Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette It is a pillar of our faith; we believe in it, we speak of it, but we get so caught up with our busy lives that we fail to prepare for it. The Day of Judgment will, sooner than we like to think, be upon us, and we will wish that we had prepared better for that day: that we had apologized more, prayed longer, played less, acted kinder. It is a dreaded and feared day, not really my favorite topic. Descriptions of that day state that the sun will get closer to the creation on the Day of Resurrection until it is only a mile away. People will perspire according to the level of their bad deeds. Some of them will have perspiration covering their ankles, some to their knees, others to their waists or to their shoulders, and some will be covered in their own sweat. I try to imagine the heat, the stench, the fear and confusion. Yet amidst all this turmoil, there is hope that we may be exempt from this suffering. There is a group of people who will be completely immune to the sun's heat on this day. It is as if they are in a cool, shady breeze. Everyone will look at this group with envy, wishing that they were among this lucky group. These special people will be resting under the only shade in sight, and that is the shade of Allah. He will protect this group, actually seven groups of people; the lucky seven, the shaded seven. I too want to be among one of these seven blessed types of people. Who are they? Abu Hurairah reported in an authentic Hadith (in Al-Bukhari) that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “There are seven persons whom Allah will shade on a Day when there is no shade but His. They are a just ruler, a young person who grew up in the worship of Allah, a person whose heart is attached to the masajid, two persons who love each other for the sake of Allah who meet and depart from each other for the sake of Allah, a man whom a beautiful woman of high status seduces but he rejects her by saying I fear Allah, a person who spends in charity and conceals it such that his right hand does not know what his left hand has given, and a person who remembered Allah in private and he wept.” A just ruler: justice is fundamental in Islam. When in a position of authority or power, some may take advantage of this position, but a just ruler is fair and does not abuse his/her position. An example of a just ruler is Umar ibn Al-Khattab. As the Muslim ruler, he had appointed Amr ibn Al-Aas as governor of Egypt. The son of Amr ibn Al-Aas entered a race with a Christian Coptic and he lost the race. Angered that he, the son of the governor, lost the race, he lashed the Christian man. This man knew that he had been wronged and that the Muslim ruler, Umar ibn Al-Khattab was a just man so he went to Umar ibn Al-Khattab and complained. Umar ibn Al-Khattab summoned the governor of Egypt and the governor's son. Once Umar confirmed that the Christian man's story was true, he gave the Christian man a whip and said to him, “Lash the one who lashed you.” Injustice was unacceptable, even if it was perpetrated by the son of a governor. A young person who grew up in the worship of Allah: youth is the time when energy and enthusiasm are at their peak, when everything seems possible. But it is also a time when desires and temptations are strongest and there is too much free time. That is why the young person who resists temptations and puts his/her time to good use, to learning, service, worship, and obeying Allah truly deserves the shade under the throne of Allah on that terrifying day. A person whose heart is attached to the masajid (mosques): The masjid should be at the heart of a Muslim community, where Muslims in the society gravitate; where they meet, celebrate, socialize, offer condolences for those who lost a loved one, and to pray, read Quran, and learn about Islam. The reward for praying in congregation at the masjid is 27 times higher than for praying alone in the home. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “He who purifies himself in his house and then walks to one of the houses of Allah for performing an obligatory salat, one step of his will wipe out his sins and another step will elevate his rank [in Paradise].” Two persons who love each other for the sake of Allah: a truly good friend reminds you to pray, helps bring you closer to Allah, supports you to stay on the straight path, advises you when you get off the path, and prays for you in your absence. This type of friendship guarantees for the two friends the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves him for the sake of Allah.” A man whom a beautiful woman of high status seduces but he rejects her by saying I fear Allah: and of course this also refers to a woman who was seduced by a man of high status but she refused by saying that she fears Allah. The key words are, “I fear Allah.” It is the genuine, heartfelt fear of Allah that prevents believers from falling into the trap of sinful acts. A person who spends in charity and conceals it such that his right hand does not know what his left hand has given: the act of giving is sincere and purely for the sake of Allah, and it is not followed by boasting or trying to impress people. The only intention was to please Allah and to help those in need, and for that the reward will be the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment. Giving in charity is the hallmark of a true Muslim. One commentator, Raiiq Ridwan, wrote, “We should be so generous in giving charity that we forget the amount of charity we have given. Have you ever wondered why the ones who give charity never become poor?” That is because Allah blesses the wealth of the one who gives generously. A person who remembered Allah in private and he/she wept: to sit alone, in silence, in the dim moonlight, to pray to Allah, thank Him for all the blessings He has given us, ask Him for help, and to glorify Him. That is sure to bring tears to our eyes as we think of the countless times we made mistakes yet Allah continues to open the door of repentance for us, continues to shower us with blessings, and continues to forgive us. A person who wept out of fear of Allah's punishment, out of longing for Paradise, out of love of Allah, and out of yearning for His mercy, this faithful servant will earn the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment. As you kneel in devotion to Allah, let it go, let your tears flow freely down your face, and wash away your misery, and maybe even wash away your sins. Let your tears of sincerity, those sweet, not salty, tears be the reason to be shaded on the Last Day.
