Assembling people in the gathering place and their conditions

Assembling people [1]

 Many Ayahs and Hadiths were reported about its description:

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "The Day We shall gather the Muttaqun (pious) unto the Most Beneficent (Allah), like a delegate (presented before a king for honor). * And We shall drive the Mujrimun (polytheists, sinners, criminals, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, etc.) to Hell, in a thirsty state (like a thirsty herd driven down to water)." [Surat Maryam: 85 - 86].

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The meaning of "like a delegate" is riding. As for the meaning of "in a thisty state," it means while they are thirst. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "And We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf; their abode will be Hell; whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire." [Surat Al Isra': 97].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The people will be gathered in three ways: (The first way will be of) those who will wish or have a hope (for Paradise) and will have a fear (of punishment),[2] (The second batch will be those who will gather) riding two on a camel or three on a camel four on camel, [3]or ten on a camel. (The third batch) the rest of the people will be urged to gather by the Fire which will accompany them at the time of their afternoon nap and stay with them where they will spend the night, and will be with them in the morning wherever they may be then, and will be with them in the afternoon wherever they may be then."[4]

Al Khattaby said: This assembly will be before the establishment of the Hour where people are assembled alive to the Levant (the region covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine). As for the assembly from graves to the assembly point on the Day of Resurrection, it is different from riding on camels and alternating on riding them. The real case is as was reported in Hadith Ibn `Abbas: (barefoot, naked, marching on foot) and thus Ibn Hajar outbalanced that view in Fathul-Bary.

`A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: You shall be gathered barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised.[5] `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: O Messenger of Allah, Will the men and the women look at each other? He said: The situation will be too hard for them to pay attention to that." [6]

In the narrations of An-Nasa'y, Ibn Abu Hatim, and At-Tirmidhy: "Everyman that Day will have enough to make him careless of others." [Surat `Abasa: 37]. [Al Albany (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) graded it as authentic].

Assembling the creation in the assembly point and their conditions:

We believe that Allah assembles creation, the first and the last, for the Day of Recompense where Allah judges between the creation. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Surely, He will gather you together on the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is truer in statement than Allâh?" [Surat An-Nisa': 87]. And His saying: "(And remember) the Day when He will gather you (all) on the Day of Gathering, that will be the Day of mutual loss and gain (i.e. loss for the disbelievers as they will enter the Hell-fire and gain for the believers as they will enter Paradise)." [7][Surat At-Taghabun: 9].

The meaning of "you all" includes the creation of heavens and earth, so Gabriel (peace be upon him) will be included also in this situation along with angels and others. Allah (may He be Exalted) described the situation on the Day of Resurrection, its greatness, and its intensity in many Ayahs. Allah (Glory be to Him) said: "Think they not that they will be resurrected (for reckoning), On a Great Day?" [Surat Al Mutaffifin: 4 - 5].

He also said: "And warn them (O Muhammad peace be upon him) of the Day that is drawing near (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), when the hearts will be choking the throats, and they can neither return them (hearts) to their chests nor can they throw them out." [Surat Ghafir: 18].

Hearts move out of their places and sights are gazing from the horror of that Day. All these scenes shall be done "in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years." [Surat Al Ma`arij: 4].

"Everyman that Day will have enough to make him careless of others." [Surat `Abasa: 37].

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: They know one another and get to know one another then they escape from one another thereafter. "Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another." [Surat Al Mu'minun: 101].

It is a great situation in which the relations of lineage are cut and the eloquent shall keep silent and no one shall speak except by the permission of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He): "On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His (Allah's) Leave." [Surat Hud: 105].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The people will sweat so profusely on the Day of Resurrection that their sweat will sink seventy cubits deep into the earth, and it will rise up till it reaches the people's mouths and ears." [8]

---

[1] Al Hashr means assembly and gathering the creation on the Day of Resurrection. And the day of gathering is the Day of Recompense. (Al Mu`jam Al Wajiz).

[2] He did not mention the five and the six for abbreviation. (Fathul-Bary, vol. 11).

[3] It is probably that those are the common people who mixed righteous actions with bad ones, so they hesitate between fear and hope, and they shall be resurrected marching on foot. The second category is superior believers who shall be resurrected riding and it is probably the opposite; the pious shall be resurrected riding. The second category is less in rank who shall be resurrected marching on foot, or they shall alternate riding on camels, so the shall walk on foot sometimes. It is probably that the mentioned camel is one of beautiful creations of Allah which will be able to bear ten people and not an ordinary one to be able to carry them. See: (Fathul-Bary, vol. 11).

[4] Reported by Al Bukhari, Muslim, and An-Nasa'y (may Allah show mercy to them all).

[5] They shall be assembled uncircumised.

[6] Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim (may Allah bestow mercy on their souls).

[7] The origin of "Ghubn" is deception in purchase and selling, but it is used here for show envy for seeing believers in Paradise.

[8] Reported by Al Bukhari (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).