Abu Yahya (Translated By Tlueaftab Team)
A sigh escaped my lips as I watched that dreadful scene. I thought to myself: Where had their power gone? Where were those days of luxury? Where were the grand palaces, the most expensive clothes, the foreign tours, the magnificent cars, the glory, the pomp, and the grandeur? Alas! For such trivial and temporary pleasures, these people chose such a terrible end.
Saleh spoke: “These were all oppressors, corrupt and indulgent people whose destruction had already been decreed in the world itself. Yet, this is still not their true punishment. Their real punishment awaits them in Hell. The angels are taking them in that direction even now. Hell is very near this place. From there, they will be brought for reckoning, and there their eternal humiliation and torment will be decided. Then, they will be taken back to the left side, from where groups upon groups will be cast into Hell.”
The mention of reckoning suddenly reminded me of time. I turned to Saleh and asked, “Saleh! A long time has passed since the Prophet’s (ﷺ) prayer was accepted, yet the reckoning has still not begun. Why?”
“You think a long time has passed,” Saleh replied. “But in the field of Resurrection, time moves very slowly. That is why it feels so long. In reality, under the Throne, very little time has passed. Do you want to know why even this much time is being taken?”
“Yes, tell me.”
“You remember what I told you—that those who are to be forgiven, this delay and hardship will itself serve as one of their excuses for forgiveness? That is one reason. The second reason is to make people realize that here, all power belongs to Allah alone. Abdullah, humans never valued their Generous and Merciful Master. Today, the Master is showing them how utterly dependent and insignificant they are before Him.
The first manifestation of His power was the Day of Resurrection, when the entire world of humans was destroyed and all that they owned was annihilated. Human power could not save them from that terrible catastrophe. The second manifestation is this very Day of Gathering, when it has become clear that no one has any worth before God. The third will be the reckoning, which is about to begin, when Allah Himself will directly take control of the heavens and the earth.”
I asked in surprise, “But hasn’t that already happened?”
“No, not yet. Until now, the system of the universe has been apparently run by the angels, and Allah has only been issuing commands to them. But very soon, He Himself will directly assume control, so that every creature—humans, jinn, and even angels—will know that absolute authority belongs to Allah alone. At this very moment, the entire universe, spread across immeasurable distances, is being folded up. You already know that in the previous world, the universe was continuously expanding. But now, by Allah’s command, distances are shrinking. The countless galaxies, stars, and planets scattered across the cosmos are being drawn back together.”
“Why is that?” I asked, astonished.
“So that Allah may distribute them as gifts to the people of Paradise. In those places, the kingdoms and dominions of the blessed will be established. This act of folding up the cosmos is what the Qur’an describes as Allah rolling up the heavens in His Right Hand.”
Saleh then lifted his gaze to the sky. Following him, I also looked up. The sun still blazed fiercely. But for the first time, I noticed the moon close to it—darkened, its light gone, and slowly drifting toward the sun. Seeing my surprise, Saleh said, “Today, both the heavens and the earth have been utterly transformed. The earth has expanded enormously, its area multiplied many times over. I remember the earth’s circumference was twenty-five thousand kilometers, but now it is many times larger. And this new earth is far more beautiful than the one before.
At the first blowing of the trumpet, everything was destroyed. At the second blowing, humans were brought back to life. Between the two blows, by Allah’s command, the earth expanded, and the angels built upon it the most magnificent homes, palaces, gardens, and delights for the people of Paradise—a new world of unimaginable beauty. Every person of Paradise will be given his home here, vast estates to dwell in. At the center of this earth, amidst blazing volcanoes and boiling springs, will be the dwelling of the people of Hell.”
Summarizing his words, I said, “So the Qur’an’s statements had already indicated this: The righteous will inherit the earth, and its surface will become Paradise—the abode of the blessed. The people of Hell will be at its center, while the stars and galaxies of the heavens will be distributed among the people of Paradise as their dominions and rewards. But tell me, what exactly will they contain?”
“The details will be revealed on the Day of the Divine Court,” Saleh answered.
“Yes, I remember,” I said, “you told me about that. After the reckoning, the people of Paradise will sit with Allah in a grand assembly—the Court. There, everyone will be formally assigned their positions and stations, and they will have an audience with their Lord. It will also be a moment of honor for the most beloved ones.”
“Yes,” Saleh said, “that day, rewards will be given and responsibilities assigned.”
By now, the darkened moon had merged into the blazing sun. Saleh pointed and said, “The signs in the heavens are changing. The merging of the moon into the sun is one such sign. It means the heavens have been rolled up. At any moment now, the appearance of the Lord of all worlds will take place, and the Court of Justice will begin. Then you—and all the world—will know what greatness and majesty belong to Allah, the Almighty.”
Even before Saleh’s words had ended, a mighty explosion resounded. Everyone trembled in fear. The sound came from the sky, so all eyes turned upward. Saleh and I too looked. A breathtaking sight unfolded: The sky had split open. Soon, like bursting clouds, it tore apart into pieces. The rifts looked like countless doors, and through each door, armies upon armies of angels began descending to the earth. Their numbers were beyond any calculation. Different groups of angels had different appearances and garments. They descended into the center of the vast plain of Resurrection and began surrounding a large, elevated empty space.
As they formed circle upon circle, standing respectfully with folded hands, their numbers swelled with each passing moment. During this time, the wailing and cries of the people ceased. Everyone was transfixed, eyes wide open, staring at the unfolding spectacle. The only sound in the atmosphere was the murmur of whispers, as people asked each other in hushed tones, “What is happening?”
Though I had some idea, I still turned to Saleh for clarity. As expected, he replied, “The reckoning is about to begin. The Divine Court of the Almighty is being established. This is its first stage. Angels are descending and will continue to descend for a long while. At the very end, the bearers of the Throne will arrive. You already met them before—they were four then. Now, four more will join them, making eight in total, who will descend with the Throne of Allah.”
“The Throne of Allah…” I whispered.
Saleh explained: “You understand that Allah does not sit upon the Throne. He is beyond such human concepts. The Throne is a point of focus for creation to turn to—just as the Ka‘bah was in the world. The House of Allah did not mean that Allah resided there, but when people faced it, it became their place of turning. Similarly, today, through the Throne, people will converse with Allah.”
“Then people will hear Allah’s voice?” I asked.
“Yes,” Saleh replied, “just as Prophet Musa once heard the voice of Allah from within the burning bush in the valley of Tur. And Abdullah, hear this carefully: With the descent of the bearers of the Throne, the Throne will shine with the radiance of Divine Light, illuminating the entire earth. That will mean that all affairs will now be under Allah’s direct supervision. This is what the Qur’an means when it says that Allah will hold the earth in His grasp. The first command will then be given—that every being prostrate before Allah.”
“Abdullah! At that moment, an awe-inspiring sight will appear. You will see that all the angels are in prostration. On the right side of the Throne, under its blessed shade, all the Prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs, and the righteous will be in prostration.”
“And the people here in the field of Resurrection?” I asked.
Saleh replied, “That is the most dreadful part. Not a single disbeliever, hypocrite, sinner, or criminal will be able to prostrate. They will try, but their backs and necks will stiffen. The earth itself will resist them. As for the rest—the ones whose deeds are mixed but whose sins are few—they will prostrate, and for that reason, they will be summoned immediately for reckoning. Others, according to the strength of their faith and goodness of their deeds, will be able to bow to different degrees—some only to the level of ruku‘, some halfway, some merely lowering their heads. The less they bow, the more disgrace they will suffer.”
I nodded. “So that means people will gain some idea of their fate at that time?”
“No,” Saleh replied, “these things I am telling you—you understand them. But they will not. However, the humiliation of being unable to prostrate, and the comfort of being able to, will be enough to give them a foretaste of their condition. Yet one truth will become absolutely clear to everyone: Who is God? The One they ignored in their worldly lives—who is He? Today, people will know: Who is the King of kings? Who is the Emperor of emperors? Who is the True Deity? Whose dominion encompasses the entire universe? In whose hand lies all goodness and every blessing? Who is it whose command shapes destinies? Who can question every person about every deed, yet no one can question Him about His decisions? Who alone deserves every praise, every gratitude, every standing, every bow, every prostration, every act of humility, every act of love, every glorification, every declaration of greatness?”
Exalted is He! Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
As Saleh uttered these words, his body trembled. On the third Allahu Akbar, he fell into prostration. At that very moment, I sensed a special light spreading over the earth. The entire atmosphere shone with a unique radiance. Along with it came the sounds of the angels glorifying and praising Allah, filling the air with His remembrance. I realized that the environment had been illuminated by the manifestation of the Divine Throne. Out of fear, however, I kept my eyes lowered and dared not look toward the Throne.
Not long passed before I heard a familiar but overwhelmingly powerful voice. It was the voice of Jibreel (Gabriel), thundering across the plain: “Limanil mulku al-yawm?” (To whom belongs the kingdom this Day?)
The angels roared in reply: “Lillahi al-Wahidi al-Qahhar!” (To Allah, the One, the Overwhelming.)
Again and again Jibreel repeated the question, and each time the angels shouted back the same answer. This exchange shook the entire field of Resurrection, striking terror into every heart.
Finally, a call rang out: “Where are the servants of the Most Merciful? Where are the slaves of the Lord of all worlds? Where are those who accepted Allah as their God, their King, their Lord? Wherever they are, let them prostrate before the Lord of all creation!”
The moment I heard this, I prostrated beside Saleh without even trying to look.
A profound silence fell over the plain. Such stillness that even a pin drop could have been heard. In that prostration, I experienced a peace unlike anything I had ever felt in my life. I do not know what others were saying in their prostration, but I, weeping bitterly, was pleading to Allah for forgiveness and mercy.
How long that state lasted, I do not know. Then suddenly, a voice rang out: “Huwallahu la ilaha illa Hu.” (He is Allah, there is no god but He.)
I had heard this before, when I had once prostrated near the Throne. It signaled that the Lord of the Throne was about to speak.
Then the voice came: “I am Allah. There is no god but Me.”
The words were the same, but the tone was entirely different. This voice carried such majesty, such authority, such severity, that even the strongest hearts melted with fear. A moment of dreadful silence spread across the plain. Then, louder than thunder, more powerful than any storm, came the proclamation:
“Ana al-Malik! Aynal-jabbaroon? Aynal-mutakabbiroon? Aynal-mulook al-ard?”
(I am the King! Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant? Where are the kings of the earth?)
These words struck like lightning. None dared answer. Instead, wailing and cries erupted everywhere. The sheer awe, dread, and majesty in that voice shook me to my core. I remembered every moment of my life when I had felt powerful, important, even just as the head of my household. Now, my deepest wish was that the earth would swallow me, that I might somehow escape the wrath of God. In utter helplessness, the words escaped my lips: “Would that my mother had never given birth to me!”
And with that, my mind and body failed me, and I collapsed unconscious upon the ground.
📜✍🏻 To be continued…
