The Qur’ān foretells man that a Day shall come when the life on earth shall come to an end, ‘when the earth is violently shaken and the mountains crumble away and scatter abroad into fine dust’ (56:4-6), when the mountains that look so mighty shall be ‘like fluffs of carded wool in varying colours’ (101:5), ‘when the sky is cleft asunder, when the stars are scattered, when the oceans are made to explode…’ (82:1-3) and ‘the heaven shall be split asunder and shall become crimson like leather’ (55:37). In fact, the whole of the present order of the universe, the earth and theheavens, will be overthrown. This will be the Day when all human beings, right from the first man on earth Hazrat Adam to the last person to be born on earth, shall be resurrected and subjected to accountability of their deeds on earth, and finally shall be rewarded with the Paradise or punished in the Hell, for ever. This Day is called the Day of Resurrection or the Day of Judgement.
The Qur’ān (55:37) makes us sit erect and think: “(What will happen) when the heaven will be split asunder and will become crimson like leather or like burning oil?” This verse presents a picture of the universal upheaval like the bursting of the heavens, loosening of the order of the heavens, scattering of the celestial bodies, upsetting of the system of the heavens. It would be like the entire heavens were on fire.
Today, those who do not believe deem Resurrection impossible; theymock at those who foretell them about the coming of this Day, and perhaps think that Allah the Almighty has no power to bring it about. But when it shall have taken place and they would see with theirown naked eyes all that they are being foretold, the Qur’ān asks them: ‘which of the powers of Allah will you then deny?’
The unbelievers live in a state of doubt and confusion. While the believers are clear in their perception of the Divine teachings; they believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of perception (2:3). Belief in the coming of the Day of Resurrection, in the existence of the Paradise, the Hell, and Angels, comes under the purview of that which is beyond the reach of perception (ghaib).
This is why the wise take this life on earth as the God-given opportunity to prepare for the Next World, lead a life in strict accordance with the teachings of the Qur’ān and the sayings of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Only such believers will reap ultimate success.