SistersHalaqah : Shaded Glory Part 1

Shaded Glory-Part 1 -Sheikh Omar Suleiman

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Full notes click here:

Introduction:

This is a series of lectures about the people who have been promised the Shade Of Allah on the day of judgement. In this first lecture, we will look at the background and introduction to the concept of the shade of Allah, at what point on the day of judgement do we need the shade of Allah, what is the shade of Allah and the scene on the of judgement leading, up to the people rushing to Allah to bask in HIS shade.

The scene on the day of judgement

On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, "Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light." Al hadid, ayah 13

Ibn Al Qayyim (RA) says that the first part of the day of judgement, when the sun is extremely close and the people are gathered together, sweating in the heat, lasts for about 50,000 years. At some point during this time, after the deeds have been presented and after the mizan (balancing of deeds), the sun completely disappears, the lights go out and the people are left looking out for some form of light. The believers on that day will have their lights and the munafiqs will call out to the believers to wait for them so they could also benefit from the light. The category of people mentioned by the prophet (saw) as having light on that day is the same as those who are shaded under the throne of Allah.

Examples:

A just ruler-I’mamun a’dil

People who love each other for the sake of Allah

A youth who grows up worshipping Allah

A man who is deeply attached to the Masjid

A man who is called by a beautiful woman and says, 'I fear Allah'

A man who gives charity in secret such that his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing

A man who remembers Allah when he is alone and his eyes fill with tears.

[Bukhari, Muslim]

The scholars say that during the day of judgement, there would be periods of light and dark followed by light and dark, until the people are led to ever lasting darkness or ever lasting light (according to what their deeds have been in the Dunya).

The Arsh (throne) of Allah (swt)

Narrated By Abu Huraira : Allah's Apostle said, "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His Throne, "My Mercy overpowers My Anger."(Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 004, Book 054, Hadith Number 416).

“Paradise is 100 levels; between each level and the next is the distance of 100 years and the Firdaws is the highest of them in degree, and from it the four rivers (of Paradise) emerge. And the throne is above it. So when you ask Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws.” (Tirmidhi)

From the above hadiths we can see that the prophet (saw) is telling us that the arsh of Allah(swt) is the absolute highest of HIS creations, it is above even Jannah and it is above even the highest level of Jannah (Al Firdaus).

As for the physical dimensions of the throne, its nothing like the thrones in the dunya and its impossible for us to talk about such matters of the unseen, for what is with Allah (swt) is nothing like what we have seen.

The carriers of the throne

The throne is carried by angels.

Allahumma inni asbahtu ush’hiduka wa ush’hidu hamalata ‘arshika wa malaikataka wa jami’a khalqika annaka Antallahu la ilaha illa Anta Wahdaka la shar?ka laka wa anna Muhammad-an ‘Abduka wa Rasuluk

O Allah! As morning dawns upon me, I bear testimony before You and before the angels who carry Your Throne and all Your angels and all of Your creation that truly, You are Allah , there is no god but You, The One and Only God without any partner, and that truly, Muhammad is Your special devotee and Your Prophetic Messenger.

*The above dua is said every morning and evening.

In it the ‘angels that carry the throne’ (hamalata ‘arshika) are mentioned first and then ‘the angels’ (wa malaikataka) in general again. This goes to show that the angels that have been entrusted with the glorious task of carrying the throne of Allah (swt) are the most honoured of Allah(swt)’s angels.

Allah tells us in the quran about these angels,

Those [angels] who carry the Throne and those around it exalt [ Allah ] with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, [saying], "Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire.” Quran, 40:7

From the above verse, we can see that these angels make dua for us and prophet (saw) said that a group of these angels say

– “subhanak Allahumma wabi hamdika, lakal hamdu, ala hilmika ba’da ilmik” “how perfect are you o Allah! Its you we praise. All praise belongs to you for your forbearance despite your knowledge”

Allah (swt)’s knowledge and mercy encompasses all things. So HE is aware of all our shortcomings , our transgressions and our sins. And yet, HE showers HIS mercy on us,
He lets things go. Allah (swt) does not strike His creation every time they make a mistake.

Another group of angels that carry the throne say - “subhank Allahumma wabi hamdik, lakal hamdu, a’la afwika ba’da kudratik” “how perfect are you o Allah! It's you we praise. All praise belongs to you for your forgiveness despite your power”

Some of the scholars say that the first group of angels are talking about Allah’s mercy in this world, that He lets His creation persist and gives them chances to repent and return to Him; and the second group of angels are talking about Allah’s pardoning on the day of judgement despite His power to punish them and not be questioned in doing so.

Imam al qayyim (ra) says that the reason why all of these angels carrying the throne of Allah (swt) and are around the throne of Allah (swt) are particularly engaged in declaring the perfection of Allah (swt) is because Allah is independent of the throne and independent of those who carry the throne. So it’s not like Allah (swt) needs the throne or needs the angels that support the throne – these are all human terms of understanding. In fact Allah is the one who created these angels and gave them the strength to carry the throne and He is in no need of them or the throne. These angels understand that and so they are declaring the perfection of Allah (swt).

These angels are really mighty. Some hadiths narrations say that four carry the throne now and on the day of judgement, there would be eight that would be carrying the throne. Now if its four or eight angels, or four or eight groups of angels or rows of angels is all matters of the unseen. The Prophet (

) said “I have been permitted to speak about one of these angels who carry the Throne. The distance between his ear lobe and shoulder is the distance a fast-flying bird would cover in 700 years.”

What is the shade of Allah (swt)?

What does it mean to be shaded by the throne of Allah (swt)? Does it mean people would literally be shaded under the throne or is it metaphorical or an analogy?

Imam ibn Hajar (Ra) comments on it and says that a group of scholars believe that it is a

metaphorical reference. That it means those people would enjoy the protection of
Allah (swt).
Another group of scholars say it refers to the actual shade under the throne of
Allah (swt) and this is the correct opinion.

Has anyone ever experienced the shade of Allah (swt) before the day of
judgement?

We know that prophet (

) during his isra wa mir’aj ascended to the highest level of jannatul firdaus but he couldn’t rise any further.Even the Jannah that people get a glimpse of in the barzakh is different from the actual jannah they would experience after the final judgement and they do not experience the shade of the one in barzakh.
But however, there is a category of people who will see and experience of the shade of the throne of Allah (swt) even before the day of judgement-

Ibn Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah

said to his companions: When your brethren will be killed in the Battle of Uhud, Allah will put their souls in the belly of a green bird which will frequent the rivers of Paradise eating its fruits and taking shelter of gold lamps and hanging under the shade of the Throne. When they will find the fragrance of their eatables, their drinks and their sleeping beds, they will exclaim: Who will convey message from us to our brethren that we are alive in Paradise, so that none will excite disinterest about Paradise and to participate in Jihad? Then the Almighty Allah will say: I shall convey to them on your behalf. So the Almighty Allah revealed : “And you must not consider those who are martyred in Allah’s way as dead, but they are alive”–up to the last verse.–—(Abu Dawud)

Journey towards Allah (swt)’s throne

After the barzakh period is complete, and it is the day of judgement, Allah (swt) shakes us out of our graves and grows back our bodies from the coccyx- the small portion of our spine.

Everyone will rise from their graves and those who experienced the sweetness of barzakh will be comforted that there will be only sweetness that follows. Whereas those who experienced the torture in the barzakh will say “woe to us! Who woke us up from our sleep!”, because when they wakeup on the day of judgement, what they witness is more horrific than the torture in the barzakh.

Once all our souls are gathered together in the ma’ashar, every soul proceeds to Allah in a different way.

Prophet () says “ you will be gathered on the day of judgement walking, riding and dragged upon your faces”-

This implies once we are risen from our graves, some will be walking towards the place of gathering, some will be riding on horses or other beasts and others would be dragged upon their faces.

The same laws that apply to the dunya cannot apply to the day of judgement , for it were so, then we would all die instantly when so close to the sun. Allah (swt) is the one who created us in the dunya and gave us the ability to walk on our feet, and HE can control how we walk on the day of judgement and even make us move in a way we may not be accustomed to in the dunya.

“When Aishah (radi Allahu anha) heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Mankind will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection, barefoot, naked and uncircumcised,’ she said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, men and women together, looking at one another?’ He () said, ‘O Aishah, it will be too distressing for them to be looking at one another.’” [Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh]

Every person will be accompanied by two angels when walking towards Allah on the day of judgement – Sa’iq, shaheed

And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness. Quran, 50:21

Sa’iq literally means ‘a driver’ and Shaheed means ‘witness’. Sa’iq is the angel guiding you to the place where you will stand and Shaheed will be a witness for you or against you (depending on your deeds). Both of these angels will congratulate a righteous believer upon Allah (swt)’s command.

It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa’d said: “I heard the Prophet say, ‘The people will be gathered on the Day of judgement on reddish white land like a pure loaf of bread.” “It will have no landmarks for anyone (to make use of).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6521)

The Prophet

means in the above hadiths that the earth would be completely flat, with no grass, no trees. And no landmark to remember the place by or nothing to take shade under.

And everywhere you look you just see people and other creations of Allah (swt) and nothing else said that the sun would be brought close to the people until it is only a mile or two away.

*Currently the sun is approximately 9 million miles away from the earth and we still can not look directly at the sun. And if we were to be even a million miles away from the sun, we would burn up or evaporate.

Al Miqdad narrated that the Prophet said: "On the Day of Judgement, the sun will draw near the servants until it is a mile or two away from them. Then the sun will burn them,and they will be submersed in sweat based upon the amount of their deeds. From among them, there will be those whose sweat will come up to their two heels. From among them there will be those whose sweat will come up to their two knees. From among them there will be those whose sweat will come up to their groins. From among them there will be those who will be bridled with their sweat." (Ahmad, Muslim)

Groups on the Day of Judgement

People would be divided into three groups:

And you will be in three kinds (i.e. separate groups).Those on the right hand (as’habal maymanah) - how blessed shall be the people of the right hand; those on the left hand (as’habal mash’ama) - how unfortunate shall be the people of the left hand, And foremost (sabikoon) shall be the foremost. They will be nearest to Allah (surah Al waqiah, 8-10)

The people of the right hand

There would be a group of people who get their book of deeds in their right hand and are on the right side on the day of judgement - the as’habal maymanah (people of the right hand). These are said to be the majority of the Ah’lul jannah (people of paradise). This group would sweat like the rest of the people but their sweat would never be so much as to drown or bridle them. They would not be among the people who are said to be shaded under the throne of Allah (swt). However, every single believer will be shaded by his sadaqah on the day of judgement.

The Prophet said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

It depends on the percentage of his income that he gives as sadaqah. Meaning a person who gives 50% of his earning as sadaqah would have more shade than one who gives a lesser percentage. Also, if a person who has just $2 gives $1 sadaqah, it would be considered a much heavier good deed in the eyes of Allah (swt) than $1 given by a person who has $100 with him.

“Who will loan Allah a beautiful loan so He may multiply it for him many times?” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 245]

People of the left hand

These are the people who get their book of deeds in their left hand and will be on the left side on the day of judgement- the as’habal mash’ama. These would be the people among the ah’lul naar - people of the hell fire. All of these people would be drowning in their sweat up to their nose. All that they will have is their eyes uncovered to witness those 50,000 years. And it is said that some would even be completely sinking in their sweat.

The Prophet said, "Whoever takes a piece of the land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection." Bukhari 43.634

The first rule on the day of judgement is that there would be no injustice. So just as the first person to be shaded would be a just ruler, the first person to sink in the sweat would be one who has wronged another person. Similarly, just as the sadaqah of a person would shade him, the gold or silver a person posses on which he does not pay zakath will be a cause of punishment for him.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) as saying: If any owner of gold or silver does not pay what is due on him, when the Day of Resurrection would come, plates of fire would be beaten out for him; these would then be heated in the fire of Hell and his sides, his forehead and his back would be cauterized with them. Whenever these cool down, (the process is) repeated during a day the extent of which would be fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among servants, and he sees whether his path is to take him to Paradise or to Hell

We ask Allah(swt)for forgiveness and to not make us among the people of this category! Ameen ya rabb’al’alameen!

The People among the Foremost

“And foremost (sabikoon) shall be the foremost. They will be nearest to Allah” ,
Quran[al-Waaqi'ah - 56:7-12],

These people are a small group of people from the people of jannah. These would be the chiefs of those on the right side. So they are still on the right side, but right next to the throne of Allah(swt), so much so that they experience the shade of the arsh (the throne of Allah). This group includes the anbiya (the prophets), the siddiqun (the truthful), the shuhada (the martyrs) and it also includes all the other categories of people who will be shaded under the throne.

Then we caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants; and among them is he who wrongs himself, and among them is he who is moderate, and among them is he who is foremost in good deeds by permission of Allah . That [inheritance] is what is the great bounty. Quran, 35:32

Notice that Allah(swt), when He talks about the people who are shaded under the Arsh, He does not mention just a single good deed- He refers to attitudes, behaviours, behavioural patterns. Not just a single instance of a deed but a frequent repetition of behaviours such that it becomes part of a person’s character, that demonstrate a love for Allah (swt) and mercy towards His creations. They are either motivated by love towards Allah (swt) that is above what an average person would feel or the higher than usual mercy that they show towards the creation of Allah (swt). Hence they are refered to as ‘sabikoon’ – the foremost, implying the foremost in this world and the foremost in the hereafter. They were always rushing to please Allah (swt) in this dunya and so they will be rushing foremost to meet Allah (swt) in the Akihra.

It is narrated in Bukhari, on the authority of a large number of sahaba’s that a man came up to the Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alayhi wassalam) and asked “What do you say of a man who loves a certain group of people but cannot be of them?” To this Muhammad (sallalahu alayhi wassalam) replied;“A person will be with whom he loves”

By a certain group here the man meant those who were learned and pious that he loved these people but did not have the means to be amongst them.

The above hadith makes it clear that a person will be raised with those whom he loves. This shows us the importance of  loving the pious and the righteous people and of course our prophet (saw) so we may be resurrected with them on the day of judgement.

Allah (swt) will never bring down a person because of whom he loves, but He will raise a person to a higher level because of whom he loves. Meaning Allah will raise the person to a higher level of the person whom he loves. Or if the person has a higher level than the one he loves, then the one he loves will be raised up to the person’s level – that is the rahmah of Allah (swt), this is the mercy of Allah(swt) overcoming His wrath.

Thus if two people love each other for the sake of Allah (swt), and one of them has a higher level in jannah, Allah (swt) will move the lower one to the higher level. Therefore we can hope that just by the virtue of loving the anbiya, the siddiqun and the shuhada, we could be resurrected with them on the day of judgement.

The Prophet (SAW) said, "I shall be the first from whom the earth will be cleft open and I shall be clothed with one of the robes of Paradise and shall then stand at the right of the Throne, a place where no other creature than I shall stand."

It is related that Abu Hurayra said, "Two men insulted one another - one of the men was a Muslim and the other man was a Jew. The Muslim said, 'By the One who chose Muhammad over all the worlds,' and the Jew said, 'By the One who chose Musa over all the worlds.' At that, the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew's face. So the Jew went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him about what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, summoned the Muslim and asked him about that and he told him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stated, 'Do not prefer me over Musa. On the Day of Rising, people will faint, and I will faint with them. I will be the first to regain consciousness, and there will be Musa grasping the Throne. I do not know whether he will be among those who fainted and came to before me, or if he was one of those that Allah excepted.'"

The next lecture of the series will look into detail about the different categories of people who are shaded by the throne of Allah. We pray that Allah makes us among them!