The Reckoning on the Day of Judgment

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.” (One of the narrators) Shuraih said: ‘I went to Aishah and said: O mother of the believers! I heard Abu Hurairah narrate from the Messenger of Allah a Hadith which, if that is the case, we are all doomed. She said: ‘What is that?’ He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Whoever loves to meet Him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him. But there is no one among us who does not hate death.’ She said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did say that, but it is not what you think. When the eyes begin to stare, the death rattle sounds in the chest, and the flesh shivers, at that point, whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.'” Thus, the reckoning on the Day of Judgment is when every person will face their deeds and be held accountable for what they did in this life.

The Records of Our Deeds

All of our deeds throughout our lives are recorded. Anything that we thought was trivial, we will see. In the reckoning, our deeds will be shown to us. Allah said about this in Surah Al-Isra, Ayah 13: ”And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open.” (وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا).

There are two types of exhibitions. The first one is when everyone is exhibited before Allah, each with his record, and nothing is hidden. The second type is for believers. When the believers with their sins are exhibited, Allah shows these sins to His believers, and they admit their faults, but Allah conceals these sins and forgives them.

Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, “A believer will be brought close to his Rubb on the Day of Resurrection and, enveloping him in His Mercy, He (SWT) will make him confess his sins by saying: ‘Do you remember (doing) this sin and this sin?’ He will reply: ‘My Rubb, I remember.’ Then He (SWT) will say: ‘I covered it up for you in the life of this world, and I forgive it for you today.’ Then the record of his good deeds will be handed to him”.

In this situation, the tongues, the hands, and the feet will bear witness to what the person committed in dunya. Allah said: ”On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do.” (يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ) (Surah Al-Nur: 24).

 

The Records and How They Are Given

The records are the books of all the deeds, and the witnesses are the angels. In this situation, it will be said: ”Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant.” (Surah Al-Isra).

The angels will bring the records flying to people, and each one will receive his record either by the right hand or the left hand. The people who will take their records by their right hands are the people of Jannah: ”Then as for he who is given his record in his right hand. He will be judged with an easy account. And return to his people in happiness.” (Surah Al-Inshiqaq).

While those who take their records by their left hands are the people of Hellfire: ”But as for he who is given his record behind his back. He will cry out for destruction. And [enter to] burn in a Blaze” (Surah Al-Inshiqaq).

The Judgment on the Day of Judgment

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: ”Protect yourself from the Fire even with a part of a date.” This standing is extremely difficult and heavy; people will be faced with their deeds. No one can interfere in people’s judgment, and no one can speak without the permission of Allah. No intercession is accepted except the one that Allah accepts. The power and wealth of dunya are nothing. People will only be saved by the Mercy of Allah. Allah will judge people with His Mercy and Justice. All the rights will be returned to their rightful owners.

Allah said in Surah Al-Zumar, Ayah 69: ”And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record [of deeds] will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged.” (وَأَشْرَقَتِ الْأَرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ وَجِيءَ بِالنَّبِيِّينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ).

May Allah make our judgment easy and grant us Jannah at the end.