Know, O beloved, that man was not created in jest or at random, but marvelously made and for some great end. ~ Al-Ghazzali

Third Life :: Eternity Begins :: “ Barzakh” ::.
the Intermediate Realm is the dwelling which lies between the world and the life-to-come.

Allah's Apostle (S.A.W.S) said, "When anyone of you dies, he will be shown his destination both in the morning and in the evening, and if he belongs to the people of Paradise, he will be shown his place in Paradise, and if he is from the people of Hell, he will be shown his place in Hell."

~ Hadith Shareef :: Sahih Al-Bukhari :: Volume 4, Book 54, Number 463 :: Narrated Abdullah bin 'Umar

Sayings of Prophet Muhammad
may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him

Barzakh: The realm from death to Resurrection

The soul of the pious is raised up to the heavens
Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when the soul of a believer would go out (of his body), it would be received by two angels who would take it to the sky. Hammad (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters of this saying) mentioned the sweetness of its odour (and further said) that the dwellers of the sky say: Here comes the pious soul from the side of the earth. Let there be blessings of Allah upon the body in which it resides. And it is carried (by the angels) to its Lord, the Exalted and Glorious. He would say: Take it to its destined end.

And if he is a non-believer and as it (the soul) leaves the body – Hammad made a mention of its foul smell and of its being cursed – the dwellers of the sky say: There comes a dirty soul from the side of the earth, and it would be said: Take it to its destined end. Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) put a thin cloth which was with him on his nose while making a mention (of the foul smell) of the soul of a non-believer. (Muslim)

The questioning in the grave
Narrated Hadrat Al-Bara’ bin ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: When the faithful believer is made to sit in his grave (by the angels), then (the angels) come to him and he testifies that none is to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Prophetic Messenger. And that corresponds to Allah’s statement (in the Qur’an):

Allah keeps firm those who believe in the Word that stands firm. (14:27) (Bukhari)

The grave is Paradise for the pious
Hadrat Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: The grave is a Garden out of the gardens of Paradise or a ditch out of the ditches of Hell-fire. (Tirmidhi)

Souls of believers are in birds
Hadrat Abd al-Rahman bin Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from his father that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: the soul of a believer is in a bird and hangs in a tree in Paradise till Allah will return it to his body on the Day He will raise him up. (Malik, an-Nasai, Bayhaqi)

The Prophets are preserved in their graves
Hadrat Aws bin Aws ath-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: Allah (The Glorified and The Exalted) has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets. (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasai, Ibn Majah)

Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: The Prophets are alive in their graves, praying to their Lord. (al-Bazzar, Abu Ya‘la)

Hadrat AbdAllah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: Verily, Allah has angels that roam the earth and convey to me the greetings of my community. (an-Nasai, Ibn Hibban)

Forth life :: Equilibrium ::. At the blowing of the horn man rises from the grave. The forth life extends from the time when a person leaves his grave for the Resurrection and the Gathering, until the moment when mankind enter the Garden or the Fire.

:: Judgment Day :: The Balance and the Bridge (As-Sirat) :: The Hawd (lake) Kawthar (river) :: The Intercession ::

Abu Huraira said, "Allah's Apostle (S.A.W.S) said, 'Between the two sounds of the trumpet, there will be forty." Somebody asked Abu Huraira, "Forty days?" But he refused to reply. Then he asked, "Forty months?" He refused to reply. Then he asked, "Forty years?" Again, he refused to reply. Abu Huraira added. "Then (after this period) Allah will send water from the sky and then the dead bodies will grow like vegetation grows, There is nothing of the human body that does not decay except one bone; that is the little bone at the end of the coccyx of which the human body will be recreated on the Day of Resurrection."

~ Hadith Shareef :: Sahih Al-Bukhari :: Volume 6, Book 60, Number 457 :: Narrated Al--Amash

As-Sirat :: The Bridge Over Hell
The Sirat is stretched over Hell. It is the bridge between Paradise and Hell. People cross it in accordance with their deeds. Some cross as quickly as the eye winks; Some cross as if a flash of lightening; Some cross as if wind; Some cross as a noble horse would; Some cross as a camel rider might; Some cross it running, some walking; Some cross it crawling; And some are snatched and thrown into Hell. The bridge has hooks to snatch the people according to their deeds. Whoever passes over it enters Paradise. If they cross the Sirat, they will be halted over a bridge between Paradise and Hell to settle accounts between themselves; If they are cleared and purified, they are permitted to enter Paradise.

::. Al-Hawd :: The Prophet's Pool
In the Court of Judgment is the Prophet's Pool (Hawd) with its water whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, its drinking vessels as numerous as the stars, and its length a (travel for) a month and its width a (travel for) a month. Whoever drinks from it will never thirst.

Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

The Day of Judgement

The signs of the Day of Judgement

Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) as saying: The Last Hour (the Day of Judgement) will not come till the remembrance of “Allah, Allah”, is not uttered in this world. (Muslim)

Hadrat Hudhayfa bin Asid al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) came to us all of a sudden (one day) while we were busy in a discussion. He asked: What are you discussing about? They (the Companions) said: We are discussing about the Last Hour. Thereupon, he said: It will not come until you see ten signs beforehand and (in this connection) he mentioned the Smoke (ad-Dukhan); the Beast; Dajjal (Anti-Christ); the rising of the sun from the west; the descent of Nabi ‘Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon them); (the appearance of) Ya’juj and Ma’juj (God and Magog); and land-slides in three places, one in the east, one in the west, and one in the Arabian Peninsula; at the end of which fire would burn forth from the Yemen and would drive people to their place of assembly. (Muslim)

Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: How will you be when the son of Maryam (that is, Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon them), descends amongst you, and he will judge people by the law of the Qur’an and not by the law of the Injil (Gospel). (Bukhari)

Vivid Qur’anic description of the Day of Judgement

Hadrat AbdAllah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said: If anyone would like to look at the Day of Resurrection as though it were before his eyes he should recite: “When the sun is folded up”,* “When the sky is split open,** and “When the sky bursts open.”*** (Ahmad and Tirmidhi)

*(Qur’an, Surah 81)

**(Qur'an, Surah 82)

***(Qur'an, Surah 84)

The blowing of the trumpet

Hadrat Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) as saying: “How can I be at ease when the one who blows the trumpet (that is, Israfil, peace be upon him) has put it to his mouth, inclined his ear and bent his forehead waiting to see when he will be ordered to blow it.” Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) was asked what command he had to give them and he told them to say, “Allah is sufficient for us and what an Excellent Guardian He is.” (Qur'an, 3:173) (Tirmidhi)

The dead will be brought to life

Harat Abu Razin al ‘Uqayli (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he asked Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) how Allah (The Glorified and The Exalted) would restore all things and what indication there was of that in His creation. He replied, “Have you not come by the farm of your people when it was barren, then come by it when it was shaking with greenery?” When he replied that he had, he said, “That is Allah’s sign in His creation and thus will Allah (The Glorified and The Exalted) bring the dead to life.” (Razin)

The sun will be brought near

Hadrat Al-Miqdad (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) say: On the Day of Resurrection, the sun will be brought near the created beings till it is about a mile from them, and mankind will sweat according to what they had done, the sweat reaching the ankles of some, the knees of others, the waists of others, while some will have their mouths covered by the sweat and Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) pointed his hand at his mouth. (Muslim)

The balance sheet of deeds

Related Sayyidatina Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her): “I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) making the supplication in some of his Prayers (Salah): O Allah! Judge me leniently on the Day of Judgement. Thereupon, I asked him. ‘O RasulAllah! What is meant by lenient reckoning?’ RasulAllah (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) replied: “It means that the bondsman’s Book of Deeds is seen and passed over (that is, he is not questioned about it). The truth is, O ‘Aisha, that he will be lost whose Balance Sheet of Deeds is examined on the Day of Judgement.” (Ahmad)

Justice will be done

Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) once asked his Companions: “Do you know who is a pauper?” The Companions replied that a pauper is a person who had no money or property. The Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) elucidating the point said: “A pauper from among my followers (Ummah) is one who will come on the Day of Judgement with a record of Salah (Prayers) and Sawm (fasting) and Zakat (payment of poor due) but also he had abused somebody, slandered someone, usurped the goods of another person, had killed someone or beaten yet another person. Then all the oppressed persons will receive a part of the aggressor’s good deeds. Should his good deeds fall short (of his aggression), then the aggrieved person’s sins and faults will be transferred from them to him, and he will be thrown into the Fire (of Hell). (Muslim)

Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: Truly, everyone will get his rights on the Day of Judgement, even the wrong done to a hornless goat by a horned goat will be redressed. (Muslim)

Allah will cover up shortcomings

Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: One who covers up the shortcomings of somebody in this world will have his shortcomings covered up by Allah on the Day of Judgement. (Muslim)

The Bridge, the Scales and the Pond

Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he asked Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) if he would intercede on his behalf on the Day of Judgement. “I will”, the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) replied. “So, where should I look for you on the Day of Judgement?” enquired Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him). “When you need me, first of all look for me at Sirat (The Bridge)”, said the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). “And if I do not find you there?” asked Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him). “Look for me, then, at the Mizan (the Scales),” replied the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). “Where may I seek you”, asked Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), “if you are not near the Mizan as well?” “Then look for me at the Hawd (the Pond). I will not go away from these three places at that time,” the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) replied. (Tirmidhi)

Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) will intercede

Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: I shall be pre-eminent amongst the descendants of Adam on the Day of Resurrection and I will be the first intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted (by Allah). (Muslim)

People from his Ummah will intercede

Hadrat Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: Some of my people will intercede for a large number, some for a tribe, some for a group, and some for a single man, till they enter Paradise. (Tirmidhi)

Allah will shower His Mercy

Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: Allah has a hundred mercies, one of which He has sent down to be divided between humans, the jinn, birds, cattle, and insects, by which they have compassion and mercy towards each other. And He has saved ninety-nine mercies with which He will be merciful to His slaves on the Day of Judgement. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Fifth Life :: Eternal Realm the Final Abode :: The Fire and the Garden ::.

The Prophet (S.A.W.S) said, "There is a tree in Paradise (which is so big and huge that) if a rider travels in its shade for one hundred years, he would not be able to cross it."

~ Hadith Shareef :: Sahih Al-Bukhari :: Volume 4, Book 54, Number 474 :: Narrated Anas bin Malik

O God !
If I adore You out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!
If I adore You out of desire for Paradise,
Lock me out of Paradise.
But if I adore You for Yourself alone,
Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty.

~ Rabi´a al-Adawiyya (r.a)

The one who explains, lies.
How can you describe the true form of Something
In whose presence you are blotted out?
And in whose being you still exist?

~ Rabi´a al-Adawiyya (r.a)

S.A.A.S. / S.A.W.S.

These letters are abbreviations for the words "Salla Allahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam", which means : may the blessing and the peace of Allah be upon him.

When the name of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.S) is mentioned, a Muslim is to respect him and invoke this statement of peace upon him.

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