The Earthquake of the Hour

The earthquake mentioned here will be one of the preliminary signs of the Last Day. Most probably it will take place at a time when the earth will suddenly start whirling rapidly in a direction opposite to its erstwhile direction, and when the sun will rise from the west rather than from the east. This view is held by some of the early Quranic commentators such as ‘Alqamah and Sha‘bī. The same point is borne out by the lengthy hadīth cited on the authority of Abū Hurayrah by Ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī and Ibn Abī Hātim. According to this hadīth, the Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said that the Trumpet would be blown three times. When blown for the first time, it would cause extreme fright and consternation; the second blowing of the Trumpet would cause everyone to die; and at the third sounding, everyone would be resurrected and stand before God for His judgement. While giving a graphic account of the first Trumpet blow, the Holy Messenger said that the earth would then resemble a boat that is tossed about by tempestuous waves, or it would resemble a suspended lamp that is violently shaken by strong gusts of wind. When the earthquake of Doomsday strikes, mothers will flee in fright, abandoning the babies they are suckling, too panic-stricken even to be able to think of what will happen to their babies.