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The Nature of Fire of Hell and
the Nature of the Garden of Paradise and what Allah has
prepared therein for its inhabitants |
Day of
Resurrection
Abu Hurairah
(may Allah be pleased with him) is reported as hading said:
“Allah’s Messenger
(may
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)
once said:
‘When the Day of
Resurrection has finally arrived, and all creatures have
gathered together on a single piece of high ground “for a
Day of which there is no doubt,” a black shadow will
envelope them, and the darkness will be so intense that they
will not be able to see one another. The assembled
creatures will be standing on the balls of their feet [as
they try to peer upwards], even though the distance between
them and their Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He) will still
be that of a journey that takes seventy years to complete.’
Allah the Exalted
Manifests Himself to Angels
“He then went
on to say
(may
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him):
‘While they are in
that situation, the Creator (Blessed and Exalted is He) will
suddenly make Himself manifest to the angels. The earth
will at once become radiant with the light of its Lord, and
the darkness will vanish away. All those creatures will
thus be enveloped in the light of their Lord, while the
angels are circling around the Heavenly Throne, hymning the
praise of their Lord and celebrating His holiness.’
Record of Deeds
and Scales Brought Forward
“He then
continued
(may
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him):
‘While those
creatures are all standing there in rows, with each
religious community lined up in a separate area, the record
sheets and the balance will suddenly be bought to the fore.
The record sheets will be laid in the scale, while the
balance is held suspended by the hand of one the angels, and
they will sometimes cause it to rise up high, and at other
times to sink down low.’
Unveiling of
Paradise and Hell to the Assembled Creatures
“To this he
added
(may
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him):
‘While they are in
that state, lo and behold, the screen will suddenly be
removed from the Garden of Paradise, which will then be
bought nearer. A wind will blow forth from inside it, and
the Muslims will discover that it has a fragrant aroma like
musk, even though the distance between them and the Garden
of Paradise is still that of a journey that normally takes
five hundred years to complete.
‘The lid will then
be removed from Hell, and a wind will blow forth from it,
together with a terrible cloud of smoke. The wicked sinners
will thus discover that it has a stinking aroma, even though
the distance between them and Hell is still that of a
journey that normally takes five hundred years to complete.
‘He will then be
bought closer, dragged along by means of an enormous chain,
to which it has been firmly tied. Nineteen keepers, chosen
from among the angels, will be tugging at that chain, and
each of those keepers will be accompanied by seventy
thousand other angels, serving as his assistants. While
each of the nineteen keepers, together with his assistants,
take a turn in dragging hell along, the other keepers,
together with their assistants, will be walking to the right
and left of it, and following up behind it. Each and every
angel amongst them will hold in his hand grappling hook made
of iron. They will shout and bellow as they goad Hell
along, but its slow progress will be made to the
accompaniment of moaning and sighing, staggering and
stumbling, clouds of gloom and smoke, rattling and clanking
noises, and a towering inferno stoked by the fury of its
rage against its own inhabitants. Thus they will eventually
install it in a position midway between the Garden of
Paradise and the place where the resurrected creatures are
kept standing.
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