WHAT
ARE THE STAGES OF LIFE IN THE HEREAFTER?
The stages in the life in the hereafter:
1.
Life in the grave
2.
Blowing of the trumpet
3.
Qiyama (Apocalypse)
4.
Resurrection
5.
Gathering
6.
Delivering the book of deeds
7.
Reckoning
8.
Scale
9.
Kawthar Pool
10. Sirat
11. Shafaat
12. Purgatory
(Araf)
13. What
are the two bridges that act as a test on judgment day?
14. Hell
15. Paradise
1- GRAVE /
BARZAKH LIFE
A verse:
“Then, He causeth him to die, and putteth him in his Grave;
Then, when it is His will, He will raise him up (again).” (Holy Quran chapter Abasa,
21-22).
The stage from the death of men in the world till they are
resurrected after the apocalypse is called the life of grave. This life is also
called “barzakh life or barzakh world” because it expresses the transitional
period between the world and the hereafter. Barzakh means a drawback, barrier,
or curtain between two things.
It is not necessary to put the body of a man in the grave
for him to live the life in the grave. Whether the dead person is put into the
grave or his body is eaten by wild animals or it is eaten by the fish in the
sea or it is burnt to ashes, his life in the grave starts. It would be better
to use the term barzakh life in order to prevent misunderstanding because grave
means a place dug in the ground.
Our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) describes life in the
grave as “the first stop of the hereafter” in a hadith. (Tirmizi, Zuhd, 5). In
another hadith, our prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) says: “Grave is either a
garden from the gardens of Paradise or a hole from the holes of Hell” ,
(Tirmizi, Qiyama, 26). Stating that there will be torture or reward in the life
in the grave.
In yet another hadith he says;
“After man dies and is put into the grave two angels called
Munkar and Nakir will come and ask him questions like “Who is your Lord? Who is
your Prophet? What is your religion?.... The believer answers these questions
easily. As for the unbeliever, he cannot answer them and suffers grave
torture”, (Tirmizi, Janaiz, 70). Informing us about the life that will last
till the day of resurrection.
2- SOOR
(TRUMPET) AND BLOWING OF THE TRUMPET
The trumpet is an instrument blown by the angel Hazrat
Israfel to start the apocalypse and after the apocalypse to resurrect people
and to gather them in the gathering place. According to what the Quranic verses
tell us Hazrat Israfel will blow the trumpet twice. During the first blowing
everything on the earth and in the heavens, except what Allah wishes, will be
shaken fearing it and die and the apocalypse will take place. With the second
blowing, everything will be resurrected and will run towards their Lord in
order to gather in the gathering place. Let’s give one of these verses as an
example:
“The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! from the
sepulchers (men) will rush forth to their Lord!” . (Holy Quran chapter Ya Seen,
36.51.)
A verse:
“The Trumpet will (just) be sounded, when all that are in
the heavens and on earth will swoon, except such as it will please Allah (to
exempt). Then will a second one be sounded, when, behold they will be standing
and looking on!” (Holy Quran chapter Zumar, 39.68).
3- QIYAMA
(APOCALYPSE)
Verses:
“He (man) questions: "When is the Day of
Resurrection?" At length, when the Sight is dazed, And the moon is buried
in darkness. And the sun and moon are joined together―That Day will Man say
"Where is the refuge?" By no means! no place of safety! Before thy
Lord (alone), that Day will be the place of rest” (Holy Quran chapter al-Qiyama,
6-12).
Qiyama has two meanings: the first one is the breakdown of
the order in the universe, everything turning upside down, destruction of
everything and the end of the world.
The second is the resurrection of dead people and their walk
towards the gathering place. Qiyama in the first sense will start with the
first blowing of the trumpet by Hazrat Israfel, in the second sense with the
second blowing. So qiyama is a very important event that involves the death of
all men and their resurrection.
The Quranic verses inform us about it. Allah states the
following in one of the verses about qiyama:
“O mankind! fear your Lord! For the convulsion of the Hour
(of Judgment) will be a thing terrible! The Day ye shall see it, every mother
giving suck shall forget her suckling-babe, and every pregnant female shall
drop her load (unformed): thou shalt see mankind as in a drunken riot, yet not
drunk: but dreadful will be the Wrath of Allah.”. (Holy Quran chapter Al-Hajj,
1-2.)
Although the Quran mentions qiyama often, it does not answer
the questions about the time of it and emphasizes that no one except Allah has
any knowledge about it. Our Prophet (PBUH) gives some information in his
hadiths that there will be some signs of the qiyama when it approaches.
4- RESURRECTION AFTER DEATH
During the history of mankind, the question of “death”
occupied people’s minds in the past, it is occupying today and it seems that it
will occupy in the future too. Man has the desire to live forever and does not
want to die. However, no one can resist death and everybody becomes helpless
against death.
The Quran informs us that resurrection is possible by reason
and that it will definitely take place in various ways:
a. A being that creates something out of nothing can create
it again a second time. The Quran proves this creation by the following verses:
“And he(man) makes comparisons for us, and forgets his own
(Origin and) Creation: He says "Who can give life to (dry) bones and
decomposed ones (at that)?" Say "He will give them life Who created
them for the first time! For He is well-versed in every kind of creation!” . (Holy
Quran chapter Ya Seen, 78-79.)
In another verse Allah states the following:
“O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection,
(consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm then out of a
leech-like clot, then out a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed,
in order that We may manifest (Our Power) to you; and We cause whom We will to
rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes,
then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you
are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they
know nothing after having known (much)” . (Holy Quran chapter Al-Hajj, 5.)
In this verse, Allah first mentions the course of man’s
first creation concisely for the people who deny resurrection after death. Then
He explains the stages of his first creation beginning from the stage of sperm
to his coming to the world. Then with these statements He reminds man his
miraculous creation out of nothing and makes man think logically about his
second creation in the hereafter following his death. In addition He emphasizes
that it should not be seen as far from being rational.
b. A being that creates something difficult can definitely
create something easy. The creation of the earth and heavens is more difficult
than the creation of man. Allah, who created the earth and heavens and holds
them in the spaces without any support, is definitely capable of creating man
again after his death. Furthermore, the first creation of man is more difficult
than his second creation. Allah, who is capable of creating man for the first
time, is more capable of creating him for the second time. This meaning is
stated in the Quran through the following verses:
“See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the
earth, and never wearied with their creation is able to give life to the dead?”
(Holy Quran chapter Al-Ahqaf, 33.)
“It is He Who begins (the process of) creation; then repeats
it; and for Him it is most easy.” (Holy Quran chapter Ar,Room, 27.)
“Were We then weary with the first Creation, that they
should be in confused doubt about a new Creation?” . (Holy Quran chapter Qaf,
15.)
A verse:
“(O ye people!) And your creation or your resurrection is in
no wise but as an individual soul: for Allah is He Who hears and sees (all
things).” (Holy Quran chapter Luqman, 28).
It is explained in these verses that Allah, who created the
heavens and the earth can create man more easily. It is also stated that since
He was not incapable in the first creation, He will definitely not be incapable
in the second creation, which is easier then the first one. Attention is
attracted to the fact that men will be resurrected and come out of their
graves. It is also emphasized that the creation of men out of nothing and their
resurrection after death is as easy as the creation and resurrection of one
man.
DIFFICULTY AND
EASINESS DEPEND ON MEN
As a matter of fact concepts like difficulty and easiness
are relative concepts. They are difficult or easy for us, for Allah there is
nothing like difficult or easy. Everything is easy for him. We are weak beings
created with a limited power, knowledge, will and all other things. Allah is
eternal in all aspects and He is the supreme creator, who is omnipotent over
all things. Since Allah’s power, knowledge, will, all of his attributes and
names are endless, there is no difference for Him between few and many, big and
small in creation. Therefore there is no difference for Him between the
creation of an atom and the sun, creation of billions of men and one man.
Nothing is difficult for Him. For Him to create a spring is as easy as to
create a flower.
Allah addresses us in the Quran so that we can understand;
therefore He uses those statements. As a matter of fact there is no difference
for Him between the creation of an atom or the whole universe.
c. Allah, who revives the earth that is dead, can revive man
too.
Verses:
“And We send down from the sky Rain charged with blessing,
and We produce therewith Gardens and Grain for harvests; And tall (and stately)
palm-trees, with shoots of fruit-stalks piled one over another― As sustenance
for (Allah's) Servants;― and We give (new) life therewith to land that is dead:
Thus will be the Resurrection” . (Holy Quran chapter Qaf, 9-11.)
The sultans that have the power of state and other groups
that have the power reward people who obey the laws that they made and punish
people who disobey them. Similarly, Allah, who has a magnificent sultanate of
divinity, will reward those who obey Him and punish those who disobey Him.
However, the rewards and punishments in this world are not applied
sufficiently. So, there is another world where they will be applied completely.
That world is the hereafter. Therefore everybody will be sent there willy-nilly.
The names of Allah necessitates the existence of the
hereafter
The names of Allah show and want the hereafter and the
resurrection there. Allah is eternal. Therefore His names and the
manifestations of these names will be eternal. For instance the manifestations
of Allah’s names, the Generous and the All Compassionate, are seen in the
universe in the maximum way.
Allah is generous. That is, He has endless generosity. We
see it in his granting various fruit and vegetables in the universe. He fills
the laps of the trees with fruit and sends presents to the heads of plants. The
world of plants seems to be servants. They carry Allah’s grants in convoys to
men. The world of animals becomes another convoy. They bring grants like milk
and meat. They are all evidences for an endless generosity and the owner of
that generosity. However, the fact that man’s life is short shows that man
could not and will not obtain the endless generosity in a short time. However,
endless generosity wants to grant endlessly. Since the world is mortal, the
manifestation of this name of Allah’s necessitates the existence of an eternal
world where men will receive endless grants.
Similarly, Allah is All Compassionate. That is, He has
endless compassion. One of its evidences is that He put compassion in the
hearts of all mothers and ensured the protection of babies through compassion.
For instance; a hen feeds its chick when it is young but takes its grain from
it by hitting it when it gets old. This shows that it is not the mother that is
compassionate towards the chick. It is Allah, who gives the mother the feeling
of compassion and takes it back when its function ends. The protection of all
young animals and babies through the compassion that is given to all mothers in
the universe is the evidence for an endless compassion.
Through this compassion, mothers take pleasure in looking
after their babies. A mother even sacrifices her life for her baby. However,
the thought of parting from her baby without returning again makes the mother
think of parting from her baby eternally; so this time compassion torments the
mother. The owner of an endless compassion does not allow this eternal parting;
because it is contrary to real compassion. So the evidences of the endless
compassion seen in the universe want an eternal togetherness. He does not allow
eternal disappearance. This shows the existence of life in the hereafter and
that it is eternal.
Allah is also perfectly wise. That is, He has endless
wisdom. We understand this wisdom by seeing that everything in the universe is
created in accordance with a wisdom and purpose. For instance, when we are
asked “Why are our ears like bowls?”, we say “so that they will collect the
sounds”. When we ask “Why are leaves green?” a purpose or a benefit is stated. All
sciences examine the universe. They discover wisdom, purpose or a benefit in
everything and tell us about it. That is, they prove that the administrator of
the universe operates with endless wisdom. Wise creation is opposite to
unnecessariness, purposelessness, immoderation and planlessness. That is, a
Wise being does not waste a being that operates wisely. So, the maker of the
universe, who makes the whole universe a servant for man, does not put man into
the ground so that he will not resurrect again, wasting all of the outcomes of
the universe. So the wisdoms in the universe prove the existence of an eternal
world.
We see that Allah gives each being the most suitable food
and drink and that He feeds each being in the nicest and most affectionate way as
a necessity of his name, the Sustainer. Since this world is mortal and
transitory, His names are not manifested fully here. The manifestation of these
names completely, fully and eternally necessitates the existence of the
hereafter world and the resurrection of those who die here. Therefore Allah
will bring the hereafter and revive us there again.
It should not be forgotten that when we, men, came to this
world found everything at our disposal, like a newborn baby. A newborn baby
does not prepare its cradle and the living environment that is necessary for
it; similarly man did not prepare the living environment necessary for him when
he came to this world. He found everything at his disposal when he came to this
world. The Being that brought us here did not ask us before we came to this
world whether we wanted to come here or not and did not consult us.
That Supreme Creator does not ask us when he takes us from
childhood to youth, from youth to the old age and from old age to death whether
we want them to happen or not. That is, he did not ask or consult us when He
created us out of nothing and brought to this world; He does not ask or consult
us when he takes us from this world; nor will he ask us when resurrecting us
and gathering us.
The fact that a baby in the uterus denies the other world
because it cannot perceive the world does not negate the world; similarly the
fact that we cannot see the hereafter and that we deny it because we do not
know its true nature does not negate the hereafter world, Paradise and Hell. To
deny the hereafter does not prevent its existence. It prevents us from entering
Paradise. What we should do is not to deny the hereafter but to believe that
after death the gathering morning will come and the resurrection will take place
as definitely as we believe that winter comes after autumn and morning comes
after night and prepare ourselves for the hereafter with belief and good deeds.
With our denial we will be deprived of the happiness of the
eternal Paradise life and will suffer from a great and irreparable harm. We
will not revive by our own will and power in the hereafter. Allah will revive
us just as we did not come to this world by our own will and power and Allah
brought us by His power. Creation and resurrection are Allah’s deeds, not ours.
What is impossible in terms our limited power is very easy for Allah’s power,
and He will do it when it is due.
On the other hand, when we have a look at the baby in the
uterus, we see that organs like hands, feet, eyes and ears are not necessary
for the baby there and that it does not use them there. We understand by reason
that the creator that gave it these organs gave them to the baby to use them in
the world outside the uterus and that He created it for the outside world.
Similarly, we cannot use some of the feelings that were given to us in this
world sufficiently here. What is more, our feelings like living eternally and
the desire of immortality have no corresponding feelings in this world. So the
place to satisfy these desires is not here but the hereafter. This world is
transitory for man like the uterus, as for the hereafter, it is the place to
live eternally. The feelings of man and the spiritual and material instruments
given to him do not fit in this world, and they want the hereafter.
Resurrection after death will take place both bodily and
spiritually. This is very easy for Allah. As it is possible to give light to
all of the lamps in the world from one center, the dead bodies will be given
life in an instant. Just as the members of an army that take a rest come
together at once, so will the souls come to the bodies and man will be
resurrected in the twinkling of an eye.
“Thus in the gathering and dispersal that takes place every
spring we see that in a very short time Allah gathers and then disperses
millions of different kinds of animals and plants. He revives and restores the
roots of all the trees and plants, as well as some animals. He recreates others
in a form so similar as to be almost identical. The seeds which appear, in
their outward form, to be so close to each other, nonetheless, in the course of
six days or six weeks, become distinct and differentiated from each other, and
then with extreme speed, ease and facility, are brought to life in the utmost
order and equilibrium. Is it at all possible that for the One Who does all of
this anything should be difficult; that He should be unable to create the
heavens and the earth in six days; that He should be unable to resurrect men
with a single blast? No, by no means is it possible!”
5- GATHERING
AFTER RESURRECTION AND GATHERING PLACE
Verses:
“They will come forth― their eyes humbled― from (their)
graves, (torpid) like locusts scattered abroad, Hastening, with eyes
transfixed, towards the Caller!― "Hard is this Day!" the Unbelievers
will say. ”( Holy Quran chapter al-Qamar, 7-8).
Gathering is Allah’s sending men to the gathering place
after the resurrection for reckoning and bringing them together. The place
where men gather is called the Gathering Place. There are a lot of verses in
the Quran about gathering. We can give the following verse as an example.
“One Day He will gather them all together, and say to the
angels "Was it you that these men used to worship?" (Saba, 40.)
It is stated in a hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) that the
gathering place will be a smooth flat place, men will be sent to the gathering
place as naked, barefoot, uncircumcised and faultless; while men wait in the
gathering place, the sun will approach and they will sweat, that day men will
be sent to the gathering place in three groups; on foot, riding and crawling
face downwards. (Bukhari, Riqaq, 44-45.)
6- RECEIVING
BOOK OF DEEDS
Verses:
“Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: on the
Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread
open. (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is
thy soul this day to make out an account against thee." (Holy Quran
chapter al-Isra, 13-14)
The Books of Deeds, in which the good and bad deeds men did
in the world were recorded, will be given to men in the gathering place for
reckoning. We do not know the true nature of these books.
Without doubt, they do not resemble the books we have in the
world. If we use the jargon of today’s technology, we can liken them to candid
cameras that record the vision and sound and then show these recordings to
viewers.
An owner of knowledge and power, who can save plants in tiny
seeds, big trees in small pips, men and animals in a drop of water and maintain
their species, can record the deeds of men in a book; just as we save hundreds
of pages of information and documents in a small CD. This issue is stated in
the Quran as follows:
“And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and
thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein;
they will say "Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! It leaves out nothing
small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they
did, placed before them: and not one will thy Lord treat with injustice” . (Holy
Quran chapter Al-Kahf, 49.)
The Books of Deeds will be given to the people of Paradise
from the right side and the people of hell from the left side or from the back.
Receiving the Book from the right side indicates good news that reckoning will
be easy and receiving it from the left side indicates a hard reckoning.
7- RECKONING
Verse:
“"O our Lord! Cover (us) with Thy Forgiveness― me, my
parents, and (all) Believers, on the Day that the Reckoning will be
established!" (Holy Quran chapter Ibrahim, 41).
After men receive their books in the hereafter Allah will
start reckoning in accordance with the records in those books, nobody will be
treated with injustice. There are a lot of verses in the Quran related to this
issue. Some of them are as follows:
“That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no
injustice will there be that Day, for Allah is Swift in taking account” . (Holy
Quran chapter al-Mumin, 17.)
“(It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record:
sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee.". (Holy
Quran chapter al-Isra, 14.)
The Prophet (PBUH) informed us that men will definitely be
questioned of the following five things on the Day of Judgment:
1. Where they spent their life,
2. Where they spent their youth,
3. Where they earned their property,
4. Where they spent their property,
5. Whether they applied what they knew or not.
8- MIZAN
(SCALE)
A verse:
“We shall set up scales of justice for the day of Judgment,
so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. And if there be
(no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and
enough are We to take account”( Holy Quran chapter al-Anbiya, 47).
Mizan, which means scale and balance, is the measurement of
the divine justice that weighs the deeds of everybody in the hereafter
following the reckoning. However, its true nature and the inside cannot be
known by men. It does not resemble the scales or any other measuring or
weighing devices in the world. After the weighing of the deeds, those whose
good deeds are heavier than their bad deeds will reach salvation and those
whose good deeds are lighter will go to Hell and suffer punishment there. The
believers who go to Hell will be taken out of Hell and sent to Paradise after
they suffer the punishment accounting for their faults. It is stated in the
Quran that those whose good deeds are heavy will be in a pleasant life as
follows:
“Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy
Will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose balance (of
good deeds) will be (found) light― Will have his home in a (bottomless) pit. ”
(Holy Quran chapter al-Qaria, 6-10.)
“Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy - they will
attain salvation: But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost
their souls; in Hell will they abide.” (Holy Quran chapter Mumenoon, 102-103).
9- RIVER AND
POOL OF KAWTHAR
A verse:
“(O Muhammad!) To thee have We granted the Fount (Of Abundance).”
(Holy Quran chapter al-Kawthar, 1)
Kawthar is one of the rivers of Paradise and it is also the
name of the pool into which the waters of this river flow. The waters flowing
from the river Kawthar gather in this pool in the Day of Judgment. When men are
resurrected and gathered in the gathering place, our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad
(PBUH) will be given the Kawthar pool. The first person to reach this pool will
be our Prophet. Those who reach it and drink from it will never get thirsty
again. As it is stated in hadiths, one side of this pool is so long that it
takes a month to walk it; its water is whiter than milk, its scent is sharper
than musk, its glasses are more than the stars in the sky . (Bukhari, Riqaq,
53.)
10- SIRAT
Sirat is used to mean a bridge or road laid across Hell.
Everybody, whether a believer or an unbeliever, will cross this bridge.
It is stated in the hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) that in
accordance with their deeds some of the believers will cross it like lightning,
some like wind, and some creeping, that all of the unbelievers and some of the
believers whose sins are not forgiven will be thrown into Hell. Those crossing
Sirat will enter Paradise. (Bukhari, Riqaq, 52.)
It is stated in the Quran that everybody will come round to
Hell:
“Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy
Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. But We shall save those who guarded
against evil, and We shall leave the wrongdoers therein, (humbled) to their
knees.” . (Holy Quran chapter Maryam, 71-72.)
Sirat will definitely be in the form that Allah and His
Messenger informed us and in the state that Allah knows and wishes. This bridge
stretching across Hell to Paradise is in fact a bridge that man constructs
during his life in the world with belief and good deeds. The deeds of man in
this world come as a bridge in front of him in the hereafter. As a matter of
fact we cross Sirat in this world. That is, we deserve to cross Sirat in this
world by believing in the fundamentals of belief and by doing good deeds. Those
who believe and do good deeds in the world will be able to cross it and those
who do not believe and do not do good deeds will not be able to cross it.
As a matter of fact, since the hereafter world is a world of
ghaib (unknown unseen, unfelt), we cannot understand the happenings there while
we are in this world with our limited mind and organs. As the world and
everything in it is ghaib for an unborn baby in the uterus the hereafter world
is ghaib for us. Therefore we can only know the existence of Sirat bridge
through the revelation Allah sends to His Messenger. However, we cannot
understand its true nature.
Allah addresses us, men, in a style we can understand. He
tells us about the unknown concepts related to life in the hereafter like Trumpet,
Book of Deeds, Pool, Sirat, Scale, etc using the names of the objects we know
in the world. Actually there are no relations or similarities between the
beings there and those here. For instance, there are no similarities but
similarities of name between Sirat bridge and the bridges in the world, the
scale there and the scales here, the trumpet there and the trumpets and bugles
here, the books there and the books here. Allah knows the true nature of them.
A verse:
“No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave
(hath been obtained).”( Holy Quran chapter Yunus, 3).
11-
INTERCESSION (SHAFAAT):
It means for the believers who have sins to ask prophets,
ulama (scholars) and martyrs, whom Allah allowed to intercede, to pray and beg
Allah for their forgiveness and for those who do not have any sins to ask for
ascension to higher degrees.
The Quran gives special significance to intercession and
connects it with the issue of oneness. Some of the Quranic verses related to
this issue are as follows:
“O Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He
permitteth?”. (Holy Quran chapter al-Baqara, 255.)
“ they offer no intercession except for those who are
acceptable” (Holy Quran chapter al-Anbiya, 28).
Allah can consent to the intercession of only His slaves who
deserve to be forgiven as a necessity of His divine justice. The Prophet said
the following in a hadith:
“Every prophet has a prayer peculiar to him that is
accepted, and they have always prayed. However, I keep my prayer for the
intercession for my umma in the hereafter.” (Bukhari, Daawat, 1.)
However, Muslims should not rely on the intercession and
show laziness in applying the orders and the prohibitions of the religion, and
they should never leave them. On the contrary, they should make a greater
effort to act in accordance with those orders and prohibitions in order to
deserve intercession. Or else, they may be deprived of intercession.
12- PURGATORY
(ARAF)
Araf is the name given to the high castle and tower
separating Paradise and Hell. In other words, Araf is a buffer zone between
Paradise and Hell, separating them. There are some disputes over who will be
the people of Araf; there are two views that became prominent.
1. People who were not informed about the call of any
prophets and children of polytheists who died very young.
2. Believers whose good deeds and bad deeds are equal. They
will have to wait between Paradise and Hell before they enter Paradise.
The followings is stated in the Quranic verse about the
people of Araf:
“Between them shall be a veil, and on the Heights will be
men who would know everyone by his marks: they will call out to the companions
of the Garden "peace on you" they will not have entered, but they
will have an assurance (thereof.) When their eyes shall be turned towards the
companions of the Fire, they will say: "Our Lord! Send us not to the
company of the wrong- doers." (Holy Quran chapter al-Araf 46-47.)
However, Araf is not a place of permanent resident. After
making the people of Araf wait there for a while temporarily, Allah will make a
decision for them and send them to Paradise with his blessing.
13. WHAT ARE
THE TWO BRIDGES THAT ACT AS A TEST ON JUDGEMENT DAY?
It is stated that there is “one bridge that disbelievers try
to cross and two bridges that believers have to cross."
One would distinguish this second bridge from As-Sirat.
The first bridge on Judgment Day — called as-Sirāt (Arabic:
الصراط) — is mentioned in a long hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari 97/65 that details
a lot of events that will take place then as narrated on the authority of Abu
Sa'īd al-Khudri when the companions asked the Prophet ﷺ
about Judgment Day. In this hadith (partially quoted below), as-Sirāt is
referred to as a bridge over Hellfire:
"Then the bridge will be laid across Hell." We,
the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ)
said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!
What is the bridge?" He said, "It is a slippery (bridge) on which
there are clamps and (Hooks like) a thorny seed that is wide at one side and
narrow at the other and has thorns with bent ends. Such a thorny seed is found
in Najd and is called As-Sa'dan. Some of the believers will cross the bridge as
quickly as the wink of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong
wind, fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe without any harm; some
will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down into Hell
(Fire). The last person will cross by being dragged (over the bridge)." —
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 97, Hadith 65
The first bridge was called as-Sirāt by the Prophet ﷺ
and further described in another long hadith narrated on the authority of Abi
Hurairah in Sahih al-Bukhari 10/201 when the companions asked the Prophet ﷺ
if they would see Allah ﷻ
on Judgment Day. In this hadith (partially quoted below) as-Sirāt is named and
described:
Then Allah will come to them again and say, 'I am your
Lord.' They will say, 'You are our Lord.' Allah will call them, and As-Sirat (a
bridge) will be laid across Hell and I (Muhammad) shall be the first amongst
the Apostles to cross it with my followers. Nobody except the Apostles will
then be able to speak and they will be saying then, 'O Allah! Save us. O Allah
Save us.' There will be hooks like the thorns of Sa'dan [??] in Hell. Have you
seen the thorns of Sa'dan [??]?" The people said, "Yes." He
said, "These hooks will be like the thorns of Sa'dan [??] but nobody
except Allah knows their greatness in size and these will entangle the people
according to their deeds; some of them will fall and stay in Hell forever;
others will receive punishment (torn into small pieces) and will get out of
Hell. — Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 10, Hadith 201
THE SECOND BRIDGE — CALLED AL-QANTARA (ARABIC:
القنطرة) in Arabic — is where the second qissās (retaliation) takes place on
Judgment Day. The first qissās is often called a general qissās and it is
retaliatory in the sense that exchange of good deeds and bad deeds between the
opponents takes place as a form of compensation, and that it is among all
creations, believers, disbelievers, animals, etc. (see Sahih Muslim 45/77). The
second qissāsis often called a special qissās as it is between believers only
and in specific the ones that will end up being in Paradise. We are informed of
this second bridge through the hadiths:
Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)
said, "The believers, after being saved from the (Hell) Fire, will be
stopped at a bridge between Paradise and Hell and mutual retaliation will be
established among them regarding wrongs they have committed in the world
against one another. After they are cleansed and purified (through the
retaliation), they will be admitted into Paradise; and by Him in Whose Hand
Muhammad's soul is, every one of them will know his dwelling in Paradise better
than he knew his dwelling in this world."— Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 81,
Hadith 124
There are many books and commentaries on al-Qantara. In this
answer, I referred to the research done by Amīn ibn 'Abdullah Ash-Shiqawi,
Ph.D. in his book Ad-Durrar al-Muntaqāh min al-Kalimāt al-Mulqāh, and in
specific the chapter on "In between Paradise and Hellfire". Dr.
Ash-Shiqawi summarized some of the commentaries made by scholars as follows:
Al-Mu'jam al-Wassīt (371). Linguistically, al-Qantara is an
arched bridge over a river for crossing over from one side to the other.
Fat'h al-Bāri (11/399). Ibn Hajar said that it may be that
the people [on al-Qantara] are the ones on the elevated partition [between
Paradise and Hellfire] that their good deeds and bad deeds are equal (see
Qur'an 7:46). He added that scholars do not agree whether al-Qantara is attached
to as-Sirāt or a separate construction and that Al-Qurtubi chose that it was a
separate construction.
Al-Bidāyah wa an-Nihāyah (20/101). Ibn Kathir said that
al-Qantara is after the believers cross as-Sirāt over Hellfire, and it may be
constructed over another form of punishment device that only Allah ﷻ
knows of.
At-Tadhkira (767). Al-Qurtubi said that the meaning of the
phrase "the believers, after being saved from Hellfire" (in the
hadith above in Sahih al-Bukhari 81/124) is referring to after being saved from
falling off as-Sirāt into Hellfire, and that those are the believers that Allah
ﷻ
knows that qissās does not wear off their good deeds in entirety.
Sharh al-'Aqīda al-Wāssitiyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah (3/163).
Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen said that the qissās that takes place on al-Qantara
is different from the first qissās. The second one is aimed at removing any
resentments that the dwellers of Paradise may have for each other. It is a
purification process, rather than a retaliation one.
Majmū' al-Fatāwa (15/344-345). Ibn Taymiyyah said that
impure souls are not fit to dwell in Paradise where impurity is not an element
there. The purification of such souls is a must as the phrase "after they
are cleansed and purified through retaliation" (in the hadith above in
Sahih al-Bukhari 81/124). This is what the Qur'an means when it says that all
resentments within them will be removed (see Qur'an 15:47).
14. - HELL
A verse:
“Say "The Truth is from your Lord": let him who
will, believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrongdoers We have
prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent
will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted
brass, that will scald their faces. How dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a
couch to recline on!” (Holy Quran chapter al-Kahf, 29).
A verse:
“Indeed it throws about sparks (huge) as Forts, As if there
were (a string of) yellow camels (marching swiftly)." (Holy Quran chapter al-Murseaât,
32-33).
A verse:
“When it sees them from a place far off, they will hear its
fury and its raging sigh.” (Holy Quran chapter al-Furqan, 12).
Hell is a place of torture where unbelievers will stay
continuously and where sinful believers will be punished and stay temporarily
in accordance with their sins.
When we have a look at all of the verses about Hell in the
Quran, we understand the following from their meanings concisely: Although fire
punishment forms the main punishment in hell, it is a vast place of punishment
where, spiritual and material, what we can think of and what we cannot think
of, all kinds of anguish, pain, torture that influence all of the feelings of
man are present.
Unbelievers will stay in Hell eternally and they will never
be able to leave Hell. As for sinful believers, they will suffer punishment in
accordance with their sins and then they will be taken out of Hell and sent to
Paradise.
As it happens in all stages of life in the hereafter, the
spirit and the body together will suffer Hell torture. However, the pain,
anguish, agony, torture, fire, etc cannot be likened to those in this world.
Only Allah knows their true nature and inside; it is impossible for men to know
them in this world.
15- PARADISE
A verse:
“But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness,
that their portion is Gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are
fed with fruits therefrom they say: "Why this is what we were fed with
before" for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein
companions pure (and holy); and they abide therein (forever).” (Holy Quran
chapter al-Baqara, 25).
Paradise is a place in the hereafter which is adorned with
various blessings and which believers will live eternally.
When we examine the Quran, we see that the Quran describes
Paradise and the people of Paradise as follows:
Paradise is a place whose width is that of the heavens and
of the earth; and a place where neither excessive heat nor excessive cold is
present. There are rivers of clean water, rivers of incorruptible milk and pure
honey, a fresh water spring with a scent of ginger and a drink that leaves the
scent of musk after drinking. Paradise wine is a kind of drink that does not
give headache nor makes drunk; it gives joy to drinkers and it comes out of a
snow-white spring. It does not make drunk or give headache, it does not tempt
people to commit sins, or make people do nonsense things. There are various
fruits, dates, pomegranates, grapevines, cedar trees without thorns,
banana-trees with fruits piled one above another and various bird flesh.
(Aal-e-Imran, 3/133; al-Insan, 76/13, 18; Muhammad, 47/15; al-Mutaffifin,
83/25-26; as-Saaffat, 37/45-47; al-Waqia, 56/21, 28-29; at-Tur, 52/23;
ar-Rahman, 55/68; an-Naba, 78/32.)
The clothes of the people of Paradise are of fine silk and
heavy brocade; their adornments are of gold, their houses are beautiful,
immortal youths walk around them to serve them, these youths are thought to be
scattered pearls because of their beauties; they will pass round dishes and
goblets of gold. There will be there all that the souls could desire all that
the eyes could delight in. there are mansions built one above another beneath
which flow rivers. There are pure companions with special creation. They and
their associates will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. The people of
Paradise whose spite in their hearts were taken away by Allah sit facing each
other on thrones as brothers. There is no tiredness or inconvenience here for
them. They will not hear any vanity or untruth. (Ak-Kahf, 21, 31; al-Insan, 19,
21; al-Hajj, 23; al-Fatır, 33; at-Tauba, 72; az-Zukhruf, 71; az-Zumar, 20;
al-Baqara, 25; al-Waqia, 35-38; as-Saaffat, 48-49; an-Naba, 33, 35; Ya Seen,
56; al-Hijr, 47.)
Paradise blessings are so beautiful that man’s mind and
imagination cannot envisage them. There are all kinds of immaterial and
material, bodily and spiritual tastes and joys with all details there. When
Allah mentions the blessings there, He explains them by likening them to the
worldly blessings so that we can understand them. As a matter of fact, only
their names resemble the blessings here, not any other qualities. They are
unique blessings prepared in accordance with the conditions of Paradise not the
conditions of the world. The Prophet explains the blessings of Paradise in a
divine hadith as follows:
“"Allah said, "I have prepared for My righteous
slaves such excellent things as no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard
nor a human heart can ever think of. "” (Bukhari, “Tafseer”, sura 32;
Tawheed, 35; Muslim, Jannah, 1; Tirmizi, “Tafseer”, sura 32.)
No doubt, the greatest blessing in Paradise is to receive
the consent of Allah and to see Allah. The following is stated in the Quran
related to this issue:
“…the greatest bliss is in the Good Pleasure of Allah: that
is the Supreme Felicity.” (Holy Quran chapter At-Tauba, 72. )
On the other hand, believers in the hereafter will see Allah
after they enter Paradise. There is no definite information about the true
nature and quality of this sight.
The following is stated in a verse in the Quran: “Some
faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty)― Looking towards their
Lord.” . (Holy Quran chapter Al-Qiyama, 22-23.)
Our Prophet (PBUH) says the following when talking about how
believers will see Allah:
“Certainly you will see your Lord as you see this moon.”
(Bukhari, Mawakit, 16; Tawheed, 24; Muslim, Eeman, 81; Tirmizi, Jannah, 15.)
Paradise and the life there is eternal and the people of
Paradise will live there eternally. What makes Paradise Paradise and what makes
the life there valuable is the fact that it is eternal and immortal. If
Paradise were temporary and mortal like this world and if there were death
there, it would not have any value in spite of all of its beauties and
advantageous blessings. So, eternity and immortality alone are great blessings
in Paradise; and what makes Paradise valuable is this property.
We should not forget that Paradise is obtained in this
world. To obtain Paradise it is necessary to believe in the existence and
oneness of Allah, His angels, His books, His prophets, Day of Judgment, decree
and destiny; to do good deeds in accordance with the Quran and the sunnah of
the Prophet (PBUH) encompassed by the consent of Allah and to live in
accordance with Islamic ethic. There is no other way of salvation. Therefore we
should all make a great effort in this world to obtain Paradise. May Allah let
all of us enter Paradise and live there eternally reaching His consent? Amen.
Best regards,
Mallam Abba Abana
Emails: gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com & abba.abana@gmail.com
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