Imam Ali: It is narrated from Thuwayr ibn Abi Fakhita that Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) was asked about the two blowings of the trumpet — how much time is between them? He said: "As much as Allah wills." It was said to him: "O son of the Messenger of Allah! Then inform us how it is blown into." He said: "As for the first blowing, Allah commands Israfil, and he descends to the earth, and with him is the trumpet. The trumpet has one head and two ends, and the distance between each of its two ends is like the distance between the sky and the earth." He said: "When the angels see Israfil, having descended to the world with the trumpet with him, they say: 'Allah has given permission concerning the death of the people of the earth.'" ... He said: "He blows into it, and the sound comes out from the end that faces the earth; as a result, no living being remains on the earth except that it becomes unconscious and dies. And the sound comes out from the end that faces the heavens, and no living being remains in the heavens except Israfil except that it becomes unconscious and dies." He said: "Allah says to Israfil: 'O Israfil, die,' so Israfil dies, and they remain in that state as long as Allah wills. Then He commands the heavens, and they are set in motion, and He commands the mountains, and they are uprooted and set in motion, and that is the saying of Allah: '[This divine punishment] is on the day when the sky shall shake violently, and the mountains shall be uprooted and set in motion' (Tur/109 [i.e. 52:9-10]) — meaning it is spread out and extended, and 'this earth is changed into another earth' (Ibrahim/48) — meaning into an earth upon which no sins have been committed, one that is exposed [and flat], with no mountains or vegetation upon it, just as He spread it out the first time. And while He is self-sufficient in His majesty and power, He returns His Throne upon the water as it was the first time." He said: "At that time, [Allah] the Compeller, mighty is His majesty, calls out with a loud voice that the regions of the heavens and the earths hear: 'To whom belongs the kingdom this day?' No answerer answers Him, and at that time [Allah] the Compeller, mighty is His majesty, replies to Himself: 'To Allah, the One, the Subduer! I have overcome all creation and their nations and I have caused them to die. I am Allah; there is no god but Me; I am alone, there is no partner for Him nor any minister, and I created My creation with the hand of My own power, and I caused them to die by My will, and I bring them to life by My power.'" He said: "Then [Allah] the Compeller blows once into the trumpet, and the sound comes out from one of the two ends — the one that faces the heavens; as a result, no one remains in the heavens except that he is revived and rises up. The bearers of the Throne return, and Paradise and Hellfire are brought forth, and the creatures are gathered for the reckoning." At this point I saw Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) weeping intensely.