The Humiliation of the Day of Judgement

The Prophet ﷺ said:

تُحْشَرُونَ حُفَاةً، عُرَاةً، غُرْلًا، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: {كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُعِيدُهُ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ} فَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يُكْسَى إِبْرَاهِيمُ

“You shall be gathered on the Day of Judgment barefooted, unclothed, and uncircumcised, as Allah said: ‘As We began the first creation, We will repeat it. That is a promise binding on Us. Indeed, We will do it.’ And the first to be clothed will be Ibrāhīm.”[1]

Public humiliation exists in many forms. A criminal sentenced to this form of punishment could expect to be placed in a central, public, or open place so that his fellow citizens could easily witness the sentence. Head shaving can be a humiliating punishment prescribed in law, a stark example of which was the thousands of European women who had their heads shaved in front of cheering crowds in the wake of World War II. This was a form of retribution for associating with the occupying Nazis during the conflict. Other societies employed public foot whipping as a humiliating punishment, which is still implemented in public in some countries to this day.

Being the victim of public shaming has the potential to ruin life – financially, emotionally, and physically. In the most extreme cases of modern online harassment, we have seen the worst-case repercussions over and over again: adults losing their livelihoods and young people taking their own

If, however, we wished to raise the bar of a publicly disgracing experience to its highest level, what would it look like? According to the Qur’an, the ultimate experience of such is on the Day of Reckoning in front of the honourable angels, the jinn, every generation of humans who lived, and, above all, the Almighty King Himself, Allah. Since many shall experience this – countless individuals in fact – the Qur’an has understandably given a lot of attention to the topic.

Allah has described the state of those who had rejected the Day of Judgment, and how they will appear on that date:

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُو رُءُوسِهِمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَا أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَارْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ

“If only you could see the criminals hanging their heads before their Lord, ‘Our Lord! We have now seen and heard, so send us back and we will do good. We truly have faith.’”[2]

Truly, there is no shame more intense than meeting Allah on the Day of Judgment as a rejecter of faith.

Allah said:

ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُخْزِيهِمْ وَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَائِيَ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تُشَاقُّونَ فِيهِمْ قَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ إِنَّ الْخِزْيَ الْيَوْمَ وَالسُّوءَ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

“Then on the Day of Judgment He will disgrace them and say, ‘Where are My associate-gods for whose sake you used to oppose (the believers)?’ Those gifted with knowledge will say, ‘Surely disgrace and misery today are upon the disbelievers.’”^[3]

Ibn ʿUmar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

يُدْنَى الْمُؤْمِنُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَتَّى يَضَعَ عَلَيْهِ كَنَفَهُ فَيُقَرِّرُهُ بِذُنُوبِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَلْ تَعْرِفُ فَيَقُولُ أَىْ رَبِّ أَعْرِفُ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنِّي قَدْ سَتَرْتُهَا عَلَيْكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنِّي أَغْفِرُهَا لَكَ الْيَوْمَ ‏.‏ فَيُعْطَى صَحِيفَةَ حَسَنَاتِهِ وَأَمَّا الْكُفَّارُ وَالْمُنَافِقُونَ فَيُنَادَى بِهِمْ عَلَى رُءُوسِ الْخَلاَئِقِ هَؤُلاَءِ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ ‏

“The believer will be brought near to his Lord on the Day of Resurrection, till He places His veil upon him. Then, Allah holds him to task for his sins, saying: ‘Do you recognise such and such sin?’ He will respond, ‘My Lord, I do.’ Allah will then say: ‘I had indeed concealed them for you in the world, and today, I shall forgive them.’ He is then given his book of good deeds. As for the non-believer and hypocrite, a public announcement will be made about them before all of creation, proclaiming: ‘Those are the ones who told a lie about Allah!’”[4]

Imagine the disgrace of a young man or woman who has their mother, father, or both complaining of them before Allah. Their right of being obeyed and cared for was mentioned side by side in the Qur’an with Allah’s right of being singled out in worship, and now here they are, on the Day of Reckoning, presenting a case against their child.

Imagine the disgrace of the killer – who had taken a life unjustly – as he is dragged by his victim towards Allah, with the victim demanding retribution. The Prophet ﷺ said:

يجيء المقتول بالقاتل يوم القيامة، ناصيته ورأسه بيده، وأوداجه تشخب دماً، فيقول: يا رب، سل هذا فيم قتلني؟ حتى يدنيه من العرش

“On the Day of Judgment, the murdered will come with the murderer’s forelock and head in his hand, as his jugular vein flows with blood, saying: ‘O Lord! Ask him why he killed me!’ till they draw near the Throne.”[5]

Imagine the disgrace of a person who used to hear the invitation to pray in life today but stubbornly refused, as he finds himself physically unable to prostrate on the Day of Reckoning before Allah; in the Afterlife his body will be locked upright and his back will stiffen, as if it was a single bone. Allah said:

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ (42) خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ

“The Day the shin will be laid bare, and they are invited to prostration but they will not be able. Their eyes downcast, totally covered with disgrace, for they were called to prostrate (in the world) when they were fully capable (but they chose not to).”[6]

Imagine the shame of a person whose mouth is sealed by Allah, whilst his limbs are inspired to speak loud and clear words against him. Allah said:

وَيَوْمَ يُحْشَرُ أَعْدَاءُ اللَّهِ إِلَى النَّارِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ (19) حَتَّى إِذَا مَا جَاءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (20)

“And the day when the enemies of Allah will be gathered for the fire, all driven in ranks. Until, when they reach it, their hearing, eyes and their skins will testify against them of what they used to do.”[7]

Imagine the shame of the one who presents Allah with a lifetime’s worth of “good” deeds, only to be shocked when they are turned down. It turns out that they were not for Allah. Instead, they were contaminated with affectation, boasting, and self-centredness, despite the outward façade of Islamic activism. His incessant pleas for subscriptions were present in almost every appearance of his; he had convinced himself that he was championing the cause of Islam, whilst – in reality – he was championing his own personal interests all along. How will they fare as they stand face to Face with the King, Allah, Who had always come second place in their intentions and lives?

The Prophet ﷺ said:

إنَّ أَخْوَفَ ما أَخافُ عليكُمُ الشِّركُ الأصغرُ، الرِّياءُ، يَقولُ اللهُ عزَّ وجلَّ إذا جَزَى النَّاسَ بأعمالِهِم: اذهَبوا إلى الَّذين كنتُم تُراؤُون في الدُّنيا، فانظُروا هل تَجِدون عندَهُم جَزاءً؟

“What I fear for you the most is the minor shirk: al-riyā’ (showing off). On the Day of Judgment, as Allah holds people to task for their actions, He will say to the show-offs: ‘Go to those for whom you had shown off for in the world, and see if you find any reward with them.’”[8]

Imagine the state of the user of interest before Allah. He had made a living through it and refused to take notice of Allah’s warning in the Qur’an: “But if you do not (i.e. desist from usury), then take notice of war against you from Allah and His Messenger.”[9] Picture his disgrace on the Day of Reckoning when he is told to pick up his weapons and go to war with Allah.[10]

When all is said and done, the ultimate disgrace boils down to one matter: being driven to Hell at the command of Allah.

For this reason, part of the believer’s duʿā’, as described by the Qur’an, is:

رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَنْ تُدْخِلِ النَّارَ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُ

“Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire, You have disgraced him…”[11]

To leave it at this, however, would be an unjust portrayal of the Day of Judgment. Whilst it will indeed expose and disgrace many, it will also elevate and honour many others. Allah said:

يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِي اللَّهُ النَّبِيَّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَى بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“On the Day Allah will not disgrace the Prophet or the believers with him. Their light will shine ahead of them and to their right. They will say, ‘Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us. You are truly Most Capable of everything.’”[12]

In extreme contrast to the disgraced ones described above, not too far from them is a completely different scene, despite all of them being on the same plane of resurrection. This opposite scene will be one of immense delight, joyous laughter, and honour.

We will now introduce the righteous believers and their eminent qualities:

– They will find, the moment they emerge from their graves, beautiful angels in their reception, who will offer them the most reassuring words of encouragement.[13]

– They will find vehicles of the Hereafter awaiting them[14], sparing them from walking on this long day.

– They will be clothed, whilst the majority of humanity will walk nude.

– They will recline on thrones of light.[15]

– They will be granted radiant appearances.[16]

– They will be granted, on this Day of bleak darkness, “light that shines ahead of them and on their right”.[17]

– They will be taken to shade – the only available shade – provided by Allah’s Throne.

– They will, as is the case with martyrs, bleed with a musk-like fragrance to publicise their wounds which they sustained in Allah’s path.[18]

– They will be serene and at complete peace, as the majority endures the full force of the “supreme horror”[19] of the Day of Judgment.[20]

– They will be made to perceive the Day of Judgment far shorter than it actually is. For them it will feel as short as part of a day, like the time it takes the Sun to set in the late afternoon[21], despite the Day of Judgment actually lasting a grueling fifty thousand years.

So, how does one go about protecting himself from the prospect of the ultimate disgrace before Allah, His angels, Prophets, and the whole of humanity? We introduced this piece with a narration that describes the honoured state of Prophet Ibrāhīm عليه السلام on the Day of Reckoning, as he will be the first of humanity who shall be clothed. Therefore, it seems apt to suggest ways forward using his biography.

The first: A duʿā’ he made

The higher one ascends the ladder of knowledge and righteousness, the more the dread of being disgraced on the Day of Reckoning will feature in one’s duʿā’. Since Prophet Ibrāhīm is among those at the very top of this ladder, it is no surprise that this feature starred in his duʿā’, as captured by the Qur’an:

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ* وَاجْعَلْ لِي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الآخِرِينَ * وَاجْعَلْنِي مِن وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ النَّعِيمِ * وَلا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ * يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ

“My Lord, grant me authority and join me with the righteous. And grant me a reputation of honour among later generations. And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of Pleasure…[22] And do not disgrace me on the Day they are resurrected. The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children. But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.”[23]

Commit those words to memory and bring them to the table on a nightly basis when you raise your hands to Allah.

The second: Advice he gave

The Prophet ﷺ said:

يَلْقَى إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَبَاهُ آزَرَ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ، وَعَلَى وَجْهِ آزَرَ قَتَرَةٌ وَغَبَرَةٌ، فَيَقُولُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكَ لاَ تَعْصِنِي، فَيَقُولُ أَبُوهُ: فَاليَوْمَ لاَ أَعْصِيكَ، فَيَقُولُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: يَا رَبِّ إِنَّكَ وَعَدْتَنِي أَنْ لاَ تُخْزِيَنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ، فَأَيُّ خِزْيٍ أَخْزَى مِنْ أَبِي الأَبْعَدِ؟ فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: إِنِّي حَرَّمْتُ الجَنَّةَ عَلَى الكَافِرِينَ، ثُمَّ يُقَالُ: يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ، مَا تَحْتَ رِجْلَيْكَ؟ فَيَنْظُرُ، فَإِذَا هُوَ بِذِيخٍ مُلْتَطِخٍ، فَيُؤْخَذُ بِقَوَائِمِهِ فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ

“On the Day of Resurrection, Ibrāhīm will encounter his father Āzar, whose face will be dark and covered with dust. Ibrāhīm will say: ‘Did I not tell you to not disobey me?’ His father will reply: ‘Today I will not disobey you.’ Ibrāhīm will say: ‘My Lord, You promised me that You will not disgrace me on the Day of Resurrection; and so what can be more disgraceful than this distant state of my father?’ Allah will say: ‘I have forbidden Paradise for the disbelievers.’ Then it will be said: ‘O Ibrāhīm, what is underneath your feet?’ He will look, and there he will see a blood-stained hyena[24], which will be caught by the legs and thrown in the Fire.”[25]

The key expression in the narration is, “Did I not tell you to not disobey me?” This was the core message of each and every Prophet to his community: “Fear Allah and obey me.” In other words, the ultimate message was that one should be a practising Muslim whose life is governed by revelation. There is no better way of securing one’s self from the disgrace of that Day and guaranteeing a resurrection of honour, a standing of ease, a waiting of dignity, and a prompt entry to Paradise than by simply being a good Muslim.

All of what has been mentioned so far should resonate with us more than anyone else. Indeed, there is no generation in history that understands what it means to be publicly humiliated like we do. Just a generation ago, an embarrassing gaffe might have been written up in the local paper or gossiped about over backyard fences until it was old news. But today is much different.

The internet has eternal life and boundless reach, and victims of a digital disaster must learn to live forever with the implications of that high-tech “tattoo”.[26] The digital age has made shaming today very different to any shaming of the past. But as we have just discovered, the shaming of tomorrow, in what will be the eternal age, will silence all that happened to exist before it.

The takeaway message is concise:

Hold your Islam in a high regard today, and you will be held in a similar regard tomorrow.

---

Source: Islam21c

Note:

[1] al-Qur’an, 21:104.

[2] al-Qur’an, 32:12.

[3] al-Qur’an, 17:27.

[4] Muslim.

[5] al-Tirmidhī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās.

[6] al-Qur’an, 68:42.

[7] al-Qur’an, 41:20-21.

[8] Aḥmad, on the authority of Maḥmūd b. Labīd.

[9] al-Qur’an, 2:279.

[10] Ibn ʿAbbās said: يقال يوم القيامة لآكل الربا : خذ سلاحك للحرب

“On the Day of Judgment, it will be said to the consumer of interest, ‘Take your weaponry and prepare for war.’” – Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī.

[11] al-Qur’an, 3:192.

[12] al-Qur’an, 66:8.

[13] See al-Qur’an, 10:62-64.

[14] See, if needed, the tafsīr of al-Qur’an, 19:85.

[15] The Prophet ﷺ said:

 

إِنَّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنْ نُورٍ، عَنْ يَمِينِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَكِلْتَا يَدَيْهِ يَمِينٌ، الَّذِينَ يَعْدِلُونَ فِي حُكْمِهِمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَا وَلُوا

 

“Those who act justly will be with Allah on pulpits of light at the Right Hand of the Most Merciful, and both of His Hands are right. They are those who are just in their rulings, towards their people and all what is under their charge.”

Narrated by Muslim, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ.

[16] See al-Qur’an, 76:7-11.

[17] See al-Qur’an, 57:12.

[18] al-Bukhārī and Muslim, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah.

[19] See al-Qur’an, 21:103.

[20] See al-Qur’an, 6:81-82.

[21] Ibn Ḥibbān, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah.

[22] al-Qur’an, 26:83-85.

[23] al-Qur’an, 26:87-89.

[24] His father will be transformed into this disgusting form before being thrown into Hell in order to lessen the trauma of seeing his father being dragged to Hell.

[25] al-Bukhārī.

[26] https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/shame-nation/201807/the-impact-public-shaming-in-digital-world