HAVE WE PREPARED FOR THE QUESTION IN THE HEREAFTER?
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
Allah is so Merciful that whatever is going to be asked in the Hereafter has been informed by Him through the Qur’an and through our beloved prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). There will be absolutely no surprises because Allah is nor just Merciful (as described through His beautiful Names such as Ar Rahman, Ar Rahim, etc) but Allah is also The Just (al Adl). Even in our school exams we do not know the questions which are going to be asked. BUT in the Mother of All Examinations in the Hereafter, we are all fully informed on what questions which will be directed to us. Not only that, EVERYONE WILL BE ASKED THE SAME QUESTIONS. No one is exempted. It is quite alarming that the Sufi sect has a leader who claimed that he does not need to pray because he is close to Allah. How surprise will this so-called leader will be on the Day of Judgment.
For sure, the entry into Paradise, which is our ultimate aim, is not easy. Allah Reminded us:
“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, “When (will come) the Help of Allah?” Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!” 2: 214
Allah also Reminded us to prepare today for the Hereafter:
“O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” 59: 18
QUESTIONS IN THE GRAVE
All of us with be facing 2 fierce looking angels who will ask each and every mankind – whether a believer or disbeliever:
1. Man Rabbuka (Who is your Lord) ?
2. Ma Deenuka (What is your religion) ?
3. Ma kunta taqoolu fa haazar rujul (What do you have to say about this person) ? – when the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam will appear in front of him.
If the deceased is a Muslim, then he or she will answer :
1. Rabbiyal Lah – (Allah is my Lord)
2. Deeniyal Islam – (Islam is my religion)
3. Huwa Rasoolullah Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam (He is the Messenger of Almighty Allah).
After that a command for a Muslim will come from the sky. ” My servant has spoken the truth. Lay for him the bedding of Paradise, and dress him with clothes of Paradise, and open the doors of Paradise. ” The cool wind and beautiful scent of Jannat will enter his grave. His grave will be made wide as far as his eye could see. The angels will say to him, ” Sleep like a bridegroom.”
If the person is a non-Muslim, he or she will not be able to answer the questions, but would only say, ”Ha ha la adri. ” ( O’ what a pity I do not know). Then a command would come from the sky. ” This person is lying. Lay for him the bedding of fire and dress him with the clothes of fire and open the doors of Hell.” The heat of hell will enter the grave. Two other angels will be appointed to give the person punishment in the grave, by snakes, scorpions and other means.
In a hadith narrated by Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah Radi Allahu anhu it is stated that when a believer gives the correct answers, he is shown the abode of Paradise. He is also shown the view of Hell and informed that he is saved from it. The believer seek permission to convey his good fortune to his relations, but it is not allowed to do so. When the same questions are put to the non-believer, he does not reply. He is shown his abode in Hell and a view of Paradise adding that he has been deprived of it. Hadrat Jabir Radi Allahu anhu further states that the Most Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam said that everyone in the grave is raised with the same faith as he actually had at the time of death. If he dies as a believer, he rises as such and if he dies as a non-believer, he remains as such. (Ahmad, Tibrani)
QUESTIONS ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
1 – A question shall focus on your Salāh
It will begin with a thorough and agonisingly precise interrogation as per every aspect of your Salāh – the bows, prostrations, wudhū’, concentration and delays of each and every Salāh. The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said,
“The first which one will be asked about on the Day of Standing from his actions is his Salāh. If it turns out to be sound, then he has succeeded and passed. If, however, it is deficient, then he is in ruin and has failed. If his obligatory prayers are lacking, Allāh will say, ‘Look at the voluntary prayers of my slave to patch up the deficiency in his obligatory ones’. The rest of his deeds will be assessed in a similar manner. ”[3]
If your Zakāh is lacking, your voluntary charity will be looked into to patch it up. If your obligatory fasts are lacking, your voluntary fasts will be looked into to patch it up. Thus, prepare for this question by perfecting your obligatory acts of worship and, at the same time, by wisely preparing massive amounts of reserve voluntary acts of worship. We will most certainly need them.
2 – A question shall focus on the ‘delights’
We will be asked about every bit of comfort and bliss that was at our disposal.
Allah sāys,
“Then you shall be asked about the delights.”[4] 102:8
Qatāda said,
“Allāh will ask every recipient of a blessing with regards to that blessing.”[5]
According to the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam), a few dates, drinkable water and some meat constituted as part of these ‘delights’ that one will need answer for on the Day of Judgement. This was when the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) and his two companions, Abū Bakr and ʿUmar, once bumped into each other in the middle of the night due to intense hunger that had caused them to leave their homes in search of food.
The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said to them,
“What has made you leave your homes during this hour?” They replied, “Hunger, O messenger of Allāh.” He said,
“I swear by the One who possesses my soul, what caused me to leave my home is the same cause as yours.”
They knocked on the door of a companion who offered them some water, dates and meat. After they had finished eating and drinking, the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) turned to Abū Bakr and ʿUmar and said,
“I swear by the One who possesses my soul, you shall be asked about this delight on the Day of Judgement.”[6]
Think about this. If a few dates, drinkable water and some meat that the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) enjoyed following an evening of intense hunger will require an answer for on the Day of Judgement, what then about the ‘delights’ of the 21st century? Running water supplies from our homes? Availability of food around the clock? Warm homes at the pressing of a button?
Moreover, what about the ‘delights’ pertaining to our senses, looks, limbs, access to lectures and Islamic material like never before? We urgently need to start putting together answers.
The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said,
“One of you will meet his Lord on the Day of Judgement who will say to him, ‘Did I not give you horses and camels? Did I not give you authority? Did I not marry you to so and so, although others had asked for her hand but I kept them away and married her to you?’”[7]
Abū Dharr said,
ذو الدرهمين يومَ القيامة أشد حسابًا من ذي الدرهم
“The accountability for a person who had two Dirhams will be more intense than the person with one Dirham.”[8]
Not a ‘delight’ will be missed.
3-7: Life, wealth and knowledge
The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said,
“The son of Ādam will not be dismissed from the presence of Allāh on the day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things:
(1) his life and how he spent it, (2) his youth and how he used it, (3) his wealth and how he earned it and (4) how he disposed of it, and (5) how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge.”[9]
“His life”
What was the theme of your 60 or 70 years on earth? What was the purpose that you truly lived and died for? What occupied your time the most by day and your thoughts and concerns by night?
“His youth”
When desires had rocketed and strength had peaked, how did you behave? Were you using your youth like the masses of young men and women around you, or were you different?
“His wealth”
There are multiple avenues of making cash. Did you subscribe to the ‘by any means necessary’ approach? And, when you acquired that money, what causes did you spend it in?
“His knowledge”
You had heard hundreds of sermons and reminders throughout your life. This privilege will not pass unquestioned.
Ponder over the clarity of these questions. How will you prepare for them?
8 – A question shall focus on the gift of senses
Allāh says,
“And follow not that of which you have not the knowledge; surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these shall be questioned about.”[10] 17:36
In preparation for this set of questions, the gaze is lowered when exposed to Harām, the ears are covered when presented to the Harām and the heart is cleansed from doubts in Allāh, envy of people and other pollutants.
9 – A question shall focus on your stance when evil took place in front of you
Was an attempt made to offer advice? Did you leave the scene of Harām at once if your advice was not acted upon? Did you give up after the first or second attempts? This is a question that caused some of the companions to cry upon hearing of it.
The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said,
“Allāh is going to ask people of the Day of Judgement, ‘What prevented you from saying something against evil when you saw it happening?’ If Allāh allows His Slave to offer the correct response he will respond by saying, ‘My Lord, I had hope in You and I was afraid of the people.’”[11]
The Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) would also say
“A person must not allow his fear of people to withhold him from speaking the truth if he learns of it.”
Upon hearing of this, Abū Saʿīd cried and said,
“By Allāh, we have seen wrong but were afraid of speaking”.[12]
He also said,
“I wish I had no knowledge of this ḥadīth.”[13]
It could be a family member, a friend or a colleague at work who engages in practices of Harām in front of you and thus you and I are to expect a question on the Day of Judgement with regards how we behaved when we saw Allāh’s limits being crossed.
10 – A question shall focus on your actions
Allāh says,
“So, by your Lord, We will surely question them all. About what they used to do.”[14] Surah 15, Aayaat 92-93
During his farewell pilgrimage, the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) delivered his farewell sermon in Mina. In it he said,
“And you shall meet your Lord and He will ask you about your actions.”[15]
Days before our final year exams, our lives are in a state of emergency in preparation for them. If we do not feel a greater, or even similar, level of anxiety and urgency with regards to the examination of tomorrow, then we have not truly realised the enormity of this Day. Failing that exam is failing your eternity. Allāh says, defining the truest meaning of ‘failure’:
“Say, “Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss.””[16] Surah 39, Ayah 15
Source: www.islam21c.com
Notes:
[1] Al-Qur’ān, 7:6
[2] Al-Qur’ān, 43:44
[3] Narrated by At-Tirmithi in his ‘Sunan’, on the authority of Abu Huraira
[5] Tafsīr At-Tabari
[6] Narrated by Muslim, on the authority of Abu Huraira
[7] Narrated by Ibnu Hibbaan in his ‘Sahih’, on the authority of Abu Huraira
[8] Narrated Ibnu Abi Shayba in his ‘Musannaf’
[9] Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, on the authority of Ibnu Mas’ood
[11] Narrated by Ibnu Maajah, on the authority of Abu Saʿīd
[12] Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, on the authority of Abu Sa’eed
[13] Narrated by Ahmad
[14] Al-Qur’an, Surah 15, Aayaat 92-93
[15] Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Bakra
[16] Al-Qur’an, Surah 39, Ayah 15
OTHER QUESTIONS
- About those under their care
”O you believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not God in which He commands them, but do that which they are commanded.” (Surah At-Tahrim, 66:6)
”Every one of you is a guardian, and every one of you will be asked about those in his care. The man is a guardian over his family, and will be questioned about those in his care. The women is a guardian over her husband’s house, and will be questioned about that in her care. The servant is a guardian over his master’s property, and will be questioned for that in his care.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
- About the covenants
Also Allah (S.W.T.) will ask us in the Day of Judgment about all of our convenants and promises that have made in our lives. Those promises may be made to Allah (S.W.T.) or made to people.
“And fulfil (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant, will be questioned about. ” ( Surat Al-Israa 17: 34)
