بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (RadhiyAllahu ‘anhuma), said: The Messenger of Allah (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) took me by the shoulder and said,
“Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.”
And Ibn Umar used to say, “In the evening do not expect [to live until] the morning, and in the morning do not expect [to live until] the evening. Take [advantage of] your health before times of sickness, and [take advantage of] your life before your death.”
[Reported by Bukhari]
How many days go by in which you don’t even think about the most important meeting of your existence? How can you prepare for the appointment of all appointments— standing before Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala?
The appointment is made.
وَعُرِضُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ صَفًّا لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍۭ ۚ بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّن نَّجْعَلَ لَكُم مَّوْعِدًا ﴿٤٨
And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, [and He will say], You have certainly come to Us just as We created you the first time. But you claimed that We would never make for you an appointment.
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:49]
Can you imagine the moment of the Day of Judgement when Allah Himself will come with the angels, and Paradise and Hell will be brought forward? And your Lord comes with the angels in rows.
وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ وَٱلْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا ﴿٢٢﴾ وَجِا۟ىٓءَ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بِجَهَنَّمَ ۚ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَذَكَّرُ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ ﴿٢٣
And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank, (22) And brought [within view], that Day, is Hell - that Day, man will remember, but what good to him will be the remembrance? (23) [Qur'an, Al-Fajr 89:22]
You know that you will soon stand before Him, personally, one by one, to be judged. People are divided into two categories: People with bright faces, due to their happiness, standing there looking at their Lord, and 2) People with darkened faces, due to their bad deeds.
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ ﴿٢٢﴾ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ ﴿٢٣﴾ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بَاسِرَةٌ ﴿٢٤﴾ تَظُنُّ أَن يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ ﴿٢٥
[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, (22) Looking at their Lord. (23) And [some] faces, that Day, will be contorted, (24) Expecting that there will be done to them [something] backbreaking. (25)
[Qur'an, Al-Qiyamah 75:22-25]
If you get your book (of deeds) in your right hand, you will be the companions of Paradise, and may Allah make us one of them. If you receive your book in your left hand you will be the companions of the Hellfire; may Allah save us.
Apart from your book of deeds there will be more witnesses for you on the day.
1. Add good things to the book of your deeds.
Allah continues in Surah Al-Kahf, the Surah which is a sunnah to read on Friday, the Day the Resurrection will occur:
وَوُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّآ أَحْصَىٰهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا۟ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ حَاضِرًا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٩
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, “Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?” And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.
[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:49]
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said: The first thing the people will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment is prayer, Allah will say to His angels : ‘Look at my servants prayers. Were they complete or not?’ If they were complete it will be written as complete. If they were not fully complete Allah will say: ‘See if my servant has voluntary prayers, if he has them Allah will say: Complete his obligatory prayers shortage with his voluntary prayers.’ Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner. [Ahmad, Abu Dawood, An-Nasaa’i, Al-Haakim]
Make it your priority to pray your five daily prayers on time and learn to understand whatever you recite in them to increase your khushoo'. Remember this hadith and let it motivate you to do those sunnah--rawatib, tahajjud, dhuha, prayer after wudu', etc.
2. Use your limbs wisely.
ٱلْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَىٰٓ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَآ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿٦٥
This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn.
[Qur'an, Ya-Sin 36:65]
Be aware of how you use your limbs. When you are about to go to a place with forbidden (haraam) activities, remember this moment when your actual legs will tell Allah. When you are about to touch something haraam, whether it be your phone to listen to music, or your remote control to watch something forbidden, think of the moment your hands will reveal you, while in the world you might have been able to keep it behind closed doors.
3. Remember that angels are listening.
There are two angels, one on your left and one on your right, who record everything you do or say. Think about this. It might not be visual now, but it is real and it will come back to you.
إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ ﴿١٧
Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
[Qur'an, Qaf 50:17]
Each word you say will be recorded. Here is a great reminder for one of the most common major sins we commit: gheebah (gossip or backbiting). Remind yourself that everything you say about a person that they would not like you to mention to others, even if it’s true, falls under gheebah. Whenever you feel tempted to speak about someone in a wrong way, visualize the angel sitting next to you, ready to write each word down.
4. Deal justly with others.
Both the justice and injustice you’ve done to other people will be presented on this day.
Whenever you have wronged someone, force yourself to make it up and don’t delay. Why? Imagine the angel of death comes to take your soul before you said that deserved “sorry” and you will find yourself in need of just one more good deed on the Day of Judgement to be admitted to Paradise.
The people you wronged will come and take away your good deeds. Whoever wronged his brother with regard to his honor or any other matter, should seek his forgiveness today, before there are no longer any dinars, or dirhams; and if he has any righteous deeds, they will be taken from him, in accordance with the wrong he did; and if he has no hasanaat, some of the sayi`aat of his counterpart will be taken and added to his burden. [Bukhari]
5. Ask Allah to make you of the people of the Qur'an.
And the Qur’an is a proof for you or against you [Muslim].
فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۭ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَىٰ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ شَهِيدًا ﴿٤١
So how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and we bring you, [O Muhammad] against these [people] as a witness?
[Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:41]
Ask Allah to make you of the people of the Qur'an, of those who recite correctly, understand and apply its lessons and instructions, and work for it. Read a portion of the Qur'an every day. And strive for intercession of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. How? By reviving his Sunnah. Make it a mission to learn a new Sunnah at least each week, practicing it and conveying it to others.
6. Let the earth testify good of you; move around to make sujood.
يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا ﴿٤
That Day it (the Earth) will declare its information (about all what happened over it of good or evil)
[Qur'an, Az-Zalzala 99:4]
7. Study the Names of Allah and learn to live by them.
لَّـٰكِنِ ٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكَ ۖ أَنزَلَهُۥ بِعِلْمِهِۦ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَشْهَدُونَ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا ﴿١٦٦
But Allah bears witness to that which He has revealed to you. He has sent it down with His knowledge, and the angels bear witness [as well]. And sufficient is Allah as Witness. (166)
[Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:166]
Study the beautiful names and attributes of your Lord and ask Him to help you live by them. A magnificent example is the Name of Allah: Ash-Shaheed (the Witness).
May Allah make our meeting with Him the best of meetings. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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