frequent of which is yaum al-qiyāmah or the Day of the Great Rising, which occurs seventy times in the Holy Qur’ān. Next to it is al-sā‘ah which means the Hour, and occurs forty times; yaum al-ākhir or the Last Day occurs twenty-six times, while al-ākhirah as meaning the Future Life occurs over a hundred times. Next in importance is yaum al-dīn which means the Day of Requital. Yaum al-faṣl or the Day of Decision occurs six times, and yaum al-ḥisāb or the Day of Reckoning five times. Other names occur only once or twice, such as yaum al-fatḥ (the Day of Judgment), yaum altalāq (the Day of Meeting), yaum al-jam‘ (the Day of Gathering), yaum al-khulūd (the Day of Abiding), yaum al-khurūj (the Day of Coming Forth), yaum al-ba’th (the Day of being Raised to Life), yaum al-ḥasrat (the Day of Regret), yaum al-tanād (the Day of Calling Forth), yaum al-āzifah (the Day that draws near), yaum al-taghābun (the Day of Manifestation of Losses). Other names which occur once or twice without the word yaum (day) are al-qāri‘ah (the striking Calamity), al-ghāshiyah (the Overwhelming Calamity), al-sākhkhah (the Deafening Calamity), altāmmah (the Predominating Calamity), al-ḥāqqah (the Great Truth), and al-wāqi‘ah (the Great Event).
It will be seen that most of these names refer either to a destruction or an awakening and rising to a new life; they relate to the sweeping off of an old order and the establishment of a new one. A few quotations descriptive of the Resurrection will make the point clearer. “He asks: When is the Day of Resurrection? So when the sight is confused, and the moon becomes dark, and the sun and the moon are brought together. Man shall say on that day, whither to flee? No! There is no refuge! With thy Lord on that day is the place of rest. Man will that day be informed of what he sent before and what he put off … Nay, but you love the present life; and neglect the Hereafter. (Some) faces that day will be bright, looking to their Lord. And (other) faces that day will be gloomy, knowing that a great disaster will be made to befall them” (75:6-25). “When the stars are made to disappear, and when the heaven is rent asunder, and when the mountains are carried away as dust, and when the messengers are made to reach their appointed time” (77:8-11). “Surely the Day of Decision is appointed — the day when the trumpet is blown, so you come forth in hosts; and the heaven is opened so it becomes as doors;