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The Day of Resurrection 5 – The Sirat bridge and Hawd

ByShaykh Haytham Tamim

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 sincerity and goodness of their deeds and the quality of their faith. Some will pass like lightning, some like the wind, and others will walk or crawl. Hooks and thorns will snatch people according to what they deserve.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

مَدْحَضَةٌ مَزِلَّةٌ، عَلَيْهِ خَطَاطِيفُ وَكَلاَلِيبُ وَحَسَكَةٌ مُفَلْطَحَةٌ، لَهَا شَوْكَةٌ عُقَيْفَاءُ تَكُونُ بِنَجْدٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا السَّعْدَانُ، الْمُؤْمِنُ عَلَيْهَا كَالطَّرْفِ وَكَالْبَرْقِ وَكَالرِّيحِ وَكَأَجَاوِيدِ الْخَيْلِ وَالرِّكَابِ، فَنَاجٍ مُسَلَّمٌ وَنَاجٍ مَخْدُوشٌ وَمَكْدُوسٌ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ، حَتَّى يَمُرَّ آخِرُهُمْ يُسْحَبُ سَحْبًا.

Then the bridge will be brought and set up over Hell. We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is the bridge?’ He said: ‘A smooth and slippery place, in which there are hooks and spikes and broad iron-hooks with curved thorns like the seed found in Najd called al-Sa‘daan. The believer will cross over it like the blink of an eye, or like lightning, or like the wind, or like powerful horses or camels. Thus one will be safe, another will be scratched, and another will plunge into the fires of Hell, until the last one will be dragged across it.’

(Bukhari and Muslim)

Light and dark

On that Day, believers will have light, but disbelievers and hypocrites will not. The light will be according to the believers’ good deeds. Allah the Exalted states that the believers who spend in charity will come on the Day of Resurrection with their light preceding them

يَوْمَ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَسْعَى نُورُهُم بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِمْ بُشْرَاكُمُ الْيَوْمَ جَنَّاتٌ

On the Day you will see the believing men and women, their light running before them and on their right; [it will be said:] Glad tidings for you this Day of Gardens beneath which rivers flow.

(Surah Al-Hadid 57:12)

Abdullah bin Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that this means they will pass over the Sirat according to their deeds: some of them will have a light as large as a mountain, some as a date tree, some as big as a man in the standing position.
The least among them has a light as big as his index finger, it is lit at times and extinguished at other times.”

In contrast, the hypocrites and disbelievers will be without light. Allah says:

يَوْمَ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتُ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا انظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ قِيلَ ارْجِعُوا وَرَاءَكُمْ فَالْتَمِسُوا نُورًا فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ لَّهُ بَابٌ بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّحْمَةُ وَظَاهِرُهُ مِن قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ

On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.” It will be said, “Go back behind you and seek light.” And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.

(Hadid 57:13)

Ad-Dahhak commented on this ayah that when they arrive at the Sirat, the light of the hypocrites will be extinguished. When the believers see this, they will be concerned that their light also will be extinguished, just as the light of the hypocrites was. This is when the believers will invoke Allah, `O our Lord! Perfect our light for us.”‘ Others reported from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him that when the people are gathering in darkness, Allah will send light, and when the believers see the light they will march towards it. This light will be their guide from Allah to Paradise. When the hypocrites see the believers following the light, they will follow them. However, Allah will extinguish the light for the hypocrites and they will say to the believers “Wait for us! Let us get something from your light.” The believers will reply by saying, “Go back to your rear to the dark area you were in, and look for a light there!” Allah will erect a wall between them, with a gate in it.

Some scholars say that the wall is the partition between Paradise and Hell (7:46) – one contains mercy and the other torment. The hypocrites will call the believers: “Were we not with you” meaning “Were we not with you in the life of the world, attending Friday prayers and congregational prayers? Did we not stand with you on Mount Arafah during Hajj, participate in battle by your side and perform all types of acts of worship with you”. The believers will reply, “Yes, you were with us, but you led yourselves into temptations, you looked forward to our destruction; and you doubted (in faith ) and you were deceived by false hopes. They looked forward to destruction of the truth and its people, they doubted resurrection and they were deceived by false hopes. They remained in this state until they died, deceived by Shaytan. They were present by their hearts were devoid of imaan and they were there to show off. The hypocrites lived among the believers, married among them, but were betraying them even when they were associating with them. They will be given a light on the Day of Resurrection, but the light of the hypocrites will be extinguished when they reach the wall. They will be complete darkness. Those who sinned will be desperate for light. Meanwhile, each believer will carry a light that reflects the strength of their imaan. Some will have brilliant light stretching far ahead, while others will have only a faint glow that flickers on and off as they walk.

This means that a person’s actions, from their worship such as salah, zakah and fasting, as well as truthfulness, and patience, will all turn into light on that Day. Those who lived with strong imaan will walk steadily and briskly, while others will move slowly, stopping whenever their light dims.

The believers will cross onward, guided by their light, while the others will remain behind in darkness and regret.

The Prophet’s Pond (Hawd)

Believers will reach the Pond of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. They will arrive thirsty from the heat of the gathering, and before them will be the blessed pond that Allah has granted to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Its water will be whiter than milk, sweeter than honey, and its fragrance finer than musk.

The cups will be glittering like stars, and each believer will drink from one of them, and whoever drinks once will never feel thirst again.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لآنِيَتُهُ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ عَدَدِ نُجُومِ السَّمَاءِ وَكَوَاكِبِهَا أَلاَ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الْمُظْلِمَةِ الْمُصْحِيَةِ آنِيَةُ الْجَنَّةِ مَنْ شَرِبَ مِنْهَا لَمْ يَظْمَأْ آخِرَ مَا عَلَيْهِ يَشْخُبُ فِيهِ مِيزَابَانِ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ مَنْ شَرِبَ مِنْهُ لَمْ يَظْمَأْ ‏.‏

By Him in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the vessels would outnumber the stars in the sky and its planets shining on a dark cloudless night. These would be the vessels of Paradise. He who drinks out of it (the Cistern) would never feel thirsty.
(Muslim)

Imagine the pond glimmering with light and rows of cups sparkling like the night sky. The Prophet ﷺ will be there, welcoming his followers with kindness and saying, “Come and drink!”

The Prophet ﷺ will recognise members of his Ummah by the shining marks of wudu on their hands, faces, and feet

لَكُمْ سِيمَاءُ لَيْسَتْ لِأَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَم تردون عليّ غرّاً من أثر الْوضُوء

You will have a mark which will not be possessed by anyone belonging to other peoples. You will come down to me with a white blaze on your foreheads and white marks on your hands and feet because of the trace of ablution.

(Muslim)

The Prophet ﷺ said:

وَحَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الضَّبِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا نَافِعُ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْجُمَحِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ حَوْضِي مَسِيرَةُ شَهْرٍ وَزَوَايَاهُ سَوَاءٌ وَمَاؤُهُ أَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْوَرِقِ وَرِيحُهُ أَطْيَبُ مِنَ الْمِسْكِ وَكِيزَانُهُ كَنُجُومِ السَّمَاءِ فَمَنْ شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلاَ يَظْمَأُ بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا ‏”‏ ‏.‏
إِنِّي عَلَى الْحَوْضِ حَتَّى أَنْظُرَ مَنْ يَرِدُ عَلَىَّ مِنْكُمْ وَسَيُؤْخَذُ أُنَاسٌ دُونِي فَأَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ مِنِّي وَمِنْ أُمَّتِي ‏.‏ فَيُقَالُ أَمَا شَعَرْتَ مَا عَمِلُوا بَعْدَكَ وَاللَّهِ مَا بَرِحُوا بَعْدَكَ يَرْجِعُونَ عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ

My Cistern (is as wide and broad that it requires) a month’s journey (to go round it) all, and its sides are equal and its water is whiter than silver, and its odour is more fragrant than the fragrance of musk, and its jugs (placed around it) are like stars in the sky; and he who would drink from it would never feel thirsty after that.

I would be on the Cistern so that I would be seeing those who would be coming to me from you, but some people would be detained (before reaching me). I would say: My Lord, they are my followers and belong to my Ummah, and it would be said to me: Do you know what they did after you? By Allah, they did not do good after you, and they turned back upon their heels.

(Muslim)

We see from this that true love for the Prophet ﷺ means following his Sunnah. And we have been taught to make the dua:

‏‏ ‏ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ نَرْجِعَ عَلَى أَعْقَابِنَا أَوْ أَنْ نُفْتَنَ عَنْ دِينِنَا

O Allah, I seek refuge with Thee that we should turn back upon our heels or put to any trial about our religion.

 

Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) served the Prophet ﷺ for 10 years and grew up in the prophetic house, so he was like one of his children. One day he asked the Prophet ﷺ to intercede for him on the Day of Judgment, and the Prophet ﷺ said he would. So Anas asked where he would find him on that day. The Prophet ﷺ said he would be at the Sirat (bridge), and if he did not find him there, he should seek him at the scales and if not there, then at the Hawd (pond). Saying that he would not be missed at these three locations. We do not know from this hadith whether this is the sequence in which these events will take place.

“I asked the Prophet ﷺ  to intercede for me on the Day of Judgement. He said: ‘I am the one to do so.'” [He said:] “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Then where shall I seek you?’ He said: ‘Seek me, the first time you should seek me is on the Sirat.'” [He said:] “I said: ‘If I do not meet you upon the Sirat?’ He said: ‘Then seek me at the Mizan.’ I said: ‘And if I do not meet you at the Mizan?’ He said: ‘Then seek me at the Hawd, for indeed I will not be missed at these three locations.'” (Tirmidhi)

 

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