Class 6 – State of the People on the Day of Judgement

STATE OF THE PEOPLE ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION

PEOPLE’S POSITIONS (CASES) WILL VARY ON TH;E DAY OF RESURRECTION

The positions in which people will find themselves on the Day of Resurrection will vary clearly. Here we will discuss three:

• I – The disbeliever,
• II – The Sinners among those who believed in Tawheed, and
• III – Those who would be righteous and pious.

I – The State of the Kuffaar

• They will quickly come forth from their graves on that Day, rushing towards the source of the voice as if they are rushing towards the ansaab (stone altars) which they used to worship in this world. But on that Day they will not be rushing with joy and exuberance as they used to do when they approached their ansaab; on the contrary, they will be humble, with their eyes lowered and with their pride brought low, as Allah has warned them in this world.
• The disbelievers will say: ‘This is a hard Day
• The kuffaar will bewail their fate.
• The resurrection would make them lose their minds with terror.
• Their eyes will be staring in horror
• Their hearts will be filled with fear of the terror that surrounds them
• Unable to breathe, as if their hearts will be distressed and will apply pressure to their throats, making them hold their breath and unable to express their pain and fear.
• They will be brought to the Lord and Creator bound together in fetters, wearing garments of pitch and with their faces covered with fire.
• The sun will be brought close to the people’s heads on that Day, until the distance between it and them will be no more than one mile. If it were not for the fact that they will be re-created in a form that will not die, it would melt them and cause them to evaporate.
• Their sweat will flow until it drenches the earth, then it will start to rise until it reaches a depth that will vary according to their actions.
• When the kuffaar see the punishment and humiliation that befalls the disbelievers and polytheists, they will be filled with grief and regret.
• On that Day, the kuffaar will know for sure that their sins are not forgiven and that their excuses are not accepted. So they will despair of the mercy of Allah.
• On that Day, the kuffaar will wish that Allah would destroy them and turn them into dust
• The rejection of their deeds, those which they think will earn them something from Allah, such as charity, freeing slaves, upholding ties of kinship, spending for good purposes. But Allah has coined likenesses of such actions in His Book. He likens them to mirages which a person thinks are water, but when he comes to them, hoping that he will be able to quench his thirst, he does not find anything.

The dispute of the People of the Fire When the kuffaar – disbelievers – the enemies of Allah, see with their own eyes the torment that Allah has prepared for them, and the horrors that surround them, they will hate themselves and will hate those who were their loved ones and close friends in this world. All love that was based on anything other than faith will turn to enmity.

The worshippers will dispute with the objects of their worship, With regard to good and righteous people who were worshipped without their knowledge, or were worshipped without their approval or consent, such as the angels and righteous people, they will disown their worshippers and show the claims of those worshippers to be lies and fabrications.

The followers will dispute with the leaders of misguidance & the weak with the leaders: Allah says: “It will be a single Zajrah [shout (i.e. the second blowing of the Trumpet)], and behold, they will be staring! They will say: ‘Woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense! ‘ [It will be said]: ‘This is the Day of Judgement which you used to deny. ‘ [It will be said to the angels]: ‘Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions [from the devils] and what they used to worship, instead of Allah, and lead them on to the way of flaming Fire [Hell]; but stop them, verily, they are to be questioned. What is the matter with you? Why do you not help one another [as you used to do in the world]?’ Nay, but that Day they shall surrender. And they will tum to one another and question one another. They will say: ‘It was you who used to come to us from the right side [i.e., from the right side of one of us and beautify for us every evil, enjoin on us polytheism, and stop us from the truth, i.e. Islamic Monotheism and from every good deed]. ‘ They will reply: ‘Nay, you yourselves were not believers. And we had no authority over you. Nay! But you were Taaghoon [transgressing] people [polytheists, and disbelievers]. So now the Word of our Lord has been justified against us, that we shall certainly [have to] taste [the torment]. So we led you astray because we were ourselves astray.’ Then verily, that Day, they will [all] share in the torment. Certainly, that is how We deal with A l-Mujrimoon [polytheists, sinners, disbelievers, criminals, the disobedient to Allah]. Truly, when it was said to them: Laa ilaaha ill-Allah [none has the right to be worshipped but Allah], they puffed themselves up with pride [i.e. denied it].” (Qur ‘an 3 7: 19-35)

What is mentioned in these verses is the way the people of Hell will blame one another on the Day of Resurrection. The followers will say to the leaders of misguidance, you are the ones who made falsehood attractive to us, and tempted us to go against the truth.

But the leaders and thinkers will reject that and will say to them: “You have to bear the consequences of your own actions; you chose kufr, we had no power over you; it was your own transgression and arrogance that brought you to this end.”

Also is important to note that the weak followers will accuse their leaders, saying: you prevented us from believing; were it not for you, we would have been among those who followed that which was sent down to us from our Lord. But the arrogant will reject this accusation and will say to them, you are the evildoers, all that happened is that we called you and you responded; we had no power over you. The fact of the matter is that all of them are wrong, and they will have no excuse for their misguidance and kufr.

From here we Muslims should take this as a lesson for ourselves, like we see that men say no I cannot follow this go for prayer because my manager doesn’t allow me or that I cannot follow this Sunnah because my family will not like it; similarly women say I shape my eye-brows because my husband wants me to, I cannot wear proper hijab because my job etc we will have no excuses to make on that day!

The dispute of the kaafir with his own limbs When they see with their own eyes the severe torment that Allah has prepared for them. They will resort to lies and denials, claiming that they were righteous people, and that the testimony of the angels, Messengers and righteous people who testified against them is false. At that point, Allah will place a seal over their mouths and their hands and feet will speak of what they used to do. Then they will say to their own limbs,

“Away with you! It was for your sake that I was arguing!”

Again we Muslims should take heed, our limbs will testify against us for all the sins that we have committed!

May Allah make us amongst the believers and make us a source of guidance for many especially our families (whose families are not Muslims or are indulged in Shirk).

II – THE STATE OF SINNERS WHO WERE BELIEVERS

Some of the believers may have committed sins which mean that they will be faced with horrors and difficulties. Here we will look at the cases of some sinners and the trials that will befall them on the Day of Judgement.

1) Those who did not pay zakah

One of the greatest rights that Allah has over people is zakah, which is what is due from one’s wealth. Their punishment may take various forms.

a) A man’s wealth will appear to him in the form of a huge bald snake with two black spots above its eyes. It will seize him around his neck, saying, “I am your wealth, I am your treasure.”

b) The wealth on which zakah is withheld will be brought forth, and if it was gold and silver, it will be made into plates of fire with which its owner will be tormented. If the wealth was in the form of livestock, camels or cattle or sheep, they will be sent to torment their owner.

2) The arrogant Arrogance is a major sin according to the laws of shari’ah. Allah hates the arrogant very much, and when He resurrects His slaves, He will gather the arrogant in a humiliating image ﷺ said, “The arrogant will be gathered like small ants in the form of men on the Day of Resurrection, overwhelmed by humiliation from all sides.” (Tirmidhi)

Small ants are something to which people pay no attention; they step on them without even realizing.

3) Sins for which Allah will not speak to a person or praise him There are many texts which discourage sins by warning that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not speak to those who commit them, nor will He praise them, and theirs will be a painful torment. (We will discuss these in the next class)

4) The rich who are living in the lap of luxury The Messenger ﷺ told us that those who indulge heavily in worldly luxuries and wealth will not be able to overcome the obstacles and terrors of the Day of Resurrection. Those who are content with the life of this world, and who enjoy a great deal of luxury, will have a hard time on the Day of Resurrection.

He ﷺ also told us that the one who frequently has a full stomach in this world will feel hungry for a long time on the Day of Resurrection.

And he told us that those who own a lot of wealth and worldly luxuries will have the least reward on the Day of Resurrection, unless they spent their wealth in good ways.

He ﷺ said, “Those who have the most will have the least on the Day of Resurrection, except for those upon whom Allah bestowed wealth, and they started giving it away left and right, front and back, and used it to do good. ” (Bukhari & Muslim)

5) Exposure of the betrayer The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When Allah gathers the first and the last on the Day of Resurrection, a banner will be raised for every betrayer, and it will be said, ‘This is the betrayer of So and so the son of So and so. “‘ (Bukhari Muslim)

The betrayer is the one who makes a promise then does not fulfil it. So a large banner will be erected for the betrayer, on which his betrayal will be written, and he will be exposed on the Day of Resurrection. This banner will be placed at his backside. The greater the act of betrayal, the higher the banner will be raised.

6) Al-Ghalool: Stealing from war booty before it is distributed Ghalool means stealing from the war booty, before it is distributed. This is a sin which involves some measure of selfishness and greed. Ghalool also includes the stealing of rulers, employees, workers and governors from the public coffers. They will be bellowing camel on their shoulders.

7) One who seizes land by force The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever seizes any portion of land unlawfully will be swallowed up by it on the Day of Resurrection, and will sink to the seventh earth.” (Bukhari)

8) One who is two-faced The most evil of people on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who is fickle, who is not consistent in his attitude, but presents one face to some people and another face to others.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever is two-faced in this world, will have a tongue of fire on the Day of Resurrection. ” (Bukhari)

9) Spitting towards the Qiblah The direction of the Qiblah is sacred and holy, hence a number of ahaadeeth forbid facing the Qi blah or turning one’s back towards it when urinating and defecating.

One of the things that the Prophet ﷺ forbade was spitting in the direction of the Qiblah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever spits towards the Qiblah will come on the Day of Resurrection with the spit between his eyes.” (Abu dawood)

10) One who lies about his dreams The one who lies about his dreams will be punished on the Day of Resurrection by being told to tie together two grains of barley.

11) The one who eavesdrops on people when they dislike that will be punished by having molten lead poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection.

Bukhari narrated in his Saheeh from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever speaks of a dream that he did not see will be told to tie two grains of barley together, and he will never be able to do it. And whoever eavesdrops on people’s conversations when they do not like that or they try to move away from him, will have molten lead poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection. “

12) The ruler who stays aloof from his people Abu Dawood, lbn Maajah and Al-Haakim narrated with a saheeh isnaad that Abu Maryam al-Azdi related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever is put in charge of any of the affairs of the Muslims and remains aloof from them and pays no attention to their needs and poverty, Allah will remain aloof from him on the Day of Resurrection, and will pay no attention to his needs and poverty.“

Remember this is not only for the kings and government, we as employers are responsible for our employees, men are responsible for their children even they have divorced the mother of the children. We need to be just and be concerned about fulfilling their needs be it financial, spiritual or emotional.

13) The one who begs when he has the means of being independent

III – THE STATE OF THE PIOUS

1) The people will be terrified on the Day of Resurrection, but the pious will not be terrified.

Allah says:

• “Verily, those for whom the good has preceded from Us, they will be removed far therefrom [Hell]. They shall not hear the slightest sound of it [Hell], while they abide in that which their ownselves desire. The greatest terror [on the Day of Resurrection] will not grieve them, and the angels will meet them, [with the greeting]: ‘This is your Day which you were promised.” (Qur ‘an 21: 101-103)
• “… But He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror” (Qur ‘an 14: 42)

The reason for this feeling of security which Allah will bestow upon His pious slaves will be that in this world their hearts were filled with fear of Allah, so they stood in prayer at night and fasted by day, and they made preparations for the Day when they would stand before Allah.

2) Those whom Allah will shade with His shade When the people are standing in that vast arena, beneath the harsh glare of the sun, tasting a torment which even the mighty mountains could not bear, a group of the best among them will be at peace in the shade of the Throne of the Most Merciful, and they will be spared the distress suffered by the rest of the people. (We will discuss about them in the next class)

3) Those who strive to meet their brothers’ needs The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever alleviates the need of a needy person, Allah will alleviate his needs in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever shields [or hides the misdeeds of] a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah will aid His slave so long as he aids his brother. And whoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the Houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that sakeenah (tranquility) descends upon them, and mercy envelops them, and the angels surround them, and Allah mentions them amongst those who are with Him. And whoever is slowed down by his actions, will not be hastened forward by his lineage.” (Sahih Muslim).

4) Those who show leniency to those who are in difficulty The Prophet ﷺ said: “A man used to lend money to people, and he used to say to his servant, ‘When you come to one who is in difficulty, let him off, perhaps Allah will let us off.’ And when he met Allah, Allah let him off. ” (Bukhari & Muslim)

And today we see our brothers and sisters are doing the exact opposite, making things difficult for each other whether it is financially or to practice their deen or to maintain kinship ties almost everyone we see around is somehow or other making things difficult for others. May Allah give us the hidayah to be lenient.

5) Those who are just in their judgements The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The just will be seated upon pulpits of light.” Those who are fair with regards to their judgement and their family and those who are under them.” [Muslim].

SubhaanAllah… this should be a special reminder for men who are good outside but very rude with their wives or their womenfolk at home. And for women especially who are Mother in laws who take their daughter in laws as under them and treat them unjustly. The same applies to the managers for their employees. May Allah guide us all.

6) The shuhada’ (martyrs) and the muraabitoon
When the people will be filled with terror on the Day of Resurrection, the shaheed (martyr) will feel no fear. In Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Sunan ibn Maajah it is narrated that Al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Karb related: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Before Allah, the shaheed has six virtues: he is forgiven from the first drop of blood shed; he will be shown his place in Paradise; he will be protected from the torment of the grave; he will be safe from the greater terror (of the Day of Resurrection); a crown of dignity will be placed on his head, of which one ruby is better than this world and all that is in it; he will be married to seventy two of Al-Hoor al- Ayn; and he will intercede for seventy of his relatives.“

The pertinent point in this hadith is that the shaheed will be safe from the greater terror, the terror of the Day of Resurrection. Similar to the shaheed (martyr) is the muraabif, who guards the borders of lslam for the sake of Allah. If he dies whilst he is guarding the borders of Islam, Allah will keep him safe from the greater terror. As mentioned in a Hadeeth.

7) Those who free Muslim slaves

8) Those who control their anger There are many difficult situations in which a person is subjected to annoyance. These may be caused by a relative, a friend or someone to whom one has done a favour. Undoubtedly the annoyance, whether it is something that we hear, see or feel, is something that causes us pain in our hearts and provokes all kinds of feelings that may motivate us to confront them openly. Self-control in such situations is something that only the strongest can achieve.

Islam counts controlling anger as a noble Islamic characteristic, for which a person deserves to be honoured with Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, which has been prepared for the pious. Controlling anger is one of the foremost characteristics of the pious.

“And march forth in the way [which leads to] forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqoon [the pious]. Those who spend [in Allah’s Cause] in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon [the good-doers]” (Qur ‘an 3: 133-134)

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever controls his anger when he is able to act upon it, Allah will call him before all of creation on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose whichever of Al­ Hoor al- ‘Iyn he wants. ” (Tirmidhi & Abu Dawood)

9) The muadh-dhins (who calls to prayer)
Among those whose virtue will be made manifest on the Day of Resurrection will be the muadh-dhins. They will have the longest necks on that Day.

10) Those who go grey (grow old) in Islam The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever turns grey in Islam, his grey hair will be a light for him on the Day of Resurrection.” (Tirmidhi and Sunan an-Nasaa ‘i)

These those who grew old being a practising Muslim.

11) The virtue of Wud,oo’ (ritual cleansing) Those who respond to the Messenger ﷺ establishing regular prayer and doing wudoo ‘ as their Prophet commanded them, will be called on the Day of Resurrection with their faces and limbs shining with the traces of wudoo ‘.

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “On the Day of Resurrection, my ummah will be called Al-Ghurr al Muhajjaloon because of the traces of wudoo”‘ (Bukhari)

May Allah make us all amongst the pious and save us from the terrors of that day. Please remember us and the whole Ummah in your prayers.