Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S.) Admonishes A Denier Of Resurrection

Al Imam Ja’far Al Sadiq (a.s) Admonishes A Denier Of Resurrection
Knowledge of the hereafter

It is mentioned in Usool-e-Kafi, Hadis: 2; in Kitab Ut Tawheed that Imam Sadiq (A.S.), during his sermons, told Ibne Abil Awjaa: “If what the religious people say is true, and doubtlessly it is true, then the believers will certainly get salvation, and you will be destroyed. And if what you say (denial of Qiyamah and accounting) is true, though it is certainly not true, even then both of you (the believers and the deniers) will be on an equal footing.”

Ibne Abil Awjaa said: Is not our and their word the same? The Hazrat said: How can it be same or equal when they (religious people) believe that Qiyamah will surely arrive and there also will be reward or punishment and when they also believe that the sky is full of its residents and that the Creator of all the skies and the earth is Only One God, you say that skies are void and that there is no God…”

You have seen that in this Hadith the Hazrat (A.S.) used the argument of cautiousness for providing Resurrection. This is the minimum argument. Otherwise there must be certainty of belief about the Day of Judgement. Doubtfulness or hesitation is not at all enough, not even mere imagination.

Resurrection Is Great

We hear news about Qiyamah but imagine that it is an ordinary matter, though we give much importance to this world, the same world which the Lord Creator of the Universe has termed a 'plaything': Inna Mal…Lahv (Surah Muhammad: 47, V: 36)

But about Qiyamah, which is an ordinary thing in our (mistaken) view has been given much importance by God and He has called its news “The Great News”. (Anna ba in Azeem)

Am Ma…Azeem (Surah Nabaa: 78, V: 1)

Doubtlessly Qiyamah is very great. It will be the Day when all the first and last (earlier and latter) human beings will be made to assemble. Such a huge gathering will be such that in it, everyone will be worrying about his or her result (consequences of deeds before death). All will be weeping and wailing save a few about whom we shall talk later on.

Amr Became Frightened By Qiyamah

Amr bin Maadikarb was one of the most famous brave and courageous men among Arabs. History of Islam has recorded him as one of the biggest warriors in a number of battles. Once, when he was a polytheist, he visited the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) invited him to Islam, and said: If you will believe in Islam, God Almighty will protect you from Faza-e-Akbar (the greatest fright on the Day of Resurrection). He asked: O Muhammad! What is Faza-e-Akbar? I am so tough-hearted that no fright can make me frightened. The Holy Prophet said: 'O Amr! It is not so, as you imagined. It will be a tremendously frightening noise/voice which will make all the dead alive and make all the living die, except those whom God wishes that they should not die. Then again there will be a terrible roar which will make all the dead stand and line up. The sky will be fragmented. All the mountains will break up and become scattered. Thus there will be no living being whose heart will not be throbbing furiously due to fear, remembering the sins committed by it. All will be worrying only about their own selves except those whom God wills (that they may not become restless). O Amr! What do you think?

In short, the Holy Prophet described the frightening events of Qiyamah in such a manner that the whole body of Amr began to tremble. He said: What should I do to avoid that fright on the most terrible day? The Holy Prophet said: Say 'Laa Ilaaha Illallaah' (There is no God except Only One God).

So Amr instantly became then and there along with his entire people.

Red Hot Earth Under Denier’s Feet

On that day, wherever a man looks he will see only frightening things. The condition of this earth will be totally changed. In addition to all that we have said earlier, the ground of Resurrection will also become alive and intelligent. It will remain stable, calm and wise under the feet of the believers but the same earth/ground will turn into a burning piece of land under the feet of a denier and will be red hot, giving out flames. No curtain or veil or barrier will be seen over there, no tree nor a mountain. Everyone will look at one another. All will be human beings but their faces will be changed. In this world all are alike but on the Day of Judgement, they will take shapes and forms according to their deeds (before death).

Different Faces In The Field Of Mahshar (Grand Assembly)

Yawma…Afwaajaa (Surah Nabaa: 78, V: 18) meaning: The day the Trumpet will be blown and you will come up in various groups.

It is mentioned in Tafseer MajMa Ul Bayaan that Muaaz asked for the explanation of this verse from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) who replied: You have asked a very important thing. Then the eyes of the Holy Prophet became tearful. He said: On the Day of Judgment, my community (Ummah) will be divided into ten groups. God Almighty will cut all those ten from the Muslims. He will change theirs faces and appearances. Some will come in the shape of monkeys, some in the form of of swines, hands and legs of some will be cut off, some will be blind, some deaf and dumb. One of those groups will arrive in the grand field chewing their own tongues, dirt dripping from their lips the bad foul of which will make all restless. One group will arrive on their heads (legs up) and will get punishment in the same position. One group will be hanging on branches of fire. One group will be spreading an obnoxious and foul smell which will be worse than that of the dead corpses. One group will be wearing shirt made of Qitran which will stick to their bodies.

People asked: O Messenger of God! Who will be these people?

Fate Of Backbiters, Usurers And Corrupt People

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) said:

1- Those who assume the forms of monkeys will be backbiters. They create enmity between two parties and carry one's talk to the other, and make them quarrel.

2- Those who will be seen as swines will be eaters of unlawful earning. For example, who give (in trade or business or bargaining) less than due, who are dishonest in their dealings with others and who mix up bad things with good to earn unlawfully and who usurp the properties of others.

3- Those who will arrive on their heads will be eaters of interest, the usurers.

4- Those who will be chewing their own tongues will be the ulema (scholars) who did not act according to what they taught to others, whose deeds were different from their words. They had given many sermons but never acted accordingly. Others had benefited from their advice and admonitions but they themselves had remained unfortunate and unlucky. Such scholars will chew their own tongues and will worry very much but to no avail.

Those Who Harassed Their Neighbors, The Oppressive Rulers And The Proud

Those who will arrive with their hands and feet cut off will be those who had harassed their neighbors. Those who will come blind were oppressive rulers who did not do justice. Who are proud and self-centered will come dumb and deaf. Those who were putting innocent people to trouble by reporting falsely against them before rulers will be clinging to branches of fire. Foul smell will emanate from those who were gratifying their passions by resorting to unlawful sexual pleasures and also those who did not pay poor tax (Zakat or purifying deductions). Those who were making a show of their pomp by wearing clothes of pride will be, on that Day, wearing shirts of fire.

It is mentioned in another Hadith that there will also be some people with pokes of fire in their eyes. They will be those who were casting their lustful eyes staring at prohibited men and women.

Offenders Will Be Recognised By Their Face In The Grand Gathering Of Mahshar

Hadith recorder Muhaddith Faiz quotes in his book Ainal Yaqeen: “When a drunkard will arrive in Mahshar field, a bottle of wine will be dangling from his neck and a cup of wine will be stuck to his hand. His body will be spreading an obnoxious and foul smell which will be worse than any dead body's smell. All in that grand gathering will understand that this fellow was a drunkard in his worldly life. Everyone passing by him will curse him.”

The singers and musicians will have their music instruments in their hands which will be hitting their heads. On that Day everyone will be recognized by his condition as to what he was in the world. : Yu'Riful…Aqdaam (Surah Rahman: 41)

How Will They Walk With Their Disfigured Faces?

In the aforesaid book it is also mentioned that: 'Yahshurun…Khanaazeer' meaning: Some people will arrive with faces looking worse than the faces of monkeys and pigs. (These animals will seem good looking compared to them).

The Holy Prophets (peace be upon him and his household) has said: Yahshurun…Wujoohuhum meanings: People will be made to come to the Mahshar field in three conditions: Some on backs of animals, some on foot and some on their own heads (upside down). People asked: O Messenger of Allah! How will they walk on their heads? The Hazrat replied: The one who enabled them to walk on their feet in the world will also enable them to walk on their heads.

Hearts Will Stick To Throats

Wa Anzirhum…Kaazimeen Translation: O Messenger! Warn them of the Day of Qiyamah which is very great and also very near. On that Day hearts of people will come up to their throats due to fright. (Surah Momin: 40, V: 18)

The fear and fright of that terrible Day will make hearts jump from their chests and to stick to their throats. They (hearts) will neither go back to their original place (so that they may feel ease) nor they will jump out so that life may end and one may feel freed. On that Day people's hearts will be full of worries and sorrows.

In short, the fear of some fright on that Day will make hearts jump from their chests and they will stick to their throats and block the passage of breathing. This is a Nuss (Divine Word) of the Holy Quran. Lord Almighty has repeatedly warned of such a fear some day and also said that, on that Day, a brother will run away from his brother and hide his face from him. Man will keep distance from his own parents too and so also from his family members.

Yaw Ma Yafirru…Baneeh (Surah Abas: 80, V: 34-36).

In this Holy verse the Lord of the universe has described the frightful condition of man staying that the terrific fright will disrupt even the closest relations like that between man and wife and father and children and brothers and sisters. All relations will be cut off and everyone will worry breathlessly about him or herself and will find no time to think about others. So, he will avoid it all. The reason for such avoidance could also be that he will fear the demand of their rights which were trampled by him in the world. Man will become almost breathless. Despite such a big gathering the only voice audible on that Day will be like that of bees.

Wa KhaSha Atil Aswat…Hamsaa (Surah Taha: 108).

Translation: Voices on that Day in the presence of the Lord will become so faltering that it will sound like the humming or buzzing of bees.

The Fortunate Ones Who Will Be Safe From The Fear Of Qiyamah

There will also be some groups about whom the Holy Prophet has promised that they will be in safety and peace on that Day Of Resurrection. One such group will be those people who became old and aged as Muslims. Giving honor and respect to such Muslims will provide safety and peace from the great calamity of Qiyamah. If those (respectable) people were their weak aged parents, then giving respect to them will bring further peace. Secondly, help and assistance to poor and suffering people. If a man had helped such a deserving person, for instance had raised up a fallen man or had removed the worry of someone etc. (Safinat-al-Bahar, Vol. 2, p. 360).

Masjid Will Be The Ark Of Salvation In Qiyamah

The mosque in which one was praying regularly with a sincere and zealous heart will be, on the Day of Judgement, brought in the form of a saddle to the grave of that person and he will be made to ride thereon and thus he will be carried to Paradise.

It is mentioned in narrations that a faithful (mo’min) will ask: Where is Pul Siraat (the Bridge)? (Angels) will reply that it has already passed from beneath your riding machine. He will ask: What kind of a rider is it? He replied: This (saddle is the change from those Masjids in which you were regularly and zealously offering Namaz heartfully.

Undoubtedly the Mosque is the house of God. So it must be given every respect. No stone should be left unturned in maintaining its dignity. 

* The Hereafter - Ma'ad. Chapter 3. By Ayatullah Dastghaib Shiraazi (q.s.).