Is it a must to believe in the Last Day?

Yes. Belief in Allāh and the Last Day are inextricably linked. Denial of Yawm al Ākhir places a person firmly in kufr, may Allāh preserve us from that. Allāh says,

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا آمِنوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسولِهِ وَالكِتابِ الَّذي نَزَّلَ عَلىٰ رَسولِهِ وَالكِتابِ الَّذي أَنزَلَ مِن قَبلُ ۚ وَمَن يَكفُر بِاللَّهِ وَمَلائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَاليَومِ الآخِرِ فَقَد ضَلَّ ضَلالًا بَعيدًا

O you who have believed, believe[1] in Allāh and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allāh, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray.

Sūrah an Nisaa’, 4:136

Are the words about the Last Day metaphorical, or will this be a ‘real’ event?

Yawm al Ākhir is al Hāqqah, the Inevitable Reality. It is a promise that will be fulfilled. It is a Day upon which all those who denied it or disagreed over it, will come to realise that it is, in reality, fact and not fiction: 

عَمَّ يَتَساءَلونَ عَنِ النَّبَإِ العَظيمِ الَّذي هُم فيهِ مُختَلِفونَ كَلّا سَيَعلَمونَ ثُمَّ كَلّا سَيَعلَمونَ

About what are they asking one another? About the great news[2] – that over which they are in disagreement. No! They will come to know. Then, no! They will come to know.

Sūrah an Naba’, 78:1-5 

فَكَيفَ إِذا جَمَعناهُم لِيَومٍ لا رَيبَ فيهِ وَوُفِّيَت كُلُّ نَفسٍ ما كَسَبَت وَهُم لا يُظلَمونَ

So how will it be when We assemble them for a Day about which there is no doubt? And each soul will be compensated (in full for) what it earned, and they will not be wronged.

Sūrah Āli ‘Imrān, 3:25

Will anyone be available to help us that day? 

No, except by the Permission of Allāh سبحانه وتعالىٰ,   

يَومَئِذٍ لا تَنفَعُ الشَّفاعَةُ إِلّا مَن أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحمٰنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُ قَولً

That Day, no intercession will benefit except (that of) one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and has accepted his word.

Sūrah Tā Hā, 20:109

What about our friends and supporters on earth? Can they help us?

الأَخِلّاءُ يَومَئِذٍ بَعضُهُم لِبَعضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا المُتَّقينَ

Friends will be powerless to help friends, brothers will be unable to help brothers. Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous.

Sūrah az Zakhruf, 43:67

What about the ones we love or who love us, our family, our relatives?

Even your own kith and kin, whom you loved so much on earth, will be too preoccupied with saving themselves on that mighty Day. It will be a Day of rank selfishness. Allāh warns us, 

وَلا يَسأَلُ حَميمٌ حَميمًا يُبَصَّرونَهُم ۚ يَوَدُّ المُجرِمُ لَو يَفتَدي مِن عَذابِ يَومِئِذٍ بِبَنيهِ وَصاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخيهِ وَفَصيلَتِهِ الَّتي تُؤويهِ وَمَن فِي الأَرضِ جَميعًا ثُمَّ يُنجيهِ

And no friend will ask (anything of) a friend, they will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children, and his wife and his brother and his nearest kindred who shelter him, and whoever is on earth entirely (so) then it could save him.

Sūrah al Ma’ārij, 70:10-14

Parents will offer kids as ransom? How can that be?

That’s what we are told. Your parents, who had compassion for you whilst you were on earth, will think only of themselves on that Day. Mothers, people who are revered for their mercy towards their own children, will abandon that mercy and their children on that day! Those little ones will just have to try and save themselves, 

يَومَ تَرَونَها تَذهَلُ كُلُّ مُرضِعَةٍ عَمّا أَرضَعَت وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذاتِ حَملٍ حَملَها وَتَرَى النّاسَ سُكارىٰ وَما هُم بِسُكارىٰ وَلٰكِنَّ عَذابَ اللَّهِ شَديدٌ

On that Day you will see it, every nursing mother will be distracted from that (child) she was nursing, and every pregnant women will abort her pregnancy.

Sūrah al Hajj, 22:2

When will the Last Day take place?

Only Allāh knows, but He tells us that it is near,

يَسأَلُكَ النّاسُ عَنِ السّاعَةِ ۖ قُل إِنَّما عِلمُها عِندَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَما يُدريكَ لَعَلَّ السّاعَةَ تَكونُ قَريبًا

People ask you concerning the Hour. Say, “Knowledge of it is only with Allāh and what may make you perceive? Perhaps the Hour is near”

Sūrah al Azhāb, 33:63

The word ‘Hour’ mentioned above (As Sa’ah) is another name for Last Day. It’s proximity, should be a warning to us all. Don’t spend your life procrastinating about obeying Allāh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. Don’t waste precious moments believing that you have time to change your ways. No! It’s better to better yourself now! Your calling to account is closer than you think,

إِنّا أَنذَرناكُم عَذابًا قَريبًا

Indeed We have warned you of a near punishment - Sūrah an Naba’, 78:40

Are there any clues that it might be very close?

Yes, there are certain signs, which can help us gauge whether or not Yawm al Ākhir is near. These ashrātas sa’ah (Signs of the Hour), have been spoken of extensively in the hadith. Here are just a few examples of the minor signs:[3]

1.      Religious knowledge will be taken away;

2.      Earthquakes will increase in number;

3.      Time will pass quickly;

4.      Killing will increase;

5.      A man passing by the grave of someone will wish that he were in his place;

6.      Wealth will become abundant;

7.      The sun will rise from the west.

8.      A slave girl will give birth to her mistress and master;[4]

9.      Barefooted, destitute goat-herders will vie with each other in the construction of tall buildings;

10.   General ignorance in religious matters will increase;

11.   Zina (illegal sexual relations) will prevail;

12.   Men will increase in number and the number of women will decrease, leading to a 1:50 ratio;

13.   Drinking of alcohol will prevail;

14.   Power and authority will fall into the hands of unfit people;

Okay, so we don’t know exactly when the Hour will arrive, but it is a certainty?

Yes, Allāh informs us that its time has already been fixed,

إِنَّ يَومَ الفَصلِ كانَ ميقاتًا يَومَ يُنفَخُ فِي الصّورِ فَتَأتونَ أَفواجًا

Indeed, the Day of Judgement is an appointed time. The Day the Horn is blown and you will come forth in multitudes.

Sūrah an Naba’, 78:17-18

 Notice here that it is the blowing of a piercing trumpet that will announce the onset of the Last Day.

Yes. That verse also mentions people coming in ‘multitudes.’ What does that mean?

The ancient scholar Attabari[5]  states that, ‘it means every community will come forth with its messengers.’ Indeed, Allāh reminds us,

يَومَ نَدعو كُلَّ أُناسٍ بِإِمامِهِم

(Mention, O Muhammad), the day we will call forth every people with their leader[6]

Sūrah al Isrā’, 17:71

That’s a lot of people!

 Yes. Everyone, who has ever existed, will be raised to life. They will rise from the earth like vegetables growing from the ground,

Abu Hurairah.  رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم said “between the two blows of the trumpet, is forty.” They asked, “forty days?” He replied, “I refuse (to answer)”. They asked, “forty years?” He said, “I refuse.” Then he said, “Then Allāh will send down from the heaven water causing mankind to grow like vegetables (from the earth). Nothing remains of the man except coccyx (tailbone) and from it mankind will be (re-)created on the Day of Resurrection.”

Bukhāri

Indeed, the ground itself will expel them, all the dead and all else buried inside

إِذا زُلزِلَتِ الأَرضُ زِلزالَها وَأَخرَجَتِ الأَرضُ أَثقالَها

When the earth is shaken with its (final) quake, and the earth discharges its burdens

Sūrah az Zalzalah, 99:1-2)

Notice that Allāh mentions the earth will ‘quake.’ It will be a day of total destruction. The earth itself will be levelled flat,

وَيَسأَلونَكَ عَنِ الجِبالِ فَقُل يَنسِفُها رَبّي نَسفًا فَيَذَرُها قاعًا صَفصَفًا

And they ask you about the mountains, so say, “My Lord will blow them away with a Blast. And He will leave it (i.e., the earth) a level plain.

Sūrah Tā Hā, 20:105-106

And notice the reference to mountains being blown away. This single fact alone graphically indicates what that Day will be like. Can you think of anything more firm or secure than mountains? Trees are firm but they can be chopped down. Buildings are firm, but they too can collapse. Mountains carry powerful connotations of strength in our minds, but on the Last Day they will be like tufts of cotton wool [101:5] or like clouds passing across the sky [27:88]

What else are we informed about, that will happen?

What follows is just one from amongst many descriptions of this Dreadful Day,

إِذَا الشَّمسُ كُوِّرَت وَإِذَا النُّجومُ انكَدَرَت وَإِذَا الجِبالُ سُيِّرَت وَإِذَا العِشارُ عُطِّلَت

وَإِذَا الوُحوشُ حُشِرَت وَإِذَا البِحارُ سُجِّرَت وَإِذَا النُّفوسُ زُوِّجَت وَإِذَا المَوءودَةُ سُئِلَت

بِأَيِّ ذَنبٍ قُتِلَت وَإِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَت وَإِذَا السَّماءُ كُشِطَت وَإِذَا الجَحيمُ سُعِّرَت

وَإِذَا الجَنَّةُ أُزلِفَت عَلِمَت نَفسٌ ما أَحضَرَت

When the sun is wrapped up (in darkness), and when the stars fall dispersing,

And when the mountains are removed, and when the full term she-camels are neglected,[7]

And when the wild beasts are gathered, and when the seas have overflowed into each other, And when the souls are united, and when the girl (who was) buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed,[8]

And when the pages (of deeds) are spread (made public), and when the sky is stripped away,

And when Hellfire is set ablaze, and when Paradise is bought near,

(Then) each soul shall know what it has brought (with it, i.e., deeds).

Sūrah ath Takweer, 81:1-14

Can I ask about Paradise and Hellfire?

Insha’Allāh, we will examine those places in the next chapter. In the meantime, here is a beautiful hadith about the Last Day, to reflect upon and follow,

Narrated Abu Huraira, The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, Allāh will give shade, to seven, on the Day when there will be no shade but His:

·    A just ruler,

·    A youth who has been brought up in the worship of Allāh,

·    A man whose heart is attached to the mosques,

·    Two persons who love each other only for Allāh's sake and they meet and part in Allāh's cause only;

·    A man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for illicit intercourse with her and says: “I am afraid of Allāh;”

·    A man who gives charitable gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given;

·    And a person who remembers Allāh in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears.

Bukhāri

Islām around the world

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