What will the resurrection be like? What will the gathering be like on the day of judgment?
Allah Almighty will gather together all the creatures that He will raise to life after death at the plain where the Judgement and Balance of absolute justice will be established. Indeed, this reality is expressed in the verses of the Qur’an as follows:
“”Our Lord, do not make our hearts swerve aside after You have guided us. And give us mercy from You. You are the Ever-Giving. Our Lord, You are the Gatherer of Mankind to a Day of which there is no doubt. Allah will not break His promise.” (Al ‘Imran, 3:9) See also (18:99).
“On the Day the Trumpet is blown – and We gather the evildoers sightless.” (Ta Ha, 20:102)
“By your Lord, We will collect them and the shaytans together. Then We will assemble them around Hell on their knees.” Mary (Maryam, 19:68)
“That Day people will emerge segregated to see the results of their actions.” (Az-Zilzal, 99:6)
In one Prophetic narration, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) describes the Place of Supreme Gathering on Judgement Day:
“People will be gathered on the Day of Rising on reddish-white land like a loaf of fine bread.”
One of the Narration’s transmitters makes the following commentary:
“There will be no landmarks for anyone on it.” (Bukhari, Riqaq, 44)
Indeed, the Qur’an reveals that when the Trumpet is blown, the mountains will be blasted into scattered dust, the earth will be left as a desolate wasteland, and no hills or ruggedness will remain on it.[1]
People will come there in different conditions, in accordance with their spiritual state in this world. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in this regard:
“You shall be gathered walking, riding, and dragged upon your faces.”[2]
Those who will be dragged on their faces to the Place of the Supreme Gathering are those heedless people who are far from the guidance with which Islam has come.
As is indicated in verses of the Qur’an:
“Whoever Allah guides is truly guided. But as for those He leads astray, you will not find any protectors for them apart from Him. We will gather them on the Day of Rising, flat on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf. Their shelter will be Hell. Whenever the Blaze dies down, We will increase it for them.” (Al-Isra’, 17:97)
Those who are herded into Hell, such people are in the worst position. They are the most misguided from the way.” (Al-Furqan, 25:34)
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him) relates:
“A man once said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how will an unbeliever be raised to life on his face on the Day of Gathering?’
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered, ‘Is not the One who made him walk on two legs in this world able to make him walk on his face on the Day of Rising?’
Qatada, who relates the Narration, then said, ‘Yes, by the power of our Lord!'” (Bukhari, Riqaq, 45; Muslim, Munafiqin, 54)
One of the incidents to take place at the Place Gathering is the sun’s being brought near. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in this regard:
“On the Day of Resurrection, the sun will draw so close to the people that there would be left only a distance of one mile.[3] The people will be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds: some up to their ankles, some up to their knees, some up to their waist and some will be bridled with it.” (Muslim, Janna, 62; Tirmidhi, Qiyama, 2/2421)
“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?”[4] and said, “Each of them will stand in his sweat up to the middle of his ears.” (Bukhari, Riqaq, 47; Muslim, Janna, 60)
It is useful to note at this point that the intermediate realm of the grave and the realm that follows it after the Rising out of the grave, each have their own unique conditions and features as distinct from the conditions of life in this world. As a case in point, were the sun brought closer to the earth in this world, all things would burn to ashes. Similarly, if all parts of the world were to be submerged under water due to a great flood, all human beings would perish. However, as such events will transpire in the Next World according to everyone’s individual circumstance, a wrongdoer will feel great torment with the drawing near of the sun, but they will not die. For there, there is no death.
In the same way, when the people at the Gathering will sweat from the heat of the sun, they will each be submerged in their own sweat, which will in no way harm or affect those who stand near to them. This is reminiscent of the fact that everyone will be led in their own light on the Day of Judgement.
In fact, it is stated in the Qur’an:
“On the Day you see the men and women of the believers, with the light streaming out in front of them, and to the right: ‘Good news for you today of Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever. That is the Great victory.’ That Day the men and women of the hypocrites will say to those who believe, ‘Wait for us so that we can borrow some of your light.’ They will be told, ‘Go back and look for light!’ And a wall will be erected between them with a gate in it, on the inside of which there will be no mercy but before whose exterior lies the punishment.” (Al-Hadid, 57:12-13)
On that fearsome Day, every person’s light will suffice only themselves and not be of any benefit to others. This situation is one of the unique aspects of the Day of Resurrection.
The similitude in this world is as follows:
A Muslim walk in the light of their belief. The unbeliever beside them remains in the darkness of their unbelief and cannot benefit from the light of Muslim. Like so, a blind person walks beside a person who has the ability to see and remains blind.
Imam al-Sha’rani said in relation to the overwhelming amounts of sweat that will flow from human beings on the Day of Gathering:
“It is a certainty that the people who will sweat on that Day are those who did not sweat in the world by performing righteous deeds such as striving in the path of Allah, undertaking pilgrimage, fasting, praying, seeing to the affairs of the Muslims and building water wells. For this reason, they will be submerged in their own perspiration on the Plain of Supreme Gathering. They will sweat due to the shame, fear and anxiety they will feel while waiting in the Place of Supreme Gathering.” (Imam Şârânî, Ölüm Kıyâmet Âhiret, p.159)
In summary, there are such terrifying fears pertaining to the Day of Gathering and such things will be experienced that it will even cause people who have been promised the Garden while in their graves to forget this Divine favour and mercy.[5] We seek refuge in Allah Almighty from all these fears.
[1] See (20:105-107).
[2] Tirmidhi, Qiyama, 3/2424 cf. Muslim, Janna, 57.
[3] Sulaym ibn ‘Amir, one of the narrators of the Tradition, said: “By Allah, I do not know whether he meant by ‘mile’ the mile that refers to distance on earth or the instrument used for applying kohl to the eye.”
[4] (83:6)
[5] See Ibn al-Jawzi, Bustan al-Wa’izin wa Riyad al-Sami’in, Beirut 1419, p. 36.
Source: An Excellent Exemplar II , Osman Nuri Topbaş, Erkam Publications
