stories of the unseen in the authentic traditions

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Deposit No. : 2008/11/3996

ISBN Hard Cover : 978-9957-477-65-3

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CONTENTS

PUBLISHER’S NOTE .............................................................. 9

TRANSLATOR’S FOREWORD........................................... 11

PREFACE ................................................................................ 13

INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 21

GROUP ONE

The Stories of the Day of Resurrection.................................. 29

1. How Treacherous You Are.................................................... 31

2. Today, I Will Not Disobey You, O’ Ibrāhīm......................... 38

3. The Card Outweighed Ninety-Nine Records........................ 42

4. I Did Things That I Do Not See Here.................................... 45

5. Nothing Satisfies You............................................................ 48

6. Ask Him Why He Killed Me................................................. 51

7. O’ People of Paradise, for You Is Eternity ........................... 54

8. I Will Go to the �aw� Before You........................................ 57

9. Paradise Market ..................................................................... 63

10. The Gifts of the Inhabitants of Paradise .............................. 65

11. The First Group to Enter Paradise ....................................... 69

12. The Dream of the Prophet (�) ............................................. 73

13. The Argument Between Paradise and Hell-fire................... 81

14. I Am for It, I Am for It ........................................................ 85

15. Three People Who Will Be Dragged Toward Hell-Fire ...... 95

16. A Man in Hell-Fire .............................................................. 98

17. Those Who Exhaust Their Accumulation of Good Deeds 101

18. Dispute Over the Victims of the Plague ............................ 104

19. False Gods Lead Their Worshippers to Hell-Fire.............. 107

6 Stories of the Unseen in Authentic Traditions

20. The First to Hear the Blow of the Trumpet ....................... 121

21. I Asked You for Something Less....................................... 125

22. Those Who Will Be Transformed Into Monkeys and Pigs 128

23. We Will Bring From You, a Witness Against Yourself .... 130

24. The Bridge Between Paradise and Hell-Fire ..................... 134

25. A Neck Will Stretch Forth From Hell-Fire........................ 136

26. He Is in the Highest Paradise............................................. 139

GROUP TWO

Stories of the Unseen That Have Transpired...................... 141

27. They Will Have Carpets, Curtains, and Rugs.................... 143

28. Muhammad Does Not Lie ................................................. 145

29. O’Allah! It Is for You to Deal With Quraysh................... 150

30. I Will Let the Two Mountains Fall Upon Them................ 155

31. Invoke Allah That He May Make Me One of Them ......... 158

32. The Story of the Night Journey ......................................... 162

33. The Souls of Martyrs Live in the Bodies of Green Birds. . 179

34. The Journey of Death......................................................... 182

35. The Mongols’ Invasion of the Islamic World.................... 199

36. Do Not Harm Him, May Allah Curse You........................ 211

37. When Aḥjār Az-Zayt Will Be Covered in Blood .............. 213

38. Those Who Will Be Loved and Honored on Earth............ 216

39. I Wish I Were in This Grave.............................................. 218


GROUP THREE

Unseen Stories That Have Not Yet Occurred ..................... 221

40. The Battle of the Gold Mountain....................................... 223

41. Trials of al-A�lās, as-Sarrā’ and ad-Duhaymā’................ 227

42. The Story of al-Mahdī ....................................................... 231

43. The Conquest of Constantinople ....................................... 238

THE STORY OF THE ANTICHRIST.................................... 247

44. The Story of the Antichrist Part 1:

Tamīm Ad-Dārī and the Dajjāl................................................ 248


The Story of Ibn �ayyād ........................................................... 255


The Appearance of the Dajjāl.................................................. 262


The Knowledgeable Man and the Dajjāl ................................. 272


The Descent of Jesus (�) ....................................................... 286

49. The Abyssinian Who Will Demolish the Ka‘ba ............... 298

50. The Last Two Shepherds of Medina.................................. 301

51. When Will the Hour Be Established? ................................ 304

DOCUMENTATION OF HADITHS .................................. 307

SYMBOL DIRECTORY....................................................... 319

GLOSSARY ........................................................................... 321

TRANSLITERATION CHART........................................... 329

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and may the Blessings and Peace

of Allah be upon the Seal of Prophets and Messengers, Muhammad bin

‘Abdullah (�), his Family, and the Companions, and those who follow

his footsteps till the Day of Judgment. Allah (�) said,

m...��½��¼��»��º��¹l

�…So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.�

(Qur’an 7: 176)

Allah (�) ordered Prophet Muhammad (�) to relate the stories he knew

to the people because of the valuable lessons that could be learned from

these stories and that could change their lives and their destinies.

Stories of the Unseen in the Authentic Traditions is a collection of stories

that have been proven and authenticated as originally narrated by Prophet

Muhammad (�) or by his Companions (�).

The stories Professor ‘Umar al-Ashqar has chosen to compile within this

book are among the most interesting stories related by Prophet

Muhammad (�). These stories reveal many extraordinary, exciting useful

facts and prophecies about the Day of Judgment, signs of the Hour, and

ancient nations as well as the future. They contain numerous morals that

could really assist in preventing future trials and could possibly

encourage someone to turn over a new leaf to lead a better life full of

piety and happiness.

May Allah (�) reward the author for his efforts to educate and entertain

all Muslims with Stories of the Unseen in the Authentic Traditions. May

Allah (�) reward all those associated with this work, and may He (�)

cause this book to be a source of benefit to all readers.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

General Manager

Al-Nafaes House for Publishing and Distribution, Amman, Jordan

TRANSLATOR’S FOREWORD

All praise be to Allah, the Knower of the Seen and the Unseen. Belief in

the unseen is a pillar of faith without which faith remains incomplete. The

significance of this book stems from the fact that it presents the authentic

texts of the stories of the unseen events which will happen in the future.

The author of this book followed a very rigorous methodology in

presenting the stories of the unseen future as they were stated in the true

Prophetic traditions. Each story was given a title followed by a short

introduction to familiarize the reader with the theme of the story. The

second part of each story included the text of the Prophetic tradition

relating the story. Each story was explained in an elegant and attractive

style that is easy to understand. At the end of each chapter, the morals

and contemporary implications of each story are listed.

Discussing stories of the unseen future is very interesting as well as

useful to believers. The topics presented in this book can easily be used in

teaching and in raising people’s awareness of the need to be well-

acquainted with the events that will occur in the future. It is a religious

duty to learn about these future events in order to implement the correct

behavior if they occur while we are still alive. The Qur’anic and

Prophetic stories are very inspiring and motivating to believers because

they guide them to righteousness and deter them from committing sins

and evil deeds. These stories include those of the Dajjāl (False Messiah)

in addition to the stories that will occur on the Day of Resurrection.

The stories selected by the author in this book encouraged me, as a

translator, to proceed more quickly in translating them, because the more

stories I translated, the more eager and anxious I became.

I believe that reading this book is a must for every believer in Allah (�).

Dr. Shehdeh Fareh

PREFACE

All praise be to Allah, the Knower of the unseen, the One whose

knowledge encompasses everything, the One from Whom nothing can be

hidden in the earth and in the heavens. He knows what was and what will

be, and He knows how things that do not exist will be when they are

created.

May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon His Prophet and Messenger,

the illiterate Prophet, Muhammad to whom Allah taught the tidings of

people in the past and the future. In fact, the Prophet had been taught

things that the previous Prophets and Messengers did not know.

May Allah’s Peace and Blessings also be upon the Prophet’s

Companions, who maintained his Sunnah and transmitted it to their

followers. This Sunnah includes the Prophetic traditions about the stories

of the unseen that disclose the news of the future events in this world, the

intervening stage after death, the Hereafter, as well as the news of

Paradise and Hell. May the Blessings of Allah also be upon those who

followed the footsteps of the Prophet’s Companions until the Day of

Judgment.

While writing a book about the stories the Prophet related to us on the

subject of the earlier Prophets, Messengers, and pious and evil people, I

noticed that there is another type of unseen stories which is the stories of

the future that have not yet occurred. There are two categories of unseen

stories. The first is manifest in the stories of the earlier people whom we

are not familiar with, and the second is the stories of the future that have

not occurred yet. The stories of the first type have been collected in my

book titled: �a�ī� al-Qa(a( an-Nabawī (Authentic Stories by Prophet

Muhammad [�]), whereas the stories of the second type have currently

been compiled in this book.

One’s faith would remain incomplete if one did not believe in the unseen

as a pillar of faith. These unseen entities include Allah (�), the angels,


the portents of the Last Hour, the Barzakh (life after death until the Day

of Resurrection), the details of Barzakh, Resurrection, Paradise, Hell-fire,

and belief in the Messengers and Holy Books. Belief in the Messengers

and the books means that the Messengers were sent by Allah (�) and the

Books were revealed by Him as well. Whoever disbelieves in the

Messengers and the Holy Books is not believer in Allah (�) nor is he

believer in what the Prophet (�) conveyed to us from Allah (�).

Allah (�) is the Knower of the seen and the unseen and to Him there is

no difference between the seen and the unseen. The unseen is all recorded

in the al-Law� al-Ma�fū) (the Preserved Tablet) which contains

everything without loss or addition including the stories stated in the

Qur’an as well as the ones conveyed to His Messenger (�). Unlike

legends and fictional stories, the stories of the Qur’an are true.

Through time, people have shown great interest in legends and folk tales

portraying mythical and sometimes real events, modified by human

minds, to the extent that they become larger than life.

Authors of fiction write about future events which they called science

fiction. In fact, it is not really science because it is full of fantasy and

illusions that reflect the author’s philosophies and opinions regarding the

unseen future. These fantasies are an extension of those presented in the

stories of One Thousand and One Nights. Furthermore, they represent the

metaphysical views of philosophers. Contrary to this are the stories stated

in the Prophetic traditions about the unseen future which are true and will

be realized exactly as the Prophet described because they are inspirations

from Allah (�). The Prophet (�) used to tell his Companions and his

enemies about what they hid in their hearts before they divulged their

secrets to anybody. He also used to tell them about specific future events

that would occur in their lives and all those prophecies were realized just

as the Prophet (�) predicted.

It was narrated that two people came to ask the Messenger of Allah (�)

about detailed matters of interest to them. The Prophet (�) told each one

of them, “I can tell you what you came to ask me about, or you can ask


me and I will answer you.” The two men opted for the first option. When

the Prophet told them about what each one came to ask him about, each

one said, “By Allah who sent you in truth, you told me exactly what I

came to ask you about.” [Mawārid a)-*am’ān, 2/406, No. 801]

After the Battle of Badr, ‘Umayr bin Wahb al-Jumaḥī met Ṣafwān bin

Umayyah at a vacant place in Mecca. Ṣafwān told ‘Umayr that he would

pay back his debts and cover the living costs of his family if he would go

to the Prophet and kill him. He would pretend he came to ransom his son

who was held captive by the Muslims after the Battle of Badir. When

‘Umar bin al-Khaṭṭāb (�) saw ‘Umayr, he caught him from his collar and

stopped him in front of the Prophet (�), who asked ‘Umar to release him.

When the Prophet (�) asked him about the reason for his visit, ‘Umayr

stated he wanted to ransom his son. However, the Prophet (�) surprised

him when he informed him about the secret agreement between Ṣafwān

and him. At that moment, ‘Umayr realized that Muhammad (�) was truly

the Messenger of Allah, and as a result, he declared his Islam. [Sīrat Ibn

�ishām, 2/316, and Ibn Ḥajar’s Al-I(ābah, 3/37]

Among the other things the Prophet (�) predicted to his Companions

were the wars that would occur between the disbelievers who also

believed in the prophecies of the Prophet (�) and the Muslims.

Unlike my previous book in which I collected stories about the unseen

past, this book contains most of the stories of the unseen future;

otherwise, the two books have the same goal and methodology. In what

follows, I will reiterate the similarities between the two.

“In terms of significance, the stories that are mentioned in the Prophetic

traditions come after the Qur’anic stories. The Qur’an is the Word of

Allah and the Prophetic stories are mostly inspired to the Prophet (�) by

Allah (�). Therefore, both classes of stories share the same goal and

source. Both aim at providing teachers and callers for the sake of Allah

with information and spiritual support which is derived from the moral of

each story; thus, nourishing the minds and hearts of believers. The

Qur’anic and the Prophetic stories are very inspiring and motivating to


believers because the stories guide them to righteousness while deterring

them from committing sins and evil deeds.

This book contains true Prophetic traditions, apart from a handful of

stories which were narrated by a Companion who might have heard it

from the Prophet (�) or from another Companion.

I quoted only true traditions and avoided using any traditions with weak

narrations as that would be tantamount to lying to the Prophet (�) which

amounts to an unforgivable sin.

We believe in the true unseen which was stated in the Qur’an and the true

Sunnah. Anything other than this would be a deviation from the Right

Path. Furthermore, quoting stories mentioned in weak traditions would

propagate many false values and beliefs among people.

False stories are pervasive and can be readily used to misguide Muslims.

In order to avoid this, scholars warned against the falsities and

misguidance that may result from the propagation of such stories. They

also admonished Muslims not to believe in narrators who do not

differentiate between true and weak traditions. In fact, they wrote books

to this effect to assist Muslims in avoiding the negative consequences of

such false stories that have become fallacies. Examples of the storytellers

would be those who wrote about the Prophet’s sīrah (life) as if it were

full of superstitions, and thus they misguided many people and corrupted

their religion.

In writing this book, the author indicated the source of all traditions used

especially those quoted from the two �a�ī� Books (�a�ī� Al-Bukhārī and

�a�ī� Muslim). However, he did not exhaustively verify the transmissions

or narrations of the Prophet’s traditions. Instead, he stated the most

comprehensive forms of such stories, indicating the significant points in

other minor narrations wherever needed.

This book includes only the stories of the unseen future and excludes the

traditions describing future events related to the creation of the earth and

the heavens, the angels and jinn, the pious and bad people because these


traditions do not constitute stories and thus they are beyond the scope of

the book.

The methodology of writing this book is clear, straight forward, and

consistent throughout all stories and Prophetic traditions. Each story

consists of an introduction followed by the text of the tradition itself, its

explanation, and finally the lessons that can be derived from the

Prophetic tradition. The chain of narrators of each tradition and its

documentation will be provided in an appendix whereas the meanings of

difficult words will be provided in parentheses within the text itself.

While reading the book, readers will notice the author did not go far from

the text of the tradition in stating the events of the story. This makes it a

full-fledged story with a plot and other narrative complications.

“The approach of some contemporary writers who have deleted or added

to the story events is unacceptable because such additions or deletions are

mere lies. What writers can do is to deduce the morals and lessons from

the text of the tradition in accordance with the approach adopted by

scholars and authorities in this field.” [�a�ī� al-Qa(a( an-Nabawī, 5-7]

The stories compiled in this book have been divided into three categories

preceded by an introduction. The purpose of the introduction is to

introduce the group of stories, highlight the importance of the stories in

general and the Qur’anic and Prophetic stories in particular. These stories

are quoted from �a�ī� al-Qa(a( an-Nabawī. The first group of stories are

devoted to the ones which will occur on the Day of Resurrection, whereas

the second group will include stories that occurred after the Prophet’s

prediction of those stories or the stories that are still happening as is the

case in the journey of death.

I invoke Allah to make this book useful to all human beings and to

reward its author, who has exerted strenuous efforts in writing it,

�m� � �Ø� � �×��Ö�� Õ��Ô�� Ó�� Ò�� Ñ��Ð�� Ï�� Î�� Í�� Ì

�� Û�� Ú��Ùl


�Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! [He is

free] from what they attribute unto Him! And peace be on the

Messengers! And all the praise and thanks be to Allah, Lord of the

‘Ālamīn [mankind, jinn and all that exists].� (Qur’an 37: 180-182)

‘Umar S. ‘Abdullah al-Ashqar

College of Sharī’ah, Az-Zarqā’ Private University

Sha‘bān 6, 1426 A.H.

September 10, 2005

INTRODUCTION

- Definition of Stories

- Significance of Stories in General

- Significance of the Qur’anic and Prophetic Stories

INTRODUCTION

In this introduction, the author will define the term (qi(a() stories and

highlight their significance especially the Qur’anic and the Prophetic

stories.

Definition of Qi�a� (stories):

Qi(a( is the plural of qi((ah which means narrated news or events as used

in the Qur’an while Allah (�) was informing us about the past nations,

�mH��G��F��E��D��C��B��A...¦� l

�Thus We relate to you [O’ Muhammad (�)] some information of

what happened before…� (Qur’an 20: 99)

�mh��g��f��e��d��c��b��a��`��_...c� l

�And all that We relate to you [O’ Muhammad (�)] of the news of

the Messengers is in order that We may make strong and firm your

heart thereby…� (Qur’an 11: 120)

�m� � � �¥��¤��£��¢�� ¡...�� Ul�

�We relate unto you [O’ Muhammad (�)] the best of stories …�

(Qur’an 12: 3)

Allah (�) used the word, qa(a(, when He explained the story of Mūsā

(�) with the two women for whom Mūsā (�) watered the flocks,

m...��o��n��m��l��k...��hl�

�…So when he came to him and narrated the story…�

(Qur’an 28: 25)

The original meaning of the word qa(a( in Arabic is tracking or

following the footprints of someone in order to locate him. Relating tales


and events is also called qa(a( because the storyteller traces the events of

the story as they occurred. He also explores its words and their meanings

in their context. Tracking one’s footprints is called qa(a( in the Qur’an,

m...�� n�� m�� l��k�� jl

�…So they went back retracing their footsteps.� (Qur’an 18: 64)

Here, the narrators are Mūsā (�) and his servant when they realized that

they had passed a place Allah (�) ordered Mūsā (�) to locate in order

to meet al-Khaḍir (�). Therefore, they set out to retrace their way back

in order to find the location they had missed.

Another verse in which Allah (�) used the word qa(a( in the sense of

trace is,

� � � ��m��~�� }...��l l�

�And she said to his [Mūsā’s] sister: ‘Follow him.’…�

(Qur’an 28: 11)

The speaker in this verse is Mūsā’s mother. She ordered her daughter,

Mūsā’s sister, to follow him after she placed him in a basket and cast him

into the river.

Killing a person in retaliation has also been referred to as qa(ā( because the

relatives of the victim trace the actions of the murderer in order to

retaliate.1

Arabs make the narration of each event a story. However, a story is a

special kind of relating events and thus each story is an account of events.

However, an account is not necessarily a story. For example, Allah (�)

conveyed information about the creation of the heavens, the earth, the

angels and the jinn which are accounts of things but not stories.

1 For more details on the linguistic meaning of qa(a( see: Al-Mufradāt fī Gharīb

al-Qur’ān, p. 404; Ibn al-Athīr, An-Nihāyah, 4/70; Lisān al- Arab 3/106; Al-

Kulliyāt, p. 734.


Furthermore, Allah (�) related information about the names of His

Prophets, Messengers, and their fathers which are also accounts but not

stories. Nevertheless, the accounts about the Messengers, their peoples,

and their conflicts are both stories and accounts.

A story is defined as “The art of relating events and deeds, using a certain

linguistic style that has a particular purpose.

Stories constitute an ancient literary genre that has been used through the

ages until the present. Stories enjoy an outstanding position in literature

due to their flexibility, elegant style, various themes, and attraction to

people. The Holy Qur’an, with this art, has reached its pinnacle and

perfection.”1

The Stylistic Features of Stories

Researchers were able to identify the following stylistic features that

distinguish stories from other literary genres:

1. A narrative is a sequence of events that progressively develop towards

a certain end. This feature creates a build up moment of suspense for

the reader who remains eager to reach the end of the story.

2. A narrative is logically organized, precise, and concise.

3. A narrative has a moral or lesson that can be indirectly deduced from

the context.

4. The sentences are simple and straight forward because the reader is

interested in the story events.

5. Expressions in the story range from being mild to strong according to

situations and characters.

6. The style can be narrative, descriptive, or dialogue.

7. Sometimes, exaggeration is used to draw the attention of readers to

1 Al-Ashqar, Dr. Muhammad Sulaymān ‘Abdullah, Mu‘jam ‘Ulūm al-Lughah al

‘Arabiyyah, p. 320.


certain important points, surprises, or symbols in order to open the

reader’s mind to imagination.

8. Love may play a secondary role in narratives, because it is common to

all human beings.1

The Significance of Stories

A story is an art form that is more popular than any other literary genre.

People love to read and listen to stories because of the relaxation,

amusement and entertainment that they offer. Many people read stories

for pleasure and entertainment because stories are created from the

author’s imagination and do not represent reality. Many of these stories

are unrealistic and can never be realized because they are just a figment

of the imagination or illusions like the ancient Persians and Romans

folktales that were referred to as legends. Examples of those stories are

One Thousand and One Nights, the story of ‘Antarah, and the story Abū

Zayd al-Hilālī, etc. Such stories are still common these days but under a

new name: science fiction in which writers describe what they believe

could happen to mankind in the future.

Due to their significance in our life, stories are presented in various styles

such as novels that have many characters, events, and situations, short

stories, fictional and non-fictional stories, symbolic stories, and allegories

that may have symbolic animal characters.

Nowadays, there are many prolific story writers whose stories and novels

have been converted into movies and plays that represent the events of

the original story as they happened or as they were imagined by the

author. These plays or movies usually represent the beliefs, ideals,

morals, and values of the author.

Presently, many countries try to propagate their cultures and values

through novels, movies, books and magazines in order to attract people to

1 Al-Ashqar, Dr. Muhammad Sulaymān ‘Abdullah, Mu‘jam ‘Ulūm al-Lughah al-

‘Arabiyyah, p. 320.


adopt their culture and make them subservient to it.

Significance of the Qur’anic and Hadith Stories

The best stories are those of the Qur’an because they are revealed from

Allah, the All-Knower, the All-Aware. Allah (�) says:

�mª��©��¨��§��¦�� ¥��¤��£��¢�� ¡...� �� Ul�

�We relate unto you [O’ Muhammad (�)] the best of stories

through Our Revelations unto you, of this Qur’an…�

(Qur’an 12: 3)

After the stories of the Qur’an are the stories stated in the Prophetic hadith.

The stories of the Qur’an and those of the authentic traditions are all true

because they relate events that really happened,

��m¦��¥��¤��£�� ¢...ª� l��

�We narrate unto you [O’ Muhammad (�)] their story with

truth…� (Qur’an 18: 13)

�mE��D��C�� B�� A...�R��l��

�Verily! This is the true narrative…� (Qur’an 3: 62)

Stories can only be true when they are related as they occurred without

any addition or deletion. Verily, Allah is Exalted and Glorified above all

imperfections including lying or relating stories that never happened.

Allah is All-Knowing, All-Hearing, and All-Seeing when He relates any

event to us,

�m� � �a�� `��e� � �d� � � cb�� g�� f�l

�Then surely, We shall narrate unto them [their whole story] with

knowledge, and indeed We were not absent.� (Qur’an 7: 7)

Once human beings believe the related stories in the Qur’an and the


Prophetic traditions are true, they will feel these stories rectify their

behavior and provide precious lessons to learn from.

Allah (�) ordered His Prophet (�) to relate the stories that he knew so

that people could contemplate what happened to past nations and learn

from it. These stories will help Muslims avoid the transgression of past

nations, and thus save themselves from any tribulations that may befall

them. Furthermore, these stories will expose Muslims to the virtuous

aspects of past nations in order to adopt them, �

m...�� ½�� ¼��»��º�� ¹l

�…So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.�

(Qur’an 7: 176)

�mÈ��Ç�� Æ��Å�� ÄÃ��Â��Á��À��¿�� ¾��½...Í�� l

�Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding.

It [the Qur’an] is not a forged statement…� (Qur’an 12: 111)

Messengers and pious people used the stories of the past people to learn

lessons. The stories of the Qur’an and those of the Prophetic traditions are

an inspiration to these people as they strengthen their hearts and make

them firm as Allah (�) says, �

�m�b��a��̀ ��_h��g��f��e��d��c�i��...��q��l

�And all that We relate to you [O’ Muhammad (�)] of the news of

the Messengers is in order that We may make strong and firm your

heart thereby…� (Qur’an 11: 120)

The behavior of human beings is the same in terms of being either

righteous or deviant. Patterns of these behaviors are recurrent through

time. Upon reading stories of the Qur’an and those of the Prophetic

traditions, one can easily notice the parallels between these stories and

current patterns of behavior being practiced among people today. When

these stories describe tyrants or despots, we feel that such people are

living with us; and when extravagant or miserable styles of living are


described, we also feel that we are experiencing such living conditions.

The behavior patterns mentioned in the Qur’an or the Sunnah can

manifest themselves in a pious farmer, an honest tradesman, or a merciful

person whom we know or deal with in our daily life.

The stories of the Qur’an and the Sunnah represent the practical and

realistic image of the Qur’anic stories in our real life. Many people

realize the truth when practiced on a practical level rather than when

represented in abstract terms. It is for this reason the behavior of a person

who follows the Right Path and who sets a good example through deeds

and actions may have more influence on people than with words.

GROUP ONE

The Stories of the Day of

Resurrection

STORY (1)

How Treacherous You Are

Introduction

On the Day of Resurrection, Allah (�) will reprimand a man several times because he

promised Allah (�) with a covenant not to request anything again. However, after his first

request was granted to him, he continued to make requests from Allah (�) again and again.

This man will be the last one to exit Hell and enter Paradise.

Text of the Hadith

Abū Hurayrah (�) narrated that the Prophet (�) described what happens on the Day of

Judgment when people pass over the Bridge of Hell-fire (a(-�irā-). The Prophet said, “When

Allah will be finished with the judgments among the people, and there will remain one man

facing the (Hell) Fire. He will be the last person among the people of Hell to enter Paradise.

He will say, ‘O’ my Lord! Please turn my face away from the fire because its air has hurt me

and its intense heat has burnt me.’ Thus, he will invoke Allah in the way Allah will wish him

to invoke Him, and then Allah will say to him, ‘If I grant you your request, will you then ask

for anything else?’ He will reply, ‘No, by Your Power (Honor), I will not ask You for

anything else.’ He will give his Lord whatever promises and covenants Allah will demand.

Then Allah will turn his face away from Hell (Fire). As he stands facing and looking at

Paradise, he will remain quiet for as long as Allah will wish him to remain quiet, then he will

say, ‘O’ my Lord! Bring me near to the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say to him, ‘Didn’t you

give your promises and covenants that you would never ask for anything more than what you

had been given? Woe to you, O’ Adam’s son! How treacherous you are!’ He will say, ‘O’ my

Lord,’ and will keep on invoking Allah till He says to him, ‘If I give you what you are asking

for, will you then ask for anything else?’ He will reply, ‘No, by Your (Honor) Power, I will

not ask for anything else.’ Again, he will give covenants and promises to Allah and then

Allah will bring him close to the proximity of the gate of Paradise. As he stands at the gate of

Paradise, Paradise will be opened and spread before him. He will see its splendor and

pleasures whereupon he will remain quiet as long as Allah will wish him to remain quiet, and

then he will say, ‘O’ my Lord! Admit me into Paradise.’ Allah will say, ‘Didn’t you give your

covenants and promises that you would not ask for anything more than what you had been

given? Woe to you, O’ Adam’s son! How treacherous you are!’ ‘The man will say, ‘O’ my

Lord! Do not make me the most miserable of Your creation,’ and he will keep on invoking

Allah till Allah laughs because of his appeals. After Allah laughs because of him, He will say

to him, ‘Enter Paradise,’ and when he will enter it. Finally, Allah will say to him, ‘Wish for

anything,’ and he will ask and wish from his Lord for a great number of things, for Allah

Himself will remind him to wish for specific things by saying, ‘(Wish for) so-and-so.’ When

there is nothing more to wish for, Allah will say, ‘This is for you and its equal as well.’”

Explanation of the Hadith

This is the story of a man who will be the last person to come out of Hell and be granted

entrance into Paradise. He will exit Hell-fire creeping or crawling with his face turned

towards it. The sight of Hell will terrify him and burn his face. Thus, he will invoke his Lord

in the way He will wish him to in order to turn away his face from Hell-fire to save himself

from the effects of the fire on his face. He will say, “O’ my Lord! Please turn my face away

from the fire because its air has hurt me and its intense heat has burnt me.” Consequently, he

will invoke Allah (�) in the way Allah (�) will wish him to invoke Him, and then Allah (�)

will say to him, “If I grant you that, will you then ask for anything else?” He will reply, “No,

by Your Power, (Honor) I will not ask You for anything else.” He will give his Lord whatever

promises and covenants Allah (�) will demand and Allah (�) will turn his face away from

Hell (Fire).

Allah (�) will protect him from the fire and turn his face towards Paradise.

The man then remains silent and quiet as long as Allah (�) will wish him to remain quiet and

still remembers his promises to Allah (�) not to ask him anything else. However, his burning

desire to be closer to Paradise and its people instigates him to invoke Allah (�) to bring him

closer to the gate of Paradise.

Allah (�) will blame him for not keeping his promises and reprimands him for that. Allah

will say, “Didn’t you give your promises and covenants that you would never ask for

anything more than what you had been given? Woe to you, O’ Adam’s son! How treacherous

you are!” But the man continues to invoke Allah (�) and ask Him as he did the first time

until Allah (�) asks him, “If I give you what you are asking, will you then ask for anything

else?” The man will reply, “No, by Your (Honor) Power, I will not ask for anything else.”

Then he will give covenants and promises to Allah (�) and Allah (�) will bring him nearer

to the gate of Paradise.

Once the man stands before the gate of Paradise and witnesses its pleasures, delights, flowing

rivers, beautiful gardens, fresh air, and luxury of its people, he will remain quiet as long as

Allah (�) wishes him to remain silent, but in the end, he gets impatient and invokes His Lord,

the All-Hearing, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful to allow him to enter Paradise.

Allah (�) will say to him, “Woe to you, O’ Adam’s son! How treacherous you are!” The man

will say, “O’ my Lord! Do not make me the most miserable of Your creation.”

Finally, because of the man’s insistence on invoking Allah (�) and on breaking his promises

and covenants in order to get what he wished for, Allah laughs. Any man for whom Allah (�)

laughs will be a winner. At this point, Allah will say, “Enter Paradise.” And thus, he

accomplished his aspirations, found relief from his agony, and gained Allah’s Satisfaction,

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�…And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is

successful…� (Qur’an 3: 185)

When the man enters Paradise, Allah Himself will remind him to wish for specific things by

saying, “(Wish for) so-and-so.” When there is nothing more to wish for, Allah (�) will say, “This

is for you and its equal as well.”

When Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī (�) heard this tradition narrated by people, he said, “I testify that

I remember the Prophet saying, “This is for you, and ten times as much.”

Ibn Mas‘ūd narrated a slightly different story of the last man to get out of Hell-fire and enter

Paradise. However, that could be a different story.

In Ibn Mas‘ūd’s narration, the Prophet described a man who will pass over the Bridge of the

Hell-fire, “He sometimes walks and sometime stumbles. The heat of the fire hurts him and

once he gets out of it, he looks back at it and will say, “Glorified and Exalted is He Who

saved me from you. He has given me what was not given to anyone before or after me.”

After the man is rescued from the fire, he will remain in an area between Paradise and Hell.

Then suddenly he will see a big, shady tree near a spring of water. The man will say, “O’ my

Lord! Bring me closer to that tree so that I can sit in the shade under the tree and drink water

from the spring. Then Allah (�) says, “O’ Adam’s son! If I grant you what you asked for,

will you ask for anything else? The man replies, “No my Lord, I promise you not to ask for

anything else.” Allah (�) excuses him because Allah knows that the man cannot tolerate such

a situation. Finally, Allah (�) grants him whatever he asks for and enables him to sit under

the tree and drink from the spring water that is there.

After a while, the man will see another larger, leafier and more beautiful tree with an

abundance of water and he will ask Allah (�) to bring him closer to that tree but Allah (�)

will accuse him for breaking his promises and say, “If I bring you closer to that tree, will you

continue to ask me for more?” Again, the man promises his Lord as he did earlier. Thus,

Allah (�) brings him closer to that tree in order to sit under it, eat its fruit, and drink from the

spring water. Then the man will see a third tree near the gate of Paradise that is better than the

first two trees in all respects because it is closer to the gate of Paradise.

The man will repeat invoking Allah (�) as he did the first two times and request Allah (�) to

bring him closer to that tree. Once more, Allah (�) will remind the man of his promises and

blame him for not keeping them. Again the man promises again not to ask for any thing more

and Allah (�) will bring him closer to the tree near the gate of Paradise. There, he will start to

smell it and hear the voices of its dwellers that are enjoying its pleasures and delights. At that

point, the man will ask Allah (�) to let him enter Paradise. Upon this request, Allah, the Lord

of Honor will demand, “O’ son of Adam, what will bring an end to your requests? Will it

please you if I give you the whole world and the like along with it?” He will answer, “O’ my

Lord! Are You mocking me, although You are the Lord of the Worlds?” Ibn Mas‘ūd (�)

laughed and asked (those listening), “Why don’t you ask me what I am laughing at?” They

(then) said, “Why did you laugh?” He explained, “It is in this way that the Messenger of

Allah (�) laughed.” The Companions of the Prophet (�) asked, “Why do you laugh,

Messenger of Allah?” He said, “On account of the Laugh of the Lord of the universe, when

the desirer of Paradise said, ‘Are You mocking me although You are the Lord of the Worlds?’

Allah will announce, ‘I am not mocking you, but I have power to do whatever I will.”

[Muslim, 187]

In another narration of the same tradition, Ibn Mas‘ūd (�) reported that when Allah (�) will

ask the man to enter Paradise, he will imagine that it is too crowded to the extent that he will

not find any room for himself. Then Allah (�) will order him again and again to enter

Paradise. Each time, the man will have the same feeling he had the first time.

Ibn Mas‘ūd (�) also narrated that when Allah (�) asked the man to enter Paradise and told

him that he would also have ten times that much, the man will exclaim, “Are You mocking

me though You are the King?” [Muslim, 186]

It is reported on the authority of al-Mughīrah bin Shu‘bah that the Messenger of Allah (�)

said, “Moses asked his Lord, ‘Who amongst the inhabitants of Paradise is the lowest in rank?’

He (Allah [�]) replied, ‘The lowest in rank is the last person who will be admitted into

Paradise from among those deserving Paradise and are admitted into it. It will be said to him,

‘Enter Paradise.’ And the man will reply, ‘O’ my Lord! How shall I enter while the people

have settled in their apartments and taken their shares (portions)?’ It would be said to him,

‘Would you be pleased if there is the kingdom of a king amongst the kings of the world for

you?’ He will say, ‘I am pleased my Lord.’ Allah will announce, ‘For you is that, and like

that, and like that, and like that, and that.’ At the fifth (point), he will state. ‘I am very

pleased, My Lord.’ Allah will say, ‘It is for you and ten times like it. For you is what you

desire and your eye enjoys. The man will reply, ‘I am very pleased, my Lord.’” [Muslim, 189]

Morals of the Story

1. Paradise is vast and its inhabitants will receive remarkable pleasures and delights. If the

portion allotted to the last man to enter Paradise is unimaginable, then how much would

those receive who preceded him to Paradise? It is only Allah (�), Who can estimate their

portion. The owners of the highest ranks in Paradise are those “Whose dignity and honor

are granted by Allah. They will be granted something that nobody else has ever seen,

heard, or even thought of it.” The Prophet said that this is stated in the Book of Allah (�),

�m� �x�� w�� v� � �u� � �t��s� � �r�� q�� p...� �R� � �l� �

�No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy…�

(Qur’an 32: 17), [Narrated by Muslim from Mughīrah, 189]

2. The traditions relating the events of the unseen future must be believed in because their

chain of narrators is true originating from the Prophet (�). Whoever denies them will be in

great trouble.

3. This tradition supports the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jamā‘ah (mainstream scholars) that

disobedient people who believe in the Oneness of Allah (�) will be sent to Hell for a

certain period of time after which they will be rescued by the Mercy of Allah (�).

4. Man always yearns to attain more and more than what luxuries and pleasures he already

has. This is exemplified with the case of the man who will be the last to be saved from the

Fire and the last to enter Paradise.

5. Man is treacherous and does not keep his promises even with his Lord, but Allah (�)

excuses him because He knows that man is unable to restrain himself from his desires.

6. Allah is All-Merciful to His people and responds to their invocations and requests. This is

the case with the man whose persistent requests will be continually responded to by Allah

(�) until He will grant him permission to enter Paradise.

7. This tradition shows the tremendous abilities that Allah (�) granted to human beings. The

man in the story argued with Allah many (�) times until he was granted everlasting

Paradise.

8. This tradition proves the attribute of laughter to Allah (�), the Lord of the two worlds. It is

extremely impertinent to negate an Attribute of Allah (�) that the Prophet (�) approved.

The Laughter of Allah does not resemble by any means that of His creatures because He

laughs in a way that fits his Majesty and Glory as He says,

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�…There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.�

(Qur’an 42 : 11)

STORY (2)

Today, I Will Not Disobey You, O’ Ibrāhīm

Introduction

Prophet Abraham (Ibrāhīm [�]), the Friend of Allah (Khalīl Ar-Ra�mān), will meet his

father on the Day of Resurrection. Abraham will blame his father because he did not obey his

son when he was alive. However, on that Day, Ibrāhīm’s father promises to obey his son. So

Ibrāhīm will intercede with Allah on his father’s behalf. Will this intercession help Ibrāhīm’s

father? This is the story in this hadith.

Text of the Hadith

On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (�), the Messenger of Allah (�) said, “On the Day of

Judgment, Ibrāhīm (Abraham [�]) will meet his father with dust and signs of depression on

his father’s face. Ibrāhīm will say, ‘Did I tell you not to disobey me?’ His father will answer,

‘Today, I will not disobey you.’ Ibrāhīm then states, ‘O’ Allah! You promised not to disgrace

me on the Day of Resurrection. But what a disgrace! All because of my father!’

Consequently, Allah will reiterate ‘I made Paradise forbidden for disbelievers.’ Then it will

be said, ‘O’ Ibrāhīm! What is there under your feet?’ Ibrāhīm will look down to find a

slaughtered male hyena. Then the hyena will be carried and thrown into Hell.”

Explanation of the Hadith

On the Day of Judgment, Ibrāhīm (�) will meet his father Āzar with dust and signs of

depression on Āzar’s face like the faces of other disbelievers.

During their lifetime, Ibrāhīm (�) was very keen to guide his father to the right path and he

advised him to embrace Islam and believe in Allah (�). However, Āzar insisted on holding

fast to the religion of his forefathers and worshipping idols. At the same time, Āzar urged his

son to abandon his religion and embrace his father’s religion,

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�And mention in the Book [the Qur’an] Ibrāhīm [Abraham].Verily! He was a man of

truth, a Prophet. When he said to his father: ‘O’ my father! Why do you worship that

which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything? O’ my father! Verily!

There has come to me of knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow me. I

will guide you to a Straight Path. O’ my father! Worship not Shaytān [Satan]. Verily!

Shaytān [Satan] has been a rebel against the Most Beneficent [Allah]. O’ my father!

Verily! I fear lest a torment from the Most Beneficent [Allah] overtake you, so that you

become a companion of Shaytān [Satan] [in the Hell-fire].’ He [the father] said: ‘Do

you reject my gods, O’ Ibrāhīm [Abraham]? If you stop not [this], I will indeed stone

you. So get away from me safely before I punish you.’�

(Qur’an 19: 41-46)

Those were the events that occurred between Ibrāhīm and his father during their lifetime.

However, on the Day of Resurrection, Ibrāhīm will meet his father who will have dust and

signs of depression on his face. At this moment, Ibrāhīm will remind his father of his advice

to abandon the worship of idols and to obey him. His father will say, “Today, I will not

disobey you, O’ Ibrāhīm.”

Allah (�) described Ibrāhīm as,

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�… Awwāh [tender-hearted] and was forbearing…�

(��Qur’an 9:114)

Ibrāhīm (�) will continue to display forbearance even on the Day of Judgment and it is for

this reason he invokes Allah (�) to keep His Promise to him in the first life. That is to say,

not to disgrace him on the Day of Judgment,

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�And disgrace me not on the Day when [all the creatures] will be resurrected. The Day

whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail. Except him who brings to Allah a clean

heart [clean from shirk (polytheism) and nifāq (hypocrisy)].� (Qur’an 26: 87-89)

On that Day, Ibrāhīm will request His Lord, “O’ my Lord! You promised not to disgrace me

on the Day of Resurrection. Nothing is more of a disgrace than having my father in Hell?”

This means: If you send my father to Hell, people there who know him will recognize him.

The inhabitants of Paradise might also see him in the fire and recognize that he is my father

and this disgraces me.

Allah (�), the Lord of Honor and Majesty, will say to Ibrāhīm, “I have made Paradise

forbidden for disbelievers, and there is no exception to this order.” However, Allah (�) saves

Ibrāhīm (�) from disgrace without sending his father to Paradise, but by transforming him

into a slaughtered male hyena. Then, Allah (�) will ask Ibrāhīm (�) to look down at his feet

to find an ugly slaughtered hyena. Upon seeing this disgusting animal, Ibrāhīm (�) will lose

all mercy towards his father because Paradise is not the place for such filth. Ibrāhīm’s father

was blotted with sins and wrongdoings during his life and the proper place for people guilty

of such actions is Hell. This is exactly what was done to that animal which was Ibrāhīm’s

father. We seek refuge in Allah (�) from such a humiliating end.

Morals of the Story

1. The possibility for someone to meet his father, mother, wife and brothers on the Day of

Resurrection.

2. Disbelievers will have dust and signs of humiliation and depression on their faces on the

Day of Resurrection.

3. Belief on that Day is useless. Ibrāhīm’s father’s obedience to his son did not benefit him at

all at that time.

4. The intercession of pious people for misguided ones will not do them any good because

Paradise is forbidden for disbelievers. Even Ibrāhīm’s intercession for his father did not

work.

5. Allah (�) kept His Promise and did not disgrace Ibrāhīm because of his father He will

transform him into a slain male hyena so that no one will recognize this animal as

Ibrāhīm’s father.

6. Allah (�) is Able to transform people into animals as He metamorphosed specific groups of

people into monkeys and pigs. (Refer to Qur’an 2: 65)

7. This story refutes the belief of some Islamic sects that Prophets’ parents will enter Paradise

and will not be thrown into Hell. These sects believe that Āzar is the uncle of Ibrāhīm’s

father. However, the true tradition states that Āzar was Ibrāhīm’s father.

8. The transformation of Ibrāhīm’s father into a hyena indicates that this animal is

unintelligent and Āzar was too, because he insisted on his disbelief after he witnessed the

signs that proved Ibrāhīm’s Prophethood.

stories of the unseen in the authentic traditions

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