When Mankind Will Scatter…

by | Aug 21, 2008 | 3 comments

When describing the Day of Judgement and the state of the people, Allah `azza wa jall says:

يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ
“It is a Day whereon mankind will be like moths scattered about…” [al-Qari’ah: 4]

But in Soorah al-Qamar, He says:

خُشَّعاً أَبْصَارُهُمْ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ
“They will come forth, with humbled eyes from the graves as if they were locusts spread abroad…” [al-Qamar: 7]

At one point, Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa describes Mankind as moths and another time as locusts. Scientifically speaking, the two species of insects differ greatly when it comes to their interactions. Moths are usually scattered around whereas locusts only ever travel in groups tightly bonded.

So why the two different descriptions?

Shaykh Salih al-Maghamisi (hafidhahullah) says the reasons for this lies in the stages of the Day of Judgement. When the ressurrection first takes place and people exit from their graves, they will be like moths – scattered around, blinded, running away from each other in extreme fear and daze, unaware of where to go! Until a Caller will call:

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَّبِعُونَ الدَّاعِيَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُ وَخَشَعَت الْأَصْوَاتُ لِلرَّحْمَنِ فَلَا تَسْمَعُ إِلَّا هَمْساً
“On that Day mankind will follow strictly (the voice of) Allah’s caller, no crookedness will they show him (Allah’s caller). And all voices will be humbled for the Most Beneficent, and nothing shall you hear but the low voice of their footsteps.” [Ta Ha: 108]

Then Mankind will gather and form like locusts travelling in groups, following the call towards the plains of Judgement.

Subhanallah look at the deep benefit in truly knowing the descriptions given by Allah, especially those that He uses to describe us! We get a clearer picture of our state on yawm al-Qiyaamah and how it changes from one situation to another… from scattered moths to grouped locusts. Allahul Musta’aan, may Allah make us from the foremost group headed for al-Firdaws. Ameen!

3 Comments

  1. hearandobey
    hearandobey on August 23, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    SubhanAllah… jzk sis for sharing this. Btw, are these from the Shaykh’s tafseer duroos?

    Reply
  2. Umm Ibrahim
    Umm Ibrahim on August 30, 2008 at 9:50 pm

    Assalaamu alaikum,

    Just discovered your blog, masha’Allah very nice. 🙂

    Jazakillahu khair for sharing this, most interesting subhan Allah.

    Reply
  3. Fajr
    Fajr on January 21, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    Comment input from Abu Emaan:

    ——————————————————————————–
    LIKE LOCUSTS
    ——————————————————————————–

    7- They will come out of the graves with downcast eyes like an expanding swarm of locusts.
    54-The Moon, 7

    In the verse above, unbelievers are reminded that they will be resurrected and that it will be a difficult day for them. Imagine, billions of men rising from the dead, coming out of their graves! Confusion, perplexity, fear, remorse… Everybody on his own… The only help is from God. The day when high offices, families, riches and possessions have no value- the day of no return…

    The resurrected are likened to locusts; why particularly locusts? Recent research benefiting from micro cameras conducted by a systematic observation of insects have given us an idea about the reason for the selection of locusts as an example. To begin with, swarms of locusts, billions of them together, give the impression of a vast rain cloud without end, a black mass stretching far and wide many kilometers! Locusts bury their eggs in the earth and their larvae spend some time under the ground before they eventually emerge to the surface.

    Take for instance the locusts, part of the fauna of New England, USA; in the month of May of the year in which they attain their 17th year, these insects emerge from under the ground where they have been living for years and years. Suppose, you tell a man: “We’ll shut you up in a dark cell without a wristwatch and you’ll have no contact whatsoever with the outside world and you’ll be released at the end of the 17th day.” it is very doubtful that he will be able to know exactly the time when he will be let out. There is a similarity between the rebirth of locusts and man’s resurrection.

    -After a long time
    -Under the ground
    -Altogether
    -Densely crowded
    -They rise to the surface of the earth
    http://www.quranmiracles.com/articles.asp?id=73

    Reply

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