The Significance of the Day of Judgment in Hadiths
Numerous Hadiths highlight the gravity of the Day of Judgment. Here are some notable examples:
- Abdullah ibn ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – reported that the Prophet – peace be upon him – said: “One of them will stand in perspiration reaching up to his earlobes.”
- Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated: “The Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – addressed us, praising Allah and extolling Him as He deserves. Then he said: ‘Indeed, the most truthful of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of matters are those that are newly introduced, and every innovation is a misguidance.’ He raised his voice, his cheeks reddening, and he became intense with anger when mentioning the Hour. It was as if he were warning an army. He then said: ‘The Hour has approached; I was sent along with the Hour like this,’ indicating with his two fingers, the forefinger and the middle one. ‘The Hour has come upon you, so whoever leaves behind wealth, it belongs to his family, and whoever leaves behind debts or orphans, it is upon me, and the orphans refer to his needy children.’”
Hadiths on the Duration of the Day of Judgment
The prophetic traditions elucidate the duration of the Day of Judgment through the following hadiths:
- Abu Huraira – may Allah be pleased with him – reported that the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: “On the Day when people stand before the Lord of the worlds, it will be as long as half a day of fifty thousand years, and for the believer, this will seem as light as the sun descending until it sets.”
- Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As – may Allah be pleased with them – reported that the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: “How will it be for you when Allah gathers you as arrows are gathered in a quiver for fifty thousand years, then He does not look at you?”
Hadiths Regarding Reckoning on the Day of Judgment
Several hadiths discuss the reckoning on the Day of Judgment, including:
- Abu Huraira – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated that the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: “The rights will be restored to their owners on the Day of Judgment, even if it is to take retribution from the hornless sheep against the horned sheep.”
- Abu Huraira – may Allah be pleased with him – also mentioned that the Prophet – peace be upon him – asked: “Do you know who the bankrupt is?” They replied: “The bankrupt among us is one who has no dirham or property.” He said: “The bankrupt of my nation is he who will come on the Day of Judgment with his prayers, fasting, and zakat, but he has insulted this one, slandered that one, consumed the wealth of another, killed this one, and beaten that one. So he will sit and retribution will be taken from his good deeds for these wrongs. If his good deeds are exhausted before his wrongs are repaid, he will be burdened with the sins of those whom he wronged, and then he will be cast into the Fire.”
Hadiths About Weighing on the Day of Judgment
Numerous hadiths describe the weighing process on the Day of Judgment, including:
- Salman al-Farsi – may Allah be pleased with him – stated: “The scale will be set up on the Day of Judgment, and if the heavens and the earth were weighed therein, they would fit. The angels will then say: ‘O Lord, for whom will this be weighed?’ Allah – the Exalted – will reply: ‘For whomever I will among My creation.’ Then the angels will proclaim: ‘Glory be to You! We have not worshiped You as You deserve to be worshiped.’ The bridge will be set up as thin as a hair, and the angels will ask: ‘Who will cross over it?’ Allah will respond: ‘For whomever I will among My creation.’ The angels will say: ‘Glory be to You! We have not worshiped You as You deserve to be worshiped.’”
- Al-Hasan Al-Basri – may Allah have mercy on him – reported that Aisha – may Allah be pleased with her – mentioned Hell, and she wept. He asked: “What makes you cry, O Aisha?” She replied: “I remembered Hell. Do you recall your families on the Day of Judgment?” He said: “By Him in whose hand is my soul, there are three situations where one will not remember anyone but themselves: when the scales are placed, when the deeds are weighed, until mankind sees whether his scale is light or heavy, and at the records when one sees whether he is receiving his book in his right hand or his left hand, and at the bridge.”
Hadiths About the Harrowing Events of the Day of Judgment
Several hadiths describe the terrifying occurrences on the Day of Judgment, such as:
- Al-Miqdad ibn Al-Aswad – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated that the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: “When the Day of Judgment arrives, the sun will draw near to the people until it is a mile or two away. Salman ibn ‘Amer said: ‘I do not know which mile he referred to: the distance of the earth or the mile which is the measure of the eye?’ The sun will scorch them, and they will be sweating according to their deeds; for some, it will reach their heels, for others their knees, for some their waists, and for others, it will cover them completely. I saw the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – indicating with his hand to his mouth, signifying it would cover him completely.”
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud – may Allah be pleased with him – reported that the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: “Allah will gather the first and the last for an appointed time, standing for forty years with their eyes fixed, waiting for the judgment to be pronounced.”
Hadiths About the Condition of People on the Day of Judgment
Numerous hadiths describe the conditions of people on the Day of Judgment, including:
- Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As – may Allah be pleased with them – stated that the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: “On the Day of Judgment, it will be said: ‘Where are the poor and the needy of this nation?’ They will stand and be asked: ‘What did you do?’ They will respond: ‘Our Lord tested us, and we were patient, while You bestowed wealth and power upon others.’ Allah will say: ‘You have spoken the truth.’ They will enter Paradise before others, while the severe reckoning will be reserved for those with wealth and power. They then asked: ‘Where will the believers be on that day?’ He said: ‘They will be given thrones of light and shaded by clouds. That day will be shorter for the believers than a single hour of the day.’”
- Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As – may Allah be pleased with them – reported: “One day, the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said in our presence: ‘Blessed are the strangers.’ They asked: ‘Who are the strangers, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied: ‘Pious people among a multitude of evil people, where those who disobey them outnumber those who obey them.’ On another day, when the sun had risen, he remarked: ‘There will come a group of my nation on the Day of Judgment whose light will be like the brightness of the sun.’ We asked: ‘Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘The poor emigrants, those who endure hardships, one of whom dies with their needs unfulfilled and will be gathered from the corners of the earth.’”
Hadiths About Intercession on the Day of Judgment
Many hadiths address the topic of intercession on the Day of Judgment, such as:
- Abu Huraira – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated: “The Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: ‘Every Prophet has a supplication that is accepted, and each Prophet hastens to fulfill his supplication. I have reserved my supplication for intercession for my nation on the Day of Judgment, and it will be granted, God willing, to anyone from my nation who dies without associating anything with Allah.’”
- Abu Sa’id al-Khudri – may Allah be pleased with him – reported that the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – said: “I am the master of the children of Adam, and I do not boast. I will be the first to emerge from the earth on the Day of Judgment, and I do not boast; I am the first intercessor and the first accepted intercessor, and I do not boast; the banner of praise will be in my hand on that day, and I do not boast.”