T H E LI V ES

OF MAN
A SU FI M A S T E R EXPL A INS
T H E H U M A N S T A T ES:
B E F O R E LIFE, IN T H E W O RL D ,
AND AFTER DEATH

Imam Abdallah Ibn A l a w l A l- H addad

T R A N SL A T E D FR O M T H E A R A BIC BY
M O S T A F A A L-B A D A W I

F O NS VIT A E

Q U IL L I A M PR ESS
 T H E T H IR D L I F E

T h e Intermediate Realm

T he third life extends from the tim e a man leaves the dunya at
death until the mom en t he rises from his grave at the b low ing
o f the H orn. T h is is the Intermediate Realm [Barzakh]. G od
the E xalted has said: A nd behind them is a barzakh until the day
when they are raised. [23:100]
W hen a M usli m dies, and his death is confir m ed, he has to
be prepared for the grave. T h us he must be washed,
shrouded, and prayed over [jandza], all o f w hich must be
done according to the Prophetic Sunna. H is relatives, neigh
bours, and friends must be inform ed, and also the people o f
goodness and virtue, so that th ey m ay pray and ask m ercy for
him, and attend his funeral. It is recom m en ded that w hoever
is inform ed o f the death o f his broth er M usli m should say:
‘ We are G o d ’s and to H im w e shall return’20 and then: ‘ O
God! Place his record in 'I lliyy l n ,21 record him as a man o f
excellence [muhsin], provide a successor for him in caring for
his fa m ily in the ephemeral w orld , and forgive us and him , O
Lord o f the W orlds!’22
N ex t, one can pray som e more for him, and praise him as a
good man, for the Prophet has said, m ay blessings and peace
be upon him: ‘ M en tion the goodness o f your dead, and
refrain [from men tioning] their w ic k ed n ess.’ A n d there is
another hadith w ith the sense that: ‘Y o u are G o d ’s witnesses
on earth, those w ho m you praise w ill be thus [i.e. praise
w o r t h y].’23 H o w ever, exaggerated praises bordering on or
actually becom ing lies are to be avoided.
T he Intermediate Realm is the abode w hich lies between
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the w orld and the life-to-com e. It has more affinity With the
latter, and is in fact a part o f it. It is a place w here spirits and
spiritual things are predom inant, w hile physical bodies are
secondary but share w ith the spirits in their experiences,
wheth er felicity and j o y , or torm ent and grief.24 Spirits
endure, w h ile bodies decay and grad ually dissolve so that
nothing remains except the low er m ost tip o f the spine, from
w hich they w ill be form ed anew at the Resurrection, as is
recorded in hadith. T h e excep tion is the bodies o f the
Prophets, upon them be blessings and peace, for th ey are
alive in their graves, and so are the m artyrs w ho died in
G o d ’s path. Do not think that those who are slain in the way o f
God are dead. N ay, they are living, with their Lord, provided for.
[3:169] ‘ T h eir spirits will be inside green birds w h o freely
m ove in the Garden , and retire in to lanterns attached to the
T h ro n e.’ [Hadith.] It has also been related that the souls o f
believers w ill be inside w hite birds w hich feed on the
G arden’s fruits.
M uch rew ard lies in escorting funerals, praying for the
dead and attending their burial. In a sou nd hadith it is said:
‘ A n yon e w h o escorts the funeral procession o f a M usli m
until he prays for him shall receive one measure o f the
reward. I f he remains until he is buried, he receives tw o
m easures— and each measure is the size o f M ou n t U h u d .’
A n d it has been said that w hen ever som eone escorts the
funeral o f his brother M usli m , G od orders the angels to
escort his o w n funeral and pray over him w hen he dies.
It is recom m en ded that people w ho have died be m oved
qu ickly to their graves. ‘ W hen a funeral procession is ready
and the men lift him up, i f the person had been righteous it
says: “ A dvance! A dva nce!” If, h ow ever, the dead person had
been oth erw ise it w ould say: “ W oe is me! W here are you
taking m e?” ’ [Hadith.] ‘ M ak e haste w ith the funeral proces
sion. I f he had been righteous, yo u are ta king him on to
goodness, whereas i f he had been oth erwise, it is an evil
w hich you w ill unload from yo u r n ec ks.’ [H adith.]
T h e dead person perceives and is aware o f those w ho
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wash, shroud, and bury him. It has been said that his spirit is
held by an angel w h o stands near him and w alks w ith it in his
funeral, so that he hears all that is said about him, whether
good or evil.

The Torment o f the G rave

W hen he is laid out in his grave it is recom mended that those
w ho put him there say: ‘In the nam e o f God, and according
to the religion o f the M essenger o f G o d .’25 It is also
recom men ded that those w h o are near the grave put three
handfuls o f dust on it, saying w ith the first: ‘ From it did We
create you’ w ith the second: ' T o it shall We return you’ and wit h
the third: ‘ A nd from it shall We bring you forth another time’ .
[20:55] T hen dust should be ve ry gradually and gen tly
poured over him until the grave is filled and evened, after
which the people present should remain for a w hile reading
Q u r’an, and ask ing forgiven ess and firm ness for him , for
according to a hadith this is the tim e w hen he w ill be
questioned by the t w o angels, M u n k ar and N ak lr, w h o are
the grave’s torm entors. T h ey ask: ‘ W ho is yo u r Lord? W hat
is your religion? W ho is yo u r Prop het?’ T hose w h o m G o d
gives strength then say: ‘ M y Lord is G od, Islam is m y
religion, and M u h am m ad is m y Pro p h e t.’ B u t those w h o m
God allows to sw erve w ill be confused and hesitating, ju st as
in the w orld th ey had been doubtful, tortuous, neglectful o f
G o d ’s orders, and prone to violate H is prohibitions. T h ey
say ‘ Er! E r! I do not k n o w !’ — as has been men tioned in sound
hadiths. T h ey w ill then strike him, and his grave w ill tigh ten
arou nd him and fill w ith torture.
A s for the firm believer, h ow ever, w h o w as established in
faith and observance during his life, he w ill be given good
tidings by the angels, his grave w ill be spacious and filled
w ith both ligh t and delight, his good w or ks w ill surroun d
him: his prayers, fasts, charity, recitations o f Q u r’ an, and

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remembrance o f G o d the E xalted; all these things w ill drive
a w ay any terrors or fears that m ay co m e near him. ‘T h e
grave is either one o f the G arden’s m eadows or one o f the
F ire’s p its.’ [H adith.] ‘I have n ever seen anything more
terrifying than the grave’ . [H adith.]
W henever ‘ U t h m an ibn ‘A ffan , m ay G o d be pleased with
him , came near a grave he w ep t so much that his beard
became wet. Som eon e once rem arked to him that w hen he
men tioned the G arden and the Fire he n ever w ept as much,
and he said: ‘ I heard the M essenger o f G od, m ay blessings
and peace be upon him, say: “ T h e grave is the first o f the
H ereafter’s stages. I f one is saved fro m it then w hat comes
next is easier, but i f one is not saved fro m it, then w hat com es
n ext is even h arder.’”
T h e M essenger o f G od, m ay blessings and peace be upon
him, said: ‘ T h e grave has an oppressive tightness, and w ere
[it possible for] anyon e to escape this, Sa'd ibn M u adh w ou ld
have done so ,’ — for he is the one for w ho m the T h ro n e o f
the A ll- M ercifu l sh oo k .26
It is said that the torment o f the grave is m ostly the
consequence o f three things: slander, calu m ny, and not
guarding o n eself against being soiled w ith urine. T h ere are
t w o hadiths relating to this: ‘ M uch o f the grave’s torm ent is
from urin e.’ A n d there is the inciden t in w hich w hen the
M esse nger o f G o d , m ay blessings and peace be upon h im ,
heard tw o men being torm ented in their graves, he ask ed for
palm t w igs and put them on their graves, saying that their
suffering m igh t be relieved to a certain extent for as long as
they remained moist. H e then rem arked that they w ere being
tormen ted, and not for com m itting anything major. O ne o f
them was had becom e used to calu m ny, and the other did not
clean h im self fro m urine.
H e frequen tly asked protect ion, m ay blessings and peace
be upon h im , fro m the grave’s torm ent, and urged others to
include this in their supplications follo w in g the tashahhud o f
every ritual prayer, and in their even ing and m orn ing
invocations. F or the grave’s torm ent is real, and so is its bliss:

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bliss for the people o f faith and obedience, torm en t for those
o f disbelief, h ypocrisy, depravity, and rebellion. Each o f the
tw o groups differs in the in tensity o f bliss or torment in
proportion to h o w they differed in the w orld in their doing
those things w hic h attract rew ard and bliss, or chastisement
and torment.
Spirits are subject to the gra ve’s bliss or torment much
more than bodies, although both share in it. T here are
differences o f opinion [a m ong scholars], but the truth is, as
w e said, that both spirits and bodies are subject to the grave’s
bliss or tormen t.

H ow the Living may help the D ead

Praying for the dead, ask ing forgiven ess for them, and giving
charity on their beh alf are som e o f the things G o d causes the
dead in their graves to benefit fro m and be protected by.
T here are m any hadiths about this, and m any fine and
virtu ous people have witnessed it in their dreams. Sa'd ibn
'U bad a, m ay G o d be pleased w ith him , once said to the
M esse nger o f G o d , m ay blessings and peace be upon him:
‘ M y m oth er’s soul departed suddenly, and had she been able
to speak she w o u ld have given alms. W ould it bring benefit
to her i f I did so on her behalf?’ ‘Y e s!’ he replied. So he d ug a
well [for people to take w ater from] and said: ‘ T h is is on
beh alf o f Sa'd’s m o t h er.’
A n d another man said: ‘ O M essenger o f G od! M y parents
have died; is there anything left w ith w hich I m ay be goo d to
them?’ A n d he replied: ‘ T here are fo ur things: praying and
ask ing forgiven ess for them, carrying out their prom ises,
being good to their friends, and givin g proper attention to
those kinship bonds w hich could o n ly have been attended to
by th em .’
A n d the Prophet said, m ay blessings and peace be upon
him: ‘ W ere it not for the living the dead w ou ld have been

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doom ed’; in oth er w ords, because o f the prayers and requests
fo r forgiven ess and for m ercy w h ic h th ey receive.
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon h im: ‘ M y
N atio n is a nation covered with m ercy. Its mem bers enter
their graves w ith sins li ke unto the moun tains, and leave their
graves h aving been forgiven because the living h ave asked
forgiven ess for the dead. ’
f* It is related that the gifts o f alms, prayers, and Q u r’anic
recitation sent by the living to the dead reach them carried by
the angels on plates o f light, and adorned w ith silk han d ker-
chieves, and th ey say to them: ‘ T h is gift is fro m so-an d-so’ ,
and in this w ay they fin d j o y and delight.
A dead man w as once seen in a dream and, upon being
questioned about his state, said that he had been greeted by
an angel w h o attempted to burn his face w ith a flame held in
his hand. B u t one o f the living said: ‘ G o d have m ercy on
so-an d-so!’ — and the flame wen t out.
O ne o f the greatest things w hich one m ay offer to the dead
is to recite Q u r’ an and send on the rew ard for it. T h is is o f
great benefit and baraka. T h e M uslim s have agreed on this
everyw h ere throughou t the ages, the m ajority o f scholars
and virtu ous people have recom m en ded it, and there are
hadiths to confirm this. A lthough these hadiths have w eak
chains o f transm ission, there is a principle, as the hadith
scholar al-Su yu tl (m ay G od sh ow him H is mercy) has said,
that: ‘ W eak hadiths m ay be acted upon when they indicate
acts o f goo d n ess.’ A n d these are indeed acts o f goodness.
A ll the Q u r’ an is blessed and beneficial, but the m ost
beneficial th ing to offer to the dead is Surat al-Ikhlas eleven
times, and this has been seen in m any blessed dreams. Eac h
person should recite this noble sura the said n um ber o f times,
either each night, each day, or m ore, or less, or even o n ly on
T h ursd ay nigh t, and offer the rew ard to his parents, teachers,
and all those w h o had rights over him.
H e m ust not forget his dead ones w hen he prays, asks
forgiven ess, or gives alms, lest he in turn be forgotten after
his death, for the one w h o rem em bers is rem em bered, and
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the one w h o forgets is forgotten. Ben evolence goes ahead o f

you, and G o d allo w s not the reward o f those who have done good
to be wasted. [18:30]

Visiting Graves
Y o u should k n o w that it is recom m en ded to visit graves. T h e
M esse nger o f G o d , m ay blessings and peace be upon him,
perm itted this after h aving at first forbidden it. It contains
benefits both for the living visitor and the dead person w ho
receives the visit. T h e Prophet said, m ay blessings and peace
be upon him: ‘ V isit graves, for they are a rem in der o f death.’
A n d: ‘ I used to forb id you to visit graves, but n o w you
should visit them. T h ey render one able to do w ithou t the
things o f the w orld , and rem in d one o f the H ereafter.’ H e
also said: ‘ N o man visits the grave o f his brother and sits by it
but that he [the dead man] finds solace in this, h aving his
spirit restored to him until the visitor departs.’ A n d he said:
‘ A dead [person] in his grave is n ever m ore com forted than
when those that he loved in the w orld pay him a visit. ’
W hen a visitor enters the cem etery or passes it b y he
should say: ‘Peace on you, O place o f believers. W e are
granted respite until to m orrow . T h a t w hich you were prom
ised has com e to yo u , and w e w ill, G o d w illing, rejoin you.
Y o u are our predecessors and w e are your follo w ers. I ask
G od to give us and you w ellbeing. O G od, forgive us and
them!’27
It is recom m en ded to visit the cem etery on T h u rsd ay
night, F riday, F riday night until sunrise, and on M on day, for
it is said— and this is supported b y various narrations— that
the spirits o f the dead return to their graves at those times.
T h e visitor m ust ask for forgiven ess and m ercy for them,
read w h atever Q u r’an he can and m ake over the rew ard to
them; he should rem em ber that soon he w ill go to the same
end, and learn the lessons to be draw n from their condition.
 The Lives o f Man
W hen he visits the graves o f his paren ts, relatives, or anyon e
else w h o had righ ts over him , he m ust sit w ith un h urried
serenity, pray fo r them , and ask abu n dan tly for forgiven ess,
for they rejoice at this, and are glad. W hen he visits the
graves o f righ teous people he should pray in abundance, for
prayers are answ ered at m any such places, as has often been
experienced. T h e to m b o f I m am M usa al-K az im , the son o f
I m am Ja T ar al-Sadiq, is k n o w n in Bagh d ad as the ‘Proven
M ed icin e’ , that is, for prayers to be answ ered and w orries to
be relieved, and so is the tom b o f M a r u f al-K ar k h i, also in
Bagh d ad . So m e o f the noble house o f the 'A la w i Sayyids
used to sit at the to m b o f our master al-F aqlh al- M u qad d am
fo r such lo ng periods, in the heat o f the sun, that sw eat
could have been w r u n g fro m their clothes, w h ile th ey,
because o f their profo u n d concen tration in prayer, w ere
un aware o f this. T h is is reported o f Sh ayk h ‘A bdallah ibn
cA lI and others.
A s for ru bb ing tom bs and k issing them , these are dis
tasteful practices w hich are to be discouraged. E v e n w o rse is
the custom o f circling arou n d them.
So m e h ave said that it is better, i f possible, to stand facing
the top o f the [buried person’s] head. T h e y claim that the
dead are m ore aw are o f those w h o are before their faces, but
G o d k n ows best.
K n o w that the deeds o f the liv i ng are sh o w n to their dead
fa m ilies and relatives: i f these deeds are good they rejoice
and are optim istic, and they pray for them to have firm ness
and rectit ude, but i f these deeds are oth erw ise, they feel sad
and hurt, and th ey pray for them to be guided and given
success in doing good. T h e M essenger o f G o d , m ay bless
ings and peace be upon h im , has said: ‘Y o u r deeds are
sh ow n to yo u r dead relatives and kin. I f they are goo d they
rejoice, and i f th ey are o th erw ise they say: “ O Lord G od!
D o not let them die before Y o u guide them as Y o u guided
us!” ’
A n d he said: ‘Y o u r deeds are sh o w n to G o d on M on d ays
and T h u rsd ays, and to the Prop hets, fathers, and m oth ers
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on F ridays. T h e y rejoice at yo u r goo d deeds, and their faces

g ro w in radiance and in light. T h erefore fear G od, and do not
distress yo u r dead!’

Afterword

K n o w that all creatures shall be assem bled in the Intermediate

Realm betw een the T w o B lasts, fo r at that tim e not a single
creature w ill rem ain alive. T he Horn is blown, and all who are
in the heavens and earth f a ll down in a swoon, save him whom God
wills. [39:68]
T h is is the ‘ F irst B last’ , at w h ic h all living creatures shall
die, so that o n ly G o d , the L iv i n g, the Self-Subsisten t,
remains. T h is is the first phase o f the Rising. T h e second
phase is w h en all the dead are returned to life, b y the
perm ission o f G o d the E xalted: Then it is blown another time,
and there they stand, awaiting. [39:68] Bet w een the tw o Blasts
are forty years.
A s fo r those w h o m G o d excepts (‘save him whom God
wills’), there are m any opin ions as to w h o they are. Som e
com m entators say that they are the A ngels, others say they
are the Pro p hets, others still claim that they are the m artyrs
(and this opin ion is the preferable one); and v iew s oth er than
these also exist.
T h e M essenger o f G od, m ay blessings and peace be upon
h im , said: ‘ T h e D ajjal w ill be raised a m ong m y N atio n , and
shall remain fo r forty. ’ T h e n arrator o f this account said that
he did not k n o w w heth er this meant fo r ty days, m onths or
years. ‘ T h en G o d w ill send Jesus son o f M ary, m ay blessings
and peace be upon h im , w h o w ill loo k like cU r w a ib n M as'u d
al-T h aqafi. H e w ill stalk him , and d estroy h i m .’ T h en people
w ill live for seven years d uring w h ic h there w ill be no en m ity
bet ween any t w o people. T h e n G o d w ill sen d a cold w in d
fro m the directio n o f Syria, and anyon e w ith as m uch as an
a to m ’s w eigh t o f goodness (or— he m ay have said— ‘ faith’ )

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 The Lives o f Man
rem aining on the face o f the earth w ill die, to the extent that
i f one o f yo u should enter into the bow els o f a mountain it
w ill fo llo w him there and kill him. T hose w ho w ill remain
w ill be the w orst o f people, m oving as delicately as birds,
w earing the skins o f predatory beasts, recognising no good,
disapproving o f no evil, and Satan w ill appear to them,
saying: ‘ W ill yo u not obey m y call?’ T h ey w ill answer: ‘ W hat
then should w e do?’ H e w ill com m an d them to w orsh ip idols
and as they do this their provisio n w ill co m e to them and
their lives w ill be com fortable. T h en the H orn w ill be b low n ,
and all those w h o hear it w ill cock their heads to one side,
listening, and the first to hear it w ill be a man pud dling his
cam el’s drin k ing-pon d w ith clay, after w hich everyon e w ill
swoon . T hen G o d w ill send d o w n a driz zling rain, w hich
w ill make the bodies gro w . A t the second B last th ey w ill
stand, awaiting, and it w ill be said: ‘ O people! T o yo u r L o r d!’
and, ‘Let them stand, fo r they are to be questioned!’ [37:24] T hen
it w ill be said: ‘ B ring the F ire’s co n ti ngen t!’ ‘ H o w m any from
h ow m any?’ ‘ F rom every thousand, nine hundred and
ninety-n ine!’ A n d this w ill be the day which renders children
grey-haired [73:17], the day when it befalls in earnest. [68:42]
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘ T h e
H our w ill not co m e for as long as som eone still says “ A lla h” .’
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘ E v il
people w ill rem ain, living like don k eys in chaotic depravity;
it is upon them that the H our shall come. ’
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘ G o d
w ill grasp the earth on the D a y o f R ising, fold up the heavens
in H is right hand and say: “ I am the K ing! W here are the
k ings o f the earth?’”
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘ G od
w ill fold up the heavens on the D a y o f R ising, take them in
H is right hand, then say: “ I am the K ing! W here are the
tyrants? W here are the arrogan t?” H e w ill then fold up the
earth in H is left hand and say: “ I am the K ing! W here are the
tyrants? W here are the arrogan t?” ’
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘ Islam
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 IMAM A L - HA D D AD

will w ear out, in the w ay a garmen t becomes w orn out; until

no-one w ill k n o w w hat fasting, prayer, pilgrim age, or
charity m ight be. T h e B o o k o f G o d the E xalted w ill one
night be taken up, so that not one verse w ill remain on earth.
Som e groups o f people w ill remain in w hich old men and
wom en w ill say: “ W e rem em ber that our parents used to say
La ilaha illa’llah, and so w e say it t o o .’”
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘Y o u
w ill not see the H our before you see ten preceding signs. T he
first w ill be the sun rising from the W est, then the Sm oke,
then the D ajjal, then the Beast, three lunar eclipses, one in the
East, one in the W est, and one in the A rabian peninsula, the
appearance o f Jesus, upon w h o m be peace, then Ju j and
M a’j u j ,28 and the last w ill be a fire co m ing out o f the Ye m en ,
from the lo w er part o f A den . ’
K n o w that k n ow le dge o f w hen the H our w ill co m e is
possessed on ly by G o d the Exalted. N o-o n e else k n ows it.
S ay: Knowledge o f it is only with -my Lord, H e alone will manifest
it in its time. [7:187] Indeed, with H im is the knowledge o f the
Hour. [31:34]
C reated beings m ay, h ow ever, k n ow about those signs
and conditions w hich indicate its im m inen t advent. M an y o f
these, w hich are described in m any sou nd hadiths, have
already com e about, and on ly the m ajor ones such as the sun
rising from the W est, the D ajjal (G od curse him!), the Beast,
and the co m ing o f Jesus remain.

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J udgem en t-day

T h e fourth life extends from the tim e when a person leaves

his grave for the Resurrection and G ath ering, un til the
mom en t w hen m an kin d enter the Garden or the F ire.
G od, W ho is H igh and M ajestic, shall co m m an d Israfil,
upon w h o m be peace, to b low the H orn a second time: A nd
the Horn is blown, and lo, from their graves they hasten to their
Lord! [36:51] Then it is blown another time, and there they stand,
awaiting. [39:69] Those who disbelieve claim that they will not be
raised again. S ay: ‘N ay, by my Lord! You will be raised again, and
then you will be informed o f what you did, and that is easy fo r G od’ .
[64:7] Your creation and your resurrection were only as a single
soul. God is Hearer, Knower. [31:28] H ave they not seen how
God originates creation, then reproduces it? For God, that is easy.
S ay: Walk the land and see how H e originated creation, then God
brings forth the later growth. Indeed God is Able to do all things.
[29:19-20] That is because God, H e is the Truth, and because H e
quickens the dead, and H e is Able to do all things. A nd because the
H our will come, there is no doubt about it, and God will raise those
who are in the graves. [22:6-7] A nd o f H is signs is that you see the
earth lowly, but when We send down water on it, it thrills and
grows. Indeed H e who quickened it is the Quickener o f the Dead.
H e is A ble to do all things. [41:39] A nd he gave us an example,
forgetting his own creation, and said, Who will revive bones which
have rotted away? S ay: H e will revive them Who first originated
them; and H e has knowledge o f every creation. [36:78-9]
A b u Raz ln a l- U q a y l l, m ay G o d be pleased with him , said:
‘ I once asked, “ O M essenger o f G od! H o w does G od
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 IMAMAL-HADDAD

origin ate creation, and w h at is the sign o f that in H is

creation?” H e replied: “ H ave yo u n ever crossed yo u r people’s
valley w hen it w as barren, then crossed it again w hen it was
sw aying w it h green ery?” I said: “ Indeed I h ave!” A n d he told
me: “ T hat is H is sign in H is creation” . ’
In his b oo k called The Memorial, al- Q urt ubl, m ay G od
show him H is m ercy, men tions a lo ng hadith narrated by
A b u H urayra, m ay G o d be pleased w ith him, w h o said: ‘ T h e
M essenger o f G o d , m ay blessings and peace be upon him,
once spo k e to us, a group o f his C o m p a n io n s.’ A n d he
narrated the hadith until he came to H is saying (M ajestic is
H is praise!): O n the day when the earth shall be changed to other
than the earth, and the heavens, and they will come forth before
God, the O ne, the Invincible, [14:48] after w hich he said that
the M essenger o f G o d con tin ued thus:

H e w ill level it, then spread it just as an ‘ U k a z i29

leather rug is spread, so that you will see neither
crookedness nor curvature. [20:107] G od w ill then drive
the people in one cry, [79:13] and they w ill be in the
changed earth in the same state they had been in
before, those w h o w ere inside it w ill be inside it, and
those w h o w ere on its surface w ill be on its surface.
T hen G o d w ill send do w n upon you from beneath
the T h ro n e w ater called T h e L ife [al- H ayawan ], and it
shall rain for forty days, until the w ater has risen
tw e lve arm-lengths above you. T hen H e w ill give
H is com m an d to the bodies, w hich w ill gro w j u st as
plants and vegetables gro w , until, when yo u r bodies
are as fu lly form ed as th ey had been, G od the E xalted
shall declare: ‘Let the Bearers o f the T h ro n e return to
life!’ — and this w ill take place— then: ‘Let Gabriel,
M l k a’Il, and Israfil com e bac k to life!’ A n d IsrafTl w ill
be com m an ded to take the H o r n ,30 after w hich G o d
the E xa lted w ill call the spirits, w h ic h w ill be brough t
to H im , the M usli m s glo w i n g w ith light, the others
dark, and H e w ill cast them in to the H orn, then say

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 The Lives o f Man
to Israfil: ‘ B lo w the Resurrectio n-Blast!’ H e b lows,
and the spirits fly out lik e bees, filling the space
between heaven and earth, and G od w ill say: ‘ B y M y
M igh t and M ajesty! Let each spirit return to its b o d y!’
A n d the spirits w ill repair to their bodies, enter
through the nostrils, and spread as venom spreads in
a man w h o is bitten. T hen the earth shall split apart
from around you, and I shall be the first for w h o m it
shall do so. Y o u w ill em erge as you ng people o f
th irty-t hree, w hile the language on that day w ill be
Syriac. Q u ic k ly they hurry to their Lord. [36:50] H as
tening toward the Summoner, the disbelievers saying: This
is a hard day. [54:8] That is the day o f emerging. [50:42]
A nd we assemble them and leave not one o f them. [18:47]

It has been men tioned in hadith that humans rot aw ay

entirely, w ith the exception o f one bone, the tip o f the
sacrum, w hich is a tiny bone at end o f the spine. W hen
G od, W ho is o f m igh ty A b ility, w ishes to resurrect
man kind, the sk y pours dow n a rain w hich resembles male
sperm, after w hich they gro w from the places w here they
were buried, in the w ay that crops gro w . T h en H e
resurrects Israfil, upon w h o m be peace, and com mands
him to b lo w the H orn for the Resurrection. T h e spirits
w ill then be returned to their bodies and brough t back to
life, by the leave o f G od the E xalted. T h e earth splits open
to let them out, graves are overturn ed, and the bodies and
spirits are su m m oned to stand before G od the E xalted , at
the Stan ding-Place o f the Resurrection: A nd on the day when
We cause the mountains to move, and you see the earth emerging,
and We assemble them and leave not one of them, and they are
set before their Lord in ranks. ‘ You have come to Us as We
created you at first. But you thought that We would set no time
fo r you’. [18:47—8]31 O n the day when the earth splits from
around them, hastening fort h; that is a gathering easy fo r Us.
[50:44]
T h e M essenger o f G od, m ay blessings and peace be upon

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 IMAM A L - HA DD A D

him, said: ‘ A man dies in accordance w ith what he had lived

in, and is resurrected in accordance with w hat he had died in'.
H e also said: ‘ M an kin d shall be resurrected barefoot,
naked, and uncircu mcised, w ith wom en m ixing with the
m en .’ A t this, ‘ A ’isha, m ay G o d be pleased with her,
exclaim ed: ‘ O shame! Each look ing at the oth er!’ A n d he
replied: “ T h e situation w ill be too desperate for them to be
worried by th at.’”
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘People
shall be gathered m ore h u ngry than they had ever been, more
thirsty than th ey had ever been, more naked than they had
ever been, and m ore exhausted than they had ever been.
T hose w h o had given food for G o d ’s sake w ill be fed by
H im , those w h o had given drin k for G o d ’s sake w ill be given
to drin k by H im , those w h o had given clothes for G o d ’s sake
w ill be clothed b y H im , and those w h o had acted for G o d ’s
sake w ill be protected by H im . ’
O nce th ey are out o f their graves they shall be ordered to
w alk to the place o f gathering, w hich, it is said, w ill be the
blessed and h oly land in Sy r ia ,32 tow ards w hic h they w ill be
driven b y the angels. It has also been related that G o d will
cause a fire to co m e from the lo w er part o f A den (or in
another version, from a valley called Barh u t, w hich is in the
south o f H adram aw t) w hic h w ill drive the people tow ard the
land o f the gathering. It w ill accom pany them w herever they
walk, stop w hen they rest, and w ill be w ith them evening
and m orn ing, m oving at the pace o f camels.
People w ill then see their deeds appearing before them:
good ones w ill co m fort and accom pany them, w ic k ed ones
w ill reproach them and make them feel desolate. T h e y m ay
even clim b on their backs and force them to carry them: They
bear their burdens upon their backs. E vil is that which they bear!
[6:31] They will surely bear their own loads and other loads beside
their own, and they will surely be questioned on the D ay o f Rising
concerning that which they had invented. [29:13]
E ac h person w ill be accom panied by his Record ing
A ngels, w h o had taken dow n all his actions in his w o rld ly

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 The Lives o f Man
life: A nd every soul comes, along with it a driver and a witness.
[50:21]
E vil deeds com m itted in the w orld b y people w ho died
unrepentant w ill become manifest upon them: usurers33 for
instance w ill see their stomachs gro w so large that as they
w alk, they are constantly overbalanced b y their w eigh t and
stum ble over. A dulterers w ill see their genitals swell so large
that they w ill h ave to drag them along on the groun d.
A lcohol-d rin kers w ill com e to the G ath ering w ith their cups
in their hands. Liars, backbiters and slanderers w ill see their
tongues lengthen until they reach their chests. T hose w ho
with held their Zaka t w ill have their m oney made manifest in
the shape o f large snakes coiled around them. T h e arrogan t
w ill be b rough t in the form o f sm all ants trodden both by the
good and the depraved. A n d so shall it continue. The guilty
will be known by their marks, and will be seized by the forelocks
and thefeet. [55:41]
T hree groups o f people, described in hadith, are to be
gathered [on the D ay o f Rising]: those w ho w ill ride, those
w ho w ill w al k on their feet, and those w ho w ill w al k on their
faces. For ‘ the O ne w ho made them w al k on their feet is
capable o f m aking them w alk on their faces.’
M u cadh ibn Jabal, m ay G od be pleased w ith him, said: ‘ I
once asked, “ O M essenger o f G od! W hat o f the saying o f
G od, the H igh and M ajestic: O n the day when the Horn is to be
blown, and you shall come in hosts?” A n d the Prophet, m ay
blessings and peace be upon him, said: “ O M u‘adh ibn Jabal,
you ask about a form idable th ing!” T hen he wept abun
dantly, and said: “ T en different kinds [o f people] o f m y
nation w ill be gathered in groups distinct from the groupings
o f the M usli ms. T heir forms w ill have been changed: some
w ill have the forms o f m on keys, others the forms o f pigs,
others will be upside dow n, their legs up wards, being
dragged on their faces. Som e w ill be blind, hesitant. O thers
w ill be d eaf and du mb, lacking in reason; others still w ill be
chew ing their tongues w hich w ill hang on their chests, and
their saliva w ill be pus, so that they disgust the other people
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 I MAM A L - H A D D A D

o f the gathering. So m e w ill have their hands and feet cut off,
some w ill be crucified on tree-trun ks o f fire, some will be
fouler than putrid cadavers, and som e w ill wear flowing
robes o f tar. A s for those w hose forms resemble mon keys:
they are the slanderers. T hose w h o have the forms o f pigs are
the people o f ill-gotten, illicit, and u n lawfu lly taxed money.
T hose w hose heads and faces are beneath them are those who
consumed usury. T h e blind are those w ho ruled tyran nously.
T he d eaf and du mb are those w ho were proud o f their
actions. T hose w ho ch ew their tongues are the ulema and
ju dges w hose conduct differed from their words. T hose
whose hands and feet are cut o f f are those w ho injured their
neighbours. T h e people crucified on trunks o f fire are those
w ho frequently denounced people to the authorities. T hose
fouler than putrid cadavers are those w ho enjoyed passions
and pleasures but with held G o d ’s due in their wealth. A n d
those w ho wear the robes are the arrogant, the boastful, and
the conceited.’” (Related by al- Q urtubi, m ay G od show him
H is m ercy, in his Memorial.)
T he M esse nger o f God, upon w ho m be blessings and
peace, said: ‘People w ill be gathered in a shining white land
resembling pure flour, where there w ill be signs for n o-o n e.’
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him:
‘ M an kind w ill be gathered on a single plain, each w ill hear
the Su m moner, and eyesight w ill be penetrating.’
T his is the ‘standing-place’ [mawqij] o f the D ay o f Rising,
where all creatures w ill be assembled: jin n , men, devils,
cattle, w ild beasts, and predators. T hen the angels, upon
w hom be peace, shall descend to them at G o d ’s com man d,
and surroun d them, rank upon rank, and the criminals and
the unjust w ill find no place to flee. G od has said: O company
o f jinn and men, i f you have power to penetrate all regions o f the
heavens and the earth, then do so! You will never penetrate them
save with [O ur] sanction. Which is it, of the favours o f your Lord,
that you deny? There will be sent against you flames o f fire and
brass, and you will not escape. [55:32-5]
T he gathering-place w ill become crowded: there w ill be

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jost ling and turm oil, and the sun w ill draw near until it is one
mile above their heads. (T he narrator o f this account
remarked that he did not k n o w wheth er this w ould be a mile
in distance, or the ‘ m ile’ w hich is the furthest that can be
seen.)34 T hen people w ill be afflicted b y great hardship, such
heat and thirst that on ly G od k n o w s of: they w ill perspire
until their sweat penetrates the earth to a depth o f seven ty
arm-lengths. T h e Prophet said, m ay blessings and peace be
upon him: ‘ T h e sun w ill come near the earth on the D ay o f
Rising, and peop le w ill sweat. T h ere w ill be some w hose
sweat w ill reach up to their heels, som e for w h o m it w ill
reach the m iddle o f their legs, som e to their knees, som e to
their thighs, som e to their waists, som e to their m ou ths’ —
here he raised his hand to his m ou th— ‘and some w ill be
[com pletely] covered by their sw eat’ — and he put his hand
above his head.
H e also said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘ A man
w ill be under the shade o f his ch arity on the D ay o f Rising. ’
A n d he said: ‘ Seven [kinds o f people] w ill be shaded by
G od under H is Shade on the day w hen no shade w ill exist
save H is: a just leader, a you ng man w h o grew up in the
worsh ip o f G od, a man w hose heart w as attached to the
mosques, tw o men w ho had love for each other in G od,
came together in this and separated in it, a man w ho, w hen a
w om an o f rank and beau ty attempted to seduce him, said: “ I
fear G o d!” , a man w ho concealed his charity so that his left
hand did not k n o w w hat his righ t hand spent, and a man w ho
rem embered G o d when alone, and w hose eyes overflow ed
with tears.’ T h e meaning o f ‘ H is shade’ here is ‘the shade o f
H is T h ro n e’ .
A n d he said: ‘ W hoever reprieves an insolven t man, or
agrees to reduce his debt, w ill be shaded by G od under H is
shade. ’
A n d he said: ‘ W hoever w ishes to behold the D ay o f Rising,
let him recite: When the sun... [81 : i ] and: When the heaven is
split asunder... [84:1]
W hen m an k ind’s standing at this place is prolonged and

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their hardship becomes overw h elm ing, they debate among

themselves to decide w ho m they should go to w ho might
intercede on their behalf, so that their Lord would pass
ju dge m en t on them and they w ou ld be delivered from their
situation. So they go to A dam , upon w ho m be peace, and he
in turn sends them to N oah , upon w ho m be peace, w ho
sends them on to A brah am , upon w h o m be peace. A braham
refers them to M oses, upon w h o m be peace, w ho sends them
on to Jesus, upon w ho m be peace, and Jesus sends them on to
M uham m ad, upon w h o m be blessings and peace. A n d
M uh am m ad says: ‘ I am [the one] for this. I am [the one] for
th is.’ H e goes to his Lord, asks H is perm ission, then
prostrates h im self before H im and praises H im , and H e bids
him raise his head, and tells him to intercede, for he has been
granted intercession. T h e hadiths regarding this are sound and
w ell-k n ow n. It is said that this is the ‘Praiseworthy Station’
[al-maqam al-mahmud] w hich the first and the last o f mank ind
en vy him: It may be that your Lord will raise you to a
praiseworthy station. [17:79]
It has com e dow n to us that M usli m children w h o die
before puberty w ill be perm itted to give their parents to
drink. T h ey w ill m ove th rough the crow d searching for
them at a tim e when thirst w ill be at its ut most. O nce, a
righteous man w h o had resolved never to m arry saw in a
dream that he w as at the standing-place on the D ay o f Rising,
thirsty beyon d description, and there were children with
w ater-bow ls in their hands w hich they gave to some people
but not to others. H e asked them to let him drin k, but they
answered: ‘ W e on ly give w ater to our paren ts’ . In the
morn ing he asked to be married, in the hope that G o d m ight
bestow a child upon him, and that were that child to die he
would be given to drin k in that awefu l situation. W e ask G od
for H is kindness, and for wellbeing through H is grace.
Amin!
D istress and terror w ill increase to such an extent that the
disbelievers w ill say: ‘ O Lord! Release me, even i f it be to the
F ire!’ W hen the M essenger o f G od, upon w ho m be blessings

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 The Lives o f Man
and peace, intercedes with his Lord, ask ing for judgem en t
to be passed and the people to be released, H e w ill issue H is
com man d to the angels w h o carry the T rem en dous T hrone,
and they w ill carry the T hron e o f the A ll- M ercifu l to the
Standing-Place. T h e Garden is then brough t to the right o f
the T hrone, and the Fire to the left, and mankind w ill be
brough t before G od to be ju dged. Som e w ill be subjected to
no rec koning at all— and these are the Forem ost [al-sabiqun]\
some w ill be gen tly called to account, and others harshly,
and anyone w ho w ill be harshly questioned w ill [inevitably]
be tormented. So m e w ill be given their books in their right
hands, som e in their left, and som e behind their backs.
G od the Exalted shall ask the M essengers about their
com m un ication o f the M essage to their nations, and shall
ask those nations whether the M essengers had co nveyed it:
Then We shall question those to whom [O ur message] was sent,
and We shall question the Messengers. With knowledge shall We
speak to them, and never were We absent. [7:6] So m e faces w ill
become w hite and some w ill gro w blac k. On the day when
some faces will be whitened and others blackened. As fo r those
whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: D id
you disbelieve after your [profession of] fa ith? Then taste the
punishment fo r having disbelieved. A nd as fo r those whose faces
have been whitened, they dwell in the mercy o f God for evermore.
[3:106-7]
A ll people w ill be made to stand before G od to be
questioned about their deeds. T h e M essenger o f G od, upon
w ho m be blessings and peace, said: ‘ T here is not one o f you
w ho w ill not be spoken to directly by G od, w ith no
interpreter between them. Y o u shall look to the right and
see nothing but that which you had sent ahead, to the left
and see nothing but that w hich you had sent ahead, before
you and see nothing but the Fire before your face. So
protect yo u rself from the Fire, even with [as little as] h alf a
date [as c h arity].’
A n d he said: ‘ T he feet o f a man w ill not m ove [from the
Standing-Place] until he is questioned about four things: his
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 IMAM A l - H A D D A D

youth and h ow he spent it, his life and h ow he used it, his
wealth, h ow he earned it and h o w he spent i t’— and in one
version [o f the hadith]: ‘and his actions, what they wei;e’ .
T his is the tim e w hen peop le’s tongues, hands, feet, and
skins shall bear witness as to w hat they did. It has been
suggested that the ‘skins’ [juliid] meant here are the genitals.
O n the day when their tongues, their hands and their feet testify
against them as to what they used to do. [24:24] This day We seal
up their mouths, and their hands speak to Us, and their feet bear
witness as to what they used to earn. [36:65] A nd they say to their
skins: Why do you testify against us? They say: God has given us
speech, even H e Who gives speech to all things. [41:21]
Si m ilarly, each place on earth shall testify as to what they
had done on it, wheth er good or evil. G od the Exalted said:
That day it will relate its news. [99:4] T h e M essenger o f God,
upon w ho m be blessings and peace, said: ‘ D o you k now
what its ‘n ew s’ are? It w ill test ify against each o f G o d ’s
slaves, man or w om an, [and relate] what they have done. It
will say: he did such-and-such a thing on such-and-such a
d a y.’ A n d the hadith continues.
H e also said, as reported by Ibn 'U m ar, m ay G od be
pleased w ith him: ‘ G od w ill d raw H is believing slave nearer
[to H im] until H e shelters him; then H e w ill ask him about
his sins, and he w ill keep confessing [to one after another]
until when he fears that he is lost, H e w ill say: “ I concealed
them for you in the world, and I shall forgive you for them
today” . ’
T his prolonged and hard situation m ay be made easier for
the devou t believer; [it m ay be shortened to the extent that] it
becomes o n ly as long as [the tim e taken to perform] an
obligatory prayer, or, in another version, the time between
the noon and afternoon prayers. T h is has been affirm ed in a
hadith.35
O ne o f the most distressing situations for mank ind at the
Stan ding-Place shall be w hen G o d orders the Fire to be
brought, led by seven ty thousand halters, each halter held by
seven ty thousand angels. W hen it comes near to mankind
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 The Lives o f Man
and they hear its breathing, its roars, and oth er terrifying and
hideous noises, they w ill fall to their knees. E ve n the
Prophets w ill becom e fearful, and the innocent w ill be afraid,
to the extent that each o f the noble M essengers, m ay peace be
upon them, w ill say: ‘ O Lord! M yse lf! M yself! I beseech Y o u
for no-one else!’ T h e excep tion shall be G o d ’s M essenger,
upon w h o m be blessings and peace, w ho w ill keep saying:
‘ M y nation! M y nat ion!’ It has been related that he will
advance tow ards the Fire and drive it back fro m man kind. It
has been ordered to obey him, and w ill allow the angels
hold ing its halters to take it to the left o f the T hrone.
T h e rec koning is recorded, and every creature is given its
due, even the cattle. It has been said that the hornless goat
shall exact its retribution from the horned one. T hen, w hen
the animals have received their dues fro m each other, G o d
w ill say to them: ‘ Becom e d ust!’ A t that the disbeliever will
say: ‘ Would that I were dust!’ [78:40]

The Balance and the Bridge

T hen the Balance [Mizan\ shall be erected for the w eigh ing o f
deeds. A s G o d the Exalted has said: A nd We set a just balance
fo r the D ay o f Rising, so that no soul is wronged in anything.
Though it be the weight o f a mustard grain, We bring it forth, and
sufficient are We as Reckoners. [21:47] The weighing that day is
true. As fo r those whose scales are heavy, they are the triumphant.
A nd asfo r those whose scales are light, they are those who have lost
their souls because o f the wrong they used to do to O ur revelations.
[7 : 8- 9 ]
G oo d and evil deeds shall both be w eigh ed. T hose people
w hose good acts ou tw eigh the bad are the victors and the
fortunate, w h ile those w hose evil ones ou tw eigh the good
have lost and failed. A s for those w hose goo d and evil deeds
are equal, it is said that they w ill be stood on the A craf
between the Garden and the Fire, after w hich, through G o d ’s
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 IMAM AL -HADDAD

M ercy, they w ill go on to the Garden. It is related that there

w ill be an angel standing at the Balance, w ho, when the
balance is h eavy, w ill announce: ‘So-a n d-so, son o f so-an d-
so, has a heavy balance; he w ill be in such bliss as w ill never
be follo w ed by hardship!’ A n d w hen the balance is light he
w ill proclaim: ‘So-a n d-so, son o f so-an d-so, has a light
balance; he w ill suffer and never k n o w happiness again!’
T h e B ridge [Sirif] shall be t h row n across H ell and man
kind w ill be ordered to cross it. It is related that it w ill be
sharper than a sw ord , narrow er than a hair, and that people
w ill have to cross it wit h their deeds. T hose w hose faith is
m ore perfect and w h o w ere quicker to obedience, w ill be
light, and shall cross as [sw iftly as] light ning. [ O thers w ill be]
lik e the w in d, others like birds, others like the best o f horses,
others like riders, others li ke strong men burdened by their
deeds, others w ill go on hands and knees, som e w ill be
scorched by the Fire, and others w ill tu mble into it. T h e first
to cross w ill be the M esse ngers, m ay blessings and peace be
upon them, each o f them saying: ‘ O Lord! Save! Save!’ T h e
very first to cross w ill be M u h am m ad, upon w h o m be
blessings and peace; w hile the first nation to cross shall be his.
T rust w orthin ess and K inship-bon ds w ill be sent to stand
by the Bridge. It w ill be moist and slippery, and w ill have
hooks like the thorns on the Sa'dan bush, w hich w ill take
w hoever th ey are ordered to take.

The B a w d
T hen the believers w ill reach the H awd [‘lake’] o f the
M esse nger o f G o d , upon w h o m be blessings and peace. T h ey
w ill drin k fro m it and their thirst w ill vanish. Its water w ill
be w hiter than m ilk, more fragran t than m usk, and sweeter
than hon ey. It w ill have t w o channels bringing w ater from
the [river] K aw th ar. Its breadth w ill be one m on th ’s jo u rn ey,
its length li k ew ise, and around it w ill be pitchers [as

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 The Lives o f Man
n um erous] as the stars in the sk y. A n yo n e w h o drin ks one sip
from it w ill n ever thirst again.
T h e ulem a have differed over w heth er the H awd w ill be
after the B ridge and before en tering the G arden, or before the
Balance and the B ridge. B o t h o f these are possible.
T his nation w ill be recognized a m ong the nations because
they w ill be shin ing fro m the effects o f the u W w’-ablu tion, as
is stated in a hadith. Som e peop le w ill be driven a w ay from
the H awd after the M essenger o f G od, upon w h o m be
blessings and peace, has seen and recognized them. T h e y w ill
be taken to the left side, and w hen he says: ‘ T h ey are from
am ong m y com pan ions!’ he w ill be answered: ‘Y o u do not
k n o w w hat th ey did after yo u !’

The Intercession

T h e intercession [shafa a] w ill then becom e perm itted, and the

Prophets, the T r u e O nes [$iddiqiin], the ulema, the righ t
eous, and the believers w ill intercede, each according to his
ran k w ith G o d the Exalted. A man o f this nation w ill
intercede for [a n u m ber as large as the flocks of] Rab Fa and
M u dar36, w h ile others w ill intercede for just one or tw o
people.
T h e first to be perm itted to in tercede shall be M u h am m ad,
upon w h o m be blessings and peace, w h o has said: ‘ I am the
first to intercede and the first to be perm itted in tercession.’
H e is the greatest in ran k am ong Prophets, and his is the
greatest intercession. H e w ill in tercede m any tim es, the first
and w eigh tiest o f w hic h shall be at the Ju dgem e n t; and
regard ing this he has said: ‘ I shall con tin ue to intercede until I
am granted the release o f people w h o had already been
designated for the F ire.’ A n d: ‘I w ill con tin ue to intercede
un til it w ill be said to me: “ Y o u have left no trace o f you r
L o r d ’s w rath in yo u r nation.

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A m o ng his m any in tercessions w ill be one for members

o f his nation w h o w ill have actu ally entered the Fire, so
that they w ill be taken out o f it, and for others w ho w ill
have their degrees in the G arden raised, and so on until he
w ill say to his Lord: ‘ W ill Y o u perm it me [to intercede for]
everyone w h o ever said la ilaha illa’Llah ?’
A n d H e - Sublim e is H e! - w ill declare to him: ‘ T o do that
is not for you; but by M y m igh t, I shall not let those w ho
believed in M e one day in their life be like those w h o did not
believe in M e at all!’ T h is perhaps refers to those people o f the
Fire w h o m the M ost M ercifu l w ill take out w ith H is H and —
but G o d k n ows best.
A b u H urayra, m ay G o d be pleased w ith him, related
that he asked the M essenger o f G o d , upon w h o m be
blessings and peace, w h o w o u ld be most blest w it h his
intercession on the D ay o f Rising, and he replied: ‘T h e
people most blest w it h m y intercession shall be those w ho
said la ilaha illa’Llah, sincerely and w ith ou t being
pro m p ted.’
Z u h ar ibn A rqa m , m ay G o d be pleased w ith him, related
that G o d ’s M essenger, m ay G o d bless him and grant him
peace, said: ‘ W hoever says la ilaha illa’Llah w ith sincerity
shall enter the G ard en .’ So m eon e asked: ‘ O M esse nger o f
G od! W hat does ‘sincerity’ in this in vo lve?’ A n d he replied:
‘ T hat it should restrain him fro m the things G o d has
forb id den.’
A nas, m ay G o d be pleased w it h him , said that he once
asked the M essenger o f G od, upon w h o m be blessings and
peace, to intercede for him on the D ay o f Rising, and he
replied: ‘ I shall do that, G od w i l li n g .’ So he asked him where
he should seek him and he replied: ‘Y o u should first seek for
me at the B r i d g e .’ H e said: ‘ A n d i f I do not find you at the
B ridge?’ and he replied: ‘ T hen at the B ala n ce.’ A n d he asked
again: ‘ W hat i f I do not fin d you at the Balance?’ and he said:
‘ T hen at the H awd. I shall be foun d now here but at these
three places.’

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 The Righting o f Injustice
K n o w that one o f the most difficult things on the D ay o f
Rising is to have treated people u njustly, for injustice is
something w hich G od does not overlook. In a hadith injustice
is said to be o f three kinds: one that is never forgiven by God,
namely polytheism [shirk], one that is never overlook ed by
G od, nam ely people’s injustice to each other, and one that is
disregarded by G od, nam ely a person’s injustice to h i m self in
that w hich is between him and his Lord.
T he M essenger o f G od, upon w h o m be blessings and
peace, said: ‘ D o you k n ow w ho the ban kru pt are in m y
nation?’ T h ey said: ‘ Ban kru pt people according to us are
those w ho have neither m on ey nor p ro p erty.’ Bu t he said:
‘ T he ban kru pt o f m y nation are those w ho w ill come on the
D ay o f Rising having prayed, fasted, and given Zakat, but
w ho have insulted this one, slandered that one, taken som e
one’s wealth, or beaten him up. T his one w ill be given o f his
good deeds and that one w ill be given o f his good deeds; and
i f his good deeds are exhausted before all his debts are thus
settled, he w ill be given some o f their sins, w hich w ill be cast
upon him; then he w ill be th row n into the F ire. ’
It has been said that som e people w ill be pleased to find on
the D ay o f Rising that their fathers or their brothers ow e
them such debts, so that they w ill demand o f them and cause
them much distress. ‘Let those w h o w ro nge d their brothers
set those w ro ngs aright before that D ay comes w hen there
w ill be neither dinar nor dirham , but on ly good and evil
deeds. I f they have good deeds, these w ill be taken aw ay
from them; and i f not, then the evil deeds [o f the wronged]
w ill be cast upon them, and then they w ill be throw n into the
F ire.’ [H adith.]
K n o w that the D ay o f Risin g is a form idable day. D o such
[people] not think that they will be resurrected, for a formidable
day, the day when mankind stands fo r the Lord of the Worlds?
[83:4-6] Its hardships are protracted, and its terrors great. It
has been described in a terrifying manner and at som e length
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by G od in H is M igh ty B oo k , and by the M essenger o f God,

upon w ho m be blessings and peace. T he righteous predeces
sors, also, described it as they learnt o f it from that which
was transmitted to them fro m G od and H is M essenger. T he
ulema have com piled m any volu m es on the subject, for
exam ple the volu m e on ‘ Death and W hat F ollows’ in the
I h y a 37 and The Precious Pearl which Reveals the Knowledges of
the Hereafter,38 both by H ujjat al-Islam al-GhazalT (may God
sh ow him H is mercy), The Memorial by al- Q urtubT,39 and
tw o volu m es by as-Suyu ti (m ay G od show him H is mercy),
namely The Opening o f Hearts: Explaining the State of the Dead
and the Graves, and Unveiled Moons: The Conditions o f the
Hereafter.*0 W e have men tioned here the main events and
topics, giving a su m m ary o f those essentials o f the subject o f
which has to be aware. People w h o wish to confine them
selves to this w ill find it sufficient, w hile those w ho w ish for
more should read those boo ks that w e have mentioned, and
other sim ilar ones w hich w e have not. A n d assistance and
success co m e fro m God.

Afterword
T he M esse nger o f G od, upon w h o m be blessings and peace,
said: ‘ For w hoever relieves a M usli m ’s distress in this world,
G od shall grant him relief from one o f the distresses o f the
D ay o f Rising. A n d w hoever shields a M usli m w ill be
shielded by G od both in this w orld and in the H ereafter. ’
A n d he said: ‘ Each Prophet has one prayer w hich must be
answered. T h ey have prayed, but I have concealed my
prayer, so that it m ay be an intercession for m y nation,
including, G od w illing, all those w ho died without em part-
nering anything to God. ’
A n d: ‘ I f you w ish , I w ill tell you o f the first thing that G od
will say to the believers on the D ay o f Rising, and o f the first
thing they w ill say to H i m .’ T h ey responded: ‘Please do, O
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 The Lives o f Man
M essenger o f G o d!’ and he said: ‘ H e w ill ask the believers:
“ W ere you eager to meet M e?” “ Y es, L ord!” they w ill reply.
'H e wiTl as'k: <'v W hy was that"” ancl 'fogy 'WlYi ‘Stfy;
for Y o u r forgiven ess, mercy, and good-pleasure. ” H e will
then say: “ I shall make M y m ercy certain to be given yo u ” . ’
A nd: ‘ W hen G od created the Garden, H e sent Gabriel there
and told him: “ Behold it, and behold what I have prepared
there.” H e wen t and look ed, and beheld what G od had
prepared there for its people. T hen he wen t back and said to
H im: “ B y Y o u r M igh t! N on e w ill ever hear o f it but that he
w ill enter it!” So H e ordered it to be surrounded with
unpleasant things, and said: “ Return, and look at what I have
prepared in it for its people!” H e returned, and, when he
found it surrounded wit h unpleasant things, came back and
said: “ B y Y o u r M ight! I fear that none w ill enter it!” A n d H e
said: “ G o to the Fire, behold it, and see what I have prepared
therein for its people!” A n d its parts were boiling over each
other. H e returned to H im and said: “ B y Y o u r M ight!
N o-o n e w ho hears o f it w ill enter it!” So H e ordered it to be
surrounded wit h pleasures, and said: “ Return to it!” H e said:
“ B y Y o u r M ight! I fear that no-one w ill be saved from it!” ’
A nd: ‘ T he one among the people o f the Fire w ho had been
living most luxuriously in the w orld w ill be brough t on the
D ay o f Rising and will dip his fi nger into the Fire. T hen he
w ill be asked: “ O son o f A dam , have you ever seen any
goodness at all, has any kind o f pleasure ever come to you?”
H e w ill reply: “ N o , by G od, O L ord!” A n d the one among
the people o f the Garden w ho was most miserable in the
w orld w ill be brough t and will dip his fi nger into the Garden.
T hen he w ill be asked: “ O son o f A dam , have you seen any
m isery at all, has any kind o f hardship ever befallen yo u?”
A nd he w ill answer: “ N o , by God! I have never been through
any m isery at all, nor has any kind o f hardship ever befallen
m e” .’
‘A ’isha, m ay G od be pleased wit h her, once rem em bered
the Fire, and she wept. T he M esse nger o f G od, upon w hom
be blessings and peace, asked w h y she was weeping, and she
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replied: ‘I remem bered the Fire, and so I wept. Will you

remember your fa m ily on the D ay o f Rising?’ And he
answered: “ T here are three situations where no-pne can
remember anyone: at the Balance until he knows whether his
balance is light or h eavy, at the record when it is said: “ There!
Read my record! ” until he finds out whether his record will be
placed in his right or left hand, or behind his back, and at the
Bridge when it is cast across the F ire.’
A n d he has said, may blessings and peace be upon him:
‘ A fter the people o f the Garden have gone to the Garden, and
the people o f the Fire have gone to the Fire, death w ill be
brought between the Garden and the Fire, and w ill be
slaughtered. T hen a herald w ill proclaim: “ O people o f the
Garden! Death is no more! A n d, O people o f the Fire! Death
is no more!” A t this, the people o f the Garden will become
even more joyo u s, and the people o f the Fire w ill become
even more sorro w fu l.’
A nd: ‘ T he people o f the Garden shall be o f one hundred
and twen ty parts: eigh ty from this nation and forty from all
other nat ions.’
A n d: ‘I have seen nothing like the Garden, whose seeker
sleeps, nor like the Fire, whose fleer sleeps.’
A nd: ‘So m eo ne w ho fears sets out at nightfall, and some
one w ho sets out at nightfall w ill reach the resting-place.
Indeed the merchandise o f G od is precious. Indeed the
merchandise o f G od is the Garden. ’
A nd: ‘ I shall be the first o f men to come out when they are
resurrected. I shall be their leader w hen they arrive. I shall be
their orator as they listen. I shall be their intercessor when
they are detained. I shall be their giver o f good tidings when
they despair. H onour and the keys w ill on that day be in m y
hand. T he Flag o f Praise on that day w ill be in my hand. I am
the dearest o f the children o f A dam to m y Lord. O ne
thousand servants w ill m ove arou nd me, like hidden pearls, or
scattered pearls. ’
M ay G o d ’s blessings and peace be upon him, and m ay H e
increase him in favour, honour, and rank in H is sight!
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 T H E F I F T H L IF E

T he F ire and the G arden

T he fift h life extends from the time the people o f the Fire enter
the Fire and the people o f the Garden enter the Garden, and
continues into unending, limitless eternity.
T his is the longest o f all lives, the best, most pleasant and
most joyo u s for the people o f the G arden, and the w orst, har
dest, and most hateful and wretched for the people o f the Fire.

The Fire
We shall begin by mentioning the Fire and its people, because
even believers o f taqwa w ill come to it before en tering the
Garden.
G od the E xalted has said: There is not one o f you that shall not
come to it. That is a fixed ordinance o f your Lord. Then We shall
rescue those who had taqwa, and leave the unjust therein crouching.
[19 :71-2]
0 you who believe! Ward offfrom yourselves and yourfamilies a
Fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels, severe,
strong, who disobey not God in that which H e commands them, but
do that which they are commanded. [66:6]
1 shall immerse him in Saqar. A nd what will convey to you what
Saqar is? It leaves nothing, spares nothing. [74:26-8]
Therefore have I warned you o f the flaming Fire, which only the
most wretched shall endure, those who denied and turned away.
[92:1-6]
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N ay, he will indeed be flung into the Shatterer. And what might
convey to you what the Shatterer is? The kindled fire o f God, which
leaps up over the hearts. It is closed in on them, in outstretched
columns. [104:4-9]
We have prepared fo r the disbelievers a Fire whose tent encloses
them. When they ask for help they will be helped with water like
molten lead, which burns faces. E vil the drink, and ill the resting-
place! [18:29]
Those who disbelieve O ur signs, We shall expose them to the Fire.
As often as their skins are consumed, We shall exchange themforfresh
skins that they may taste the torment. Indeed God is Mighty, Wise.
[4 :56 ]
Those who disbelieve, theirs is the fire o f J ahannam. They are
neither done with and die nor is its torment lightened for them.
Therein we punish every disbelieving one. And they cry for help
there: ‘ O Lord! Release us and we will do right, not what we used to
do!’ D id We not grant you a life long enoughfor him who reflected to
reflect therein? And the warner came to you. [35:37]
And those whose scales are light are those who lose their souls, in
J ahannam they abidefor evermore. The fire burns theirfaces, and in it
they are livid. Were not M y revelations recited to you, and then you
used to deny them? They will say: ‘ O ur Lord! O ur wretchedness
overcame us and we were erring people. O ur Lord! Bring us out of it,
and i f we act thus again, then indeed we shall be unjust. ’ H e will say:
‘Begone therein, and speak not unto M e! ’ [23:103-8]
Indeed the criminals are in J ahannam’s torment unceasingly. It is
not lightenedfor them, and in it they despair. We wronged them not,
but they it was who were unjust. A nd they cried: ‘O Malik! Let your
Lord make an end of us!’ H e said: ‘ You are to remain. ’ [43:74~7]
Like the verses describing the Fire, the hadiths are very
num erous. W e w ill mention but a few o f these, as warnings
and reminders.
T he Prophet said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him:
‘ T his fire o f yours is one o f seven ty parts o f the fire o f
Jah an n a m .’ T h ey said: ‘ O M essenger o f God! It is sufficient!’
A n d he told them: ‘ It has ninety-nine more parts, each as hot as
the others’

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 T he Lives o f Man
‘ T h e fire o fja h a n n a m w as heated for a thousand years until
it became red. T h en it w as heated for a thousan d years until it
became w hite. T h en it w as heated fo r a thousan d years until
it became black. It is thus blac k, and d ar k .’ [H adith.]
‘ T h e least torm ented o f the people o f the F ire shall be those
w h o have sandals and laces o f fire, and w hose heads boil
fro m them as though th ey w ere cauldrons. T h ey im agin e
that none is in m ore torm ent than th ey, yet theirs is the most
insignifican t torm ent o f them a ll.’ [H adith.]
‘Som e o f them are enveloped b y the F ire to their heels,
som e to their knees, som e to their w aists, and others to their
shoulders.’ [H adith.]
‘ O people! W eep! A n d i f yo u cannot w eep then m ake as
though you w ere w eeping, for the people o f the Fire shall
weep in Jah an n a m until their tears run over their faces like
streams. T hen the tears w ill stop, b lood w ill flow , and eyes
ulcerate, so that i f ships w ere lau nched therein th ey w o u ld
float.’ [H adith.]
‘ H u nger w ill be cast upon the people o f the Fire, un til it
equals their oth er torm ents. T h e y w ill cry fo r help, and help
w ill com e in the for m o f bitter thorn-fruit, which neither
nourishes nor releases from hunger. [88:7] T h e y w ill cry for help,
and w ill be given food that they choke on. T h ey w ill then
rem em ber that in the w o rld th ey used to relieve chok ing by
dri n k ing; and so th ey w ill cry fo r a drin k, and boiling water
w ill be raised to them w it h iron hooks. W hen it nears their
faces it scorch es them , and w h en it enters their sto m ac hs it
lacerates them. T h e y w ill say: “ C a ll the guards o fja h a n n a m !”
A n d the guards w ill say: “ D id the Messenger of your Lord not
come to you with clear signs?” “ Y e s!” th ey reply. A n d the
guards say: “ C all, then, but the call o f the disbelievers can only go
astray\” T h e y w ill then say: “ O M alik! Let your Lord make an
end o f us!” But he will reply: “ You shall remain!” ' [43:77]
A l- A ‘mash has said: ‘Bet w een their calls and M ali k ’s reply
w ill be a thousan d y e a rs.’ ‘T h e y w ill then say [to each other]:
“ C all on yo u r L ord, none is better fo r yo u than yo u r L o r d !”
and then: “ O ur Lord! O ur wretchedness has overcome us, we were

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a people gone astray. O ur Lord! Bring us out o f it, and i f we repeat

[our sin] we will indeed be unjust!" [23:10 6 -7] H e will answer
them: “Begone therein! A nd speak not to M e !” [23:108] When
this happens, th ey w ill lose hope for anything good, and
begin to sigh, to lam ent, and to w a i l .’ [H adith.]
It has been related that in the F ire there are snakes as large as
the necks o f Bactrian camels, and scorpions as big as mules,
the sting o f w h ic h produces painful fevers for forty autumns.
W ere a bucket o f the rott ing drin k [ghassaq] o f H ell to be spilt
into the w o rld its stench w o u ld affect all the w o r ld ’s inhab
itants; and should a drop o f the T ree o f Z a q q u m 41 be dropped
onto the w o rld it w o u ld spoil the means o f livelihood o f all
people in the w orld . A n d should one o f the people o f the Fire
com e out in to the w orld , all the w o r ld ’s inhabitants w ou ld die
because o f his stench and disfigurem en t.
T h e F ire’s gates are seven, as H e has said (E xalted is H e!): It
has seven gates, and each gate has an appointed portion of them.
[15:44] It also has seven layers. T h e first is called J ahannam,
which is for those am ong the people o f tawhid w h o w ere
sinners. T h e secon d is called Saqar, the third La z a, the fourth
al-Hutama, the fift h al-S actr, the sixth al-J ahim, and the
seventh al- H awiya. T h is is the lo w er m ost one, w hich has
neither bottom n or end. T hese seven layers are filled with
agonising torm ents, hideous tortures, and great hu m ilation,
and each layer is w orse than the one above it. M ay G od
protect us, our parents, our loved ones, and all M usli m s,
from it, th rough H is grace and generosity!
K n o w that the people o f the F ire are o f tw o kinds: those
w h o are people o f tawhid and enter it because o f their sins,
and those w h o are disbelievers [kdfirun], polytheists [mush-
rikun], and h ypocrites [munafiqun], w h o ou t w ard ly announce
their faith but w h o conceal disbelief with in their hearts. T he
first grou p w ill not rem ain in the Fire forever, for th ey w ill
leave it th rough in tercession [shafaa] and G o d ’s m ercy, but
they w ill nevertheless differ in this: som e being taken out
before the end o f their sentences, and som e not. It is said that
the last to em erge fro m it w ill do so after seven thousan d

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years, w hic h is— according to one op in io n— the age o f the
world . N o person o f tawhid w ill stay in the F ire forever, for
those w h o have as m uc h as an a to m ’s w eigh t o f faith w ill be
allow ed out, as is stated in sou nd hadiths.
People in the second category w ill rem ain in the Fire
forever: they include the Je w s, C h ristians, Z oroastria ns, and
others, w h o are all to remain in the F ire perm an en tly. Those
who disbelieve and die as disbelievers, upon them is the curse of
God, and o f the angels and men combined. Eternally therein: the
torment will not be lightened fo r them, nor will they be reprieved.
[2:16 1 -6] God forgives not that a partner be ascribed unto H im, but
H e forgives all else to whomsoever H e will. [4:48] Whoso ascribes
partners to God, fo r him God has forbidden the Garden; and his
abode shall be the Fire. The unjust shall have no helpers. [5:72]
The hypocrites shall be in the lowest layer o f the Fire. [4:145]
It has been said that the m olar tooth o f a disbeliever in the
Fire shall be as b ig as M ou n t U h u d, w h ile the thick ness o f his
skin w ill be fo r ty-t w o arm lengths, and that they w ill drag
their tongues, w h ic h w ill be one and t w o leagues long, w hile
people tread on them. G o d shall en large their bodies in the
Fire so that their torm ents m ay be m ultiplied and their
chastisement made m ore intense.
W hen the sinners am ong the people o f tawhid are brough t
out from the Fire, until not one o f them remains in it, its gates
w ill be locked, and it w ill close on the disbelievers. It is indeed
closed in on them, in outstretched columns. [104:8-9] Som e o f them
w ill be locked in coffins full o f fire and left there for eternity, in
G o d ’s torm ent, un der H is abhorrence and w rath, un endingly.
W e ask G o d for w ellbeing, to die in Islam, and for
protection fro m the states o f the people o f the Fire!

The Garden
K n o w that the verses and hadiths describ ing the G arden are
v ery n u m erous, and w e therefore propose to men tion o n ly a
fe w , in order to teach and to rem in d.

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A nd give glad news to those who believe and do good um ki,

that theirs shall be gardens underneath which rivers flow I hu h
time they are given food o f the fruits thereof they say: ‘ Thin i<
what was given us before’— and it is given to them in resemblame
There fo r them are purified wives. There forever shall they abide,
[2:25]
A nd those who had taqwa are driven to the Garden in groups,
until, when they reach it and its gates are opened, and the
guardians say to them: Peace be upon you, you were good, so enter
it fo r evermore! they say: Praise is fo r God, Who has fulfilled His
promise to us and made us inherit the earth, sojourning in the
Garden where we will. Fine is the workers’ wage! A nd you see
the angels thronging round the Throne, extolling the praise o f their
Lord; and they are judged aright; and it is said: Praise is fo r God,
Lord o f the Worlds! [39:73-5]
A nd fo r those who fe a r the standing before their Lord there shall
be two gardens, until: So blessed is the Name o f your Lord,
Possessor o f Majesty and Bounty! [55:45-78]
A nd the foremost! The foremost! They are those who are
brought nigh, in gardens o f delight, until: A multitude o f those o f
old, and a multitude of those o f later time. [56:10-40]
The righteous shall drink o f a cup the mixture o f which is of
camphor, un til: Your endeavour has found acceptance. [76:5-22]
Enter the Garden, you and your spouses, to be made glad,
until: Therein fo r you is fruit in plenty whence to eat. [43:70-3]
Those who had taqwa will be in a secure place, in gardens and
watersprings, un til: A favour from your Lord: that is the supreme
triumph. [4 4:51-7]
The likeness o f the Garden that people of taqw a are promised:
therein are rivers o f water unpolluted, and rivers o f milk the
flavour o f which changes not, and rivers o f wine delicious to the
drinkers, and rivers o f clear honey. There is fo r them every kind of
fruit, andforgiveness from their Lord. [47:15]
Gardens o f Eden, which they enter wearing armlets o f gold and
pearl, and their raiment therein is silk. A nd they say: Praise is for
God, Who has put grief away from us. O ur Lord is Forgiving,
Generous. Who, o f H is grace, has installed us in the mansion o f

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eternity, where toil touches us not, nor can we he affected by
weariness. [35:33-5]
A nd the Garden is brought nigh fo r those who had taqwa', not
distant. This is what you were promised, fo r every penitent heedful
one, who feared the A ll-M erciful in secret and came with a contrite
heart. Enter it in peace, this is the day o f immortality. There they
have all that they desire, and We have more. [50 :31-5]
The people o f taqw a will dwell among gardens and rivers, firm ly
established in the favour of a Mighty K ing. [54:54-5]
T h e M essenger o f G o d , m ay blessings and peace be upon
him, said: ‘ G o d the E xalted says: “ I have prepared for M y
virtu ous servants that w hich no eye has seen, no ear has
heard, and no hum an heart im agin e d .” Recite, i f you wish:
No soul knows what is kept hidden fo r them o f delightful jo y , as
rewardfo r what they used to do. ’ [32:17]
A n d he said: ‘ T w o gardens o f silver w ith silver vessels, and
tw o gardens o f gold , with golden vessels; and noth ing stands
between people and the vision o f their Lord but the V eil o f
G lo ry over H is Face, in the G arden o f E d e n .’
A n d: ‘ T h e G arden com prises one hu ndred degrees. [T he
distance] bet ween each t w o degrees is li ke the [distance]
bet ween H eaven and earth. Firdaws is the highest degree,
from w hich spring the fo ur rivers o f the Garden . A b o v e it is
the H ighest T h ro n e. W hen you petition G od, therefore, ask
for the F ir daw sV
A n d: ‘ T h e area o f the Garden w hic h could be surroun ded
by a w hip is better than the w orld and all that it con tains.
Sh ould one o f the w o m en o f the G arden appear to the people
o f the earth, she w ou ld illu m inate it en tirely, and ren der it
fragran t w ith m usk. T h e scarf w h ic h is upon her head is
better than the w o rld and all that it con tains.’
A n d: ‘ In the G arden there is a tree un der the shade o f w hich
a rider m ay travel for a hundred years and still not traverse it.
T h e length o f one o f you r bows in the G arden is better than
everyth ing on w hich the sun has ever risen or set.’
A n d: ‘ T h e believer shall have a tent in the Garden made o f
a single h ollow e d pearl, the length o f w hich shall be sixty
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 I MAM A L - HA D D A D

m iles. In each o f its corners the believer shall have

invisible to the oth ers, and the believer shall visit cat It t»|
them in turn. ’
A b u H urayra, m ay G o d be pleased with him, once asked:
‘ O M esse nger o f G od! F rom w hat was creation created?' And
he said: ‘ F rom w a t er.’42 H e asked again: ‘ O f what is the
Garden built?’ A n d he replied: ‘ O ne brick o f gold and one
brick o f silver; its m ortar is fragran t m usk, its pebbles are
pearls and rubies, its dust is saffron. T hose w h o enter it shall
fin d j o y w it h ou t sorro w , permanence w ith neither extinction
nor death; their clothes shall n ever w ear out, neither shall
their youth pass aw ay. ’
A n d: ‘ T h e first group to enter the Garden w ill have faces
like the full m oon. T h e second group shall be like the most
beautiful scintillating planet in the sky. Eac h man shall have
tw o w ives, each clothed in seven ty robes, and the m arrow o f
their legs w ill be visib le through t h e m .’
A n d: ‘ T h e people o f the G arden shall enter it beardless,
hairless, their eyelids lined w ith kohl, aged th irty or th irty-
three years. ’
A n d he said one day to his C om pan ions: ‘ A re any o f you
[w illing to] w o r k in earnest for the Garden? F or the Garden
has no rival. It is, by the Lord o f the K a‘ba, a scintillating
light, a sw ay in g, fragran t plant, a lofty palace, a flow ing
river, a m ultit ude o f ripe fruits, a com ely w ife, and many
garments, in a perpetual abode o f life and vigou r, in a lofty
house o f sou ndn ess and sple n dour.’ T h ey said: ‘ W e are the
ones w h o shall w o r k for it in earnest, O M esse nger o f G o d !’
A n d he said: ‘ Say: “ I f G o d the E xalted so w ills!” ’
A n d he said lik ew ise: ‘T h e palm trees o f the Garden shall
h ave tru n ks o f green emeralds, palm roots o f red gold , and its
palms shall be clothes for the peop le o f the Garden, from
w hic h their garm en ts and robes are made. Its fruits are the
size o f ju gs and pails, w hiter then m ilk, sweeter than honey,
softer than butter, devoid o f ston es.’
A n d: ‘ T h e peop le o f the Garden eat and drin k, and neither
spit, urinate, pass excrem en t nor b low their n oses.’ T h ey
 The Lives o f Man
asked: ‘ W hat about the food?’ and he replied: ‘ Belch ing, and
perspiration like sprin kled m usk.43 T h ey are inspired to
extol, h allow and praise G o d .’ A n d in another version o f this
hadith the fo llow ing is added: ‘ A n d glorify, just as they have
been inspired to breathe. ’
A n d he has said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him:
‘ M en am ong the people o f the Garden w ill each be given the
strength o f a hundred in eating, drin king, sexual intercourse,
and desire.’
A nd: ‘ A herald shall announce: “ O people o f the Garden! It
is time for you to be healthy and never fall ill. It is time for
you to live and never die. It is time for you to be you ng and
never gro w old. A n d it is time for you to be happy and n ever
be m iserable.’ T his is H is saying, E xalted is H e!: A nd they are
called: This is the Garden, you have inherited it because o f that
which you used to do. [7:43]
A n d he was asked: ‘ W hat is al-K aw th ar?’ H e replied: ‘ A
river in the Garden given to me by God, w hiter than milk,
sweeter than honey, on which are birds w ith necks like the
necks o f cam els.’ A n d 'U m ar said: ‘ T hose are indeed in
pleasure. ’ H e said: ‘ T hose w ho eat them are in even greater
pleasure. ’
A n d he said: ‘ I met A brah am, upon w hom be peace, on the
night o f the Isra , and he said: “ O M uham mad! G ive m y
greetings to yo u r Umma, and in form them that the Garden
has fragran t soil, sweet water, and is made o f plains the
planting o f w hich is Subhan Allah, al-hamdu li’Llah, La ildha
illa’Llah, wa’Llahu akbar,’44
A n d: ‘In the Garden there are rooms the outside o f w hich
can be seen from within, and the inside from w it h ou t.’ A
bedouin got up and said: ‘ For w ho m shall they be, O
M essenger o f G od?’ and he replied: ‘ For those w ho speak
with goodn ess, feed [the people], fast regularly, and pray by
night w hile others sleep.’
A nd: ‘ G od w ill address the people o f the Garden, saying:
“ O people o f the G arden!” “ A t you r service, O L ord!” they
w ill say, “ A t you r pleasure! A ll goodness is in Y o u r h an ds.”
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 I MAM A L - H A D D A D

“ A re you content?” he asks them, and they reply: “ H ow may

w e not be content, O Lord, w hen Y o u have given us what no
creature o f Y o u rs has ever been given?” A n d H e says: “ Shall I
then give you that which is better still?” and they ask him:
“ O Lord! W hat could be better still?” “ I shall grant you M y
good pleasure [ridwan],” H e says, “ and shall never be wrat h
ful against you again.
It has been been reported that the poor among the M uslims
w ill enter the Garden h alf a day before the rich (and this is
five hundred years), that the rivers o f the Garden flow on its
surface with out fu rrows, that the height [o f people there] will
be sixty cubits (the height o f their forefather A dam), that the
least among them shall receive ten times as much as the
[whole] w orld , has a thousand servants, seven ty-tw o hiiris
for w ives, and that it w ill take him a thousand years to see all
the gifts and honour that G od has prepared for him, that
every tree-trun k in the Garden is made o f gold, that the gates
o f the Garden are eight, and that its degrees are as many as
the num ber o f verses in the N ob le Q u r’ an. M ay God make us
am ong its people, through H is G race and Generosity. A m in!

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 A F T ER W ORD
T H E V IS I O N O F G O D ,
A N D H IS O V E R W H E L M I N G M E R C Y

W e n o w provid e an afterword to this life, and thereby, G od

w illing, conclude the w hole book.
T h e believers w ill see their Lord (Blessed and E xalted is
H e!) in the G arden . For those who do good is the best reward, and
still more. [10:26]
T h is verse has been given the com m en tary that ‘ the best
rew ard’ refers to the Garden , w h ile ‘still m ore’ refers to the
visio n o f G od, the H igh and M ajestic. That day faces will be
resplendent, looking towards their Lord. [75:22-3]
T h e M essenger o f G od, m ay blessings and peace be upon
him, said: ‘ A fter the people o f the G arden have entered the
Garden, H e W ho is Blessed and E xalted shall ask: “ D o you
wish M e to give yo u anything m ore?” A n d they w ill reply:
“ H ave Y o u not brighten ed our faces? H ave Y o u not made us
enter the Garden and saved us fro m the F ire?” H e w ill then
rem ove the veil, and noth ing they w ere ever given w ill have
been dearer to them than the visio n o f their Lord, the H igh,
the M ajestic.’ A n d in another version he recited: ‘For those
who do good is the best reward, and still more. ’
Jab ir ibn ‘A bdallah, m ay G o d be pleased with h im , said:
‘ W e w ere once w ith the M essenger o f G od, m ay blessings
and peace be upon him, w hen he look ed at the full m oon, and
then said: “ Y o u w ill see your Lord w ith yo u r eyes as you see
this moon. Y o u w ill not be hindered from seeing H im .
T herefore i f you can manage to pray before sunrise and
before sunset, do so!” T hen he recited: Ex tol the praises o f your
Lord before sunrise and before sunset. ’ [20:130] T h e tw o prayers
meant here are the m orn ing [fajr] and afternoon [a ir] prayers.
A b u Raz ln al-cU q ayli asked: ‘ O M essenger o f G od! W ill
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 I MAM A L - H A D D AD

w e all see G od, w ithou t obstruct ion, on the D ay ot H imny/

H e said: ‘Y e s .’ H e then asked: ‘ W hat is the sign o f that in I lr,
creation?’ and the Prophet replied: ‘ O A b u Raz in! D o-you nut
all see the m oon, w ithou t obstruction, on the night when it is
full?’ H e said: ‘ Indeed w e d o .’ ‘ G o d is greater,’ he told him,
‘and that is but a creature o f G o d ’s creation, W ho is H igh and
M ajestic.’
A nd the Prophet said, m ay blessings and peace be upon
him: ‘ T h e people o f the G arden w hen they enter it w ill be
situated according to the merits o f their deeds. T hen they will
be allowed to visit their Lord for a tim e equivalent to that o f
F riday in the w orld . H is T h ro n e w ill com e dow n to them,
and H e w ill manifest h im self before them in a m eadow o f the
Garden. A dais o f ligh t w ill be erected for them, and a dais o f
pearl, a dais o f ruby, and a dais o f ch rysolite, a dais o f gold,
and a dais o f silver; and the low est o f th em— and none o f
them is l o w — w ill sit on dunes o f m usk and cam phor, and
will not feel that those on chairs are better seated. ’
A bu H urayra said: ‘ O M essenger o f G od! Shall w e see our
L ord?’ H e replied: ‘Y es! D o yo u doubt yo u r seeing the sun
and the m oo n?’ A b u H urayra said: ‘ N o !’ A n d he said:
‘Sim ilarly you w ill not doubt seeing your Lord. N o n e will
remain in that gathering but that G o d w ill converse wit h
him, to the extent that H e w ill say to each man: “ O
so-an d-so, son o f so-an d-so! D o you rem ember the day you
said such-and-such a th ing?” A n d H e w ill remind him o f
some shortcom ing o f his in the w orld , and the man w ill say:
“ D id Y o u not fo rgive?” T hen H e w ill reply: “ Indeed, it is
through the broadness o f M y forgiven ess that you have
reached this degree. ” A n d as they thus converse a cloud w ill
come over them , and shall rain on them a perfu me the scent
o f which they had n ever experienced before. A n d our Lord
w ill say: “ C o m e to the honour I have prepared for you; take
w hatever yo u w ish !” T h ey w ill go to a market surroun ded
b y angels the li ke o f w hich no eye has ever seen, no ear ever
heard, and no heart ever im agi ned. T here they w ill take
w hatever they desire, for there w ill be neither selling nor
81
 The Lives o f Man
buying, and in that market the people o f the Garden shall
meet one other. A man o f high rank m ay meet som eone o f
low er ran k— and none o f them are lo w — and he w ill be
amazed b y the clothes he w ill see him wearing. T heir
conversation w ill not end before he sees even better ones on
him, for there should be no sadness there. T hen w e w ill
return home to be met by our spouses w h o w ill greet and
welcom e us, and declare that w e have returned w ith even
more beauty than w hen w e had left them, and w e w ill
reply: “ W e have met our Lord the C om peller. It is our right
to return w ith what w e have returned w i t h ” .’
T he greatest, highest, most noble and perfect felicity is to
see the N o b le Face o f G od in the abode o f honour and o f
bliss. M ay G od grant us this, purely th rough H is Grace,
Generosity, and M unificence, and grant it also to our
parents, our loved ones, and all M usli ms, by H is M ercy; for
H e is the M ost M erciful!
M y Mercy embraces all things. [7:156] Inform M y slaves that I
am indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful. [15:49] S ay: Peace be
upon you! Your Lord has prescribed mercy upon H imself, that
whoever o f you does evil and repents afterward o f that, and does
right, God is Forgiving, Merciful. [6:54] S ay: O M y servants,
who have been prodigal with their own selves! Despair not of
God’s Mercy! God forgives all sins. H e is the Forgiving, the
Merciful. [39:53] Whoso does evil or wrongs his own soul, then
seeks God’s forgiveness, will find God to be Forgiving, Merciful.
[4:110]
T he M essenger o f G od, m ay blessings and peace be upon
him, said: ‘G od has a hundred mercies, one o f w hich H e has
sent dow n to be divided between humans, jin n , birds,
cattle, and insects, and by w hich they have com passion and
m ercy towards each other. A n d H e has saved ninety-nine
mercies, w ith which H e w ill be m erciful to H is slaves on
the D ay o f R isi n g.’
It has been related that on the D ay o f Rising, G o d w ill
cause this inscription to appear from beneath the T hrone:
‘ M y M ercy has outstripped M y w rath, and I am the M ost
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 IMAM A L - H A D D A D

M erciful o f the M ercifu l.’ A n d then as many as the people o f

the Garden w ill be let out o f the Fire.
A n d the Prophet said, m ay blessings and peace be upon
him: ‘ G od has more compassion for H is believing slave than
a mother has for her ch ild.’
A nd: ‘ G od w ill have such forgiven ess that [even] Iblls will
hope to be reached by i t .’ B u t Iblls, m ay G od curse him,
cannot be included under any circumstance in G o d ’s forgive
ness, for he is among those w ho have despaired and lost hope
in G o d ’s forgiveness and m ercy, and he is the leader o f the
polytheists. God forgives not that a partner should be ascribed to
H im, but H e forgives all else to whomsoever H e will. [4:48]
A n d he said, m ay blessings and peace be upon him: ‘ God
will forbid the Fire to take anyone w h o affirms that there is
no god but G o d and that M uh am m ad is the M essenger o f
G o d .’
A n d: ‘ A herald shall call fro m underneath the T hron e on
the D ay o f Rising: “ O N ation o f M uham m ad! W hatever you
ow e M e I release you from , and whatever you o w e each
other, release each other fro m it! T hen enter the Garden
through M y m erc y.’

T his ends all that w e wished to include in this treatise, which,

G od w illing, is a blessed one. A ll baraka is from God. Grace
and goodn ess are in G o d ’s hand. T h e w hole matter is G o d ’s.
T here is neither ability nor strength save by G od the H igh,
the T rem en dous. G od is Sufficient for us, and H e is the best
o f guardians.
O Lord! A ccept our deeds, for Y o u are the H earer, the
K n ow er! Relen t towards us, fo r Y o u are the Relenter, the
M erciful! O ur Lord! Cause not our hearts to stray after You have
guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your Presence. You,
only You, are the Bestower. [3:8] Flood us with patience, and take
us to You as Muslims'. [7:126]
M ay G od bless our master M uham m ad, H is slave and H is
M essenger, trust wort hy in the revelation, together w ith his
pure, fragran t fa m ily, and his w ell-guided and w ell-guiding

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 The Lives o f Man
C om pan ions, and those w h o excel in follow ing them until
the D ay o f Rec koning, and us along w ith them, through
Y o u r M ercy, O M ost M erciful o f the M erciful!
T he treatise stands concluded, G od be thanked, through
H is assistance and gracious bestowal o f success. Its dictation
ended on the m orn ing o f Su n day the twen ty-n inth o f Sha'ban
in the year m o o f the H ijra, m ay the best o f blessings and
most fragrant peace be on the Muhajir.

Praise and thanks are for God,

the Lord o f the W orlds

84
 N O TES

1 In view o f so me well-k now n contem porary concerns, we should

affirm that the contents o f this book are equally applicable to both
sexes, and that the masculine form o f the pronoun is inclusive o f the
feminine. For confirm ation o f this see, for instance, Imam Suyu tl’s
T uhfa t a l-ju lasa’.
2 It is important to remember throughou t this book that ‘ happy’ (said)
and ‘ wretch ed’ (shaqi ) refer pri ncipally to man’s destiny in the
after-death state.
3 T he ‘ people o f the Rig h t’ (ashab al-ya min) are those destined for
salvation, w h ile the ‘ people o f the Left’ (ashab al-shimat) are destined
for damnation.
T h e expression ‘ the tw o fistfu ls’ is a reference to the famous hadith
in wh ic h a dying man once said, ‘ I heard G o d ’s Messenger (upon
him be blessings and peace) say: ‘G od the Blessed and Exalted took a
fistful wit h H is right hand, and said: “ T h is is for this [the Garden],
and I do not m in d,” and too k another fistful with H is left hand, and
said: “ T h is is for this [the Fire], and I do not mind” . ’ A n d I do not
k n ow in wh ic h o f the t wo fistfuls I lie.’ (Ibn H anbal, V , 68.)
4 T he follow ing verse runs: O r lest you should say: It is only that our
fa thers ascribed partners to G od o f old, and we were [t hei r] seed after them.
Wilt T hou destroy us on account o f that which those who fo llo w fa lsehood
did?
5 For the full text o f this hadith, narrated by Imam M uslim , see
Robso n’s translation o f the M ishk a t al- M asabih , I, 23.
6 T he T orah (tawrah): the ancient scripture revealed by G od to M oses.
7 I.e. w hat they wear is all they have.
8 Cited in T ahdra t al- Q ulub by Sh ayk h 'A b d al-cA zIz al-D irinl.
[ A u th or’s note.]
9 Ghazall, I h y d’ cU lu m a l- D in (Beirut, 1406), III, 45-6.
10 H adith related by Imam M uslim , Imara, 133.
11 As these passages affir m, the age o f fo rty is the pivot, the turning
point, after which one’s life in general wor ks out the consequences o f
h ow one’s soul was shaped during on e’s you th. In this connection it
is in teresting to recall the remark o f Oscar Wilde, that ‘ by the age o f
forty, every man has the face that he deserves.’
12 N oth ing could be more strik ing than the contrast between the
upright dignity o f an elderly M uslim , surrounded by respectful

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 The Lives o f Man
fam ily and friends, and the unseemly descent into churlishness and
hopeless desire so com mon among ageing unbelievers.
13 See the translation by M uham m ad A bul Q uasem, A l-G h a z a l i on
Islamic G uidance, p. 56.
14 Ibid., 43.
15 T his hadith, wh ic h is narrated by Imam Bu kh arl, expounds an
attitude w hich is forgot ten by some M uslim s o f our generation, w ho
believe that the world is o f some value in its ow n right. H ow often
one hears the hadith: ‘ w ork for the dunya as though you were to live
forever, and w or k for the a khira as though you were to die
to m orro w ,’ cited by those w h o are partial to large cars and swelling
bank accounts, forgetting the true, traditional interpretation o f the
hadith , wh ic h is ‘ wor k for the dunya wi th ou t haste, and for the akhira
with great urgen cy’ . T h e matter was sum med up by our master
H atim al- Asam m , w ho declared: ‘ W ork for yo u r dunya in accord
ance wi th the length o f yo u r stay therein. W ork for yo ur akhira in
accordance wi th the length o f yo u r stay therein. W ork for the Fire in
accordance wit h yo ur ability to endure it. A n d w or k for G od in
accordance wit h yo u r need for H im. ’
16 In Arabic: A lldhum m a inna n as’alu ka bi-n uri w a jh ik a ’l-k a rim ,
w abi-haqqika ' ala yk, husn al-kh atim a cinda al-mamdt, land wali-ahbabina
w a li’l-muslimina yd arham ar-ra himin. “ Rabba na Id tu zigh quluband ba da
idh hadaytana wahab land min ladunka rahma, innaka an ta’l- W a h hdb. "
“ Rabbana a fr igh calayn a sabran wataw affa na muslimin
17 As stated in a famous hadith: ‘ Death is the gift to the believer.’
(Related by al- H ak im al-N isaburi.)
18 A serious skin disease.
19 T h is account, i f it is in fact authentic, applies to w hoever is wished
good ness by G od, and is in a state o f felicity, and grows up in
rectitude, righteousness and Islam, and is blessed with success in
doing good w orks, and for w hom sins and evildoi ng are made
hateful in his prolonged life. A n d G od kn ows best. [N ote by Shayk h
H asanayn M ak hluf.]
20 Inna l i ’L l a h i w a ’innd ilayh i rap un.
21 'Illiyln: the book where the acts o f the righteous are recorded. See
Q u r’an, 8 3:18 -21.
22 A lldhum m a ’/ al kitabahu j i ' i l l i y i n , w a ’ktubhu ' indaka min al-muhsinin,
w a ’k hlu jhu J t ah lihi f i ’l-ghabirin, w a ’g h fir land u/a-lahu yd rabb
al- dlamin.
23 For more on this hadith see Imam Ghazali, T h e Remembrance o f D ea th
and the A f terlife, p. 119 .
24 Before they rot away [N ote by Sh ay k h H asanayn Makhluf).
25 Bism illa h, w a -a l a milla t Rasulillah.

86
 NOTES

26 Sa'd ibn M u'adh was a Medin an nobleman w ho died of Wtttmtli

received at the Battle o f al-Khandaq.
27 In A rabic: as-salamu calayk um dara qawmin mu' minin. (Miiiihm mu .1/
ja lu n , wa-atdkum md tu adiin , w a-i nna in s h a ’ A lldh u biku’m fif/iii/im
A n tu m land salafun wa-nahnu lakum t a bd. N a s’alu ’Lldh a him) wii
lakumu ’l-a f iy a . A lldhum m a ’g h fi r la n a wa-lahum.
28 Ju j and M a’j u j. T w o large com mu nities whic h w ill appear before the
end o f time, and wreak havoc in the earth. According to many
authors, they w ill appear from C en tral Asia.
29 'U k a z: a market tow n near M ak ka famed for the quality o f its
leather.
30 T he ‘ H orn’ (al-sur ) is an imm ense trumpet made o f light, whose
great size is k n ow n only to G od the Exalted.
31 Imam al- H addad here suggests that w e read the follow ing verses as
w ell (18:48-54), which he does not quote, assuming, probably, that
w e k now them by heart.
32 ‘Syria’ here means all the lands between Iraq and the eastern borders
o f Sinai.
33 ‘ U su ry’ here refers to riba , wh ic h includes any money gained or paid
as interest.
34 A ‘ m ile’ (mil) in Arabic is usually defined as extending as far as one’s
vision reaches.
35 See Ibn H anbal, M usn ad , III, 75: T h e Messenger o f G od, upon
w h o m be blessings and peace, said: ‘B y H im in W hose hand lies my
soul, it shall be shortened for the believer until it becomes briefer for
him than the ob ligatory prayer wh ic h he used to perform in the
w orld. ’
36 Ra b fa and M udar: tw o Arabian tribes possessed o f vast numbers o f
sheep.
37 I h y a ’ cU liim a l- D t n , book 40. A n E nglish translation exists; sec the
Bib liography.
38 al- D u rra t al-F a k hira f t K a s h f cU liim a l- A k h ir a , printed many times.
T here is an English translation available.
39 a l- T a d h k ir a f t A h w a l al-Mau/ ta w a-U m iir a l- A k h ir a . See Bibliography.
40 [I] S ha rh al-sudur bi-sharh hal al-m aw ta w a ’l-qubur. [II] a l-Budiir
a l- S afira f t ahwa l a l- A k h ir a . M en tion migh t also be made o f his Bushrd
a l-k a ’ib b i-liq a ' al- H abib, his T uhfa t a l-ju lasa’ bi-r u’yat A lla h l i ’l-nisa ',
and his a l- D u ra r a l-h isd n fi’l-bacth wa-n acTm al-jin an.
41 Z aqqu m : A tree that grows from the bottom o f hell, whose crop is li ke the
heads o f devils. T h ey must eat thereof, and f i l l their bellies from it.
(37:64—6; see also 44:43-6.)
42 Q u r’an 21:30: A n dfrom water did We create eve ry livin g thing.
43 I.e., instead o f waste matter being disposed o f in the usual fashion, it

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will leave the b ody in the form o f belching and perspiration.
44 Q u r’anic form ulas regularly repeated by M uslim s, meaning ‘Sub
lime is God, praise is for G od, there is no deity but God, and God is
most great’.
 G L O SSA RY OF ARA BIC TERMS

A raf. Bou ndary area, or lim bo, between the Fire and the Garden, occupied
by those w ho are deserving o f neither.
‘ Arafat. Plain near M ak ka which wit nesses the culminating even t o f the
Hajj.
Ba r z a kh. T he ‘in termediate w orld ’ : wh ic h includes the life in the grave
between death and resurrection.
D a jj a l. T he An tichrist.
D unya. T his w orld , as opposed to the a kh ira, which signifies the other
wor ld, the world-to-com e.
H awd. T he vast lake to which the believers shall com e on the D ay o f
Judgem en t.
‘ I l liy y in . A boo k in wh ic h the actions o f the righteous are recorded.
Iqama. T he short adhan made just before the prayer begins.
Isra’ . T he ‘nigh t jo u r n ey’ o f the Prophet, upon w hom be blessings and
peace, from M ak ka to Jerusalem .
J ah ann a m . H ellfire.
M f r a j. Th e ascension o f the Prophet, upon w hom be blessings and peace,
through the heavens to the Presence o f God.
Q ibla . T he direction o f the Sacred H ouse in M akka.
S aqar. A place in Hell.
S irat . T he bridge stretched over H ell on the D ay ofju dgem en t.
S unna. T he pattern o f life o f the Blessed Prophet, whic h com prises the
norm and exam ple fo r his followers.
Sura t al-lk hlas. Sura 1 12 o f the Q u r’ an.
T a lbiy a. T he pilgri ms on their w ay to the H ouse say: “ Labbayk A llahumm a
Labbayk” ( H ere 1 am O G od! A t Y o u r service!). T h is is talbiya.
T aqw a. Aw areness o f G od, and hence careful observance o f H is law.
T ashahhud. ‘ Beari ng wit ness’: the devotion al phrases said towards the end
o f the salat prayer.
Ta whid. B e lief in G o d’s O neness and U niqueness.
Umma. T he ‘nation’, or world-co m m u nity, o f Islam.

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