Essay Sample on Apocalyptic Themes in the Quran: How Is the End of the World Depicted in Islam?

Islam, similar to other religions, has several predictions about the end of the world. According to the Quran, there are a series of events that happen when Al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection) and the day of judgement are near and those are the signs of the end of the world [1][2][3]. 

Some of these signs are the return of Mahdi [1], natural disasters such as huge earthquakes [8], the smoke, and loud sounds. These descriptions in the Quran contain the element of destruction as they describe events that affect all humans and can’t be controlled. Furthermore, this aspect of the Quran is very much similar to that of the events described in The Book of Revelation (20:7-10) in which there’s a massive destruction caused by the fire. While the Quran mostly focuses on the effects of these disasters on humans, in The Book of Revelation the devil is also affected by the fire which is an interesting difference between these two similar events.

Another important day mentioned in the Quran, is the day of judgement [2]. Muslims believe that on this day, the body organs will talk [11] about every sin a person has committed and the life of the person will be played in front of them, just like a movie . In the end, God will decide about the destiny of all people, who are categorized in different groups, based on their faith: these people will either look happy on this day and enter heaven or they will look fearful and enter hell to suffer for the rest of their lives [9]. This is where the elements of dualism are apparent. The Quran says that God rewards the ‘’good’’ people with the joy of heaven, which consists of unlimited wine and food, no feeling of remorse, regret, or tiredness, and a happy life [10]. On the other hand, the ‘’bad’’ people who committed wrongdoings, defined by actions against the Islamic rules mentioned in the Quran, will suffer forever [13]. We can see that people are divided into two groups here: the good and the bad which highlights the dualism present here. 

The part of the story about the day of judgement that describes the repercussions of committing sins, contains elements of liberation and somehow conveys the belief that it’s important to ask for salvation to avoid the consequences of committing sins. This theme is similar to that of the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still which also pointed out the importance of salvation, especially in the last scene where Klaatu encourages people to avoid wrongdoing by making them aware of the consequences of committing sins. 

When it comes to analyzing the way The Quran conveys its apocalyptic messages, it can be helpful to draw a comparison between the main method used in The Book of Revelation and the one used in the Quran. While there are many metaphors used in the book of revelation (using lamb to refer to Jesus, for example), the main apocalyptic messages in the Quran seem to be delivered with rhetorical questions that prove the power of God and the importance of the day of judgement. The two important examples of this technique are the verses 75:3-16 and 75:36-40 [14][15]. These questions might change some people’s actions and mindset and for others it might sound similar to any other question. However, regardless of how familiar the reader is with Islam and the Arabic language, these questions do have the power to help us reconsider our actions and might change the way we think about the start and the end of the world. 

(615 words)

Works Cited

[1]https://www.mtholyoke.edu/projects/lrc/arabic/women_deceit/texts/Day_Judgment.html

[2] https://islam4u.pro/blog/events-of-the-qiyamah-in-the-quran/

[3] https://www.alislam.org/question/end-of-world/

[4] Verses 3-15 of Surah Al Qiyamah

[5] 75:36-40 of Surah Al Qiyamah

[6] Verses 1-2 of Surah Az-Zumar

[7] Verse 6 of Surah Al-Haj

[8] Surah Az-Zalzala 

[9] 75:20-30 of Surah Al Qiyamah (https://thequran.love/2017/08/27/surah-qiyyamah/)

[10] Surah An-Nahl, 97

[11] Sūrah An-Nūr 24:24

[12] Sūrah Fussilat 41:20-21

[13] Quran 4:145’

[14] 75:3-16 (Does man think we shall not put his bones back together? In fact, We have the power to restore his very finger tips)

[15] 75:36-40 (Was he or she not just a sperm drop, emitted? Then he or she became a clot, and then Allah shaped and proportioned him or her, and He decided the gender. Has not such a One the power to bring the dead to life?