ON THE PASSING OF JUDGEMENT ON THE CREATION

Abû Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allâh asked: “Do you know who a bankrupt person is?” We replied: “O Rasûlullâh! A bankrupt person among us is he who has no dirham, no dînâr and no possessions.” He said: “A bankrupt person from my ummah is he who will come on the day of resurrection with salâh, fasting and zakâh, while he had sworn this person, wrongly accused this person, devoured the wealth of this person, shed the blood of this person, and struck this person. This person will be given from his good deeds, and this person will be given from his good deeds. If his good deeds are finished before he can fulfil his dues, their sins will be taken and flung onto him. He will then be flung into the Hell-fire.”

Now look at your misery on a day like this! When no good deed will save you from the tribulation of showing off and the traps of Satan. If just a single good deed is safe after every lengthy time, your claimants will rush towards it and take it away. Perhaps if you take an account of yourself while you are consistent in fasting by day and spending the night in worship, you will realize that no day comes to an end without your tongue having indulged in backbiting Muslims to such an extent that all your good deeds are in vain. Now what about the rest of the evils like devouring unlawful and doubtful things, and displaying shortcomings in acts of obedience?! How can you hope for salvation from the wrongs [which you committed] on a day when even a horn-less animal will take retribution from a horned animal?!

Abû Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allâh saw two sheep butting one another. He said: “O Abû Dharr! Do you know why they are butting one another?” I replied: “No.” He said: “But Allâh knows. And He will pass judgement between them on the day of resurrection.”

Abû Hurayrah said with regard to these words of Allâh :

“There is not a one walking on the earth nor any bird flying with its two wings but are communities like yourselves.” (Sûrah al-An‘âm, 6: 38).

He said: “The entire creation will be raised on the day of resurrection: the animals, the insects, the birds, and everything else. The justice of Allâh will be such that He will take retribution from a horned animal on behalf of a horn-less animal. He will then say: ‘You may all turn into soil now.’ It is at that time that the unbeliever will say: ‘If only I was also turned into soil.’”

What will you do, O pauper, on that day when you see your register devoid of good deeds whereas you had fatigued yourself for lengthy periods in doing them? You will ask: “Where are all my good deeds?” A reply will be given: “They have been transferred to the records of your claimants.” You will see your record loaded with evil deeds, whereas you had excercised patience for lengthy periods in abstaining from them and you endured severe hardship on account of abstaining from them. You will ask: “O my Sustainer! I never committed these evils.” A reply will be given: “These are the evils of the people whom you had back-bited, swore, intended evil against, and whom you had wronged in business transactions, in being neighbours, in addressing them, in arguing with them, in discussing with them, in studying with them, and in all other categories of social relationships.”

Ibn Mas‘ûd narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “Satan has given up hope of idols being worshipped in Arab lands. However, he will be pleased with you’ll committing anything that is less than that. They are the evils that would cause one’s destruction. You should therefore abstain from wrong as much as you can. For surely a person will come on the day of resurrection with acts of obedience that are as huge as mountains. He will think that they will save him. Person after person will come and say: ‘O my Sustainer! Such and such person committed a certain wrong against me.’ Allâh will say: ‘Wipe off from his record of good deeds.’ This will continue till nothing of his good deeds remains.”

A similitude in this regard is like that of a group of travellers who stopped over in a deserted place. They have no firewood. They disperse in search of firewood. They obtain some firewood and in a short while they have a blazing fire. They cook whatever they like. [Soon that fire is reduced to ashes]. Similar is the case with sins.

When this verse was revealed:

“Without doubt you also have to die and they will also die. Then you all will certainly dispute before your Sustainer.” (Sûrah az-Zumar, 39: 30-31)

Az-Zubayr said: “O Messenger of Allâh! Will we be made to bear the specific sins that we committed on each other in the world?” He replied: “Yes. You will be made to bear them till you fulfil the dues that you owe to each person.” Az-Zubayr said: “By Allâh, this is a very serious situation.”

You should therefore consider that day to be very serious when no step will be pardoned, when not even a slap will be overlooked, and no word will be forgiven till the person who was wronged takes retribution from the person who wronged him.

Anas narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allâh saying: “Allâh will resurrect the people naked, dusty and buhman.” We asked: “What is the meaning of buhman.” He replied: “They will have nothing with them.” Their Sustainer will then call to them in a voice that will be heard from a distance just as it will be heard from nearby, saying: “I am the king. I am the sovereign. None from the inhabitants of Paradise may enter Paradise while someone from the inmates of the Hell-fire has a case against him, until I take retribution from him. None from the inmates of the Hell-fire may enter the Hell-fire while someone from the inhabitants of Paradise has a case against him, until I take retribution from him.” Even to the extent of a single slap. We asked: “How is it when we will go before Allâh naked, dusty and empty handed?” He replied: “You will go with good deeds and evil deeds. So fear Allâh, O servants of Allâh! And fear wronging the people by way of seizing their wealth, dishonouring them, constricting their lives, and ill-treating them. For surely that which is specifically between a person and Allâh , forgiveness for it is very swift. The person who has committed many wrongs and repented from them, and it is difficult for him to absolve himself from those whom he wronged, then he should engage in abundant good deeds in preparation for the day of retribution. He should secretly do some good deeds which are between himself and Allâh with total sincerity, in such a way that no one comes to know of them except Allâh . It is possible that this will bring him close to Allâh and he will thereby earn His benevolence which He stored for His beloved believers in order to repulse the wrongs of people from them.

Anas narrates: While the Messenger of Allâh was sitting, we saw him laughing to the extent that his teeth were exposed. ‘Umar asked: “May my parents be sacrificed for you. Why are you laughing, O Rasûlullâh?” He replied: “Two men from my ummahkneeled before Allâh . One of them said: ‘O my Sustainer! Take retribution on my behalf from my brother for the wrong that was inflicted on me.’ Allâh said: ‘Give to your brother for the wrong that was inflicted on him.’ He replied: ‘O my Sustainer! Nothing is left of my good deeds.’ Allâh said to the one who made the request: ‘What are you going to do now that he has no good deeds left?’ He replied: ‘O my Sustainer! He must carry my burden of evil deeds.’ The narrator says: “The Messenger of Allâh began crying.” He then said: “That is going to be a very serious day. A day when people will need their burden of evil deeds to be removed from them.” Allâh then said to the one who made the request: ‘Raise your head and look into the gardens.’ He raised his head and said: ‘O my Sustainer! I see lofty cities of silver and mansions of gold that are adorned with pearls. For which Prophet are these? Or for which siddîq (a title given to the one who remains truthful, e.g. Abû Bakr ) are these? Or for which martyr are these?’ Allâh replied: ‘It is for the one who gives Me the price.’ He asked: ‘O my Sustainer! Who is so rich as to have its price?’ Allâh said: ‘You possess it.’ He asked: ‘What is it?’ Allâh replied: ‘Your pardoning your brother.’ He said: ‘O my Sustainer! I have pardoned him.’ Allâh said: ‘Hold your brother by his hand and take him to Paradise.’ The Messenger of Allâh then said: “Fear Allâh and reconcile among yourselves, for surely Allâh reconciles among the believers.”

This is a notice that this can be attained by adopting the characteristics of Allâh , viz. reconciling among ourselves, and all other characteristics. Now ponder in yourself that if your record is clear of all wrongs, or that He is so benevolent to you that He pardons you, and you are convinced of eternal bliss, how happy you will be when you present yourself for the detailed judgement while the robe of honour has been conferred to you and you return with happiness after which there is no misery, and with bounty that is not surrounded by destruction. It is at that time that your heart will fly with happiness and rejoicing. Your face will glitter and beam as the radiance of the full moon. You will walk proudly among the creations, raising your head. Your back will be devoid of the burden of sins. The splendour of enjoyment and the coolness of pleasure will glitter from your forehead and all the past and latter generations will look at you and at your condition. They will envy your beauty and handsomeness. The angels will be walking in front of you and behind you. They will announce before everyone, saying: “This is such and such person who is the son of such and such person. Allâh is most pleased with him. He has achieved such fortune after which he will never experience any misery.”

Do you think that this position is not greater than the one that you acquire in the hearts of the creation in this world through your showing off, your flattery, your pretension and your preening yourself? If you have realized that it is better than this, that in fact there is no comparison between the two, then endeavour to acquire this position through pure devotion and genuine intention in your relationship with Allâh . For you will never acquire that except through Him. But if it is the second thing in which you find yourself, and we seek refuge in Allâh from this, in the sense that there appears on your record a crime which you considered to be insignificant, while it is very serious in the sight of Allâh , and He therefore detests you because of it, and says to you: “My curse be on you, O slave of evil! I do not accept your worship from you.” No sooner you hear this announcement, your face will turn dark and the angels will become angry with you on account of Allâh’s anger with you. They will say: “Our curses be on you and the curses of all the creations be on you.” The Zabâniyah [94] will then throng around you, having become angry with you because their Creator is angry with you. They will advance towards you with their sternness, meanness and their fearsome expressions. They will grab you by your forelocks and drag you on your face in front of all the creations. They will all look at your disgraceful appearance and your humiliation. You will burst out into loud laments and they will say: “Do not burst out into just one lament but burst out into numerous laments.” The angels will announce: “This is such and such person who is the son of such and such person. Allâh has exposed his disgraceful and sinful acts, and cursed him on account of his evil deeds. He will therefore experience wretchedness after which he will never experience any fortune.”

At times this may be on account of a sin which you committed in private – concealed from the servants of Allâh , in the quest for a lofty position in their hearts, or out of fear of being disgraced before them. So how ignorant you are that you are wary of being disgraced before a small group of Allâh’s servants in this fleeting world, yet you do not fear the great disgrace before that huge assembly [on the day of resurrection] together with having to face the wrath and painful punishment of Allâh . The whips will be in the hands of the Zabâniyah, herding you towards the blazing fire. So these are your conditions and you have not perceived the danger as yet.