Resurrection After Death (part 6)

Author: Abu Ayesha

Resurrection After Death (part 6)

Preface: After examining the status of the Resurrection in the verses of the Noble Quran, it is necessary, in order to complete the research and study, to examine the Resurrection from the perspective of the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) and the statements of the scholars as well. This is because the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), alongside the Noble Quran, is considered the second fundamental and important source in Islam. The hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) play an important role in interpreting and explaining the Quranic teachings, and the understanding of many verses depends on understanding the hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH). In this section of the research, we strive, by relying on the hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) and the statements of distinguished and great scholars, to present a clearer and more explicit picture of belief in the Resurrection in Islam, and to examine its role in guiding human beings and in outlining the path of the Hereafter.

The Resurrection from the Perspective of the Hadiths

Since belief in the Resurrection is one of the most fundamental creeds and beliefs in Islam, it is therefore necessary to present this belief in the light of the hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) and to establish its reality. The existence of the Resurrection is proven by numerous hadiths of the Noble Prophet (PBUH); of which we mention a few examples here:

1. عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى‌اللَّهُ‌عَلَيْهِ‌وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: “يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ، ثُمَّ يَطَّلِعُ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّ العَالَمِينَ، فَيَقُولُ: أَلاَ يَتْبَعُ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ مَا كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ، فَيُمَثَّلُ لِصَاحِبِ الصَّلِيبِ صَلِيبُهُ، وَلِصَاحِبِ التَّصَاوِيرِ تَصَاوِيرُهُ، وَلِصَاحِبِ النَّارِ نَارُهُ، فَيَتْبَعُونَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ، وَيَبْقَى الْمُسْلِمُونَ فَيَطَّلِعُ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّ العَالَمِينَ [1] “

Translation: “It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah will gather all people on the Day of Resurrection on one vast and level plain. Then the Lord of the worlds will manifest Himself to them and say: ‘Will not every person follow what they used to worship?’ Then the cross will be made to appear for the worshipper of the cross, images will be made to appear for the worshippers of images, and fire will be made to appear for the worshipper of fire. They will then follow what they used to worship, and the Muslims will remain. Then the Lord of the worlds will manifest Himself to them.”

From this hadith it becomes clear that on the Day of Resurrection, the Lord of the worlds will gather all human beings in one vast and leveled filed, and He will call them to account for their deeds, conduct, and actions, and will demand accountability from them for their worldly behavior. Each person will be dealt with according to what he used to do in this world. The Muslims who did good deeds in this world and worshipped Allah the Exalted will be honored with the blessing of seeing the Lord of the worlds, and this is one of the greatest blessings in the Hereafter after being resurrected following death.

1. عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى‌اللَّهُ‌عَلَيْهِ‌وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: “قَالَ رَجُلٌ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ حَسَنَةً قَطُّ، لِأَهْلِهِ: إِذَا مَاتَ فَحَرِّقُوهُ، ثُمَّ اذْرُوا نِصْفَهُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَنِصْفَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ، فَوَاللهِ لَئِنْ قَدَرَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ لَيُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا لَا يُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ، فَلَمَّا مَاتَ الرَّجُلُ فَعَلُوا مَا أَمَرَهُمْ، فَأَمَرَ اللهُ الْبَرَّ فَجَمَعَ مَا فِيهِ، وَأَمَرَ الْبَحْرَ فَجَمَعَ مَا فِيهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: لِمَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ، يَا رَبِّ وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ، فَغَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ [2] “

Translation: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: There was a man who had never done any good deed at all. He said to his family: ‘When I die, burn me, then scatter half of my ashes on land and half in the sea. By Allah, if Allah has power over me, He will punish me with a punishment such as He has not inflicted upon anyone in the worlds.’ When the man died, they did what he had instructed. Allah the Exalted commanded the land to gather what was within it and commanded the sea to gather what was within it. Then He said: ‘Why did you do this?’ He said: ‘Out of fear of You, O my Lord, and You know best.’ So Allah the Exalted forgave him.”

This hadith very clearly shows that the return of the servants to Allah the Exalted is a true reality, that nothing whether small or great is hidden from Allah the Exalted, that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is All-Powerful over everything, and that He can hold anyone accountable in whatever manner He wills, even if the particles of his existence have been turned to ashes and scattered in the air.

3. عَن عليّ ^{رَضي‌اللهُ‌عنهُ} أنّ النبيّ ^{صَلَّى‌اللَّهُ‌عَلَيْهِ‌وَسَلَّمَ} قال: “لا يؤمن عبد حتى يؤمن بأربع: یشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وأني رسول الله بعثنی بالحق، ویؤمن بالموت، وبالبعث بعد الموت، ویؤمن بالقدر” [3]

Translation: “Hazrat Ali (RA) narrates that the Prophet (PBUH) said: None of you truly believes unless he believes in four things: that he bears witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and that I am the Messenger of Allah and that He sent me with the truth; and that he believes in death, resurrection after death, and in Divine Decree.”

4. عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ^{رَضِيَ‌اللَّهُ‌عَنْهُ}، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ^{صَلَّى‌اللَّهُ‌عَلَيْهِ‌وَسَلَّمَ}: «ما بین النفختین أربعون، قالوا يا أبا هريرة! أربعون يوما؟ قال: أبيت. قالوا: أربعون شهرا؟ قال: أبيت. قالوا: أربعون سنة؟ قال: أبيت. ثم ينزل الله من السماء ماء فينبتون كما ينبت البقل، قال وليس من الإنسان شيء إلا يبلى إلا عظما واحدا وهو عجب الذنب، ومنه يركب الخلق يوم القيامة.»[4]

Translation: “It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: The interval between the two blasts is forty. The people asked: O Abu Hurairah, forty days? He said: I do not know. They said: Forty months? He said: I do not know. They said: Forty years? He said: I do not know. He said: Then Allah the Exalted will send down water from the sky, and the people will grow like vegetation. He added: There is no part of the human body that does not decay and perish except one bone, and that is the tailbone; from it the creation will be reassembled on the Day of Resurrection.”

5. عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ^{رَضِيَ‌اللَّهُ‌عَنْهُا} عَنِ النَّبِىِّ ^{صَلَّى‌اللَّهُ‌عَلَيْهِ‌وَسَلَّمَ} قَالَ «إِنَّكُمْ تُحْشَرُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلا. قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ يَنْظُرُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ قَالَ: يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ الأَمْرَ أَشَدُّ مِنْ أَنْ يُهِمَّهُمْ ذَلِكَ» [5]

Translation: “It is narrated from Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) that the Noble Prophet (PBUH) said: You will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised. Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) asked: O Messenger of Allah (PBUH), will men and women look at one another? The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: O Aisha, that Day will be so severe and terrifying that no one will have the ability to pay attention to such matters.”

To be continued…

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References:

1. Al-Tirmidhi, Muhammad ibn Isa, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, vol. 4, p. 272, Hadith no. 2557.
2. Al-Nayshaburi, Abu Husayn, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 2109, Chapter: On the Vastness of the Mercy of Allah, Hadith no. 24, Dar al-Jeel – Beirut.
3. Al-Tirmidhi, Muhammad ibn Isa, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Chapter: What Has Been Reported Concerning Belief in Divine Decree, Its Good and Its Evil, vol. 4, p. 20, Hadith no. 2145.
4. Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail, Sahih al-Bukhari, Chapter: The Day the Trumpet Will Be Blown and You Will Come Forth in Crowds, vol. 6, p. 164, Hadith no. 4935.
5. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad Ahmad, vol. 53, p. 106, Hadith no. 24997, Mu’assasat al-Risalah. Verified by Shaykh Shu‘ayb al-Arna’ut.