Mahshar

Dear readers,

After the doomsday and resurrection, all human beings will gather in the presence of Allah (swt) for reckoning. This meeting, in which the divine justice will manifest, is called "mahshar". That day is the one which is expressed as the “Judgment Day” or the “Day of Reckoning” in the Qur’an and hadiths. It is the day on which the divine promise will be fulfilled, everyone will give an account of what they did and said while they were alive in the world, and everyone, either believer or disbeliever will clearly understand that Allah (swt) is the only ruler of all the realms. It is the day on which those blinds who failed to understand that Allah (swt) is the only Creator, the only arranger, the only rule maker and the only ruler of everything, while they were in the world, now will be clearly aware of everything, but their awareness will be useless.

“(such is) the Promise of Allah. never doth Allah fail in (His) promise.” [Zumar, 20]

“Master of the Day of Judgment.” [Fatiha, 4]

“They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Command with any person whatsoever.” [Kahf, 26]

“He is the Irresistibly Supreme over His servants,” [Anaam, 61]

“He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs).” [Anbiyaa, 23]

# On that day, no one will be treated unjustly

Everyone will be questioned one by one regarding whether they acknowledged Allah, complied with the divine rules declared to humanity, and respected the divine restrictions imposed on them in the social life. No one will be treated unjustly here. Everyone will be given their rights.

“surely His is the Command, and He is the swiftest in taking account.” [Anaam, 62]

“Or do they doubt, or are they in fear, that Allah and His Messenger will deal unjustly with them?” [Nur, 50]

“But how (will they fare) when We gather them together against a Day about which there is no doubt, and each soul will be paid out just what it has earned, without (favor or) injustice?” [Al Imran, 25]

“the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: Never will ye be dealt with unjustly in the very least!” [Nisa, 77]

“Allah created the heavens and the earth for just ends, and in order that each soul may find the recompense of what it has earned, and none of them shall be wronged.” [Jathiya, 22]

“To every people (was sent) a messenger: when their apostle comes (before them), the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.” [Yunus, 47]

# Distribution of record books

Before proceeding with reckoning, record books are distributed to everyone so that they can see what they did and said.

“And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, 'Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!' They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.” [Kahf, 49]

Record books are given to those who deserve the paradise from their right side and to those who deserve the hell from their left side.

“Then he that will be given his Record in his right hand will say: Ah here! Read ye my Record! . I did really think that my Account would (One Day) reach me!” [Haqqa, 19-20]

"And he that will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: "Ah! Would that my Record had not been given to me! And that I had never realized how my account (stood)!"  [Haqqa, 25-26]

# Questioning

After record books are distributed and everyone sees what they did, it is then the questioning time.

“Then shall we question those to whom Our Message was sent and those by whom We sent it.” [Araf, 6]

“Therefore, by thy Lord, We will, of a surety, call them to account,  For all their deeds.” [Hijr, 92-93]

Also see the following hadiths:

“In the final judgment day, no servant may move from where they stand before they are questioned about where they spent their life, what they did with their knowledge, where they acquired their possessions and where they spent them, and where they wore out their body.” [Tirmidhi]

“On the Judgment Day, Allah (swt) will question His servants about their possessions.” [Khatib]

# The reckoning

Reckoning will take place very quickly. And everyone will get what they deserve.

“That Allah may requite each soul according to its deserts; and verily Allah is swift in calling to account.”  [Ibrahim, 51]

 “And the Earth will shine with the Light of its Lord: the Record (of Deeds) will be placed (open); the prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward and a just decision pronounced between them; and they will not be wronged (in the least).  And to every soul will be paid in full (the fruit) of its Deeds;” [Zumar, 69-70]

“We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account.” [Anbiya, 47]

“The balance that day will be true (to a nicety): those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper:” [Araf, 8]

“Those whose scale will be light, will find their souls in perdition, for that they wrongfully treated Our Signs.” [Araf, 9]

Also see the following hadith:

“On the day of judgment, each human being will be brought in front of the pans of the scale. An angel will be assigned to each of them. If their scale weighs more, the assigned angel will say ‘This person is saved eternally’. If their scale weighs less, then the angel will say, ‘This person has lost.’” [Abu Nuaym]

May our Lord make us one of those whose reckoning is easily performed and whose scale weighs more.

# Even the slightest good and bad actions will be counted in the scale

Dear readers,

On the Mahshar day when the divine justice will manifest, no one will be treated unjustly. Even the slightest good and bad actions will be counted in the scale. This is explained in the following Quranic verse:

“Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.” [Zalzalah, 7-8]

After all the reckoning is completed, good ones (believers) will be sent to the paradise while bad ones (heathens; those who failed to acknowledge the truth, treated Allah’s verses unfairly and concealed the truth) will be sent to the hell. Everyone who will go to the hell will be punished in the rate of the impairment in their faith.

# Agony in proportion to the impairment in one’s faith

A hadith declares:

“Sinners in the hell will suffer in proportion to the impairment in their faith.”  [Hakim]

The impairment in one’s works is already due to the impairment in their faith. To the extent one possesses a complete faith, their works and words will be decent, complete and right. Completeness of faith is directly proportional to the fear of Allah (taqwa) and the love of Allah (the light of faith). What any human being needs before anything else is a proper and complete faith free of hesitation and doubts. Therefore, let us correct our faith in the way explained by Ahl al-Sunnah scholars. And then let us strive to carry our faith towards perfectness by staying away from what our Lord has forbidden and doing the good things that He ordered us to do.

Dear readers, everyone, either good or bad, will certainly see the hell.

“Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their knees.” [Maryam, 71-72]

And hadiths:

“Either good or bad, everyone will enter the Hell. But it will be cool and peaceful for the believers just like the fire was cool for Abraham. Allah (swt) will save the pious and abandon the tyrant.” [Ibn Maja]

“In the Hell, Allah (swt) will torture believers to the extent of their sins. He will then send them to the Paradise eternally for their faith.” [Abu Nuaym]

# A modicum of faith

Dear readers, even a modicum of faith is extremely important for being saved from eternal agony.

“One who possesses even the slightest amount of faith in one’s heart will be taken out of fire.” [Tirmidhi]

“Allah (swt) will place the goods deserving of heaven to the paradise and the sinners deserving of hell to the hell, and then command, If you find one who has a mustard seed size of faith in their heart, remove them from the hell.”  [Bukhari, Muslim]

“One who says, there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, although they have only a modicum of faith in their heart will get out of the hell.” [Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja]

Giving up a sin by the fear of Allah (swt) is also a significant indication of faith. A hadith states:

"A Muslim who remembers Allah (swt) or fears Him just once in their whole lifetime will get out of the Hell." [Tirmidhi]

# The first thing to be reckoned after faith

The first thing that a servant will be questioned about after faith is salat (Muslim’s worship).

“The first deed on which a servant will be questioned on the Day of Judgment is salat. If that deed comes out well, so will other deeds. But if it comes out badly, so will others.”  [Tabarani]

So we should certainly do not underestimate salat. Prostration and salat are the most important indicators of faith and servitude.

“Only those believe in Our Signs, who, when they are recited to them, fall down in adoration, and celebrate the praises of their Lord, nor are they (ever) puffed up with pride.”  [Sajdah, 15]

Reckoning of those who do not perform salat will be difficult. So let us not avoid performing salat with fear of sarcastic words of those indecent ones who exceed their limits. Allah, the true owner of strength and force, is the one to be avoided and to be feared about. Sooner or later, human beings will reach their Lord. We endure great difficulties when we fulfill even the slightest desire of our ego (nafs). So let us allocate some time to our Lord, and endure some difficulty for His mercy. The most important thing for a human being is to try to acquire the consent of Allah who is the true owner of all kinds of favors that reach him. As long as Allah (swt) concurs with him, who can do anything against him? Is not it understood by repetitive emphases in the Qur’an and hadiths that faith and salat are what pleases Allah (swt) the most? Allah (swt) renders easier all the works of those who perform salat through peace of mind and heart. Salat becomes a light for them both in the world and also in the afterworld. Pay attention to those whose works continuously go wrong, who cannot get rid of the troubles and restlessness all the world; almost all them are people who have forgotten Allah, who do not perform salat and who turn away from Qur’an. Salat is the most important tool of remembering Allah.

“establish regular prayer: for prayer restrains from shameful and evil deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt.” [Ankabut, 45]

“But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.”  [Taha, 124]

Be entrusted to Allah.