The Final Judgement
Accountability
On the Day of Resurrection, all people that have ever lived will be held accountable for their deeds. Each person will be judged only according to their own deeds, and not anyone else's deeds. Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Say: 'Shall I seek a lord other than Allah, while He is the Lord of all things? No person earns any (sin) except against himself (only), and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then unto your Lord is your return, so He will tell you that wherein you have been differing.' "
(Qur'an 6:164)
Allah is the Most Just and being held accountable only for one's own deeds is divine justice, since it would not be fair for anyone to be punished because of someone else's sins. Similarly, it would not be fair for someone to receive the rewards for someone else's good deeds when a person had not made the effort themselves. This only makes sense.
Intercession
On the Day Resurrection every person will be 'on their own', in the sense that no body else will be able to help anyone else, unless Allah allows that. For the disbelievers, Allah will not allow them to intercede for anyone nor will anyone be allowed to intercede for them (to save them). Allah is persistent in reminding us of this fact and it is repeated over and over in the Qur'an. The following verses are but a few examples:
"O mankind! Be afraid of your Lord (by keeping your duty to Him and avoiding all evil), and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father"
(Qur'an 31:33)
"And fear the Day (of Judgement) when no person shall avail another, nor shall compensation be accepted from him, nor shall intercession be of use to him, nor shall they be helped"
(Qur'an 2:123)
"So no intercession of intercessors will be of any use to them"
(Qur'an 74:48)
In the case of the disbelievers, a mother cannot intercede for her children, nor can a wife intercede for her husband, and so on. No amount of pleading, bargaining or wealth can help a disbeliever on that Day, as Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Those who have disbelieved and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them if it were offered as a ransom. They will have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers."
(Qur'an 3:91)
In the case of the believers, Allah may allow them to intercede on the behalf of other believers and vice versa. This is especially true in the case of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who will be asked by the people on the Day of Resurrection to intercede on their behalf so that Allah may have mercy on them. Allah will accept Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) intercession on behalf of the believers as He wills. The scholars of Islam, martyrs, angels, righteous believers and so on will also intercede on behalf of some of the believers on the Day of Resurrection. For a person's or angel's intercession to be accepted on another's behalf, three conditions must be met:
1. Allah must grant permission for the intercessor to intercede
2. Allah must be pleased with the intercessor
3. Allah must be pleased with the one for whom the intercession is for
It is not permissible for a person in this life to pray to the Prophets of Allah (Peace be Upon them all) or righteous people who have died and ask for their intercession. This is a kind of Shirk (worshipping others besides Allah) - the greatest sin there is and is a reprehensible practice. All prayers should be directed towards Allah, and Allah alone, for He is the Only One who can benefit or harm a person in this life, or the Hereafter.
In addition to people interceding, a person's good deeds, verses of the Qur'an and so on, may also intercede for a person.
With regard to events on
the Day of Resurrection, after the resurrection takes place, a person will
be questioned, be given their book of deeds and have their deeds weighed
on a balance to determine what rewards or punishment they will receive.
These will now be detailed below.
Questioning
The first thing that a person will be questioned about on the Day of
Resurrection will be their prayers - referring to the five obligatory
prayers that Allah has ordained for mankind as a means of worshipping Him. The Prophet
(PBUH) 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 good then he will have prospered and succeeded, but if it is bad then he will be doomed and have lost. 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."
(Hadith)
The above hadith reaffirms the importance of prayer for the Muslim both in this present life, and for his/her judgement on the Day of Resurrection.
On the Day of Resurrection, people will also be asked about other matters, including, but not limited to, the following as mentioned by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
"The son of Adam (i.e. mankind) 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."
(Hadith)
A person may be asked to
account for any deeds that they did in their lifetime - good or bad.
Book of Deeds
When people have been brought to account for their deeds, each person will be given the book that contains the record of ALL of his/her deeds, no matter how small or how large. The book of deeds has every single detail in it of a person's life which was recorded by the two angels that are with them every moment of their life. For each person, not only are their deeds recorded, but also what a person is thinking, feeling and believes. When Allah gives a person their book of deeds it will be said by Allah:
"This Our Record speaks about you with truth. Verily, We were recording what you used to do (i.e. Our angels used to record your deeds)"
(Qur'an 45:29)
Each person is well aware of what good deeds and bad deeds they have done in their lifetime. This is regardless of whether other people know about these deeds or not. We ourselves know what beliefs we hold in our hearts and for example, whether we are a true believer or a hypocrite, whether we are proud or humble, and what our intentions are when we do or say something good or bad. So when the people have been given their books (records), it will be said to them:
"Read your book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day"
(Qur'an 17:14)
The believer will be given his/her book in the right hand, as a sign of honour, and be the one who is saved and happy on the Day of Resurrection. Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand, he surely, will receive an easy reckoning, and will return to his family in joy!"
(Qur'an 84:7-9)
and
"Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand he will say: 'Here! read my Record! Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!' So he shall be in a life, well pleasing. In a lofty Paradise, the fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand. Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!"
(Qur'an 69:19-24)
As for the disbelievers, hypocrites and followers of misguidance, they will be given their books in their left hands, from behind their backs. Allah says in the Qur'an:
"But whosoever is given his Record behind his back, he will invoke (for his) destruction, and he shall enter a blazing Fire"
(Qur'an 84:10-12)
and
"But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: 'I 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 (death)! My wealth has not availed me; My power (and arguments to defend myself) have gone from me!' (It will be said): 'Seize him and fetter him; Then throw him in the blazing Fire. Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits (thirty five metres)!'"
(Qur'an 69:25-32)
The disbelievers will receive no reward, even if they may have done some good deeds in their lives. Allah says in the Qur'an that good deeds without saying Shahada (testimony of faith) are not valid, and that Islam is the only religion He will accept. Allah makes this quite clear in the Qur'an:
"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers"
(Qur'an 3:85)
If on the other hand, a disbeliever becomes Muslim, then those good deeds that s/he performed before accepting Islam will be counted and the reward given for them. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
"When a disbeliever enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, Allah records for him all the good deeds that he had done previously, and erases thereby between ten and seven hundred (bad deeds) the like thereof, and each bad deed will only count as one, unless Allah forgives him."
(Hadith)
Believing in Allah is a prerequisite for receiving any rewards in the Hereafter and for attaining Allah's forgiveness and mercy. On the outset it may seem unfair that a disbeliever will receive no reward for any good deeds, simply because they did not believe. However, if one thinks about it they will see that it is more than fair.
It would be unfair and unjust for Allah to admit the disbelievers to Paradise to share the blessings and rewards that have been promised to the believers who have strived to please Allah with their time, money and efforts and forsaken so much just to please Him.
Also, if a person doesn't want to even acknowledge Allah's existence it wouldn't be fair to expect to receive the rewards He offers. Similarly, a person who worships another god besides Allah, or no god at all and expects to receive credit for good deeds done for the sake of this other god or just to "be nice" is also invalid. This is like trying to buy a bottle of milk from a shop in New Zealand using money from Latvia. Even if the amount of money was the equivalent of $100, no shopkeeper here is going to accept it as payment!
The disbelievers refuse to acknowledge even the very existence of Allah in this life (let alone following His commands), yet some arrogantly expect to be able to get away with disowning and denying their Creator, Who gave them life, food, wealth and countless blessings despite their rebellion.
After people have been questioned and given their book of deeds on the Day of Resurrection, their Reckoning will complete. The Reckoning evaluates a person's deeds to determine their worth, so all that remains now is to determine the amount of reward or punishment based on the evaluation of these deeds. To do this, the Balance is used.
Balance
The Balance will be set up to weigh people's deeds. Islamic texts indicate that the Balance is actually a real balance. It has two pans in which will be weighed people's deeds and records, as well as words and people.
With regard to the weighing of words the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"'Two words which are light on the tongue but will weigh heavily in the Balance and are beloved to the Most Merciful: Subhaan Allah il-'Azeem (Glory be to Allah the Almighty), Subhaan Allahi wa bi Hamdihi (Glory and praise be to Allah).'"
(Hadith)
With regard to the weighing of deeds the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"'There is nothing that will be placed in the Balance that will weigh more heavily than a good attitude. The one who has a good attitude will attain thereby the status of one who fasts and prays (a great deal).'"
(Hadith)
"'Allah will separate a man belonging to my ummah (people) in the presence of all creatures and will spread ninety-nine scrolls for him, each scroll extending as far as the eye can see. Then He will say, 'Do you object to anything in this? Have my scribes who keep note wronged you?' He will say, 'No, my Lord.' He will ask him, 'Do you have any excuse?' He will say, 'No my Lord.' Allah will say, 'On the contrary, you have with Us a good deed, and you will not be wronged this Day.'A slip of paper will then be brought out, on which are the words 'Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasooluhu' (this is the Shahada (testimony of faith), which in English states: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger").
Allah will say, 'Bring your weight (i.e., the scrolls).' The man will say, 'O Lord, what is this slip of paper in comparison to these scrolls?' And He will reply, 'You will not be wronged.' The scrolls will then be put in one side of the Balance and the slip of paper in the other, and the scrolls will become light and the slip of paper heavy, for nothing could compare in weight to the name of Allah."
(Hadith)
The Balance is huge, and its size known only to Allah.
"The Balance will be set up on the Day of Resurrection, and if the heavens and the earth were to be weighed in it, it would be sufficient to carry them. And the angels will say, 'O Lord, who is this for?' Allah will say, 'For whomsoever I will from among My slaves.'"
(Hadith)
It may be that there is one Balance for all people, or each person has their own Balance.
"And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account"
(Qur'an 21:47)
It should also be noted that good deeds wipe out bad deeds. So if a Muslim (or a non-Muslim) has made mistakes and committed sins, the best way to remedy the situation is to sincerely repent to Allah and do lots of good deeds, for these will weigh very heavily in the Balance on the Day of Resurrection.
The Balance will then have determined a person's reward and/or punishment. A person is rewarded in Paradise and punished in Hell. All believers will be rewarded in Paradise at some stage, even if they must be punished for some time in Hell first to atone for their sins. It is the hope of every Muslim to proceed directly to Paradise without having to spend even a second undergoing the indescribable torment in Hell. It would be foolish for a Muslim to be complacent about this time in the Hellfire, thinking that it is 'only for awhile'. Would anyone gladly hold their hand in a burning flame or drink boiling water for even a moment - let alone a minute, an hour, a day or longer? Any person should take the punishments in Hell very seriously and seek to enter Paradise at the first possible chance. There is no way a person can judge how long they will spend in Hell (if at all) and so therefore, one should strive to do good and not make assumptions about how long they will spend there. Allah replies to similar comments made by the Jews in the following verse in the Qur'an:
"And they (Jews) say, 'The Fire (i.e. Hell-fire on the Day of Resurrection) shall not touch us but for a few numbered days.' Say (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to them): 'Have you taken a covenant from Allah, so that Allah will not break His Covenant? Or is it that you say of Allah what you know not?'"
(Qur'an 2:80)
Whilst the time for the believers in Hell is indeed limited (although we have no idea how long this is actually for as it will vary from person to person as Allah wills), the punishment the disbelievers will undergo in Hell is eternal and will never, never, ever end.
The People who Never Received the Message of Islam
"Every time a group is cast therein [into Hell], its keeper will ask, 'Did no warner come to you?' They will say, 'Yes indeed; a warner did come to us, but we belied him and said: 'Allah never sent down anything (of revelation), you are only in great error.'"'
(Qur'an 67:8)
and
"And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a prison at the arrival of its prisoners). And its keepers will say, 'Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves, - reciting to you the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day of yours?' They will say: 'Yes, but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!'''
(Qur'an 39:71)
It is clear from the above that for those disbelievers who have heard about Islam, yet they still died in a state of disbelief, they will abide forever in Hell.
It has also been mentioned previously here that Allah is the Most Just. So what then of the people who never hear about Islam because perhaps they live somewhere remote, or they are deaf for example? These people do not believe, so is Hell their destination also? To the best of our knowledge, the answer is that these people will be tested on the Day of Resurrection by Allah and those who obey will enter Paradise and those who disobey Allah will enter Hell.
This is supported by the following hadith whereby the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said:
"'There are four (who will protest) to Allah on the Day of Resurrection: the deaf man who never heard anything, the insane man, the very old man, and the man who died during the fatrah (the interval between the time of 'Eesa (Jesus, PBUH) and the time of Muhammad (PBUH)). The deaf man will say, 'O Lord, Islam came but I never heard anything.' The insane man will say, 'O Lord, Islam came but the children ran after me and threw stones at me.' The very old man will say, 'O Lord, Islam came but I did not understand anything.' The man who died during the fatrah will say, 'O Lord, no Messenger from You came to me.' He will accept their promises of obedience, then word will be sent to them to enter the Fire. By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, if they enter it, it will be cool and safe for them."
(Hadith)
For everyone else who hears
the message of Islam in a sound and correct form (and rejects it), this evidence
will be brought against him/her. Whoever dies without having
heard the message, or having heard it in a distorted form, then his case
is in the hands of Allah. Allah knows best about His creation, and He will
never treat anyone unfairly.
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