Surah 36

Surah 36:51

"There will be a blast on the trumpet, and suddenly they will come swooping down from the graves to their Lord."
The Trumpet Blast of the Resurrection Verses 36:51-54
Show Full Scripture Context (36:51-54) — 4 Verses
Verse 51

وَنُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَنسِلُونَ

There will be a blast on the trumpet, and suddenly they will come swooping down from the graves to their Lord.

Verse 52

قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَا مَنۢ بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرۡقَدِنَاۜۗ هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَصَدَقَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ

They will say, ‘Alas for us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place? This is what the Merciful promised, and the envoys were truthful.’

Verse 53

إِن كَانَتۡ إِلَّا صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَإِذَا هُمۡ جَمِيعٞ لَّدَيۡنَا مُحۡضَرُونَ

It was only a single cry, and suddenly they are all brought forward before Us.

Verse 54

فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ لَا تُظۡلَمُ نَفۡسٞ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

‘Today no one will be done evil at all, nor will you be repaid (for anything) except what you have done.’

This will be the third blast of the trumpet, the trumpet blast of the resurrection when people will come forth from their graves. Allah says:

“and behold from the graves they will come out quickly to their Lord.”

Yansilun means they will be walking quickly. This is like the Ayah:

“The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a goal.” (70:43).

“They will say: “Woe to us! Who has raised us up from our place of sleep.””

meaning, their graves, which in this world they thought they would never be raised from. When they see with their own eyes that in which they had disbelieved,

“They will say: “Woe to us! Who has raised us up from our place of sleep””

This does not contradict the fact that they will be punished in their graves, because in comparison to what is to come afterwards, that will seem like a nap. Ubayy bin Ka*b, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Qatadah said, “They will sleep before the Resurrection.” Qatadah said, “That will be between the two trumpet blasts, they will sleep.” When they say:

“Who has raised us up from our place of sleep”

The believers will respond.

“(It will be said to them:) “This is what the Most Gracious had promised, and the Messengers spoke truth!””

This was the view of Al-Hasan.

It was also said that it is the angels who will say this. Both are possible.

“It will be but a single Sayhah, so behold they will all be brought up before Us!”

This is like the Ayat:

“But it will be only a single Zajrah. When behold, they find themselves on the surface of the earth alive after their death.” (79:13-14), and

“And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye.” (54:50)

meaning, ‘We will only issue one command, and all of them will be gathered together.’

“This Day, none will be wronged in anything,”

means, with regard to his deeds.

“nor will you be requited anything except that which you used to do.”

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.