Prophet Muhammad And Afterlife
This article covers Prophet Muhammad and Afterlife.
Messenger Muhammad’s Sayings Concerning The Resurrection And Afterlife.
In order to better understand how the Messenger built his society, we should give some examples of his sayings concerning the Resurrection and afterlife:
Once he said:
O people! You will be resurrected bare-foot, naked and uncircumcised. Listen to me with full attention: The one who will be first clothed is Abraham. Heed what I will say: That day some from my people will be seized on the left side and brought to me. I will say: ‘O Lord! These are my Companions!’ I will be told: ‘You do not know what disagreeable things they did after you.’ Then I will say as the righteous servant [meaning Jesus] said: ‘I was a witness over them while I continued to stay among them. When You took me You became the watcher over them. You are Witness over all things. If You punish them, they are Your slaves; if You forgive them, surely You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.’
God’s Messenger says:
Since God created them, the children of Adam have not experienced an event more terrible than death. However, death is easier than what will follow it. They will suffer such terror that sweat will cover their bodies until it becomes like a bridle around their chins, until it grows into something like a sea on which, if desired, vessels could be sailed.
The Messenger said:
“People will be resurrected in three groups: those who combined fear of God with expectation [while in utmost fear of God’s punishment, never despaired of His mercy and forgiveness], those who [because they frequently ‘faltered’ in the world] will try to go to Paradise ‘mounted on a mule’ in twos, threes, fours… or tens. The rest will be resurrected into Fire; [since they incessantly did deeds deserving Hellfire in all parts of the day], if they want to go to sleep in the forenoon, Hell will also go to sleep with them; when they reach night, Hell reaches night with them; when they reach morning, Hell reaches morning with them, and when they reach evening, Hell reaches evening with them.”
Through such and other similar warnings, God’s Messenger brought up his Companions in fear of Hell and through the good tidings he gave concerning Paradise, he roused in them a great desire for it. As a result, the Companions lived in great consciousness of Divine reward and punishment. They were so sensitive to their religious obligations and the rights of people that, for example, two of them once appealed to the Messenger to judge a disagreement between them. After hearing them, the Messenger said:
“I am a human being like you, so I will judge according to what you say. It is possible that one of you speaks more convincingly and I may judge in his favor. However, God will judge rightly in the Hereafter according to the truth of the matter. The wrongdoer will meet his due punishment, while the innocent, his reward.”
This was enough for the Companions to concede the right they claimed. The Messenger advised them:
“Go and divide the goods in dispute in two, and then draw lots. Each of you should consent to his share wholeheartedly without feeling any discomfort.”