Praise be to Allah (The Glorified and Exalted).
The Day of Resurrection and Judgment will cause such terror that the hair of children will turn grey, “Then how shall ye, if ye deny (Allah), guard yourselves against a Day that will make children hoary-headed [i.e. grey haired]?” [73:17]. The Resurrection is an event that will happen literally and is not meant to be taken metaphorically, or believed to occur only to the soul. The souls will be rejoined to the bodies and the dead will be raised in a new creation. The principle behind that Day is that all scores will be settled, there will be complete Justice for all.
The Trumpet:
The Day of Judgment will commence after the Trumpet is blown twice by the angel Israfil. This will occur on a Friday, yet the date is unknown. This is mentioned in the following hadith and verse of the Qur’an:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The gaze of the one who will blow the Trumpet has been fixed since he was entrusted with it, looking towards the Throne, ready (to blow it), in case he will be commanded to do so before he blinks, as if his eyes are two shining stars.” [Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1078; narrated in al-Mustadrak]
The New Earth:
The surface of the Earth will be changed to an entirely new form. The mountains will disappear, as well as the waters, the land will be flattened and made level.
Sahl ibn Sa’d reported:
I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “The people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection on reddish white land like a pure loaf of bread (made from pure fine flour).” Sahl or someone else said, “It will have no landmarks for anyone (to make use of).” [al-Bukhari no. 6521]
The Throne:
When mankind and those whom Allah Wills, are resurrected, the angels will descend from the heavens. As the heavens are torn open, the Throne of Allah will be brought near to the Earth. Eight angels will bear the Throne. This is mentioned in the following verse of the Qur’an and the hadith:
“And the sky will be rent asunder [i.e. split apart], for it will that Day be flimsy, And the Angels will be on its sides, and eight will, that Day, bear the Throne of thy Lord above them. That Day shall ye be brought to Judgment: not an act of yours that ye hide will be hidden.” [16:18]
Narrated Jaabir ibn Abdullah:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of Allah who carry the Throne. The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey.” [Sunan Abee Daawood, Kitaab al-Sunnah, Baab fi’l-Jahamiyyah]
Place of Gathering:
The resurrected will be marshaled to the place of Judgment, which will be al-Shaam (Greater Syria, including Palestine):
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Al-Shaam is the land of the gathering and the resurrection.” [Narrated by Ahmad]
Challenge to Escape Judgment:
This challenge is from Allah (The Exalted and Glorified). It is directed to all who will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens will be split apart. Angels will descend from all of the heavens and encircle the resurrected. Allah will challenge the sinful to escape judgment, if they can. They will not be able to escape as they will not have the ability to do so with the angels besieging and encircling them from all sides. In explanation of this verse of the Qur’an, Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Meaning that you cannot escape Allah’s Power and predestination, which are everywhere around you. You cannot escape Allah’s Power or break away from His authority or ruling on you. On the Day of Resurrection, wherever you go, you will be surrounded on all sides by seven rows of angels. No one can pass beyond the zones ‘without authority’ i.e. an order from Allah. Verse ten of Surat Al-Qiyamah, the Resurrection, says (interpretation of the meaning): “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” [75:10-12].”
The Cistern of Al-Kawthar:
On the Day of Resurrection, the Muslim Ummah will be permitted to have their thirst quenched at the Cistern of Al-Kawthar. The Cistern will be a large tank placed near Paradise to which water will flow from the river of Al-Kawthar, which is located within Paradise. The river of Al-Kawthar and the Cistern will be given to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as a gift from Allah (The Exalted and Sublime). No other prophet will be given anything equal to Al-Kawthar. Only the Muslims who followed the Qur’an and Sunnah will be permitted to drink from the Cistern. Individuals who were members of deviant groups claiming to be “Muslim,” will not be allowed to drink from the Cistern. These events are mentioned in the following hadith:
‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “My Cistern is (as big as) the distance of a month’s (journey). Its length and width are equal and its water is whiter than milk and its scent is better than musk. Its drinking vessels are like the stars of the sky and whoever drinks from it will never thirst again.” [al-Bukhari no. 6093; Muslim no. 4244]
The Balance of Justice:
The Balance, which contains two pans, will weigh the Records of the people. This is mentioned in the following verse of the Qur’an and numerous hadith:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The Balance will be set up on the Day of Resurrection, and if the heavens and the Earth were to be weighed in it, it would be sufficient to carry them. And the angels will say, ‘O Lord, who is this for?’ Allah will say, ‘For whomsoever I will from among My slaves.’” [al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 941]
Abu Hurayrah reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Two words which are light on the tongue but will weigh heavily in the Balance and are beloved to the Most Merciful: Subhaan Allah il-‘Atheem; Subhaan Allahi wa bi Hamdihi (Glory be to Allah the Almighty, Glory and praise be to Allah).” [al-Bukhari no. 6406]
Judgment of Muslims:
Abu Hurayrah reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah (Mighty and Sublime be He) says, ‘The first of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded; and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost.’ If there is something defective in his obligatory prayers, the Lord (Glorified and Exalted be He) will say, ‘See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers.’ Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion.” [It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad)]
Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it, and how he disposed of it [his wealth], and how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge.” [al-Tirmidhi no. 2422; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi no. 1969]
Safwaan ibn Muhriz al-Maazini said:
Whilst I was walking with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), holding his hand, a man came up to him and said, “What did you hear the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say about al-najwa (the secret conversation that Allah will have with His slaves on the Day of Resurrection)?” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, ‘Allah will draw the Believer close to Him and He will screen him, then He will say: Do you admit such and such a sin? Do you admit such and such a sin? And he [the Muslim] will say: Yes, O Lord. Then when he has admitted his sins, and thinks that he is doomed, (Allah) will say: I concealed them for you in the world, and I forgive you for them today. Then he will be given the book of his good deeds [Ibn Majah adds: In his right hand]. As for the unbelievers and the hypocrites, they will be called before all people. Those are the ones who told lies about Allah.’” [al-Bukhari no. 2441; Muslim no. 2768; Ibn Majah no. 183]
Abu Hurayrah reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “For the Believers, the (length of) the Day of Resurrection will be like the time between Zuhr and Asr [i.e. short amount of time].” [Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 8193]
When Everything is Decided:
The Day of Resurrection and Judgment will cause such terror that the hair of children will turn grey, “Then how shall ye, if ye deny (Allah), guard yourselves against a Day that will make children hoary-headed [i.e. grey haired]?” [73:17]. The Resurrection is an event that will happen literally and is not meant to be taken metaphorically, or believed to occur only to the soul. The souls will be rejoined to the bodies and the dead will be raised in a new creation. The principle behind that Day is that all scores will be settled, there will be complete Justice for all.
The Trumpet:
The Day of Judgment will commence after the Trumpet is blown twice by the angel Israfil. This will occur on a Friday, yet the date is unknown. This is mentioned in the following hadith and verse of the Qur’an:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The gaze of the one who will blow the Trumpet has been fixed since he was entrusted with it, looking towards the Throne, ready (to blow it), in case he will be commanded to do so before he blinks, as if his eyes are two shining stars.” [Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1078; narrated in al-Mustadrak]
The New Earth:
The surface of the Earth will be changed to an entirely new form. The mountains will disappear, as well as the waters, the land will be flattened and made level.
“One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the Earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them.” [18:47]
Sahl ibn Sa’d reported:
I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “The people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection on reddish white land like a pure loaf of bread (made from pure fine flour).” Sahl or someone else said, “It will have no landmarks for anyone (to make use of).” [al-Bukhari no. 6521]
The Throne:
When mankind and those whom Allah Wills, are resurrected, the angels will descend from the heavens. As the heavens are torn open, the Throne of Allah will be brought near to the Earth. Eight angels will bear the Throne. This is mentioned in the following verse of the Qur’an and the hadith:
“And the sky will be rent asunder [i.e. split apart], for it will that Day be flimsy, And the Angels will be on its sides, and eight will, that Day, bear the Throne of thy Lord above them. That Day shall ye be brought to Judgment: not an act of yours that ye hide will be hidden.” [16:18]
Narrated Jaabir ibn Abdullah:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of Allah who carry the Throne. The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey.” [Sunan Abee Daawood, Kitaab al-Sunnah, Baab fi’l-Jahamiyyah]
Place of Gathering:
The resurrected will be marshaled to the place of Judgment, which will be al-Shaam (Greater Syria, including Palestine):
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Al-Shaam is the land of the gathering and the resurrection.” [Narrated by Ahmad]
Challenge to Escape Judgment:
“O ye assembly of Jinns and Men! If it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the Earth, pass ye! Not without authority shall ye be able to pass!” [55:33]
This challenge is from Allah (The Exalted and Glorified). It is directed to all who will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens will be split apart. Angels will descend from all of the heavens and encircle the resurrected. Allah will challenge the sinful to escape judgment, if they can. They will not be able to escape as they will not have the ability to do so with the angels besieging and encircling them from all sides. In explanation of this verse of the Qur’an, Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Meaning that you cannot escape Allah’s Power and predestination, which are everywhere around you. You cannot escape Allah’s Power or break away from His authority or ruling on you. On the Day of Resurrection, wherever you go, you will be surrounded on all sides by seven rows of angels. No one can pass beyond the zones ‘without authority’ i.e. an order from Allah. Verse ten of Surat Al-Qiyamah, the Resurrection, says (interpretation of the meaning): “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” [75:10-12].”
The Cistern of Al-Kawthar:
On the Day of Resurrection, the Muslim Ummah will be permitted to have their thirst quenched at the Cistern of Al-Kawthar. The Cistern will be a large tank placed near Paradise to which water will flow from the river of Al-Kawthar, which is located within Paradise. The river of Al-Kawthar and the Cistern will be given to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as a gift from Allah (The Exalted and Sublime). No other prophet will be given anything equal to Al-Kawthar. Only the Muslims who followed the Qur’an and Sunnah will be permitted to drink from the Cistern. Individuals who were members of deviant groups claiming to be “Muslim,” will not be allowed to drink from the Cistern. These events are mentioned in the following hadith:
‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “My Cistern is (as big as) the distance of a month’s (journey). Its length and width are equal and its water is whiter than milk and its scent is better than musk. Its drinking vessels are like the stars of the sky and whoever drinks from it will never thirst again.” [al-Bukhari no. 6093; Muslim no. 4244]
The Balance of Justice:
The Balance, which contains two pans, will weigh the Records of the people. This is mentioned in the following verse of the Qur’an and numerous hadith:
“We shall set up scales of Justice for the Day of Judgment, so that none 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 Sufficient are We to take account.” [21:47]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The Balance will be set up on the Day of Resurrection, and if the heavens and the Earth were to be weighed in it, it would be sufficient to carry them. And the angels will say, ‘O Lord, who is this for?’ Allah will say, ‘For whomsoever I will from among My slaves.’” [al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 941]
Abu Hurayrah reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Two words which are light on the tongue but will weigh heavily in the Balance and are beloved to the Most Merciful: Subhaan Allah il-‘Atheem; Subhaan Allahi wa bi Hamdihi (Glory be to Allah the Almighty, Glory and praise be to Allah).” [al-Bukhari no. 6406]
Judgment of Muslims:
Abu Hurayrah reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah (Mighty and Sublime be He) says, ‘The first of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded; and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost.’ If there is something defective in his obligatory prayers, the Lord (Glorified and Exalted be He) will say, ‘See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers.’ Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion.” [It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad)]
Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it, and how he disposed of it [his wealth], and how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge.” [al-Tirmidhi no. 2422; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi no. 1969]
Safwaan ibn Muhriz al-Maazini said:
Whilst I was walking with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), holding his hand, a man came up to him and said, “What did you hear the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say about al-najwa (the secret conversation that Allah will have with His slaves on the Day of Resurrection)?” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, ‘Allah will draw the Believer close to Him and He will screen him, then He will say: Do you admit such and such a sin? Do you admit such and such a sin? And he [the Muslim] will say: Yes, O Lord. Then when he has admitted his sins, and thinks that he is doomed, (Allah) will say: I concealed them for you in the world, and I forgive you for them today. Then he will be given the book of his good deeds [Ibn Majah adds: In his right hand]. As for the unbelievers and the hypocrites, they will be called before all people. Those are the ones who told lies about Allah.’” [al-Bukhari no. 2441; Muslim no. 2768; Ibn Majah no. 183]
Abu Hurayrah reported:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “For the Believers, the (length of) the Day of Resurrection will be like the time between Zuhr and Asr [i.e. short amount of time].” [Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 8193]
When Everything is Decided:
“And thou wilt see the Angels surrounding the Throne (Divine) on all sides, proclaiming Glory and Praise to their Lord. The Decision between them (at Judgment) will be in (perfect) Justice, and the cry (on all sides) will be, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!’” [39:75]