Everybody Must Cross The Sirat (The Bridge Over Hell)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

No one will escape the Judgment Day, a Day the extent of which is 50,000 years (Qur'an, Al-Maarij 70:4), and everybody - be he a believer or a disbeliever - must cross the Sirat, the slippery bridge, thinner than a hair, sharper than a sword, that runs over Hell.

Allah Almighty says,

وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا ۚ كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ حَتْمًا مَّقْضِيًّا ﴿٧١

And there is none of you except he will come to it. This is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed. (71)

[Qur'an, Maryam 19:71]

Over that bridge, there will be hooks similar to the thorns of As-Sa'dan (a thorny tree), except that their greatness in size is only known to Allah, that will reach out to snag the people destined for the Hellfire. Those who will go to Hell, they will neither die nor attain a new life. People will fall off the bridge left and right. Some people will be ruined because of their evil deeds. Some people will be cut up into pieces as they fall into the Fire.

If that is not difficult enough, imagine crossing it in complete darkness. There will be no lights – no sun, no moon, no stars, nothing. But there will be light for the believers -- the light from iman (faith). The stronger the iman, the stronger the light shines.

Allah Almighty says,

يَوْمَ تَرَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَسْعَىٰ نُورُهُم بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَـٰنِهِم بُشْرَىٰكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ جَنَّـٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ﴿١٢

On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], "Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally." That is what is the great attainment. (12)

[Qur'an, Al-Hadid 57:12]

Crossing the Sirat depends on everybody's light.

Allah Almighty says,

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَـٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَآئِمًا يَحْذَرُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُوا۟ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِۦ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿٩﴾ قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّـهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿١٠

Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding. (9) Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." (10)

[Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:9-10]

Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as the twinkling of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind, fast horses or she-camels. Some, by walking, some by crawling, some by creeping. Those who have very little light (iman and little good deeds) will creep facedown. Their hands and feet will slip, and they will cling to it again. Some people will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down into Hell. The last person will cross by being dragged over the bridge.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "...the Sirat will be laid across Hell and I (Muhammad) shall be the first amongst the Apostles to cross it with my followers. Nobody except the Apostles will then be able to speak and they will be saying then, 'O Allah! Save us. O Allah! Save us.'..." [Bukhari]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "On the Day of Resurrection I will stand by the side of the Sirat and wait for my nation to cross it. Allah will say, "Ask for whatever you want. Intercede for whomever you wish, for your intercession will be accepted." After interceding for my nation, I will continue entreating, and I will not rise to my feet until He says, "Put all people into Paradise who said la ilaha illallah (There is no god except Allah) once with sincerity and died with faith. [Imam Ahmad]

Abu Sa'id al Khudri reported the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, "When the believers pass safely over (the bridge across) Hell, they will be stopped at a bridge between Hell and Paradise where they will retaliate against one another for the injustices done among them in the world, and when they are purified of all their sins, they will be admitted to Paradise. By Him in Whose hands the life of Muhammad is, everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this world." [Bukhari]

Allah Almighty says,

وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَٱدْخُلُوهَا خَـٰلِدِينَ ﴿٧٣﴾ وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ ٱلَّذِى صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُۥ وَأَوْرَثَنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَآءُ ۖ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ ٱلْعَـٰمِلِينَ ﴿٧٤

Then those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, "Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein," [they will enter]. (73) And they will say, "Praise to Allah, who has fulfilled for us His promise and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will. And excellent is the reward of [righteous] workers." (74)

[Qur'an, Az-Zumar 39:74]

May Allah have mercy on all of us and make us among the people of Paradise, and enable us to cross the Sirat in a twinkling of an eye, and save us from falling into the Hellfire, even for a moment. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassallam