Your Path to Paradise or Hellfire
>» The Grave: This is the first stage of the hereafter: a pit of fire for the hypocrite
and disbeliever and a garden for the believer. We come to know through various
narrations that mention the punishment in the grave for various acts of
disobedience. From them are not cleansing oneself properly from urine, tale bearing
in order to spread strife amongst people, intentionally sleeping through the
obligatory prayers, abandoning the Quran, fornication and adultery, homosexuality,
interest and usury, withholding payment of debts and other sins. Salvation from this
punishment can be achieved by performing good deeds done sincerely for Allah, by
seeking refuge in Allah from his punishment, by reciting Surat al-Mulk [67] , and by
other deeds.



Those who are protected from this punishment and will not face it
include the martyrs, those who died in guard duty, those who died on the day of
Friday (Al-Jumuah) those who died in childbirth, and others.

» This is an immense horn that will be blown by the angel /srafeel who awaits the
command. The first is called the Blowing of Shock: Allah (4) said: “The day the
trumpet will be blown and everything in the heavens and on the earth will be
swoon as Shocked except for those whom Allah wills to exempt,” [27:87] , and
everything will be destroyed. Then after forty years, it will be blown again, the
Blowing of Resurrection, as Allah (48) said : “and then it will be blown again, and
they will be standing, looking.” [39:68]



> Resurrection: Allah will send a downpour of rain and the bodies will sprout
(from the tailbone), and they will be a new creation, one which will never die. They
will be resurrected uncircumcised and naked. They will be able to see the angels
and the jinn, and they will be resurrected according to their deeds.
> The Great Gathering: Allah will gather all creatures for their account. They will
be in shock, in stupor like people intoxicated, for a colossal day, the length of which
will be fifty thousand years. Their time on earth will seem to them as if it were no
longer than a mere hour. The sun will draw near a mile away, and each will perspire
according to their deeds.



The tyrants as well as the weak who followed them will
fall into dispute. Each disbeliever will argue with his patron devil, Satan, and even
his own limbs, and each will curse the other. The unjust wrongdoers will bite their
hands (in remorse). The Hellfire will be dragged before them by 70 thousand
latches, each latch held by 70 thousand angels. When the disbelievers see the
Hellfire, they will wish that they could ransom themselves from the punishment, or
that they could be turned to dust (to escape the coming torture).



The disobedient (of
the believers) will be punished. For instance, the one who refused to pay obligatory
charity (Zakah) will have the money he refused to spend brand him like iron rods.
The arrogant will be resurrected like ants (to be trod upon). The treacherous traitor,
the embezzler and the robber will be exposed. The thief will come with what he
stole [for all to see]. In short, all things hidden will be brought out clearly into the
open. As for the righteous, this day will not frighten them, and it will pass like their
performance of the Zuhr prayer.








> Intercession (Shafa’ah): There is a special intercession besought by Prophet
Muhammad (#@) for all creatures, wherein he will intercede for the removing of
this great tribulation from all people and to let the accountability begin. There will
be other forms of intercession besought by others of creation, such as the prophets,
for removing believers from Hellfire and to raise their levels in Paradise.



>» Accountability (Hisaab): The people will be presented before their Lord in
groups for their deeds to be seen by all and to be questioned. They will also be
questioned about their lives, their youth, their wealth, their knowledge and their
responsibilities, the blessings they received, their faculties of seeing, hearing and
intelligence (how each was utilized and expended). The disbelievers and hypocrites
will be taken to account in the view of all creation to reprimand them, to prove their
guilt, and for people, the earth, the days, the nights, wealth, the angels and their own
limbs stand witness against them.



They will admit their sins and acknowledge them.
As for the believer, each will be given a private session wherein they will admit
their sins to Allah, until, when they think that they will be destroyed, it will be said
to them, ‘I hid them for you in the world and I will forgive them for you today.’
The first people to be taken to account will be the followers of Muhammad (pbuh).
The first deeds of worship taken into account are the obligatory prayers.


The first
disputes to be settled will be those which involve the spillage of blood.
>» The Spreading of the Scrolls of Deeds: The scrolls which recorded each
person’s deeds will then be spread. These will be records “wherein no great or
small deed will be left unaccounted”. The believer will be given the record in his
right hand, whereas the disbelievers and hypocrites will be given theirs in their left
hands and behind their backs.



>» The Weighing Scale (Meezan): The deeds will be weighed on a scale in order for
each to be rewarded accordingly. This scale is a real instrument of measuring with
two hands, wherein the deeds that were sincerely done for Allah and according to
the legislations of Islam will be made heavy. Some of the deeds that will be given
even greater weight are saying laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is nothing rightfully
worshipped except Allah), good character, remembrance of Allah, like the saying of
‘Al-Hamdu lillah’ (all praise be to Allah), ‘Subhaan-Allahi wa bi hamdih (Glory be
to Allah and all praise to him) and the saying of “Subhaan-Allahil-Azeem (Glory be
to Allah the Magnificent). Allah will give and take some people’s good and evil
deeds for others for the evil they did in their lives.



> The Reservoir (Haud): The believers will then come upon a reservoir of liquid.
Whoever drinks of it will never suffer thirst thereafter. For every Prophet there is a
special reservoir, and the greatest is for the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Its water is
whiter than milk, sweeter than honey, and more aromatic than musk. Its vessels are
of gold and silver, the number of which is like the number of the stars; its length 1s
the distance of Jerusalem in Palestine to Aden of Yemen. The water of this
reservoir springs from the river of Paradise called “Al-Kauthar.”

By: https://firdawsacademy.com/