All praise is due to Allah, the One who will gather all people on the day about which there is no doubt (last day of resurrection). Allah is certainly able to do all things and has complete knowledge of even the most minute of details. May Allah grant abundant commendations and protections to His Messenger Prophet Muhammad, as well as to all of the Messenger’s family and his companions.
Importance of having correct beliefs about the last day of resurrection in Islam
Dear Ummah of Islam, having correct beliefs about the last day of resurrection is one of the most important components in the scriptures which descended from the heavens, and the message brought by all of Allah’s Messengers. There was no Prophet who neglected to impart those beliefs to his people. Correct beliefs about the last day of resurrection is one of the six pillars of faith. In the hadeeth of Jibreel, he had asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) the question,
“Tell me about eemaan (faith)” and the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied, “Eemaan (faith) is for you to have correct beliefs about Allah, His angels, His scriptures, His Messengers, the Last Day of Resurrection, and for you to have correct beliefs about Allah’s preordainment whether its results are perceived to be good or bad.” Sahih Muslim
Names of the last day of resurrection in Islam
Due to the significance of the last day of resurrection, Allah mentioned it repeatedly in the Qur’an, explained its events and frightful circumstances, warned people against being heedless concerning it, and instructed His servants to prepare for it. Allah referred to it with many names such as:
- Al-Haaqqah,
- Al-Qaari‟ah,
- Al-Qiyaamah,
- Yawm ad-Deen,
- Yawm al-Fasl, and
- Yawm at-Taghaabun
It is the day on which Allah will gather together every single individual from all former and latter generations.
“That is the day when all people will be gathered, and it is the day that will be witnessed by all of creation [Allah] only delays it until a specified time that is known to [Him] alone. On the day when it comes, no person will speak except by Allah’s permission. Some among them will be miserable and others will be blessed.” Soorah Hud (11):103-105
Events of the Last Day Of Resurrection
When the time for the last day of resurrection comes, Allah, the Most Exalted will command the angel Israafeel to blow the Horn. Once that happens,
“the sky will shake dreadfully, the mountains will drift away from the places where they are anchored just like the drifting of clouds” Soorah at-Toor (52):9-10
Everyone throughout the heavens and the Earth will perish, and none will remain except Allah: the completely unique self-sufficient sovereign upon whom all else depends (that is Allah). Afterwards, Allah will command the sky to rain, and people will then sprout in their graves just a plant sprouts. The angel Israafeel will blow the Horn again to signal resurrection and, at that point, people’s souls will be returned to their bodies and they will emerge from their graves.
“The Horn shall be blown, and everyone in the heavens and the Earth will die, except for those whom Allah wills to remain alive. The Horn shall be blown yet again and they will all be resurrected, awaiting Allah’s decree concerning them.” Soorah az-Zumar (39):68
People will emerge from their graves for reckoning. Due to them moving all about and being so great in number, they would resemble a swarm of locusts spread out across the horizon.” Soorah al-Qamar (54):7
They will be led to an area where they will all be gathered: a vast plain that is flat such that “you would not see anything crooked or curved there.” Soorah Taa Haa (20):107
The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) informed Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that people will be gathered there barefoot, unclothed, and uncircumcised. She inquired, “Messenger of Allah, men and women would be together in that state, such that they can see each other?” He replied, “Circumstances (on the day of resurrection) will be far too intense for them to be concerned about that.” This was collected by Bukhari and Muslim
On the plain where people are gathered that day, all of them will be present. “The sun will come so near that it would only be away from them by the distance known in Arabic as a meel. (Meel is a distance of approximately 1848 meters, and Allah knows best) See al-Bahr al-Muheet ath-Thajjaaj (44/51)
People will be engulfed by their sweat according to the deeds they had performed. For some, it will be up to their two ankles; for others, up to their two knees; for others, up to their two hips; and for others up to their mouths such that it prevents them from speaking.” Sahih Muslim (2864)
That will take place “on a day whose length will be fifty thousand years.” Soorah al-Ma„aarij (70):4.
People will be in a state of intense anxiety and they will go to the Prophets and Messengers asking them to intercede with the Lord of the Earth and the heavens, on their behalf. They will eventually come to our Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to make the same request, and he will say, “I am the one for that task.
The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I will then request permission from my Lord, and He will grant Me permission. He will inspire me of words I can use to praise and glorify Him. They are words I do not currently know. I will praise Him with those words and bow in prostration to Him. He will then say, „Muhammad, raise your head, speak and you will be listened to, ask and you will be granted, intercede and your intercession will be accepted.
I will then say, My Lord, I intercede with You on behalf of my people. My Lord, I intercede with You on behalf of my people‟. Allah will then allow judgment to begin. He will come in a manner that befits His perfection and majesty. The angels will be in ranks, out of reverence towards their Lord. The hellfire will be brought forth to the plain where all people are gathered. “It will have seventy thousand reins, each one of which will be pulled by seventy thousand angels.” Sahih Muslim (2842)
That “will be a day when the Earth quakes powerfully and continuously such that some parts of it will demolish others. Your Lord will come to judge between His creatures and the angels will come in ranks, one after the next. On that day, the hellfire will be brought near. On that day, the person who continued to reject the truth from Allah, and passed away in that state, will awaken from his heedlessness and remorsefully remembering the misdeeds he perpetrated while alive in this world.
But what good would remorse do at that time, when he can no longer repent and there would be no further chance to make amends? He will say, I now wish so much that I had only sent righteous deeds ahead for my life in the hereafter‟.” Soorah al-Fajr (89):21-24
Then, when Allah comes on the Day of Resurrection, “the Earth will be lit up with the light of its Lord. The records of every person’s deeds will be opened. The Prophets and witnesses will be brought forth. Judgment will be passed concerning all people and they will not be wronged. Each soul will receive the full recompense it deserves based on its deeds, and Allah has full knowledge of what everyone does.” Soorah az-Zumar (39):69-70
“The first matters which will be settled between people are those related to bloodshed.” Sahih al-Bukhari (6864), Sahih Muslim (1678)
If a person wronged others in some way, they will take a corresponding portion from his righteous
deeds. If he has none, some of their sins will be cast upon him and he himself will be thrown into the
hellfire.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him said, “If someone wronged any of his brothers regarding their dignity or property, he must seek their pardon today, before the time comes when no dinar or dirham will avail anyone. At that time, if a person has any righteous deeds, others will take a share in proportion to the wrong he did them. If he has no righteous deeds, he will take from the sins of others and have to bear those himself.” Sahih al-Bukhari
On the last day of resurrection, everyone will be presented to their Lord and nothing about anyone will be concealed from Allah. Each person will be called individually to come forth on his own and speak on behalf of his own weak self in front of Allah, the Supreme Owner and Sovereign of all things.
It will be a “day when every person will come pleading on his own behalf, everyone will be paid in full for what he did, and none of them will be dealt with unjustly.” Sahih al-Bukhari (6864), Sahih Muslim (1678)
“Every single one of you will certainly be spoken to by Allah, without any interpreter between Him and you. A person will look to his right and not see anything besides what he sent ahead for himself, look to his left and not see anything besides what he sent ahead for himself, and look ahead and not see anything besides the hellfire in front of him. Therefore, you must protect yourselves from the hellfire even if it be with half-a-date or a kind word.” Sahih Ibn Majah
As for a person of eeman (faith), Allah will have him confess to some of his sins, and Allah will pardon whatever He wills of His servant’s wrongdoing in order for the servant to recognize his Lord’s favour: his Lord conceals those things in this world and pardons them in the hereafter.
Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrated that he heard Allah’s Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “ A believer will be brought to his Almighty Lord on the Day of Resurrection until He places His veil over him and makes him confess to his sins, saying: Do you acknowledge your sins?
The believer will say: My Lord, I do acknowledge them. Allah will say: I concealed them for you in the world and today I forgive you for them. Then, he will be given the record of his good deeds. As for the unbelievers and hypocrites, there will be an announcement before all creation declaring that these people had lied about Allah. Sahih Muslim 2768
There are some people who will deny what is in the records of their deeds that were written by the angels entrusted with that task. Such people will not be pleased with anything besides testimony from their own selves. Consequently, Allah will seal their mouths and make their limbs speak.
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he and some of the Companions were once with Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had laughed and then asked, “Do you know what made me laugh?
The Companions replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said, “I laughed due to what certain people will say to their Lord. An individual will say.. My Lord, did You not guarantee that I would only be treated fairly.. Allah will tell the person- I did guarantee that.
The person will say, I will not accept any testimony about me except that of a witness from my own self. Allah will tell him that today, you yourself are sufficient to give testimony regarding your own self, and the noble scribes are sufficient as witnesses.‟ The person’s mouth will be sealed and his limbs will be told, “Speak” and they will then mention his deeds. Afterwards, the person will be allowed to speak and he will tell his own limbs, „ Get away from me. You are the ones on whose behalf I was trying to argue. Sahih Muslim
When those who were enemies towards Allah reach the hellfire, their very own ears, eyes, and skins will testify against them concerning their wrongdoing and rejection of the truth from Allah.
They will say to their own skins, why are you testifying against us? Their skins will reply, Allah, the One who can give anything the ability to speak, has allowed us to speak. He is the One who initiated your creation the very first time by bringing you into existence, and to Him alone you will return after you pass away. When you perpetrated your wrongdoing, you had not concealed yourselves in order for your ears, eyes, and skins to not testify against you. In fact, you even thought that Allah did not know much of what you were doing. Soorah Fussilat (41):20-22
Preparation for the Last Day Of Resurrection
For a good servant of Allah, you must prepare the necessary answers for what you will be asked, and prepare the necessary righteous deeds for that meeting. An authentic hadeeth mentions that Allah, the Almighty and Most Majestic, said,
O my servants, it is only your deeds that I record for you and then recompense for you, so let him who finds good praise Allah and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself. Sahih Muslim 2577
Therefore, if an individual hopes to meet his Lord, he must perform righteous deeds and he must not worship anything whatsoever besides his Lord alone. The greatest preparation a person can make for the day when he must meet Allah, the Most Exalted, is Tawheed: having continued to sincerely devote all worship to Allah
alone.
The declaration of Tawheed is the highest branch of eemaan (faith) and the heaviest thing in the scale of deeds. A person will be raised upon what he passes away doing. If it is something good, his recompense will be good; if bad, his recompense will be bad. On the last day of resurrection, every individual will find shade due to charity he had given, and that would continue until judgment is passed concerning all people.
There are seven types of people whom Allah will grant shade from the blazing heat on that day, when there will be no shade except the shade that He grants. They are:
- An authority who rules fairly
- A young person who grows up worshipping Allah
- A man whose heart is attached to congregational prayers in the mosque
- Any two people who love each other for Allah’s sake, such that they come together for His sake and also part for His sake;
- A man who says, I fear Allah when a woman of status and beauty entices him to commit adultery
- A man who gives charity so discreetly that even his left hand does not know what his right hand gives;
- And a man who mentions Allah while alone and, due to that, his two eyes shed tears out of reverence for Allah and yearning to meet Him. Sahih al-Bukhari (660), Sahih Muslim (1031)
It will be a day when the Qur’an comes forth to intercede for those who were constantly in its company.
“A person who was constantly in the company of the Qur’an will be told, “Read and ascend. Recite just as you used to recite in the world you have now left behind. Your rank will be at the last verse you read.” Jaami„ at-Tirmithee (2914)
In contrast, a person who turns away from mentioning Allah will be raised blind on the last day of resurrection.
“He will say, My Lord, why have You raised me blind when I had previously been able to see? Allah will respond to such people, Just as you had ignored Our clear evidences during your lives, you will be ignored today and abandoned in the punishment of the hellfire” Soorah Taa Haa (20):125-126
On the Day of Resurrection, as for those who persisted in rejecting the truth from Allah, they will be raised upon their faces while blind, mute, and deaf. A hadeeth in the Two Sahih collections mentions that a man said,
Narrated Anas bin Malik: A man said, O Allah’s Prophet! Will Allah gather the non-believers on their faces on the Day of Resurrection? He said, Will not the One Who made him walk on his feet in this world, be able to make him walk on his face on the Day of Resurrection? (Qatada, a subnarrator, said: Yes, By the Power of Our Lord!) Sahih al-Bukhari (4760) & Sahih Muslim (2806)
Conclusion about preparing for the last day of resurrection.
Encouragement to Righteousness
Servants of Allah, you must continue to observe taqwaa (fear) of Allah by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. Furthermore, you must protect yourselves from punishment on the day (the day of resurrection) when no parent will be able to avail his child, and no child will be able to avail his parent in any way.
The promise of Allah is undoubtedly true. Therefore, do not be deceived by the life of this world, and do not let shayton deceive you about Allah.” Soorah Luqmaan (31):33.
Brothers and sisters in faith, the journey towards righteousness is not a one-time endeavor but a continuous striving towards the pleasure of Allah. Let our hearts be steadfast in obedience, our tongues moist with remembrance, and our limbs active in good deeds. Remember that every righteous act, no matter how small, is significant in the eyes of Allah.
Dear believers, be mindful of the imminent accountability on the last day of resurrection. Every action, every word, and every intention will be brought forth for scrutiny. Prepare yourselves accordingly by aligning your actions with the teachings of Islam and seeking Allah’s pleasure in all that you do.
Brothers and sisters, let us strive together in preparing for the last day of resurrection with sincerity, humility, and unwavering faith. May Allah grant us the strength to overcome trials and tribulations, and may He bless us with success in this world and the Hereafter.
(Excerpt from khutbahs-al-masjid-al-haraam)
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