the hereafter
Before taking up Traditions concerning life after
death it will be advisable to keep a few fundamental
points in view. It will be easier then to understand
the import of the Traditions and the doubts that are
so common in this regard, in the modern materialistic
times, will not arise.
(i) The special function of the Divine Apostles [for
which they are raised up] is to tell us about the
truths we cannot know on our own, though it is
essential to have knowledge of them. They are beyond
the reach of our intellects.
(ii) A unique source of authentic knowledge for the
Apostles, which is not available to the common people,
is Divine revelation. It is by this means that the
holy Prophets obtain knowledge of things we cannot
become aware of through our own eyes, ears or
understanding in the same way as anyone possessing a
telescope can see remote objects that are not visible
to others.
(iii) To believe in anyone as an Apostle and to accept
him as such means the unequivocal acknowledgement of
the truth that whatever he tells about things we do
not know or cannot see ourselves is from the knowledge
vouchsafed to him by God and that every word of it is
true. There is no question of doubting the genuineness
and accuracy of what the Apostle teaches or reveals.
(iv) The Apostles never tell anything that is opposed
to reason. It is a different matter that our
intellectual faculties may not be capable of
understanding independently the principles and
doctrine expounded by them. It could, of course, not
be otherwise because if the Prophets were merely to
teach the truths we could ourselves perceive through
study and observation their raising up would have no
meaning.
(v) There is nothing in what the Apostles have told
about life after death, i.e. Barzakh [the state of the
grave] and Futurity that may not be logically
feasible. It does, however, contain certain truths,
which we cannot know ourselves and since a similitude
of these things does not exist in the material world
we, naturally, fail to comprehend them the way we do
the visible objects that surround us here.
(vi) The range and strength of the natural means of
knowledge and perception that have been granted to us,
like the eyes, ears, nose and intellect is very
limited. Our everyday experience is that with the aid
of modern scientific instruments we can come to know
of things that could not be imagined in the past. For
example, the microbes present in water or blood can
today, be seen through the microscope, we can hear the
voice coming from thousands of miles over the
wireless, and with the help of knowledge derived from
books the human mind can reflect to a much greater
extent than what it could on the basis of information
acquired through the physical faculties like hearing
and seeing. It shows that to reject a truth simply on
the ground that we do not see, hear or understand it
today is patently wrong and erroneous. As the Quran
tells: And of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but
little. (xvii : 85)
(vii) Man is made up of two things: the body which is
visible and the soul which, though it cannot be seen,
is accepted by everyone as a reality. Moreover, the
relation between them in this world is such that
whatever condition of pain or pleasure, suffering or
happiness, comes to pass here happens primarily to the
body and the soul is affected by it only secondarily.
Thus, when a person is hurt or gets burnt by fire, the
injury or burn is related directly to the body but his
soul also feels the agony of it. Similarly, the
pleasures of eating and drinking appertain to the body
but the soul, too, participates in them.
In the material world, therefore, body is the main
thing and the soul, so to speak, is subservient to it.
But if we bestow some thought on what the Quran and
the Traditions tell about the Hereafter, we will
realise that it will be the other way round in the
life to come. In the future existence, all the good
and bad things will happen directly to the soul and
the body will be affected by them simply in the second
place. God has created a likeness of it in the present
world as well [probably in order to make it easier for
us to appreciate this essential fact]. It is the
dream. Everyone who is mentally normal often sees in
his life dreams which give him intense pain or
pleasure. But the pain or pleasure in the dream is, in
fact, related to the soul and the body is affected
only indirectly by it. For instance, when a person
dreams that he is eating a delicious food, he does not
see that he is doing so with his soul or imagination
but with the mouth with which he usually eats in the
waking state. Likewise, when he dreams that someone is
beating him, he does not see that it is his soul which
is being beaten but the body and his body feels the
hurt in the same way as it does in the waking hours
though whatever happens in the dream is to the soul
and the body is affected only secondarily.
Occasionally, the body feels the effects of the
strokes or blows so strongly that marks of injury are
actually found on it when one wakes up.
Anyhow, the nature of whatever one sees in a good or
bad dream is that it happens directly to the soul and
its effect is felt by the body only in the second
place. That is why, even a person lying next to him
who dreams does not see any sign of what he is passing
through physically, the reason being that we, in this
world, can observe only such states as are related
directly to our physical self. In the same manner, the
nature of what is going to happen to virtuous or
wicked people during the state of Barzakh [a few
details of which are given in the sayings of the
Prophet we will now discuss] is that it will directly
befall the soul and the body will feel its effect in
the indirect way.
It is hoped that after knowing the difference between
the present world and Barzakh the trivial doubts and
questions will not arise which are typical to the
skeptical or unintelligent people about the Traditions
pertaining to the interrogation of the dead and the
reward and punishment of the grave.
(A) Barzakh
(69) It is related by Barai bin Azib that the Apostle
of God said [while speaking about the interrogation of
the dead and the reward and punishment of the grave] :
When a faithful bondsman of the Lord departs from
this world and arrives in the World of Barzakh [i.e.,
is buried in the grave], angels come to him [and] they
make him sit up and ask, Who is your Lord? The
bondsman replies, Allah is my Lord. The angels,
thereafter, ask, What is your Faith? He replies,
Islam is my Faith. The angels, then, inquire from
him, What do you think of the man who was raised up
among you [as the Apostle]? He is the truthful
Apostle of God, the bondsman replies. Upon it, the
angels ask, Who told it to you [i.e., how did you
come to know about the Apostleship of Mohammad]? He
replies, I read the Book of Allah [and from it I
learnt that Mohammad is the Apostle of God]. The
Prophet, then, remarked that this is the reply of the
faithful Believer about which it has been said in the
Quran. Allah confirmeth those who believe by a firm
saying [i.e., by a correct faith and a correct reply]
in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. (xiv :
27)
Afterwards, the Prophet observed, [When the truthful
Believer gives the correct replies to the
aforementioned questions of the angels], a herald
proclaims from the heavens [i.e., it is announced from
the heavens on behalf of God]: My bondsman told the
right thing and gave the correct answers. So, lay out
the carpet of Paradise for him and dress him up in the
robe of Paradise and open a door for him in the
direction of Paradise. Thereupon, the door is opened
through which comes the cool and fragrant breeze of
Paradise and the Paradise is stretched for him as far
as the eye can see [i.e., the curtains are lifted so
that he can revel, in full measure, in the wonderful
sights of Heaven].
After it, the Prophet told about the death of the
Unbeliever [Infidel]. He said, [After his death], the
soul is returned to his body and two angels also come
to him who make him sit up and ask, Who is your
Lord? He replies Alas ! I know nothing. The angels,
then inquire from him, What was your Faith? He,
again, replies Alas ! I know nothing. The angels,
further, ask, What do you think of the man who was
raised up among you [as the Apostle]? He, again,
says, Alas ! I know nothing. After these questions
and answers a herald proclaims from the heavens [on
behalf of God], He is a liar. [The innocence he
professes is false for he was really a denier of the
Oneness of God, of His faith Islam and of His
truthful Apostle]. So lay out for him the carpet of
Hell and dress him up in the robe of Hell and open a
door for him in the direction of Hell. [All this
will, then, be done]. [The Prophet went on to say]:
The heat of Hell and its leaping flames and scorching
wind will reach him incessantly [through the door],
and his grave will be made extremely narrow and it
will press him so hard that his ribs will move from
one side to the other. After it, an angel will be
appointed for his punishment who will neither see nor
hear anything. He will be carrying a hammer of iron, a
stroke of which can reduce a mountain to a heap of
ashes. With this hammer the angel will strike him once
and he will scream so loudly that all the things that
exist between the East and the West except men and
djinn will hear it. At this stroke he will turn into
dust, and, then, the soul will be put into him
again.
-Musnad-i-Ahmad and Abu Dawood
(70) It is related by Anas that the Apostle of God
said: When [after death] the bondsman is buried in
the grave and his Companions [i.e., those who came
with his funeral] depart [but they are still so near
that he can hear their footsteps], two angels come to
him and make him sit up and, then, ask, What did you
say about the man [i.e., about the Holy Prophet]?
Thus, if the bondsman is a Believer he replies, [I
have always testified and even now] I testify that he
is the bondsman and the truthful Apostle of God. [On
hearing it, the angels say], See also the place that
was going to be your abode in the Hereafter [if you
had not made the affirmation]. Now, instead of it, God
has granted to you a place in Paradise [which is
this]. See it also [i.e., both the places of Heaven
and Hell will be brought before him]. He will, thus,
see them at the same time. Similarly, he who is a
Hypocrite or an Infidel is, also, asked [after his
death] about the Prophet as to what did he think of
him. The Hypocrite or the Infidel replies, I myself
do not know anything about him. I only used to repeat
what the others said. [Upon it], he will be told,
You neither knew yourself nor followed the example
[of those who believed after knowing], and will be
beaten with the clubs of iron due to which he will
scream so loudly that everything nearby will hear it
except men and djinn.
Commentary.-From the preceding Tradition it appears
that the angels will ask three questions from the dead
person while in the present saying only one question
is mentioned. The reason is that this one question
covers the other two and the reply to it denotes the
replies to them as well. Thus, in some accounts only
one question is stated.
We have emphasised it as an elementary principle
already and wish to bring it to the notice of the
readers again that the Traditions of the Prophet are
not in the nature of written discourses but informal
talks, and in the conversation of a teacher or
benefactor it is quite natural that, sometimes, a
thing is described in full detail, and, sometimes,
only a few aspects of it are discussed.
In the above report, as also in a few others, the word
grave has been used but it does not mean that what
has been described in them applied only to those who
are buried after death. It is merely for the reason
that in Arabia the general practice was to bury the
dead and its people knew only of this method of the
disposal of dead bodies. Otherwise, the interrogation
by the angels takes place with everyone who dies, no
matter whether he is buried in the grave or cremated
or his dead body is immersed in the river or eaten up
by carnivorious birds and animals. As we have seen
earlier, all this [the interrogation etc.] happens to
the soul, and the body, wherever it may be, is
affected only indirectly by it. The example of the
dream is quite sufficient to bring home the truth. In
it, we also can find a reply to the misgiving that,
sometimes, a dead body remains lying before us for
three or four days and yet no sound of the questions
and answers is heard by anyone. In the dream, too, all
sorts of things happen to a man, he talks, eats and
drinks but no evidence of it is noticed by those
around him
It can, also, be argued that when there is no opening
or any other way of entering into a grave, how do the
angels reach there? But only the unknowing who imagine
the angels to be made of flesh and bones like
themselves can raise such a question. The angels do
not need an entrance or a doorway for coming into or
going out of a place. Just as the rays of sun pass
through to them by God, go past the walls of bricks
and stones.
(71) It is related by Abdullah bin Omar that the
Apostle of God said: When anyone of you dies, the
place that is going to be his [final] dwelling-place
is brought before his eyes every morning and evening.
If he is among the dwellers of Paradise, the place in
the Paradise [that is going to be his is shown to him
every morning and evening], and if he is among the
dwellers of Hell, the place in the Hell [that is going
to be his is shown to him every morning and evening],
and it is said to him: This is going to be your
permanent abode [and it will be so] when God will
raise you up on the Day of Resurrection.
-Bukhari and Muslim
Commentary.-It is not possible, in the present world,
to form an idea of the rare joy the dwellers of Heaven
will experience on seeing their eternal dwelling place
and the excessive pain and grief the dwellers of Hell
will feel on seeing their permanent abode in the
grave.
(72) Osman; the Generous, related to us that [his
condition was such that] he used to weep much when [he
happened to] stand by the side of a grave, to the
extent that his beard became wet with tears. On being
asked [how it was] that he did not weep when he
remembered Heaven and Hell but cried so bitterly
because of the grave, he explained that the Apostle of
God used to say: The grave is the first stage among
the stages of the Hereafter. Thus, if a person obtains
deliverance from it, the other stages are easier, and
if a person fails to obtain deliverance from the stage
of the grave, the other stages are more difficult.
The Apostle also used to say: No sight which I have
seen is more dreadful than the sight of the grave"
-Tirmidhi and Ibn-i-Maja
Commentary.-It tells that whenever Hazrat Osman passed
by a grave the words of the Prophet [reproduced above]
came to his mind and he began to weep out of fear and
anxiety.
(73) Osma, the Generous, related to us that it was
the practice of the Prophet that after he had finished
with the burial of a dead body, he would stand by the
side of the grave and say: Pray to God for
forgiveness for this brother of yours and also that He
may keep him steadfast in the replies to the questions
for now the interrogation will take place.
-Abu Dawood
(74) It is related by Asma bint Abu Bakr that the
Apostle of God once delivered a sermon in which he
spoke of the trial everyone who dies has to submit
himself to. Thus, when he spoke about it, all the
Muslims screamed with fear and there was loud
lamentation.
-Bukhari
(75) Zaid bin Sabit narrated that once while the
Apostle of God was passing through a grove owned by
the tribe of Banu Najar, seated on his mule, the mule
unexpectedly turned its course [and it seemed] that it
would throw him down. All of a sudden, five or six
graves came into view. The Prophet inquired, Does
anyone know who are buried in these graves? I do,
replied one of the Companions. When did they die?
The Prophet asked. The Companion replied, During the
days of ignorance. The Prophet, thereupon, remarked,
They are undergoing punishment in the grave. Were I
not afraid that you would not be able to bury your
dead, I would have prayed to God to let you, too, hear
a part of the chastisement of the grave that I am
hearing. After saying this, the Prophet turned
towards us and observed, Seek the protection of God
from the chastisement of Hell. We all said, We seek
the protection of God from the chastisement of Hell!
The Prophet, then, said, Seek the protection of God
from the chastisement of the grave. We ll said, We
seek the protection of God from the chastisement of
the grave. The Prophet, then, said, Seek the
protection of God from every mischief, manifest as
well as hidden. We all said, We seek the protection
of God from every mischief, manifest as well as
hidden. The Prophet, then, said, Seek the protection
of God from the [gravest] mischief of Dajjal. We all
said, We seek the protection of God from the mischief
of Dajjal.
-Muslim
Commentary.-From the earlier Traditions we have learnt
that God has kept the chastisement of the grave
concealed from men and djinn. They do not come to know
about it at all, but the other creatures become aware
of it to some extent. The above Tradition, also, shows
that the punishment which was being inflicted on the
persons buried in the grove of Banu Najar was
perceived not by the Companions of the Prophet but by
the mule on which he was riding. The wisdom of it is
plain. If all of us could see or hear what went on in
the grave, the doctrine of Faith in the Unseen would
be rendered meaningless and entire functioning of the
universe would be thrown into disorder. When a friend
or relative of ours is in distress we find it hard to
concentrate on anything. What to speak of any other
thing, mothers would not be able to suckle their
children if the punishment of the grave was made known
or visible to us.
The Tradition, further, tells that the shrieks that
were rising from the graves were heard by the Prophet
but his Companions could not hear them in the least
degree. It was akin to the fact that often the Angel
of Revelation brought a Divine revelation to the
Prophet in the presence of the Companions but they
failed to see or hear him. People who are accustomed
to receiving an inspiration from God will have little
difficulty in appreciating it but even commoners like
us can obtain some idea of it from the example of the
dream.
The Prophets remark that were I not afraid that you
would not be able to bury your dead, I would have
prayed to God to let you also hear a part of the
chastisement of the grave that I am hearing denotes
that he feared that if God made known to the
Companions [i.e., to the other people] also the nature
of the punishment of the grave and they, too, could
hear like him the screams of those receiving
punishment, they could be seized so terribly with the
fear of death that even to arrange for the burial of
the dead would not be possible for them. That is why,
he was not praying to the Almighty for it.
Lastly, the Prophet has advised the Companions to beg
the protection of God which conveys the moral teaching
that instead of trying to see or hear the punishment
of the grave the Believers should do their utmost to
save themselves from it. Protection from the
chastisement of the grave, as from every kind of
chastisement and calamity, rests, indeed, with God. We
should, therefore, always beseech the Lord for refuge
against the punishment of the grave, and of Hell, and
against all the manifest and hidden calamities,
particularly against the greatest of them, that of
Dajjal, and strive our level best to keep away from
the iniquities that are likely to bring on the
grievous Penalty of the Hereafter.
O God! I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment of
Hell, and from the punishment of the grave, and from
the mischiefs, both manifest and hidden, and from the
calamity of Dajjal.
(B) Last Day
(76) It is related by Anas that the Apostle of God
said: I and the Resurrection are like these two
fingers.
-Bukhari and Muslim
Commentary.-The Prophet, after showing the two, index
and middle, fingers of his hand, observed that his
raising up and the Last Day were as close to each
other as them. What he, perhaps, intended to convey
was that all the eras God had ordained for the world
had come to an end. It was the last era that had
commenced with his Apostleship and would terminate
with the Hour [i.e., Doomsday]. No Apostle was going
to be sent down now nor would a new community be
raised. We should, as such, not be heedless of the
Resurrection imagining that it was far away.
(77) It is related by Jabir that he heard the Apostle
of God say a month before his death: You ask me about
Resurrection and its appointed time is known only to
God, and I can swear by God that there is no living
person on the face of the earth on whom a hundred
years pass and he is still alive at that time.
-Muslim
Commentary.-It appears from the Quran as well as the
Traditions that people often used to ask the Prophet
about the Resurrection as to when it was to come. The
reply of the Prophet always was what is contained in
this Tradition, i.e., its previously fixed time was
known only to God and He alone was aware of the year,
month and day on which it was going to take place. He
had not granted its knowledge to anyone.
The Prophet has made another observation in the above
Tradition besides answering the question that was put
to him. He has said that those who were alive in the
world at that time would all be dead within a hundred
years. It shows that the appointed time of the
Resurrection, when everything that exists will be
destroyed, was not known to him. It was only in the
knowledge of God. What he had, however, revealed to
the Prophet was that the existing generation would
come to an end within a hundred years and those who
were alive then would be dead before the passage of a
century. Thus, for them it could be said that the Last
Day would come within a hundred years.
(78) It is related by Anas that the Apostle of God
said: The Last Day shall not arrive until [such an
evil time comes that] Allah, Allah is not said in the
world at all. [In some reports of this Tradition it
is stated that the Last Day shall not be established
on anyone who says Allah, Allah].
-Muslim
Commentary.-It denotes that the Last Day will be set
up when the world will become wholly bereft of the
remembrance of God and no one here will worship Him or
carry out His commands. When the things will come to
such a pass the whole of the universe will be
destroyed. The remembrance of the Lord and the
rendering of due allegiance to Him is, thus, the
essence of the present world and the justification for
its existence. The day our world will become devoid of
it, it will be broken to pieces at the command of its
Creator.
(79) It is related by Abdullah bin Masood that the
Apostle of God said: The Last Day shall not be set up
except on the worst of men.
-Muslim
Commentary.-It tells that the Last Day will come when
no devout and virtuous man will be left in the world
and it will be populated wholly by sinners and other
ungodly people.
(80) It is related by Abu Saeed Khadri that the
Apostle of God said: How can I be happy and free from
anxiety when the fact is that the Angel of the Trumpet
is holding the Trumpet in his mouth and he is
listening attentively, and his brow is bent, and he is
waiting eagerly for the command to blow the Trumpet.
The Companion inquired, O Apostle of God, what [then]
is your order for us? [Meaning when the situation is
so grim, tell us what to do in order to save ourselves
from the horrors of the Last Day]. The Prophet
replied: Say much and often: Allah is sufficient for
us and He is the best of Helpers.
-Tirmidhi
(81) Abu Baseen Uqaili related to us that [once] I
asked the Prophet how will God revive His creatures
and bring them back to life and what are its portents
[in the present world]? The Prophet replied, Has it
never happened to you that you passed through the
valley of your community and found it dry (due to
drought), and, then, coming upon it again after some
time, discovered that it was blooming with lush-green
vegetation [after the rains]? Yes my master, I said
[It has been like that and I have seen both the
spectacles]. The Prophet, thereupon, remarked, This
is the portent of Resurrection in the present world.
God will raise all men from death in the same
manner.
-Razeen
(82) It is related by Abdullah bin Omar that the
Apostle of God said: Whoever wishes to know about the
Last Day as if the scene of it was spread before his
eyes, should read these chapters of the Quran: When
the sun is overthrown; When the heaven is cleft
asunder; and, When the heaven is split asunder.
-Tirmidhi
(83) Abu Hurairah related to us that [once] the
Apostle of God recited the verse The day it [the
Earth] will relate its chronicles from
Sura-I-Az-Zilzal, and [then] asked those who were
present: Do you know what it means? The Companions
replied, God and His Apostle know best. The Prophet
explained On the Day of Judgement the earth will bear
witness to the deeds performed by men on it [i.e., at
the bidding of God the earth will declare that
such-and-such a person had done such-and-such a thing
on it on such-and-such a day.
-Musnad-i-Ahmad and Tirmidhi
Commentary.- It shows that whatever a man does on
earth is preserved by the part of it on which it is
done and will remain preserved till the Last Day when
it will testify to it before the Lord.
(84) It is related by Abu Hurairah that the Apostle of
God said: On the Day of Resurrection all men will be
raised in three groups : One, the pedestrians; two,
the riders; and, three, those who will be walking on
their faces. On being asked how would the people
[belonging to third group] walk on their faces, the
Prophet replied, God who has made them walk on foot
also possesses the power to make them walk on their
faces. [Be it known that it is through their faces
that they will avoid obstacles like mound and a
thorn].
-Tirmidhi
Commentary.-Commentators have described the three
groups indicated in the above saying as follows: those
walking on foot will be the general body of Believers;
the second group which will be of riders will be made
up of the favourites of the Lord and His devout
bondmen who will be treated with honour and ceremony
in the Hereafter from the very beginning; and the men
who will be walking on their heads or faces will be
the ill-fated ones who did not follow the teachings of
the Divine Apostles in their earthy existence but
pursued wrong and crooked paths till the end of their
lives. The initial category will be that instead of
walking on foot they will be made to walk on their
faces and just as we negotiate obstacles on the road
and avoid thorns and stones with the aid of our feet
they will have to do so with the aid of their faces.
(85) Abu Hurairah related to us; he relates that the
Apostle of God said: Whoever will die shall repent
and feel sorrow [over his life]. Cur Master, he was
asked, Why will he repent? The Prophet replied, If
he has been a virtuous man, he will regret that he did
not practise greater virtue [and won greater reward],
and if he has led a sinful life, he will regret that
he did not abstain from evil-doing.
-Tirmidhi
(C) The Hereafter
(86) Adi bin Hatim related to us; he relates that the
Apostle of God said: [At Resurrection] the Lord will
speak directly and face-to-face to everyone of you so
that there will neither be a spokesman nor a screen
intervening [between Him and you]. [At that time, the
condition of the bondsman will be such that he will be
looking hither and thither in astonishment and
helplessness]. Thus, when he will look towards the
right, he will see nothing but his deeds, and when he
will look towards the left, he will see nothing but
his deeds, and when he will look in front, he will see
nothing but fire. Hence, O men, save yourselves from
the Fire of Hell even through a dry piece of a dried
date.
-Bukhari and Muslim
Commentary.-It calls upon men to practise charity in
order to save themselves from Hell and even if they
have nothing to give away except a piece of a dried
date, they should try to ward off the punishment of
Hell by giving it in the way of God.
{Note:-Whenever in the Quran and the Traditions the
Day of Final Requital and its horrors are described
and the severity of the chastisement of Hell is
mentioned the object is only to warn the bondmen so
that they tried their utmost to guard themselves
against the dreadful sequel of the Hereafter. In the
above saying this purpose has been distinctly
indicated but the aim of the Traditions in which it
has not been done should also be taken to be the
same].
(87) It is related by Abdullah bin Omar that the
Apostle of God said: On the Last Day, the Lord will
draw His faithful bondsman [towards His Mercy] and
cover him up with His mantle and ask him, Do you
recognise this sin and that [i.e., do you remember
having committed them]? The bondsman will reply,
Yes, O Lord, I remember. God will, thus, make him
confess all of his misdeeds and he will begin to fear
in his heart that he was doomed to a sorrowful end.
God will, then, say, I had concealed these sins of
yours in the world and, today, I condone them and
grant you forgiveness. After it, the record of his
good actions will be handed over to him [i.e., only
the record of his virtuous deeds will come to the
knowledge of the people gathered for the Judgement and
God will settle the question of his sins away from
their sight]. But, with the Infidels and the
Hypocrites it will be different. About them, it will
be declared openly that these are the men who
attributed fictitious things to the Lord [i.e.,
invented their own faith by entertaining baseless
notions about God]. Beware ! The curse of God is upon
the unbelievers.
-Bukhari and Muslim
(88) Ayesha Siddiqa narrated that, once, she began to
cry at the thought of Hell. The Prophet asked her,
What made you cry? I thought of Hell and the fear
of it made me weep. Will you remember the members of
your family on the Day of Judgement? She said. No
one will remember anyone [or care for him] at three
places, the Prophet observed. One, when the Scales
of Justice will be set up and up to the time it will
not be known whether the weight of ones [good] deeds
is heavy or light; two, when the Book of Deeds will be
handed over and, on receiving it in the right hand,
one truthful Believer will joyously say to the other,
Read it, and up to the time it will not be known in
which hand the Book of Deeds is to be given, in the
right hand, or in the left, or from behind; and,
three, when the Bridge will be placed over the
Bottomless Pit [and everyone will be commanded to pass
over it].
-Abu Dawood
Commentary.-The substance of the Prophets reply is
that, on the Day of Judgement, three occasions will be
so terrible that everyone will be concerned only with
his own fate and no one will be able to come to
anyones rescue: (i) when the deeds will be weighed
and till the time the result is known; (ii) when
people will be waiting for the Book of Deeds and
everyone will be wondering whether it is given to him
in the right hand or the left [i.e., he is found
worthy of forgiveness and reward or wrath and
punishment]; and, three, when the Bridge of Sirat will
be placed over Hell and everyone will be called upon
to pass over it.
In brief, all of us should strive earnestly for the
Hereafter and refrain from depending upon anyone for
our salvation.
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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