Believers will see Allāh on the Day of Judgment
Believers will see their Lord on the Last Day, the pious as well as the sinful among them, in spite of the Jahmī Muᶜaṭṭilahs who negate the attributes of our Lord.
1. Muhammad b. ᶜAbd al-ᶜUlā al-Ṣanᶜānī → al-Muᶜtamir → Ismāᶜīl → Qays → Jarīr:
2. Muhammad b. Bashshār (Bundār) → Yazīd b. Hārūn → Ismāᶜīl:
3. Aḥmad b. al-Miqdām al-ᶜIjlī → Muᶜtamar → Ismāᶜīl:
4. Yaᶜqūb b. Ibrāhīm al-Dawraqī → ᶜAbd Allāh b. Idrīs → Ibn Abī Khālid:
5. Yaᶜqūb b. Ibrāhīm and al-Ḥasan b. Muhammad al-Zaᶜfarānī → Wakīᶜ → Ismāᶜīl:
6. Al-Zaᶜfarānī → Yazīd b. Hārūn → Ismāᶜīl b. Abī Khālid:
7. Yaḥyā b. Ḥakīm → Yaḥyā b. Saᶜīd and Yazīd b. Hārūn → Ibn Abī Khālid:
8. Abū Hāshim, Ziyād b. Ayyūb → Marwān b. Muᶜāwiyah → Ismāᶜīl b. Abī Khālid:
9. ᶜAbd Allāh b. Saᶜīd al-Ashajj → Muhammad b. Fuḍayl → Ismāᶜīl b. Abī Khālid:
10. Yūsuf b. Mūsā → Jarīr, Wakīᶜ, Abū Usāmah, Yaᶜlā and Mihrān b. Abī ᶜAmr:
11. ᶜAbd Allāh b. Muhammad al-Zuhrī → Ibn Abī ᶜAdī → Shuᶜbah → Ismāᶜīl b. Abī Khālid → Qays b. Abī Ḥāzim → Jarīr b. ᶜAbd Allāh:
While we were sitting with the Prophet, he looked at the moon of the fourteenth night of the lunar month. He said, “You will see your Lord just like you see this moon. Seeing Him will not be difficult for you. Do not miss the Prayers before the rising of the sun (ṣalāt al-fajr, the Morning Prayer) and its setting (ṣalāt al-ᶜAṣr) if you can.” Then he recited: “And celebrate constantly the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting” (Q 21:130). This is the wording of the narrative of Yaḥyā b. Ḥakīm.
Bundār used the words “lā taḍāmmūn” (you will not find it difficult) in the narrative he reported from Yazīd b. Hārūn which reads as follows: “You will be presented before your Lord, and you will see Him just as you see this moon.” Zaᶜfarānī, in the ḥadīth he reports from Yazīd b. Hārūn, said that the Prophet said, “You will not find it difficult.” Then he recited the following verse: “and celebrate constantly the praises of your Lord” (Q 21:130). Yahyā b. Ḥakīm said in his ḥadīth, “You are going to see your Lord as you are seeing this [moon].” He also said that the Prophet recited the verse: “and celebrate constantly the praises of your Lord” (Q 21:130).
The ḥadīth of Shuᶜbah reads, “You will not find it difficult. Guard the two prayers.” The Prophet recited the verse: “and celebrate constantly the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting” (Q 21:130).
Marwān Ibn Muᶜāwiyah reported from Ismāᶜīl b. Abī Khālid who reported from Qays b. Abī Ḥāzim who reported from Jarīr b. ᶜAbd Allāh who said that [the Prophet said], “lā tuḍāmmūn”. He then said, “Then Jarīr recited the verse: “And celebrate constantly the praises of thy Lord”” (Q 21:130). Yūsuf said in his ḥadīth: “The night of badr is the fourteenth night of the lunar month.” He also clarified that the wording he used is that by Jarīr.
12. ᶜAbdah b. ᶜAbd Allāh al-Khuzāᶜī → Ḥusayn al-Juᶜfī → Zāᵓidah → Bayān b. Bishr → Qays b. Abī Ḥāzim → Jarīr b. ᶜAbd Allāh:
The Prophet came to us on the fourteenth night of the lunar month. He looked at the moon and said, “You will see your Lord on the Day of Judgment just like you see this [moon] and seeing Him will not be difficult for you.”
13. Yūsuf b. Mūsā → ᶜĀṣim b. Yūsuf al-Yarbūᶜī → Ibn Shihāb → Ismāᶜīl b. Abī Khālid → Qays → Jarīr → the Prophet:
You will see your Lord with your eyes.
14. Yaᶜqūb b. Ibrāhīm al-Dawraqī → ᶜAbd Allāh b. Idrīs → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Saᶜīd:
We asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” The Prophet replied, “Do you find seeing the sun at a clear noon difficult?” We said, “No.” He said, “Do you find seeing the moon on a clear night on the fourteenth of the lunar month difficult?” We said, “No.” He said, “You will not find seeing Him difficult just as you do not find it difficult to see these two.”
15. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Ibn Numayr → Yaḥyā b. ᶜĪsā → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Hurayrah:
16. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Sulaymān b. Ḥarab → Wahb b. Khālid → Musᶜab b. Muhammad → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Hurayrah:
The same ḥadīth.
Muhammad b. Yaḥyā told us that according to him, the narrative is soundly reported on the authority of Abū Hurayrah as well as that of Abū Saᶜīd.
Abū Bakr said: The above statement implies that Muhammad b. Yaḥyā committed a mistake. However, the truth of the matter is that the narrative has also been reported by Suhayl who reported it from his father who reported it on the authority of Abū Hurayrah.
17. ᶜAbd al-Jabbār b. al-ᶜUlāᵓ → Sufyān → Rawḥ b. al-Qāsim → Ibn Suhayl b. Abī Ṣāliḥ → his father → Abū Hurayrah:
People asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” He said, “Do you find it difficult to look at the full moon in the clear sky?” They said, “No, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Do you find it difficult to see the sun in the clear sky at noon?” He said, “By Allah, in whose hand is my life, you will not find it difficult to see Him just like you do not find it difficult to see these two.”
He then narrated the full ḥadīth. I have already mentioned his ḥadīth through ᶜAbd Allāh b. Muhammad al-Zuhrī, Muhammad b. Manṣūr al-Jawwāz and Muhammad b. Maymūn. Mālik b. Saᶜīr too has narrated this report of Suhayl through the following isnād: Mālik b. Ṣaᶜīr b. al-Khummas → al-Aᶜmash → Abū Ṣāliḥ → Abū Hurayrah and also Abū Saᶜīd. Both companions said that the Prophet said:
A man will be called, and it will be said to him, “Did not I give you ears and eyes as well as wealth and children?” They narrated the report to the point where the Almighty is reported to have said, “Today I forget just as you forgot Me.”
18. ᶜAbd Allāh b. Muhammad al-Zuhrī narrated the following narrative more than once through Mālik b. Saᶜīr b. al-Khummas.
Suhayl’s ḥadīth also contains this fact. Part of his report reads, “A person will be faced, and it will be said to him, “Tell me, did not I honor you?”” He narrated the ḥadīth to the last part which reads, “Today I forget you the way you forgot Me.”
The ḥadīth of Mālik b. Saᶜīr establishes what he has said. It, therefore, proves Muhammad b. Yaḥyā’s claim that the narrative is soundly reported on the authority of Abū Hurayrah and also from Abū Saᶜīd.
19. Talīq b. Muhammad al-Wāsiṭī too narrated to us a brief version of the narrative of Suhayl. He said: Abū Muᶜāwiyah → Suhayl b. Abī Ṣāliḥ → his father → Abū Hurayrah:
We said, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” He said, “Yes, why not. Do you not see the full moon on a clear night? By Allah, you will see Him as you see the full moon and His sight will not be difficult for you.”
Abū Bakr said: The narrative of Muᶜāwiyah does not contain any additions to it.
20. Baḥr b. Naṣr al-Khawlānī → Asad (b. Mūsā) → Muhammad b. Khāzim → Suhayl b. Abī Ṣāliḥ → his father → Abū Hurayrah:
They (the Companions) said, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” He replied, “Do you not see the full moon without difficulty in seeing it?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “By Allah, you will see Him just like you see the full moon on the fourteenth night of the lunar month while seeing Him will not be difficult for you.” “Lā Taḍārrūn” means you do not crowd around the place [to have a look at Him].
21. Baḥr b. Naṣr → Asad → Sharīk b. ᶜAbd Allāh → Hilāl al-Wazzān → ᶜAbd Allāh b. ᶜUkaim:
Ibn Masᶜūd started narrating the ḥadīth to us by beckoning to each of us with his right hand. He said, “By Allah, every one of you will meet Allāh individually just like any of you individually sees the moon on the fourteenth night (or he said, “laylatahū”, its night i.e. its brightest night). Allāh will say, “O son of Adam, what deceived you? O son of Adam, what deceived you. O son of Adam, how much did you practice of what you had knowledge? O son of Adam, how did you respond to the prophets?””
On that the Ummah of the Prophet will See Allah on the Last Day
The ummah of the Prophet Muhammad, including the pious as well as the sinful, believers as well as the hypocrites, will see Allah on the Last Day. Some of the People of the Book will also see Allāh on that day. However, some of them will see Him, but this will constitute a test and trial for them instead of an occasion of happiness and pleasure. They will not partake of the pleasures of seeing their Lord. This vision will take place before the placement of the Bridge across Hell. Allāh will specifically grant the believers a chance to see His face, which will give them joy, pleasure, and delight.
1. Abū Mūsā, Muhammad b. al-Muthannā → Ribᶜī b. ᶜUlayyah → ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān b. Isḥāq → Zayd b. Aslam → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yassār → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī:
We asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allāh, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” He said, “Do you crowd around the place in your efforts to look at the sun in the clear day?” We said, “No.” He said, “Do you need to throng and crowd around the place when seeing the full moon on a clear night?” We said, “No.” He said, “Similarly you will see your Lord on the Day of Judgment.” He said, “It will be announced that the worshippers should follow their object of worship. Those who would have been worshipping the sun will follow it. They will fall in Hell. The worshipers of the moon will follow it. They too will fall into Hell. The idol worshippers will follow the idols and fall in Hell and the stone worshippers will follow the stones. Every such person who used to worship anything other than Allah will follow the object of his worship and fall in Hell. At the end the believers and the hypocrites among them will remain as well as some of the People of the Book. It will be said to them, “Why do you not follow what you have been worshipping?” They would say, “We worshipped Allāh and we have not seen Him yet.”” The Prophet said, “At that time Allah will reveal His shin and all who would have been prostrating in their worldly life will fall in prostration before His Lord. All those who would have been prostrating before Allah in life to show off will lie down on their backs. Then the Bridge will be laid across Hell.” He narrated the full narrative.
2. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Jaᶜfar b. ᶜAwn → Hishām b. Saᶜd → Zayd b. Aslam → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yassār → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī:
We said, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” He said, “Do you face any problem in seeing the sun at a clear noon?” We said, “No. O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “You will not find it difficult to see Him just like you do not find any trouble in seeing these two. On that Day, a caller will announce, “Do not you join?””
Ibn Yaḥyā said perhaps he said, “Every group will join what they worshipped.” He related the full narrative which includes the following, “The [divine] shin will be revealed. All the people will fall in prostration. However, all those who [in their worldly life] prostrated for fame and show off will develop hardness in their backs. All such people will fall on their backs whenever they will try to prostrate.” He said, “Then the pious as well as the sinful among us will raise their heads. He will turn into us in the form in which we had seen Him earlier. He will then say, “I am your Lord.” They will say, “Yes. You are our Lord. You are our Lord. You are our Lord.” They will repeat it three times. Then the Bridge will be set across Hell.”
3. Aḥmad b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān b. Wahb → his uncle ¬→ al-Layth → Hishām (Ibn Saᶜīd) → Zayd b. Aslam → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yassār → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī:
We said, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” The Prophet said, “Is seeing the sun at a clear noon difficult for you?” Aḥmad then related the long ḥadīth in full.
4. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Abū al-Yamān → Shuᶜayb → al-Zuhrī → Saᶜīd b. al-Musayyab and ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yazīd al-Laythī → Abū Hurayrah:
People said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allāh, will we see our Lord on the Judgment Day?” The Prophet said, “Do you feel any difficulty in looking at the full moon on a clear night? You will see Him in the same way.” [He said], “Do you feel any difficulty in seeing the sun on a clear day?” They said, “Not at all.” He said, “You will see him the same way. People will be gathered on the Doomsday and it will be said to them, “Follow what each of you has been worshipping.” Some will follow the sun, the others the moon. Some will follow the devils. The people of this Ummah, including the hypocrites among them, will remain. Allāh will come to them in a disguise and say, “I am your Lord.” They will say, “We seek Allāh’s refuge from you. We will not leave this station until our Lord comes. When our Lord comes, we will recognize Him.” Allāh will come to them in the form recognizable to them. They will then say, “You are our Lord.” He will call them. Then the Bridge will be set on Hell. I will be the first Prophet who will lead his Ummah across the bridge. Nobody will speak on that Day save for the Prophets.”
The narrator related the whole ḥadīth.
5. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → ᶜAbd al-Razzāq → Sulaymān b. Dāwūd al-Hāshimī → Ibrāhīm b. Saᶜīd → Ibn Shihāb → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yazīd al-Laythī → Abū Hurayrah:
People said, “O Messenger of Allah…..” And al-Hashmī said in his version, “The people said, O Messenger of Allāh….”
They both narrated the same report except that they differed in some words. However, the meaning of the narratives of both is the same.
6. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Ibn Abī Maryam → ᶜAbd al-ᶜAzīz b. Muhammad al-Darāwardī → al-ᶜUlāᵓ b. ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān → his father → Abū Hurayrah → Prophet:
People will be gathered on the Doomsday in a ground. The Lord of the worlds will appear before them. The Lord will say, “Behold, all the people will follow what they have been worshipping.” The cross will take up a form for its worshippers. Those who have been worshipping the pictures will find the object of their worship assume a form. Fire will take a form for its worshippers. The people will follow what they have been worshipping. The Muslims will be the only party remaining. The Lord of the worlds will appear to them. He will say, “Why do you not follow these people?” They will say, “We seek Allāh’s refuge from you. Allāh is our Lord. We are not going to move from this station until we have seen our Lord.” He will command them and confirm them. Then He will conceal Himself from them and reappear again. He will again say to them: “Why do you not follow the people?” They will say: “We seek Allāh’s refuge from you. Allāh is our Lord. We are not going to move from this station until we have seen our Lord.” He will command them and confirm them.”
The Companions said, “Will we see him O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “Do you find it difficult to see the full moon on a clear night?” They said, “Not at all, O Messenger of Allāh.” He said, “You will not find it difficult to see Him on that day. Then He will hide Himself and reappear before them and introduce Himself to them. Then He will say: “I am your Lord. Follow Me.” The Muslim will stand up. The Bridge will be set, and they will pass over it like the riders of the fast horses and camels. They will utter, while passing the Bridge: “peace, peace.”
He related the remaining ḥadīth.
7. Muhammad b. Bashshār → Yaḥyā → Sufyān → Muslimah (Ibn Kahīl) → Abū al-Zaᶜrāᵓ:
The people mentioned Dajjāl (antichrist) before ᶜAbd Allāh. He said, “O people! You will divide into three groups at his arrival.” He related the lengthy ḥadīth in which he said, “Then Allāh will reveal Himself to His creation in a given form. He will meet the Jews and ask them, “What do you worship?” They will reply, “We worship Allāh and do not make partners with Him.” He will say, “Do you recognize your Lord?” They will say, “Pure is He. We will recognize Him when He will introduce Himself to us.” At that time, He will reveal His shin. No believing man or woman will fail to lie in prostration before Allah.”
He related the remaining portion of the ḥadīth. I have included it completely in Kitāb al-Fitan under the mention of Dajjāl (the antichrist).
Abū Bakr said: These reports prove that the verse, “Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled” (Q 83:15) specifically refers to the disbelievers who rejected the Day of Judgment openly as well as in their hearts and minds. It does not include the hypocrites who disbelieve in the Day of Judgment in their hearts while professing faith in it ostensibly. Consider the following verses: “Do they not think that they will be called to account? On a Mighty Day [….] Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled (Q 83:4-15).” “They will be veiled” refers to those who reject the Day of Judgment.
We see that the Prophet let us know that the hypocrites of this Ummah will see Allāh when He will manifest Himself to them in the form which they will recognize. The foregoing is the meaning of the report of Abū Hurayrah. Abū Saᶜīd said, “The shin will be revealed, and they will lie all in adoration.” His report also implies that the hypocrites will be made to see Him as a trial. They will try to prostrate before Him but will not be able to do so. The report of Abū Saᶜīd says, “All the worshippers of stones, idols and pictures will leave and will be thrown into the fire.”
Thus, we learn that Allāh will hide Himself from these people who will be thrown into the Fire. The remaining will be only those who worshipped Allāh alone. These include the pious, the sinful and the hypocrites and some of the People of the Book.
Abū Saᶜīd also mentioned in his report that those of the Jews and the Christians who worshipped other than Allāh will also be thrown into the Fire. Then Allāh will appear to us in a form different from that in which we would have seen Him earlier.
This report clarifies and proves that all the unbelievers and the People of the Book who worshipped other than Allāh will be thrown into the Fire.
Allāh will let this Ummah see Himself, the pious, the sinful and the hypocrites among them, after throwing those people into the fire. Thus, Allāh will remain hidden from all of them and none among them will see Him. Allah said: “Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled. Further, they will enter the Fire of Hell. Further, it will be said to them: This is the (reality) which you rejected as false!” (Q 83:15-7).
Thus, Allah let us know that it would be those who rejected the Judgment in their worldly life who will not be permitted to see Him. This I base on the divine saying: “This is the (reality) which you rejected as false!” (Q 83:17).
As far as the hypocrites are concerned, they reject the Last Judgment in their hearts and ostensibly profess faith in it. So, He will give them a sight to test and try them. He will, however, later on, hide Himself from them. This will cause them great regret and shame for they do not truly believe in Allāh from their hearts and conscience. They do not believe in His promises and warnings. They also reject what they are commanded and ignore what they are forbidden. They also reject the Day which is a day of regrets and shame for them.
A ḥadīth reported by Suhayl from his father from Abū Hurayrah says, “He will meet the servant and say to him, “Tell me. Did not I make you honored? [….] Today I forget you as you forgot me.””
The meeting described in this report does not include seeing Allah. For Allāh will not let the addressee of this statement of His see Him. These words are spoken by the Lord to the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment. He will be talking to him from behind a curtain. The unbeliever will not see his Creator at the time when his Lord will say these words to him. Allah will only speak to him to admonish him. It will cause him regret over his past conduct and the result of the same. It is not a dialogue with the Lord making him happy and bestowing pleasure and felicity.
Do you not hear him say that once the worshippers of the devil, the Jews and the Christians and their friends will follow their leaders into Hell, the Muslims will say, “Then O believers, we will still remain there. Our Lord will come to us and say, “Who are these people standing there?” We will say, “We are the believing servants of Allāh and we worshipped Him. He is our Lord. He will come to us. He will confirm us. We will not leave this spot.” He will say, “I am your Lord.” Then He will lay the Bridge.”
The words, “then our Lord will come to us” have been mentioned after the unbelievers, the Jews and the Christians have been sent into Hell. This report proves that his saying, “He will meet a servant” does not involve seeing Allah.
Allāh said: “Those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present, and those who heed not Our Signs” (Q 10:07). He said: “But We leave those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, in their trespasses, wandering in distraction to and fro)” (Q 10:11). He said: “Whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner” (Q 18:110). “Those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, Say: “Bring us a reading other than this, or change this” (Q 10:15).
The Prophet said, “Whoever met Allāh while not ascribing any partners with Him is sure to enter Paradise whereas the one who met Allāh while setting partners with Him will enter Hell.” It is absolutely certain that the Prophet does not mean to say whoever saw Allāh while he has ascribed partners to Him. Meeting in this saying refers to a meeting without seeing. There is no doubt that the meeting in the Divine saying: “Those who reject Our signs and the meeting in the Hereafter” (Q 7:147) does not imply seeing the Day of Judgment.
Abū Bakr said: I have explained the meaning of al-liqāᵓ (meeting) in Kitāb al-Īmān (Chapter on Beliefs) under the mention of branches of faith which suffices for detail and I do not intend to repeat it at this time.
The above passage is translated from Kitāb al-Tawḥīd by Imām Abū Bakr Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 AH). English translation by Dr Tariq Mahmood Hashmi.
Comments
Post a Comment