The day of resurrection will be the time when all of humankind on earth will be brought back to their original physical form. There will be a time on earth when everything that God created will cease. Every human being, from the past to the present, will be resurrected and examined by their deeds. This day is called the “Day of Judgment.” O mankind! If you are in doubt concerning the resurrection, then, verily, We created you from dust, then from a drop, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh [both] shaped and shapeless, that We make it clear for you. And We cause what We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed time, and afterwards We bring you forth as infants: then you attain your full strength. And among you there is he who dies [young] and among you there is he who is brought back to the most abject time of life so that, after knowledge, he knows nothing. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down water on it, it thrills and swells and puts forth every lovely kind [of growth]. That is because Allah is Reality, and it is He Who gives life to the dead, and it is He Who has power over all things, and because the Hour [of Judgment] will come concerning which there is no doubt, and because Allah will raise those who are in the graves. (Quran, 22:5-7) According to Islam, a person will be judged according to his or her life’s actions. People whose deeds and actions in life are mainly good will enter Heaven (also called Garden or Paradise). However, if one’s deeds or actions are mainly evil, he or she will enter Hell (also referred to as Fire).
On the Day of Judgment, everyone will know the fate of everyone else. Both Heaven and Hell have different levels. The worst of people will be in the lowest depths of Hell, while the best of people will be in the highest parts of Heaven. One of the fundamental creeds of Islam is about the Day of Judgment. All humans who have lived on earth are accountable and answerable on that day for their beliefs and willful actions. Regarding the Day of Judgment Allah states: Verily We shall give life to the dead, and We record all that they send before and that they leave behind, and We have taken account of all things in a clear Book [of evidence]. (36:12) And to every soul will be paid in full of its deeds, and He knows best all that they do. (39:70) Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an what means, On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But Allah cautions you (to remember) Himself. And Allah is full of kindness to those that serve Him (Aal `Imran 3:30) Verily, to Us will be their return, then verily, for Us will be their Reckoning (Al-Ghashiyah 88:25–26). These verses show that Allah Almighty will hold us accountable for all our doings, and only He can be the true judge of our deeds because Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Deeds are but by intentions and every person shall have what he intended. Thus, whose migration was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, then his migration was for Allah and His Messenger. And whose migration was for the sake of some worldly benefit or marrying some woman, then his migration was for what he migrated. (Al-Bukhari) This means that a fair and true judgment of our actions is possible only when the motives behind the actions as well as the circumstances impelling a person to undertake those actions are correctly and fully evaluated. No human can really judge others’ motives and correctly evaluate their compulsions. Only Allah the All-Knowing can do that. Holy Quran says, Whoever chooses to follow the right path, follows it but for his own good; and whoever goes astray, goes but astray to his own loss; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden (Al-Israa’ 17:15) This verse tells us that in the Final Judgment, we are accountable for our actions, and no injustice will be done to anyone. The Qur’an makes it perfectly clear that all humans will be questioned about their actions on the Day of Judgment. And in this matter even prophets are not spared: Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom It (the book) was sent and, verily, We shall question the messengers (Al-A`raf 7:6-7). There are Prophetic sayings that teach us that the righteous servants of Allah will have a smooth passage through the questioning and will be able to enter Paradise with ease; whereas the hypocrites and hardened sinners will have a hard time before they are sentenced to Hell. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, The first thing people will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment is Prayer. Allah will say to His angels (even though He already knows), “Look at My servants’ Prayers. Were they complete or not?” If they are complete, they will be written as complete. If they are not complete, Allah will say, “See if My servant has Voluntary Prayers.” If he has them, Allah will say, “Complete his Obligatory Prayer shortage with his Voluntary Prayers.” Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner” (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and An-Nasa’i) Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has also warned us about five things we will have to answer for: The son of Adam will not pass away from Allah until he is asked about five things: How he lived his life, how he utilized his youth, what means he earned his wealth with, how he spent his wealth, and what he did with his knowledge. (At-Tirmidhi) Allah Almighty will also ask us about all the contracts, agreements, and promises we made in our lives, regardless of whether they were made to God or to people: And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be questioned about (Al-Israa’ 17:34) Allah will also question us on the Day of Judgment about what we listen to, watch, and think of. We read in the Holy Qur’an what means: Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart; about each of those, you will be questioned (by Allah) (Al-Israa’ 17:36) Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the delight (you indulged in, in this world) (At-Takathur 102:8). This means that all the blessings and delights we have been enjoying in this world, such as our health, wealth, food, and drink, as well as other comforts of life, will be subject to the Last Day’s questioning.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) described the manner of questioning on the Day of Judgment thus: Allah will talk to everyone directly, without a translator. The person will look to his right, and will not see anything but his deeds. Then the person, will look to his front and will see nothing but the Hellfire facing him. So protect yourself from Hellfire even with the charity of half a date. (Al-Bukhari) The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said, Allah will meet a person and ask him, “O person, wasn’t I generous to you? And didn’t I give you a spouse and make the horses and camels at your disposal?” The servant will reply, “Yes!” Allah will then ask, “Did you think that you will meet Me?” He will reply, “No!” Allah will say, “I will forget you as you forgot Me.” Then Allah Almighty will meet another person and his reply will be the same as the first person’s. Then again He will meet a third person and will ask similar questions, and the person’s reply will be, “O Lord, I believed in You, in Your books, and in Your messengers. I prayed, I fasted, and I gave charity.” And he will praise Allah as much as he can. Allah will say, “Hold on to your words, now We will bring the witnesses.” The person will ask himself, “Who will testify against me?” Then that person’s mouth will be sealed, and his thighs, flesh, and bones will be asked to speak. They will speak about his bad deeds. He will know that he has no excuse. That is the hypocrite with whom Allah the Exalted will be furious. (Muslim). The number of verses in the Quran that deal with life after death and the Day of Resurrection is close to 1,200. This is in addition to a vast number of traditions related from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is impotent we lways remember death and the day of judgment. Repentance is the giving up of sin and it is the best way of expressing regret for having committed one. It involves sincerely regretting a particular sin and then resolving never to do it again. Repentance is the source of and way to success. The Quran says, “Turn to Allah, O Believers, that you may be successful”(24:31). No matter how grievous a person’s sin may be, God’s forgiveness is much greater. No one should be ashamed to turn toward God in repentance. God can erase the sins of whomever He pleases. The Quran states: Say, O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, despair not of the mercy of Allah; verily, Allah forgives all sins. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. (39:53) Tell My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful. (15:49) Will they not turn to Allah and ask His forgiveness? Allah is the Forgiving, the Merciful. (5:74) Your Lord is full of forgiveness for mankind in spite of their wrongdoing. (13:6) Despite God’s ability to destroy mankind (if He so willed), God possesses the main characteristics of forgiveness and mercy. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) narrated that the act of repenting brings an increase of wealth, protection from danger, and an easing of hardships and difficulties. Furthermore, it has been said that the fastest way to attain closeness to God is to humble oneself before Him and admit ones wrongdoing. People can establish a direct link to Allah while seeking repentance without the necessity of a third person interfering. If a person commits a sin, he or she should not let others know about the sin.
Allah loves a person who sincerely repents his or her sin; hence, the repented sin will be considered as if he or she had never committed that sin. Repentance will be accepted up until the moment of death. Nonetheless, repentance should be done as soon as possible and should not be delayed; this point has been emphasized again and again in the Islamic tradition. Imam Ali (r.a) said, How numerous are the procrastinators who postpone [repenting and doing good deeds] until death overtakes them. It is important to understand forgiveness? Forgiveness is a word that stands on six supports. The first is to repent over the past. The second is to make a firm determination never to revert to it. The third is to discharge all the rights of people so that you may meet God quite clean with nothing which to account for. The fourth is to fulfill every obligation which you ignored in the past so that you may now be just with it. The fifth is to aim at the flesh grown as a result of unlawful earning so that you may melt it by grief of repentance till the skin touches the bone and a new flesh grows between them. And the sixth is to make the body taste the pain of obedience as you previously made it taste the sweetness of disobedience. On such an occasion, you may say, “I seek God’s forgiveness. The benefits of repentance for the next life are obvious, entrance into Paradise and safety from the Hellfire. The foregoing discussion should be sufficient motivation for us to lead a good life in this world and to be prepared for answerability in the hereafter so that we are not among the losers on the Day of Reckoning.
(The authors regularly write on Islamic topics exclusively for “ Kashmir Horizon”. Views are his own)