Chapter 7: Belief In the Last Day Part 2

Chapter
7: Belief In the Last Day Part 1





The Last Day is the Day when mankind will be resurrected
to be asked about

their deeds and receive reward or punishment for them. It
is called “the Last

Day,” because it is the last day, no day after that.
Afterwards, people of

Paradise will permanently reside and take their places in it, and people
of Hell

will permanently reside and take their places in it.







Belief In The Last Day Has Three Parts







1. To believe in the Resurrection. - The
Resurrection happens when the

Horn will be blown for the second time. Afterwards,
mankind will be resurrected

to face the questioning by the Lord of the worlds. They
will neither be wearing

shoes nor circumcised, and they will be naked and visible
to others on this

state, (however, everyone will be absolutely preoccupied
with what they are

going to face and the hardship of the Day of
Resurrection). Allah said, what

translated means, “As We began the first creation, We
shall repeat it, (it is) a

promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it."
[21:104].







The Resurrection is a true event that the Qur’aan, the
Sunnah and the consensus

of Muslims have confirmed. Allah said, what translated
means, “After that,

surely you will die. Then (again), surely, you will be
resurrected on the Day of

Resurrection.” [23:15-16]. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wa-sallam) said, what

translated means, “On the Day of Resurrection, Mankind
wilt be resurrected while

they are bear-footed and naked.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee and
Saheeh Muslim]







The Muslims are unanimous on confirming the Day of
Resurrection. This is the

wisdom of Allah, for He decreed that creation will have a
day of reckoning for

their deeds after He sent them Messengers to inform them
of His Commandments. He

said, what translated means, “Did you think that We had
created you in play

(without any purpose), and that you would not be brought
back to Us?” [23:115]

and, “Verily, He Who has given you (O Muhammad (sallallaahu
alaihi wa-sallam))

the Qur’aan will surely bring you back to the Ma’ad (place
of return).” [28:85].









2. To believe in the Reckoning - In the
Last Day, the slave will be

rewarded or punished for his deeds. This fact was also
confirmed by the Qur’aan,

the Sunnah and the consensus of Muslims. Allah said, what
translated means,

“Verily, to Us will be their return. Then verily, for Us
will be their

Reckoning.” [88:25-26], “Whoever brings a good deed shall
have ten times the

like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil
deed shall have only the

recompense of the like thereof and they will not be
wronged.” [6:160] and, “And

We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of
Resurrection, then none will

be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the
weight of a mustard

seed, We will bring it And Sufficient are We as
Reckoners.” [21:47].







The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam) said, what
translated means, “Allah

will bring the believer closer to Him, and will shield him
form being exposed

(for his evil deeds in front of everyone). He will say:
‘Do you remember such

and such (evil) deed? Do you remember such and such (evil)
deed?’ He will say:

‘Yes, O my Lord!’ When He gets his confessions for his
evil deeds, and he (the

salve) thinks that he is close to destruction, he will
say: ‘I have preserved

you (from being exposed in front of others for these evil
deeds) during your

lifetime. Today, I forgive them for you.’ Then, he will be
given his record of

deeds. As for the disbelievers and the hypocrites, they
will be called in

public: ‘These are the ones who lied on their Lord (did
not follow His Guidance

sent down with their Prophets). Therefore, Allah’s curse
will befall the unjust

ones." [Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim]







And,“Whoever intends to perform a good deed, and performs
it, Allah will record

it for him as ten deeds, to seven hundredfold, to many
more folds. Whoever

intends to commit and evil deed, and commits it, Allah
will record it as one

evil deed.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim]







Muslims are unanimous that the Day of Reckoning will come.
This is the Wisdom of

Allah. He revealed the Books, sent down the Messengers and
commanded that they

be accepted, followed and obeyed. He commanded that
whoever oppose them (the

Books and the Messengers) are to be fought. He permitted
shedding their blood,

and the seizure of their children, women and possessions.
If there will not be a

Day of Reckoning, then this Commandment will be time
wasted. Allah is immune

form such joyful play. “Then surely, We shall question
those (people) to who it

(the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the
Messengers. Then surely,

We shall narrate unto them (their whole story) with
knowledge, and indeed We

were not absent.’ [7:6.7].







3. To believe in Paradise and Hell. They are the final destination for

whoever deserves either one of them, and for eternity. Paradise is the

destination of the ultimate happiness and joy that Allah
prepared for the

believers who feared Him, believed in what He required
from them to believe and

obeyed Him and His Messenger. They are the ones who were
sincere to Allah and

followers of His Messenger. Paradise
contains, of Allah’s bounties, “What no eye

has ever violated, what no ear has ever heard of and what
no mind has ever

imagined (of joys that Allah hid for the believers).” [4]
Allah said, what

translated means, “Verily, those who believe (in Allah)
and do righteous, good

deeds, they are the best of creatures. Their reward with
their Lord is Gardens

of Eternity, underneath which rivers flow, they will abide
therein forever,

Allah Well-Pleased with them, and they with Him. That is
for him who fears his

Lord.” [98:7-8] and, “No person knows what is kept hidden
for them of joy as a

reward for what they used to do.)’ [32:17].







As for Hell, it is the destination of torment and
punishment that Allah prepared

for the unjust disbelievers. They are the ones who
disbelieved in Him and

disobeyed His Messengers. Hell contains kinds of
punishment and torment that no

one could ever imagine. Allah said, what translated means,
“And fear the Fire,

which is prepared for the disbelievers.” [3: 131] “We have
prepared for the

wrongdoers, a Fire whose walls will be surrounding them.
And if they ask for

help (relief, water etc.) they will be granted water like
boiling oil that will

scald their faces. Terrible the drink, and an evil
dwelling.” [18: 29] and,

“Verily, Allah has cursed the disbelievers, and has
prepared for them a flaming

Fire (Hell). Wherein, they will abide forever, and they
will find neither a

protector nor a helper. On the Day when their faces will
be turned and rolled

form all sides in the Fire, they will say: “Oh, would that
we had obeyed Allah

and obeyed the Messenger (Muhammad).” [33:64-66]







Belief in Life After Death: Believing in
the Last Day requires Muslims to

also believe in life after death and in the following:







1. The questioning in the grave. The dead
will be asked, in their graves,

about the lord, the religion and the Prophet they followed
during their

lifetime. Allah will lead the believer to say what is
necessary, saying, “Allah

is my Lord. My religion is Islam. My Prophet is Muhammad
(sallallaahu alaihi

wa-sallam).” As for the unjust, Allah will lead him to
misguidance saying, in

answer to the above questions “What! What! I do not know.”
Also! the hypocrites

and the ones who always had doubts about Allah, the
religion and the Prophet (sallallaahu

alaihi wa-sallam), will say, “I do not know. I heard
people say something and I

followed them.” [Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim]







2. The torment or joy in the grave. The
unjust, the disbelievers and the

hypocrites will be tormented in their graves. Allah said,
what translated means,

“And if you but see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies
of death, while the

angels are stretching forth their hands (saying): “Deliver
your souls; this day

you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation
because of what you

used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you
used to reject his

Ayat (proofs, signs, evidences, etc.) with disrespect” [6:
93] and about

Pharaoh’s people, “The Fire; they are exposed to it,
morning and afternoon, and

on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be
said to the angels):

“Cause Pharaoh ‘s people to enter the severest Torment”
[40:46].







Zaid ibn Thabit (radiyallaahu anhu) narrated that the
Prophet (sallallaahu

alaihi wa-sallam) said to his companions what translated
means, “I would have

asked Allah to let you hear what I am hearing from the
punishment in the grave,

but for the fear that you would not bury each other after
that” Then the Prophet

(sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam) turned his face towards
them, saying, “Seek

refuge in Allah from the torment of the Fire.” They said,
“We seek refuge in

Allah from the torment of the Fire.” He said, “Seek refuge
in Allah from the

torment of the grave.” They said, “We seek refuge in Allah
from the torment of

the grave.” He said, “Seek refuge in Allah from all
calamities, apparent or

hidden.” They said, “We seek refuge in Allah from all
calamities, apparent or

hidden.” He said, “Seek refuge in Allah from the calamity
of Al-A‘war Ad-Dajjal

(the False Messiah).” They said, “We seek refuge lit Allah
from the calamity of

Al-A‘war Ad-Da.jjal.” [Saheeh Muslim]







As for joys of the grave, they are given to the believers.
Allah said, what

translated means, “Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is
Allah (alone),” and then

they stood fast on them (these words that they say), on
them the angels will

descend (at the time of their death) (saying): “Fear you
not, nor grieve! But

receive the glad tidings of Paradise
which you have been promised?” [41:30] and,

“Then why do you not (intervene) when (the soul of a dying
person) reaches the

throat? And you at the moment are looking on? But We (our
angels who take the

soul) are nearer to him than you, but you see not. Then
why do you not, if you

are exempt from the reckoning and recompense (punishment).
Bring back the soul

(to its body), if you are truthful? Then if he (the dying
person) be of those

near ones (close to Allah), (there is for him) rest and
provisions, and a Garden

of Delights (Paradise)." [56: 83-89].







Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Azib narrated that the Prophet (sallallaahu
alaihi wa-sallam)

said about the believer, that after he is asked by the
angels (about the lord,

the religion and the Messenger he followed) and after he
replies (saying that

his Lord is Allah, his religion is Islam and his Messenger
is Muhammad (sallallaahu

alaihi wa-sallam), “A caller from heaven will say: ‘My
slave has said the truth.

Therefore, furnish him (his grave) from Paradise, dress
him from Paradise and

open a door for him to Paradise.”
Then he said, “He will receive from its

tranquility and perfume. His grave will be enlarged for
him the distance that

his sight reaches.” [Musnad Ahmad & Aboo Dawood]







Benefits of Believing in the Last Day



1. The desire to do righteous, good deeds, seeking the
good results in the Last

Day.



2. The fear from committing and approving of evil deeds,
fearing the torment of

the Day of Reckoning.



3. The believer feels that this belief makes him forget
the hardships he faces

in this life. He is preoccupied with working righteousness
trying to reach the

joys and good rewards of the Last Day.







Some disbelievers reject the idea of life after death saying that this
is not

possible. This claim is false.
Religion, the senses and the mind are used to

refute this claim.