al-Qiyama al-Kubra
- Author died
- 1433 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Nafa'is lil-Nashr wal-Tawzi'
al-Qiyama al-Kubra (The Major Resurrection) is a theological treatise on Islamic eschatology by the scholar Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar (d. 1433 AH / 2012 CE), examining the events, cosmic disruptions, and trials of the Day of Judgment in Sunni doctrine .
Context and Scope
The work constitutes the second volume in al-Ashqar's eschatological sub-series al-Yawm al-Akhir (The Last Day), situated between the first part, al-Qiyama al-Sughra (The Minor Resurrection), which focuses on death, the grave, and the signs of the Hour, and the third part, al-Janna wa-al-Nar (Paradise and Hellfire) . The book concentrates specifically on the major resurrection, defining it as the period beginning with the annihilation of created life, followed by bodily resurrection, the gathering of all beings before God for reckoning, and their eventual conveyance to their final abode .
Structure and Content
The text is organized systematically around scriptural and theological themes concerning the Day of Judgment:
- Names of the Day of Resurrection: The work opens by surveying the prominent scriptural names designated for the Day of Resurrection—such as al-Yawm al-Akhir, al-Sa'ah, Yawm al-Ba'th, Yawm al-Khuruj, al-Qari'ah, Yawm al-Fasl, Yawm al-Din, al-Sakhkhah, al-Tammah al-Kubra, and Yawm al-Hasrah . Al-Ashqar notes classical enumerations that reached fifty names by scholars like Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and al-Qurtubi, drawing on expositions by Ibn al-Arabi, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Ibn Qutayba, and Ibn Najah .
- Cosmic Annihilation and Upheaval: Detailed treatment of the destruction of the created universe, including God's grasping of the earth and rolling up of the heavens, the leveling of the earth, the blowing away and movement of mountains, the ignition and boiling of the oceans, the fracturing and splitting of the sky, the folding of the sun, the eclipse of the moon, and the scattering of the stars .
- Resurrection and States of Humankind: The emergence of humankind from their graves and their differentiated conditions on the plains of gathering, categorized primarily into disbelievers, sinful believers, and the righteous .
- Accountability and Divine Reckoning: An exposition of the principles of the divine reckoning (al-hisab), emphasizing absolute justice, the presentation of records of deeds to humanity, and questioning concerning shirk, lifespan, worldly deeds, and covenants .
- The Scale, Bridge, and Redress: The weighing of deeds on the Scale (al-mizan), crossing the Bridge (al-sirat), and the detention of believers on the intermediate bridge (al-qantara) between Paradise and Hellfire to settle mutual grievances and be purified before admission to Paradise .
Method and Sources
Al-Ashqar constructs the work upon explicit texts of the Quran and authenticated Prophetic traditions, accompanied by citations of classical commentaries and theological works, including those of al-Tabari, al-Baghawi, Ibn Kathir, and al-Qurtubi .
Publication
The book was first published by Maktabat al-Falah in Kuwait in 1407 AH (1986 CE) . It subsequently saw multiple printings by Dar al-Nafa'is in Jordan, including a third edition in 1411 AH (1991 CE) and a sixth edition in 1415 AH (1995 CE) .
Answer updated