This des c r i p tion has come only once in the Qura’n. In verse 7 of Surah Insaan that says:
“They fulfill (their) vows and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide spread.”
The word “ Mustatir’ has been derived from “Teeran” which mean flight but here it means widespread and vast so some have taken it to mean “ extra-ordinary in length” . The term “all encompassing daylight” is used to denote the brightness of the morning that spread everywhere.
“Sharr” here means the punishment of The Day of judgment or the fear and terror and it will be so vast that it will encompass the entire earth; even the angels will be in despair. Not only the evil doers but even the righteous people who are unaware of all their deeds will share the anxiety.
It is pleasant to note that this despair has been attributed to the righteous people also for this fear is results from the retrain from all sins and leads to the obedience of God.
The Day people will neglect their brothers parents, wives and children.
This des c r i p tion too has come only once in the Qura’n and is a vivid picture of the Day of Judgment. Verses 34 to 37 of Surah Abasa say:
“The Day shall a man flee from his brother; (35) and from his mother and father (36) and from his wife and children and (37) every man that Day shall have enough to make him careless of others.”
The closest people to a person are his brothers, parents, wives and children. The strange fact is that the Qura’n does not say that he will be oblivious of them but that he will avoid them. He will avoid the mother whom he loved, the father he respected, the wife he loved very much and the children who he endeared in his heart and who were the light of his eyes.
These are the people to whom he went in times of trouble in this world and they were the source of his consolation in times of need but there the situation will be such that he will avoid them.
The roar of the Day of Judgment which the Qura’n has termed as “saqqah” and which we have discussed earlier will be so great that it will severe all relations. Its sound will be so deafening that it will make man neglect everyone but himself.
Why will man be neglectful? Will it be due to the fear of being shamed in front of those who were closest? It may be that the punishments for their sins make him afraid, or that he has wasted their rights and they may demand the same that day?
The fear and terror of the Day of Reckoning will be so great that it will separate him from all others and he will care only for himself. He will run away from them to find his path of salvation. Will he run away from them to find his ultimate fate?
Each of the four reasons will be enough for him to run away from them and on that day all of them will be present.
The Hadith says that one person from the Messenger’s family asked, “Will a person remember his closest friend on the Day of Judgment?”(1)
He replied:
“There are three stages where no one will remember anyone else: First at the scale of deeds; secondly at Siraat and thirdly when he will be given his book of deeds.
1. Tafsir Burhan vol.4 page 429 Hadith 1
