Belief in the Last Day, Divine Decree, and Pillars of Islam

Belief in the Last Day

• The world will not continue forever; a day will come when time ends, and our trial on Earth will be over.
• Only Allah knows when the world will end.
• The Last Day is so-called because no new day will come after it.
• Al-Aakhirah is the term used in the Qur'an to indicate life after death.
• Death is not the end of life but a door to another form of life.

Names of the Last Day

The Last Day has many names in the Qur'an, graphically depicting the events of this day:

• Al-Qaariah: The Calamity
• Az-Zalzalah: The Earthquake
• Al-Haaqqah: The Reality
• Al-Yawm al-muheet: The Encompassing Day
• Yawm al-Fasl: The Day of Separation
• Al-Yawm ath-Thaqeel: The Hard Day
• Yawm al-Ba'th: The Day of Resurrection
• Yawm an-Nushoor: The Day of Rising
• Yawm al-Qiyaamah: The Day of Judgment
• As-Saa'h (The Hour): Called so because it hastens towards us or because its reckoning will be quick or sudden.

The Hour

• When someone dies, their Hour has reached them, and their resurrection has begun.

Belief in the Last Day

• Belief in the Last Day is essential to faith.
• It includes belief in everything stated in the Qur'an and by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about the events of that day and thereafter.
• This includes Resurrection, Judgment, Reward, Paradise, and Hell.
• Knowledge of this day and its events should affect every Muslim.
• Every Muslim should learn about the events before and after the Last Day.

Events Before the Last Day

• Before the Day of Judgment, Allah will send a cold wind from Syria that takes the souls of those with even the slightest faith.
• The events of the end of the earth will befall the worst of people, those with no faith.
• One event is the sun rising from the west; faith declared then will be of no avail.
• The Trumpet will be blown, and all in the heavens and on earth will swoon away except those whom Allah wills.
• It will be blown a second time, and all the dead will be standing, looking on and waiting.
• Abu Hurayrah (RA) narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said there will be forty between the two blowings of the Trumpet.

Resurrection

• After the second blowing of the Trumpet, people will be resurrected before Allah.
• The Prophet (SAW) said people will be gathered before their Lord barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised.
• Some followers will be taken to the left, and Allah will say, "You do not know what new things they introduced [in religion] after you."

Reckoning and Weighing of Deeds

• Each descendant of Adam will be brought on the Day of Arising and will have their deeds weighed on the Scales.
• If good deeds are heavy, they will be joyful; if light, they will be sorrowful.
• Allah says in the Qur'an (7:8-9) that the weighing of deeds will be the truth, and those with heavy scales will be successful, while those with light scales will be in perdition for rejecting Allah's signs.
• Actions will be weighed in a manner known to Allah, accurately and justly.
• Parts of the human body will speak and give an account of deeds before Allah.

Readiness for the Day of Judgment

• People are mistaken if they think the Day of Judgment is far away because death can overtake us at any time.
• As soon as we die, our time is over, and we must be ready to face our Lord.
• Allah can recreate bodies even after they have completely disintegrated.
• The Qur'an teaches that all mankind will be raised from the dead through Allah's Almighty Power.

Justice and Mercy

• The resurrection of the body will manifest Allah's infinite justice and power.
• All mankind, from Adam to the last person, will stand on the Day of Judgment before Allah.
• Allah's reward for righteous servants will be out of His Infinite Mercy, and His punishment for disobedient slaves will be out of His Justice.
• His reward will be greater than the deeds deserve, and He will not punish anyone more than they deserve.
• Each one's new life will be decided on that day, leading to either everlasting joy in Paradise or eternal punishment in Hellfire.

Paradise and Hell

• Paradise is the everlasting abode of bliss for believers, and Hell is the eternal abode of punishment for those who deny the truth.
• Both Paradise and Hell are in existence at the present time and will exist forever.
• Allah and His Messenger (SAW) describe them in graphic details.

The Grave and the Two Angels

• Belief in the Last Day includes belief in everything that will happen after death and before the Day of Judgment.
• This consists of the trial in the grave and the joy or punishment in it.
• The two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, will come to the person in the grave and ask three questions:
  • Who is your Lord?
  • What is your religion?
  • Who is your Prophet?

Aspects of Life After Death

• Other aspects of life after death include the Pool or Basin (al-Kawthar) of the Prophet (SAW), various kinds of Intercessors, the handing down of the scrolls of deeds, passing over the Siraat (the Bridge set over Hellfire and leads to Paradise), and Paradise and Hell and their descriptions.

• 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (RA) would weep until his beard soaked whenever he stopped by a grave because he heard Allah's Messenger (SAW) say:

  • "The grave is the first stage of the hereafter. Should the one who occupies it be delivered therefrom, then what follows will be easier than it. But if he is not delivered therefrom, then what follows is to be severer."

Belief in the Divine Decree (al-Qadar)

• It is essential to believe in al-qadar.
• Al-qadar is an Arabic word meaning 'measure or amount whether of quantities or qualities'.
• The verb form means 'to measure or decide the quality, quantity, or position of something before one actually makes it.'
• It is obligatory upon every Muslim to believe in al-qadar.
• Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab swore that Allah would not accept from anyone who does not believe in the Divine Decree, even if they spent the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold unless they affirm their faith.

Levels of Belief in al-Qadar

There are four levels of belief in al-qadar:

1. Knowledge: Belief that Allah has knowledge of everything, no matter how small or big.

   • He sees and has knowledge of even the smallest black ant upon a massive solid rock in an extremely dark night.
   • The hidden is visible to Him, and the secret is public.
   • He knows what is in a person's mind, conceived in his heart, which is not yet uttered by his lips.
   • $Surat al-An'aam, 6:59$: "With him are the keys of the unseen. None knows them but Him. And He Knows whatever is on the land and in the seas. Not a leaf falls but He Knows it. And no grain is there in the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record."
   • $Surat at-Talaaq, 65:12$: "Allah has encompassed all things in [His] knowledge."

2. The Recording of Decrees: Belief that Allah recorded all the decrees regarding His creatures before He created the heavens and the earth.

   • He knew and knows what will happen and recorded this information in minute detail in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfoodh).
   • $Surat al-Hadeed, 57:22$: "No calamity occurs on the earth or among yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book [of Decrees] before We bring it into existence. Indeed, that is easy for Allah."
   • $Surat at-Hajj, 22:70$: "Do you not know that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on earth? Surely, it is in the Book (i.e. the Preserved Tablet). Verily, that is easy for Allah."

3. His Will: Belief that Allah's Will is executed and that His Ability is Absolute.

   • If He wills something, it will certainly happen; but if He does not will something, it will never happen.
   • This refers to everything, including giving life, sustenance, causing death, and the acts performed by human beings.
   • Nothing can happen unless Allah wills it and allows it to occur.
   • $Surat Yaa Seen, 36:82$: "Surely, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, 'Be,' and it is."

4. Allah's Creativity: Belief that Allah has created everything and that there is no other creator except Him.

   • $Surat az-Zumar, 39:62$: "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Disposer of all affairs."
   • Everything is a creation of Allah, even the deeds of mankind, although they are by man's own free will.
   • The One Who created that ability and will is no one else but Allah.
   • Therefore, all of the actions of human beings are created by Allah.

Islam: Meaning of the Five Pillars of Islam

The Word Islam

• Islam is an Arabic term, which literally means 'surrender or submission'.
• The religion sent down by Allah and brought into this world by His Prophets is called al-Islam.
• A Muslim surrenders themselves completely and unconditionally to the power and will of the Lord of all the worlds.
• They obey Him wholeheartedly, and obedience becomes the cardinal principle of their life.

Islam Built on Five Pillars

• Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "Islam is built upon five [pillars]: Testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the [obligatory] prayers, giving the zakaat, making the Pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadhaan."

Importance of this Hadeeth

• This hadeeth is of great significance.
• It lays down the fundamental aspects of outward surrender to Allah.
• This surrender is based on certain foundations, which are in a way similar to the foundations of a building.
• If a person carries out these outward obligations, they actually lay down a solid foundation for their religion as a whole.
• If any of these 'pillars' is missing, then the entire building will be exposed to danger.
• In this hadeeth, the Prophet (SAW) likens Islam to a building.
• The foundations or pillars of this 'edifice' of Islam are five.
• If this building lacks all these five pillars, then it does not exist at all.
• If any of the pillars is missing, the building will stand but it will have a deficiency.
• The main pillar is the testimony of faith. The first pillar leads to the fulfilment of the remaining pillars.
• The firmer the first pillar, the stronger the remaining pillars!

The Testimony of Faith

• The testimony of faith, or the shahaadah, means: There is none worthy of worship except Allah.
• Belief in Allah is the cornerstone of Islamic faith.
• All other Islamic beliefs revolve around belief in Allah.
• It is essential that a Muslim's beliefs about Allah are correct.
• If a person's beliefs about Allah are incorrect, then their entire faith may be ruined.

The Conditions of 'Laa Ilaaha Illallaah'

• The key to Paradise is the statement 'Laa Ilaaha Illallaah' (There is none worthy of worship except Allah).
• This testimony has some conditions, like teeth of a key.

1. Knowledge: Knowing that Allah is the only God who deserves to be worshipped and that to worship other than Him is sheer falsehood.

   • $Surat Muhammad, 47:19$: "So know that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah."

2. Certainty: Not only saying the statement but also believing with certainty that what he is saying is true: that Allah is the only true God who alone deserves to be worshipped.

   • $Suart al-Baqarah, 2:4$: "And those who believe in that which has been sent down to you and in what was sent down before you, and they believe with certainty in the hereafter."
     *Allah describes the true believers as those who have belief in Allah and then their hearts do not waver.
   • $Surat al-Hujuraat, 49:15$: "The true believers are those who believe in Allah and His Messenger and afterwards doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. They are the ones who are sincere."

3. Sincerity: Performing all actions sincerely and purely for Allah, seeking His pleasure.

   • $Surat al-Bayyinah, 98:5$: "And they were not commanded except that they worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion."
   • The Prophet (SAW) said, "Truly, Allah has forbidden for the Hellfire anyone who says Laa ilaaha illallaah, seeking Allah's pleasure alone."

4. Love: Loving Allah and His Messenger (SAW), giving preference to loving them over everyone and everything.
   Loving this statement and its implications and its adherents who act upon its dictates.

   • $Surat al-Baqarah, 2:165$: "And among the people are some who take others besides Allah as rivals [to Allah]; they love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe love Allah more."

5. Truthfulness: Being truthful in belief in Allah, in words and deeds, as well as in the way one carries the message of Islam.

   • $Surat at-Tawbah, 9:119$: "O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true [in words and deeds]."

6. Submission: Submitting completely to the dictates of this statement and compliance with Allah's commands.

   • $Surat az-Zumar, 39:54$: "And turn in repentance to your Lord and submit to Him."

7. Acceptance: Accepting all the implications of this statement.

   • $Surat al-Baqarah, 2:136$: "Say, 'We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us."

• A Muslim must make certain that he is Muslim only for the sake of Allah.
• A Muslim cannot be a Muslim for the sake of his parents, friends, family, community, or any worldly gains.
• He must also make certain to adhere to the dictates of the shahaadah until he dies.
• This is essential if the testimony is to mean anything in the afterlife.
• The shahaadah must be a believer's banner until he departs this life.
• $Surat Aal 'Imraan, 3:102$: "O you who believe! Fear Allah in the manner He ought to be feared, and die not except as Muslims."

Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah

• The second part of the Shahaadah is to testify that Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah.
• This means to declare that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was chosen by Allah to be His final messenger to all mankind.
• Allah's Messenger (SAW) conveyed Allah's entire message to all mankind.
• Every prophet and messenger before him was sent to his own people, but Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was sent to all mankind until the Day of Judgment.
• It is obligatory upon everyone from the time of the Prophet (SAW) until the Day of Judgment to believe in and follow the Prophet (SAW).
• If the message of Islam reaches a person and he still arrogantly refuses to believe in and follow the Messenger of Allah, he is a disbeliever and will be in the Hellfire unless he repents and embraces Islam.
• The Prophet's clear guidance, in its complete form, is present before us.
• There is no need for one to turn for guidance to the corrupted books of the Jews and the Christians or indeed to any other man-made laws.
• When Allah's Messenger (SAW) once saw 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) holding a sheet with some verses from the corrupted version of the Tawraah, he said to him, "Were Prophet Moosaa (AS) alive, he would certainly follow me."
• Therefore, there is no need for any Muslim to turn to any religious or spiritual teachings of the disbelievers, for he will certainly find anything he needs in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
• A Muslim bears witness that the Prophet (SAW) conveyed the entire message he received from Allah. When he declares that Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah, he also declares that he is the final prophet and messenger sent by Allah.
• Thus, there is no Prophet after him. Anyone who claims Prophethood after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is a blatant liar and a deceiver. To accept anyone as a prophet after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is to negate one's declaration of the shahaadah.

One's Obligation towards the Prophet (SAW)

• When a person says, "I bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah", it becomes obligatory upon him to love the Prophet (SAW) and follow his guidance.
• This love is not just any form of love. Indeed, true faith requires that he must love the Prophet (SAW) more than anyone or anything else in this world.
• $Surat at-Tawbah, 9:24$: "Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your relatives, and the worldly goods, which you have acquired, commerce in which you fear decline, and the dwellings with which you are pleased are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Command, and Allah does not guide those who are defiantly disobedient."
• This verse offers a criterion by which everyone can plumb his faith and find out if he meets the requirements of it or not!
  This verse clearly rejects the tendency to regard ties of kinship and social affiliations as the decisive factors of behaviour.
  It shows the believers that Almighty Allah, His Messenger (SAW), and struggle in His cause represent the only valid basis on which their life should rest.
• Moreover, when one makes the testimony of faith, he actually accepts the Messenger of Allah as his example of how to live and behave in a way that is pleasing to Allah.
• $Surat al-Ahzaab, 33:21$: "Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, you have an excellent example to follow for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often."
• Hence, it is very essential for one to understand what the shahaadah affirms and what it rejects.
• A believer, therefore, must deepen his knowledge of Islam through the authentic sources of his religion.
• He must be fully prepared to accept whatever implications of the shahaadah are.
• He should have a firm belief in whatever is stated in the Qur'an or stated by the Prophet (SAW), without any right whatsoever to choose what he wants to take and what he desires to reject.
• It is worth mentioning here that when we obey the Messenger of Allah (SAW) we actually obey Almighty Allah.
• $Surat Aal 'Imraan, 3:31$: "Say, 'If you really love Allah then follow me; Allah will love you.'"
• A true believer must therefore obey Allah and His Messenger.
• $Surat al-Hashr, 59:7$: "And whatever the messenger gives you take it, and whatever he forbids you abstain from it."
• The Prophet (SAW) also said, "Whatever I command you to do, do it to the best of your ability; and whatever I forbid you to do, avoid it."