Q 7: Allah (Exalted be He) says, And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allâh wills. Then it will be blown a second time, and behold they will be standing, looking on (waiting). (Part No. 3; Page No. 460) How long is the time between the two instances of blowing? Who will be exempt from death between these two instances?

A: The interval between the two instances of blowing is a matter of the ghayb (Unseen) which cannot be estimated by reason or by practicing Ijtihad (juristic effort to infer expert legal rulings). It can be decided only through narrations from the Prophet (peace be upon him). There is no authentic Hadith regarding this matter. It is narrated by Al-Bukhari and others that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Between the two instances of blowing of the Trumpet there will be forty. The people said, "O Abu Hurayrah! Forty days?" He replied, “I am not sure.” They asked, “Forty years?” He replied, “I am not sure.” They asked, “Forty months?” He replied, “I am not sure. There is no part of a man which will not decay except a single bone at the base of the coccyx, from which he will be re-created on the Day of Resurrection.” He just said 'forty' but it was not clear whether he meant forty years, months, or days. No one knows who will be exempt from death between the two instances of blowing except Allah (Exalted be He).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!