The Belief in the Hereafter
The Belief in the Hereafter
53. Allah has predecreed a term for each individual, and a term for the life of
this world. Its end will be marked by the sounding of the Horn, then it will
sound again and mankind shall be resurrected to stand before the Lord of the
Worlds on the Day of Requital(1).
1- "And the trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and the
earth will swoon away save him who Allah wills. Then it will be blown a
second time. Then behold they will be standing and looking on."
39.68
54. Jannah and Hell Fire are two everlasting created things that are already
in existence. The people of Jannah (paradise), without doubt shall enter it on
the Day of Judgment, and the people of Hell shall have to fall into it; they
shall not find any room to turn aside or back away from it.
2- There are many ayat in Qur'an, and authentic traditions in the Sunnah
confirming this fact, e.g., on Jannah:
57.21,
on Hell:
3.131. As for the
Sunnah it suffices to refer to hadeeth on the subject of the miraj (the
ascending of the Prophet up to the heavens where he actually saw both Jannah
and Hell. The traditionists have recorded his account of what he saw in both
of them. I quote here a sample of such traditions. Imran narrated: The
Prophet (Peace be on Him) said: "I looked into Jannah and saw that the
majority of its people were poor, and I looked into the Fire and saw that the
majority of its people were women." Bukhari Vol.VIII, p.362.
55. Allah will ultimately remove from Hell those believers who entered it
because of sins they committed, which were neither forgiven by Allah nor
atoned for by good deeds in their lifetimes(3).
3- Refer to Para. 48.
56. The joy and bliss in Jannah are sensual realities, and so is the torment of
Hell Fire(4). Both bliss and torment are graphically described by Allah in His
Book and by the Prophet(Peace be on Him) in his traditions.
4- The verses dealing with this fact leave no room for those who deivated from
the right path to insert their false allegation that the bliss and torment in the
Hereafter are merely spiritual. Allah prepared for the people of Jannah things
to eat, palaces to live in and beautiful females to mate with while the people
of the Hell will eat bitter plants and the secretion of wounds, and drink boiling
water, as described in Surah
56.15-56.
57. The residents of Jannah will certainly find there things that no eye has
seen, and no ear has heard of and no human mind has imagined. The people of
Hell Fire will certainly find there torment and suffering that they could never
think of nor imagine, "for that day His torment will be such as none else can
inflict and His bond will be such as none (other) can bind."
89.25-26. We ask
Allah to make us not of the latter.
58. Anyone who is to be of the people of Jannah, shall be at peace in his
grave, and anyone who is to be of the people of Hell shall be tortured in his
grave. Thus, peace and torture in the grave are facts, as is the in terrogation
by the two angels therein(5).
5- Allah describes the punishment in the grave of the people of Fir'awn
(Pharoah): "The Fire; they are exposed to it, morning and evening, and when
the Final Hour is established (it will be said) 'cause Pharoah's folk to enter
the severest torment."'
40.46.
Masrook narrated: 'A'ishah said that a Jewess came to her and mentioned the
punishment in the grave, saying to her 'May Allah protect you from the
punishment of the grave.' 'A'ishah then asked Allah's Apostle about the
punishment in the grave. He said: 'Yes, (there is) punishment in the grave.'
'A'ishah said: 'After that I never saw Allah's Apostle without seeking refuge
with Allah from the punishment in the grave."' Bukhari Vol.II, p.256.
59. There are signs of the Final Hour, both major and minor, some of which
Allah mentioned in His Book, which are clearly explained by the
Prophet(Peace be on Him). Of the major ones are the Beast of the Earth(6); the
descent of the Messiah, Issa son of Maryam, from heaven to earth in
Damascus(7), from whence he will rule in accordance with the Qur'an break
the cross, kill the swine and waive the Jizyah(8); the appearance of ad-Dajjal
and Gog and Magog(9); and the eruption of a fire in Aden which will drive the
people to the Land of Congregation(10) (of the Day of Judgment).
6- "And when the Word is fulfilled against them, We shall produce from the
earth a beast to speak to them (to people)."
27.82.
7- Abu Hurairah narrated: Allah's Apostle said: "By him in Whose hand my
soul is, surely Issa (Jesus) the son of Maryam will soon descend amongst you
as a just ruler; he will break the cross (thus declaring the religion of Nassara
null and void), kill the swine and waive the Jizyah." Bukhari Vol.lV, p.437.
8- Jizyah is a form of tax paid by non-Muslims to the Muslim government to
which they are subject in lieu of participating in military service, and to
ensure their protection. It is imposed only on those who can afford it.
9- The Prophet(Peace be on Him) described al-Dajjal (pseudo-Christ) saying:
"He would be a young man with twisted curly hair and with a blind eye. . . He
amongst you who would survive to see him should recite over him the opening
verses of Suratul-Kahf (No.18). He would appear on the way between Syria
and Iraq, and would spread mischief right and left.
O slaves of Allah, adhere
to the path of truth." We said: "Allah's Messenger, haw long would he stay on
the earth?" He said, "Forty days, one day like a year, and one day like a
month, and one day like a week, and the rest of the days would be like your
days." We said: "Allah's Messenger, would one day's prayer suffice for the
prayers of a day equal to one year?" Thereupon he said, "No, but you must
make an estimate of time (and observe prayers accordingly)." We said:
"Allah's Messenger, how quickly would he walk upon the earth?" There upon
he said: "Like a cloud driven by the wind. He would come to the people and
invite them (to a wrong religion) and they would affirm their faith in him and
respond to him."
The Prophet(Peace be on Him) went on to say that ad-'Dijal'
later on would be killed by Issa. Thereafter Gog and Magog would swarm down
from every slope ("until when Gog and Magog are let loose, and they swiftly
swarm from every hill." 21.96). The first of them would pass the lake of
Tiberias and drink out of it: when the last of them would pass it he would say:
"There was once water there!" Allah would send worms (which would attach
thelr necks) and in the morning they would perish as a single person. Allah's
Apostle Issa and his companions would then come down from Tur (a place to
which Allah commanded Issa to take the believers as a safe refuge from Gog
and Magog) and they would not find in the earth the space of a single span
which was not filled with the putrefaction and stench of the corpses of Gog
and Magog. Allah's Apostle and his companions would then beseech Allah, vho
would send birds whose necks would be like those of bactrian camels and they
would carry them (the carcasses of Gog and Magog) and throw them where
Allah would will.
Then Allah would send rain, which no house of clay nor tent
(made of camel's hair) would keep out. It would wash the earth shiny clean.
The earth will be told to bring forth its fruits and restore its blessings. There
would grow a pomegranate so big that a group of persons would be able to eat
it, and seek shelter under its skin. A cow would give so much milk that a
whole tribe would be able to drink of it. At that time Allah would send a
pleasant wind which would soothe people. It would hold them by their armpits,
and would take the life of every believer and every Muslim. Only the wicked
would survive, and they would commit adultery like asses (in public). The
Final Hour would come to them." Muslim, Vol.lV, p.1517-1518.
10- The hadeeth of Fire is recorded by Muslim in book 53-13.
60. Of the minor signs of the Final Hour are the contraction of time, the
prevalence of afflictions and bloodletting(11), the outnumbering of men by
women(12), the fight between the Muslims and the Jews(13), and joining
together in battle of the Muslims and Nasara against the infidels, followed by
another fight between the Muslims and Nasara resulting in the defeat of the
latter(14).
11- Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet(Peace be on Him) said that of the
signs of the Final Hour are: "The contraction of time, decrease of (religious)
knowledge, prevalence of niggardliness, appearance of afflictions and the
increase of bloodshed." (Ibnu Majah E 36/26)
12- Also of the signs of the Final Hour are: "Diminishing of (the number of)
men to the point that there will be left one man for every fitty women." Ibid.
13- Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger(Peace be on Him) as saying: the
last Hour would not come till the Muslims fight against the Jews, and the
Muslims will kill them until the Jews hide themselves behind the stones and
trees, and the stones and trees would speak up saying: 'O Muslim! O slave of
Allah There is a Jew hiding behind me; come and kill him'. The Gharqad tree
would speak, for it is the tree of the Jews." Muslim Vol.IV p.1510
14- Dhi Makhmor reported: "I heard the Prophet(Peace be on Him) saying: The
Romans (Nasara) will enter into a peace-pact with you, and you will raid
along with them an enemy people and will conquer them, gain the spoil and
return safely to sojourn in a hilly pasture land. A man of the people of the
cross will raise the cross up and say: " The cross made the victory."
'Thereupon a Muslim man would stand up in anger and kill him. At that point,
the Romans will breach the pact and gather themselves for the massacre."
Ibnu Majah, 36/35.
61. The Final Hour will not come until Rome is conquered, nor until the
apperance at the end of time, of al-Mahdi, who is from the Ummah of
Muhammad, whose name is the same as the Apostle's name, and whose name
is the same as the Apostle's name, and whose father's name is Abdullah(15).
Al-Mahdi is not the "hidden mahdi", Mohamed, son of al-Hassan al-Askari of
the Shiites(16).
15- Abdullah narrated; "The Prophet(Peace be on Him) said: 'If there were
only one day left in the life of this world, Allah would prolong it to send a man
from my family vhose name is like mine, and whose father's name is like my
father's!" Abu Dawood - Book Al-Mahdi, p.l06.
16- The hadeeth (cited above in footnote 15) refutes the allegation made by the
Shiites that the awaited Mahdi is he whom they falsely claim to be the son of
al-Hasan al-Askari. In addition, historians have shown that Hasan al-Askari
did not even have any surviving issue.
62. The Day of Judgment will last fifty thousand calendar years(17), during
which time people will stand before their Lord to receive His sentence(18). He
will judge between them on the masters wherein they used to differ(19). They
will be distinct in respect of their iman and their ranks(20). The Mizan(21) is a
fact, and as Sirat(22) is a fact, and the intercession of the Chief of the
Messengers is a fact(23), and the intercession by those entitled to it by Allah
is a fact(24).
17- Upon hearing the ayah "The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a Day
the measure whereof is fifty thousand years."
[70.4],
people said to the
Prophet(Peace be on Him): "What a long day this will be!" Thereupon the
Prophet(Peace be on Him) said: "By the One In Whose Hand is my soul, it will
be alleviated for the believer-till it becomes shorter than the time of one
prescribed prayer he used to pray in this world.'' Ahamad and Ibun Jareer.
18- Think they not that they will be raised up, on a Great Day, a day when all
mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?"
83.4,5,6
19- Allah will Judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that
wherein they have been differing."
2.113
20- ". . . of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who
mix good deeds with bad, and of them are some who outstrip (others) through
good deeds, by Allah's leave..."
35.32
21- The scale which will be set up on the Day of Judgment for weighing the
deeds of men.
22- 'Sirat' is a bridge extending over the midst of Hell, and over it mankind
will pass. Upon being asked: "What is the bridgel?" The Prophet(Peace be on
Him) said: (It is) slippery. On it, there are hooks, tongs and spits like the
thorns that are found in Najd known as as-sa'dan. The believers would pass
over it in the twinkling of an eye, like lightning, like wind, like birds, like the
finest horses and camels. Some will escape and be safe, some will be
lacerated and let go, and some will be pushed into the Fire of Hell. . ." Muslim,
Vol.l, p.118
Al-Miqdad reported the Prophet(Peace be on Him) to have said: 'The people
would be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds some up to the
knees, some up to the waist and some would have the bridle of perspiration.'
While saying this, Allah's Apostle(Peace be on Him) pointed his hand towards
his mouth. Sahih Muslim Vol.lV, p.1488.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Apostle(Peace be on Him) of Allah had said:
"Seven are (the persons) Whom Allah would give protection with this Shade
(i.e., the shade of His Arsh) on the Day (of Judgment) when there would be no
Shade but His: A just ruler; a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah: a
person whose heart is attached to the mosques (who loves to spend most of
his time in the mosque), two persons who love each other and meet each
other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah, a man whom a
beautiful woman of high rank tries to seduce, but he refuses (to respond)
saying: "I fear Allah"; a person who gives charity and cornceals it (to such
an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right hand has given; and
a person who remembered Allah in private and his eyes shed tears." Sahih
Muslim Vol.II, p.493.
23- Refer to para. 48.
24- Allah will allow some people other than Muhammad(Peace be on Him), such
as other prophets, angels and believers, to intercede on belhalf of others on
the Day of Judgement.