What is the trumpet on the Day of Judgement?
The trumpet (as-Sur) is a horn that an angel will blow at Allah's command to end this world and then to raise everyone back to life for the Day of Judgement. Muslims commonly identify the angel as Israfil. It is mentioned many times in the Quran and is part of believing in the Last Day.
What is the Sur?
The Quran calls it "as-Sur". When a man asked the Prophet ﷺ what it was, he said it is a horn that will be blown (Sunan Abi Dawud 4742). We don't know what it looks like or sounds like beyond that. Like other matters of the unseen, Muslims believe in it as described without trying to picture the details.
The two blasts
The Quran describes the trumpet being blown twice:
- The first blast ends life in the heavens and on earth. Everything that lives dies, except whom Allah wills.
- The second blast brings everyone back to life. People rise from their graves and gather for judgement.
The Prophet ﷺ said there will be "forty" between the two blasts. When his companion Abu Hurairah was asked whether he meant forty days, months or years, he declined to say, because he hadn't heard more (Sahih al-Bukhari 4814). Some scholars mention a third, earlier blast of terror, based on Quran 27:87, while others say that is the same as the first.
Who blows it, and when?
The Quran does not name the angel, but early Muslim tradition and most scholars say it is Israfil, one of the great angels. See Do Muslims believe in angels?
The Prophet ﷺ described the angel of the horn as already holding it to his mouth, waiting for the order, and told his companions to say "Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil" (Allah is enough for us, and He is the best Protector) (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2431). He also mentioned that the blast will happen on a Friday (Sunan Abi Dawud 1047). As for which Friday, only Allah knows. See What are the signs of the Day of Judgement?
Why this matters
The trumpet is a reminder that this life has a clear end and a clear new beginning. After the second blast comes the reckoning, the scales, and finally Paradise or Hell. See Do Muslims believe in heaven and hell? Believers are not meant to live in fear of it, but to live a life they'll be glad to stand up for.
- The Sur is a horn blown by an angel, commonly named as Israfil.
- The first blast ends all life; the second raises everyone up.
- There will be "forty" between the blasts; the unit is unknown.
- It will happen on a Friday known only to Allah.
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