The Ones who make Wudhoo`

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “My Ummah will come on the day of judgment, ghur and muhajjileen.” These are two marks that come on horses – ghur is the bright spot on the forehead of the horse, and muhajjileen is a bright spot on the feet of the horse. The Arabs used to consider them to be signs of beauty. It carries a meaning of beauty. What caused these signs of beauty? The wudhoo`.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “And on the day of judgment, you will have jewellery according to where the water used to reach.”

There’s another hadith in Muslim, in which the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam went to the cemetery and said, “Peace be upon you, the dwellings of the believers. That’s where there dwelling is now.” Then he said, “InshaAllah we are soon going to follow you. I wish that we can see our brothers.” The sahabah were amazed by this, and they said, “Aren’t we your brothers?” RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “You are my companions. My brothers are the one who did not come yet.” The rest of the Ummah of Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam are the brothers of Muhammad – we are his brothers inshaAllah. Then, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was asked by the sahabah, “How will you know your brothers when you never saw them?” RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “If there is a man who has horses with the marks of tahjeel, wouldn’t you recognize him among other horses?” The sahabah said, “Yes.” RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “My Ummah will come with these signs and I will recognize them out of all of the people [from the signs of wudhu`]. I will be waiting for my brothers on the pool.”

May Allah combine us with RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam on the day of judgment.

The Ones who grow White Hair in Islam

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever grows white hair in Islam, it will be light for them on the day of resurrection.” This hadith was narrated by at-Tirmidhi. Sometimes we don’t like white hair because it is a sign of old age, but RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is telling us it will be noor for us on the Day of Judgment.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in a hadith by Ibn Habbaan, “Don’t pull out your gray hair, it will be light for you on the day of judgment, and Allah will give you a reward for every white hair and Allah will raise you one level for every white hair that you have.”

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Gray hair is light in your face, so pull it out if you want to.” Who would want to pull out light from their face?

Those who Call the Adhaan

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that the mu`adhins will have the longest necks on the day of resurrection. [see Muslim, 4/750] That is so that they can be seen. Adhaan is the call to prayer, and that is why it carries such a big reward to it.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to a Bedouin, by the name of AbdurRahmaan ibn Sa’Sa’, “I see that you love sheep and goats and the Bedouin life.” This man wasn’t very attached to city life; he wanted to live as a Bedouin with his sheep and goats in the desert. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam continued, “If you are in the wilderness and it is time for salah, then raise your voice in adhaan because whatever hears you – whether jinns or humans or anything – will witness for you on the day of judgment.” The mountains, rocks, animals, human beings and jinns will witness for you on the Day of Judgment. You are in harmony with creation; everything is Muslim except for the corrupt jinn and the corrupt Muslim.

Those Who Suppress their Anger

Anger is a very strong in your heart that can cause so much pain if you don’t release it. Your physiological and psychological state changes. It causes you to do irrational things or even become violent. If you are able to suppress it – even though it’s there – RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that there is a very big reward for it.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “If anyone suppresses anger when he is in a position to give vent to it, Allah, the Exalted, will call him on the Day of Resurrection over the heads of all creatures, and ask him to choose any of the bright and large eyed maidens he wishes.” [Abu Dawood, 41/4759] Also, in the hadith, notice it says that you hold the anger back when you can actually release it or act upon it. In some situations, you can’t do anything.

Allah mentions in the Qur’an the mutaqeen (the God-conscious): “Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good.” (3:133) The sahabah, with the training of RasulAllah, reached to the level where they forgave. They would stand up for the truth, but when they had the ability to take revenge, they would forgive; this is a very virtuous thing. In Islam, you have the right to take what belongs to you – an eye for an eye. Forgiving is above that and you receive a special reward for doing so.

Do Justice

There is another sahih hadith, in which RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “If you give victory to your brother in his absence, Allah will give you victory on the day of judgment.” What does this mean? You are in a meeting, and a very righteous brother of yours is absent. People start saying bad things about him that are not true, and you stand up for him, Allah will give you victory on the day of judgment, when you are in need. We shouldn’t allow our brothers, or the righteous scholars, to be backbitten when we are around. We should defend them. For example, approving or defending someone just because he is part of your party, etc.

The jahiliyyah Arabs had this wrong rule of “I will assist my tribal brothers even if I know he is wrong.”

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one.” People [the sahabah] asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet said, “By preventing him from oppressing others.” [Bukhaari, 3/43/624]

Justice is a virtue that should be practiced by everyone. All of us have responsibility, and as long as you have responsibility, then you have to be just. We mentioned that justice is the law of the universe. Allah subhaana wa ta’aala has established the heavens and earth on justice. Wherever justice is missing, everything will go wrong.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in a hadith in Muslim, “AlMuqsiteen (the just) are sitting or standing on pulpits of light on the Right Hand of Allah subhaana wa ta’aala, and both Hands of Allah are right. They are just in their judgment and among their families and among their responsibilities.” An example of these could be: a judge or an arbitrator, the ones who are just among their families.

An area where there is a lot of injustice is in the family – with children, with wives, with younger siblings, etc. We need to realize that having justice brings a lot of reward, and being unjust brings with it a lot of punishment. We know that one of the most severe punishments is against oppression – dhulm. Allah subhaana wa ta’aala says that nothing is between him and the supplication of the oppressed, even if the person is a non believer. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam specifically mentions in the hadith that the prayers and supplication of the oppressed will reach Allah immediately, even if they are coming from a disbeliever.

If you have power, it is very tempting to abuse it, especially when there is no opposition. Children and the weak are prone to oppression from the stronger. This will not go unnoticed, however, and Allah subhaana wa ta’aala will make the oppressor pay the price on the day of judgment. Allah will not let anything go, otherwise, that is injustice. One of Allah’s names is The Just. Allah will make everyone pay for their injustices, even to the extent that the animals will have to sort things out. 

Concealing the Sins of Your Brother

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also says, “Whoever conceals the privacies of a Muslim, Allah will conceal their privacies on the day of judgment.” Awrah is something that you do not want others to see. That is why the private parts are also called awrah. Awrah also includes what you don’t want others to see, for example, your sins. Someone may commit a sin away from people because they don’t want others to know about it. For example, there are some people who pray, but suffer from an alcohol addiction. Nevertheless, this person still has a lot of love for Allah, and they know their weakness, and they ask Allah for forgiveness. They don’t want anyone to know. Somehow, you come to know. If you conceal that and don’t let anyone know, then Allah will conceal for you one of your privacies on the Day of Judgment. Every one of us has some privacies that we don’t want others to know. You might wonder – how can you do this if drinking is illegal in Islam? This is a major sin and there is a punishment for it. The intent of the hudood (criminal laws) in Islam is to keep the society clean from any sin that would become public and affect the people. The danger is when the sin becomes public. When a person does a sin privately, it doesn’t affect the society. It becomes a harm when it is public, because it attracts others to that sin.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “When people make fahishah (adultery and fornication) public, then Allah will afflict them with diseases that did not exist in their forefathers.”

Allah says, “Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know.” (24:19) Some of the scholars say that this applies to the ones who go and spy about others and expose the evil to others in the society. This news that would go around would corrupt the people. Talking about evil of others causes corruption in the society – especially when it comes to things like zina, etc. When it is not in the minds of people, don’t bring it up.

The general rule is that everyone will be called before Allah and all of the creation (humanity and jinn) are surrounding and witnessing what is happening. They hear the conversation between the person and Allah. Allah would ask them about their sins – “did you do this sin?” Allah says, “That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgement]; not hidden among you is anything concealed.” (69:18) Everything will be made public that day.

There are some believers who Allah will call and RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that Allah will call them and come down, until he is right over the shoulder of the person and then Allah subhaana wa ta’aala will speak with that person about the sins that person has done in private. And Allah will not let anyone know about it. Then Allah will tell that believer, “I have concealed these sins for you in dunya, and I will conceal them for you today.”

One of the ways to be granted with this blessing is to conceal the privacies of others. Allah subhaana wa ta’aala told us not to spy on others. Every one of us has enough to be concerned with ourselves. When you see something in public, it is your duty to enforce enjoining good and forbidding evil. This is the advice of the early Muslims – it is part of the perfection of one’s faith to leave what is not your business. Then RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said in the end of the hadith, “Allah is in your assistance, as long as you are assisting your brother.”

The Ones whom Allah will provide with Shade

There is no shade on the Day of Judgment – there are no mountains or buildings or trees; the land will be flat. There will be no shade, except under the throne of Allah. This is an exclusive group of people, not everyone can join. Allah will admit those people according to their qualities. What are their qualities?

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Seven are (the persons) whom Allah would give protection with His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but that of Him (i. e. on the Day of Judgment, and they are): a just ruler, a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful woman of high rank seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): ‘I fear Allah’ ; a person who gives charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the right hand does not know what the left has given; and a person who remembered Allah in privacy and his eyes shed tears.” [Muslim, 5/2248]

1.      A just ruler

2.      Youth who grew up with the worship of Allah

3.      A person whose heart is attached to the mosques

4.      Two persons who love each other for the sake of Allah

5.      A man who refuse a beautiful woman by saying, ‘I fear Allah’

6.      A person who gives charity and conceals it

7.      A person who remembered Allah in privacy and his eyes shed tears

   1. An-Nawawi said that the first to be mentioned is the just ruler because his benefit would help everyone. Everyone would enjoy the justice of the ruler. The thing that would provide people with peace in al-dunya is justice. It would make them peaceful and secure. We underestimate justice. Ibn Taymiyyah says that the heavens and the earth are established with justice. With justice, the people will be well off, healthy, peaceful and safe. When the ruler is just, this justice permeates through the whole society. Because that ruler made people’s lives safe and peaceful, Allah will make his life peaceful in the hereafter.

   2. When people are in their youth years, sometimes they are not serious about the religion of Allah, but they are more willing to involve in the religion when they are older. You usually find that the younger the person is, the less serious they are about the religion. This is not true for everyone, of course. There are many youth that are serious about the religion, and the religion is built on the shoulders of the youth, but the youth are more playful. If a youth grows up worshipping Allah and never goes into a phase of growing astray, Allah will reward this youth with shade. That youth kept istiqaama (staying on the path of Allah continuously) and that youth has never been manipulated by evil.

   3. A man whose heart is attached to the masjid. Wherever that man would go, you would find him asking where the masaajid are. When they are travelling, they want to know where the nearest masaajid are; when they are at their homes, they want to go to the masjid when prayer time comes; they love the masjid. They don’t feel that someone is forcing them to go or that they have to get it off of their shoulders. AnNawawi says the meaning of this is that they love to pray jama’ah in the masjid, not that they want to stay in the masjid. We should not misinterpret it as somebody should just go to the masjid and do nothing there.

‘Umar ibn AlKhattaab came into the masjid one time and saw some people in the masjid. He asked them, “What are you doing?” It was the time for work. They said, “We are the ones who have tawakkul.” ‘Umar ibn AlKhattaab took his stick and hit them. He said, “You know that the sky does not rain gold and silver!” If you stay in the masjid, don’t expect gold and silver to fall from the sky onto your heads; you have to go earn your living. Once, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam came into the masjid and saw one of the sahabah there, so he asked, “What are you doing in the masjid?” If it was ok for a person to stay in the masjid continuously, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would not have asked him, but he asked him because it was not the time for salah. The man said, “I have a lot of distress.” So RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam taught him the du’aa`:

      RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told us a hadith about the munafiqeen [hypocrites] – if one of them is told that a harvest of dates will be handed out in the masjid for free, they would have came. Think about it yourself – if you find a lack of motivation to go to the masjid – ask yourself, “Would I go to the masjid if they offered $50 for every salah?” Imagine that! The masaajid would be packed! Allah subhaana wa ta’aala is offering you more. He is promising that He will give you shade on a day that is 50,000 years long.

   4. Two men who love each other for the sake of Allah will also be in that shade. They do not love each other for worldly benefits. They love each other for their righteousness and good akhlaaq. They came together and parted for Allah’s cause. They didn’t come to talk or conspire, etc. They came together for Allah. This is like the brotherhood of Musa and Harun. Musa ‘alayhis salaam said: “That we may glorify You much, And remember You much.” (20:33-34) That’s why Musa asked for his brother to be with him.Another example is Salmaan alFarsi and Abu Dardaa` or ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood, when he said to one of the sahabah: “Let’s come together to have imaan for a moment.”

   5. The next person to be in the shade is a man who was seduced by a beautiful woman and who also had a position of authority because he feared Allah. The best example of this is Yusuf ‘alayhis salaam. He was called by a very beautiful woman who was the wife of the owner of Yusuf. She had the ultimate authority over him. Nevertheless, he said no, and he suffered a lot because of this. Why is the person granted shade for 50,000 years for saying no? Because it is a very difficult thing to do. It is not just a word of saying, “I fear Allah.” It is extremely difficult. Allah will reward you according to the hardship and more. Apply this rule to any situation – the more difficult something is for you, the more the reward will be.

A side note of mine is that now-a-days our streets are covered with half nude woman. They are very pleased to show off themselves. By avoiding looking at them we may be grant shade of Allah. May Allah give us strength to reject any evil that Allah hate.

   6. The next person is someone who has given sadaqah [charity] and has made it secret so that even his left hand does not know what the right hand is given. This is talking about secret charity. There are two types of sadaqah: the public charity and the private/secret charity. There are rewards for both. AnNawawi says that, as for zakat, it is better to make it public. There is more reward in giving zakah in public because zakah is a pillar of Islam and people need to be reminded of it. With the voluntary sadaqah, he says it is better to give it in secret. This is not general, however. If giving sadaqah in public will encourage others, then it is better to give it in public. That is why there were some occasions where RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam asked people to give it in public. Jarir b. Abdullah reported that some desert Arabs clad in woollen clothes came to Allah’s Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He saw them in sad plight as they had been hard pressed by need. He (the Prophet) exhorted people to give charity, but they showed some reluctance until (signs) of anger could be seen on his face. Then a person from the Ansaar came with a purse containing silver. Then came another person and then other persons followed them in succession until signs of happiness could be seen on his face.

Thereupon Allah’s Messenger sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “He who introduced some good practice in Islam which was followed after him (by people) he would be assured of reward like one who followed it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who introduced some evil practice in Islam which had been followed subsequently (by others), he would be required to bear the burden like that of one who followed this (evil practice) without theirs being diminished in any respect.” [Muslim, 34/6466]

      During the ghazwa of tabook, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam stood on the mimbar and said, “Who will give? Who will give?” Every time, ‘Uthmaan ibn Affaan would come and give, until eventually RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Whatever ‘Uthmaan will do after today will not harm him.” He gave so much that Allah has granted him forgiveness at that moment for anything he does after.

      When there is no need for encouragement, you should give sadaqah in secret. The left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing is an Arabic expression which means that it is done so privately that no one knows about it. An example of that would be that scholars would leave food at the doors of the needy, and they would only know when the scholar died!

   7. Finally, a man who is in seclusion and remembers Allah and his eyes are filled with tears will also be in the shade that day. This is done in a state of ikhlaas [sincerity] because that person is alone and they are not showing off to anyone. Because of their sincerity, Allah subhaana wa ta’aala will have that person in His shade.

These are not the only ones who will have shade on the Day of Judgment. There were some more mentioned by RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

In a hadith, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said if a man who is in financial difficulty owes you money and you give that man more time or forgive the debt, Allah will provide you with shade on the day of judgment. Financial difficulties are very stressful for people, especially for those who have families and therefore more responsibilities. Notice that the people are in the shade either went through difficulty in this world or they made somebody else’s difficulty easy.

3. The Muttaqeen – the righteous – that Day

Let’s start with the ones mentioned in the Qur’an.

“Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us – they are from it far removed. They will not hear its sound, while they are, in that which their souls desire, abiding eternally. They will not be grieved by the greatest terror, and the angels will meet them, [saying], ‘This is your Day which you have been promised.’” [21:101-103]

What is the reason for them feeling so secure on the Day of Judgment when everyone else is being terrorized and afraid? We have the answer for that in Qur’aan and Sunnah. These righteous men and women used to say this when they were in dunya: “Verily, We fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislikeness to it).” (76:10) Ibn Abbaas says that qantareera means a long day and Qatadah says it means a day of hardship. You would see the sorrow and despair on the faces of people. These righteous people used to say that they feared that day in the dunya, therefore Allah will make them safe on the Day of Judgment.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in Hadith Qudsi: Allah said: “In My Name, I will not combine for My servant two moments of peace or two moments of fear. If my servant does not fear the Day of Judgment in dunya, then they will fear it on the Day of Judgment. If they fear the Day of Judgment in dunya, then I will give them peace and tranquillity on the Day of Judgment.”

It’s much better to be afraid of the Day of Judgment in the dunya, because we know that the earlier the hardship, the easier it becomes in the end. If you commit a sin, it is much easier to wash away that sin while in the dunya than it is later.

How are the sins purified?

Ø  There are more than 11 ways, but briefly:

If you have committed sins, Allah will forgive and compensate for them by the hardships in dunya (disease, problems, disasters, financial difficulty, etc).

Ø  If that is not enough, then in the moments of death, the pain that you will feel when the soul comes out, that will take care of the sins.

Ø  If that is not enough, there will be punishment in the grave. If that is not enough, then the horror of the Day of Judgment.

Ø  If that is not enough, then the person will spend some time in the hellfire. Because the sins have to be cleared.

Allah will not admit anyone into Jannah, except if they are 100% pure. There is not impurity allowed in Jannah. You must pay for what you have done in this process. In dunya it is easy to purify these sins – all you have to do is make tawbah. The pain in the dunya is much easier than the pain of Akhirah. Allah says, “They will not have patience in Hellfire.” No one can handle the pain and suffering of Hell. It is easier to get out of the sins the earlier you try.

We have a lack of awareness of akhirah. We are unaware. SubhaanAllah, the issue of akhirah does not have 1% of the affect it had on the sahabah. Whenever RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would talk about akhirah, they would cry and weep. They always had the meeting with Allah on their minds.

It is mentioned that ‘Umar ibn ‘AbdulAziz had all of what dunya could offer under his hands. He could own whatever he wants. He was ruling the greatest super power of the time – the Islamic khilaafa. It was the biggest super power of its time. ‘Umar once went to bed, his wife, Faatimah ibn ‘AbdulMaalik, said, “My husband went to sleep and suddenly he was shaking. He was crying until morning because he wouldn’t sleep. I asked him why, and he said, ‘I remember the day when I will be told to either go to Jannah or Hellfire. On that day, the final decision will be made.’ When he remembered that day, he was crying all night.”

The fear that the sahabah, the salifeen and the righteous had in itself is a form of ‘ibaadah. Having hope of Allah and fearing Allah’s punishment is a form of ‘ibaadah in itself.

Ibn AlQayyim says we have to have two wings: a wing of rajaa` [hope] and a wing of khowf [fear]. We have one wing to have good expectations of Allah, that He will be merciful, and that wing will be balanced by the fear of the severe punishment of Allah. If one outweighs the other, the bird cannot fly. If you only have good expectations, that will make you lazy and procrastinate. If you have too much fear, you will give up and think you cannot make it to Jannah. Do not go to either extreme, but have a balance. Always remind yourself of akhirah and that will develop the fear of Allah in the heart.

12. Eavesdropping and Spying

If you listen to spy on people or eavesdrop on them when they don’t want you to listen, then molten metal or copper will be poured in the ear of a person who does so. Allah will pour hot fluid in the ears of a person who does that because you are transgressing on the rights of others. People have a right to privacy. This is one of the Islamic rights. We are not allowed to spy on other people or backbite on them or involve in their personal affairs, even if what they are doing is a sin.

If people are drinking alcohol in their house, we do not have a right to spy on them. If they are doing it in the privacy of their house, this is a sin that is between them and Allah. Allah will handle it on the Day of Judgment. If somebody takes out their can of beer in the street, then punishment is done on that person because this is exposing the sin.

There were people during the time of ‘Umar(ra) and ‘Uthmaan(ra) – and maybe even Abu Bakr(ra) – who used to commit these sins in their houses and they were never punished for it because they didn’t do it in public. There were people who were Muslim by name and committing these sins in the privacy of their own homes, and they were left alone. Islam does not want them to be exposed. Maybe Allah will guide them to tawbah (repentance). And if they don’t, then maybe Allah will forgive them. Allah forgives whomever He wants and punishes whomever He wants.

11. The One who Lies About their Dream

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “Whoever claims to have seen a dream which he did not see, will be ordered to make a knot between two barley grains which he will not be able to do. And if somebody listens to the talk of some people who do not like him (to listen) or they run away from him, then molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection; and whoever makes a picture, will be punished on the Day of Resurrection and will be ordered to put a soul in that picture, which he will not be able to do.” [Bukhaari, 9/87/165]

Sometimes people are very affected by dreams, so you can cause people agony by lying about a dream. Also, people may lie about seeing the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam because they may want to claim a high position. 

10. The Beggars

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said in a hadith narrated by Abu Dawud and An-Nasaa`i, “Whoever begs and has enough, that begging will come as scars on their faces on the day of judgment.”

Because Islam wants people to have dignity, Islam allows people who have gone through catastrophes and are in great need to ask for help. Islam gives them the right to ask, and gives us the obligation to help. But if you already have enough and you ask, that is just greed.

9. A Leader who Hides from the People

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “Whoever assumes a leadership position amongst the Muslims and then hides away from the needy and poor, Allah subhaana wa ta’aala will veil Himself from that person and the needs of that person on the day of judgement.” If you assume a position of leadership and then refuse to meet the needs of the people that you are responsible, then on the Day of Judgment, when you need Allah, Allah will take revenge for those people and not help you.

With the khulafaa`, their doors were open for every need. A man came from Egypt to complain about the son of the governor of Egypt – the governor was ‘Amr ibn Al ‘Aas(ra) [a famous companion]. And the man came into Madinah and walked right in to speak with ‘Umar ibn AlKhattaab(ra). ‘Umar(ra) was not living in a palace or a castle; he was living in a very modest house. Amazingly enough, that house did not even have a door – there was only a curtain at the entrance. All you had to do was uncover the curtain. You just call from outside for ‘Umar(ra), and if he calls you in, you walk in and speak with him.

One of the kings of Persia came to Madinah to convey a message to the khalifa. He asked, “Where is the khalifa?” They said you might find him in the house or the masjid. The King went both places and didn’t find him. He came to the people and asked again. One of the men pointed and said, “You see that man sleeping under the tree? That’s the khalifa.” This Persian leader went and stood over ‘Umar(ra), who was sleeping under the tree in the desert, amazed, and said, “You ruled with justice, so you were peaceful and you were able to sleep!” He is comparing this situation to Persia – where it’s impossible for the king to sleep like this without royal guards surrounding him!

Hiding from the needs of the people is a crime. We need to redefine leadership. Whenever the leadership does something good in our society, we praise a lot whatever was done. We forget that it’s their obligation. They aren’t doing anyone a favor. That’s what they were appointed to do! When they do something wrong, we are quiet, as if they have a right to abuse the nations.

In Islam, the position of leadership is a responsibility, and you will be questioned about your responsibility.

We lost this concept, but the sahabah were very aware of it and it was alive in their hearts. One day, ‘Umar ibn AlKhattaab(ra) stood on the mimbar to give a khutbah. He said, “Listen and obey!” Salmaan al-Farsi(ra) stood up and said, “We’re not going to listen and we’re not going to obey!” Salmaan al-Farsi(ra) was amongst the righteous companions. ‘Umar(ra) said, “Why?” Salmaan(ra) said, “Because you have given every one of us one thawb (cloth) and you have taken two for yourself.” This is wealth that came to Madinah, pieces of cloth, and ‘Umar distributed them to everyone. He gave everyone one piece. Salmaan(ra) noticed that when ‘Umar(ra) stood up to give the khutbah, he had two pieces. ‘Umar(ra) didn’t speak, so he told his son, “Tell them, ‘Abdullah(ra).” So ‘Abdullah(ra) stood up and said, “My father is tall, wide and well-built. One piece of cloth is not enough for him, so I gave him mine. That’s why he has two pieces.”

8. Dhul-wajhayn Double Faith

Double faith means you are with two faces. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “You will find that the worse people on the Day of Judgment are the people who have double face. They meet people with one face and others with a different face.

In another hadith, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever used to have two faces in dunya will have a tongue of fire on the day of judgment.” Because the two faces are really the tongue – it is the tongue that changes. The reason is because Islam is descent. Islam does not like crookedness. Islam likes being direct and honest, but also at the same time, not to be rude.

7. The One who Takes the Land Illegally

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever takes a piece of the land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhaari, 3/43/634]

6. Al-Ghalool

The direct meaning of al-ghalool is anything stolen from the booties of war. A general meaning of the word would also include anything taken without right. The punishment for this, Allah says in the Qur’an: “It is not for any Prophet to take illegally a part of booty (Ghulul), and whosoever deceives his companions as regards the booty, he shall bring forth on the Day of Resurrection that which he took (illegally). Then every person shall be paid in full what he has earned – and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.” (3:161)

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that if you have stolen a camel, you will be carrying that camel on your shoulders on the day of judgment – the same goes for stealing a cow or a goat. It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa’idi who said: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam appointed a man from the Asad tribe who was called Ibn Lutbiyya in charge of Sadaqa (i. e. authorised him to receive Sadaqa from the people on behalf of the State.) When he returned (with the collections), he said: “This is for you and (this is mine as) it was presented to me as a gift.” The narrator said: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam stood on the pulpit and praised God and extolled Him. Then he said: “What about a State official whom I give an assignment and who (comes and) says: ‘This is for you and this has been presented to me as a gift’? Why didn’t he remain in the house of his father or the house of his mother so that he could observe whether gifts were presented to him or not? By the Being in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, any one of you will not take anything from it but will bring it on the Day of Judgment, carrying on his neck a camel that will be growling, or a cow that will be bellowing or an ewe that will be bleating.” Then he raised his hands so that we could see the whiteness of his armpits. Then he said twice: “O God, I have conveyed (Your Commandments).” [Muslim, B. 20, #4509] Why would people give him gifts? So that he would be lenient and overlook. This was given as the title of a gift, but in reality it is a bribe. I want to clarify that if you are in a position of leadership, it does not mean you cannot accept gifts period. You can accept gifts, whoever you are, whatever position you are in. You cannot accept gifts when it is given with the intention of getting favor that doesn’t belong to the person.

5. Al-Ghaadir – the One who Betrays

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “For every betrayer (perfidious person), a flag will be raised on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be announced (publicly) ‘This is the betrayal (perfidy) of so-and-so, the son of so-and-so.’” [Bukhaari, 8/73/196]

In another hadith, it says that this flag will be coming out of the back of this person and that person will be going around with it. The size and height of the banner depends on how bad the betrayal was.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Sa’id that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: “On the Day of Judgment there will be a flag for every person guilty of the breach of faith. It will be raised in proportion to the extent of his guilt; and there is no guilt of treachery more serious than the one committed by the ruler of men.” [Muslim B19, #4310] This betrayal is worse because the leader of the masses is betraying of everyone.

4.The Rich and the Extravagant

In a hadith by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah and Al-Haakim, there was a man sitting with RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This man was burping, burping, burping. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Keep your burping away from us! The ones who fill their stomachs most in dunya will suffer hunger the most on the day of judgment.”

In another hadith narrated by Bukhaari and Muslim: [...] He (Abu Dharr) said: So I walked along with him [RasulAllah] for some time and he sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The wealthy persons would have little (reward) on the Day of Resurrection, except upon whom Allah conferred goodness (wealth). He [the one with the wealth] dispensed it to his right, left, in front of him and at his back (just as the wind diffuses fragrance) and did good with it (riches).” [Muslim B.5, #2175]

Another hadith, which compliments this one, “The ones with the most are the ones who are the lowest on the day of judgment, except the ones who spend it here and there and they receive it by halaal means.” So the way these people [the exceptions] earn the money is hallal, and the way they spend it is in righteousness.

Money in itself does not carry a tag that says it is evil. In fact, Allah subhaana wa ta’aala called money in Qur’an khayra/khayr, which means good. Allah actually gave it good titles – khayr and zeena (the adornment of this life). It only becomes bad when it is used in a wrong way. It is a tool that can be used for good or evil, just like any other rizq Allah gives you (for example, knowledge and health). We need to keep it mind that money continuously needs to be purified, and that is by spending it.

We know that many of the prominent sahabah were very wealthy. ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan was one of the wealthiest of the Muslims. ‘AbdurRahman ibn ‘Awf might have been the wealthiest of the Muslims; he was one of the ten given the glad tidings of jannah while still in this dunya. ‘Umar and Abu Bakr were also pretty well off. All of them knew how to use that money. Also, amongst the prophets, Dawud [David] and Sulaymaan [Solomon] were very wealthy.

3.Those Allah will Not Look at

There are some sins, if committed, will result in Allah not looking at you on the day of resurrection.

1.      One who had the knowledge and the truth, but concealed it

2.      Dragging ones cloths, Lying during selling, Breaking oaths

3.      One who prevents the traveler from surplus water, breaking oaths & breaking bay’ah

4.      Aged adulterer, liar king & proud destitute

5.      One who is cruel & Disobedient to their parents, the masculine woman & ad-dayooth

1. One who had the knowledge and the truth, but concealed it:

Allah subhaana wa ta’aala says: “Verily, those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book, and purchase a small gain therewith (of worldly things), they eat into their bellies nothing but fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor purify them, and theirs will be a painful torment. Those are they who have purchased error at the price of Guidance, and torment at the price of Forgiveness. So how bold they are (for evil deeds which will push them) to the Fire.” (2:174-175) Those are the ones who had the knowledge and the truth, but concealed it.

In another hadith, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that the one who is given knowledge and then conceals it, Allah subhaana wa ta’aala will conceal their mouths with fire on the day of judgment. Knowledge has been revealed by Allah subhaana wa ta’aala for the purpose of conveying it. So what use is the knowledge if one conceals it and doesn’t convey it? There is a principle in fiqh which says: “It is not allowed to delay conveying the message past its time.” For example, if you see a particular sin in front of your eyes, you need to bring awareness to the people that this is a mistake. If you do not, then you must have justification of delaying it. An acceptable excuse would be that you are afraid if you tell them the truth, their revolt against it will cause a greater munkar – evil. Otherwise, the general rule is that you cannot delay the message past its time.

There’s another ayah: “Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah’s Covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter (Paradise). Neither will Allah speak to them, nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful torment.”  (3:77) This is the talking about those who sell their religion for a worldly benefit, return. That is, they compromise their religion to get something in return. An example of this would be the scholars of the sultan (a king or president). These would be scholars who would give a fatwa to please the king or president. They are using their religion to justify the falsehood and evil. The punishment for this is that Allah will not look at them on the Day of Judgment and He will not purify them. Also included in this are those who make an oath in the name of Allah and they lie. For example, “In the name of Allah, I did such and such” and it is a lie. There are many hadith that Ibn Kathir mentions in the tafsir of this ayah.

2. Dragging ones cloths, Lying during selling, Breaking oaths:

In a hadith recorded by Muslim, Abu Dharr said that he heard the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam say, “There are three persons whom Allah will not speak to, look at on the Day of Resurrection or purify, and they shall taste a painful torment.” I said, “O Messenger of Allah! Who are they, may they gain failure and loss.” He said, repeating this statement thrice, “The Musbil (man whose clothes reach below the ankles), he who swears while lying so as to sell his merchandize and the one who gives charity and reminds people of it.”

There is another hadith which specifies that the punishment is for those who drag their clothes for pride and arrogance. The second person is the one who lies to sell, for example, he says, “wAllahi [By Allah], this cost me $10!” when it actually cost you $5. Allah will not speak to this person. The third person is al-mannaan who always reminds people of his favours. For example, “Remember, a year ago I did such and such for you.” This shows that this person is not doing it for Allah; rather they are doing it for a return. [In part of a hadith narrated by Bukhaari and Muslim].

3. One who prevents the traveler from surplus water, breaking oaths & breaking bay’ah:

In another hadith narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi: Abu Hurayrah says that RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “There are three whom Allah will not speak to on the day of judgment, and will not look at, and will not purify and will punish them: a man who prevents the traveller from surplus water that they have; someone who makes an oath on their merchandise after ‘asr; someone who gives bay’ah to the imam [khalifa/leader] and does not fulfill it.”

As for the person who prevents the traveller from surplus water that he has, RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says in another hadith that on the day of judgment, Allah will tell that person, How come you prevented something that did not belong to you? Water is something that belongs to everyone. If you have surplus water with you and someone else is in need of it, then that surplus water does not belong to you.

What does it mean to make an oath on your merchandise after ‘asr? Usually, the business day used to be until ‘asr. If you didn’t sell by ‘asr, then most likely it meant you would take those things with you back home. At the end of the day, you are just trying to get rid of what you have. This person is trying to get rid of the additional merchandise they have, so they make oaths on it until they get it sold, and they are lying in their oaths.

On a side note, in the old days, they used to work all day. Now, our days are shorter, yet we still use work as an excuse for not fulfilling our Islamic duties. People before did not have shorter office hours – they used to work from fajr until maghrib. Nevertheless, they did all of the ibadaat. Allah put barakah in their time because they had taqwa of Allah.

As for the person who gives bay’ah – it is talking about the one who gives his allegiance as long as the imam pays them and takes care of them, but if he does not pay and take care of them, they give up their allegiance. That is the case of some of al ‘araab, who became Muslim. They would just go to whoever paid them more; they change allegiance according to who pays more.

I found a similar hadith in Bukhaari:

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “There are three persons whom Allah will not look at on the Day of Resurrection, nor will he purify them and theirs shall be a severe punishment. They are:  A man possessed superfluous water, on a way and he withheld it from travelers; A man who gave a pledge of allegiance to a ruler and he gave it only for worldly benefits. If the ruler gives him something he gets satisfied, and if the ruler withholds something from him, he gets dissatisfied; And man displayed his goods for sale after the aAsr prayer and he said, ‘By Allah, except Whom None has the right to be worshipped, I have been given so much for my goods,’ and somebody believes him (and buys them).” The Prophet then recited: “Verily! Those who purchase a little gain at the cost of Allah’s Covenant and their oaths.” (3:77) [Bukhaari 3/40/547]

4. Aged adultere, liar king & proud destitute:

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: “Three (are the persons) with whom Allah would neither speak, nor would He absolve them on the Day of Resurrection. [Abu Mu’awiya added: He would not look at them and there is grievous torment for them]: the aged adulterer, the liar king and the proud destitute.” [Muslim, B. 1, #195] What is the common thing among these three people? There is no need for them to commit these sins. The old man has past the age of strong urges, nonetheless he is committing zina. It is not a matter of shahwa – desire, but it’s a matter of insisting on doing the falsehood. A king has the power, so he does not need to lie. The liar usually lies because he in a position of weakness and wants to get out of it. And the other person mentioned is the poor person who is arrogant. All of these people show they have very little waraa` – righteousness.

5. One who is cruel & Disobedient to their parents, the masculine woman & ad-dayooth:

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that the three Allah will not look at on the day of judgment are: ones who are cruel and disobedient to their parents, the masculine woman and ad-dayooth. Ad dayooth is any man who has no jealousy. For example, if a man has a mother or a sister, etc who is committing indecencies and he doesn’t mind, he would be called ad-dayyooth.