Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Signs of the Judgment Day

The literal meaning of the Arabic word Qiyamah is something that happens all of a sudden. In the terminology of Quran, it is an important event that would occur at the end of the world and continue thereafter. All divine prophets and especially the Holy Prophet (s) have informed about this significant event. The Holy Quran has mentioned it in various terms. For example: Judgment Day, the Last Day, a day in which there is no relationship and friendship, the day on which all the people would be gathered, the day on which the people would be raised, the day of separation of the doers of good and evil, the day which would occur all of a sudden and so on. According to the Holy Quran the arrival of that day is absolutely imminent and it says: There is no doubt about it. But it has not mentioned the exact date of this event and has introduced it only as something, which would come all of a sudden. It can only be said that it would occur all of a sudden after the period of Barzakh is over. But as mentioned before, the world of Barzakh is contemporary to the period of this world and it is not bound by time and space. Since time and space are worldly phenomena, and Judgment Day is also after Barzakh; but this ‘after-ness’ is not the ‘after-ness’ of time and space, since in Qiyamat, the concepts of time and space would be cancelled and a new concepts would come into being; that is why the folks of Barzakh do not have proper awareness of the passage of time.

The Holy Quran says:

وَيَوْمَ يَحشُرُهُمْ كَأَن لَّمْ يَلْبَثُواْ إِلَّا سَاعَةً مِّنَ النَّهَارِ

And on the day when He will gather them as though they had not stayed but an hour of the day… (10:45)

And it also says:

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقْسِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُواْ غَيْرَ سَاعَةٍ

And at the time when the hour shall come, the guilty shall swear (that) they did not tarry but an hour… (30:55)

Although the Holy Quran has not mentioned the exact date of the occurrence of Qiyamat, it has indicated its signs.

Blowing of the Trumpet

One of the signs of Qiyamat is the blowing of the trumpet. According to Quran, at the end of the world, before the occurrence of Qiyamat, the trumpet would be blown twice and this important event is a sign that Qiyamat is near.

The Holy Quran says:

وَنُفِخَ فِى الصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِى السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَن فِى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَى‏ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ‏

And the trumpet shall be blown, so all those that are in the heavens and all those that are in the earth shall swoon, except such as Allah please; then it shall be blown again, then lo! they shall stand up awaiting. (39:68)

The literal meaning of ‘صعق ’ is to become unconscious due to a terrifying heavenly scream and sometimes it brings death to the one who hears it according to the commentators who have interpreted this verse.

According to this verse, before Qiyamat the trumpet would be blown twice; on the first time, all the people present in the world would die and enter the world of Barzakh. And the second time all those who are in Barzakh would be enlivened and raised for Qiyamat.

In another verse, it is mentioned:

وَيَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى الصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِى السَّمَوَتِ وَمَن فِى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ اللَّهُ وَكُلٌّ أَتَوْهُ دَخِرِينَ

And on the day when the trumpet shall be blown, then those who are in the heavens and those who are in the earth shall be terrified except such as Allah please, and all shall come to Him abased. (27:87)

According to this verse, before Qiyamat, the horn would be blown twice. The first time it would be to warn the people and prepare them for Qiyamat. During this first time all the inhabitants of the earth and the heavens would swoon due to its terror. But it is not mentioned that they would die. If the phrase ‘those who are in the earth’ implied those who are not dead yet, and who live in the earth, it should have mentioned: All would die at the first blowing and join those with the other folks of Barzakh, so that they may become ready for Qiyamat.

If it implies those who had died previously and who are present in Barzakh, but since they are still attached to worldly matters and are not able to forgo their attachment, and that is why it is possible to call them as ‘those who are in the earth’; and it is also unlikely. Therefore it is necessary to consider the first blowing to be aimed at warning the people and making them ready for Qiyamat.

In the second blowing, by the natural command of the all-powerful Allah the system of matter and materiality would be destroyed and dismantled and the real exigencies of the system of cause and effect would become obvious. The inner aspects of man would become apparent. The reward and punishment of the deeds of man would be clear before the Almighty Allah and all this will not take more than a moment. The Almighty Allah says:

يَوْمَ هُم بَارِزُونَ لَا يَخْفَى‏ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ شَىْ‏ءٌ لِّمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ

(Of) the day when they shall come forth, nothing concerning them remains hidden to Allah. To whom belongs the kingdom this day? To Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all). (40:16)

Yet another verse says:

وَنُفِخَ فِى الصُّورِ فَجَمَعْنَاهُمْ جَمْعاً

…and the trumpet will be blown, so We will gather them all together. (18:99)

On the basis of the above mentioned verses and other traditions, it can be said that the blowing of trumpet is imminent and that it is a sign of Qiyamat.

Now it should be seen what kind of a trumpet it is and how it would be blown? The dictionary meaning of ‘trumpet’ is something blown usually to make a public announcement or to warn the public about an impending invasion. In the past, this instrument was fashioned from animal horn, but it has evolved through the ages. Blowing the trumpet means creating a loud sound from it. Does the trumpet mentioned in the verse is in the same meaning and whether blowing into it should be interpreted as killing? Or it means something else?

With a little consideration, it would become clear that trumpet neither signifies the same particular instrument nor blowing of it can be said to be putting to death, because God is not a body that He should use a physical mean to make the living dead or to make them alive again. The actions of the Almighty Allah are not like those of human beings that they should be in need of a tangible instrument.

The Almighty Allah is not in need of the blowing into a material tool in order to put to death the living or to enliven those who are dead. On the contrary, He does this through the angels appointed to capture the souls (Izrael) and angels appointed to enliven the dead.

Therefore, as Allamah Tabatabai has mentioned in the interpretation of the verse: Blowing of the trumpet is an allusion to a warning and the call for people to be present for Qiyamat.[60]

Other commentators have also interpreted this verse in the same way. A tradition of the Messenger of Allah (s) is used to support this contention. Sulaiman bin Arqam says: It has come down from the Holy Prophet (s) that when he was asked about the ‘trumpet’, he said that it was a horn (an instrument) of effulgence (Noor).[61]

In this tradition of the Messenger of Allah (s) the trumpet is a horn (an instrument) of effulgence (Noor). Therefore it does not have a material body like the horn or a metallic instrument; on the contrary it is a non-material medium for issuing a warning.

Collapse of the Solar System

One of the signs of Qiyamat is the collapse and complete derangement of the Solar System as mentioned in a number of verses of the Holy Quran. Some of them are as follows:

The Quran say:

إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ * وَ إِذَا النُّجُومُ انكَدَرَتْ * وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ

When the sun is covered, and when the stars darken, and when the mountains are made to pass away. (81:1-3)

إذَا السَّمَآءُ انفَطَرَتْ * وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انتَثَرَتْ * وَ إِذَا الْبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتْ

When the heaven becomes cleft asunder, and when the stars become dispersed, and when the seas are made to flow forth. (82:1-3)

فَإِذَا النُّجُومُ طُمِسَتْ * وَإِذَا السَّمَآءُ فُرِجَتْ * وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ نُسِفَتْ

So when the stars are made to lose their light, and when the heaven is rent asunder, and when the mountains are carried away as dust. (77:8-10)

يَوْمَ تَمُورُ السَّمَآءُ مَوْراً * وَتَسِيرُ الْجِبَالُ سَيْراً

On the day when the heaven shall move from side to side, and the mountains shall pass away passing away (altogether). (52:9-10)

إذَا وَقَعَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ * لَيْسَ لِوَقْعَتِهَا كَاذِبَةٌ * خَافِضَةٌ رَّافِعَةٌ * إِذَا رُجَّتِ الْأَرْضُ رَجّاً * وَبُسَّتِ الْجِبَالُ بَسّاً * فَكَانَتْ هَبَآءً مُّنبَثّاً

When the great event comes to pass, there is no belying its coming to pass - abasing (one party), exalting (the other), when the earth shall be shaken with a (severe) shaking, and the mountains shall be made to crumble with (an awful) crumbling, so that they shall be as scattered dust. (56:1-6)

يَوْمَ نَطْوِى السَّمَآءَ كَطَىِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ

On the day when We will roll up heaven like the rolling up of the scroll for writings… (21:104)

إِذَا السَّمَآءُ انشَقَّتْ * وَ أَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَ حُقَّتْ * وَ إِذَا الْأَرْضُ مُدَّتْ * وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ * وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَ حُقَّتْ‏

When the heaven bursts asunder, and obeys its Lord and it must. And when the earth is stretched, and casts forth what is in it and becomes empty, and obeys its Lord and it must. (84:1-5)

يَسْئَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ * فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ * وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ * وَ جُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَ الْقَمَرُ

He asks: When is the day of resurrection? So when the sight becomes dazed, and the moon becomes dark, and the sun and the moon are brought together. (75:6-9)

وَيَسْئَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْجِبَالِ فَقُلْ يَنسِفُهَا رَبِّى نَسْفاً* فَيَذَرُهَا قَاعاً صَفْصَفاً * لَّا تَرَى‏ فِيهَا عِوَجاً وَلَا أَمْتاً

And they ask you about the mountains. Say: My Lord will carry them away from the roots. Then leave it a plain, smooth level; You shall not see therein any crookedness or unevenness. (20:105-107)

يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ الْأَرْضُ غيْرَ الْأَرضِ وَالسَّمَوَاتُ وَبَرَزُواْ لِلَّهِ الْوَحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ

On the day when the earth shall be changed into a different earth, and the heavens (as well), and they shall come forth before Allah, the One, the Supreme. (14:48)

كَلَّا إِذَا دُكَّتِ الْأَرْضُ دَكّاً دَكّاً

Nay! when the earth is made to crumble to pieces… (89:21)

إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا * وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا

When the earth is shaken with her (violent) shaking, and the earth brings forth her burdens… (99:1-2)

It can be concluded from such verses that very significant events would occur in this material world and there would be complete derangement in it. The heavens would split and merge into each other. The sun would lose its brilliance and heat and become dark. The moon would also darken. Stars would loose their sheen and be scattered in the atmosphere. Mountains would be rocked with tremors and shatter into particles. A terrible earthquake would rock the earth and all that is inside it would be expelled. The earth would sink into itself completely and would be changed into a completely new earth.

An important point: As mentioned previously with regard to the world of Barzakh, Qiyamat and total gatherings is an existing world, which would occur after the world of Barzakh; it is not in the breadth of this world or Barzakh; on the contrary with regard to the position of its existence it is along the length of the world of Barzakh and above it and encompassing it. Therefore it cannot be asked: When and where would Qiyamat occur?

Judgment Day in Quran

After the blowing of the trumpet and the death of all men; and the changing and sinking into themselves of the general systems of the earth and the heavens, the trumpet would be blown once again and all the human beings present in Barzakh would become alive again and present themselves before the Almighty Allah for accounting of their deeds.

The Holy Quran says:

أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُوْلَئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ * لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ * يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ‏

Do not these think that they shall be raised again, for a mighty day, the day on which men shall stand before the Lord of the worlds? (83:4-6)

According to the Holy Quran, the occurrence of Qiyamat is imminent and no one should have any doubt in it. It says:

اللَّهُ لَآ إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَدِيثاً

Allah, there is no god but He – He will most certainly gather you together on the resurrection day, there is no doubt in it; and who is more true in word than Allah? (4:87)

Resurrection and life after death is a deep rooted belief as all divine prophets have informed about them. And most people throughout the ages, even in the pre-historic age, had believed in it. Although there are also some who have no faith in it. But they don’t have any evidence to negate it; on the contrary they show its occurrence to be a doubtful matter.

The Quran says:

وَيَقُولُ الإِْنْسَانُ أَءِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوْفَ أُخْرَجُ حَيّاً * أَوَلَا يَذْكُرُ الْإِنسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ يَكُ شَيْئاً

And says man: What! when I am dead shall I truly be brought forth alive? Does not man remember that We created him before, when he was nothing? (19:66-67)

In reply to them and to negate its improbability, the Quran mentions the initial stage of the creation of man and says: We created man from a lifeless matter and then gave life to him. To enliven him a second time is obviously easier than the first creation and I have the power to do this. The following verses are clear evidences of it:

يُخْرِجُ الْحَىَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَىِ‏ّ وَيُحْىِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَكَذَ لِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ

He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living, and gives life to the earth after its death, and thus shall you be brought forth. (30:19)

وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَؤُاْ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ

And He it is Who originates the creation, then reproduces it, and it is easy to Him… (30:27)

يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِى رَيْبٍ مِّنَ الْبَعْثِ فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَكُمْ مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ مِن مُّضْغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ لِّنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَنُقِرُّ فِى الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَآءُ إِلَى‏ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمّىً ثُمَّ نُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلاً ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُواْ أَشُدَّكُمْ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّى‏ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَى‏ أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ لِكَيْلاَ يَعْلَمَ مِن بَعْدِ عِلْمٍ شَيْئاً وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً فَإِذَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَآءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ وَأَنبَتَتْ مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ‏ * ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّهُ يُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى‏ وَأَنَّهُ عَلَى‏ كُلِّ شَىْ‏ءٍ قَدِيرٌ * وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ ءَاتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِى الْقُبُورِ

O people! if you are in doubt about the raising, then surely We created you from dust, then from a small seed, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete, that We may make clear to you; and We cause what We please to stay in the wombs till an appointed time, then We bring you forth as babies, then that you may attain your maturity; and of you is he who is caused to die, and of you is he who is brought back to the worst part of life, so that after having knowledge he does not know anything; and you see the earth sterile land, but when We send down on it the water, it stirs and swells and brings forth of every kind a beautiful herbage. This is because Allah is the Truth and because He gives life to the dead and because He has power over all things. And because the hour is coming, there is no doubt about it; and because Allah shall raise up those who are in the graves. (22:5-7)

The Holy Quran considers resurrection to be bodily and spiritual; common Muslims, on the contrary, followers of all heavenly religions have the same belief. That man would be raised on Judgment Day with the same personality and the same body that he had in this world. He would be raised in the same form and built as he had in the world and he would present himself before the Lord of the world.

In such a way that those who are acquainted with him would recognize him and remark: He is so and so person who was there in the world.

Most Muslims have consensus on the belief and it is also considered as a necessary principle of faith.

Allamah Majlisi has written in this connection:

All the believers in heavenly religions have consensus that resurrection would be bodily and it is a necessary principle of faith. Verses of Quran have very clearly explained this point and it is not right to interpret them in any other way. In addition to this an inordinate number of traditions (Mutawatir) prove the same.[62]

Sadruddin Shirazi writes:

The fact is that in resurrection, this same worldly body will return and not something like it; in such a way that if one sees that, he would say: He is so and so person that was present in the world.[63]

Faiz Kashani writes:

One who would come back in resurrection and one who would be herded in the hereafter, is the same human person that was present in the world and Barzakh, from the aspect of the soul as well as from the aspect of the body, in such a way that if someone sees him in the field of gathering, he would say: He is so and so person that was present in the world. As Imam Ja’far Sadiq (`a) said with regard to Barzakh: If you see him, you would say: He is that same so and so person that was present in the world.[64]

Therefore we should accept that the man who would be herded in Qiyamat is the same person from the aspect of the soul as well as the body, who lived in the world with the important difference that the body of the world was subject to change, it was prone to disease and old age; but on the contrary the form of the hereafter does not age and is not prone to disease.

The Messenger of Allah (s) said:

O children of Abdul Muttalib, the guards do not lie to their folks. By Allah, you will die just as you go to sleep and just as you awake from sleep, you would also be raised up after death.

After death, there is nothing except Paradise or Hell and the creation and raising of people for Qiyamat is just like the creation of a single person and not more than that. The Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

مَاخَلْقُكُمْ وَلَابَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ

Neither your creation nor your raising is anything but as a single soul… (31:28)[65]

Imam Muhammad Baqir (`a) said:

Luqman said to his son: My son, if you have doubt about death, you should try not to go to sleep; and see that you would not be able to do that. And if you have doubt about the raising in Qiyamat, try not to wake up; and you will not be able to do that. If you think upon this, you would understand that your soul is in the control of someone else. Indeed, sleep is like death and waking up from sleep is like raising after death.[66]

Gathering of humans (Hashr)

In some traditions, it has come that human beings would assemble in Qiyamat in various forms. Mu’adh bin Jabal asked the Messenger of Allah (s) about the interpretation of the verse of Quran that reads:

يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى الصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجاً

The day on which the trumpet shall be blown so you shall come forth in hosts. (78:18)

The Messenger of Allah (s) said:

You have asked about an extremely great matter!

Then, with tearful eyes, he said:

Ten groups from my Ummah would be distinguished from others and they would be gathered in different forms: some would come in form of monkeys and pigs in Qiyamat. Some would be brought upside down; they would be dragging their shoulders. Some would be presented blind and they would also walk in the same way. Some would be brought deaf and dumb and they would not understand anything. Some would come chewing their tongues while it would be hanging on their chests and blood and puss would be flowing from their mouths and the folks of the gathering would be disgusted with them.

Some would have their limbs cut off. Some would be crucified on branches of fire. Some would stink more than carrion. Some would be dressed in clothes that would be dyed in tar and it would be sticking to their bodies.

Those who would be brought in the form of monkeys are actually those who spread mischief through lies and rumors. Those who would be brought in the form of pigs would be those who made money through unlawful means. Those who move on their faces would be those took usury. Those who would be brought deaf and dumb would be those who were conceited.

Those chewing their tongues would in fact be religious scholars and judges, whose actions were opposed to their words.

Those who would have their limbs cut off would be those who had harassed their neighbors.

Those who hung from branches of fire would be those who spy on others.

Those stinking more than carrion would be those who followed the unlawful carnal desires and who did not pay the share of Allah and the poor from their wealth.

Those who would come with their clothes smeared in tar would be the conceited and arrogant ones.[67]

The Messenger of Allah (s) said:

The proud would be brought on Judgment Day in the form of small ants and they would be trampled by the folks of gathering till the accounting of the people is over.[68]

The Messenger of Allah (s) also said:

One who cheats Muslims in trade is not from us (a Muslim) and on Judgment Day he would be raised with the Jews, since they were also habitual cheaters.[69]

From the abovementioned traditions and tens of other such reports, it can be concluded that some people would be raised on Judgment Day in the form of animals. It is said that it does not imply that their form and worldly body would be changed into the form and worldly body of animals, as it was previously stated that man after death would come in Barzakh and Qiyamat with the same body that he possessed in the world. In such a way that whoever sees him would remark: It is the same so and so person who was there in the world. On the contrary, it implies that the being of such persons would change into the being of animal and they would really be brought as animals.

Even though their forms would be human, since in the world the animal manners and powers have completely dominated them, internally they have turned into animals, but others would be unaware of this; but since Judgment Day is the day when the inner being of man would be exposed, their being animals would also become apparent, although they would be there in human forms, since there is beastliness of animals in their beings and not in form or make-up.

Imam Khomeini has said with regard to this:

Just as man is having a particular worldly form in this world…there is a particular form for him, which is unseen, whose form is under the control of self and inner being in the world after death, whether it be Barzakh or Qiyamat. If the inner and secret being of man is human, his spiritual form is also human. But if it is non-human, his form is also not human. For example, if carnal and beastly desires dominate his inner self and the inner being becomes a beast, man is a beast in the form of a celestial entity according to that creation. And if feeling of anger and ferocity dominates his inner being, that fierceness would become his unseen celestial form. And if doubts and satanity become dominant and his inner being assumes satanic inclinations like deception, dishonesty, lying, back biting, his unseen and ethereal form is that of one of the satans, depending on the evil quality affecting him.[70]

Scroll of deeds

It can be concluded from verses of Quran and traditions that all good and bad deeds, words, beliefs and views of man are recorded in a scroll by the angels appointed on him by the Almighty Allah.

The Holy Quran says:

وَ إِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ * كِرَاماً كَاتِبِينَ * يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ‏

And most surely there are keepers over you. Honorable recorders, they know what you do. (82:10-12)

That writing in the terminology of Quran is named as ‘bird’ and ‘book’.

It is also said in Quran that:

وَ كُلَّ إِنسَنٍ أَلْزَمْنَهُ طَئِرَهُ فِى عُنُقِهِ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَمَةِ كِتَباً يَلْقَهُ مَنشُوراً * اِقْرَأْ كِتَبَكَ كَفَى‏ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيباً

And We have made every man’s actions to cling to his neck, and We will bring forth to him on the resurrection day a book which he will find wide open: Read your book; your own self is sufficient as a reckoner against you this day. (17:13-14)

Raghib Isfahani has interpreted ‘bird’ as good and bad deeds, which a person performs or commits.[71]

According to verses of Quran, angels appointed by Allah on each man make two scrolls: scroll of good deeds and scroll of evil deeds. Scrolls related to him would be hung from his neck, so that on Judgment Day he may read it and become aware of his character.

‘Book’ implies a written thing. Writing in general parlance among us is interpreted as inscribing of letters, words and sentences, which prove a particular meaning according to social consonance inscribed on sheets of paper or any other tablet, which is capable to preserve those inscriptions. So that in future he can read it himself and other who are aware of the situation may also know what is written therein. But in any case, the reasoning of these writings and words is nominal and conventional and not actual or real.

Now the question that arises is that whether the writing of angels and preparation of the scroll of deeds from human beings is also of the same kind or some other kind? Would they rely on these same writings of lines and pictures? Would all these deeds be written on sheets of paper or other tablets? And would these be hung from necks of people, so that they may remain till Judgment Day? Such a supposition is basically unimaginable. Apart from this, it is not compatible with the contents of some Quranic verses, since it is concluded from verses and traditions that in Qiyamat, man would see his actual good and bad deeds and not their written records.

The Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَراً وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَداً بَعِيداً وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَ اللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

On the day that every soul shall find present what it has done of good and what it has done of evil, it shall wish that between it and that (evil) there were a long duration of time; and Allah makes you to be cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and Allah is Compassionate to the servants. (3:30)

And He also says:

وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَبُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَهَا وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِراً وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَداً

And the Book shall be placed, then you will see the guilty fearing from what is in it, and they will say: Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! it does not omit a small one nor a great one, but numbers them (all); and what they had done they shall find present (there); and your Lord does not deal unjustly with anyone. (18:49)

Many important points can be concluded from these verses:

1. In Qiyamat, the actual good and bad deeds of man would be presented before him and he would observe them and not a record of them.

2. The bad character of man (which was in his conscience) would not be separated from him and a desire to be separated from it would be useless.

3. All the good and bad deeds of man would be recorded in the scroll of deeds and even the smallest act would not be missed. He would see them (gathered) at a single place and would be astounded by it.

The same meaning is intended in some traditions.

Abul Jarud has narrated from Imam Muhammad Baqir (`a) that he said in the interpretation of the verse:

وَ كُلَّ إِنسَنٍ أَلْزَمْنَهُ طَئِرَهُ فِى عُنُقِهِ

And We have made every man’s actions to cling to his neck… (17:13)

The Imam said:

The good and bad deeds of man would accompany him and it would not be possible to be separated from them, till the scroll of his deeds is given to him in Qiyamat.[72]

Khalid bin Najih has narrated from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (`a) that he said:

When the Judgment Day would be established, the scroll of deeds of every man would be given to him. At that time he would be told: Read your book.

The narrator asked: Does he know what is written therein?

Imam (`a) replied:

The Almighty Allah would remind him of every act. Thus he would remember whatever he had done all through his life, even though it might be in the blink of an eye, or a word that he spoke or a step that he took; as if he has committed it that very moment.

Therefore the Quran says:

يَوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَهَا

Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! it does not omit a small one nor a great one, but numbers them (all)… (18:49)[73]

Amirul Momineen (`a) said:

On the last day of his worldly life and the first day of his entry into the world of the hereafter, the man would see his wealth, children and deeds. Thus he would address his wealth and say: I put myself into great hardships for your sake and was greedy; what help can you render to me today? His wealth would reply: Take your burial shroud from me. Then he would address his children: I had been fond of you and throughout my life, I took good care of you; what help can you render to me today? They would reply: We would give you a proper burial. Then he would ask his deeds: I was shortcoming in observing you and you were difficult for me; what will you do about me?

His deeds would reply: I would be there with you in the grave and on the Judgment Day, till you are presented before your Lord. Thus if he is a believer, a fragrant, handsome and a well-dressed person would appear and say: Glad tidings to you of ‘happiness and bounty’ (Rooh wa Raihan) and Paradise. Blessed be your arrival; you are welcome! The dead man would ask: Who are you? He replies: I am your good deeds. I have come with from the world and I would accompany you till Paradise.”[74]

Therefore, true and false beliefs, good and bad morals, good and bad character are present in the inner being of man in this world also but due to worldly preoccupations, he is unaware of their existence. But in Qiyamat, when the curtain would be removed from his conscience, he would find all of them with himself at one and the same time. He would exclaim due to this astounding phenomenon and he would be told: Just as you were unaware of this matter in the world, We removed the curtain from your eyes and today your eyesight has become very sharp.[75]

At this point, a question arises that the good and bad actions and words of man in the world are transient; that is they occur and then pass away; how can it be imagined that they would remain till Judgment Day? For example Prayer consists of Takbiratul Ihram, recitation of Surah Hamd and another Surah, genuflection and prostration, Tashahud and salutation and all of them are transient phenomena, and they cannot remain forever; all the good and bad deeds are of the same kind.

It is better that to solve this difficulty through the statements of a scholar who is well versed with this subject. He writes:

Everything a sane person can understand through his senses would leave an imprint on his soul and it would be stored in the treasure-trove of his perceptions. In the same way, every good or bad deed that he commits, no matter how small it is, its effect is recorded in the scroll of the soul; especially the acts, which become a habit and a second nature as a result of repetition. He same nature would lead one to either remain in Paradise or Hell forever. Since the carnal habits change into an elemental form that they affect the invention of spiritual bounties and punishments. If the effect of acts and words on the soul had not been permanent and lasting, and do not intensify gradually in such a way that they become a part of that person’s nature, no one would have been able to master any art. Punishment, discipline, training and education of children would also have been useless. And it would have made man same from the time of his childhood till the end of his life and no difference would have been possible. In that case, religious duties (for purification and training of the soul) would be useless and absurd.

And if habits had no permanence and essence and they had not been everlasting, the enduring of the people of Paradise in bounties and the living of the folks of Hell in punishment forever would have been absurd.

If the source of reward and punishment had been the deeds of man themselves, in the circumstances that actions and words are destroyed, it would necessitate that the effect would remain without the presence of the cause; and this is not correct. Physical action, which occurred in a limited time, how can it be the source of everlasting recompense? Such justifications do not befit the Almighty Allah.[76]

Statement of Imam Khomeini

With regard to this, the Imam writes:

Intention is the practical form and the celestial aspect of the act. And in the holy traditions same point is mentioned when it is said: Intention is superior to action; on the contrary intention is action itself. And this is not an exaggeration as some have suggested, it is a fact, because intention is the perfect form of the act and a part of its whole; and health and decay, perfection and defects of the acts is with regard to it only. Hence an act through the medium of intention is sometimes an honor and sometimes it is disrespect; sometimes it is perfection and sometimes it is defectiveness. Sometimes it is of the high celestial kind in a beautiful form and sometimes it is from the lowest level and in a horrific form.[77]