RESURRECTION (QAYAMAT)

Regarding Qayamat Allah says in the Qur'an, “It will be momentous in the heavens and the earth, It will not come on you but of a sudden”. (Surah-al-A'araf : 187) Allamah Qutubuddin Rawandi relates from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that once Prophet Isa (A.S.) asked H.Jipa'eel as to when would Qayamat come? As soon as Jipa'eel heard about Qayamat, he started trembling and fell down unconscious. When he regained consciousness he said, “O Ruhullah! Verily you know more about it than me”, and he recited the above Verse (Ayah).

Shaikh Ali bin Ipaheem Qummi quotes Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) as saying that once H.Jipa'eel was seated in the presence of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) Suddenly he looked towards the sky and turned pale because of terror. He asked the Prophet to give him refuge. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) looked towards the sky where Jipa'eel had seen. He saw an Angel whose wings spread from the east to the west as if covering it. He looked towards the Holy Prophet and said, “O Mohammad (S.A.W.S.)! I have come down with an order from Allah. Choose from among these two any one, either kingdom and Prophethood, or Allah's slavery and Prophethood”.

The Holy Prophet turned towards Jipa'eel and saw that he had regained strength by then and asked for his advice. Jipa'eel told the Prophet to choose Allah's slavery and Prophethood. The Prophet told the Angel that he opted for Allah's slavery and Prophethood. Afeter getting the reply, the Angel placed his right leg on the first heaven, then lifted the second one and placed it on the second heaven. Likewise he started climbing the heavens until he reached the seventh heaven. He became smaller, the size equal to a bird. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) turned towards Jipa'eel and said, “I have never seen you so much frightened before, what is the reason for it”? Jipa'eel answered, “O Prophet! do you know who this Angel was?

He was Israfeel. From the day Allah created the heavens and the earth, Israfeel never came down to the earth. When I saw him coming down I assumed that he must have come down to announce the arrival of Qayamat. Hence the color of my face turned pale due to fright of Qayamat as you saw. But when I saw that he had come down to give you glad tidings, I was relieved and regained my consciousness”.

It is related that there is no Angel in the heavens or the earth, skies or mountains, seas or deserts who do not fear fridays. Because they think that Qayamat may come on that very day. It is also narrated that whenever the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) would talk about Qayamat, there would be sternness in his voice, and his cheeks would turn red.

Shaikh Mufeed quotes in ‘Al Irshad’ that when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) returned to Madina from the expedition of Tabook, Amr bin Ma'dikarib came to visit him. The Prophet said to him, “Submit to Islam Amr, then Allah will protecet you from the greatest terror”. “What is the greatest terror”? he asked, “for I fear nothing”. It is said that Amr was a very pave and strong man. His pavery can be proven by the fact that he had conquered many areas. His sword was famous by the name of ‘Shamsheere Samsaam’. One stroke of his sword would cut asunder the neck of a camel. During the caliphate of Umar ibne Khattab, Umar told Amr to gift him his sword. Amr gave it to him. Umar hit it hard but it had no effect.

He threw it in a rage saying that it was no good. To which Amr replied, “O King! You asked for my sword, not my hands”. Umar became furious at this reply and ordered him to be e. When Amr told the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) that I fear nothing, the Prophet said, “Amr, it is not as you think and suppose. Indeed there will be one great shout among the people. Not one person will remain who does not attend, nor a living person who does not die, except as Allah wishes.

Then there will be another great shout among them, and those who are dead will assemble and all get into ranks. The heavens will split open and the earth will be crushed. The mountains will be cut asunder and fire will hurl them like sparks. No one who has a soul will remain, except his heart be stripped bare while he mentions his sins and is occupied with his soul, except as Allah wishes. Then, where will you be, Amr at this”? “Indeed I am hearing of a terrible event”, said Amr. Then he believed in Allah and His Apostle. People from his tribe also accepted Islam and returned back.

Verily Qayamat is full of fright and terror, so much so that even the dead tremble in their graves. It is narrated through many great personalities, that when the dead men where raised back to life by them, they saw that their hair had turned grey. They asked them the reason. To which they replied that, “When we were told to arise, we thought that Qayamat had come, and our hair turned grey due to it's fright”.

Those A'mal which eases the trouble of Qayamat

I state hereunder ten such A'amals which eases the troubles and difficulties of Qayamat:

(1) It is related that a person who recites Surah-al-Yusuf daily during the day or night, will arise on the day of Qayamat with the likeness of the beauty of Prophet Yusuf (A.S.), and will be saved from the fear of Qayamat. Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) says that a person who recites Surah-ad-Dukhan in Nafela Prayers or obligatory (Wajib) Namaz, will remain safe from the fear of Qayamat. Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says that a person who recites Surah-al-Ahqaf on the day or night on friday, will be safe from all fears of this world as well as the hereafter. In another tradition Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says that a person who recites Surah-al-Asr in Supererogatory (Nafela) Prayers, will arise in delight on the day of Qayamat. His face will be glowing, and his eyes shining, and he will enter Paradise in this cheerful state.

(2) Shaikh Kulaini narrates from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) who says that the Holy Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.S.) said, that whoever respects a man with a white beard, Allah will grant him refuge from the fear of the day of Qayamat.

(3) The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says, that whoever dies while going to Mecca or returning from there, will be saved by Allah from the fear of the day of Qayamat. Shaikh Sadooq quotes the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) as saying that whoever dies in the courtyard of the Ka'bah or Masjide Nabawi (in Medina), will arise in a manner that he will be free from all terror and fear.

(4) Shaikh Sadooq quotes Imam Sadiq (A.S.) as saying that whoever is buried in the courtyard of the Ka'bah, will be saved from the fright of Qayamat.

(5) Shaikh Sadooq narrates from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) that He said, if a person guards himself from sins or the lustful passions (of his self), only for the sake and fear of Allah, Allah will make the fire of hell forbidden upon him and keep him away from the fear of Qayamat.

(6) The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says that Allah will grant refuge from the fear of Qayamat the man who keeps away from the passions of his self.

(7) Shaikh Ali bin Ipaheem Qummi narrates from Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) who said that whoever suppresses his anger even after having power (to retaliate), Allah will fill his heart with faith (Eeman), and save him from the terror of Qayamat.

(8) One of the reasons for a person to be free from the fear of Qayamat is the Love (Walayah) of Ali (A.S.). The verdict of the Qur'an regarding it is that it is the best deed. As said in the Holy Qur'an: “Surely as for those for whom the good (Husna) has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it. They will not hear it's faintest sound, and they shall abide in that which their souls long for. The great fearful event shall not grieve them, and the Angels shall meet them”.

(Surah-al-Ambiyah: 101-3) The Holy Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.S.) said, “O Ali ! You and Your Shi'ahs will remain under the protection on the day of Qayamat, and the (above mentioned) verse (Ayah) bears witness to it”. The word ‘Husna’ used in the above verse (Ayah) means Love (Walayah) of Ali (A.S.) and his Progeny (Ahlulbait). As the Holy Qur'an promises, “whoever pings good, he shall have better than it, and they shall be secure from terror on that day”. (Surah-an-Naml : 89) It is quoted in many books of exegesis (Tafseer) of Qur'an viz. Kashaf, Sa'labi, Kabeer etc. that whoever shall arise with the ‘Goodness’ (Husna) will be secured on the day of Qayamat, and ‘Husna’ here means Ali (A.S.). Whoever dies bearing love of Ahlulbait (A.S.) will become pure after repentence, and when he shall arise on the day of Qayamat, a cloud will give shelter on his head, and he will remain safe from the terror of Qayamat and enter Paradise in this manner.

(9) Shaikh Sadooq quotes Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) as saying that if a person helps a believer pother (mo'min), and free him from anxiety, and fulfills his desires, Allah will offer him seventy two types ofavours (ne'mat). One of them is that He will increase his sustenance (Rizq) in this world, and seventy one are that He will guard him against the terrors and hardships of Qayamat.

Many traditions (Ahadees) have been narrated in praise of fulfilling a believer pother's wishes. Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) says that, “If a mo'min goes to fulfill the desires of his pother believer, Allah orders the angels to give shade of seventy thousand veils over his head, and before he steps out (to go for help) Allah writes down many virtues in his deed-sheet”. Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says that, “Fulfilling a pother believer's wishes is greater than the performance of Haj, Haj, Haj (and repeated it ten times. It means that it is greater than the performance of ten Haj).

It is also narrated that in the Bani Israil there was a pious worshipper who had taken upon himself the obligation to fulfill the wishes of others. Shaikh Shazan bin Japail quotes from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) that on the door of the second heaven he saw the following written:

There is no God but Allah, Mohammad (S.A.W.S.) is His Apostle, Ali (A.S.) is His friend. Verily everything has got a dress, and the dress of the Holy Prophet on the day of Qayamat will be the following four qualities: (1) To fondle with affection the head of an orphan (yateem), (2) To show kindness towards widows, (3) To go to fulfill the wishes of a believer pother, and (4) to take care of the poor and the needy.

Many Ulamas and great men strived to help the believer pothers, and many incidents have been narrated which need not be quoted here for pevity's sake.

(10) Shaikh Kulaini narrates from Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) that whoever goes to the grave of a believer pother, places his hand on it and recites Surah-al-Qadr seven times, Allah will keep him away from the troubles of Qayamat. In another tradition it is narrated that while reciting Surah-al-Qadr on the grave, one should turn towards the Qibla and dig one's fingers in the mud (of the grave).

I have seen in the “Majmu'ah” of Shaheede Saani that when he went to the grave of his teacher Fakhrul Muhaqqeqeen, he said that the buried person (Fakhrul Muhaqqeqeen) related from his father (Allamah Hilli) who related from Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) who said that whoever goes to the grave of his pother believer and after reciting Surah-al-Qadr recites the following du'a, both the dead person as well as the person reciting it will be safe from the fear of Qavamat.