Witnesses For OR Against Mankind

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

1. ALLAH AS A WITNESS:

“On the Day of Judgment Allah will raise them all back to life, then inform them about what they have done. Allah has kept full record of their deeds even though they may have forgotten, for Allah is a witness over all things.” (58): 6

“Say: "The Death from which you flee will truly overtake you: then will you be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open: and He will tell you (the truth of) the things that you did!"” (62): 8

2. ANGELS AS A WITNESS:

“Behold two (guardian angels) appointed to learn (his doings) learn (and note them) one sitting on the right and one on the left. Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him ready (to note it). And the stupor of death will bring truth (before his eyes): "This was the thing which you were trying to escape!" And the Trumpet shall be blown: that will be the Day whereof warning (had been given). And there will come forth every soul: with each will be an (angel) to drive and an (angel) to bear witness.” (50): 17 – 21

“But verily over you (are appointed angels) to protect you. Kind and honorable writing down (your deeds): They know (and understand) all that you do.” (82): 10 - 12

3. THE QUR’AN AS A WITNESS:

`Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The fast and the Qur’an are the two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: ‘O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the Day. Let me intercede for him.’ The Qur’an will say: ‘I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.’ And their intercession will be accepted.” [musnad Ahmad]

4. THE PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS AS A WITNESS:

“And (on that Day) the Prophet will say: "O my Lord! Truly my people took this Qur'an for just foolish nonsense” (25):30

“O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and a Warner and as one who invites to Allah's (Grace) by His leave and as a Lamp spreading Light.” (33): 45-46

5. THE MUSLIM NATION AS A WITNESS:

“Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced that you might be witnesses over the nations and the Prophet a witness over yourselves;” (2): 143

“How then if We brought from each people a witness and We brought you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people!” (4): 41

“…It is He Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (Revelation); that the Prophet may be a witness for you and you be witnesses for mankind!” (22): 78

Narrated Anas bin Malik: A funeral procession passed and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "It has been affirmed to him." Then another funeral procession passed and the people spoke badly of the deceased. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "It has been affirmed to him". 'Umar bin Al-Khattab asked (Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم), "What has been affirmed?" He replied, "You’ve praised this, so Paradise has been affirmed to him; and you spoke badly of this, so Hell has been affirmed to him. You people are Allah's witnesses on earth.” [Bukhari]

Narrated Abu Al Aswad: I came to Medina when an epidemic had broken out. While I was sitting with 'Umar bin Al-Khattab a funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed to him." And another funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. 'Umar said, "It has been affirmed to him." A third (funeral procession) passed by and the people spoke badly of the deceased. He said, "It has been affirmed to him." I (Abu Al-Aswad) asked, "O chief of the believers! What has been affirmed?" He replied, "I said the same as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had said, that is: if four persons testify the piety of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Paradise." We asked, "If three persons testify his piety?" He (the Prophet) replied, "Even three." Then we asked, "If two?" He replied, "Even two." We did not ask him regarding one witness.” [Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i]

Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri: Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Noah will be called on the Day of Resurrection and he will say, 'Labbaik and Sa'daik, O my Lord!' Allah will say, 'Did you convey the Message?' Noah will say, 'Yes.' His nation will then be asked, 'Did he convey the Message to you?' They will say, 'No Warner came to us.' Then Allah will say (to Noah), 'Who will bear witness in your favor?' He will say, 'Muhammad and his followers. So they (i.e. Muslims) will testify that he conveyed the Message. And the Apostle (Muhammad) will be a witness over yourselves, and that is what is meant by the Statement of Allah "Thus We have made of you a just and the best nation that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Apostle (Muhammad) will be a witness over yourselves.” [Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah]

Narrated Abdul Rahman, Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri told my father, "I see you liking sheep and the wilderness. So whenever you are with your sheep or in the wilderness and you want to pronounce Adhan for the prayer raise your voice in doing so, for whoever hears the Adhan, whether a human being, a jinn or any other creature, will be a witness for you on the Day of Resurrection." Abu Said added, "I heard it (this narration) from Allah's Apostle.” [Bukhari]

6. RECORD BOOKS AS A WITNESS:

“In whatever business you may be and whatever portion you may be reciting from the Qur'an and whatever deed you (mankind) may be doing We are Witnesses thereof when you are deeply engrossed therein. Nor is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these things but are recorded in a clear Record.” (10): 61

“All that they do is noted in (their) Books (of Deeds): Every matter small and great is on record.” (54): 52 – 53

“Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand, he surely, will receive an easy reckoning, but whosoever is given his Record behind his back, He will invoke destruction, And he shall enter a blazing Fire, and made to taste its burning. Verily, he was among his people in joy! Verily, he thought that he would never return! Yes! Verily, his Lord has been ever beholding him!” (84): 7 - 13

7. DEEDS AS A WITNESS:

“Truly Man is to his Lord ungrateful; and to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds);” (100): 6 – 7

“That Day will man be told (all) that he put forward and all that he put back. Nay, man will be evidence against himself, even though he were to put up his excuses.” (75): 13 – 15

8. BODY PARTS AS A WITNESS:

“And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).” (17): 36

“On the Day when their tongues their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions.” (24):  24

“That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak to Us and their feet bear witness to all that they did.” (36): 65

“Finally when they reach there, their ears, their eyes, and their skins will testify to their misdeeds. And they will ask their skins: "Why did you testify against us?" Their skins will reply: "Allah, Who gives the faculty of speech to everything, has made us speak. He is the One, Who created you to begin with, and now to Him you are being brought back. During your life on earth you use to hide yourselves while committing crimes, you never thought that your own ears, your own eyes and your own skins would ever testify against you. Rather you thought that even Allah had no knowledge of many things that you do. This thought of yours, which you entertained concerning your Rabb, has brought you to destruction and now you have become of those who are utterly lost." Then, whether they have patience or not, the fire will still be their home, and even if they beg for pardon, it shall not be granted to them.” (41): 20-24

9. MARKS AS A WITNESS:

“On that day neither man nor jinn will be questioned of his sin. Then which of the favors of your Lord will you deny? (For) the sinners will be known by their Marks: and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet.” (55): 39 – 41

Narrated Abu Hurairah: Some people said, "O Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" He said, "Do you crowd and squeeze each other on looking at the sun when it is not hidden by clouds?" They replied, "No, Allah's Messenger." He said, "Do you crowd and squeeze each other on looking at the moon when it is full and not hidden by clouds?" They replied, "No, O Allah's Messenger!" He said, "So you will see Him (your Lord) on the Day of Resurrection. Similarly Allah will gather all the people and say, 'Whoever used to worship anything should follow that thing.' So, he who used to worship the sun, will follow it, and he who used to worship the moon will follow it, and he who used to worship false deities will follow them; and then only this nation (i.e., Muslims) will remain, including their hypocrites. Allah will come to them in a shape other than they know and will say, 'I am your Lord.' They will say, 'We seek refuge with Allah from you. This is our place; (we will not follow you) till our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes to us, we will recognize Him.' Then Allah will come to then in a shape they know and will say, 'I am your Lord.' They will say, '(No doubt) You are our Lord,' and they will follow Him. Then a bridge will be laid over the (Hell) Fire." Allah's Apostle added, "I will be the first to cross it. And the invocation of the Apostles on that Day, will be 'Allahumma Sallim, Sallim (O Allah, save us, save us!),' and over that bridge there will be hooks similar to the thorns of As Sa'dan (a thorny tree). Didn't you see the thorns of As-Sa'dan?” The companions said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle." He added, "So the hooks over that bridge will be like the thorns of As-Sa'dan except that their greatness in size is only known to Allah. These hooks will snatch the people according to their deeds. Some people will be ruined because of their evil deeds, and some will be cut into pieces and fall down in Hell, but will be saved afterwards, when Allah has finished the judgments among His slaves, and intends to take out of the Fire whoever He wishes to take out from among those who used to testify that none had the right to be worshipped but Allah. We will order the angels to take them out and the angels will know them by the mark of the traces of prostration (on their foreheads) for Allah banned the fire to consume the traces of prostration on the body of Adam's son. So they will take them out, and by then they would have burnt (as coal), and then water, called Maa-ul-Hayat (water of life) will be poured on them, and they will spring out like a seed springs out on the bank of a rainwater stream, and there will remain one man who will be facing the (Hell) Fire and will say, 'O Lord! It's (Hell's) vapor has poisoned and smoked me and its flame has burnt me; please turn my face away from the Fire.' He will keep on invoking Allah till Allah says, 'Perhaps, if I give you what you want, you will ask for another thing?' The man will say, 'No, by Your Power, I will not ask You for anything else.' Then Allah will turn his face away from the Fire. The man will say after that, 'O Lord, bring me near the gate of Paradise.' Allah will say (to him), 'Didn't you promise not to ask for anything else? Woe to you, O son of Adam! How treacherous you are!' The man will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will say, 'But if I give you that, you may ask me for something else.' The man will say, 'No, by Your Power. I will not ask for anything else.' He will give Allah his covenant and promise not to ask for anything else after that. So Allah will bring him near to the gate of Paradise, and when he sees what is in it, he will remain silent as long as Allah will, and then he will say, 'O Lord! Let me enter Paradise.' Allah will say, 'Didn't you promise that you would not ask Me for anything other than that? Woe to you, O son of Adam! How treacherous you are!' On that, the man will say, 'O Lord! Do not make me the most wretched of Your creation,' and will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will smile and when Allah will smile because of him, then He will allow him to enter Paradise, and when he will enter Paradise, he will be addressed, 'Wish from so-and-so.' He will wish till all his wishes will be fulfilled, then Allah will say, All this (i.e. what you have wished for) and as much again therewith are for you.’” Abu Hurairah added: "That man will be the last of the people of Paradise to enter (Paradise). Narrated 'Ata (while Abu Huraira was narrating): Abu Said was sitting in the company of Abu Hurairah and he did not deny anything of his narration till he reached his saying: "All this and as much again therewith are for you." Then Abu Sa'id said, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'This is for you and ten times as much.' “Abu Hurairah said, "In my memory it is 'as much again therewith.’[Bukhari]

“Narrated Abu Hurairah: Verily Allah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم said: My Cistern has its dimensions wider than the distance between Aylah and Aden, and its water is whiter than ice and sweeter than the honey diluted with milk, and its cups are more numerous than the numbers of the stars. Verily I shall prevent the (faithless) people there from just as a man prevents the camels of the people from his fountain. They said: Messenger of Allah, will you recognize us on that day? He said: Yes, you will have distinctive marks which nobody among the peoples (except you) will have; you would come to me with blazing forehead and bright hands and feet on account of the traces of ablution.” [Muslim]

10. EARTH AS A WITNESS:

“When the earth will be shaken to her utmost convulsion; and the earth shall bring out all her inner burdens, the man shall say: "What is happening to her?" On that Day she shall report whatever had happened on her, for your Lord shall have commanded her to do so.” (99): 1 – 5

Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم recited this Verse, “That Day it will declare its information.” Then he said, “Do you know what its information is?” They said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, “Verily its information is that it will testify against every male and female servant, about what they did upon its surface. It will say that he did such and such on such and such day. So this is its information.” [Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i. The Hadeeth has been graded as "Dha`eef" by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

11. WEALTH AS A WITNESS:

Narrated Abu Said Al Khudri: Once the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sat on a pulpit and we sat around him. Then he said, "The things I am afraid of most for your sake (concerning what will befall you after me) is the pleasures and splendors of the world and its beauties which will be disclosed to you.”… “No doubt this wealth is sweet and green. Blessed is the wealth of a Muslim from which he gives to the poor, the orphans and to needy travelers. (Or the Prophet said something similar to it.) No doubt, whoever takes it illegally will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied, and his wealth will be a witness against him on the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhari]