[Dreadful] From the chapter on ‘The Fire and Its People’: Tanbih Al-Ghafileen

 

There was a man whose tears would not stop rolling from his eyes. He would keep weeping until he was finally asked why he was in this state, so he answered:

“If Allah – the Exalted – had promised me that if I commit a sin, he would imprison me in a bathroom forever, then it would be appropriate for me to never stop crying. So, how should it be considering that He has promised that He would imprison me in a fire that has been burning for over three thousand years?“

 

It was said:

“Verily, Hell has a pathway filled with snakes that are as thick as the trunks of trees and scorpions that are like blackened beasts.

The peope of Hell will escape from the Fire to these snakes, so these snakes will grab them by their lips and peel away everything from their hair to their fingernails, and nothing can save them from this except to jump back into the Fire.”

 

It was said:

“Verily, the people of Hell will call out to one of the angels guarding it, and he will not answer them for forty years. Then, he will say to them: {“Verily, you shall abide forever.”} [az-Zukhruf; 77]

 

Then, they will call upon their Lord: {“Our Lord! Take us out of it (Hell), and if  we were to return, then we would indeed be wrong-doers!”} [al-Mu’minun; 107], and the amount of time that He will wait without answering them will be equal to twice the amount of time that the World existed. Then, He will say to them: {“Remain in it forever, and do not speak to Me.”} [al-Mu’minun;108]

 

By Allah, after this, the people will not speak a single word, and there will not be except the inhalation and exhalation of the Hell-Fire, and their voices will be like those of screaming donkeys in between the inhalations and exhalations of the Fire.”

 

The narrator of this athar (who was one of the Tabi’in) commented by saying: “O people! Do you have the capacity to withstand this? Are you patient enough to withstand this? O people! Obedience to Allah is easier upon you than this, soobey Him!”

 

 

It was narrated:

“Verily, the people of the Fire will be tortured for one thousand years, then they will say: “During our lives, if we were patient, we were eventually given a way out of our troubles.” So,they will be patient for one thousand more years without their punishment being lightened for them. Then, they will say: {“It does not matter whether we rage or patiently endure; we have no place of refuge.”} [Ibrahim; 21]

 

Then, they will call upon Allah – the Exalted – for one thousand years to send some rain upon them out of their extreme thirst and intense torture so that they would be relieved of the intense temperatures and extreme thirst. So, after they supplicate for one thousand years, Allah -the Exalted – will say to Jibril: “What do they ask for?” Jibril will answer: “O Lord, You are more Knowing of them. They ask for rain.” So, red clouds will appear above them, and they will think that rain will pour from these clouds. Instead, blackened scorpions will pour down upon them, one sting of which throbs with pain for over one thousand years.

 

Then, they will again ask Allah – the Exalted -for one thousand years to provide them with rain, and then black clouds will appear above them. They will say: “These are rain clouds!” But instead, snakes like the  necks of camels will pour out of the clouds, one bite of which throbs with pain for over one thousand years, and this is the meaning of the saying of the Exalted: {“We will add torment upon torment for them because of the corruption that they used to perform.”} [an-Nahl; 88].”

 

More

From the chapter on ‘The Day of Judgement’ | From the chapter on ‘Death’ |  From the chapter of ‘Sincerity’

 

From the chapter on ‘The Day of Judgement’: Tanbih Al-Ghafileen

 

It was said:

“Verily, a father will cling to his son on the Day of Resurrection and say to him: “O son! What kind of a father was I to you during your life?” The son will then speak verily highly andgreatly of his father. The man will then say to his son: “My son! Verily, I am in need of just an atom’sweight of your good deeds. It might be that I am saved from what you are witnessing!” His son willthen say to him: “I fear for myself the same thing that you fear for yourself! I do not have the luxuryof giving you anything!”

 

The man will then go and cling to his wife and say to her: “O such-and such,what kind of a husband was I to you during your life?” The wife will then speak very highly andgreatly of her husband. The man will then say to her: “I am asking you for just one good deed(hasanah) to donate to me. It might be that I am saved from what you are witnessing!” So, she willsay: “I cannot do this! I fear for myself the same thing that you fear for yourself!”

 

It was said further:

Brothers and sisters! Prepare for a day like this with righteous and good actions! Prepare by abandoning sins and acts of disobedience, for you will very soon witness the Day of Ressurection first-hand and you will regret every second that passed of your life!

 

And know that as soon as youdie, then your judgement day begins! So, it is upon you – O possessor of intelligence – to have patience upon the hardships of a life of obedience to Allah – the Exalted – in order that you maylighten the hardships of the Day of Resurrection, and Allah is the One who Guides.

 

Read more from Tanbih al-Ghafileen:

• From the chapter on ‘Death’: Tanbih Al-Ghafileen

• From the chapter of ‘Sincerity’: Tanbih Al-Ghafileen

 

Abu Bakr to his son: “I would not have veered away from you.”

 

When the fighting began in earnest, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasallam left his command post and descended to the battlefield. Rousing his troops to fight bravely, the messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasallam proceeded to set an example for them by entering into the thick of the battle. He sallallahu alaihi wasallam fought intensely on that day, and throughout the battle, Abu Bakr radiAllahu anhu remained close by his side, eager to fight any polytheist that appeared before him, even if that meant fighting against his own son.

 

For on that day, his son Abdur Rahmaan was fighting alongside the polytheists. Happily for Abdur Rahmaan, however his father did not see him that day on the battlefield.

 

Later on, when he embraced Islam, Abdur Rahmaan radiAllahu anhu said to his father,

“You appeared before me as a clear target on the Day of Badr. But I veered away from you, opting not to kill you.”

 

Abu Bakr radiAllahu anhu replied, “But had you appeared before me as a clear target, I would not have veered away from you.”

[Taareekh al Khulafaa, by As-Suyootee, page94]