The Prophet ﷺ wrote a letter to Heraclius, the Byzantine Empreror who reigned from 610-641 CE, known to the Arabs as Qaysar (Caesar). It was the period following the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, between the sixth and eighth year after the Muslims had migrated to Madinah. Around this time, the Prophet ﷺ sent letters to the…
Nearly there… The believers, having endured the wait for the reckoning to begin, some shaded beneath the Throne of Allah, others standing in sweat that reached their ankles, knees or even their necks, will have witnessed the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ until reckoning began. They would have been sorted into groups, had their deeds…
Hell is brought forth For disbelievers and sinners, the angels will drag Hell itself into view. Allah says: وَجِاْيٓءَ يَوۡمَئِذِۭ بِجَهَنَّمَۚ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ And Hell, that Day, will be brought forth. On that Day man will remember, but what will remembrance avail him then? (Al Fajr 89:23) The Prophet ﷺ said: عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ…
The end of death Finally, after the people of Paradise have entered Paradise and the people of Hell have entered Hell, death itself will be brought in the form of a ram and slaughtered. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ؤْتَى بِالْمَوْتِ كَهَيْئَةِ كَبْشٍ أَمْلَحَ فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ، فَيَشْرَئِبُّونَ وَيَنْظُرُونَ فَيَقُولُ هَلْ تَعْرِفُونَ هَذَا فَيَقُولُونَ…
Al Araf Who are the people of Al Araf? In Surat Hadid (57:13), Allah mentions there is a barrier partitioning the believers and disbelievers. In Surat al Araf, Allah mentions people who are positioned in a high place, Al Araf. This can be imagined as a plain or watchtower above the border that allows the…
The Bridge (Sirat) After the judgment, everyone will have to cross the Bridge (Sirat), which is placed over the top of Hellfire. The Prophet ﷺ described it as: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ الْجِسْرَ أَدَقُّ مِنْ الشَّعْرَةِ وَأَحَدُّ مِنْ السَّيْفِ It is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. (Muslim) Every person will cross according to…
The Scales (Al-Mizan) When judgment begins, Allah will set up the scales of justice so that every deed is weighed with complete fairness. The mizan (scales) of the Day of Resurrection are real and physical, not metaphorical. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us that they will have two pans (kiffatan), just like ordinary scales, but their…
Reckoning begins Finally, the great judgment begins. Every person will be shown their deeds, nothing will be forgotten or hidden. Allah says: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدۡحٗا فَمُلَٰقِيهِ فَأَمَّا مَنۡ أُوتِيَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَسَوۡفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابٗا يَسِيرٗا وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِۦ مَسۡرُورٗا وَأَمَّا مَنۡ أُوتِيَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ وَرَآءَ ظَهۡرِهِۦ فَسَوۡفَ يَدۡعُواْ ثُبُورٗا وَيَصۡلَىٰ سَعِيرًا إِنَّهُۥ…
The second blast of the trumpet The second blast of trumpet will be the beginning of the creation of each new body for each soul. After we die, our bodies decay and turn to dust, but one small part of our body never disappears, no matter what happens. The Prophet ﷺ said: كُلُّ شَىْءٍ مِنَ…
Names of the Final Day The Day of Resurrection is known in the Qur’an by many names, each showing a different stage of that great event. Yawm al-Qiyamah (the Day of Rising) refers to when all people are brought back to life from their graves and stand before Allah for judgment, while Yawm al-Hashr (the…
The unity that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ achieved among his people stands as one of the most extraordinary social transformations in human history. Before Islam, Arabia was a land scarred by vengeance, tribal wars, and moral decay. Entire generations perished in feuds that began over pride or pastures. Class, lineage, and bloodline determined worth; women…
The impossible In Surat Maryam, Allah Almighty talks about Zakariya and his request for a child. In the first story, Allah Almighty highlights the status of Zakariya and describes his supplication. He said: قال رب انى يكون لي غلام وكانت امرأتي عاقرا وقد بلغت من الكبر عتيا He said, “My Lord, how can I…
Istisnaʿ is a sale contract where a buyer (the mustasniʿ) requests a manufacturer or seller (saniʿ) to produce or construct a specific item according to agreed specifications, for an agreed price and delivery time. In the previous session, we mentioned that the salam contract originally began in an agricultural society. Farmers usually lacked cash…
When the Muslims were besieged in Madinah by a confederation of tribes, their faith was tested to its limits. The Qur’an describes that terrifying moment: إِذْ جَاءُوكُم مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ وَبَلَغَتِ الْقُلُوبُ الْحَنَاجِرَ وَتَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ الظُّنُونَا “When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when…
We recite this surah every Friday, because it brings the light of guidance. One of the ways it guides us is by showing us the different types of people we come across in daily life. Surat al-Kahf as a Mirror of Society This surah speaks not only of four trials but shows us an array…