Belief in the Last Day
What happens from the questioning in the grave through the signs of the Last Day (Qiyamah), the Scale, the reckoning, the Bridge, and the Prophet's intercession.
The fifth thing every Muslim believes in is the Last Day: the Day of Judgment, and everything that happens after we die and are brought back to life.
What happens, in order
- Being questioned in the grave by two angels, Munkar and Nakir.
- The Day of Judgment (Qiyamah) itself.
- The Scale (Mizan), which weighs everyone's good and bad deeds.
- The Book of Deeds, given to each person.
- The Reckoning (Hisab) of everyone's actions.
- Being questioned about how you lived.
- Crossing the Bridge (Sirat) over Hell.
- Drinking from the Prophet's ﷺ Pond, called Kawthar.
- The Prophet's ﷺ intercession (Shafa'ah) for his people.
- Paradise (Jannah).
- Hell (Jahannam).
Every Muslim must believe in the Last Day and in coming back to life after death, with everything that happens then: the questioning in the grave, the Day of Judgment, the Scale, the Book of Deeds, the Reckoning, being asked about your life, the Bridge, the Prophet's ﷺ Pond of Kawthar, his intercession, Paradise and Hell.
12345678910111213After someone dies and is buried, two angels named Munkar and Nakir come to the grave (or to wherever the body is, if it was not buried). They ask three questions: Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What is your religion?
Every Muslim must believe that after death two angels, Munkar and Nakir, come and ask: Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What is your religion? A believer answers rightly and the grave becomes wide and peaceful; someone who did not believe cannot answer and is punished in the grave. The living cannot see this, but it is real, and it happens to every disbeliever and to some Muslims who sinned.
12345The Day of Judgment is the day Allah will destroy this world, bring everyone who has died back to life, and judge everything they did. This day is absolutely certain to come.
Signs that will happen before the Day of Judgment comes
- Imam Mahdi will appear.
- The one-eyed Dajjal (a great liar and deceiver) will appear.
- Prophet Isa will come down from the heavens and kill the Dajjal.
- The tribes of Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog) will appear, and Allah will destroy them.
- A strange animal, Dabbah al-Ard, will appear and speak to people.
- The sun will rise from the west instead of the east.
- The world will fill up with disbelief and wrongdoing.
- A great smoke will cover the earth.
- A great fire will appear.
- After all these signs, the angel Israfil will blow the trumpet, and everything in this world will come to an end.
- When Allah wills it, Israfil will blow the trumpet again, and everyone who died will come back to life.
Every Muslim must believe that the Day of Judgment is certain to come, and that all the signs before it will happen: Imam Mahdi, the one-eyed Dajjal, Prophet Isa coming down to kill him, Ya'juj and Ma'juj, the beast that speaks, the sun rising from the west, the world filling with disbelief, the great smoke and the great fire; then Israfil will blow the trumpet and everything will end, and when he blows it again everyone who died will come back to life.
1234567On that day, a Scale called the Mizan will be set up to weigh everyone's good deeds and bad deeds.
Every person's deeds will be written down in a book. Believers will be given their book in their right hand, from in front of them. Disbelievers will be given their book in their left hand, from behind them.
Every action, big or small, will be counted and gone through; this is called the Hisab.
Everyone will be asked how they spent their life, whether they obeyed Allah or disobeyed Him. If a person tries to deny what they did, their own hands, feet, eyes and other body parts will speak up and tell the truth about them.
A bridge called the Sirat will stretch over Hell, thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. Everyone must cross it. People who did good will cross quickly, according to how good their deeds were, and go into Paradise. People who did wrong will slip and fall into Hell.
Allah has given Prophet Muhammad ﷺ a special pool called Kawthar. On the Day of Judgment his followers will drink from it; its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, and whoever drinks from it will never be thirsty again.
The fifth article of faith is belief in the Last Day and resurrection after death (al-yawm al-ākhir wa'l-baʿth baʿd al-mawt). It covers a sequence of events, each explained in turn below.
| # | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Questioning by Munkar and Nakir |
| 2 | The Day of Judgment (Qiyamah) |
| 3 | The Scale (Mizan) |
| 4 | The Book of Deeds |
| 5 | The Reckoning (Hisab) |
| 6 | Interrogation about one's life |
| 7 | The Bridge (Sirat) |
| 8 | The Pond of Kawthar |
| 9 | Intercession (Shafa'ah) |
| 10 | Paradise (Jannah) |
| 11 | Hell (Jahannam) |
Paradise and Hell are treated in their own section.
It is obligatory (fard) to believe in the Last Day and resurrection after death, together with each of its events: the questioning by Munkar and Nakir, the Day of Judgment (Qiyamah), the Scale (Mizan), the Book of Deeds, the Reckoning (Hisab), the interrogation about one's life, the Bridge (Sirat), the Pond of Kawthar, intercession (Shafa'ah), Paradise and Hell.
12345678910111213After a person dies, whether buried or not, two angels, Munkar and Nakir, come to question them where they lie. They ask three questions: Who is your Lord (Man Rabbuka?), Who is your Prophet (Man Nabiyyuka?), and What is your religion (Ma Dinuka?).
| Aspect | Believer's answer | Disbeliever's or hypocrite's answer |
|---|---|---|
| Response | "My Lord is Allah. My Prophet is Muhammad ﷺ. My religion is Islam." (Rabbi Allah, Nabiyyi Muhammad, Diniy al-Islam.) | "Alas! I do not know." (Haah haah, la adri.) |
| What follows | The grave is widened; they experience peace and comfort. | The grave tightens until their ribs are crushed, and they face severe punishment. |
It is obligatory (fard) to believe that after death Munkar and Nakir question the deceased where they lie, asking about their Lord, their Prophet and their religion; the believer answers and the grave is widened in comfort, while the disbeliever and the hypocrite cannot answer and face punishment. These events are real though imperceptible to the living, and punishment in the grave befalls every disbeliever and some sinful Muslims.
12345The Day of Judgment (Qiyamah) is the day Allah will destroy this world, resurrect all the dead, and take account of their deeds; its coming is an absolute truth. All the signs foretold by Allah and His Messenger will occur.
| # | Sign |
|---|---|
| 1 | The appearance of Imam Mahdi |
| 2 | The emergence of the one-eyed Dajjal (Antichrist) |
| 3 | The descent of Prophet Isa from the heavens, who will kill the Dajjal |
| 4 | The appearance of the tribes of Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog), who will perish by Allah's decree |
| 5 | The emergence of a strange beast (Dabbah al-Ard) that will speak to people |
| 6 | The sun rising from the west |
| 7 | The world filling with disbelief and corruption |
| 8 | A great smoke covering the earth |
| 9 | The appearance of a great fire |
| 10 | Israfil blowing the trumpet (Sur) by Allah's command, ending everything in this world |
| 11 | Israfil blowing the trumpet again, when Allah wills, bringing all the dead back to life |
It is obligatory (fard) to believe that the Day of Judgment (Qiyamah) is an absolute truth and that every sign foretold by Allah and His Messenger ﷺ will occur: the appearance of Imam Mahdi, the one-eyed Dajjal, the descent of Prophet Isa who will kill him, Ya'juj and Ma'juj, the beast of the earth, the sun rising from the west, the world filling with disbelief and corruption, the great smoke and the great fire; then Israfil's blowing of the trumpet ending this world, and his second blowing by which the dead are raised.
1234567A scale, the Mizan, will be set up to weigh people's good and bad deeds. Every person's deeds will be recorded in a book: believers will receive their book in their right hand, from the front; disbelievers will receive theirs in their left hand, from behind.
Every action, small and large, will be accounted for: the Hisab. Everyone will be asked how they spent their life, whether in obedience and submission or in sin and disobedience; if a person denies their wrongdoing, their own body parts (hands, feet, eyes) will testify against them.
A bridge (Sirat) thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword will be laid over Hell. Everyone must cross it: the righteous cross swiftly, in proportion to their good deeds, and enter Paradise; sinners slip, fall, and are cast into Hell.
Allah has blessed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with a special pond called Kawthar; on the Day of Judgment his followers will drink from it. Its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, and whoever drinks from it will never be thirsty again.
The fifth article of belief, al-yawm al-ākhir wa'l-baʿth baʿd al-mawt, comprises the sequence of events set out below, each of which is a matter of belief in its own right.
| # | Stage |
|---|---|
| 1 | Suʾāl al-qabr: the questioning by Munkar and Nakīr |
| 2 | Qiyāmah: the Day of Judgment itself |
| 3 | Al-Mīzān: the Scale |
| 4 | Ṣaḥīfat al-aʿmāl: the Book of Deeds |
| 5 | Al-Ḥisāb: the Reckoning |
| 6 | Interrogation as to one's conduct in life |
| 7 | Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ: the Bridge |
| 8 | Al-Kawthar: the Pond |
| 9 | Ash-Shafāʿah: intercession |
| 10 | Al-Jannah: Paradise |
| 11 | Jahannam: Hell |
Jannah and Jahannam are treated fully in a separate section.
Īmān in al-yawm al-ākhir wa'l-baʿth baʿd al-mawt is obligatory (farḍ), and each of its stages is a matter of belief in its own right: suʾāl al-qabr, Qiyāmah, al-Mīzān, ṣaḥīfat al-aʿmāl, al-Ḥisāb, the interrogation as to one's conduct, aṣ-Ṣirāṭ, al-Kawthar, ash-Shafāʿah, al-Jannah and Jahannam.
12345678910111213On death, whether the body is interred or not, two angels, Munkar and Nakīr, come to the place of the deceased and pose three questions: Man Rabbuka? (Who is your Lord?), Man Nabiyyuka? (Who is your Prophet?), Mā Dīnuka? (What is your religion?).
| Aspect | The believer | The disbeliever or munāfiq |
|---|---|---|
| Answer given | Rabbī Allāh, Nabiyyī Muḥammad, Dīniy al-Islām. | "Hāh, hāh, lā adrī": "Alas, I do not know." |
| Consequence | The grave is widened; comfort and peace (rāḥah) are granted. | The grave contracts until the ribs interlock and are crushed; ʿadhāb al-qabr follows. |
Belief in suʾāl al-qabr and ʿadhāb al-qabr is obligatory (farḍ): Munkar and Nakīr question the deceased, whether interred or not, concerning their Lord, their Prophet and their dīn; the muʾmin answers and is granted rāḥah in a widened grave, while the disbeliever answers lā adrī and the grave contracts upon him. These events are real though imperceptible to the living, and ʿadhāb al-qabr is affirmed for every disbeliever and for some sinful Muslims in proportion to their sin.
12345Qiyāmah (the day Allah annihilates this creation, resurrects every soul, and calls all to account) is an absolute certainty (ḥaqq muṭlaq); every sign foretold of it by Allah and His Messenger ﷺ will come to pass exactly as narrated.
| # | Sign |
|---|---|
| 1 | The appearance of al-Imām al-Mahdī |
| 2 | The emergence of the one-eyed ad-Dajjāl |
| 3 | The descent of ʿĪsā ﷺ from the heavens, who will slay ad-Dajjāl |
| 4 | The emergence of Yaʾjūj and Maʾjūj (Gog and Magog), destroyed by Allah's decree |
| 5 | The emergence of Dābbat al-Arḍ, a beast that will address mankind |
| 6 | The sun rising from the west |
| 7 | The world's engulfment in kufr and fasād |
| 8 | A vast smoke (dukhān) covering the earth |
| 9 | The appearance of a great fire |
| 10 | Isrāfīl's first sounding of aṣ-Ṣūr, by which this creation is annihilated |
| 11 | Isrāfīl's second sounding, at Allah's will, restoring the dead to life |
It is obligatory (farḍ) to believe that Qiyāmah is ḥaqq muṭlaq and that every one of the ashrāṭ as-sāʿah foretold by Allah and His Messenger ﷺ will come to pass exactly as narrated: al-Imām al-Mahdī, the one-eyed ad-Dajjāl, the descent of ʿĪsā ﷺ who will slay him, Yaʾjūj and Maʾjūj, Dābbat al-Arḍ, the sun rising from the west, the world's engulfment in kufr and fasād, the dukhān and the great fire; then Isrāfīl's first sounding of aṣ-Ṣūr annihilating this creation, and his second sounding restoring the dead to life.
1234567Al-Mīzān is then erected, weighing the ḥasanāt and sayyiʾāt of every soul. Ṣaḥīfat al-aʿmāl, the record of deeds, is distributed: the muʾminūn receive theirs in the right hand from in front; the disbelievers, in the left hand from behind.
Al-Ḥisāb comprehends every act, minor and major. Each is questioned as to how life was spent, in obedience or in transgression, and where denial is offered, the limbs themselves (hands, feet, eyes) bear testimony against their owner.
Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ, a bridge laid over Jahannam finer than a hair and keener than a blade, must be traversed by all; the righteous pass over it swiftly in proportion to their deeds and enter al-Jannah, while the sinful slip and are cast into the Fire.
Al-Kawthar, a pond granted uniquely to Muḥammad ﷺ, will be drunk from by his ummah on that day: its water whiter than milk, sweeter than honey; whoever drinks from it will thirst no more.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 750 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death
Note: The following topics are included under this title:
- Questioning by Munkar and Nakir
- Day of Judgment
- The Scale (Mizan)
- The Book of Deeds
- Accounting (Hisab)
- Interrogation
- The Bridge (Sirat)
- The Pond of Kawthar
- Intercession (Shafa'ah)
- Paradise (Jannah)
- Hell (Jahannam)
Each of these is explained step by step below:
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 1. Questioning by Munkar and Nakir
After a person dies, if they are buried, two angels named Munkar and Nakir come to the grave. If the body is not buried, they come to the place where the person is.
These angels ask three questions:
- Who is your Lord? (Man Rabbuka?)
- Who is your Prophet? (Man Nabiyyuka?)
- What is your religion? (Ma Dinuka?)
A believer will answer:
- My Lord is Allah. (Rabbi Allah.)
- My Prophet is Muhammad (peace be upon him). (Nabiyyi Muhammad.)
- My religion is Islam. (Diniy Al-Islam.)
For a believer, the grave is widened, and they experience peace and comfort. While a disbeliever or hypocrite, however, will say:
"Alas! I do not know." (Haah Haah La Adri.)
For them, the grave tightens so much that their ribs are crushed, and they face severe punishment.
These events happen to the deceased, but the living cannot perceive them, just as someone dreaming sees things unknown to those awake around them.
Punishment in the grave happens to all disbelievers and some sinful Muslims.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 2. The Day of Judgment (Qiyamah)
- The Day of Judgment is the day when Allah will destroy this world, resurrect all the dead, and take account of their deeds.
- The coming of Qiyamah is an absolute truth.
- All the signs mentioned by Allah and His Messenger will happen, such as:
- The appearance of Imam Mahdi.
- The emergence of the one-eyed Dajjal (Antichrist).
- The descent of Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him) from the heavens, who will kill the Dajjal.
- The appearance of the tribes of Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog), who will perish by Allah's decree.
- The emergence of a strange beast (Dabbah al-Ard) that will talk to people.
- The sun rising from the west.
- The world being filled with disbelief and corruption.
- A great smoke covering the earth.
- The appearance of a great fire.
- After all these signs, the Angel Israfil will blow the trumpet (Sur) by Allah’s command, and everything in this world will perish.
- When Allah wills, Israfil will blow the trumpet again, and all the dead will come back to life.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 3. The Scale (Mizan)
On the Day of Judgment, a scale will be set up to weigh people’s good and bad deeds.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 4. The Book of Deeds
Every person’s deeds will be recorded in a book.
Believers will receive their books in their right hand, from the front.
Disbelievers will receive their books in their left hand, from behind.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 5. Accounting (Hisab)
Every small and large action will be accounted for on the Day of Judgment.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 6. Interrogation
Everyone will be asked how they spent their lives. (Did you live a life of obedience and submission, or one of sin and disobedience?)
If a person denies their wrongdoings, their own body parts (hands, feet, eyes, etc.) will testify against them.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 7. The Bridge (Sirat)
A bridge thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword will be placed over Hell. Everyone will have to cross it. The righteous will cross it swiftly according to their good deeds and enter Paradise. The sinners will slip, fall, and be cast into Hell.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 8. The Pond of Kawthar
Allah has blessed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with a special pond called Kawthar. On the Day of Judgment, his followers will drink from it. Its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Whoever drinks from it will never be thirsty again.
(5) Faith in the Day of Judgment and Resurrection After Death 9. Intercession (Shafa'ah)
- On the Day of Judgment, countless hardships and troubles will overwhelm people. They will run desperately from one prophet to another, seeking intercession. However, no prophet will dare to intercede. Finally, after losing hope everywhere else, they will turn to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
As the Mercy to the Worlds (Rahmat-ul-lil-Alameen) and the Intercessor for Sinners (Shafi-ul-Muznibeen), he will comfort and reassure everyone. He will then present himself before Allah Almighty and intercede on behalf of humanity.
This intercession is known as Shafa'ah Uzma (The Greatest Intercession), and the special status of this intercession is called Maqam Mahmood (The Praised Station). This honor is exclusive to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
- The Prophet’s intercession will benefit all believers, even those who committed major sins.
- Other prophets, saints, scholars, martyrs, and pious people will also intercede for others.
Terms on this page
Related
- Paradise and Hell What a Muslim believes about Paradise and Hell: that both already exist, will never end, and who is destined for each.
- Belief in the prophets, and the life of the Prophet ﷺ What a Muslim believes about the prophets and their miracles, and a brief account of the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
- The virtue of sending salutations (durood) on the Prophet ﷺ What the Prophet ﷺ brought to the world, what he said about sending blessings upon him, the days it is best recited on, and why the salutation (durood) is woven into the prayer itself.
- Disbelief (kufr), associating partners with Allah (shirk), and treating a sin as permitted What counts as disbelief or associating partners with Allah, the two kinds of sin, and the three steps of repentance.