Not a single wrinkle was left on the face of the earth. The rivers and mountains, valleys and hills, seas and forests—everything was gone. The earth had become a flat plain, and above it was a sky spitting fire. But today, the sky was not blue; it was glowing red, like burning coal. This redness was not from the sun’s heat but from the terrifying flames of Hell, which like a giant serpent, leapt toward the sky again and again, trying to capture the sun in their grip. The horrifying sight of these blazing flames and the sound of fire cracking and roaring was enough to shake every heart.
And those trembling hearts belonged to criminals—arrogant people, oppressors, killers, and rebels. They were the Pharaohs and tyrants of their time. They were the self-made gods of their era, those who lived as if they would never die. But when they did die, it was as though they had never existed on earth. These were the hearts of people who ignored God’s rule while living in His kingdom. They imposed their own power over God’s creation. They had hearts empty of compassion for people and empty of remembrance of God.
Now the day had come when such careless hearts were to become the food of Hell’s flames, to suffer punishments that would never end. Those punishments had long been hungry, waiting for these stone-hearted sinners. Today was a festival for the punishments, for their eternal hunger was finally about to be satisfied. Terrified of these torments, the criminals were running here and there in search of safety—but in this plain of Resurrection, there was no refuge and no shelter. Everywhere there was only suffering, hardship, and endless misery.
No one knew how many years or centuries had already passed in this condition. This was the field of Resurrection. The Day of Judgment had begun. A new life had started—never to end.
I was standing silently in that field, watching everything with empty eyes. In front of me, countless people were running, falling, stumbling. The sky was filled with the roar of flames, mixed with screams, cries, and wails of people. They were shouting at one another, cursing, fighting, blaming each other, pulling each other’s hair.
- Someone sat holding his head.
- Someone threw dust on his face.
- Someone tried to hide his face.
- Someone was drowning in shame.
- Someone beat his chest.
- Someone smashed his head against rocks.
- Someone cursed himself.
- Someone shouted at parents, wives, children, friends, and leaders, blaming them for this destruction.
But the problem of everyone was the same: The Day of Judgment had arrived, and they were completely unprepared. Now, whether they cursed others or themselves, whether they cried or tried to be patient—nothing could change. Now there was only one thing left: waiting for the appearance of the Master of the universe, after which accountability would begin, and everyone’s fate would be decided with justice.
Suddenly, a man near me screamed: “Death was better than this! The grave was better than this!”
I had been lost in deep thought, cut off from everything around me. But that scream pulled me back into the dreadful reality of this plain where I stood. In a single moment, my mind replayed everything—from the beginning to the end. My own story, the story of the world, the story of life—it all rushed like a film before my eyes.
At the start of this terrifying day, I had been inside my house. That house was impossible for the living to understand. To a worldly eye, it looked like a dark pit of a grave. But in truth, it was the first doorway of the Hereafter—a door that could never be opened from inside. I had no interest in opening it anyway, because I had already passed through it and entered the world of Barzakh, where for me there was endless comfort.
That day, my old companion and beloved friend Saleh had come to meet me. Saleh was the angel who had been with me during my worldly life, always on my right side. His company was always a source of peace for me, and after death too, he never left me. Even now, we were having a pleasant conversation.
During our talk, I asked him:
“Tell me, why were you assigned to me?”
He smiled and said:
“Abdullah, I and my partner were assigned to you in the world. He wrote down your sins, and I wrote down your good deeds. But you never let me stay idle. You were always busy: sometimes remembering Allah, sometimes crying in His love, sometimes praying for people, sometimes offering prayer, sometimes spending for His sake, sometimes serving others, sometimes just giving a smile to people. You never gave me rest. You exhausted me! But we angels are not like humans. We don’t repay evil with evil. So, because of this trouble you gave me, see—I am still with you, taking care of you.”
I laughed and replied:
“I troubled the angel on the left even more. He would write my sins, and then I would repent immediately. Then he had to erase everything. He would get upset and say, ‘Why make me write if you were just going to erase it?’ Finally, he begged Allah to free him from me. That’s why since my death, you are the only one who remains with me.”
Saleh laughed but then became serious:
“Don’t worry, he will return when your accountability begins. According to the law, both of us will present you before Allah.”
Then his face grew more serious. He lowered his head in silence, something I had never seen before. After a while, he looked up, his usual smile gone, replaced by fear and sadness. With a trembling voice, he said:
“Abdullah! Israfil has received the command. The time for Allah’s promise has come. The people of earth have finished their chance. Soon you will leave this veil of Barzakh and enter the plain of Resurrection. For now, stay here under God’s mercy, but I must leave. I will meet you again—when life begins.”
…
The world, meanwhile, was lost in its pleasures. Cities like New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Shanghai, Delhi, Moscow, Karachi, Lahore—all were filled with hustle and bustle. People were absorbed in cricket and football matches, in clubs and bars, in films, music, fashion shows, politics, wealth, corruption, injustice, war, and worldly concerns. Everyone was busy—yet no one remembered God or the Hereafter.
Prophets had long ceased to come. Humanity had been given warning after warning—through disasters, earthquakes, floods, through knowledge and technology, through the message of Islam spreading across the globe. But still, people remained heedless. Finally, the moment came. Israfil lifted the Trumpet. The Day of Judgment arrived.
…
That was the moment when Saleh woke me and said:
“Abdullah! Get up. The Day of Judgment has begun. Israfil has blown the second Trumpet. Right now, only the obedient servants of Allah are rising. Soon the sound will grow louder and harsher, and then everyone will rise—but that rising will be full of pain and suffering. We must leave before that happens. We are heading toward the Throne (‘Arsh).”
I asked in amazement:
“Only the prophets, martyrs, and righteous people are rising?”
Saleh nodded:
“Yes. These are the ones who believed in God without seeing Him, who bore hardships for His sake, who followed His messengers, who lived with high character, love for God, and compassion for His creation. Today is their day of reward, and this is only the beginning.”
His words filled my heart with joy, but my mind still struggled to understand. Yet I trusted Saleh and walked with him.
The sun was folded up. Stars lost their light. Mountains were blown away like wool. Seas rose like giants. Volcanoes erupted. The earth turned upside down. Cities collapsed. Mothers abandoned infants. Pregnant women lost their children. Riches, gold, and silver lay scattered, but no one cared. Everyone thought only of themselves. Even atheists now cried out God’s name, but there was no answer. Life was over—because real life was about to begin.
…
Death had been a sweet experience for me. The Angel of Death, Azrael, did not appear as a monster but in a beautiful form, gently separating my soul from my body. My worldly body was left behind, and my true self was carried into the new world of Barzakh. There I was welcomed by Saleh and other radiant angels carrying flowers, greetings, and congratulations. They told me: “Your days of trial are over. Now begins the true success of Paradise.”
Later, I was even given the rare honor of being presented before the Lord of the heavens and the earth. In the company of angels, I traveled through realms beyond words, until we reached close to the Throne. Trembling, I fell into prostration. That was the moment when I first prostrated not to the unseen, but to the One whose signs I was now beholding.
From the Throne came a majestic voice:
“I am Allah. There is no god except Me…”
📜 To be continued…
Written by Abu Yahya (Translated by Tlueaftab Team)
