Belief in the Day of Judgement is one of the six pillars of Iman (Faith). It gives purpose to the existence to the entire creation of Allah. It shows to us that our creation, our life and our death, have a reason and a purpose behind them.
The scenes of the people seeking intercession, the accountability and questioning in front of Allah, the weighing of the scales and the crossing over the bridge each bring forth a boost to the Iman when reflected upon. A very heart-moving description is Imam al-Qurtubi’s Depiction of the Scene of Reckoning:
“When the people are resurrected from their graves to the place (of Judgement), they will stand therein for as long as Allah wills, barefoot and naked. Then the time of reckoning will come when Allah wills to bring them to account. He will command that the books in which the honourable scribes (angels) recorded the deeds of mankind be brought forth. Among them will be some who will be given their books in their right hands. These are the blessed (those who are to enter Paradise). Others will be given their books in their left hands or from behind their backs. They are the doomed (those who are to enter Hell). At that point each person will read his book.
Imagine yourself when the books fly forth and the Balance is set up, and you are called by name before all of creation: where is So and so the son of So and so? Come to have your record examined before Allah. Angels will be dispatched to fetch you, and they will bring you closer to Allah. There will be no problem posed by the similarity of names to your name and your father’s name. You will know that you are the one who is being called. Your heart will be filled with fear and your limbs will start to tremble. You will start to panic, your colour will change and your heart will sink. You will be taken through the ranks to your Lord, to be examined by Him and to stand before Him. The eyes of all creatures will be upon you, and you will be standing before them all. Your heart will sink and you will be filled with intense terror, because you will know what is going to happen.
Imagine yourself, standing before your Lord, holding in your hands the book that speaks of your deeds. It will not overlook any terrible deed that you did and concealed, or any secret that you kept. You will read the book’s contents nervously, with a broken heart, faced with terrors from in front and behind. How many forgotten terrible actions will you remember now! How many bad deeds which you had concealed will be made known now! How many deeds which you took for granted were sincere and acceptable will now be thrown back at you in that place and cancelled out, after you had pinned such great hopes on them! How much regret will fill your heart and how sorry you will feel for your negligence in obeying your Lord!
The one who is given his book in his right hand will know that he is one of the people of Paradise, and will say, “Here, read my Record!” when Allah gives him permission to read his book. If he was a leader of goodness who called others to good and enjoined it upon them, and persisted in doing it regularly, he will be called by his name and the name of his father. He will come forth and a white book will be brought out for him, in the middle of which are his sayi ‘aat and on the outside of which are his hasanaat. He will start by reading the record of his sayi ‘aat and he will be scared; his face will turn yellow and his colour will change. When he reaches the end of his book, it will say, ‘These are your sayi’ aat, and you are forgiven for them.’ He will be filled with great joy, then he will turn the book over and will read his hasanaat, and his joy will only increase further. At the end of the book, he will find the words, these are your hasanaat, which are multiplied for you. Then his face will turn white, and a crown will be brought and placed on his head. He will be dressed in two garments and every joint of his body will be adorned. He will grow to a height of sixty cubits, which was the height of Adam, and it will be said to him, ‘Go to your companions and tell them the glad tidings, tell them that each one among them will have the same.’ When he turns away, he will say,
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَاؤُمُ اقْرَءُوا كِتَابِيَهْ إِنِّي ظَنَنتُ أَنِّي مُلَاقٍ حِسَابِيَهْ
“Take, read my Record! Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!” [69:19-20]
Allah says,
فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ
“So he shall be in a life, well-pleasing.” [69: 21]
– i.e., a good life, which he will be pleased with
فِي جَنَّةٍ عَالِيَةٍ
“in a lofty Paradise” {69: 22]
– means, in the heavens.
قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌ
“The fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand” [69: 23]
– means, its fruits will be close to them. He will say to his companions, ‘Do you recognize me?’ They will say, ‘You have been overwhelmed with the honour of Allah, who are you?’ He will say, ‘I am So and so the son of So and so. Let everyone among you have the glad tidings of a similar reward.’
كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِي الْأَيَّامِ الْخَالِيَةِ
“Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!” [69: 24]
– means, what you stored up for yourself during the life of this world.
If a man was a leader of evil, who called others to evil and enjoined it upon them, and persisted in doing it regularly, he will be called by his name and the name of his father. He will come forth and a black book will be brought out for him, in the middle of which will be his hasanaat and on the outside of which are his sayi ‘aat. The reckoning will start with his hasanaat, which he will read and will think that he will be saved. When he reaches the end of his book, it will say, these are your hasanaat, and they are rejected. Then his face will turn black, and he will be overwhelmed with grief and despair. Then he will turn the book over and read his sayi’ aat. His grief will only increase further, and his face will turn even blacker. When he reaches the end of the book, he will find the words, these are your sayi ‘aat, which are multiplied for you – i.e., the punishment will be multiplied for him, it does not mean that things that he did not do will be added to his record. Then he will be taken to the Fire; his eyes will turn blue and his face will turn black, and he will be clothed in garments of pitch.
It will be said to him, ‘Go to your companions and tell them that each of them will have the same.’ So he will go off, saying,
وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَابِيَهْ وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ يَا لَيْتَهَا كَانَتِ الْقَاضِيَةَ
“l wish that I had not been given my Record! And that I had never known how my Account is! Would that it had been my end!” [69: 25-27]
– meaning, my death.
هَلَكَ عَنِّي سُلْطَانِيَهْ
“My power [and arguments to defend myself] have gone from me!” [69: 29]
Ibn ‘Abbaas (R) interpreted this as meaning, ‘I have no argument with which to defend myself.
Then Allah will say:
خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ ثُمَّ الْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ
“Seize him and fetter him; Then throw him in the blazing Fire” [69: 30-31]
– i.e., let him enter Hell.
ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ
“Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits” [69: 32]
Allah knows best the exact nature of these cubits. Al-Hasan and Ibn ‘Abbaas said, it is seventy of the angels’ cubits.
‘Then fasten him’ it is said, (this means) his neck will be fastened in it, then he will be dragged by it. If one link of this chain were to be placed on a mountain, it would melt.
He will call out to his companions, ‘Do you recognize me?’ They will say, ‘No, but we see the grief on your face. Who are you?’ He will say, ‘I am So and so the son of So and so, and each of you will have the same as I have.’ As for those who will be given their books from behind their backs, their left shoulders will be dislocated and their arms will be placed behind them, with which they will take their books. Mujaahid said: their faces will be moved to the backs of their heads, and they will read their books in that state.
Imagine yourself, if you are one of the blessed, going out before all of creation with a joyful face, having attained perfection and beauty, with your book in your right hand, seized under the arms by an angel who will call out before the people, ‘This is So and so the son of So and so, he has attained happiness and will never feel sorrow again.’ But if you are one of the doomed, your face will turn black and you will pass the people with your book in your left hand, or behind your back. You will utter cries of woe and an angel will seize you under the arms and call out before all the people: ‘So and so is doomed to a state of misery and will never feel happy again!'”