Belief in the Last Day
Question:
Did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) know when the Hour would begin?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Knowledge of the hour is a matter of the unseen
which belongs to Allaah and which He has kept to Himself.
He has not told any of His creation of that, including
the Prophets, Messengers and the angels who are close
to Him. Even the best of the Messengers, our
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), did not know when the hour will begin.
The texts of the Qur'aan and Sunnah clearly indicate
that the knowledge of the Hour is something unseen
which no created being knows.
The evidence from the Qur'aan includes the following:
1 _ Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"They ask you about the Hour (Day of
Resurrection): `When will be its appointed time?' Say: `The
knowledge thereof is with my Lord (Alone). None can reveal its
time but He. Heavy is its burden through the heavens and
the earth. It shall not come upon you except all of a
sudden.' They ask you as if you have a good knowledge of it.
Say: `The knowledge thereof is with Allaah (Alone), but
most of mankind know not.'"[al-`Araaf
7:187]
2 _ Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"People ask you concerning the Hour, say:
`The knowledge of it is with Allaah only. What do you
know? It may be that the Hour is near!'"
[al-Ahzaab 33:63]
The people used to ask the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the time that
the hour would begin, so Allaah commanded him to refer
the matter to Him: "The knowledge of it is with Allaah
only".
Ibn Katheer (3/527) said:
Allaah tells His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) that he has no knowledge of the Hour
and that when the people ask him about that, he should
refer the matter to Allaah.
Al-Shanqeeti said (6/604):
It is known that the word innama (translated here
as "only") has the effect of limiting or restricting
the meaning, so what the verse means is: No one knows
when the Hour will come except Allaah alone.
3 _ Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"They ask you (O Muhammad) about the Hour —
when will be its appointed time?
You have no knowledge to say anything about it.
To your Lord belongs (the knowledge of) the term thereof?
You (O Muhammad) are only a warner for those who
fear it"
[al-Naaz'iaat 79:42-45]
al-Sa'di said:
Because knowing the time of the Hour serves no
spiritual or worldly purpose for people, rather their interests lie
in it being concealed from them, the knowledge of that
has been kept from all of creation and Allaah has kept it
to Himself. "To your Lord belongs (the knowledge of)
the term thereof."
4 _ Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of
the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which
is in the wombs"
[Luqmaan 31:34]
It was narrated from `Abd-Allaah ibn `Umar (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The keys
of the unknown are five: Allaah has knowledge of the
Hour, and He sends down rain, and He knows what is in
the wombs, and no person knows what he will earn
tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die.
Verily, Allaah is AllKnower, AllAware (of things)." Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, 4627.
And it was narrated that Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: These five things are known
to no one except Allaah; no angel who is close to
Allaah and no Messenger who was sent has any knowledge
of them. Whoever claims that he has any knowledge of
them has disbelieved in the Qur'aan, because he has
gone against it. Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 14/82. Ibn Katheer
said (3/462):
These are the keys of the unseen, knowledge of
which Allaah has kept to Himself. So no one knows them
until after Allaah has informed him of them. And no angel
who is close to Allaah and no Messenger who was sent
has any knowledge of the Hour."
The ahaadeeth which indicate that no one knows
when the Hour will begin except Allaah include the following:
1 _ The famous hadeeth of Jibreel, in which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
to Jibreel, when he asked him when the Hour would
begin: "The one who is asked about it does not know more
than the one who is asking." Narrated by Muslim, 8.
2 _ It was narrated that Jaabir ibn `Abd-Allaah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say,
one month before he died: "You ask me about the Hour,
but the knowledge thereof is only with Allaah. I swear
by Allaah that there is no soul on earth that will live for
more than one hundred years."
Narrated by Muslim, 2538.
What this hadeeth means is: every soul that was on
the face of the earth when the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said these words would not
live for more than one hundred years. The hadeeth does
not means that the Resurrection would happen within
one hundred years.
And Muslim narrated (2537) that Ibn `Umar said:
What he meant was that that generation would come to an end.
This hadeeth shows that there is no possibility that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
could have come to know it after Jibreel asked about it,
because that was one month before he died.
Whoever claims after this that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) knew when the
Hour would begin is ignorant, because the verses of the
Qur'aan and the ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) quoted above clearly refute that.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Manaar
al-Muneef:
One of those in our own time who claim to have knowledge clearly told lies when he said that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) knew when the Hour would begin. It was
said to him that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said in the hadeeth of Jibreel: "The one who
is asked about it does not know more than the one who
is asking," but he misinterpreted that and said that it
means, you and I know it. This is one of the worst kinds
of ignorance and distortion. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) could not have said
to one whom he thought was a Bedouin, you and I
know when the Hour will be. But this ignorant man may
say that he knew that this was Jibreel, and the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, he never came
to me in any form but I recognized him, except in this
case." Narrated by Ahmad, 374. Ahmad Shaakir said: Its
isnaad is saheeh. Rather the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) realized that this was Jibreel after
a while, as Umar said: A short while passed, then
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "O `Umar, do you know who that questioner
was?" Narrated by Muslim, 8. This liar says that he knew at
the time of questioning that this was Jibreel but he did
not tell his companions about that until a while
afterwards. Moreover the words "The one who is asked about it
does not know more than the one who is asking" are
general and include both the one who asked and the one who
was asked, regardless of who they may be, so every one
who asks and everyone who is asked about the Hour are
all the same.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
I heard that some scholars said that the Day of Resurrection would happen before the year 1500 AH,
and they quoted some ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as evidence. Is this
view correct?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The view referred to in the question was suggested by
al-Suyooti (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book
al-Haawi, 2/249-256, in which he said that this world
would last for seven thousand years and that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent at the
end of the sixth millennium.
The end of the sixth millennium means half way
through it. Based on that the lifespan of this ummah is more
than one thousand years and less than 1500 years.
He said: "The period cannot be fifteen hundred years
at all."
I.e., the period must be less than fifteen hundred years.
Then he mentioned the ahaadeeth and reports which
he quoted as evidence to support that, some of which
are Israa'eeliyyaat (reports from Jewish sources)
which cannot be taken as evidence, and some of the rest
are da'eef (weak), and the scholars ruled that they are
lies and fabrications (mawdoo').
The evidence that this view is false includes the following:
1 _ If this view were correct, then everyone would
know when the Hour is to begin. This goes against what
is mentioned in the verses of the Qur'aan and the
ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) which definitely state that the time of the Hour
is known to no one except Allaah. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"People ask you concerning the Hour, say:
`The knowledge of it is with Allaah only. What do you
know? It may be that the Hour is near!'"
[al-Ahzaab 33:63]
Ibn Katheer said (6/527):
Here Allaah tells His Messenger (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) that he has no knowledge of
the Hour and that if people ask him about that, he
should refer the matter to Allaah (i.e., say that only Allaah
knows that).
Al-Shanqeeti said (6/604):
It is known that innama (translated here as "only")
conveys the meaning of exclusivity, so what the verse means
is that the Hour is known only to Allaah alone.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"They ask you (O Muhammad) about the Hour —
when will be its appointed time?
You have no knowledge to say anything about it.
To your Lord belongs (the knowledge of) the term thereof?
You (O Muhammad) are only a warner for those who
fear it" [al-Naazi'aat 79:42-45]
Ibn Katheer (4/736) said:
i.e., knowledge of that is not given to you or to
anyone else in creation, rather the matter is to be referred to
Allaah, for He is the One Who knows exactly when it will happen.
Al-Sa'di said: Because knowledge of the Hour serves
no religious or worldly purpose of people, rather
their interests lie in its being hidden from them, the
knowledge of that has been concealed from all of creation and
Allaah has kept that knowledge to Himself. He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"To your Lord belongs (the knowledge of) the
term thereof?"
[al-Naaz'iaat 79:44]
The ahaadeeth which indicate that the time of the Hour
is known only to Allaah include the famous hadeeth
of Jibreel in which it says that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Jibreel, when
he asked him about the Hour: "The one who is asked
about it does not know more than the one who is
asking." Narrated by Muslim, 8.
2 _ These reports which al-Suyooti (may Allaah
have mercy on him) quoted as evidence were classed as
da'eef (weak) by the scholars, and indeed they ruled that
they were lies.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Manaar
al-Muneef (1/80), where he mentions the ways in which a hadeeth may be
known to be mawdoo':
"(one of these ways is): if the hadeeth goes against
the clear meaning of the Qur'aan, such as the hadeeth
which says that this world will last for seven thousand years
and that we are now in the seventh millenium. This is one
of the most obvious of lies. Because if it were correct
then everyone would know that there was only two
hundred and fifty-one years left until the Resurrection from
our time [i.e., the time of Ibn al-Qayyim]. But Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"They ask you about the Hour (Day of
Resurrection): "When will be its appointed time?" Say: "The
knowledge thereof is with my Lord (Alone). None can reveal its
time but He. Heavy is its burden through the heavens and
the earth. It shall not come upon you except all of a
sudden." They ask you as if you have a good knowledge of it.
Say: "The knowledge thereof is with Allaah (Alone)…"
[al-A'raaf 7:187]
Ibn Katheer said in al-Nihaayah fi'l-Fitan
wa'l-Malaahim (1/25):
There is no (sound) ahaadeeth in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) defined when
the Hour would be, rather he mentioned some of its
portents and signs.
He also said (2/28):
With regard to the statements in the books of
the Israa'eeliyyeen and the People of the Book which
suggest that this world will last for a certain number of
millennia, more than one of the scholars have stated that these
are mistaken, and it comes as no surprise that they
were mistaken. There is a hadeeth which says, "This world
is one of the weeks of the Hereafter" but its isnaad is
not saheeh either. The same applies to every hadeeth
which states a specific time for the Day of Resurrection _
none of their isnaads can be proven.
Al-Sakhaawi said in al-Maqaasid
al-Hasanah (p. 444):
Everything that has been narrated describing a
specific time for the Day of Resurrection either has no basis at
all or its isnaad cannot be proven.
3 _ What al-Suyooti himself said indicates that this
view is false.
He mentions that the Mahdi will appear after
twelve hundred years, but fourteen hundred years have
passed and the Mahdi has not appeared yet.
He says that people will remain for one hundred
and twenty years after the sun rises from the west, then
the Hour will begin. This means that the sun should
have been rising from the west for more than twenty years!
He says that the Dajjaal will appear after one
hundred years, and the Messiah `Eesa ibn Maryam will come
down and kill him, and he will remain after that for forty
years, but here we are in the last century _ according to what
he says, and the Dajjaal has not appeared and the
Messiah `Eesa ibn Maryam has not yet come down.
He says that several of the major signs such as the
Dajjaal, the descent of `Eesa and the rising of the sun from
the west will happen more than two hundred years before
the Hour begins.
All of these things indicate that this view is false,
and that knowledge of the Hour should be referred to
Allaah, and Allaah commands us (interpretation of the meaning):
"People ask you concerning the Hour, say:
`The knowledge of it is with Allaah only. What do you
know? It may be that the Hour is near!'"
[al-Ahzaab 33:63]
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
Is the torment of the grave one of the matters of the
unseen or of the seen world? What is the reason why it is
made one of the matters of the unseen?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The torment of the grave is one of the matters of
the unseen. How many people in these graves are
being tormented but we do not realize it, and how many of
their neighbours are being blessed with a door opened for
them to Paradise, but we do not realize it? What is beneath
the graves is known only to the Knower of the Unseen.
The torment of the grave is one of the matters of the
unseen, and were it not for the revelation that came to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), we
would not know anything about it. Hence when the
Jewish woman entered upon `Aa'ishah and told her that the
dead are tormented in the grave, she was alarmed, until
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
came and she told him, and he confirmed that. But Allaah
may cause whomsoever He wills of His slaves to see that,
as He caused His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) to see the two men who were being
punished, one for going about spreading malicious gossip, and
the other for not taking precautions to protect himself
from urine.
The reasons why this is one of the matters of the
unseen are as follows:
1 _ Allaah is the Most Merciful of those who show
mercy, for if we were to see the torment of the grave this
would make our lives a misery, because if a person were to
know that his father or brother or son or spouse or relative
is being punished in the grave and he is not able to
save him, then he would be distressed and unable to relax.
So this is a blessing from Allaah.
2 _ It would be a scandal for the deceased. If Allaah
had concealed him and we did not know his sins, which
were a matter between him and his Lord, then he died
and Allaah showed us his torment, that would be a
great scandal for him. So concealing him is a mercy from
Allaah towards the deceased.
3 _ It might become difficult to bury the dead, as it
was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Were it not that you would not
bury one another, I would have asked Allaah to make you
hear the torment of the grave." Narrated by Muslim, 2868.
This indicates that burial might become too difficult
and people would not do it, even though if a person
deserves to be punished he will be punished even if he is lying
on the surface of the earth. But people might imagine
that the torment only takes place when the person is
buried, so they would not bury one another.
4 _ If it were visible, belief in it would serve no
purpose, because it would be visible and no one could deny
it. And this might force all people to believe, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So when they saw Our punishment, they said: We
believe in Allaah Alone" [Ghaafir
40:84]
So if the people saw those who had been buried and
heard their screams, they would believe and none of them
would disbelieve, because he would be certain that the
torment is real and he would see it with his own eyes as if it
were happening to him.
But the wisdom of Allaah is great, and the true believer
is the one who believes with certainty what Allaah tells
him more than what he sees with his own eyes, because
what Allaah tells us cannot be subject to confusion or lies,
but what the eyes see may be imaginary. How many
people have sworn that they have seen the new crescent
moon, when it was in fact a star; how many people have
seen the new moon and it turned out to be a white hair on
his eyebrow; how many have seen a shadow and said that
it was a person coming towards him, but it turned out to
be the trunk of a palm tree; how many people have seen
a stationery object moving and a moving object
standing still. But what Allaah tells us cannot be subject
to confusion.
We ask Allaah to make us and you steadfast, for
what Allaah tells us about these matters is stronger that
what we can see, and concealment is in the best interests
of people. And Allaah knows best.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him), 2/32. (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
How will the kaafir be brought to account on the Day
of Resurrection, when he is not required to adhere
to sharee'ah?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Shaykh Muhammad ibn
`Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This question is based on an incorrect
understanding, because the kaafir is subject to the same requirements
as the believer, but he is not obliged to follow them in
this world. The fact that this is required of him is indicated
by the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Except those on the Right (i.e. the pious true
believers of Islamic Monotheism).
In Gardens (Paradise) they will ask one another,
About AlMujrimoon (polytheists, criminals,
disbelievers) (and they will say to them):
`What has caused you to enter Hell?'
They will say: `We were not of those who used to offer
the Salaah (prayers)
Nor we used to feed AlMiskeen (the poor);
And we used to talk falsehood (all that which
Allaah hated) with vain talkers.
And we used to belie the Day of
Recompense'" [al-Muddaththir
74:39]
If they would not be punished for not praying and
not feeding the poor, etc, the verse would not have
mentioned these things. This indicates that they will be
punished with regard to minor issues of Islam. As this is proven
in the texts, it is also indicated by rational thinking,
because if Allaah will punish His believing slave for
his shortcomings with regard to the obligations of his
religion, how can He not then punish the kaafir?
Moreover, the kaafir will be punished for all the
blessings that Allaah bestowed upon him of food, drink and
other things. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who believe and do righteous good deeds,
there is no sin on them for what they ate (in the past), if
they fear Allaah (by keeping away from His forbidden
things), and believe and do righteous good deeds, and again
fear Allaah and believe, and once again fear Allaah and
do good deeds with Ihsaan (perfection). And Allaah
loves the gooddoers" [al-Maa'idah 5:93]
The wording of this verse states that the believers will
be spared any blame for what they ate, which implies
that the kaafirs will be subjected to blame for what they
ate. Similarly Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): `Who has forbidden the
adornment with clothes given by Allaah, which He has produced
for His slaves, and At-Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal
(lawful) things] of food?' Say: `They are, in the life of this
world, for those who believe, (and) exclusively for
them (believers) on the Day of Resurrection (the
disbelievers will not share them)'"
[al-A'raaf 7:32]
The words "They are, in the life of this world, for
those who believe" in this verse indicate that non-believers
have no right to enjoy them in this world _ i.e., they have
no rights according to sharee'ah, but according to real life
as Allaah has decreed it to be, Allaah has created
these blessings and the kaafirs are benefitting from them,
and this is something that no one can deny. This
indicates that the kaafir will be brought to account for what he
ate of permissible things and what he wore. What is
implied by the text is also implied by reason, otherwise how
could this kaafir who disobeys Allaah and does not believe
in Him deserve to enjoy that which Allaah has created
and has bestowed upon His slaves? If this is clear to you
then the kaafir will also be brought to account on the Day
of Resurrection for his deeds, but the reckoning of the
kaafir on the Day of Resurrection will not be like the
reckoning of the believer, because the believer's reckoning will
be easy; his Lord will address him in secret and will tell
him of his sins until he confesses, then He will say to him,
"I concealed them for you in the world and I forgive you
for them this Day." But for the kaafir _ we seek refuge
with Allaah _ his reckoning will involve his being told of
his sins and being disgraced in front of the witnesses:
"and the witnesses will say, `These are the ones who
lied against their Lord!' No doubt! the Curse of Allaah is
on the Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrongdoers, oppressors)"
[Hood 11:18 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn `Uthaymeen, 2/38.
(www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
I heard in a hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) placed two leaves on two
graves whose occupants were being tormented, so that
the punishment might be reduced, but I do not
understand the reason for that. Is it prescribed for us to do likewise?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Yes, it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) passed by two graves and said:
"They are being punished but they are not being punished
for something that was difficult to avoid [?}." Then he
said, "One of them used to go about spreading malicious
gossip, and the other used not to take precautions to avoid
being contaminated with urine." Then he took a fresh
branch, broke it in two and planted each piece on a grave.
Then he said: "May their punishment be reduced so long
as this does not dry out."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1378; Muslim, 292.
This indicates that the punishment may be reduced,
but what is the relationship between these two branches
and the reduction of these punishments for these two persons?
1 _ It was said that the branches glorify Allaah (by
saying "Subhaan-Allaah" i.e., tasbeeh) so long as they do
not dry out, and tasbeeh reduces the punishment of
the deceased. Based on this they reached the conclusion
_ which far-fetched _ that it is Sunnah for a person to go
to the grave and recite tasbeeh so that the punishment of
the deceased might be reduced.
2 _ Some of the scholars said: This reason is da'eef
(weak) because the two branches would recite tasbeeh
whether they were fresh or dry, because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"The seven heavens and the earth and all that is
therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies
His Praise. But you understand not their
glorification" [al-Isra' 17:44]
Pebbles in the hands of the Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were heard to
recite tasbeeh even though pebbles are dry, so how are we
to understand the hadeeth?
We may understand it as meaning that the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) hoped
that Allaah would reduce their punishment so long as
these two branches remained fresh, so it was not a long
period. This was so as to warn against doing what they
did, because their actions were serious as it says in the
report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said, "But it is serious."
One of them did not take precautions to avoid
being contaminated by urine, and if he was not free of
such contamination then he was praying without being pure.
The other used to walk about spreading malicious
gossip, causing mischief among the slaves of Allaah and
stirring up enmity and hatred among them. This is a serious matter.
This is the most likely understanding of the meaning
of the hadeeth, that it was a temporary intercession and
a warning to the ummah, not because the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to
offer ongoing intercession.
Secondly:
Some scholars _ may Allaah forgive them _ say that it
is Sunnah to place a fresh branch, etc on the grave so
that the punishment might be reduced. But this
understanding is very far-fetched, and it is not permissible for us to
do that for several reasons.
(i) We do not know that this man is being punished,
unlike the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) whom Allaah told by means of Revelation about
the situation of those two graves.
(ii) If we do that, we are mistreating the deceased,
because we are thinking badly of him and assuming that he is
being punished, but we do not know that. It may be that he
is being blessed, or it may be that this deceased person
is one of those whom Allaah blessed with forgiveness
before he died because of one of the many things that
bring forgiveness, so he died having been forgiven by the
Lord of all people, in which case he would not deserve to
be punished.
(iii) This understanding is contrary to the way of
the righteous salaf. This action was not part of their way
and they were the most knowledgeable of people about
the sharee'ah of Allaah.
(iv) Allaah has shown us something that is better
than that. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) finished burying someone he would stand
over the grave and say, "Pray for forgiveness for your
brother and ask that he be made steadfast, for even now is
he being questioned."
From Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn
`Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), 2/30.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
Why did the Prophets warn their people about the
Dajjaal when he will not emerge until the end of time? And
when will the Dajjaal emerge?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The greatest fitnah (trial, tribulation) on the face of
the earth since the creation of Adam until the onset of
the Hour will be the fitnah of the Dajjaal, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said. Hence there
is no Prophet, from Nooh to Muhammad (may the
blessings and peace of Allaah be upon them all), who did not
warn his people about him, as an indication of have serious
his fitnah will be. Although Allaah knows that he will
not emerge until the end of time, nevertheless He
commanded the Messengers to warn their people about him so
that they would understand how serious the matter is. It
was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "If he emerges whilst I am still
among you, then I will suffice you against him, otherwise
each man should take care of himself, d Allah will take care
of every Muslim on my behalf (and safeguard him
against his evil)." Muslim, 5228.
The Dajjaal is a serious matter, indeed he is the
greatest fitnah, as it says in the hadeeth, since the creation of
Adam and until the Hour begins. No wonder that he is the
only one of the trials of life from which refuge is sought
in prayer: "A'oodhu Billaah min `adhaab Jahannam wa
min `adhaab il qabri wa min fitnat il-mahyaa
wa'l-mamaat wa min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal (I seek refuge
with Allaah from the torment of Hell, the torment of the
grave, the trials of life and death and the trial of the Dajjaal)."
The word Dajjaal comes from the word dajl, which
means misrepresentation or falsification, because he is a
falsifier, indeed the greatest falsifier and the worst liar of all people.
Secondly:
The appearance of the Dajjaal is one of the signs of
the Hour, but the time of his emergence is not clearly
defined, because no one knows when the Hour will be
except Allaah. Similarly with regard to the portents of the
Hour, all we know is what has already happened (but with
regard to those which have not yet happened, we do not
know when they will happen). The time of his appearance
is not known, but we do know that it is one of the
portents of the Hour.
Thirdly:
With regard to the direction from which he will
emerge, he will emerge from the east, from the direction
of tribulation and evil, as the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Fitnah is here," and
he pointed towards the east. (al-Bukhaari, 3279;
Muslim, 5167). So the east is the source of evil and
tribulation, and he will emerge from the east, from Khurasaan,
passing through Isfahan and entering the Arabian Peninsula
from a point between Syria and Iraq, with no goal
but Madeenah, because there lies the Bringer of glad
tidings and warnings (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). He will want to destroy the people of Madeenah, but
it will be forbidden to him, as was narrated from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "At
every gate thereof will be angels guarding it." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1880; Muslim, 2449. This man will
emerge between Syria and Iraq, and seventy thousand of the
Jews of Isfahan will follow him, because they are his
troops. (Narrated by Muslim, 5237). The Jews are among
the most evil of the slaves of Allaah, and he is the
most misguided of the slaves of Allaah. So they will
follow him and support him, and they will be his troops,
they and others who follow him. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O slaves of
Allaah, stand firm; O slaves of Allaah, stand firm." Narrated
by Muslim, 5228. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) urged us to stand firm, because the
matter is serious. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Whoever hears of the Dajjaal, let him
flee from him, for by Allaah, a man will come to him
thinking that he is a believer, then he will follow him because
of the specious arguments he puts forward." Narrated by
Abu Dawood, 3762; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh Abi Dawood.
A man will come to him and say, "He will never lead
me astray and I will never be affected by him," but he
will keep producing specious arguments until he follows
him _ we seek refuge with Allaah from that. We ask Allaah
to protect us with His protection. Praise be to Allaah
the Lord of the Worlds.
From Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), 2/13. (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
How will the sun be brought close to mankind until it
is one mile away from them on the Day of
Resurrection without burning them, when if it were brought close
now, it would burn the earth?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The believer's responsibility with regard to reports of
the unseen is to accept and submit to them, and not to
ask how or why. This is the foundation on which out
`aqeedah must be built, because this is a matter that is beyond
your comprehension. So you have to accept it and submit
and say, "We believe. We believe that the sun will be
brought close to mankind on the Day of Resurrection until it
is one mile away from them. Asking any futher
questions about that is a kind of innovation (bid'ah). Hence
when Imam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) was
asked how Allaah rose above the Throne, he said, "Asking
about this is bid'ah." Similarly it is bid'ah to ask about all
other matters of the unseen; man's attitude towards them
should be to accept and submit.
The answer to the second part of the question, about
the sun being brought close to mankind on the Day
of Resurrection:
We say that bodies will not be resurrected on the Day
of Resurrection in the form in which they were in this
world, with their shortcoming and inability to bear that;
rather they will be resurrected whole and complete. Hence
the people will stand on the Day of Resurrection for a
day which is equivalent to fifty thousand years, neither
eating nor drinking. This is something which would
be impossible in this world. Then the sun will be
brought close to them and their bodies will be given the ability
to bear its being brought close, as we have mentioned
above that they will be able to stand for fifty thousand
years without needing food or drink. So their bodies on the
Day of Resurrection will be different from their bodies in
this world. From Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn `Uthaymeen,
2/35. (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
Is the questioning of the deceased in the grave real,
and does he really sit up in the grave and speak?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The questioning of the deceased in the grave is undoubtedly real, and the person sits up in his
grave, speaks and is questioned.
If someone were to ask: the grave is narrow and
confined, so how can he sit up?
The answer is:
Firstly:
With regard to matters of the unseen, the believer
is required to accept them and believe, and not ask how
or why, because no one asks about how or why except
the one who has doubts. But the one who believes and
whose heart is content with what Allaah and His Messenger
say, will accept it and say, Allaah knows best about how
that happens.
Secondly:
The connection of the soul to the body in death is
different from its connection in life. The connection between
body and soul may vary in ways that man cannot
understand, and the body's connection to the body after death
cannot be compared to the connection in life. When a
person dreams, he sees himself coming and going,
travelling, speaking to people, meeting people both living and
dead; he may see himself having a beautiful garden, or a
dark and frightening house; he may see himself riding in
a comfortable car, or riding in an uncomfortable car. All
of that may happen, even though he is in his bed and
nothing has changed, and even the blanket covering him has
not changed, but nevertheless we feel that in a real
sense. But the connection of the soul to the body after death
is different to its connection when one is awake and
when one is asleep. It is different and we do not understand
it. So a person can sit up in his grave and be
questioned, even though the grave is narrow and confined.
Similarly this was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth from
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him);
he conveys the message and we have to believe and
submit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until
they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes
between them, and find in themselves no resistance against
your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission"
[al-Nisa' 4:65]
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn `Uthaymeen, 2/34.
(www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
Often in the newspapers and on the news, when a
person has died and been buried, they say that he has gone to
his final resting place. Is the grave the final resting place?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said
in Tafseer Juz' `Amma (p. 117):
The grave is not the final abode, rather it is a stage on
the journey. A Bedouin heard a man reciting the
verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly
things) diverts you,
Until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die)"
[al-Takaathur 102:1-2]
The Bedouin said, "By Allaah, the visitor does not
stay forever."
The Bedouin, by his innate common sense,
understood that after the grave comes something else that will be
the final abode, because as is well known, the visitor
visits and leaves. Hence we know that what we read in
the newspapers, "So and so has passed away and gone to
his final resting place" is a serious mistake, which
implies disbelief in Allaah and in the Last Day, because if
you regard the grave as the final resting place, this means
that there is nothing after that. The one who believes that
the grave is the final resting place and that there is no
abode after that is a kaafir, for the final abode or resting place
is either Paradise or Hell.
Ibn `Uthaymeen said in Tafseer Juz' `Amma (p.
117) (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
This might sound very childish but I would like to
know if someone likes something on earth very much , like
an airplane for example , can he get one in heaven ? can
he get an airport as well ?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This question is not childish, rather it is prescribed
for the intelligent person to ask questions, seek benefits
and look for that which will increase his longing for
Paradise and make him strive harder to reach it. Some of
the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) asked him similar questions to this.
It was narrated from Sulaymaan ibn Buraydah from
his father that a man asked the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), "O Messenger of Allaah, are
there horses in Paradise?" He said, "If Allaah admits you
to Paradise, any time you wish to be carried on a horse
of red rubies that will fly with you wherever you want
in Paradise, you will do that." Another man asked him,
"O Messenger of Allaah, will there be camels in
Paradise?" and he did not say to him something like he said to
his companion. He said, "If Allaah admits you to
Paradise, you will have there whatever your heart desires."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2543; this hadeeth was
classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Targheeb, 3/522.
With regard to the specific topic of your question,
about a person who loves flying and airplanes, there are
many saheeh ahaadeeth which speak of a similar joy.
It was proven that the souls of the martyrs are in the
crops of birds in Paradise, flying wherever they wish.
Narrated by Muslim, 2410.
It was proven that Ja'far ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah
be pleased with him) flies in Paradise with two wings, as
an honour from Allaah and to replace his arms which
were cut off in the battle of Mu'tah.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "I saw Ja'far flying in Paradise with the angels."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3763; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 3465.
It was narrated from Ibn `Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that he used to say salaam to Ibn Ja'far and
say, "Peace be upon you, O son of the one with two
wings." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3506.
It seems that for a person to fly by himself is more
exciting for most people than flying by means of something
else. There are many verses and ahaadeeth which say
that people in Paradise will have whatever their hearts
desire and more.
As it says in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them;
(there will be) therein all that innerselves could desire, and
all that eyes could delight in and you will abide
therein forever"
[al-Zukhruf 43:71]
Al-Sa'di said in his commentary on this verse:
"… all that inner-selves could
desire…" _ this phrase is comprehensive and includes every kind of blessing,
joy, delight and pleasure, in the most perfect and best sense.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"`Adn (Eden) Paradise (Gardens of Eternity) which
they will enter, under which rivers flow, they will have
therein all that they wish. Thus Allaah rewards the
Muttaqoon (the pious)" [al-Nahl
16:31]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Allaah says: `I have prepared for My
righteous slaves that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and
it has never crossed the mind of man.' Recite if you
wish: `No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy
as a reward for what they used to do' [al-Sajdah 32:17
_ interpretation of the meaning]."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3072; Muslim, 2824
A person should be certain of the absolute perfection
of Paradise and of its people's happiness.
With regard to being certain that there will be
airplanes and airports and other things for which no proof is
narrated in the texts, this is the matter of knowledge of the
Unseen, which needs evidence.
We say as the Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "If Allaah admits you to Paradise
you will have therein whatever your heart desires and
whatever will delight you."
We ask Allaah to help us and you to do that which
will lead us to everlasting delight in Paradise.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
How old will you be in heaven(both men and
women) for eternity?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The people of Paradise will enter Paradise in the
most perfect and beautiful form, in the form of their
father Adam (peace be upon him), whom Allaah created
with His own hand and perfected his form and made his
shape beautiful. Everyone who enters Paradise will be in
the form of Adam. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Allaah created Adam in his form, sixty cubits tall…
and everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form of
Adam, sixty cubits tall…"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5873; Muslim, 7092
With regard to their ages, they will all enter Paradise
at the age of strength and youth, thirty-three years old.
It was narrated from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless,
beardless with their eyes anointed with kohl, aged thirty or
thirty-three years."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2545. Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 7928
It was also narrated by Ahmad (8505) from Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), with the words
"thirty three years old", with no doubt.
Ahmad Shaakir said: its isnaad is hasan.
O Allaah, we ask You for Paradise and the words
and deeds that will bring us closer to it. Islam
Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
Could u please tell us relating the `Day of judgement'
it's tortures,the questions that wud be asked.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven in the Qur'aan and Sunnah that when a
person dies, he will be called to account for every major
and minor action he did in this world, whether it was good
or bad. He will be rewarded for his good deeds and
punished for his bad deeds. The first stage of that reckoning is
in the grave. In the grave the first thing a person will
be asked will be: Who was your Lord? What is your
religion? Who is this man who was sent amongst you? _ as
was narrated in the hadeeth of al-Baraa' ibn `Aazib
(may Allaah be pleased with him), which was narrated by
Abu Dawood in his Sunan (4753) and classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2979.
Then on the Day of Resurrection he will be brought
to account for every major and minor action, even
though he has already been brought to account for that in
the grave. The first thing for which he will be brought
to account for then will be his prayer.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The first
thing among their deeds for which the people will be
brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer.
Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows
best, `Look at My slave's prayer, is it complete or lacking?'
If it is complete, it will be recorded as complete, but if it
is lacking, He will say, `Look and see whether my slave
did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.' If he had done
voluntary prayers, He will say, `Complete the obligatory prayers
of My slave from his voluntary prayers.' Then the rest of
his deeds will be examined in a similar manner."
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 864; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 770).
On the Day of Resurrection, people will be asked
about other matters, including the following:
It was narrated from Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "The son of Adam will not
be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of
Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things: his
life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it,
his wealth and how he earned it and how he disposed of
it, and how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2422; classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1969)
And the nations will be asked on the Day of Resurrection:
"What answer gave you to the Messengers?"
[al-Qasas 28:65 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
These are some of the things about which people will
be asked on the Day of Resurrection. So the wise
person who is keen to save himself should prepare answers
to these questions. We ask Allaah to guide us to the
straight path.
And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
After death, until Yaum Al-Qiyama, are the human
beings reborn in any other form?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
When the son of Adam dies, his body disintegrates
and vanishes apart from the tailbone, which is a bone at
the base of the spine. When the Resurrection begins,
Allaah will cause the bodies to grow by means of rain from
the earth which will make these bones grow until
each person's body is restored to the way it was before he died.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `What is
between the two Trumpet-blasts will be forty.' Somebody
asked, `Forty days?' But I could not answer. Then he asked,
`Forty months?' But I could not answer. Then he asked,
`Forty years?' But I could not answer." Abu Hurayrah
added, "Then (after this period) Allah will send water from
the sky and then the dead bodies will grow like
vegetation grows. There is nothing of the human body that does
not decay except one bone; that is the little bone at the end
of the coccyx from which the human body will be
recreated on the Day of Resurrection." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 4651; Muslim, 2955).
Al-Nawawi said:
"The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, `What is between the two Trumpet-blasts will
be forty.' Somebody asked, `Forty days?' But I could
not answer…" What is meant is that he refused to
specify whether it would be forty days, or years, or months.
Rather what he was sure of was that it would be just forty. It
is explained in another report narrated by someone
other than Muslim, which says that it will be forty years.
The phrase "the little bone at the end of the coccyx"
refers to the small bone at the base of the spine, which is
the end of the coccyx. This is the first part of a person that
is created, and it is what will be left of him so that he
will be created anew from it. Sharh Muslim, 18/92
When a person comes forth from his grave and is
gathered and brought to account, his body will remain the same
as it was before he died. Then when the people of
Paradise enter Paradise and the people of Hell enter Hell,
Allaah will change their forms.
Description of the people of Hell:
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
distance between the shoulders of the kaafir [in Hell] will be
that of three days' swift travelling." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 6186; Muslim, 2852).
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "The molar of the kaafir _ or the eyetooth of
the kaafir _ will be like Uhud, and his skin will be as thick
as three days' travelling." (Narrated by Muslim, 2851).
Description of the people of Paradise:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The first
group to enter Paradise will look like the moon when it is
full; then those who follow them will look like the
brightest star in the sky. They will not urinate or defecate, spit
or blow their noses. Their combs will be of gold, their
sweat will be musk, their incense burners will be of
aloes-wood. Their wives will be al-hoor al-`iyn and they will all
look alike, like their father Adam, sixty cubits tall."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3149; Muslim, 2834)
It was narrated from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless
and beardless, with kohl-rimmed eyes, all thirty or
thirty-three years old." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2545).
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 8072.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
How will the books of people's deeds be distributed
to the people on the Day of Resurrection? How will
their deeds be weighed?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The distribution of the books of deeds:
When people have been brought to account for their
de | 
