Pillars of Islam: The Day of Judgement


The Day of Judgement is the day when all human beings and living souls shall die, the entire world shall perish, the mountains shall blow like cotton puffs, the stars shall disintegrate and fall down, and almost all the objects shall be reduced to nothingness.

Its exact time no one knows except Allah. However, this is known to us that it shall be on Friday the 10th of Muharram. Hadrat Muhammad (pbuh) has told some of the signs by which to recognize the approach of the Day of Judgement. These are:

• there is abundance of sin;
• disobedience to parents and harsh treatment to them is rampant;
• trusted deposits are tampered with;
• there is abundance of singing, dancing and revelries;
• younger generations begin to abuse their forefathers;
• the uneducated or ill-educated become leaders;
• shepherds and lowly placed persons begin to build lofty buildings;
• incompetent persons come to hold high offices.

The following is a summary of the remarks of al-Barkavi on the Day of Judgement . He says it is necessary to acknowledge the following points on the last day:

• That the torments of the tomb are real and certain, and that Munkar and Nakir will interrogate the dead person concerning his God, his Prophet, his faith, and his Qibla. The faithful will reply our God is Allah, our Prophet is Muhammad, our religion, Islam; our Qibla, the Ka'bah.

• That all the signs of the last day mentioned by the Prophet will come to pass; Such as the appearance of Dajjal or Antichrist; the descent of Jesus from heaven; and the rising of the sun from the west.

• That all living things will die; that the mountains will fly in the air like birds; that the heavens will melt away; that after some time has thus passed; God Most High will raise the dead; that prophets; saints; doctors of the law, and the faithful will find near them the robes and the horses, and go into the shade of the throne of God. Other men, hungry, thirsty and naked, will go on foot. The faithful will go to the right, the infidels to the left.

• That there will be a balance, in which the good and bad actions of men will be weighed. Those whose good deeds outweigh the bad will go to Paradise; if the bad predominate, they will go into the fire, unless God has mercy on them, or the prophets or saints intercede for them. If, however, they were not Muslims, there will be no intercession for them, nor will they come out from the fire. The Muslims who enter the fire will, after having purged their crimes, enter Paradise.

• The bridge Siraat, which is sharper than a sword, is raised above the fire; that all men must pass over this. Some will pass over with the speed of lighting, some will go very slowly over; others will fall and certainly enter into the fire.

• That each prophet has a pool, where he, with his people, will quench their thirst before entering Paradise; that the pool of Muhammad is the largest of all. Its water is sweeter than honey, whiter than milk.

• That Paradise and Hell actually exist; that the chosen remain forever in the former; they neither die nor grow aged. The Houris and the females are exempted from the infirmities of their sex. They will no longer bear children. The elect will find there the meat and the drink they require, without taking upon themselves any trouble. The ground of Paradise is of musk; the bricks of its editics are of gold and of silver.

The unbelievers and the demons will remain for ever in hell, tormented by serpents as thick as the neck of a camel, by scorpion as large as mules, by fire and by scalding water. Their bodies will burn till they become reduced to a coal, when God will revive them so that they may endure fresh torments. This will last forever.