The short answer
Surah an-Naml 27:88 says: "you see the mountains, thinking them rigid, while they will pass as the passing of clouds." The classical commentators, reading it with the verse before it, explained it as describing the Day of Judgment, when mountains are uprooted and blown away. Some modern writers apply it to the present motion of the earth, but that is not the mainstream reading.
The verse reads: "And you see the mountains, thinking them rigid, while they will pass as the passing of clouds. [It is] the work of Allah, who perfected all things" 1. It comes directly after the verse about the Day "the Horn will be blown" and everyone in the heavens and earth is terrified 2.
Because of that context, the commentators understood it as a scene of the Last Day. Al-Mukhtasar says: you will see mountains "on that day", thinking them firm and unmoving, but they will in fact move like clouds move 3. As-Sa'di explains that they seem to stay as they were, while in fact they are crumbling and passing like clouds 4.
Many other verses describe what happens to mountains then:
These are some of the most powerful images in the Quran. The things that seem most permanent in our world will float away like clouds when Allah's command comes. That should make us hold this world lightly and prepare for the Day it describes.
You think the mountains rigid, but they will pass as clouds pass; the work of Allah.
وَتَرَى ٱلۡجِبَالَ تَحۡسَبُهَا جَامِدَةࣰ وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ ٱلسَّحَابِۚ صُنۡعَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَتۡقَنَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍۚ إِنَّهُۥ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَفۡعَلُونَ ٨٨
And you see the mountains, thinking them rigid, while they will pass as the passing of clouds. [It is] the work of Allah, who perfected all things. Indeed, He is Acquainted with that which you do
The preceding verse describes the Day the Horn is blown.
وَيَوۡمَ يُنفَخُ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ وَكُلٌّ أَتَوۡهُ دَٰخِرِينَ ٨٧
And [warn of] the Day the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will be terrified except whom Allah wills. And all will come to Him humbled
And you will see mountains on that day thinking them to be firm without moving, but they will in fact move like clouds move. It is the doing of Allah, for He is the one who makes them move. He is Aware of what you do. None of your actions are hidden from Him and He shall reward you for them.
ومن هوله أنك { ترى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً } لا تفقد [شيئا] منها وتظنها باقية على الحال المعهودة وهي قد بلغت منها الشدائد والأهوال كل مبلغ وقد تفتت ثم تضمحل وتكون هباء منبثا. ولهذا قال: { وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ } من خفتها وشدة ذلك الخوف وذلك { صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَ } فيجازيكم بأعمالكم.
The mountains blown away and the earth left level.
وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡجِبَالِ فَقُلۡ يَنسِفُهَا رَبِّي نَسۡفࣰ ا ١٠٥ فَيَذَرُهَا قَاعࣰ ا صَفۡصَفࣰ ا ١٠٦ لَّا تَرَىٰ فِيهَا عِوَجࣰ ا وَلَآ أَمۡتࣰ ا ١٠٧
105 And they ask you about the mountains, so say, "My Lord will blow them away with a blast 106 And He will leave the earth a level plain 107 You will not see therein a depression or an elevation
The mountains will be like fluffed-up wool.
وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ ٱلۡمَنفُوشِ ٥
And the mountains will be like wool, fluffed up
The mountains crumble and become scattered dust.
إِذَا رُجَّتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ رَجࣰّ ا ٤ وَبُسَّتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ بَسࣰّ ا ٥ فَكَانَتۡ هَبَآءࣰ مُّنۢبَثࣰّ ا ٦
4 When the earth is shaken with convulsion 5 And the mountains are broken down, crumbling 6 And become dust dispersing
The sky sways and the mountains pass away.
يَوۡمَ تَمُورُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ مَوۡرࣰ ا ٩ وَتَسِيرُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ سَيۡرࣰ ا ١٠
9 On the Day the heaven will sway with circular motion 10 And the mountains will pass on, departing
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24