Qayamat

Qayamat is a term of Arabic origin that is widely used in Urdu, Persian, and Hindi. It translates roughly as “doomsday,” “judgment day,” or “apocalypse.” In South Asian languages, Qayamat is a vernacular rendering of the Arabic form Qiyamah (or Qiyāmah), which refers to the event of rising or standing, ultimately used to denote the Day of Resurrection.

In Islamic theology, Qiyamah denotes the Day of Judgment when the world ends and individuals are held accountable for their deeds. The concept encompasses resurrection, divine judgment, and the determination of eternal destination for each soul. The idea of an impending or climactic end is common in Islamic eschatology, though descriptions and emphasis vary across traditions and schools of thought.

Beyond religious discourse, Qayamat appears in literature, poetry, and everyday speech as a metaphor for catastrophe, upheaval, or a moment of decisive change. It is used to describe personal crises, social upheavals, or other events perceived as transformative or catastrophic.

In popular culture, the term has been adopted as a title or thematic motif in various South Asian films, songs, and literary works, reflecting its dramatic and emotionally charged connotations. The usage often signals intensity or a turning point, aligning with the word’s associations with end-times or climactic events. See also Qiyamah, Day of Judgment.