The Second Blow of the Horn
Prophet Muhammad said in a Hadith that there are forty between two blows of the horn. “Forty what?” his companions asked. The Prophet did not give them an answer, which left the door open for one of three guesses: forty days, forty months, or forty years. It's also not certain which two blows the Prophet intended; they may have been the first and second blows, or the second and third—unless, as some believe, there are only two blows instead of three.
According to Islamic scholars, if there are three blows of the horn, the first would collapse the universe, the second would kill any survivors, and the third would resurrect creation. If there are only two blows, the first would kill all and collapse the universe, and the second would resurrect creation.
When Life Perishes
Assuming there are three blows, the second one would eradicate whatever life remains on Earth after the catastrophes of the first blow. This second blow is called the Blow of Death. When Angel Israfil blows the horn a second time, every living being on Earth and in the Heavens will receive a fatal shock. That's why the second blow can also be called the Stunner. Allah describes this blow in the Holy Koran: “And the trumpet is blown, and all who are in the heavens and the earth swoon away, except him whom Allah wills” (39:68).
The Stunner is made to kill everything, including animals, humans, demons, jinn, and angels, except a selected few as stated in the previous verse. No one knows exactly who the selected few will be; some say they are the martyrs who are mentioned in the Koran as alive and well near their Lord. Others say they are the servants and maidens of Heaven who were created for the service of Heaven's people. It is also said that the verse refers to the four angels Gabriel, Israfil, Mikail, and Azrael, along with the carriers of the Lord's throne.
The Last to Die
Through a detailed Hadith linked to the Prophet (although some resources doubt its authenticity), Muslims learn about the death of the very last remaining lives after the Stunner. The Hadith narrates that the only survivors of the blow of the horn will be four angels, Gabriel, Israfil, Mikail, and Azrael, and the carriers of Allah's throne. Then the Angel of Death (Azrael) will speak to Allah and tell him that everyone is dead except the four angels and the throne carriers. Allah will issue a series of instructions for taking their lives, and then He will command the Angel of Death to die, and instantaneously the angel will die. The only one remaining will be Allah, the immortal. With no trace of His creation left, Allah will declare, “Whose is the sovereignty this day? It is Allah's, the One, the Almighty” (40:16).
