated some of the most 

important traditions. 

7. Mu'l& b. Jabal, a IQazriji from Gusham. one of the 'Readers', to be chief 

of the 'ulamii' on the Day of Resurrection. See Wensinck. A Handbook of 

Early Muhammadan Tradition. Leiden 1960, p. 158. See also Wellhausen. 

Muhammed in Medina (Wakidi's Kitlb al-Maghazi). Berlin 1882. pp. 114. 

379 ff., 392 ff. 

8. See "Islamic Eschatology-11". pp. 497-8 (C-3) : 111, pp. 57-8 (C-1). 71 

9. 

(C-1). 72-3 (C-3). 73-4 (C-4). 75 (C-6). and cf. 78 ff. (D-1, 2). 82 (D-6) ; 

IV. pp. 140-1 (A-1, 2. 3). 144 (B-2). 145 (B-5). 147 (C-2). 

For Jabir b. 'Abdallah see details in Wensinck. op. cit.. p. 58. 

10. Ibn 'Abbas. cousin of the Prophet. from whom came many important 

traditions. 

11. Al-S~hirah is described in Lisln al-'Arab as follows : 

- - ' I -&-A1 &'YI ipUI &.!I i a I f% A1 L.J+ j+f 3, &i 

,+.$ bWI & hy I& 14: L&->j'Yl d5-3 ipul 'I$! JU3 

: *ti13 j+YI ZpUI @I+ JU9 - ~JCIJ 

a! I9b L.3 A3 :pL pj k 3 

12. See further al-Iji, MawBqif. Bullq 1266. pp. 544 ff. On the meaning of the 

term yawm al-qiyamah see the full discussion in RB&ib al-IpbahHni's 

Mufra&t, p. 429. 

13. See further Itef. X : 462-5. 

14. E.g. VI : 73. XVIII : 102. XXIII : 101. XXVII : 87, etc. 

15. See Muslim. Kitab al-fitan wa aJhr7it al-sl'ah. traditions 108 ff. and 133. 

where the first Trumpet blast is regarded as one of the 'Signs' of the Day 

of Resurrection. 

16. See Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol. IV, p. 234, V, p. 252, VI. pp. 311,438. 

17. X : 61, XVII : 13-4. XVIII : 49, LXIX : 19, 20-25, 27, LXXXIV : 7-12.

18. From the Samaritan Liturgy. See The Theology of the Samaritans, by J. 

Macdonald. S.C.M. Press, London. 1964, p. 384. 

19. In "Islamic Eschatology-I", pp. 299-300. 

20. See the figure of the Cherub in the Old Testament. Exodus xxv. 19. 

xxxvii. 8, I Kings vi. 24-27. Ezekiel x. 2. 4. 7, 9, 14, xli. 18. 

21. See al-Tabari. Ta'ria. ed. de Goeje. Leiden. 1879-1901. I : 1248 ff. and 1255. 

See also al-(;hazali, al-Durrat al-FE&r ah, ed. Gautier, p. 42. 

22. The words added here ~n L (=Leeds MS) seem a reduplication of the same 

above. 

23. The L add. here [om. in C (=Cairo text)] seems superfluous. 

24. C 'comes' seems wrong. 

25. L 'side'. after the previous statement. C 'face' may be a secondary reading. 

26. "Islamic Eschatology-II", p. 490 (B-3). 

27. Al-Ka&&iif on Siirah XX : 116. 

28. al-Tabari, Ta'riB, 1 : 80. 

29. Since this is the first use of the term for some time we may have reason to 

regard this as a sign of compositeness in our material. 

30. L om. due to homoeotsleuton. 

31. Read I without the article, as C. 

c J 

32. Or 'the worlds'. Adjustment of 'worlds' into 'the world' is manifestly 

secondary. 

33. ' Qur'an. LXXVIII : 18. C om. the first two words. so thatJ+\ j is left 

as though belonging to the quotation following, but 4 does not belong to 

the latter. 

34. Qur'Bn. XXXIX : 68. 

35. Memar Marqah. quoted in The Theology of the Samaritans (see n. 18 above). 

p. 372. 

36. This om. by L due to homoeoteleuton ? 

37. C lacks the Energetic Nun emphatic form which seems so appropriate here. 

38. Quoted in The Theology of the Samaritans. p. 374. 

39. Or 'saves' after Dawood's translation (Qur'an, XXXIX : 68). 

40. Cf. the similar reference by Jesus to the Last Day : 'Alas for those who are 

with child and for those who give suck in those days' (Matthew xxiv. 19). 

41. Qur'an. XXII : 1. 

42. But C 'lose their way'. 

43. The longer C reading here seems secondary. 

44. Qur'an. XXII : 1. 

45. So C. A bad L scribal error ? 

46. Qur'Hn. XXII : 1, but L wrongly ;isWl for 2 . 

47. L om. in error. 

48. This L om. due to homoeoteleuton ? 

49. L 'a ewe'. an error arising from scribal confusion of letters. 

50. So C add. 

51. Om. the3 in 1:s ;&J3 SO C. 

52. Quoted in The Theology of Samaritans. p. 373. 

53. Again (cf. n. 37 above) C lacks the more graphic Emphatic Form.


54. Cf. Qur'zn. XXXIX : 68. 

55. Qur'an. I1 : 149. but L has a variant text at the beginning. 

55a. The Qur'an commonly uses the word &ahid in its primary meaning, 

'witness', but there is considerable controversy among the commentators 

about the meaning of the word fiuhadii' (sing. &ahid) used in 1V : 68 and 

XXXIX : 69, where it might have been used in its secondary meaning, i e. 

'martyrs'. The latter sense is usually expressed in the Qur'en by phrases 

like 'to be slain or to die on the Path of God'. cf. 111 : 157 and 169. XLVlI : 

4-6. But as Bjorkman has rightly put it, 'the martyr who seals his belief 

with his death, fighting against the infidels is &ahid throughout the Hadi& 

literature.' (E.I , article &ahid). The meaning of the word was extended 

to include those who die a violent death or in an epidemic or while 

performing a meritorious act or a mother who dies in child-bed, etc. 

-Editor. 

See further Ibrahim Haqqi. Ma'rifat-name (rurkish). BulHq 1251. 1255. 

Reading with C which is clearer. The first two words of L & 6 seem 

to be a corruption of . 

So C. L om. in error. 

With this thought may be compared the ancient Israelite belief in the Old 

Testament that Enoch (Genesis v. 22 ; cf. Hebrews xi. 5 in the New Testa- 

ment) and Elijah (I1 Kings ii. 11) were simply 'translated' into heaven 

instead of dying and being buried. 

A later insertion into the tradition here. 

So C. a later adjustment. 

Qur'an, XXXIX : 68. 

So C, clearly a later explanation : it is scarcely necessary. 

See the tradition as explained by E. Kautzsch. 'Life of Adam and Eve'. in 

Apokryphen. 15. 

The Syriac-Arabic text in Schatzhohle, ed. Bezold, pp. 15 ff. 

L seems in error here, and C is preferred. 

L lacks the YE' of &). 

The word kil,jll is also used of 'disobedient jinn'. Note the reappearance 

of the great cosmological number '70.000. See '70.000 years' in "Islamic 

Eschatology-I, pp. 289.291 : '70,000 drops' in ibid.. p. 301. 

C 'two angels'. a probable sign of the later stratum of the eschatological 

literature (even if editorial). 

C's singular seems less graphic and more 'orthodox'. 

The ancient Hebrew word for the afterworld of the dead. 

L. 'says' is an error, of course. 

C. 'scares him' or 'yells at him' is rather weaker, and secondary. 

L. jkp must be a corruption of (C). 

So C. This addition is probably not original, but added after the similar 

imagery preceding. 

SO C in specific stylea sign of editorial activity. 

'Iblis' add. from C. 

Cf, the figure of Cain in Genesis iv. 11-14.


79. 2 add. 'and was cursed thereon' seems to be a later comment. 

80. C 'and the angels of divine justice take him and pierce him, and he remains 

in fear' is less graphic and may be secondary. 

81. C 'pangs'. 

82. Omitting Yl with C. L has the Qur'anic quotation as above in error. 

82a. And the Southern Arabs. Cf. in the passage cited (D-1) sea is noted for 

its 'wonders'.-Editor. 

C add. (in later style ?) 'by the command of God Most High'. 

Qur'Bn, XXVIII : 88. 

Add. with C. L's omission is no doubt due to homoeteleuton. 

C 'springs'. 

C 'are eclipsed'. L's reading may be compared with the Biblical passages 

Ezekiel xxxii. 7, Joel ii. 10. iii. 15 ; the idea of eclipse may be at the back- 

ground of Isaiah xxiv. 23. 

The additional material of D-5 follows on directly here, 

Fordetails of the two texts consulted for our study see "Islamic Eschato- 

logy-I", p. 285, 11, pp. 485-6, 111, pp. 55-6. See also the Editorial notes 

in 11, p. 517. n. 2 and IV. p. 179 (APPENDIX). 

The omission by L of this tradition may be due to homoeoteleuton, since 

this and the next tradition have the same beginning. but the hyperbole 

involved suggests that theadditional one may be the product of a later 

source. 

C's ' . . . remains destroyed. as God Most High willed' suggests a later 

stratum in the eschatology. 

See note 26 in "Islamic Eschatology-I", p. 307. on the significance in 

Gnostic terms of 'wills'. 

L 'sends them' seems inappropriate. 

But C only blgJ . making it a proper name. He is Rigwdn Hiiris al-elannah. 

The eschatological horse mentioned (not by name) in the Qur'an-cf. XVII : 

1.60. LIII : 1-18 : LXXXI : 19-25-is thought in the tradition to be the very 

horse which bore Muhammad on the night of the mi'riij. See T. W. Arnold. 

Painting in Islam. Oxford 1928. pp. 117-22. for traditional pictures 

(especially his Plates lii-lvi) of the animal. A stone in the Mosque 

of al-Sak,hrah in Jerusalem is held to be the saddle of the horse. For 

furtherdetails of beliefs about al-BurBq see Arnold, op. cit. 

C add. 'inset (with)'. 

The Theology of the Samaritans, p. 428. 

Gospels of Matthew xvii. 3. Mark ix. 4, Luke ix. 30. 

C 'the light of Muhammad' (a later commentary on the original niir ?). 

The term nZr mu3ammadi represents. in mystical thought, the pre-existent 

state of Muhammad's soul. According to the Encyclopedia of Islam the idea 

of this first appeared in Sunni mystical Islam in the 3rd century of the 

Muslim era and later came to dominate popular worship. An excellent 

discussion on this subject iscontained in T. Andrae. Die Person Muhammads. 

1917. pp. 313-26. 

I. e. taught by the mystics, 'in the form of a dense and luminous point' (so


Shorter Enc~clopedia of Islam). The possible connection here with the 

ancient Israelite 'pillar of cloud' and 'pillar of fire' (indicating the 

presence of God) has never been worked out. 

Or 'Caliph', but C 'Friend', the term used of the Patriarch Abraham. 

C's plural here seems wrong. Irsefil must be the one who addresses 

Mubammad, followed by 'Izrs'il. 

L's om. here due to homoeoteleuton. 

Otherwise known as yawm al-fasl. 

Quoted in The Theology of the Samantans. pp. 362-3. 

Presumably not the proper name al-Bur~q here. but a play on it. The form 

must= ~12Y1. 'redesigned' for the alliterative play on the preceding 

3kJl and the following and 3MI 

C further adds : 'He says. "Now my heart is glad and I am relievedH ' 

(literally 'my eye is consoled') which is probably a later add. 

Revelation xix. 11. 

Cf. the Gog-Magog legend and al-DajjB1 traditions of Islam. 

So a possible connection with the Islamic al-buriiq (root 'flash') may exist. 

C 'bright' seems secondary. 

So C. L's + is an obsolete word meaning 'stout'. It may be original 

(dialectically ?). 

C lacks this description and connects his appearance with the peacock. 

If =J&- . CC represents a wide deviation from the original 33.1- 

The subject is clearly al-Bursq. 

Or 'lord of the banner'. 

C's 'a herald proclaims' is smoother. The epithet 'Powerful One' is an 

ancient Gnostic phrase, used regularly by the Samaritans of the Roman era. 

C's 'Muhammad' seems to be a later emendation of the intimate term here. 

Reading with C. 

This is much more graphic and full of pathos than C's expanded '0 my 

God, what you promised me concerning my people'. 

Qur'an, XCIII : 5. 

Cf. the ancient Israelite tradition of the manna (Hebrew man-cf. the root 

MNY here) being sent by God to refresh the Israelites in their desert 

wanderings. 

This passage om. in C. 

1.e. the Ethiopic Book of Enoch, chapters xxxvii-lxx. 

Cf. the many similar expressions in the 4th century A.D. Memar Marqah 

of the Samaritans, passim in the present writer's edition : Beiheft 84 zur 

Zeitschrift far die Alttestamentliche Wissen~chaft, Berlin 1963. 

Jihinnom or Jahannam. the Biblical Gehenna. 

Cf. the ancient Babylonian and early Israelite cosmogony. where the earth 

was conceived as resting on pillars (the mountains) which go right down 

through the sea, deep into the earth. In the depth there is the Pit or Sheol. 

where the dead exist. 

So the Jewish belief-seven levels of heaven and seven of earth. For the 

manv Tewish legends about this see the relevant sections of Ginzberg.


Legends of the Jews. 

128. Edition by L. Krehl. Leiden 1862-68 (Vols. 1-111) and by Tin. W. Juynboll. 

Leiden 1907-8 (Vol. IV). 

129. Cairo 1283 edition. 

130. As note 104. 

131. This and the following statement seem to have been inserted. since reference 

has already been made to God giving command (to Israfil). There may be 

a sign of compositeness here. 

132. Qur'zn. XXXIX : 68. 

133. The L passage here is corrupt, being a mixture of 'they shall gaze up to the 

heavens' and 'the heavens had been split'. The original must have been 

&!,.dl &I&. a19*J1 JI dJ& . The C reading is a later emenda- 

tion. See Qur'an. LV : 37. LXIX : 16. LXXXIV : 1. 

134. Or 'assembled' : the verb $I is normally used of people in this sense. 

135. On the subject of how the people will be assembled see al-BuQairi. Sahib. 

51. 59. 

136. Qur'gn. XXXVI : 52. 

137. Zbid. 

138. Quoted in The Theology of the Samaritans. p. 385. 

139. Quoted in The Theology of the Samaritans. p. 387. The Biblical 'Sheol' is 

the term used of the pit of the dead in Judaism and Samaritanism. 

140. Qur'gn. LXXVIII : 18. 

141. C's add. 'of my people' may be interpreted as the expression of a later 

particularist. 

142. Cf. Qur'an, V : 60 for some of the imagery here and following. 

143. The choice of this rare word was no doubt governed by the presence of the 

word in the following Qur'Hnic quotation. 

144. Qur'an. 11 : 190. 

145. So C L is corrupt here. It may have originally been i+JI &I ,+ 'they 

are the bribers . . . . ' 

146. Qur'an. V : 42. 

147. C 'confused'. 

148. C's &+j is evidently a poor replacement for L's &i , an instance of C. 

substituting a more familiar word. See next note. 

149. C replaces the less common reading of L (i)Jjp) with the more common 

d,j,lt;r . See preceding note. 

150. Qur'Hn, IV : 58. 

151. Qur'Hn. IV : 36. 

152. L is corrupt in reading &+-) for 3;t-,- and for +I. 

153. Qur'an. I1 : 43. 

154. Qur'an. XVII : 36. C inadvertently om. the whole quotation. 

155. Reading eb with C instead of L's . which seems to be an error in 

view of the sequel. 

156. Qur'zn. I1 : 86. 

L57. Qur'an I1 : 267. 

."

THE DAY OF RESURRECTION 

158. L here seems more original than C's intenser reading agYb. 

159. Qur'an, XLIX : 12. 

160. Neither text has the expected Qur'Bnic quotation here. 

160a. Qur'Bn. LXXII : 18. C cites only the first part. 

161. Qur'an. 111 : 229. 

162. See note 7. 

163. Read i)g with C. 

164. Qur'an. IV : 36. only in C. 

165. Qur'en. CVII : 4-5. 

166. Read i;gjI. 

167. Qur'Hn. IX : 34-35. 

168. C &tiq, a small Persian coin (silver), worth the sixth part of a dirham. 

The diiniq is cited in A-5 of "Islamic Eschatology- III". p. 65. 

169. Qur'an. I11 : 77. 

170. Read Igik with C. 

171. Qur'an. IV : 108. 

172. Qur'sn, XXV : 72. only in C, referring to the righteous. 

173. Qur'an. I1 :-283. 

174. Qur'sn. XVII : 32. C lacks the second half of the quotation. L has an 

extra word after-&li. 

175. In the wording of Qur'an. IV : 10. 

176. Qur'zn. IV : 11 (cf. 11: 169). 

177. Qur'an, IV : 36. Read 13+\ with C. 

178. Read pjli.&) 3 with C. 

179. Qur'an, V : 90. 

180. So C. L's 'prayer' seems to be an error. 

181. Probably intended to read 'on Fridays'. 

Qur'an. XLI : 30, most of the verse being inadvertently om. in L. 

Quoted in The Theology of the Samaritans, p. 375. 

C's 'the Muslims' is no doubt a later emendation. 

This last statement is distinctively Islamic (though there are some Jewish 

parallels). with the reference to the purifying water. Cf. the reference 

above to fasting being efficacious on the Day of Resurrection. 

first remarks concerning H-2 below. 

See also the 

C 'The angels'-showing the hand of a later editor ? 

These passages om. in C. For 

1.e. towards Ka'bah 

Read ~$5 ? 

Read I ~ with J C. L's bb+ has no antecedent for the suffix. 

See note 9 above. 

191. See note 4 above. Read (JI+JI without the article. 

192. C 'fat'. 

193. Reading with C. L's text here is corrupt and unintelligible. 

194. C plural. 

195. Or reading as optative 'May God open up'. 

196. So C. The text from a grammatical viewpoint is unsatisfactory here.

JOHN MACDONALD 

Figure of those favoured. 

C add. 'in their mouths' by way of clarifying an unfamiliar expression. 

L's plural is of course possible. 

Mishnah, Berakhot 17a (2nd-3rd century A.D.). Gospel of Mark xii. 25. 

Luke xx. 34-36. 

Muslim, Zmln. traditions 374 ff. 

Sa&b. 6 : 38. 

C 'Abij QuMfah'. correctly. For the story of his conversion see Abmad b. 

Hanbal. Musnad. Vol. VI, pp. 349 ff. 

C 'will be fixed on'-a later retouch ? 

C add. 'Each one of them will be sweating in shame before God Most High'. 

but this is unnecessary and anticipatory. 

See note 11. 

Qur'an. LXXIX : 13-14. This quotation map be lacking in L because of 

homoeoteleuton. 

Om. L's 'thousand' is an error. 

Following C. There may be another error in L here due to homoeoteleuton. 

On the subject of the arrangement of resurrected men at the Assembly see 

Muslim. Sahib, 51 : 29 : Ahmad b. Hanbal. Musnad. Vol. 11, pp. 354. 367. 

So C. The original text of L is corrupted. It must have been 'tormented 

by the devil'. 

The L text quotes Qur'Bn. XIX : 85, with replacing @I. Or it 

may be a confused version of XIX : 85, where the last word I&, may have 

been corrupted in error. C, however, quotes Qur'Bn. XIX : 86, 'And the 

~inful driven in great hordes into Hell-fire.' 

C add. the following : " . . . in the world. At the beginning the loins of their 

father was their mount. Then the belly of their mother was their mount 

for nine months. When their mother gave birth to them their mother's 

bosom was their mount for two years' suckling, until when they grew up 

their father's neck was their mount. Then horses, mules and asses were 

their mounts in the deserts. and ships (were their mounts) at sea. When 

they died the neck of their brethren (carrying them on their funeral journey) 

was their mount. When they rise from their graves. do not make them go 

on foot. for they have become accustomed to riding." Either this is a later 

expansion, or it is om. in L by homoeoteleuton. The former explanation is 

likelier, as this add. material is clearly inferior and hardly relevant. 

214. C add. 'That is, your riding beasts', a later explanatory note.

TEXT 

[Footnotes refer to the variant readings of the Cairo text.] 

J +J 3 slkill9d&i Cdl j k,+ &Lu^ & lib A-2 

&J JJ ,,L 3 ll-cd I 2 kg ),+-I1 A I +- L Jl lo,& 

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ZC;- "63- +l+l Jl (folio 29) +l+I 3 "yLu $JI 

~"'"411,dyy r%Jl qL &Iy!, ?%Jl qL &'IE irj rb 

13++ *j & LTb 3 ,y-'Y I & J&I C~J Y l-{li 

1. 3391 yyl 

2. riJs3 

3. 4 

4. 

5. Add.+ 

6. Add. p-h 

7. Y3 and add. YI after $pJI 

8. J4? 

9. 

10. a 3 

11. om. 

12. -3 

13. $4 

14. 

15. I;J 

16. ;t. 

17. +3

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19. ~dd. bp133 &Yb 

29. 

30. 

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homoeoteleuton. 32. 

20. &I 

a. 4 ~ Y &I?, 1 

22. d &.YJ 

23. Om. 

24. Add. "+?I 

25. Add. b; 

33. 

34. 

35. 

26. Add. WI 36. 

27. Add. ,y (Yl) 37. 

28. ~~p.19 Ci ki b!tyl+49 

due to homoeoteleuton ?

THE DAY OF RESURRECTION 181

82. *&ad 

83. & & 

84. 3?;l (after &l~l>) 

86. & &4 

87. Add.&? 

88. Reverse order. 

89. &> 

90. J=?, 

91. $ 

92. 3aL 

93. &J 

94. JU~ 

95. JJ+ 


96. Om. 

97. @JtW 

98. Gx-j 

99. wand add. 3 -%A$ 43 

&jYI> d+I &I Lf-=- 

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101. Om. 

102. &JY 

103. Add. rdl 

104. Add. 

105. 31 slp2 

106. Add.9 

107. vp

184 JOHN MAcDOHALD 

+'/ . - ll0+ '+lJI j p &!, *d?) lo9@I ~'6 J$ 

I "2+rk," di 3 lll-+i kFl-lll &ill ?dl j dK lil 

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108. +- 

109. & 

110. Add. A? 

111. ++ $3 44 b 

112. 4s ++ 

113. Om. 3 

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31; 

Add. @s 

'+*>+- 9 

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186 JOHN MACDONALD

THE DAY OF RES~JRRECT~ON 187 

173. 

174. 3 L 

175. 

- 

LC 

176. 5b?Jl3 

177. 

178. GA~ j &".LSJ 

179. Add. d \f- 

L &I 

180. and add. >A 

181. " ' 1 

182. 3.k" 

183. 4 only. Original error 

in C due to homoeoteleuton.

194. Om. 

195. sUI 31 

1%. 4 

197. dj~ 

198. Add. ;i?YI 

199. 3s;NI 

200. ; lp ilk 

201. Pr. 3 

202. Om. after A add. & 3

203. f%JI+ A1 

204. ;r 

205. Add. f%JI 

206. Add. sf ;r 

207. Add. d 

208. Pr. 3 

209. &I 

210. Add. 'i 

211. Pr.3 

212. b 

213. ,y+ 

214. &'G 

215. Before LYU~ 

216. bbke 

217. Add. &+- 

*js

232. Om. 

233. d& 

234. dl Jli" L( 

235. Pr. 9 

236. &dy 

237. (A\) 9 b&+ 

238. dl & L( 

239. Om. 

240. -++ 

241. Om. 

242. GJG 

243. +ul 4 (after 

244. A 3li" L( 

245. Om.


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269. 21 Jb L( 

270. Pr. J 

271. Om. 

272. GIJ 

273. &$j 

274. rl$J!, $1 

275. 21 36 

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276. &J131 

277. 6; 1 +J lj. 34;.;? 

278. Add. !, 

279. 9 19% L. should be: read 

.;;f;

192 JOHN MACDONALD


194 JOHN MACDONALD

9 p94;' h4 (folio 38a) J_psLwI 356d2& 355j;Jl 4 3 H-6 

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344. Om. 

345. db_) 

346. Add. Glc 'a 2, 

347. r%Jl bL 

348. Id 

349. ,941 .,.i'% 

350. Add. r%JIbL 

351. Add. r%JI & Jli-3 

352. 3 ki 

353. -+ f-3 3 -+I f-A 

354. c3zs

376. 92'403 

377. ~'19s 

378. ,-+Y 

379. djf 

380. 'pk Al JO I( and add. 

,+ lib Ol.1~19 Sej Vb 

L.om.by Jb-*pWL! 


381. &3;! 

382. 3+9 

383. Om. 

384. Add. s e -'$ $49 

L. om. by S+ 


385. dkp &% 

386. r%JI +&= 311 J_)uJ

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3+3 

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Om. 

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405. +'Wl 

406. dy-% v(,i 

407. rU1 4jS 

403. Add. fir. dl

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