The Divine Address: Revelation and the Meeting with Allah: Kitab al-Tawhid (The Book on Monotheism) by Abu Bakr b. Khuzaymah

How Revelation Came to the Prophet

At times, the Prophet (PBUH) heard a sound like the ringing of a bell when he received revelation.

Abū Bakr said: I have included some of the isnāds of this report in Kitāb Ṣifah Nuzūl al-Qurʾān (The Manner of the Revelation of the Qurʾān).

214. (1) Yūsuf b. ʿAbd al-Aʿlāʾ → ʿAbd Allah b. Wahb → Mālik → Hishām b. ʿUrwah → his father → ʿĀʾishah:

Al-Ḥārith b. Hishām asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), “How does revelation come to you?” The Prophet replied, “Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell. This form of revelation is very hard on me. The experience ends when I have grasped what the [angel] has said. At other times, an angel comes to me in human form, speaks to me, and I understand what he says.”

ʿĀʾishah said:

I have seen the Prophet (PBUH) receiving revelation from Gabriel. When the angel departed, the Prophet’s forehead would be streaming with sweat, even on extremely cold days.

Allah’s Direct Address on the Day of Judgment

Allah will speak directly to His servants on the Day of Judgment, without an intermediary. The reports state this in general terms, although their application must be understood in the light of the distinctions explained below.

215. (1) ʿAbd Allah b. Saʿīd al-Ashajj → Ibn Numayr:

… (2) ʿAlī b. Khashram → ʿĪsā b. Yūnus → al-Aʿmash:

… (3) Al-Zaʿfarānī, al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad → Abū Muʿāwiyah al-Ḍarīr and Wakīʿ b. al-Jarrāḥ → al-Aʿmash [the wording is that of the report of Wakīʿ]:

… (4) ʿAbd Allah b. Saʿīd al-Ashajj and Abū Hāshim Ziyād b. Ayyūb → Wakīʿ → al-Aʿmash:

… (5) Abū Hāshim → Abū Muʿāwiyah → al-Aʿmash → Khaythamah → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim:

… (6) Isḥāq b. Manṣūr → Abū Usāmah → al-Aʿmash → Khaythamah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim → the Prophet:

Every one of you will be addressed by your Lord. He will speak to you directly, without an interpreter between you and Him. Each of you will then look to his right and see nothing but the deeds he has sent ahead. He will look to his left and see nothing but the deeds he has sent ahead. Then he will look straight ahead and see nothing but the Fire before his face. Therefore, protect yourselves from the Fire, even by giving away a piece of a date.

This is the wording of the narration transmitted by ʿĪsā b. Yūnus. In al-Zaʿfarānī’s version, the Prophet says: “Whoever among you can protect himself from the Fire should do so, even by giving away a piece of a date.” Al-Ashajj, reporting through Wakīʿ, relates: “He looks to his right and sees nothing but the deeds he has sent ahead. He then looks to his left and sees nothing but the deeds he has sent ahead. Then he looks straight ahead ...” The reports convey essentially the same message. Some contain the wording “Every one of you will be addressed by his Lord”; others say, “His Lord will speak to him,” or “Allah will speak to him without an interpreter between them.” Abū Usāmah’s version reads: “There will be no doorkeeper or interpreter between them.”

216. (7) ʿAlī b. Salamah al-Labaqī → Zayd b. al-Ḥabāb → Ḥusayn b. Wāqid → ʿAbd Allah b. Barīdah → his father → the Prophet:

Your Lord will speak to every one of you, without a doorkeeper or interpreter between you and Him.

217. (8) ʿAbd Allah b. Saʿīd al-Ashajj → Wakīʿ → Sharīk → Hilāl b. Abī Ḥamīd (al-Wazzān) → ʿAbd Allah b. ʿUkaim al-Juhanī → ʿAbd Allah b. Masʿūd:

Every one of you will speak to his Lord, who will say, “O son of Adam, what deceived you concerning Me? What did you do with the knowledge you possessed? How did you respond to the prophets?”

218. (9) Zayd b. Akhzam al-Ṭāʾī → Wahb b. Jarīr → his father → al-Aʿmash → Khaythamah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim → the Prophet:

Ayman and ashʾam refer respectively to the right and left sides of a person, between the two cheeks.

Zayd told me that he had heard his teacher narrate this report twice. On one occasion, the teacher traced the ḥadīth back to the Prophet (PBUH); on the other, he did not. Zayd also told me that when his teacher was questioned about this, he replied, “I have no hesitation in attributing it directly to the Prophet (arfaʿahū).”

… (10) Abū Kurayb → Abū Usāmah → Jarīr b. Ḥāzim → al-Aʿmash → Khaythamah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim:

Ayman and ashʾam refer respectively to the right and left sides of a person, between the two cheeks.

Abū Bakr said: This is the actual source of the report.

What Allah Will Say to His Servants

The Prophet (PBUH) stated that Allah will speak to His servants without an interpreter between the All-Knowing, All-Powerful Lord and them. He will also address the unbelievers and the hypocrites, but His words to them will be words of censure.

219. (1) Al-Ḥusayn b. ʿĪsā al-Bisṭāmī → ʿUthmān b. ʿUmar → Isrāʾīl → Saʿd b. al-Ṭāʾī → Ibn Khalīfah → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim:

I was sitting with the Prophet (PBUH) when a man came to him complaining of his need. Another man then came and complained that he had been robbed. The Prophet asked me, “Have you visited al-Ḥīrah?” I replied that I had never been there, although he had told me about it.

The Prophet said, “If you live long enough, you will see the treasures of Kisrā opened to us.” I asked, “Kisrā b. Hurmuz?” He replied, “Yes, Kisrā b. Hurmuz. If you live long enough, you will see a man carrying a handful of gold or silver, looking for someone to whom he can give it, but finding no one willing to accept it.

“Every one of you will meet Allah on the Day of Judgment, with no interpreter between you and Him. Allah will ask, ‘Did I not send you a messenger to convey My message?’ The man will reply, ‘Yes.’ Allah will ask, ‘Did I not bless you with abundant wealth?’ He will reply, ‘Yes.’ Then he will look to his right and see nothing but Hell, and he will look to his left and see nothing but Hell.”

The Prophet then said, “Protect yourselves from the Fire, even by giving away a piece of a date. If you have nothing to give, then [protect yourselves] by speaking a good word.”

ʿAdī said, “I have seen camel litters travelling from al-Ḥīrah to [Makkah] to perform circumambulation of the Kaʿbah, in complete security, fearing no one but Allah. I was also among those who acquired the treasures of Kisrā. And if you live long enough, you will witness the fulfilment of what Abū al-Qāsim foretold: ‘A man will carry a handful of gold or silver and find no one willing to accept it.’”

(2) Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā reported to me that ʿUthmān b. ʿAmr transmitted a similar ḥadīth to him.

Evidence for Allah’s Address to Believers and Unbelievers

Allah will address unbelievers and hypocrites on the Day of Judgment, censuring them. The unbelievers will acknowledge that they rejected faith during their earthly lives. Their admission indicates that they did not expect to meet their Lord on the Day of Judgment. A person who rejects this meeting cannot be counted among the believers.

The hypocrite, by contrast, will claim that, during his earthly life, he believed in his Lord, His Prophet, and His Book, fasted, offered the prayers, and paid zakah. Allah will cause the hypocrite’s thighs, bones, and flesh to testify to his deeds in this world, thereby exposing the falsehood of his own claims.

220. (1) ʿAbd al-Jabbār b. al-ʿUlāʾ al-ʿAṭṭār → Sufyān and Rawḥ Ibn al-Qāsim → Suhayl b. Abī Ṣāliḥ → his father → Abū Hurayrah:

People asked the Prophet (PBUH) whether they would see their Lord on the Day of Judgment. He asked, “Do you find it difficult to see the full moon in a clear sky on the fourteenth night of the lunar month?” They replied, “No.” He asked, “Do you find it difficult to see the sun at noon in a clear sky?” They replied, “No.” He said, “By the One in whose hand is my life, you will have no difficulty seeing your Lord, just as you have no difficulty seeing the sun and the moon.”

He continued, “Allah will meet a person and ask, ‘Tell Me, did I not honour you? Did I not grant you authority? Did I not give you a spouse? Did I not place horses and camels at your disposal? Did I not allow you to prosper and multiply?’ The man will reply, ‘Yes, my Lord.’ Allah will ask, ‘Did you expect to meet Me?’ He will answer, ‘No, my Lord.’ Allah will then say, ‘Today I shall disregard you as you disregarded Me [during your earthly life].’

“Allah will then meet another person and ask, ‘Did I not honour you? Did I not grant you authority? Did I not give you a spouse? Did I not place horses and camels at your disposal? Did I not allow you to prosper and multiply?’ The man will answer, ‘Yes, my Lord.’ Allah will ask, ‘Did you expect to meet Me?’ He will reply, ‘No, my Lord. I did not.’ Allah will say, ‘Today I shall disregard you as you forgot Me [during your earthly life].’

“Allah will then meet a third person and ask him, ‘Who are you?’ The man will reply, ‘I am Your servant. I believed in You, Your Prophet, and Your Book. I fasted, offered prayers, paid zakah, and praised You as best I could.’ Allah will ask, ‘Shall We not bring forward a witness against you?’ The man will wonder who could testify against him. His mouth will be sealed [so that he can no longer speak], and his thighs will be ordered to speak. His thighs, flesh, and bones will testify to his deeds. This is the hypocrite. He will attempt to make excuses, but he is the one with whom Allah is displeased.”

Then a herald will call out, “Let every group follow what it used to worship.” The narrator then related the remainder of the report.

221. (2) ʿAbd Allah b. Muḥammad al-Zuhrī → Sufyān → Suhayl → his father → Abū Hurayrah:

Some people asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), “Will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” He replied, “Do you find it difficult to see the sun at noon on a clear day?” They said, “No.” He asked, “Do you find it difficult to see the moon in a clear sky on the fourteenth night of the lunar month?” They replied, “No.” He said, “By Allah, in whose hand is my life, you will have no more difficulty seeing Him than you have seeing these two.”

He continued, “Allah will meet one of His servants and ask, ‘Tell Me, did I not honour you? Did I not give you a spouse? Did I not place horses and camels at your disposal? Did I not allow you to lead tribes and receive one-fourth of their wealth?’ The man will reply, ‘Yes.’ Allah will say, ‘Today I shall forget you, just as you forgot Me.’

“Then He will meet another servant and ask, ‘Tell Me, did I not honour you? Did I not give you a spouse? Did I not place horses and camels at your disposal? Did I not allow you to lead tribes and receive one-fourth of their wealth?’ He will reply, ‘Yes.’ [Allah will then ask,] ‘Did you believe that you would meet Me?’

“Allah will then meet a third servant, who will say, ‘My Lord, I believed in You and Your Book, offered prayers, and gave charity.’ Allah will ask, ‘Shall I not bring a witness against you?’ The man will wonder who could testify against him.” The Prophet said that Allah will seal his mouth and command his thighs, “Speak.” His limbs, bones, and flesh will disclose his deeds in this world. This man is the hypocrite. He will try to excuse himself, but Allah will be displeased with him.

A herald will then call out, “Let every group follow what it used to worship.” The people will follow those they worshipped, including devils, the Cross, and their religious leaders. The believers will remain.

“Our Lord will come to us and ask, ‘Whom did those people follow?’ We will reply, ‘We are the believing servants of Allah. We believed in our Lord, associated no partner with Him, and worshipped Him alone.’ He will come to us and make us steadfast. We shall remain where we are until our Lord comes to us and says, ‘I am your Lord. Come.’”

We shall proceed until we reach the Bridge, over which flames of fire will be blazing and consuming [whatever reaches them]. At that point, intercession will be permitted. [We shall pray,] “O Allah, save us! O Allah, save us!”

When they have crossed the Bridge, the guardians of Paradise will address those who gave away pairs of animals from their possessions, saying, “O servant of Allah, O Muslim, this is the finest [reward].” Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq said, “O Messenger of Allah, such a person will not be delayed. He will leave one gate and enter another.” The Prophet patted him on the shoulder and said, “I hope you will be among them.”

(3) Muḥammad b. Maymūn al-Makkī narrated to us that Sufyān had transmitted this ḥadīth to him. Al-Makkī related the complete ḥadīth to me. I heard Maymūn say that Sufyān had been asked about the expressions taraʾsu and tarbuʿu occurring in Suhayl b. Abī Ṣāliḥ’s report. He explained that the tribal chiefs of that time would take one-fourth of the booty. This is what the word rubʿ refers to.

He said that when ʿAdī b. Ḥātim told the Prophet (PBUH) that he followed a particular religion, the Prophet replied, “I know your religion better than you do. You regard one-fourth of the tribe’s collective wealth as lawful for yourself, although it is not lawful for you.”

4. Muḥammad b. Manṣūr al-Jawāz → Sufyān → Suhayl b. Abī Ṣāliḥ → his father → Abū Hurayrah:

Rawḥ b. al-Qāsim and I memorized this ḥadīth, which he [Muḥammad b. Manṣūr al-Jawāz] repeated to us two or three times.

The people asked, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” The Prophet replied, “Is it difficult for you to see the sun at noon on a clear day?” They answered, “No.”

He then related the complete ḥadīth.

(5) ʿAbd Allah b. Muḥammad al-Zuhrī narrated the same wording of the ḥadīth on several occasions. He said: Mālik b. Saʿīr b. al-Jams, Abū Muḥammad → al-Aʿmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Hurayrah and Abū Saʿīd → the Prophet:

A person will be brought forward on the Day of Judgment, and it will be said to him, “Did I not give you ears and eyes, wealth and children? Did I not place livestock and fields at your disposal? Did I not make you a leader and allow you to take one-fourth of the tribe’s wealth? Did you believe that you would see Me on this day?” The Prophet said that the man will answer, “No.” Allah will then say to him, “Today I shall forget you, just as you forgot Me.”

However, ʿAbd Allah sometimes omitted the words “al-Jams and Abū Muḥammad.”

6. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā → Abū al-Yamān → Shuʿayb (Ibn Abī Ḥamzah) → al-Zuhrī → Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib and ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd al-Laythī → Abū Hurayrah:

The people asked, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?”

He then narrated the lengthy report, which included the following:

He will say, “I am your Lord.” They will respond, “We seek refuge in Allah from you. We shall remain here until our Lord comes to us. When our Lord comes to us, we shall recognize Him.” Allah will then come to them in a form they recognize. They will say, “You are our Lord.” Then they will call upon Him. The narrator related the complete lengthy report. I have included it in another chapter. The report was also transmitted by Maʿmar and Ibrāhīm b. Saʿd through ʿAṭāʾ b. Yazīd and Ibn al-Musayyib.

7. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā → Jaʿfar b. ʿAwn → Hishām b. Saʿd → Zayd b. Aslam → ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār → Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī:

We asked, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?”

He then related the complete ḥadīth, which includes the following:

He said, “Then Allah will appear before us in a form different from the one in which we had seen Him previously. He will say, ‘O people, every nation has met what it worshipped, and only you remain.’ No one will speak to Him on that day except the prophets.

“‘We parted from the others in the world when we needed their company more [than we do now]. Every group has met what it worshipped, but we are waiting for our Lord, whom we worshipped.’ He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will reply, ‘We seek refuge in Allah from you.’ He will ask, ‘Do you know a sign by which you can recognize Him?’ We will say, ‘Yes.’

“He will reveal His shin, and we shall all fall in prostration. Those who prostrated hypocritically during their earthly lives, merely to be seen by others, will find their backs rigid as wood. Whenever such a person attempts to prostrate, he will fall upon his knees.

“Then we shall raise our heads, and the Just Lord will be in the form in which we saw Him the first time. He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ We shall respond three times, ‘Yes, You are our Lord.’”

He went on to narrate the remainder of the ḥadīth. I have cited part of it because I consider it sufficient and conclusive evidence against the Jahmīs and their erroneous allegations concerning the followers of the tradition. They failed to understand the meaning of this ḥadīth.

8. Muḥammad b. Maʿmar Rubʿī al-Qaysī → Yaḥyā b. Ḥammād → Abū ʿAwānah → Sulaymān → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Every one of you will be addressed by your Lord, who will reveal His shin to you.

9. Muḥammad b. Bashshār (Bundār) → Abū ʿĀṣim → Saʿdān Ibn Bishr → Abū Mujāhid al-Ṭāʾī → Muḥil b. Khalīfah → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim:

While I was with the Prophet (PBUH), two men came to him with complaints. One complained of poverty, and the other of having been robbed. The Prophet said, “Robberies will become rare. You will see a caravan travelling from al-Ḥīrah to Makkah without a security escort.

“As for poverty, the Day of Judgment will not come until a man goes out intending to give something in the way of Allah and finds no one willing to accept it. [On the Day of Judgment,] everyone will stand before Allah, with no interpreter or barrier between them. Allah will ask, ‘Did I not give you wealth?’ He will reply, ‘Yes, indeed.’ The Lord will then ask, ‘Did I not send you a messenger?’ He will reply, ‘Yes, indeed.’

“He will look to his right and see nothing but the Fire, and then to his left and see nothing but the Fire. Therefore, protect yourselves from the Fire, even by giving away a piece of a date. If you have nothing to give, then protect yourselves by speaking a good word.”

10. Sammāk b. Ḥarab → ʿIbād b. Ḥubaysh → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim → the Prophet:

When one of you sees Allah, He will say to him what I am telling you now: “Did I not grant you hearing and sight? Did I not give you wealth and children? What [good deeds] did you send ahead?” The man will look ahead of him and behind him, to his right and to his left, but will find nothing. He will have nothing with which to shield his face from the Fire. Therefore, protect yourselves from the Fire, even by giving away a piece of a date. If you have nothing to give, then protect yourselves by speaking a good word.

11. Muḥammad b. Bashshār (Bundār) → Muḥammad → Shuʿbah → Sammāk:

I have mentioned this report in Kitāb al-Ṣadaqāt, a chapter in Kitāb al-Kabīr. Qays transmitted this ḥadīth to me through the following isnād:

Qays b. Al-Rabīʿ → Sammāk b. Ḥarab → ʿIbād b. Ḥubaysh → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim al-Ṭāʾī:

I went to the Prophet (PBUH), who was sitting in the mosque. He said, “O people, this is ʿAdī b. Ḥātim.” I was a Christian and had come to the Prophet without a guarantee of safety or any prior agreement. When I approached him, he took hold of my clothes. He had previously said [about me], “I hope Allah will place his hand in mine.”

A woman and her child then approached him and said, “We have a favour to ask of you.” He attended to them and met their need. He then took my hand and led me to his house. A cushion was brought, and he sat upon it while I sat beside him. He praised Allah and gave thanks to Him.

He asked me, “What prevents you from saying that Allah is the greatest? Do you know of anyone greater than Allah?” I replied, “No.” He then said, “The Jews have incurred Allah’s wrath, and the Christians have gone astray.” I said, “I am a committed (ḥanīf) Muslim.” I saw the Prophet’s face light up with delight. He then instructed me to stay with someone among the Anṣār. I began visiting the Prophet twice a day.

One evening, while I was with the Prophet, some people came to him wearing tiger-patterned woollen garments. He offered the prayer, then stood up and encouraged the people [to do good deeds]. He said, “You can protect yourselves from the Fire by giving away a ṣāʿ of dates, half a ṣāʿ, a handful, half a handful, or even a piece of a date.

“When one of you meets Allah, He will say what I am about to tell you. He will ask, ‘Did I not give you ears? Did I not give you eyes?’ The man will reply, ‘Yes.’ Allah will ask, ‘Did I not give you wealth and children?’ Again he will reply, ‘Yes.’ Allah will then ask, ‘Where are the good deeds you sent ahead?’

“The man will look in front of him and behind him, and to his right and left. He will find nothing with which to protect his face from the Fire. Therefore, each of you should protect himself from the Fire, even by giving away a piece of a date. If he has nothing to give, he should protect himself by speaking a good word.

“I am not worried about your poverty. Allah is your helper. He will provide for you so abundantly that caravans will travel between Yathrib and al-Ḥīrah without fear of robbery.” I thought to myself, “What will become of the thieves of Ṭayʾ?”

229. (12) Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā → ʿĀṣim b. ʿAlī → Qays b. Al-Rabīʿ:

Abū Bakr said: The reports of Abū Saʿīd and Abū Hurayrah explicitly establish that Allah will speak to believers and hypocrites on the Day of Judgment without an interpreter between Him and them. It is inconceivable that the Prophet (PBUH) would say that anyone other than Allah Almighty would address His servants on that day with the words “I am your Lord.” No one other than Allah can say “I am your Lord” on that day.

However, Allah will address the hypocrites differently. His speech to them will not have the same meaning as His speech to the believers. He will address the hypocrites with censure and rebuke.

By contrast, Allah will speak to the believers with glad tidings of the blessings He has prepared for them. He will address them in a manner befitting His friends and obedient servants.

13. Yūsuf → Jarīr → Manṣūr → Ibrāhīm b. ʿUbaydah → ʿAbd Allah b. Masʿūd → the Prophet:

I know who will be the last person to be released from Hell and admitted to Paradise. A man will emerge from Hell, moving on his knees. Allah will say to him, “Go and enter Paradise.”

He related the complete narration. I have recorded all its isnāds in another book. I shall discuss the difference between Allah’s address to His friends and His address to His enemies elsewhere in this book, if Allah so wills.

14. Abū Kurayb → Abū Usāmah → al-Aʿmash → Khuthaymah → ʿAdī b. Ḥātim → the Prophet:

Allah will speak to every one of you without a curtain or interpreter between you and Him.

Abū Kurayb then related the ḥadīth.