Surah An-Nazi'at, Ayah 35

The Day of Judgement, its Pleasures and Hell, and that its Time is not known

Allah says,

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ الطَّآمَّةُ الْكُبْرَى

(But when there comes the Great Catastrophe) This refers to the Day of Judgement. This has been said by Ibn `Abbas. It has been called this because it will overcome every matter. It will be frightful and horrifying. As Allah says,

وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ

(And the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter.) (54:46) Then Allah says,

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الإِنسَـنُ مَا سَعَى

(The Day when man shall remember what he strove for.) meaning, at that time the Son of Adam will reflect upon all of his deeds, both the good and the evil. This is as Allah says,

فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّـهُ نَكَالَ الْآخِرَ‌ةِ وَالْأُولَىٰ (So, Allah seized him for the deterrent punishment in the Hereafter and the present world....79:25). The word nakal means an 'exemplary punishment' or 'an extremely severe punishment given to an offender to deter others against committing a similar offence or sin'. The phrase 'punishment of the 'akhirah' refers to the punishment of the Hereafter that will be meted out to Fir'aun (the Pharaoh). The phrase 'punishment of the 'al a' refers to the punishment meted out to Fir'aun (the Pharaoh) and his army in this world whereby they were destroyed by drowning.

The magnificent phenomenon before us in the shape of the universe is so great that all other things are small in comparison to it. So, in the world when the occurrence of a big event is possible, why should the occurrence of a small event not be possible? There are already many factors in existence on a large scale which explain the Quran’s declaration that man shall one Day have to face resurrection.