Ahadith on the Day of Judgment
Presented herein under are a few selected traditions of Prophet Muhammad (saws) in an ongoing series of Ahadith related to the Day of Judgement.
1, Hudhaifa (ra) says, “The Prophet (saws) said: ‘My Pond will be wider than the distance between Aila and Aden; and the cups more numerous than the stars. Its drink will be whiter than milk and sweeter than honey; and by Him in whose hands is my life, I shall drive away men from it as does the man drive away strange camels from his waters.’ It was asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, will you be able to recognize us?’ He said: ‘Yes. You will come to me with faces, hands and feet shining as mark of ablution.’”
Commentary
There could be two kinds of people that will be driven away from the Pond. One who would not be recognizable because of their neglect of the Prayers causing the brightness of the face to fade or disappear, and second those that would be turned away although they may bear bright faces because of their Prayers but would have committed terrible deeds. Them the Prophet (saws) would like to serve, but he will be told that they do not deserve and he will refuse.
2. `Uthman ibn `Affan (ra) says, “The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Three kinds of people will intercede on the Day of Judgement: Prophets, scholars and martyrs.’”
Commentary
We must remind ourselves, however, that all intercessions will take place with the permission of Allah (swt), who will decide about the deserving cases. Also, there is no guarantee that those in whose favor intercession will be accepted will not first pass through the purgation of Hell-fire. Hence, it is not a clever thing to depend on intercession, although one should not rule it out altogether for oneself.
3. Mughira (ra) says the Prophet (saws) said: “Some of my followers shall always remain the better of their adversaries (in their struggle against falsehood). And this will be the situation until the Day of Judgement.”
~ Bukhari, Muslim
Commentary
What is meant by the unlettered nation is not the ignorant nation, nor one which does not know how to read and write – which is the definition of the word Ummi of the original. It means either the first generation followers of the Prophet (saws) who were largely unlettered, with the inclusion of those that followed them in good works, or it could mean the nation that followed an Ummi Prophet.
4. And Mu`awiyya (ra) says, “I heard the Prophet (saws) say: ‘A group of people from among my followers will remain following the commandments of Allah (swt). No harm will he do them who will abandon them, nor he who will oppose them. This will remain so until the Day of Judgement.’”
~ Bukhari, Muslim
5. Said the Prophet: “A group of this Ummah will always remain upholding the word (of God). Neither will anyone harm them by withdrawing his support nor by opposing them. That will be the situation until Allah (swt) will send His Command (of the Last Hour).”
6. And `Amr b. Qais (ra) says, the Prophet said: “We are the last to appear, but the first to (be sent into the Paradise) on the Day of Judgement. And let me tell you something without any pride. Ibrahim is Khalilullah, Musa is Safiullah, and I am Habibullah. In my hand shall be the flag of Hamd on the Day of Judgement. Allah (swt) has made a promise to me about my followers; and He has kept them in peace over three things: that He will not send starvation on them all at one time, their enemy will not be able to destroy them and they will not be united on falsehood.”
~ Darami
Commentary
How sad then for those who do not offer the Prayers. They won’t even be recognizable to us on the Day the earth will be teeming with tens of trillions of people – and more!
This hadith explains another aspect of the bond that Allah (swt) has made with this Ummah, after the two communities refused to work for His cause: namely the two-fold rewards that he will bestow upon them. And of course, there are no grounds on which they should work less and draw more wages. But this is Allah’s bestowal which He bestows upon whom He wills.
Yet the Jews and Christians cannot raise any objection. Firstly, because they left the work incomplete, and secondly, will they not receive their reward in full? That is for those who were before the Prophet (saws). As for those who came after him, even they cannot raise any objection. For the offer is open to all. They can as well convert to Islam and earn the two-fold reward promised to Muslims. But if they don’t, then surely they have not trust in Allah’s rewards and are like those who went before them and who said: “‘We have no need for the wages you promised to give us, and (we think) the work we have done so far is unfruitful.’”
This aspect again confirms that the Ummah will, as a whole, and in all ages, remain true to the compact of work and wages made with its Lord: so true, indeed, that it will be difficult to decide if its earlier part was better or the latter. This is the meaning that has been again expressed in the fifth hadith of this series.
Yet there is another possibility of meaning and which is that however may the Ummah behave during its middle period, its last days – under the leadership of Jesus, as son of Mary (asws) – will be when it started its venture under the Prophet Muhammad (saws). This is also the meaning expressed in the fourth hadith of this series.
This is the group – among all that will appear till the world lasts – that will remain true to the compact made with God. And hence, it is really people with these qualities that will be rewarded two-fold in the Hereafter. The most important part of their work will be to wage armed struggle against the enemies of God and the way of life that He has approved for His creation. They will bear witness to the truth and the message entrusted to them not merely with the word of mouth, but also through their deeds culminating with the sacrifice of their own lives as the surest and the worthiest proof that can be offered.
