Note: The following transcript was generated using AI and may contain inaccuracies.
The people will be resurrected and gathered on Yawm al-Qiyamah (the Day of Judgment), barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised. The Hawdh (the Basin) will not be established except for the most evil of people. There will be no shade except for the shade of the Arsh (the Throne of Allah). Anyone who denies or does not believe in Al-Yawm al-Akhir (the Last Day) has left the fold of Islam.
And I say in accordance with what the Qur'an has revealed, for indeed it is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful. Allah, Exalted in His Glory, says, and the Chosen One is the Guide, and I do not turn away. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The final end belongs to the righteous, and there is no enmity except against the wrongdoers. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, alone, with no partner, the Protector of the first and the last.
And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, His Chosen One, and His Companion, sent as a mercy to the worlds. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, his family, his companions, and his followers until the Day of Judgment.
Ayyuhal Kiram (O Noble Ones),
Today we are going to speak about a day besides which there is no greater day and no day more severe. And it is that day that every single one of us will pass by it. All of Bani Adam, from the first to the last, without exception, every single person will face this day. And this day which we are speaking about, Yawmun Azeem, the great day, the difficult day. It has been mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. In fact, you will not find a page of the Qur'an except perhaps there is a mention of this day or a reminder regarding the day or some detail or description regarding this day. And similarly, the collections of hadith. The collections of hadith, they are full of hadith and narrations regarding this day. And of course, we are talking about the Day of Judgment, the Day of Recompense, the Day of Resurrection, and the Day of Gathering. It is the resurrection after death. It is the Day when everyone will stand in front of Allah, and everything will be exposed and shown and nothing will be hidden. It is, as Allah described it in the Qur’an:
الْقَارِعَةُ (It is the Striking Calamity)
It is الغاشية (The Overwhelming)
It is الْحَاقَّةُ (The Inevitable)
It is الطَّامَّةُ (The Great Calamity)
And it is السَّاعَةُ (The Hour), the hour which will be established.
And believing in the final day, this is from the core tenets of our faith. It is one of the pillars of our belief. So much so that anyone who denies or does not believe in the final day has left the fold of Islam. Allah said in the Qur’an:
زَعَمَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنْ لَنْ يُبْعَثُوا (Those who have disbelieved, they claim that they will not be resurrected)
قُلْ بَلَى وَرَبِّي لَتُبْعَثُونَ (Say, rather, by my Lord, surely you will be resurrected)
ثُمَّ لَتُنَبِّئُنَّ بِمَا عَمِلْتُمْ (Then you will be informed regarding that which you used to do)
وَذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّـهِ يَسِيرٌ (And verily this is easy upon Allah)
So belief in the final day, the Hour, this is from the core tenets of our faith. This great day shows us the wisdom of Allah and His justice in creating the world. No person will leave this world without being recompensed for their actions. They will be held accountable in the Hereafter. There will be questioning, reward, and punishment. The one who is punished in the Hereafter will be punished according to the justice of Allah. And whoever is rewarded in the Hereafter will be rewarded by Allah’s mercy and favor. On that day, no criminal will escape their crimes, and no person who was oppressed will fail to receive their right. Allah said:
فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ (Whoever does even the smallest amount of goodness)
يَرَهُ (He will see it)
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ (And whoever does even the smallest amount of evil will see it)
So, the one who neglects the Hereafter will be at loss. The person who does not work for the Hereafter, who does not invest for the Hereafter, will be at loss. The greatest success is entering Paradise, and the greatest loss is being prevented from entering Paradise.
Allah Subhana said in the Quran:
فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةِ فَقَدْ فَازَ "Whoever is removed from the fire and entered into Jannah, that person has succeeded."
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ "And as for the life of this Dunya, it is only entertainment and amusement and a beautification, but Ghurur (deception). It is a mirage."
When we speak about اليوم الآخر (the final day), يوم القيامة (the Day of Resurrection), there are أشراط الساعة (the signs of the Hour), أحوال الساعة (the states of the Hour), and أحداث الساعة (the events of the Hour).
أشراط الساعة refer to the signs which will occur prior to يوم القيامة, alluding and indicating to the approach of the Hour.
And the Messenger ﷺ said: بُعِثْتُ أَنَا وَالسَّاعَةُ كَهَاتَيْنِ "I was sent, and the Hour is approaching as close as these two." (And he lifted up his two fingers.)
The meaning of this is that the space between the two fingers is how close the Prophet ﷺ was to the establishment of the Hour.
This is why the Ulama mention that the first sign of يوم القيامة (the Day of Judgment), أشراط الساعة (the signs of the Hour), was the sending of the Prophet ﷺ because he is the final messenger, and he is خاتم النبيين (the Seal of the Prophets). There is no other prophet until يوم القيامة.
His sending and his appearing in this dunya were the first indicator of the establishment of the Hour. His death ﷺ was another sign of يوم القيامة because after his passing away, the religion of Islam and the Sharia were complete, and the message had been conveyed.
Thus, there is يوم القيامة (the Day of Judgment), the establishment of the Hour. These are the أشراط الساعة (signs of the Hour).
As you know, أشراط الساعة (the signs of the Hour) are divided into two types: الأشراط الصغرى (minor signs) and الأشراط الكبرى (major signs).
The الأشراط الصغرى (minor signs) of يوم القيامة are either events which will occur, have occurred, or are occurring, or the general state of affairs in the dunya as time progresses. Many, if not the majority, of the الأشراط الصغرى (minor signs) of يوم القيامة have already appeared and passed. Other signs we are seeing today and they continue to pass.
Then there are the الأشراط الكبرى (major signs) of يوم القيامة, which are nine or ten specific incidents or signs that will occur. Once they begin to occur, they occur one after the other. The Messenger ﷺ, in a hadith, described the major signs of يوم القيامة like the beads on a necklace. If the necklace is cut, then how quickly the beads fall off one after the other. Similarly, the major signs of يوم القيامة will occur one after the other until the last one occurs, and then يوم القيامة (the Day of Judgment) will be established.
So these are the أشراط الساعة (signs of the Hour). Then there are أحوال الساعة (the states of the Hour). أحوال الساعة refers to the state and the situation of the people and how they will appear on يوم القيامة.
Finally, we have أحداث الساعة (the events of the Hour). أحداث الساعة refers to the specific events which will occur on يوم القيامة, when people will move from one event to one stage to the next stage until they enter into their final abode. It may be جنة (paradise) for the people of توحيد (monotheism)—may Allah make us among them—or it may be the fire for the people of كفر (disbelief) and فسوق (corruption). May Allah save and protect us from it.
The basis of the lecture today is regarding أحداث الساعة (the events of the Hour) that will occur on يوم القيامة (the Day of Judgment). However, before we speak about the events on يوم القيامة, I want to begin by talking about the reality of يوم القيامة and the severity of يوم القيامة.
Firstly, we have to understand that يوم القيامة is not a day which is to be taken lightly. When Allah speaks and describes يوم القيامة in the Quran, it is described as يوم عظيم (a great and severe day):
يَوْمُ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالمِينَ "That day in which the people will stand before their Lord, the Lord of all creation."
Allah describes يوم القيامة (the Day of Judgment) as:
يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍ "On that day, it will be a day which is difficult for the disbelievers, and not easy."
And Allah describes the state and feeling of the people on يوم القيامة (the Day of Judgment):
يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ "Then, on that day, you will see a mother who is breastfeeding her child, and while she is breastfeeding her child, she will neglect her child because of the severity of this day."
وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا "And that woman who is carrying a baby in her womb will lose the baby; she will drop the baby."
And Allah describes the people in the same ayah:
وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارَى "And you will see the people as if they are intoxicated, but they are not intoxicated."
وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ "However, the punishment of Allah is severe."
On that day, the relationships, friendships, connections, or the networking we've done in this dunya will be lost. Friendships, relationships, and partnerships will be of no value. Allah Subhana said:
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ "That day, in which each person will flee away from his own brother."
وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ "And his own mother and father."
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ "And his spouse, his wife, and his own children."
Why will these relationships be lost? Allah Subhana said:
لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ "Because on that day, each person will have their own situation to worry about, and nobody else will be worried about anyone else."
The mother will not worry about the daughter, and the father will not have concern for the son. The wife and the husband will have no concern for each other. Every person is only worried about their own selves, their own actions, and their own situation.
As I mentioned: لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ "On that day, each person, every individual, will have their own شأن (situation), their own record, situation, and account to worry about." And this will prevent them from thinking about others.
And even those who used to follow each other in the dunya, they will free themselves from each other. Allah Subhana said:
إِذْ تَبَرَّى الَّذِينَ التُّبِعُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ التَّبَعُوا وَرَأَوُوا الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ "When those who were followed will free themselves from those who followed them, and they will see the punishment, and the ties between them will be cut off."
Even the greatest enemy, العدو الكبير (the great enemy), الشيطان (Satan), إبليس (Iblis), will free himself from those who used to follow him. Because in front of him will be the reality of رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (the Lord of all creation). Allah Subhana mentioned:
كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنسَانِ كُفُرْ "Like the example of الشيطان when he said to the human, ‘Disbelieve.’"
When people disbelieved in this dunya due to الشيطان, he said:
فَلَمَّا كَفَرُوا قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِئٌ مِّنْكُمْ "And then when they disbelieved, he (Satan) said, ‘Verily, I free myself from you.’"
وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ "And I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds."
Allah Subhana then said:
فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا أَنْهُمَا فِي النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيهَا وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّٰلِمِينَ "And their final end is that both of them (the follower and the one followed) will be in the Fire, remaining therein forever. And that is the recompense for the wrongdoers."
On that day, those who were disobedient and those who oppressed others, and those who did not worship Allah nor obey Him, will feel great regret and sorrow. Their sorrow will be so severe that they will be biting their fingertips and nails.
Allah Subhana said:
وَيَوْمَ يَعُضُّ الظَّٰلِمُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ "And on that day, the wrongdoer (the ظالم) will bite his hands."
يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي اتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا "He will say, ‘If only I had taken a path with the messenger.’"
On that day, Allah Subhana informs us of the different faces of people. There will be faces which will be radiant and joyful, smiling and looking at each other, and there will be other faces which will be darkened and burdened with dust, exhausted by hardship.
The righteous people on that day will be gathered together, and the criminals, the oppressors, and the disbelievers will also be gathered together. Allah Subhana said:
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُصْفِرَةٌ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ "Some faces that day will be radiant, smiling, and full of joy, giving each other glad tidings of reward because of their faith and sacrifices in this dunya."
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَ "And other faces that day will have dust upon them."
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَ "And darkness will cover them."
أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ "Those are the disbelievers and the wicked."
This is the situation of the people on that day. As for the environment and the surroundings on that day, Allah also mentions them in great detail in the Quran.
We are informed that the earth will tremble. There will be a shaking, an earthquake. Allah Subhana said:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ الزَّلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ "O people, fear your Lord. Verily, the tremor of the Hour will be something severe."
The earth will shake with a mighty shaking, and everything will become plain and level. The mountains will disappear, the trees will disappear, and the valleys will disappear. Everything will be level. The mountains, which were once sturdy, strong, and high, will become like feeble wool, as if they never existed.
Allah Subhana said:
وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنْفُوشِ "And the mountains will become like fluffed-up wool."
As for the oceans, they will be engulfed in flames, and a fire will dry them up. Allah Subhana said:
وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ "And when the oceans are set on fire."
In another ayah, Allah said:
فُجِّرَتْ "When the seas are ignited."
The oceans, lakes, and seas will be engulfed in flames, to the point that the water will dry up. As for the sky, it will open up, and the stars will disappear or be scattered, losing their light. Allah Subhana said:
إِذَا السَّمَاءُ فَطَرَتْ "When the sky is split open."
وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ تَثَرَتْ "And when the stars fall, scattering."
And as for the oceans, they will explode in flames.
On that day, Allah Subhana will bring the sun very close to the people, and there will be no shade except the shade of the throne of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala. In the hadith of Abu Hurairah, the Messenger ﷺ described that day, saying:
يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلَّا ظِلُّ "On that day, there will be no shade except for the shade of the Throne of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala."
Why will there be no shade? Because the sun will be brought very close.
And secondly, there will be nothing to provide shade beneath, because there will be no trees, no valleys, no mountains, no corners, or anything. Everything will be flat. The sun will be close, and therefore, there will be no shade. The only shade that will exist will be the shade of the Throne of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. So either people will be shaded under the shade of the Arsh (Throne) of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, or people will be exposed to the heat and the sun without any shade.
When the sun is brought close and there is no shade, the people will begin to sweat. Each person will drown in their sweat according to the level of their sins. Some people's sweat will reach their ankles, others will have it reach their knees, others will have it reach their waist, others their chest, others their necks, and some will have sweat reaching their chins. Some will be drowning in their sweat due to their sins. May Allah Subhana Hu Wa Ta'ala grant us protection and forgiveness.
On that day, the earth will be changed. Tubaddalul Ardh, the earth will be replaced with a different earth. Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala said:
يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ الْأَرْضُ غَيْرَ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ "On that day, the earth will be changed to a different earth, and the heavens as well."
وَبَرَزُوا لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ "And they will appear before Allah, the One, the Subduer."
This blessed verse shows us that Yawma Tubaddalul Ardh Ghairul Ardh refers to a change in the earth. But what does this change mean? Is it the same earth we are living upon, except that its description will be different, or is it physically a different earth, a new dimension that we will move to?
Some of the ulama (scholars) said that it is the same earth we are living on, but it will be transformed in a way that we will not recognize it. It will be a completely different environment. This earth, as we know it now, contains high and low points, peaks, valleys, mountains, trees, greenery, and oceans. However, on that day, everything will be flat—there will be no peaks, no valleys, no mountains, no trees, no oceans, just a flat surface.
Other scholars suggested that it is not the same earth, but a different earth altogether—a new world we will move to after resurrection.
Now, as for Tubaddalul Ardh (the changing of the earth), when will this occur? This will happen after resurrection. The earth will change only after the resurrection, and we will delve into more detail about this in a little while.
Moving on to Ahdaath Yawmul Qiyamah (the events of the Day of Judgment), Al-Hawadith Al-Latee Taqaa Ba‘da Al-Ba‘ath (the events that will take place after the resurrection).
We are going to speak about the actual events and occurrences and the different stages of Yawmul Qiyamah. Just before Yawmul Qiyamah, we know that those signs will be fulfilled, especially the major signs. One of the last signs that will occur just before Yawmul Qiyamah is Tulu' al-Shams min al-Maghrib (the sun will rise from the west). Right now, as we know, the sun rises from the east. However, when Yawmul Qiyamah occurs, just before it, the major sign will be Tulu' al-Shams min Maghribiha, that the sun will rise from the west. As we mentioned previously, the sun will rise from the west, and Yawmul Qiyamah will occur. This is when only the most evil people will remain upon this earth. The righteous and pious people will be taken away, and the most evil people will remain. Then the sun will rise from the west, and Yawmul Qiyamah will occur.
In the hadith, the Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said, "La Tuqa Musa'a Illa Ala Ashraar Al-Nas" (The hour will not be established except upon the most evil of people). So only the most evil of people will remain immediately before the establishment of the hour. Therefore, once the sun rises from the west, and the righteous people are taken away, and only the evil people remain, then the trumpet will be blown. When the trumpet, or horn, is blown, everything living at that time and everything that exists at that time, every person, all of them will die. All of them will cease. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala said:
وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَنُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ (And the trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and on the earth will fall dead, except for whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will rise, looking on.) [Surah Az-Zumar, 39:68]
This will be the first incident or occurrence by which Yawmul Qiyamah will begin, and that is Nafq Fissur (the blowing into the trumpet or horn). Then, ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ (Then there will be another blowing of the trumpet or horn), فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ (and then everybody will rise and they will be resurrected, looking around).
This noble ayah in Surat Az-Zumar shows us that there will be two blowings of Asur (the trumpet or horn). Now, whether it is one horn or trumpet that is blown into twice, or two separate horns or trumpets that are blown into, this does not matter much. In general, these matters and these details are from the Ghaybiyat (the knowledge of the unseen), which only Allah Subhana knows. Therefore, questioning these matters and asking about them in detail is not something which is encouraged. In general, the Sahaba would only ask questions regarding those matters which affect their Ibadah (worship)—answers which they required in order to rectify their Ibadah of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala or find out about the reward of those Ibadahs. In general, they did not question matters which did not affect their Ibadah.
So, for example, this issue here, we know that the trumpets will be blown, and people will cease, and then people will be resurrected. What's important for us is to worship Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and to prepare for that day. As for knowing and questioning and researching whether it is one trumpet which is blown twice, the same one, or are two different trumpets or horns which are blown separately, this does not affect us. It does not affect our Iman; it does not increase it in any way in terms of our Ibadah or the Ahkam of our Shari'ah. But what's important is that we worship Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and we seek forgiveness for our sins and we prepare for Yawm Al-Qiyamah. So we should not make the study of Islam and our questions something purely academic, asking questions for the sake of asking questions. Rather, we research and ask questions to gain clarity about our Ibadah, our Iman, and our Aqidah.
From this Ayah in Surah Az-Zumar, we understand that there will be two blowings of the trumpet. The first of them is a blowing of the trumpet for everybody to cease, and this is called Nafkhatu Sa'aq (the blowing by which everything will drop, everything will cease; everybody who is alive at that time will die). Then there will be a second blowing after this, and this is called Nafkhatu Al-Ba'ath (the blowing of the resurrection), either blowing of the trumpet after which people will be resurrected.
This is from the Ayah which we mentioned, and between these two blowings of the trumpet, in the Hadith of Abu Hurairah R.A. in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, the Messenger S.A.W. said:
مَا بَيْنَ النَّفْخَتَيْنِ أَرْبَعُونَ (There is a period of time of 40 between the two blowings of the trumpet.)
The people asked, يَا أَبَى هُرَيْرَ (O Abu Huraira), أَرْبَعُونَ يَوْمًا (Will it be 40 days?), he said, أَبَيْتُ (I refuse to answer). Then they asked him, أَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً (Will it be 40 years between the blowing of the trumpets?), قَالْ أَبَيْتُ (He said, I refuse to answer). Then they said, أَرْبَعُونَ شَهْرًا (Will it be 40 months?), قَالْ أَبَيْتُ (And he said, I refuse to answer).
And this again emphasizes the point which I mentioned previously: Abu Huraira R.A. did not question the Prophet S.A.W. about whether it is 40 minutes, 40 days, 40 years, 40 months, or 40 weeks. He understood the severity of that day, and this is why whenever the people then asked him, Is it 40 days? Is it 40 years? Is it 40 months?, each time, أَبَيْتُ (I refuse to answer), because he did not know, and neither did he question.
So, the first نَفْخَةُ السَّعَق (Nafkhatu Sa'aq, the blowing of the trumpet by which everything will drop and cease), and then there will be a wait or a period of 40. Only Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala knows the reality of that 40—whether it's 40 days, months, years, or whatever it is. Only Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala knows the reality of that 40, that time. Then there will be the second blowing of the trumpet, and that is نَفْخَةُ البَعَث (Nafkhatu al-Ba'ath), or نَفْخَةُ القيامة (Nafkhatu al-Qiyamah), the blowing of resurrection.
So the second event which will occur after the two blowings of the trumpet is البعث بعد الموت (al-Ba’th ba'da al-Mawt), the resurrection or the sending after death. The meaning of البعث is إحياء الموت (the returning of life to those who have deceased). And every person, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala said:
يَقُومُ النَّاسِ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (Every person will arise in front of the Lord of the worlds.)
When He described يوم القيامة (Yawm al-Qiyamah) in the surah which we have all memorized and we all read, Surah Az-Zalzalah, He said:
إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا (When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake,) وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَفْقَالَهَا (And the earth discharges its burdens,) وَقَالَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا (And man says, "What is [wrong] with it?") يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا (That Day it will report its news) بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَالَهَا (Because your Lord has commanded it.) [Surah Az-Zalzalah, 99:1-5]
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala mentions:
إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا (When the earth is shaken with its earthquake,) Now, when the earth is shaken with that earthquake or tremor, وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَفْقَالَهَا (and the earth will throw out its burdens). The burdens which are contained within the earth will be discharged. They will be thrown out. They will be exiled or exited from the earth. The Sahaba alayhim ridwanullah spoke about the meaning of أَفْقَالَهَا (its burdens) and these things which are hidden and stored inside the earth beneath it and burdening the earth. What will they be? Many among the Sahaba said that the أَثْقَالَ (burdens) which are buried in the earth are two things: النَّاس (people) and القنوز (treasures).
So the people will be thrown out because they'll be resurrected. They'll be resurrected from their graves and their places of burial. Also, the treasures which are hidden and dug inside the earth, under the ground, will also be discharged and will be in plain sight in front of the people. It's as if Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is telling us: "Here is the gold, the silver, the metals, and the rare stones that you used to chase after in this dunya. You would fight with each other over them, deceive and oppress each other, and compete with each other over these matters in the dunya. And here they are in front of you now."
So on that day, no person will be worried about any treasure or wealth, gold or silver. The Messenger ﷺ, in the hadith of Aisha R.A. (which is Sahih Bukhari and Muslim), spoke about the physical state of the people when they are resurrected and stand up once more. We know from the Qur'an that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will resurrect us just as He created us in the beginning. This is how Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will resurrect us, and the meaning of this is as the Messenger ﷺ said:
يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَ حُفَاتًا عُرَاتًا غُرْلًا (The people will be resurrected and gathered on Yawm al-Qiyamah barefooted, unclothed, and uncircumcised.)
This is because when we came into this earth, and when our mothers gave us birth, we entered this dunya barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised. And this is how each person will be resurrected.
And of course, if we think about that day, and that each person will be resurrected in this state, and yet there will be mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends, people you know, and people you don’t know, and yet every person will appear in front of each other in that state. And this very thought, SubhanAllah, was the thought of Ummul Mumineen Ayesha R.A. So she said:
يا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ جَمِيعًا يَنظُرُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ (O Messenger of Allah, on that day, men and women, all of them, will be standing together, looking at each other.)
And each one of them will be naked, barefooted, and uncircumcised. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
يَا عَائِشَةُ، الْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَشَدُّ (O Ayesha, the situation on that day will be so severe that nobody will care to look at anybody else or notice anybody else.)
He then said:
يَا عَائِشَةُ، الْأَمْرُ أَشَدُّ مِنْ أَنْ يَهِمَّهُمْ ذَٰلِكَ (O Ayesha, the situation will be so severe that nobody will be concerned about the appearance of another person.)
And then after Al-Qiyamah and Al-Ba’th (the resurrection after death), and people being discharged from the earth, and everybody standing up in this state, there will be Al-Hashr.
Al-Hashr is the gathering of the people, and the gathering of the people will be in a place which is known as Ardhul Mahshar. Ardhul Mahshar or Al-Mahshar is the land or area of gathering. Every single person, without exception, beginning with Adam Alayhis Salaam to the last person who dies just before Yawmul Qiyamah, every single person, all of them, will be gathered in the same place, and nobody will escape the Mahshar or the gathering in front of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. This includes every person: the person who died on their bed, the person who was killed, the person who was buried, the one who was drowned in the sea, the person whose body was eaten by vultures, or another person who was eaten by a prey.
Every person, regardless of how they died, how or where they were buried—whether it was a person who was buried in his grave, one who drowned at sea, a third person who died in the desert on the mountaintops with his body eroded, or a fourth person whose body was eaten by vultures—every single one of them will be resurrected in this state. Each one will come together, and they will be gathered in the Mahshar, the land of gathering.
The Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam mentioned the Hashr (gathering) and Al-Mahshar (the land of gathering) in numerous ahadith. In one hadith in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, the Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said:
هاهنا تحشرون (Over there, you’ll be gathered.)
He repeated this statement three times, saying: هاهنا تحشرون (Over there, you’ll be gathered.) The narrator of the hadith said, فأشار بيده إلى الشام (And he pointed with his hand, pointing with his blessed finger to Al-Sham.)
Al-Sham is, as we know, Syria and the surrounding areas, and he pointed towards Al-Sham, the north of Medina. He said, هاهنا تحشرون (Over there in that direction, that land, you will be gathered.)
From this, the Ulama mentioned other narrations and hadiths that there will be two instances of gathering and two lands of Mahshar (i.e., two lands of gathering). One will be before the blowing of the trumpet, and another will be after the blowing of the trumpet, on Yawm Al-Qiyamah.
The first Hashr (gathering), as I mentioned, is before Yawm Al-Qiyamah, before the blowing of the first trumpet. This is also one of the major signs of Yawm Al-Qiyamah. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned regarding one of the Ashraat Al-Kubra (major signs of the Hour) that there will be a fire which erupts or appears in Adn (Yemen, in that direction). This fire will be so severe and great that it will force the people to flee towards Al-Sham. Every person who is alive at that time, because of this great and enormous fire which will erupt from Adn or Yemen, will be forced to go towards Al-Sham, and they will gather in Al-Sham. This is the first Hashr, the first gathering, and that is Al-Mahshar or Ard Al-Mahshar, the first land or area of gathering, which is Sham.
Then there will be a second gathering, and that is Ba'd Al-Nafkh (after the resurrection), and after the blowing of the second trumpet, when everybody has risen from their graves. There will be a second gathering, and another Mahshar, another land of gathering. As we spoke about previously, Yawma Tubaddal Al-Ard Ghair Al-Ard (when the earth will be changed for a different earth), this is when it will occur. So that changing or alternating of the earth—whether it is the same earth but looking completely different, or if it is actually a different earth, a different parallel, a different dimension—Ala kulli haal (in any case), this is when it will happen.
And of course, the first person who will be resurrected is our Messenger, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. He is the first who will be resurrected, and he said in a hadith:
أنا أول من تنشق الأرض عني (I am the first for whom the earth will open. I am the first who will be resurrected.)
And in another hadith in Sahih Bukhari, the Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam mentioned his five names. He said:
لي خمسة أسماء (I have five names.)
He said:
أنا محمد (I am Muhammad, meaning my name is Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.)
وأنا أحمد (And I am Ahmad.)
وأنا الماحي (And I am Al-Maahi, the one who wipes something.)
وأنا الحاشر (And I am Al-Hashir, the one who resurrects.)
وأنا العاقب (And I am Al-Aaqib, the one who is at the end.)
These are the five names of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, and he mentioned these in the hadith:
لي خمسة أسماء (I have five names.)
Based on this hadith, some of the Ulama restricted the names of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam to only these five names, and he has no other name. As for the other words mentioned regarding him, they are descriptions of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, not his names.
In the Quran, we find that Allah refers to him as An-Nabi, Al-Muddathir, Al-Muzzammil, Rahmatan lil-Aalameen, As-Sirajul-Muneer, Da’i ila Allah, and other names like this. These terms are descriptions of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. He is Al-Mustafa (the purified one), Al-Mujtaba (the chosen one), Al-Murtaza (the one pleased by Allah), Al-Muddathir (the one who is wrapped up), Al-Muzzammil (the one who is cloaked), Rahmatan lil-Aalameen (a mercy to mankind), Sirajul-Muneera (the bright shining lamp), Da’ian ila Allah (a caller to Allah), Rasoolullah (the Messenger of Allah).
The point is that all of these are descriptions of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, like we say so and so is tall, short, heavy, light, fair, or dark. These are descriptions of a person. His names are these five: Firstly, Muhammad, and this beautiful name of our Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, Muhammad, this is what he is known by in this Ummah, in the scripture of this Ummah, and the Ayat of the Qur'an.
And his second name, he said, I am Ahmad. This name Ahmad is what he was known by in the previous scriptures and by the previous messengers and nations. Ahmad and Muhammad both share the same root. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala mentions the statement of Isa Alayhi Salaam:
وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَىٰ ابْنُ مَرْيَمُ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ (And when Isa Ibn Maryam said, "O Bani Israel, verily, I am a messenger to all of you.")
مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي إِسْمُهُ أَحْمَدٌ (Verifying that which came before me from the Torah and giving you glad tidings of a messenger who will appear after me, his name will be Ahmad.)
So, he was known by this name, Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, in the previous scriptures.
وَأَنَا الْمَاحِي (And I am Al-Maahi, the one who wipes something.)
He said the meaning of this is:
الَّذِي يَمْحُوا اللَّهُ بِهِ الْكُفْرِ (I am the one through whom Allah will wipe away Al-Kufr.)
وَأَنَا الْحَاشِر (And I am Al-Hashir, the one who resurrects.)
He said: يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدَمِي (The people will be resurrected immediately after me. I will be the first one to be resurrected, and then the others will be resurrected immediately after me.)
وَأَنَا الْعَاقِب (And I am Al-Aaqib, the final one, after whom there is no other prophet.)
Al-Aaqib means the final or the end of something.
The next event is, as we mentioned, the resurrection of the Prophet ﷺ, followed by the resurrection of the rest of creation—humans, from the first to the last. Then, people will remain in the Mahshar (the land of gathering) for a very long time.
And remember, the sun will be very close to the people, and people will be drowning in their sins. There will be no shade except the shade of the throne of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. And because of the length of the standing, the severity of the day, and the heat of the day, people will be in a state of fear, anxiety, panic, and worry, like Allah Subhanu wa ta'ala described the people وَتَرَاهُمْ سُكَارًا وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارًا. You will see the people as if they are intoxicated, but they will not be intoxicated. And each one of them will be hoping to be removed from this gathering. And if people are worried about how long they are standing there, they want to move on. They want to move on to the next phase of Yawmul Qiyamah.
Then, while they are in that state and suffering from that severe thirst, the next event or occurrence which will take place is Al-Hawd, the pond of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. And this Hawd is not the Kawthar which Allah Subhanu wa ta'ala mentions in إِنَّ أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرِ. Verily, we have given you, O Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, Al-Kawthar. So, there is a difference between the Hawd and the Kawthar. Sometimes people mistake or misunderstand and think that the Kawthar and the Hawd are the same thing. The Hawd is one thing and the Kawthar is something else. There are clear differences.
From the differences is that the Kawthar will be in Jannah, and the Hawd will be before Jannah. It will be on Yawmul Qiyamah. It will be upon the earth on Yawmul Qiyamah, depending on the meaning of the earth being changed. But it will be upon the earth before Yawmul Qiyamah. This is the first difference. The second difference is that the Kawthar will be much bigger and much greater than the Hawd. The third difference is that water will be channeled from the Kawthar into the Hawd. Water will be channeled from the Kawthar into the Hawd.
So, these are some of the differences between the Hawd and the Kawthar. The point is that in the Hawd, the pond, lake, or gathering of water will occur. This Hawd will be for the Prophet ﷺ and the followers of the Prophet ﷺ. Some of the Ulama have mentioned, according to some of the narrations, that the standing of the people at the Mahshar before the Hawd will be like 50,000 years. And only Allah knows the meaning of year and the meaning of thousand and the period of time on Yawmul Qiyamah.
The Messenger ﷺ described the Hawd. He said, ماءه أشد بياض من اللبن, that the Hawd, may Allah allow us to drink from the Hawd, its water will be whiter and more pure than milk, وأحلى من العسل, and it will be sweeter than honey. آنيته عدد النجوم سماء, and its utensils, which people will use to drink, will be like the number of stars. He said, وطوله شهر وعرضه شهر, and the length of the Hawd will be like the traveling of a month, and the width of the Hawd will be like the traveling of a month. He said, من شرب منه شربة لا يضمى بعدها أبدا, and whoever takes a single gulp from the Hawd will never feel thirst after it again.
As I mentioned, this Hawd will be for the followers of the Prophet ﷺ. Meaning, this Hawd will be for Ahlus Sunnah, those people who lived according to the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ and died upon the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ, and did not innovate, did not change, did not add or take away anything from their Deen. It is those people, Ahlus Sunnah, who will come to the Hawd, and they will be allowed to drink from the Hawd of the Messenger ﷺ.
And there will be other people from the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ who will come in order to drink from the Hawd. However, they will be prevented from drinking from this Hawd. This is mentioned in the hadith of Anas ibn Malik R.A. that the Messenger ﷺ said, لَا يَرِدَنَّ عَلَيِّ الْحَوْدُ رِجَالٌ مِّنْ أُمَّتِي. There will be people from my Ummah, and they will approach me in order to drink from the Hawd. حَتَّى إِذَا رَأَيْتُهُمْ. And they will come so clearly that I am able to see them, وَرُوفِعُوا إِلَيَّ. They will be raised up to me, to the Hawd. And when they are about to drink from the Hawd, they will be prevented and stopped from drinking from it. فَلَا أَقُولَنَّ. And then I will say—meaning Muhammad ﷺ will say—أَيَّ رَبِّ أُمَّتِي أُمَّتِي. O my Lord, this is my Ummah, O my Lord, this is my Ummah—meaning, why are they being prevented? فَلَا يُقَالَنَّ لِي. And then it will be said to me, إِنَّكَ لَا تَدْرِي مَا أَحْدَثُ بَعْدَكِ. That you, O Muhammad ﷺ, are not aware of what they did after you, and how they changed after you, and how they altered after you.
And so when the Prophet ﷺ is told and informed about what these people did after him, and how they changed, altered, and innovated, then he will say, سُحْقًا سُحْقًا أَيْ بُعْدًا بُعْدًا. Be far away, be distanced from me and the house. And it will be said, إِنَّهُمْ قَدْ بَدَّلُوا بَعْدَكِ. These people, they changed things after you. And the Prophet ﷺ will say, سُحْقًا سُحْقًا أَيْ بُعْدًا بُعْدًا. Be far away, be far away.
And the Ulama among them, Al-Imam An-Nawawi ﷺ, in his Sharh of this hadith, the Ulama—Al-Imam An-Nawawi among them—mention the possible meanings of إِنَّهُمْ قَدْ بَدَّلُوا بَعْدَكِ. That they changed, innovated, or altered after you. So they said that perhaps the meaning of this is that they are المرتدون—those who apostated from Islam after the death of the Prophet ﷺ. Perhaps this is one meaning of “they changed or altered.” The second possible meaning An-Nawawi mentions is that they are أَهْلُ النِّفَاقِ, the people of hypocrisy, because they show Islam and they will show the Prophet ﷺ that they are Muslims. However, inside them, they were hiding their Kufr.
And the third possible meaning behind this hadith is that they are أَهْلُ الْبِدَعِ وَأَهْلُ الْأَهْوَى, the people of innovations, the people of desires, like the خَوَارِج and the رَوَافِدَ, and the other أَهْلُ الْبِدْعَ. It will be these people who are prevented from drinking from the Hawd of the Messenger ﷺ.
And here, we take a وَقْفَة, a short moment to think and contemplate. This hadith shows us the virtue and the فَضَل of following the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ and being far removed from every type of bid'ah and the people of bid'ah. This is one of the reasons why the salaf used to detest bid'ah so much, and also أَهْلُ الْبِدْعَ, the people of innovation. And if there was no other virtue and reward in following the Sunnah except that you will be permitted to drink from the Hawd, this would be sufficient as an encouragement to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ.
And if there was no other punishment for innovations, for bid'ah, except that that person will be prevented from drinking from the Hawd of the Prophet ﷺ, then this is sufficient as a warning for the people of innovation.
Then the next event or occurrence which will take place will be الشفاعة, the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ. The people have remained in the المحشر, in that situation, in that gathering, in the land of the gathering, أَهْلُ الموقف, the people of standing. They have remained in that situation for a very, very long time, and they are suffering from worry and anxiety. The people will be desperate to move from this stage or this phase to the next phase.
And so, the people will approach some of the Prophets in order to intercede on their behalf so that they can now move on from this phase to the next phase. And so, our Prophet ﷺ will intercede on behalf of the Ummah, on behalf of humanity, for them to be moved. And this is what is referred to as المقام المحمود. Allah ﷻ said in the Quran, عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا. Surely your Allah will send you مقامًا محمودًا for that great station, that great place. And that is the right of the Prophet ﷺ for الشفاء, and this شفاء, this intercession, is known as الشفاء العظمى, the great intercession, the great شفاء.
And that is for the شفاء, the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ for the people to move away from the محشر until the next phase or stage of يوم القيامة. This شفاء is mentioned in a lengthy hadith about how the people will approach Adam ﷺ. They will ask him, يا آدم إن أول الخلق. You are the first person who was created, and you are the first of the Prophets. فشفاء عند ربنا. So seek intercession on our behalf in front of our Lord.
And Adam ﷺ will remember his mistake, and he will say, لست لها. That I am not the person who is able to make this شفاء for you. And then humanity will move on from Adam ﷺ, and they will approach نوح ﷺ. They will request from نوح ﷺ: يا نوح اشفع لنا عند ربك. Oh Nooh, intercede on our behalf in front of your Lord. And نوح ﷺ will remember the dua he made for or against humanity when he was alive, and he will say, لست لها. I am not the person for that شفاء.
And then the people will move from one Prophet to another Prophet, to Ibrahim ﷺ, to Moosa ﷺ, to Isa ﷺ, and each one of these great messengers will remember something. And each one will say, لست لها. That I am not the person who has the right, and the great status, and the great station to perform this شفاء, until the people will end up near the Prophet ﷺ. So humanity will approach the Prophet ﷺ, our Prophet, نبي الله محمد ﷺ, and they will say, يا محمد اشفع لنا عند ربك اشفع لنا عند ربك. Oh Muhammad ﷺ, intercede on our behalf in front of your Lord. And the Messenger ﷺ will say, أنا لها. I am the one, because this شفاء is the exclusive right of the Prophet ﷺ.
Like in the hadith of Jabir رضي الله عنهما, Jabir ibn Abdillah Al-Ansari, the Prophet ﷺ said that I was given five exclusive rights. No other messenger was given any of these five rights. And one of them, he mentioned, was that I was given the شفاعة. And the meaning of the شفاعة is الشفاعة العظمى, this great شفاعة. It is his exclusive right.
So then the Messenger ﷺ mentions that he will praise Allah ﷻ and he will make this شفاعة, and then the people will be allowed to move from this standing in front of Allah to the next phase. And then, after the شفاعة of the Prophet ﷺ for the people to move on to the next phase, will be the العرض.
The meaning of العرض is people being shown or exposed in front of Allah ﷻ. There are two types of عرض. The first one is the general meaning of العرض, and that is عرض الخلائق كلهم على ربهم. It means all people standing in front of Allah, or being shown to Allah, or being exposed in front of Allah ﷻ. The people and their records of deeds, all of them, being shown in front of Allah ﷻ, and nothing can be concealed on that day.
This is what Allah ﷻ mentioned in Surah Al-Haqqah. He said, يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَى مِنكُمْ خَافِيًا. On that day, يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ—you'll be shown and exposed, and nothing will be kept a secret. Nothing will be concealed. So this is the first meaning of العرض, that is, people, humanity, and their actions being shown and exposed in front of Allah or to Allah, and nothing will be hidden on that day.
The second, more specific meaning of العرض is عَرْضُ مَعَاصِي المُؤْمِنِينَ—the sins of the believers being shown and exposed in front of Allah ﷻ. And the people accepting their sins, the believers admitting their sins, and then Allah ﷻ hiding those sins, covering those sins, and forgiving their sins. And this is الحساب اليسير—the minor accountability or the easy accountability.
And from the supplications which the Prophet ﷺ taught the Sahabah: اللَّهُمَّ حَاسِبْنِي حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا. O Allah, hold me to account with الحساب اليسير, with the minor حساب or the easy حساب. And this will be for those people, for the believers who have sins, and they'll be given the record of deeds in their right hand.
Allah ﷻ said, فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوْتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَا أُمُقْرَأُ كِتَابِيَ. And as for the one who is given his or her record of deeds in the right hand, he or she will say, هَا أُمُقْرَأُ كِتَابِيَ. "Now this is the record of my deeds! Let the people read the record of my deeds!" So those people who are given their record of deeds in their right hand, they will be happy, and they will be delighted. And from the sheer extent of their happiness is that whoever they meet, they will say, هَا أُمُقْرَأُ كِتَابِيَ—"Read the record of my deeds!"
The Messenger ﷺ spoke about الحساب اليسير, the easy accountability or the minor accountability, meaning the specific meaning of العرض, and that is the sins and the bad deeds of the believers being shown and exposed to Allah. But then Allah ﷻ will cover it and forgive it all.
In the hadith of Ibn Umar, which is in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, the Messenger ﷺ said, إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْنِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. That Allah ﷻ will bring the believer close. فَيَضَعُ عَلَيْهِ كَنَفَهُ وَيَسْتُرُهُ. And then He will place a screen or a veil on the believer, and He will hide the believer from being exposed in front of the people. And then it will be said to the believer, أَتَعْرِفُ ذَنْبَ كَذَا وَكَذَا. His record or his scroll will be shown to him, and he will be asked, "Do you recognize this sin? Do you recognize this act of disobedience? Do you recognize this bad deed?"
And the believer will say, نَعْمْ أَيْ رَبِّي. Yes, of course, my Lord. And he will be shown, أَتَعْرِفُ ذَنْبَ كَذَا وَكَذَا—"Do you recognize this sin? Do you recognize this sin?"
And each one of them will readily admit that yes, this was one of my sins, one of my actions. And then Allah will say, سَتَرْتُهَا عَلَيْكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَأَنَا أَغْفِرُهَا لَكَ أَلْيَوْمَ. Allah will say, "Just as I hid and I concealed these deeds and these sins in the dunya, then I will forgive these sins now in the akhira."
فَيُعْطَى كِتَابَ حَسَنَاتِ. And then he is given his record of good deeds and good actions. And this, Ayoub Ikhwa, again, if we pause for a moment and think about this, it is imperative upon us that we make every effort to stay away from sins. And if we fall into sins, that we immediately make istighfar and tawbah, and then we try our best to do righteous actions in order for our sins to be expiated. And Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala said, إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ سِيِّئَاتٍ—Verily, good deeds wipe away the effects of their sins.
Also, if we fall into a sin, we don't talk about it. We don't inform anybody. We don't show off about our sins or make a show about our sins. And the Messenger ﷺ said, إِنَّ أُمَّتِي مُعَافَىٰ—that my ummah, all of them, will be forgiven. My ummah, their sins will be pardoned. He said, إِلَّا الْمُجَاهِرُونَ بِالذُّنُوبِ—except for those people who used to sin in the open, in front of people. They had no haya, no shame, no shyness, no sense of embarrassment to sin in front of the people.
So, the first obligation is that we fear Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala in both private and public, in secret and in the open. And secondly, we try our best, and we make mujahadah, we strive to stay away from sins. And thirdly, if we fall into a sin, we make tawbah and istighfar immediately, and we try to expiate those sins by doing righteous actions. And then, we conceal our sins and feel embarrassed for anybody to know about our sins. And what we must stay away from is ever sinning in front of other people.
This is a severe warning for those people who either sin in public and have no haya, no shame or any sense of embarrassment about their sins, or they sin in private and then destroy themselves by speaking about their sins and boasting about their sins in front of others. Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala will say, as we mentioned regarding the believers, سَتَرْتُهَا عَلَيْكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَأَنَا أَغْفِرُهَا لَكَ أَلْيَوْمَ—"I concealed and I covered for you your sins in the dunya, and I will forgive them on this day."
فَيُعْطَى كِتَابُ حَسَنَاتِ. And then he is given the record of his good deeds. This is Al-‘Arf. And then after Al-‘Arf is Al-Hisab. And Al-Hisab is the questioning and the accountability of their actions. The questioning, as we said, the Jidal, people will try to present their excuses, and they will be questioned regarding their actions.
In the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, the Messenger ﷺ said, لَا تَزُولُ قَدَمَا بْنِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يُسْأَلَ عَنْ خَمْسٍ—that two feet of a person will not move on Yawm Al-Qiyamah until he is questioned about five matters. He mentioned, وَعَنْ شَبَابِهِ فِي مَا أَبْلَاهُ—regarding his years, how he spent them, regarding his youth and how he wasted it, regarding his wealth, where he earned his wealth from, where he spent his wealth, regarding his actions and his knowledge.
And Allah ﷻ said in the Qur'an, فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذَنْبِهِ إِنسٌ وَلَا جَانٌ—On that day, no person from amongst the humans or the jinn will be questioned about their actions or their sins. Ibn Abbas said, لَا يَسْأَلُهُمْ هَلْ عَمِلْتُمْ كَذَا—Allah will not ask them, "Did you do this action?" لِأَنَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِذَٰلِكَ—because Allah ﷻ knows that they did their actions. And the people also know that they did those actions. وَلَكِن يُقَال—However, it will be said to them, لِمَا عَمِلْتُمْ كَذَا وَكَذَا—Why did you do this sin? Why did you do that action?
So, as for admitting whether we did the action or not, there will be no questioning because everything will bear witness. Just as the record of deeds, the scroll of deeds, will bear witness, and everything which is written by the angels will bear witness, the earth will bear witness. And just as one's hands, one's feet, one's body, one's tongue, one's eyes—everything will bear witness that these sins were committed. And nobody will deny, and neither will be questioned, "Did you do those actions?" Rather, the questioning will be, لِمَا فَعَلْتُمْ؟ لِمَا عَمِلْتُمْ؟—Why did you do such and such an action?
So, there will be an opportunity for the people to give their excuses, but on that day, people will have no excuses.
To summarize, when it comes to the ‘Ard and the Hisab, there are three different moments:
- Al-‘Ard al-‘Aam (The General Exposure): This is when everyone is shown to Allah. Everyone is exposed to Allah, and the actions of the people are shown.
- Al-‘Ard al-Khaas (The Specific Exposure): This is the Hisab al-Yaseer (The Easy Accountability), where the sins of the believers are shown to Allah, but without any questioning or detailed accountability. The person will be asked, "Did you do this? Did you do this?" not to verify whether the person did it or not, but for the believer to appreciate that, yes, they did commit all these sins. Then Allah will say to the believers, "I covered those sins in the dunya for you, and now I will forgive them in the Akhira." This is the Hisab we should ask from Allah: اللهم حاسبنا حساباً يسيراً (O Allah, grant us an easy accountability). Every person will face this Hisab and will stand in front of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala to ask for the minor accountability.
- The Greater Hisab: This is the Munaqasha (the detailed questioning), the time when people will be asked to give their excuses, and they will not be able to give any valid excuses. In the hadith of Aisha (رضي الله عنها), the Mother of the Believers, she said: سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ حِسَابِهِمْ يَسِيرٍ (I asked the Messenger ﷺ about the easy accountability). I said, "O Messenger of Allah, what is Hisab al-Yaseer?" The Messenger ﷺ replied, and the hadith is in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad: الرَّجُلُ تُعْرَضُ عَلَيْهِ ذُنُوبُهُ (A person’s sins will be shown to him and exposed to him), ثُمَّ يَتَجَاوَزُ لَهُ عَنْهَا (and then those sins will be pardoned). The Messenger ﷺ then said, إِنَّهُ مَنْ نُوقِشَ هَلَكَ (Indeed, the one who is questioned and argued with, and asked to present his excuses, and his excuses are rejected, this is the person who will be destroyed).
After the ‘Ard and the Hisab, there will be the Mizaan (The Scales). The Mizaan are the scales of justice, which will be set down to weigh the actions of the people. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala mentioned them in the Qur'an in several verses, including:
وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطِ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ (And We will set up the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection), فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا (and no soul will be wronged in the slightest on that day). So, these Mizaan will weigh actions, and the records of deeds will be weighed on them. Certain people will have their deeds weigh more heavily than others.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala also mentioned in the Qur'an:
فَأَمَّا مَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَاضِيَةٍ (And as for the one whose scales are heavy, he will have a pleasurable life). This means that when that person’s good deeds and bad deeds are weighed, their good deeds will be much heavier than their bad deeds.
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ (And as for the one whose scales are light, meaning the bad deeds outweigh the good deeds), فَأُمُّهُ هَوِيَ (then his final abode will be the burning fire). وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَ (And what will make you know what that is?), نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ (a fire, blazing and heated).
And the Messenger, He mentioned the incident of the weighing of the records. This hadith, this famous hadith, is known as حَدِيثُ البِطَاقَةِ. And that is that a person from the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ will be called out on Yawmul Qiyamah عَلَى رُؤُوسِ الْخَلَائِقِ in front of everybody. فَيُنشَرُ لَهُ تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ السِّجِلَّةِ, and he will be shown 99 different records of his actions. كُلُّ سِجِلٍ مَدَّ البَصَر, and each one of his records or scrolls will be as far as the sight of the eye can see.
Then Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ will say to him, هَلْ تُنْكِرُوا مِنْ هَذَا شَيْئًا: "From all of these actions, which you did, everything that has been recorded against you, do you deny any one of these actions?" And the person will be forced to say, لا يا رب, "No, O my Lord, there is nothing I can reject or excuse myself from in these actions."
And then it will be said to him, أَظَلَمَتْكَ كَتَبَتِي الْحَافِظُونَ: "Did My angels, who used to preserve and record all of your deeds, wrong you in any one of these actions? Did they oppress you in any one of these actions? Did they record anything against you which you did not do, which you are free and innocent from?" And the person will say, لا يا رب, "No, O my Lord, there is nothing that they have oppressed me regarding."
Then it will be said to the man, أَلَكَ عُذْرٌ أَلَكَ حَسَنَةٌ: "Do you have any excuse?" And the person will say, "No, O my Lord." أَلَكَ حَسَنَةٌ: "Do you have any good deeds with you?" And the person will say, لا يا رب, "No, O my Lord." And then it will be said to him, بَلَى: "Rather, you have good deeds recorded with us." إِنَّ لَكَ عِنْدَنَا حَسَنَاتٌ, "You have good deeds recorded with us." وَإِنَّهُ لَا ظُلْمَ عَلَيْكَ الْيَوْمُ, "And today you will not be wronged."
Then a small record, like a card, will be brought out, which mentions this one good deed. So, this person from the Mu'mineen, from the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ, has scrolls and records that are rolled out. Each one, مَدَّ البصر, as far as the eye can see, containing all of his actions, his bad deeds, and his sins. And when this person has lost complete hope, thinking he has no good deeds with Allah, then a بطاقة will be brought out. And this is why this hadith is known as حديث البطاقة.
And on this بطاقة, there will be one good deed. And on this deed, or on this بطاقة, it will be said that he said, أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهِ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ: "I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is the worshipper of Allah."
Against all of these سجلات, there is this one بطاقة. Those سجلات contain all his sins, his actions, his statements, his decisions, and the haram which the person did. This small بطاقة contains only لا إله إلا الله: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهِ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
When the man sees them, he will say, يا رب, "O my Lord, what is the value or the worth of this one small بطاقة in comparison to the سجلات of my actions?" And it will be said to him, إِنك لا تظلم اليوم: "Today, you will not be wronged."
Then, the records and the scrolls of deeds and evil actions will be placed on one plate of the scales, and that one single بطاقة will be placed on the other side of the scales. فَطَاشَتِ السِّجِلَّاتِ وَثَّقُلَتِ البطاقةِ, and that بطاقة will become heavy, and it will outweigh all of the سجلات.
This shows the virtue and the great weight of لا إله إلا الله. Just that statement, لا إله إلا الله, but it was with إخلاص and sincerity, and the توحيد of Allah سبحانه. And the person understood the meaning of لا إله إلا الله and fulfilled the rights of لا إله إلا الله. By the فضل of Allah, by the mercy, greatness, and kindness of Allah, it outweighs the sins that person did.
So, التوحيد is from the greatest virtues of التوحيد: that it wipes away evil actions. And this shows us the virtue of التوحيد. وأيها الكرام, if there was no other virtue for توحيد and for the people of توحيد, except that this will occur on يوم القيامة and it will outweigh all of those bad deeds, this is sufficient as an encouragement for us to be from the people of توحيد. May Allah make us from them.
And if there was no other warning for the people of شرك and the action of شرك, except that they are invalidating التوحيد, and this حديث and this occurrence will not happen for them, then this is sufficient as a warning against الشرك. And it shows the severity and the extent of الشرك.
As I mentioned, not only will the scrolls be read on يوم القيامة, but actions themselves will also be accounted for. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned a حديث, which Imam Al-Bukhari ended his Sahih with. He said, "There are two statements which are light upon the tongue, ثقيلتان في الميزان, and they are heavy on the scales, حبيبتان إلى الرحمن, beloved to the Most Merciful." What are those two words? سبحان الله وبحمده, سبحان الله العظيم. These two phrases, سبحان الله وبحمده, سبحان الله العظيم, are light upon the tongue but heavy on يوم القيامة, heavy on the scales on يوم القيامة.
And then, after the ميزان (the weighing of deeds, scrolls, and actions, and also the people), the next event, the next occurrence, is that people will be grouped together in different groups. And there will be a لواء (banner). Each Prophet will have a لواء. A لواء in this dunya is like a flag or a banner, meaning something which will be easily recognizable as belonging to Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, and where the Ummah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم should gather and go to. And each Prophet—Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and all of the Prophets—will have with them their لواء, that banner or flag, or something which is recognizable, so the people know they are with them.
And people will be grouped behind the لواء of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and the various Prophets, according to their categories or the types of people. And Allah سبحانه said in the Quran, وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ: "And when the people are paired together." And the meaning of being paired together is that the oppressors will be paired with the oppressors, the kuffar will be grouped with the kuffar, the righteous will be grouped with the righteous. And perhaps also, and Allah knows best, the different types of actions: those people who were diligent in their Salah will be grouped with the people of Salah, and those who used to fast will be grouped with those who fasted, and so on and so forth.
This also shows us, Ayyuhul Kiram, the importance of righteous companionship. People will be grouped in the Akhirah with the same people they used to accompany in this dunya. So, accompanying righteous people and being with righteous people, and loving the righteous people—a person hopes that maybe this may be a cause for them being resurrected with those very people they used to always be around, accompany, and love. They would try to imitate them: "I love the righteous people, even though I am not from the righteous people, but I hope that because of them, I will attain some form of shifa on Yawmul Qiyamah. Or maybe I will be grouped with them on Yawmul Qiyamah."
And then, after the people are grouped and categorized together, the next event that will occur will be As-Sirat. And As-Sirat is a bridge over Jahannam. And As-Sirat, like every other matter which has been mentioned, is something that is real. So, this is an important point: all of these events, all of these occurrences, and all of these entities which have been mentioned, every one of them is Haqq and Haqiqah. Every one of them is something which is physical and real. We are not talking about anything which is metaphorical. The scales are real scales.
The Arsh of Allah subhanah is a real Arsh, and this is why it has a shade. The angels come to the people in the grave, and they come to the people in their graves. The grave being expanded or restricted is real. The grave, in and of itself, can be expanded, or it can be restricted, but all of this is from al-ghayb, from the matter of the Unseen. The grave occurs in the Barzakh, so it is real; however, it occurs in the Barzakh and not in the Dunya.
The point is like this: The Sirat, the bridge over Jahannam, is something that every single person, without exception—from the first to the last, from the most righteous and pious to the most evil—will pass over. Allah subhanah mentions in the Quran, "There is nobody amongst you except that he will pass over the Sirat."
The Sirat, the Prophet ﷺ described it as finer than a strand of hair and sharper than the edge of a sword. The Prophet ﷺ described how quick or how slow people pass over the Sirat, depending on their actions, deeds, and sins. He said that people pass over the Sirat according to the extent of their actions. Some people will quickly pass over the Sirat as quick as the glancing of an eye, and some will pass over it as quickly as lightning. Others will pass as quick as the wind, some as fast as a person riding a fast horse, and others as fast as a person riding a camel. Some people will walk, others will run, and some will crawl. There will be those who will be held behind, and the speed at which a person passes over the Sirat over Jahannam will depend on their actions.
The first of those people who will pass over the Sirat is our Messenger ﷺ. As he passes, he will say, "Allahumma salim salim" (O Allah, save us, O Allah, give us safety). The Muwhidun, the people of Tawheed and Iman, will pass over the Sirat, while the Kuffar will fall into the fire. The people of Iman, the people of Tawheed, who died upon Tawheed, but perhaps had sins, and maybe some of their sins were not forgiven, will also face some punishment in Jahannam according to their sins. May Allah forgive us all.
We must remember that for the sins of a person of Tawheed and Iman, there are different ways and reasons for these sins to be forgiven. In reality, this is a Bashara, a glad tidings, for the people of Tawheed and Al-Ikhlas, not an allowance to commit sins. As mentioned, we must fear Allah wherever we are and strive to stay away from sins. But if a person falls into sin, At-Tawbah (repentance) forgives the sin. General Istighfar (seeking forgiveness) forgives a sin. Good deeds wipe away sins.
The Prophet ﷺ spoke about Wudhu (ablution) and how, when you are making Wudhu, the water dropping from your limbs is like sins dropping away. Those who make Wudhu are the people of Salah. The Prophet ﷺ also spoke about the Aalim (scholar), the Talibul Ilm (seeker of knowledge), and how the angels seek forgiveness for this person. The fish at the bottom of the sea seeks forgiveness for this person, as do the ants, the lizards, the birds, and everything else. All of creation makes Istighfar for the Aalim and the Talibul Ilm, as well as the one who teaches people goodness.
The Prophet ﷺ also spoke about those who come to the Masjid and wait for the Salah and those who sit in the first row. The angels seek forgiveness for those people. The Messenger ﷺ spoke about how charity extinguishes the fire and saves a person from the anger of Allah. Charity forgives sins, and the Prophet ﷺ also spoke about those who walk to the Masjid. In every step they take, a good deed is written, and a sin is forgiven and expiated.
And those people who shake hands, as long as they remain shaking hands, their sins are being forgiven. Good deeds also wipe away a person's sins. In addition to this, the struggles that a person goes through in this life—if they remain a person of Iman and Sabr (patience) and Ihtisab (seeking reward from Allah)—their sins are wiped away. In the hadith of Ummul Mu'mineen Ayesha (RA), the Messenger ﷺ said that even if it is the pricking of a thorn—just the pricking of a thorn, that small amount of discomfort—by it, Allah wipes away a sin or writes down a good deed.
An illness, difficulty, struggle, poverty, or weakness—if a person is a person of Iman and Tawheed, and Sabr and Ihtisab, through all of this, sins are being wiped away. There will be some people who may face some punishment in the grave in order for their sins to be wiped away for the Akhirah.
Also, Ash-Shafa'ah (intercession) of the Prophet ﷺ on Yawmul Qiyamah, our Shafa'ah for each other on Yawmul Qiyamah, the Shafa'ah of the Ulama (scholars), and the Shafa'ah of the parents towards their children and the children towards their parents—all of this is part of the process where sins are wiped away.
And then, even if there is nothing that a person has from everything mentioned above, then the Rahmah (mercy) of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala by itself—just the mercy of Allah—will be enough. Even if there was no Tawbah (repentance), no Istighfar (seeking forgiveness), and the person didn’t do many righteous actions, the Fadhl (grace) and the Mercy of Allah will forgive them. Allah does not forgive Shirk (associating partners with Allah), but He forgives anything less than Shirk for whoever He wills. So, Shirk and Kufr (disbelief) are not forgiven if a person dies upon them, but anything less than this—if a person strives to have Taqwa (God-consciousness), stays away from sins, makes Istighfar, makes Tawbah, and is regretful—the Mercy of Allah and the Fadhl of Allah also forgives those sins.
On Yawmul Qiyamah, some of the believers who have passed the Sirat (bridge over Hell) will also fall into the fire to be cleansed from their sins. After those people have passed over the Sirat, and only the believers remain, they will pass by another bridge. This bridge is known as Al-Qantarah, which is on the edges of Jannah (Paradise). Al-Qantarah is a bridge, a Jisr, which is on the edge of Jannah.
When the people passed over the Sirat, they did so depending on the rights of Allah that they violated, i.e., the sins they committed. However, in addition to the rights of Allah, there are the rights of people. We have rights upon each other, and we have obligations and responsibilities towards each other. In this Dunya (world), rights are violated, and even though these rights are not related to the rights of Allah, in terms of good deeds and sins and Ibadah (worship) and disobedience, they are the rights of people. These rights must also be rectified.
Therefore, people will stand upon the Qantarah and dispute their rights. The rights will be given, and the rights will be taken. Hasanat (good deeds) will be exchanged, and Siyyat (sins) will be exchanged. This will occur on the Qantarah. Again, it is important for us to take a Waqfah (pause) of contemplation to think about the rights we are violating, to rectify our relationships, to apologize for our violations, and to repay our dues and debts before we reach the Qantarah. At that point, there will be no more excuses, only Hasanat and Siyyat—rewards and punishments—will be exchanged.
From the famous statements of Umar Ibn Khattab Al-Farooq (RA), he would say, "Hold yourselves to account before you are held to account," meaning to hold yourselves accountable in this world while you still have the opportunity to stay away from sins, return to Allah, make Tawbah, and become close to Allah, before you are held to account on Yawmul Qiyamah in the Hisab (reckoning), where there will be no more excuses and no more opportunity.
Then he would say, "Wa wazeenu a'maalkum qabl an toozanu lakum" (And weigh up your own actions before they are weighed up for you), meaning to analyze your actions in this world, weigh up your good deeds and bad deeds, increase your good deeds, and lessen your sins so that your good deeds outweigh your sins in this world, before that day comes when the Meezan (scales of justice) will be set down, and your actions will be weighed.
And like this, Ayyuhal Kiram (dear brothers and sisters), our rights between each other, our violations, and disagreements must be addressed. We should apologize for them, mend those relationships, connect the ties of kinship which we have broken, fulfill the rights, and pay our dues and debts before that day comes when we have to stand on the Qantarah. After the disputes and rights are settled and judged, the people will enter their final abode: the people of Kufr and Shirk, and Fusuq (wickedness), will enter Jahannam (Hell). Na'udhu Billah (we seek refuge with Allah from that).
And the people of Tawheed and Iman whom Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has forgiven their sins will come to Jannah. However, when they arrive, they will find the gates of Jannah closed, and no one will be able to enter. This is when the second Shafa'ah (intercession) of the Messenger ﷺ will occur. This Shafa'ah is an exclusive right of the Messenger ﷺ.
People will attempt to enter Jannah, but they will not be able to. In the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (RA), found in Sahih Muslim, the Messenger ﷺ said: "I will approach the gate of Jannah on Yawm al-Qiyamah, but it will be closed. I will seek permission for the gate to be opened. The gatekeeper will ask, 'Who are you?' and I will reply, 'I am Muhammad.' The gatekeeper will then say, 'It is you, O Muhammad ﷺ, and I was instructed not to open the gates for anyone before you.'"
Thus, the first person to enter Jannah will be our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and the first people to enter will be his Ummah (followers). Additionally, the poor, the oppressed, and the downtrodden of this Ummah, who are from the people of Tawheed and Iman, will enter Jannah before the wealthy, powerful, and influential people of the same faith. This is what is meant by the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: "Nahnu al-akhirun al-awwaloon" (We are the last and the first), as narrated in Sahih Muslim. The Messenger ﷺ described his Ummah as follows: "We are the last to appear among the nations, but we will be the first to enter Jannah, by the will of Allah."
This is part of the virtue and greatness of our Prophet ﷺ and how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has honored the Prophet ﷺ above all other prophets and their communities, and how Allah has honored the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ above other nations. The Messenger ﷺ said, "Ana sayyidu waladi Adam wala fakhr" (I am the best of the children of Adam, but without pride or arrogance).
In the hadith of Sahih Muslim, the Messenger ﷺ said, "The poor among the Muhajirun (those who migrated for the sake of Allah) will precede the rich into Jannah by forty years." Another narration mentions that the Fuqara (poor) will enter Jannah before the rich by half a day, and in some narrations, by five hundred years. However, this does not imply that the poor necessarily have a higher rank in Jannah than the wealthy, as the reward inside Jannah is based on righteous deeds. There are rich people who are better in their actions than poor people, and vice versa.
The reason why the poor enter Jannah first, according to the scholars, is that the poor, downtrodden, and oppressed face certain struggles and difficulties in this world that the rich and powerful do not necessarily face. As a result, Allah’s mercy allows these individuals to enter Jannah first, but the reward in Jannah is ultimately based on a person's actions.
The poor among the Muhajirun will enter Jannah before the rich among the Muhajirun. Likewise, the poor among the Ansar (the helpers of the Prophet ﷺ) will enter Jannah before the rich among the Ansar, and the poor among the general Ummah will enter Jannah before the rich from their ranks.
One explanation the scholars provide is that rich people often have more rights to fulfill, such as repaying debts and settling disputes. Wealth may sometimes come from actions that were not entirely lawful, and therefore, their reckoning and questioning on the Qantarah (the bridge between Jannah and Jahannam) may be more difficult than for the poor. The poor, on the other hand, often earn and spend what they have in lawful ways, so their reckoning may be less severe.
After this, the people will enter into Jannah, and the eternal life of the Hereafter (Yawmul Khulood) will begin—where the people of Jannah will remain in Jannah, and the people of the fire will remain in the fire.
And the people of Tawheed and Iman who may have entered the fire due to their sins will be removed from the fire after being cleansed of their sins. The people on the Qantarah—once their hearts are purified from disputes, malice, jealousy, or complaints they may have had against each other—will enter Jannah. Jannah is the land of purity, and only pure bodies and pure hearts will enter it. In order for both bodies and hearts to be pure, disputes must be settled, and rights must be repaid.
Once this purification is complete, they will enter Jannah. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make our reckoning easy: اللهم حسابنا حسابًا يسيرًا Allahumma hasibna hisaaban yaseera.
We ask Allah, indeed, to grant us Jannah and to protect us from the Fire: اللهم إنا نسالك الجنة ونعوذ بك من النار Allahumma inna nas'aluka al-Jannah wa na'udhu bika min an-Nar.
We ask Allah to grant us the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on Yawm al-Qiyamah: اللهم إنا نسالك شفاعة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم القيامة Allahumma inna nas'aluka shafa'ata an-Nabi ﷺ yawm al-Qiyamah.
We ask Allah to forgive us for what we have done, both in the past and in the future, for what we have kept secret and what we have made known. And we acknowledge that He knows us better than we know ourselves: اللهم اغفر لنا ما قدمنا وما أخرنا وما أسررنا وما أعلنا وما أنت أعلم به منا أنت المقدم وأنت المؤخر لا إله إلا أنت Allahumma fil lana ma qadamna wa ma akharna wa ma asrarna wa ma a'alanna wa ma anta a'lamu bihi minna anta al-muqaddimu wa anta al-mu'akhkhiru la ilaha illa Ant.
And may Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
