Judgement Day - Omar Suleiman

OMAR SULEIMAN

OMAR SULEIMAN

In association with

Judgement Day: Deeds That Light the Way

First published in England by Kube Publishing Ltd Markfield Conference Centre Ratby Lane, Markfield Leicestershire, LE67 9SY United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1530 249230

Website: www.kubepublishing.com Email: info@kubepublishing.com

© Omar Suleiman 2023 All Rights Reserved. 1st impression, 2023.

The right of Omar Suleiman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patent Act 1988.

Cataloguing-in-Publication Data is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-84774-197-4 Casebound eISBN 978-1-84774-198-1 Ebook

Proofreading and editing: Wordsmiths Cover design, Arabic calligraphy and typesetting: Jannah Haque Printed by: IMAK Ofset, Turkey.

Transliteration Guide

A brief guide to some of the letters and symbols used in the Arabic transliteration in this book.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

Glorified and Majestic (is He).

May Allah be pleased with her. May peace be upon her.

May Allah be pleased with them both.

May Allah be pleased with him. May peace be upon him.

May peace be upon them both.

Introduction

There is an inevitable and undeniable truth that, one predetermined day, we will die and depart from this world. But this naturally leads to the existential question of what will occur in the next domain. Regarding the nature of the worldly and otherworldly realities, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib  has stated:

“The life of this world is fast departing, while the life of the Hereafter is fast approaching, with every one of them having their own children. Thus, opt to be the children of the Hereafter, and not of this world. For in the present state there are deeds without any reckoning, but in the case of tomorrow there will be a reckoning without deeds.”

Even the most marginal amount of good done in the Earth will be accepted and rewarded by Allah b in the other world, provided it is done with a sincere heart. But in the Hereafter, having every ounce of gold in one’s possession will not confer on one the slightest benefit. From the moment one rises from one’s burial place and assumes one’s spot in the assembly of resurrected humans, all dynamics change.

In the otherworldly plane, one will be subject to a number of trials and tribulations: one’s official records will be weighed in the Mīzān (Scales) and one will be required to cross the Ṣirāṭ (Bridge-Over-Hell). In all these circumstances, the true saviour will be one’s own virtuous deeds: they will physically appear and protect one from the heat of the Last Day by producing beneficial shade, illuminating one’s path so that one may navigate through the pitch-black darkness that engulfs one, and even testify on one’s behalf in the presence of the Lord of the worlds b . In sum, one’s virtuous deeds will be the decisive factor in ensuring that one becomes an inhabitant of Paradise. Instead of constantly speculating and postulating when the Day of Judgement will occur, the Muslim should devote his energies to performing good deeds so that he may be assisted in the trials that he will face in the other world.

“So as for those whose scales are heavy with good deeds, they will be in a life of bliss.”

After One Dies

As a thought experiment, I would like you to perceive yourself as being a parent in relation to your deeds. You bring them into being, nurture them, and facilitate their development while anticipating a variety of subsequent gains and benefits. The only difference between children and deeds is that while the former are tangible and concrete beings, the latter are abstract entities. But just as an ageing parent wishes to obtain benefits from his or her children in this world, one also hopes to benefit from one’s deeds in the Hereafter through obtaining eternal bliss and comfort. Keeping the latter points in mind, the key questions ultimately are: how many deeds we have nurtured and raised in this temporal world? And in what state shall we find them in the next world?

o build a home in Paradise, one must be aware that the building process begins in the temporal plane of this universe. In order to die in a blessed and pious state, one must make sure to live in that manner as well in all stages of one’s life.

With Those Whom One Loves

In this temporal world, surrounding oneself with people of a certain temperament or value system will almost always translate into acquiring their beliefs and characteristics. For instance, having a good friend or companion will likely lead to the attainment of virtues and noble values. Conversely, having a morally iniquitous acquaintance will adversely affect one’s lifestyle choices; people may even assign negative values to a person due to his problematic associations.

On the Day of Judgement, one will be resurrected among the people one associated with or with those one has admired, even if one did not manage to meet them in person. For this reason, every Muslim should reflect on his or her current friendships and associations and ask whether they would wish to be resurrected with such personalities on the Last Day. This question should determine one’s friend making process from beginning to end, just as one should be mindful that the Prophet ﷺ once remarked that no person loves a people or folk

except that he will be resurrected with them in the Afterlife. Obviously, considering the fact that, in the next life Paradise and Hell will be brought in close proximity to every being in this planet, the intelligent person wishes to stand with and accompany the people of Paradise, not the people of Hellfire. In a very powerful report, the Prophet ﷺ said:

“On that Day, Hellfire will be brought forth with 70,000 bridles, with each bridle being tugged forward by 70,000 Angels.”

After making the necessary calculations, one will reach the conclusion that an astronomical figure of Angels— approximately 4.9 billion of them—will be hauling Hellfire and bringing it forward before the wicked. This will be a horrifying sight for the evildoers and oppressors, since not only will they be staring at the dreadful abyss that awaits them, but they will also be overwhelmed by the line of Angels facing them, which will include the chief Archangel Jibrīl . This awesome and powerful setting has been discussed in the following Qur’ānic verse:

“On the Day the spirit and the Angels will stand in ranks. None will talk, except those granted permission by the Most Compassionate and whose words are true.” 7

Under Which Banner?

As times become more deceiving and delusive, it becomes relatively more difficult to identify who the fraudsters are. The Prophet described the interval preceding the Day of Judgement as being sanawāt khaddāʿāt (deceptive years), and further said: .��اص�ا �ه�� �دك�و ،��اكلا �ه�� �دص�

“In those years the truthful one is belied, while the liar is believed.”

In essence, all conventional standards of credibility will be abandoned, and the overwhelming majority of people will become unprincipled. The liars will be able to materially flourish since they will be unbridled by any moral principles. In such a corrupt setting, the sincere and truthful members of society will face severe difficulties, since they will refuse to compromise their moral principles for the sake of progressing in society.

Each individual person has a particular moral orientation or bearing, but his or her personal nature is hidden from others. One can only imagine what it would be like if the angels provided their own reviews of the people they surround and observe. That way, one would be able to know the level of credibility of a person before befriending him or her or engaging in transactions with him or her. Such a certification process would be immensely useful, especially if such information could be provided in front of a person’s business or household. In the spiritual realm, such modes of accreditation and labels do in fact exist. In a notable ḥadīth, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that no one leaves his home except that he will be followed by two banners, one banner held by an Angel and the other banner raised by a devil. If the person plans to undertake an action that Allah b loves, then he will traverse his path under the banner hoisted by the angel. However, if he decides to go and commit a forbidden action, then he will be accompanied by the devil’s emblem until he returns home. While these banners and symbols are concealed from the human eye in this world, they will be fully visible in the Hereafter, such that every human being will be able to see them. At the same time, however, it is true that the identities of some figures will be clearly illustrated. For instance, with regard to the Dajjāl (Antichrist), the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Between his two eyes the word disbeliever (kāfir) is written.”

That way, every true believer will be able to identify the Dajjāl and thus avoid his call to disbelief and falsehood. Afterwards, he will be vanquished by the true Messiah, and the earth will

Pulpits of Light

Should one enter a mosque and find a person presiding over the pulpit, it would be reasonable to assume that that person enjoys a privileged and honourable position in that place of worship. There are individuals who settle interpersonal affairs in a fair and impartial manner, thereby keeping their desires for power and material gain in check. There are others who are disinterested in obtaining authority over others. But when others entrust them with such positions, they accomplish their responsibilities with the required level of fidelity (amānah).

Yet, there are some people who are eager to form relations and ties with others, but in a solely altruistic manner; they have no hidden desire to attain monetary or social rewards from other people. Regarding these themes, Allah b establishes a decisive otherworldly principle:

���اَع�او ا�اس� الو �ر�لا ى�

كل� “That Home in the Hereafter We reserve for those who seek neither tyranny nor corruption on the Earth. The ultimate outcome belongs to the muttaqīn (righteous).” 22

Furthermore, the aforementioned points explain why ʿIsā ibn Maryam  once said:

“Glad tidings to the humble and meek ones in the temporal world. For they will be the possessors of the pulpits (manābir) on the Day of Judgement.”

There will be multiple levels of eminence and grandeur on the Day of Judgement, with every particular level being assigned its own specific status. While many individuals may have heard of the pulpits of light, there are in fact noteworthy stations and ranks besides them. For instance, the Prophet ﷺ highlighted three specific categories of people who will be protected from the horrors of the Day of Judgement by having their sessions of accountability (ḥisāb) waived altogether. In fact, the Prophet said that while the rest of humanity is 22 Al-Qaṣaṣ, 83.

Unanswered Du a

’s

The eminent Companion Ibn Masʿūd  once shared an incredible account which demonstrates the perfect knowledge and wisdom of Allah b: .�ل ر��� ��� �را��لاو �را��لا �� ر��ل�� مه�َ� د�َع�ا �ا

“The servant would be on the verge of pursuing trade or political leadership to the point it becomes facilitated for him.”

For instance, one may be constantly making duʿā’ (supplication) for a certain worldly benefit or result, and eventually comes close to achieving one’s objective. But Ibn Masʿūd notes that once the desired objective is within reach, Allah b will observe His persistent servant and then issue the following directive to the angels: .را�لا ه�ل��ا �ل ه�ر�� �

ه���

هو�ر�ا “Direct it away from him, for if I were to make it easy to him, I would then have to put him in Hellfire.”

The Weight of One’s Character

Although they may have been physically bulky and prominent, in terms of faith and character both Abū Jahl and Abū Lahab were insignificant in their spiritual constitution. This is akin to how some people enjoy the gift of eyesight but lack any spiritual foresight and vision due to the blindness of their hearts. Thus, the truly insignificant and small person is not the one who is limited in his physical constitution, but rather the one who is devoid of character and morals. People who lack such inward attributes oftentimes resort to making their physical appearances, expressions, and interpersonal interactions more prominent, which often causes them to become even more obnoxious in nature. All the scales and measures of this world focus on the physical dimension of human beings, with the key targeted attributes being weight, height, muscle density, and other physical variables. Yet, in this world, one cannot find any scale—regardless of its level of sophistication—that can measure the nature of one’s character. Such a scale only exists in the Hereafter.

ne’s actions, motives, and intentions will be recorded in one’s register of deeds. Whoever performs even a minuscule act of good in this temporal world will reap its fruits in the Hereafter. Such a promise reflects the infinite mercy and justice of Allah b .