The Reality of the Day of Judgement

The Reality of the Day of Judgement

In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Beloved of Allah, our Master, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, and upon his family, his companions, and those who follow him.

Allah, the Exalted, has said in the Holy Qur'an, after I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan, in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful:

The Five Categories of Quranic Verses

The ayat of the Qur'an can be divided into five different categories. This is according to Shah Waliullah, rahimahullah, and he mentions this in his primer to Usul al-Tafsir, to the principles of Tafsir. He says that all the ayat of the Qur'an can be divided into one of five categories. Whatever ayah you can take, it will fall under one of these.

Either ahkam, aqa'id, tadhkir bi ala'illah, tadhkir bi ayyamillah, or tadhkir bil mawti wa ma ba'dahu.

The first category is ahkam — those ayat pertaining to the law and jurisprudence of Islam, which some scholars have mentioned are more or less about 500. Then you have those ayat which pertain specifically to aqa'id. And when we say aqa'id, we mean also those ayat which are a refutation, a radd against the different sects that are against tawheed.

He says these two categories each have a specific level of knowledge that you have to have in order to deal with them, to go in depth. For example, when it comes to ahkam, you have to be a faqih — it cannot just be me and you who can look at the ayah and try to extract and derive the law from them. When it comes to those ayat which pertain to aqa'id, you need the mutakallimun, the Islamic philosophers, so to say, who are masters in what they do.

But the other three categories — those are the categories which not only cover most of the Quran, but are such that any individual can look at them, understand them, and take ibra, draw a lesson from them. What are those three?

Those ayat which talk about the blessings of Allah, the favors of Allah that He has granted each and every human being — ala'illah, as it comes in the Quran:

Ayyamullah refers to those ayat which pertain to, we can say, historical ayat — those ayat which talk about the past nations. The anbiya alayhimus salatu was salam, the aqwam, the different nations which came, the different prophets that were sent, what happened to them, how was their response, how Allah treated them, and so on.

And the last category is al-tadhkir bil mawt — those ayat which talk about death, and what relates to it.

Surah Hud and Its Weight Upon the Prophet

The ayah which I recited is in the twelfth juz', in Surah Hud. Surah Hud is considered to be one of the surahs closer to the final period of the Makkan revelation. It is one of those surahs revealed towards the last stages of the Makkan period — it is kind of like a last way of telling the mushrikun: wake up.

About this surah, it is mentioned in the books of hadith that once Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu saw the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and said, "Qad shaybta" — we see signs of old age on you, O Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. So Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam in response said:

Surah Hud and similar surahs like it have caused me to grow old — have caused these white hairs to spring about. Why? Because there are a couple of main things discussed in this surah.

Initially the surah starts off talking about the various responsibilities that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had. For example, he is basheer and nadheer — he gives glad tidings and he warns those who don't believe. Likewise, those who object to the Quran — it brings some ayat in regard to that. Well, if you object to the Quran, try bringing something like it. One of the ayahs which come in this surah says: if they object, then tell them to bring ten surahs like this Quran. But they can't.

If they cannot respond to your challenge, they cannot respond to the demand that you put in front of them, then recognize it is from Allah and from no one else.

Then it gives examples of the different nations which came. The different nations which came, and the different prophets that came to these nations:

We sent Nuh to his people — he invited them, what happened to them?

We sent Hud alayhis salam to Qawm 'Aad — how did they respond, what happened?

To Thamud we sent Salih — he invited them, what was their response, what happened? To Qawm Lut we sent their brother Lut — what did he say to them, what was their response, what happened to them?

To Madyan we sent Shu'ayb — what did he say to them, what was their response, how did Allah treat them? Then Musa and Harun and Fir'awn. And finally Allah says:

Those who believe will attain bliss, and those who disbelieve will have nothing but wretchedness — their end abode is the Hellfire. And He says to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam:

The only reason why We narrated these stories to you is so that your heart is firm — it is to consolidate you, it is to console you. We cannot imagine the kind of difficulty that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam went through, the kind of pain. Often, when you look at the ayat, you find very often Allah tells the Prophet:

Allah is consoling the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam — O Prophet, don't be grieved by them. You are not a wakil over them, you are not a hafiz. You are not responsible. Your job is to do tabligh, your job is to tell them. That's it. If they believe, it is for them. If they don't believe, then it is upon them — فَعَلَيْهِمْ — that's it.

But what is ajeeb, what is strange, is that this type of ayah comes very often in the Quran. And it led me to believe — wallahu a'lam, you can possibly find it in the books of tafsir — that it goes to show the kind of spirit that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had. The kind of spirit that he was worried, he was truly worried. And it is a manifestation of him being Rahmatan lil 'Alamin. And to console him, to let him know that your responsibility is just this, nothing beyond, Allah constantly mentions these ayat.

Anyways, it was because of these ayat and the severe warning that comes in them that caused the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam to have white hairs appear on his blessed beard. And it also goes to show the kind of concern the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had for the sake of his ummah.

The Inevitability of Death

Now, the purpose of mentioning all this — what I wanted to highlight and talk about specifically — is Yawm al-Qiyamah, the akhirah, and death.

When it comes to death, there is no individual — regardless of who he is or who she is, it doesn't matter which ideology, which background, which country, which culture they come from — every individual understands and recognizes the reality of death. That is something inevitable. It doesn't matter if you are a Jew, a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu, or a Muslim. Every individual sees death and recognizes that one day it will also come to me.

Yes, the only thing that a person doesn't know is when it is going to come. It may come today, it may come tomorrow, it may come sometime in the future. That is all that is unknown. But that much is inevitable, that much is for sure — it is going to come.

The Belief of the Mushrikun Regarding Resurrection

What is going to happen after death, though, is very important. There are those — and this was one of the beliefs of the mushrikun — who said that after we die, we will not be resurrected. How can we be resurrected? This was their ideology, their concept and belief: how can a person who dies, whose body and bones become dust, come back?

And Allah on many occasions in the Quran then mentions: do you not think that the One who created you in the first instance — do you think He is not able to bring you back a second time? In fact, it is easier for Allah, so to speak. This is to allow a person to understand. Otherwise, bringing creation from the first moment or the second moment or the last moment is always easy on Allah — there is nothing that is difficult.

Even some mufassirun mention that in the Quran, Allah says kun fa yakun — "Be, and it is." Allah doesn't even have to say "kun" — it already becomes. It is just to show insan, to make insan somewhat understand the power of Allah, the qudra of Allah. Otherwise, do you think Allah needs to say "kun" in order for something to happen? No. His qudra is complete, kamil.

So this is what the belief of the mushrikun was — that how is it possible that a person who dies, who becomes dust, can be revived? And so this is one thing that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, through the Quran, advocated on many occasions: that no, once you do die, you will be resurrected.

Why Belief in Yawm al-Qiyamah Is Essential

This belief is absolutely important. Of Yawm al-Qiyamah. What does the belief in Yawm al-Qiyamah entail? We hear — okay, Yawm al-Qiyamah and the terrors of Yawm al-Qiyamah. What will happen on Yawm al-Qiyamah? This will happen and this will happen. People will be raised, people will be brought. In one place in the Quran, Allah says you will be brought individually. In another place for judgment, Allah says after the judgment, the people of Jahannam will be put together and shoved into Jahannam. Those who believe, they will be gathered together and taken into Jannah.

But what does the belief — the idea of Yawm al-Qiyamah — entail? Why is it so necessary? Two things.

Number one: It sets focus for the individual. Whatever action that you do, good or bad, the result of it you will see on Yawm al-Qiyamah. That is why it is so important.

Imam al-Ghazali's Reflection on Sincerity

Imam al-Ghazali, rahmatullahi alayhi, in his magnum opus Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din — he was a teacher and a very great theologian, a master in Islamic theology and philosophy — at one point in time said: I sat and I thought. I said to myself, whatever I am doing, why am I doing it? Am I doing it with sincerity for the sake of Allah? Or am I doing it for other reasons? He said, when I sat and actually thought about it, I realized I was doing it for the sake of fame and name. So he said, I left it all. And for eleven years he spent in seclusion — eleven years in doing the dhikr of Allah, in pondering over these realities. And finally after that eleven-year period when he came back, he wrote this magnum opus, Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din.

So in it, one of the things he says is: often times you find that everybody knows — you know what's good, you know what's bad. Tell me, is there anybody here that does good consistently? Every individual has a moral compass that guides him generally. The more knowledge you have, yes, the more you are able to protect yourself. But generally every individual has some sort of moral compass that tells them what is right and what is wrong.

So what is it that stops a person from doing right? And what is it that allows a person to do bad? He said there are two things. Number one is taqwa — a person lacks taqwa, that is why he does it. Number two is because his belief in Yawm al-Qiyamah is not firm.

The Role of Taqwa

Why these two things? He says: when a person has taqwa, what is the concept of taqwa? Taqwa means that a person is conscious of Allah at every given moment — wherever he may be, whether he is with his family, in the masjid, somewhere else, at work, or alone. He at every single moment knows and recognizes that Allah is watching him. Do you think a person will ever do anything wrong when he knows Allah is watching him? — خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ. Every step he takes, he is going to make sure: am I taking the right step or not?

But sometimes, some people have a little bit of audacity — jara'a. So they still do something. For example, kids — if they truly have fear of their parents, they are never going to do anything wrong as long as their parent is in front of them. But those kids who have lost respect for their parents, or who know their parents are there but still don't care — why? Because the feeling of authority is no longer there.

The Role of Firm Belief in Yawm al-Qiyamah

Then the idea, the concept of Yawm al-Qiyamah, becomes necessary. Why? Because that means that every action that you do, you will see the result of it. If you do good, you will see the result of it. Fine, Allah is watching — somebody can have this mentality. But this person, when he knows:

If I do good, khairan yarahu — I will see the result of it. If I do evil, sharran yarahu — I will see the result. When these two ideologies are within — the belief in these two concepts — put inside the heart of an individual with conviction, every step that he takes, he will be sure of what he does: Allah is watching me, and if I do wrong I will be punished, I will be taken into account.

Mashaikh mention: this is in fact what separates a believer from a non-believer. A non-Muslim may believe in akhirah — for example, Jews and Christians believe in akhirah — but issues arise where they lack something in tawheed, their tawheed is not correct. Or if it is anyone else who doesn't believe in akhirah at all, this is the differentiating factor between them and the Muslim.

When a Muslim does something good, he does it with the intention that he will be rewarded in the akhirah. That is a true Muslim. A non-Muslim may be doing good, but he doesn't do it for that. His action is limited to the dunya. That is why Allah mentioned in the ayah which I recited — those who do whatever they do for the sake of the dunya and its decor — well then We will give their reward right here. No need to save the reward for the Hereafter. They are doing it for the dunya.

That is why some mashaikh also mention: if your intention in a good deed, in an amal salih, is not for the sake of Allah, don't expect a reward for it. For example, you are praying salah, and in your salah you are saying, he is watching me, that is why let me put more khushu' in my salah — but you are not doing it for the sake of Allah anymore, you are doing it for somebody else. Expect a reward from him, not from Allah. You are giving sadaqah — I am giving $10,000 — why? Because people will say, oh mashaAllah, he donated to the masjid. You are doing it for the sake of the dunya. Then expect a reward in the dunya, don't expect it in the Hereafter.

The mu'min khalis, whose iman is true, never does anything for the sake of the dunya. Because he knows that the life of the dunya is fani — what's with you is going to perish. But what's with Allah will always remain:

You have given preference to the life of this world, whereas whatever is with Allah is what is going to remain. Whatever is in the Hereafter will remain. And for sure, whatever you do, you will see in the Hereafter.

Working Towards the Akhirah

Whatever you strive for — this is also a principle in the dunya, you will see this principle in life — whatever you strive for, you will see the result. A person works for years and years, he studies medicine — does he not become a doctor? If he works really hard, he passes exams, he sees the results of it, he sees the fruits of it in this life. Whatever you work towards — that principle, just as it is true for this world, likewise it is true for the Hereafter. If you change your perspective for the akhirah and you are working for the akhirah, you will see its result.

And let me tell you, my dear respected brothers and sisters — just like you see these walls around you, just like you see the individuals around you, you see how real they are — let me tell you, everything that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and the Quran have mentioned about the akhirah is just like that: true and real.

That is why on Yawm al-Qiyamah, these kuffar will be astonished. They will be so shocked. They will see the very thing that they denied in this life — it is now in front of their eyes. And at that point Allah will say: those shufaa', those idols or whoever you used to worship — see if they can help you now. They can't. Is there anyone that can help you on Yawm al-Qiyamah? But you have nothing on Yawm al-Qiyamah.

As mentioned in one hadith — that the people will be raised naked, barefoot, and uncircumcised, they have nothing:

And that is real. We have to believe in it, we know it. That is the difference. And so now when we work towards it, recognize it — whenever we do any action, do it for that sake. Don't do it for any other reason.

Keeping Yawm al-Qiyamah at the Forefront of Our Minds

I will finish with this. Often times we are told — people who sit here — why do we always talk about the same topics? Why not talk about something social, political, something that has some spice in it? The thing is, those are fine — I do agree that sometimes you have to bring social topics, sometimes you have to bring political topics, those things that we Muslims have to deal with on a regular basis that have to be discussed. There are specific forums, there are specific platforms for that. But for the general Muslims — for all of us, in fact — every Muslim has to keep this in mind.

If you can keep this in the back of your mind — that tomorrow, I will be standing in front of Allah, and I will have to present whatever I have — can you imagine the kind of life that every individual will be living? No matter where he is, whether he is in America, India, Pakistan or Bangladesh — it doesn't matter. When he has this in the back of his mind, that tomorrow I will stand in front of Allah, he will change himself. It will motivate him to find out: okay, what does Allah want from me? How do I have to pray salah? How do I do this, how do I do that? Let me attach myself to the masjid.

This is not contrary to having a livelihood. Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu, Umar radiallahu anhu — they also had businesses, they had whatever. But what was the difference between them and us? They always, always kept the akhirah in the back of their mind. If they had to judge something that presented itself, they would judge: okay, in terms of the akhirah, is this good, is this profitable for me or not? If it is not, I am going to leave it. If it is, Bismillah.

That is why it is so important. And as Imam al-Ghazali mentioned: if the people may have the knowledge of good and bad — and as I mentioned, every individual has some sort of moral compass — what will motivate you is when you actually have firm conviction in Yawm al-Qiyamah.

With that I end. May Allah give us the tawfiq to bring in the reality of Yawm al-Qiyamah into our hearts. Allah knows, that day is very frightening. That day — a person should truly be afraid of what will happen on that day. So may Allah give us the reality of that.