What the Prophet (peace be upon him) promised to humanity:
The Day of Judgement
In Islam, belief in an eventual day of judgement in which one will be called into account regarding all the good and bad which they had done whilst alive is a central article of faith along with belief in paradise, hell and the divine decree (Al-Qadr). It is through this process of judgement, a person shall be rewarded for their good deeds and punished for their bad deeds.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that after a person dies, they will be placed within stages which will ultimately progress towards the day of judgement. The first of these stages is a reckoning whilst in the grave, wherein two angels will ask the deceased:
مَن ربك ؟ وما دينك ؟ ومن هذا الرجل الذي بعث فيكم ؟
“Who was your Lord? What is your religion? Who is this man who was sent amongst you?” [1]
The answers to these three questions will respectively be; Allah, Islam and Muhammad (peace be upon him), one will only be able to answer them in accordance to how one’s life is lived rather than how one would like to answer them at the time. If the person in the grave answers these three questions correctly, they will be from amongst the people of paradise. Concordantly, if they are to answer any one of them in a wrongful manner, then they will be prone to taste the first of an unending line of punishments.
Eventually, the deceased shall brought to account on the day of judgement for every major and minor action by means of a book recording all of one’s deeds. This process will be so strenuous against the sinful that they will remark:
﴿يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ لا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا﴾
"Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" (Qur’an 18:49)
The first thing for which a person will be brought to account for will be his prayer as made clear by the Prophet (peace be upon him):
إن أول ما يحاسب الناس به يوم القيامة من أعمالهم الصلاة ، قال : يقول ربنا جل وعز لملائكته وهو أعلم : انظروا في صلاة عبدي أتمَّها أم نقصها ؟ فإن كانت تامة : كتبت له تامة ، وإن كان انتقص منها شيئاً : قال : انظروا هل لعبدي من تطوع ، فإن كان له تطوع : قال : أتموا لعبدي فريضته من تطوعه ثم تؤخذ الأعمال على ذاكم
“The first thing among their deeds for which the people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows best, ‘Look at My slave’s prayer, is it complete or lacking?’ If it is complete, it will be recorded as complete, but if it is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether my slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he had done voluntary prayers, He will say, ‘Complete the obligatory prayers of My slave from his voluntary prayers.’ Then the rest of his deeds will be examined in a similar manner.” [2]
After this, people will be asked about other matters:
لا تزول قدم ابن آدم يوم القيامة من عند ربه حتى يسأل عن خمس : عن عمره فيم أفناه ، وعن شبابه فيم أبلاه ، وماله من أين اكتسبه وفيم أنفقه ، وماذا عمل فيما علم
“The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it and how he disposed of it, and how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge.” [3]
As for the specific timing of the day of judgement, such knowledge rests solely with Allah. Not a single man, jinn, angel, nor prophet or messenger has that knowledge. During his noble mission, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked repeatedly regarding the timing of the day of judgement. In response to such questioning, Allah provided the following revelations to the Prophet (peace be upon him) through the Qur’an:
﴿يَسْ&;#1571;َلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّي لاَ يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلاَّ هُوَ ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ لاَ تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلاَّ بَغْتَةً يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ اللّهِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
“They ask thee about the (final) Hour - when will be its appointed time? Say: "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (alone): None but He can reveal as to when it will occur. Heavy were its burden through the heavens and the earth. Only, all of a sudden will it come to you." They ask thee as if thou Wert eager in search thereof: Say: "The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone), but most men know not." (Qur’an 7:187)
﴿يَسْ&;#1571;َلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا فِيم&;#1614; أَنتَ مِن ذِكْرَاهَا إِلَ&;#1609; رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَاهَا  إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخْشَاهَا﴾
“They ask thee about the Hour,-'When will be its appointed time? Wherein art thou (concerned) with the declaration thereof? With thy Lord in the Limit fixed thereof. Thou art but a Warner for such as fear it.” (Qur’an 79:42-45)
﴿يَسْ&;#1571;َلُكَ النَّاسُ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ اللَّهِ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُونُ قَرِيبًا﴾
Men ask thee concerning the Hour: Say, "The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone)": and what will make thee understand?- perchance the Hour is nigh! (Qur’an 33:63)
﴿إِنّ&;#1614; اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ﴾
Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Nor does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things). (Qur’an 31:34)
﴿وَتَ&;#1576;َارَكَ الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَعِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ﴾
“And blessed is He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all between them: with Him is the Knowledge of the Hour (of Judgment): and to Him shall ye be brought back.” (Qur’an 43:85)
Herein, we have mentioned briefly some of characteristics related to day of judgement. Although this brief discussion may not suffice in giving justice to the topic, one may still be able to see that the circumstances and implications for humanity relating to this great day are tremendous. It’s occurrence is something which has been promised by Allah in his book and by his Prophet (peace be upon him) in his authentically narrated sayings, neither would lie nor exaggerate of the seriousness of this day.
As such, it should be pointed out that the wise person as well as being the one who performs righteous acts in order that they may be prepared for it, is also the one who learns more about it through the extensive descriptions found in the Qur’an and Sunnah so that their actions will be affected positively through fear and remembrance of this day and what it holds in store for them.
[1] As was narrated in the hadeeth of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him), which was narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (4753) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2979.
[2] As was narrated in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be please with him), which was narrated by Abu Dawood, 864; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 770.
[3] As was narrated in the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him), which was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2422; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1969.
Source:
Dirks, Jerald F., Understanding Islam – A Guide for the Judaeo-Christian Reader, Amana Publications, Maryland, USA, 2003, p.255-257.
http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch3-2-5.htm
http://islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=22203&ln=eng
http://islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=10403&ln=eng&txt=questioning%20in%20the%20grave
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