Resurrection A SUMMARY OF EVENTS TO OCCUR By: Muḥammad Ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn

Resurrection A SUMMARY OF EVENTS TO OCCUR By: Muḥammad Ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn

Life after Death: The Last Day
Belief in the last day is a mandatory belief – every human being is obligated by Allah to believe in it. And its place in Islam is that it is one of the core fundamental beliefs of a Muslim: believing in Allah, the angels, the scriptures, the prophets, the last day, and pre-decree. Allah often associates the belief in him with belief in the last day, in the afterlife. Therefore whoever does not believe in the last day does not truly believe in Allah. And when people do not believe in the last day, they will not work for it like someone who does believe and, by his actions, hopes for honor on that day. Those who disbelieve in the last day also fear no retribution or punishment thus becoming just as Allah described them:

 

وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ
And they say, “There is nothing but our life in this world, we die and we live. And nothing destroys us but time.”

The Day of Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, is called the “last day” because it is a day after which there will be no other. It is the final stage. It is the end goal of all the stages through which we pass (i.e., nonexistence, creation in the womb, life, death and the grave, then the hereafter), and it is the end of our journey. Allah ( تعاىل ) says:

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تُبْعَثُونَ
Then, after that you will all certainly die. Then indeed you all, on the Day of Resurrection, will be resurrected.

The resurrection is when mankind will rise from their graves to stand before the Lord of creation. Ibn Taymiyyah, in his book “al-‘Aqīdah al-Wāsiṭiyyah,” calls this “the greater resurrection” indicating there is also a lesser resurrection. This lesser resurrection is the one pertaining to each individual as they witness with their own eyes the beginning of the hereafter, their new life after their death. So each individual has his own resurrection; when he or she dies, his or her lesser resurrection has begun. But as for the greater resurrection, these are the major events to occur…

T H E F I R S T E V E N T
The Souls Return to Their Bodies

The first event to occur on the Day of Resurrection is the souls’ return to their bodies. This will occur after the second blast of the horn, after the souls have left their bodies at death. Yet this return of a soul to its body is not the same return that happens in the grave when the deceased is asked (by stern angels) who his Lord is, what his religion is, and who his prophet is. As for the first blow of the horn, Allah will command the angel Isrāfīl to blow into the horn, and at that instance, everyone in the heavens and earth, except whom Allah may will otherwise, will be shocked, terrified and fall dead. Isrāfīl will then blow the horn a second time from which all souls will scatter, returning back to their bodies. Allah says:

وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ
And the horn will be blown and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on.

And he says:
وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ األَجْدَاثِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَنسِلُونَ
And the horn will be blown, and at once from the graves to their Lord they will hasten.

‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Amr ( عنه اهلل رضي )narrated a lengthy ḥadīth in which the messenger of Allah said:
ثُمَّ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّوْرِ فَال يَسْمَعُهُ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا أَصْغَى لَيْتًا وَرَفَعَ لَيْتًا ، وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يَسْمَعُهُ رَجُلٌ يَلُوْطُ حَوْضَ إِبْلِهِ ، فَيَصْعَقُ وَيَصْعَقُ النَّاسُ ، ثُمَّ يُرْسِلُ اللَّهُ أَوْ قَالَ : يُنْزِلُ اللَّهُ مَطْراً كَأَنَّهُ الطَّلُّ أَوْ الظِّلُّ ، فَتَنْبُتُ مِنْهُ أَجْسَادُ النَّاسِ ، ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَى فَإِذَا هُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُم قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ هَلُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَقِفُوهُمْ إِنَّهُم مَّسْئُولُونَ
Then the horn will be blown and everyone who hears it will tilt his head in attention. And the first one to hear it will be a man repairing his camel’s water trough, then he will be shocked and fall dead and the rest of mankind will also fall dead. Then Allah will send (or he said: will cause to descend) rain like dew from which people’s bodies will grow. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on. It will then be said, “Oh mankind, come to your Lord!” But stop them. They are certainly going to be questioned. Ibn Taymiyyah says, “Then the souls will return to their bodies,” and this indicates that the souls will not disperse from the horn’s blow until after the bodies have become recreated and completed. So when they are created again, the horn will be sounded then the souls return to their bodies.

Also in the author’s words is evidence that the resurrection is understood to be a kind of “return” or “remaking” and not a new creation. Rather, it is a return to something that has left or changed. The body turns to dust, the bones decay, and still Allah will bring together these separate particles back into a formed body. Then the souls will return back to these bodies. Whoever claims the bodies will be new creations, this is a false claim refuted by the Quran, the Sunnah, and the intellect.

As for the evidence from the Quran, Allah ( ّوجلّ عز ) says:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ
And it is he (Allah) who begins creation; then he repeats it, and that is (even) easier for him.

Meaning: He will repeat the creation that he first began. In a ḥadīth qudsī, Allah says:
» لَيْسَ أَوَّلُ الْخَلْقِ بِأَهْوَنَ عَلِيَّ مِنْ إِعَادَتِهِ «
“The initial creation is no easier for me than remaking him.”

And everything is easy for Allah. He also says:

كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ
As we began the first creation, we will repeat it.

And:

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تُبْعَثُونَ
Then, after that you all will certainly die. Then indeed you all, on the Day of Resurrection, will be resurrected.

Allah also says:

ۖ
قَالَ مَن يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ
He (man) asks, “Who will give life to bones while they are decayed, disintegrated?” Say: He will give them life who produced them the first time and he is, of all creation, knowing.

As for the evidence from the Sunnah that the bodies will be a repeated re-creation and not a new creation, there are many ḥadīth in which the prophet ( مّوسل عليه اهلل ىّصل) explains this, for example:

» يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْالً «
Mankind will be resurrected barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised.

The point in the ḥadīth is that mankind themselves is mentioned as being resurrected and not some other new creation. What is important is to know that the resurrection will be a return to the previous bodies.
The proof from an Islamic perspective that people’s souls will return to their bodies and they will be brought back to life—and that the Day of Resurrection will occur in general—can be found in the Quran, the Sunnah, and in the consensus of mainstream Muslims, past and present.

As for evidence from the Quran, Allah ( تعاىل ) emphasizes this resurrection in his book, mentioning about it terrifying descriptions which should instill fear of it and the necessity to prepare for it. He says:

قُلْ إِنَّ األَوَّلِنيَ وَاآلخِرِينَ لَمَجْمُوعُونَ إِلَى مِيقَاتِ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
Say: Indeed, the former and the later peoples will all be gathered together for the appointment of a known day.

And describing that day, Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ ,يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَىٰ وَمَا هُم بِسُكَارَىٰ وَلَٰكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ

Oh mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the (final) hour is a terrible thing. On the day you see it, every nursing mother will be distracted from that (child) she is nursing, every pregnant woman will abort her pregnancy, and you will see the people (appearing) intoxicated while they are not intoxicated; but the punishment of Allah is severe.
الْحَاقَّةُ مَا الْحَاقَّةُ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحَاقَّةُ
The inevitable reality. What is the inevitable reality? And what can make you know what the inevitable reality is?

الْقَارِعَةُ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنفُوشِ
The striking calamity. What is the striking calamity? And what can make you know what the striking calamity is? It is the day on which people will become like moths dispersed. And the mountains will become like fluffed wool.

And similar descriptions and names for the last hour are numerous in the Quran, all of which are frightening because it will be a tremendous day. And if we did not believe in it and its serious consequences, then we would not act to prepare for it. We could not prepare for such a grave, serious event unless we believe in it correctly, and there would be no way to do this if its descriptions were not mentioned to us.

As for the evidence of the resurrection from the Sunnah, there are many ḥadīth in this regard. The prophet ( مّوسل عليه اهلل ىّصل ) made clear what will happen on that day, and these ḥadīth will be cited shortly in the sections on the “pool,” the “bridge,” the “books of deeds,” and other things which the messenger ( مّوسل عليه اهلل ىّصل ) explained to us.

As for the evidence according to the consensus of Muslims, the third type of evidence, Muslims have always been in absolute agreement that believing in the last day is part of faith. Because of this, whoever disbelieves in the Day of Resurrection is not a true believer. Of course if such an individual is new to Islam or totally uninformed, then he has an excuse, but after the correct belief is made clear to him, if he insists on disbelieving in the Day of Resurrection then he is a disbeliever.
There is also a fourth type of religious evidence of the resurrection, the previously revealed scriptures. All of them collectively confirm the last day of this life. Because of this, Jews and Christians have always believed in it and continue to do so today. You hear them say things like, “This person is forgiven,” or “May god forgive him,” and similar things that show they still believe in the hereafter and the last day.

There is even a fifth form of evidence which suggests a Day of Judgment – the intellect. The reasoning is that if such a day were not to occur, then there will be little meaning to creation; it would be vain and foolish. But Allah is high above any faults of foolishness and play. What wisdom would there be in creating people who are instructed (to believe and behave a certain way), prohibited from things, and required to endure things but yet then they simply die, vanish with no accounting for any of that, no reward or punishment for any of it? About this, Allah (تعاىل )asks:

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
Then did you think that we created you meaninglessly, without purpose and that you would never be returned to us? So exalted is Allah, the King, the Truth. There is no (true) god except him, Lord of the noble throne.

And he says:

إِنَّ الَّذِي فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لَرَادُّكَ إِلَى مَعَادٍ
Indeed, he who imposed upon you the Quran will surely bring you back to a place of return.

Why would Allah instruct mankind with the Quran, instructing them to act according to it all the while knowing there would really never be a time when people return to him, never a day on which we would be held accountable or rewarded for our compliance with this Quran he has imposed on us? So those are five types of evidence confirming or implying the Day of Resurrection and that people will be brought back to life as their souls return to their bodies. After the souls join their bodies, mankind will then rise from their graves.

T H E S E C O N D E V E N T
Mankind Rises from Their Graves

Ibn Taymiyyah says, “Mankind will then rise from their graves barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised to stand before the Lord of all creations.” His statement, “from their graves,” is based on the fact that most people are buried in graves in the ground although it is obvious that other people died and were not buried in the earth. He said, “to stand before the Lord of all creations,” because Allah ( ّوجلّ عز)will have called them forth at that time. Allah says: ۖ

ذَلِكَ وَاسْتَمِعْ يَوْمَ يُنَادِ الْمُنَادِ مِن مَّكَانٍ قَرِيبٍ يَوْمَ يَسْمَعُونَ الصَّيْحَةَ بِالْحَقِّ يَوْمُ الْخُرُوجِ
And listen on the day when the caller will call out from a place that is near, the day they will hear the blast (of the horn) in truth. That is the Day of Rising (from the graves).

And in the ḥadīth that has preceded (pg. 6), the prophet ( مّوسل عليه اهلل ىّصل ( said:

» ثُمَّ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّوْرِ فَال يَسْمَعُهُ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا أَصْغَى لَيْتًا وَرَفَعَ لَيْتًا ، وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يَسْمَعُهُ رَجُلٌ يَلُوْطُ حَوْضَ إِبْلِهِ ، فَيَصْعَقُ وَيَصْعَقُ النَّاسُ ، ثُمَّ يُرْسِلُ اللَّهُ أَوْ قَالَ : يُنْزِلُ اللَّهُ مَطْراً كَأَنَّهُ الطَّلُّ أَوْ الظِّلُّ ، فَتَنْبُتُ مِنْهُ أَجْسَادُ النَّاسِ ، ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَى فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ هَلُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَقِفُوهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُم مَّسْئُولُونَ »
Then the horn will be blown and everyone who hears it will tilt his head in attention—and the first one to hear it will be a man repairing his camel’s water trough—then he will be shocked and fall dead and the rest of mankind will also fall dead. Then Allah will send (or he said: will cause to descend) rain like dew from which people’s bodies will grow. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on. It will then be said, “Oh mankind, come to your Lord!” But stop them. They are certainly going to be questioned.

All people will rise to this momentous call, emerging from their graves to present themselves to the Lord of all creations. :says ( تبارك وتعاىل ) Allah

أَال يَظُنُّ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِنيَ

Do they not think that they will be resurrected for a tremendous day? The day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds.

said ( صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ) prophet

يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى أَرْضٍ بَيْضَاءَ عَفْرَاءَ كَقُرْصَةِ النَّقِيِّ ، لَيْسَ فِيهَا مَعْلَمٌ ألَحَدٍ «

The people will be assembled on the Day of Resurrection on a white plain with a reddish tinge like a loaf of pure white bread. There will be no signs or markings on it for anyone.

People will rise from their graves barefooted, wearing neither shoes nor socks; they will have no clothing at all on their legs or feet. They will be naked, having no clothing on the rest of their bodies, and they will be uncircumcised. On the Day of Resurrection, their original creation will not be diminished in anyway. Even the foreskins of those who were circumcised in life will return just as Allah says:
كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ
As we began the first creation, we will repeat it.

So they will return to their first creation having nothing taken away from their bodies, ( صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ) Muhammad Prophet. women and men, together all be will they and said:

» يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْالً «
Mankind will be resurrected barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised.

His wife, ‘Āishah, asked, “Messenger of Allah, women and men together (like that) looking at each other?” He replied:

يَا عَائِشَةُ األَمْرُ أَشَدُّ مِنْ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ «
Āishah, the circumstances will be more serious than for people to be looking at one another.

Every single person will have enough to be concerned with about himself:

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ
On the day a man will flee from his brother, and his mother and his father, and his wife and children. Everyone that day will have enough to make him careless of others.

Neither will men be looking at women, nor women at men. Even a person’s own son and father will flee from him, afraid he may seek justice for rights they may not have fulfilled during their lives. If the circumstances that day will be as grave and terrifying as that, then men and women will not care at all about looking at one another’s bodies. The situation will surely be extremely severe and frightful.
However, after that (the initial rising from the graves naked, as they were first created), people may then be clothed. And the first of creation to be clothed will be Prophet Abraham ( صلّى اهلل عليه وسلّم ) as has been confirmed by prophet ( صلّى اهلل عليه وسلّم )
After mankind rises from their graves, the sun is brought near to them.

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