The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah will gather the first and the last for the appointed time of a known day, standing for forty years with their eyes fixed toward the sky awaiting the verdict."He said, "Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will descend in canopies of clouds from the Throne to the Footstool. Then a caller will call out, 'O people, are you not content with your Lord who created you, provided for you, and commanded you to worship Him alone without associating anything with Him, that He should hand over each group of you to whatever they used to take as their patron and worship in the world? Is that not just on the part of your Lord?'They will say, 'Yes indeed.'He will say, 'Then let each people go to whatever they used to worship in the world.'They will set out, and likenesses of what they used to worship will be made manifest to them. Some will go toward the sun, some toward the moon, toward idols of stone, and toward likenesses of what they used to worship. The devil of Isa will appear to those who worshipped Isa, and the devil of Uzayr will appear to those who worshipped Uzayr. Muhammad ﷺ and his community will remain.Then the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, will appear in a form and come to them and say, 'Why do you not go off as the others have gone?'They will say, 'We have a God whom we have not yet seen.'He will say, 'Would you recognize Him if you saw Him?'They will say, 'Between us and Him there is a sign, and when we see it we shall know Him.'He will say, 'What is it?'They will say, 'He will uncover His shin.'At that, He will uncover His shin, and every person whose back had been a shield of pretense will fall prostrate, while there will remain a people whose backs are like the horns of cattle, wishing to prostrate but unable, for they had been called to prostration while they were sound and refused.Then He will say, 'Raise your heads.' They will raise their heads, and He will give them their light according to their deeds. Some will be given a light like a great mountain that runs before them, some will be given a light smaller than that, some will be given a light like a date palm in their right hand, and some will be given a light smaller than that, until the last of them will be a man whose light is given upon the toe of his foot, glowing once and going out once. When it glows, he steps forward and walks, and when it goes out, he stands still.The Lord, Mighty and Majestic, will be before them until He passes through the Fire, leaving His trail like the edge of a sword, slippery and treacherous. He will say, 'Pass over.' They will pass according to their light. Some will pass like the blink of an eye, some like lightning, some like clouds, some like a shooting star, some like the wind, some like a swift horse, some like a running man, until the one whose light was given upon the toe of his foot passes crawling on his face, his hands, and his feet. A hand falls and a hand catches hold, a foot falls and a foot catches hold, while the Fire scorches his sides. He continues thus until he is delivered. When he is delivered, he stands upon it.Then he says, 'Praise be to Allah. Allah has granted me what He has not granted anyone, that He saved me from it after I had seen it.'He is then taken to a pool by the gate of Paradise, where he is washed, and the freshness of Paradise returns to him. He sees what is in Paradise through the gate and says, 'Lord, admit me into Paradise.'Allah will say, 'Do you ask for Paradise when I have already saved you from the Fire?'He will say, 'Lord, place between me and it a barrier so that I do not hear its hissing.'So he is admitted into Paradise. Then he sees, or there is raised up for him, a dwelling before that, as though he were already in it but could only dream of it. He says, 'Lord, give me that dwelling.'He will say to him, 'Perhaps if I give it to you, you will ask for another?'He will say, 'No, by Your might, I will not ask You for another. What dwelling could be better than this?'So He gives it to him and he settles in it. Then he sees before that another dwelling, as though he were already in it but could only dream of it. He says, 'Lord, give me that dwelling.'Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will say, 'Perhaps if I give it to you, you will ask for another?'He will say, 'No, by Your might, I will not ask You for another. What dwelling could be better than this?'So he is given that dwelling. Then he sees, or there is raised up for him, before that yet another dwelling, as though he could only dream of it. He says, 'Give me that dwelling.'Allah, Blessed and Exalted, will say, 'Perhaps if I give it to you, you will ask for another?'He says, 'No, by Your might, I will not ask You for another. What dwelling could be better than this?'So He gives it to him and he settles in it. Then he falls silent.Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will say, 'Why do you not ask?'He will say, 'Lord, I have asked You until I am ashamed before You, and I have sworn to You until I am ashamed before You.'Allah, Exalted is He, will say, 'Are you not content that I should give you the like of the world from the day I created it until the day I caused it to perish, and ten times its like?'He will say, 'Are You mocking me when You are the Lord of Might?'"The Prophet ﷺ said, "The Lord, Mighty and Majestic, will laugh at his words."The narrator said, "I saw Abdullah bin Masud, whenever he reached this point in this hadith, laugh. A man said to him, 'Abu Abd al-Rahman, I have heard you narrate this hadith many times, and whenever you reach this point you laugh.'He replied, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ narrate this hadith many times, and whenever he reached this point in the hadith he would laugh until his molars showed.'"The Prophet ﷺ said, "The Lord, Mighty and Majestic, will say, 'No, but I am able to do more than that for you.'The man will say, 'Join me with the people.'He will say, 'Join the people.'So he sets off in Paradise, and when he draws near the people, a palace of pearl is raised up for him. He falls prostrate. It is said to him, 'Raise your head. What is the matter with you?'He says, 'I saw my Lord,' or 'My Lord appeared to me.'It is said to him, 'It is only one of your dwellings.'Then he meets a man and prepares to prostrate to him. It is said to him, 'Stop. What is the matter with you?'He says, 'I thought you were one of the angels.'He will say, 'I am only one of the keepers of your treasures, a slave from among your slaves. Under my command are a thousand stewards of equal rank to me.'So he goes ahead of him and opens for him the palace, which is of a hollowed pearl. Its ceiling, doors, locks, and keys are all of it. A jewel meets him, a green jewel inlaid with red. Each jewel leads to another jewel of a different color than the rest. In each jewel are couches, spouses, and serving maids. The lowest of them is a wide-eyed houri wearing seventy garments through which the marrow of her shins can be seen. Her liver is his mirror and his liver is her mirror. When he turns away from her and then looks back, she has increased in his sight seventy times more than she was before, and when she turns away from him and then looks back, he has increased in her sight seventy times more than he was before.He says to her, 'By Allah, you have increased in my sight seventy times.'She says to him, 'And you, by Allah, have increased in my sight seventy times.'It is said to him, 'Look out.' So he looks out, and it is said to him, 'Your kingdom is a hundred years' journey, his sight penetrating through it all.'"Umar said, "Do you not hear what Abu Abd Allah, Kaab, is telling us about the lowest of the people of Paradise in rank? What then of their highest?"Kaab said, "Commander of the Faithful, what no eye has seen and no ear has heard. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has prepared an abode and placed in it whatever spouses, fruits, and drinks He willed. Then He sealed it shut, and none of His creation has seen it, neither Jibril nor any other angel."Then Kaab recited, "No soul knows what comfort of the eyes has been hidden away for them as a reward for what they used to do" [Sajdah 32:17].He said, "And below that He created two gardens, supplied them with what He willed, and showed them to whomever He willed of His creation."Then he said, "Whoever's record is in Illiyyun will dwell in that abode which no one has seen. A man among the people of Illiyyun will go forth and travel through his kingdom, and there is not a tent of the tents of Paradise that the light of his face does not enter. They rejoice at his fragrance and say, 'Ah, this scent! This is the scent of a man from the people of Illiyyun who has come out to travel through his kingdom.'"Umar said, "Woe to you, Kaab. These hearts have been moved and now recoil."Kaab said, "By Him in whose hand is my soul, on the Day of Resurrection you will tremble in such terror that no angel brought near nor prophet sent will fail to fall upon his knees. Even Ibrahim, the friend of Allah, will say, 'Lord, myself, myself.' Indeed, even if you had the works of seventy prophets added to your own works, you would think that you would not be saved."
عن النبي ﷺ قال: يجمع الله الأولين والآخرين لميقات يوم معلوم قياما أربعين سنة شاخصة أبصارهم إلى السماء ينظرون فصل القضاء، قال: وينزل الله عز وجل في ظلل من الغمام من العرش إلى الكرسي، ثم ينادى مناد: أيها الناس ألم ترضوا من ربكم الذي خلقكم ورزقكم وأمركم أن تعبدوه ولا تشركوا به شيئا أن يولي كل ناس منكم ما كانوا يتولون ويعبدون في الدنيا؟ أليس ذلك عدلا من ربكم؟ قالوا: بلى. قال: فلينطلق كل قوم إلى ما كانوا يعبدون في الدنيا. قال: فينطلقون ويمثل لهم أشباه ما كانوا يعبدون؛ فمنهم من ينطلق إلى الشمس، ومنهم من ينطلق إلى القمر، وإلى الأوثان من الحجارة، وأشباه ما كانوا يعبدون. قال: ويمثل لمن كان يعبد عيسى شيطان عيسى، ويمثل لمن كان يعبد عزيرا شيطان عزير، ويبقى محمد ﷺ وأمته. قال: فيتمثل الرب عز وجل فيأتيهم فيقول: ما لكم لا تنطلقون كما انطلق الناس؟ قال: فيقولون: إن لنا إلها ما رأيناه بعد. فيقول: هل تعرفونه إن رأيتموه؟ فيقولون: إن بيننا وبينه علامة إذا رأيناها عرفناه؛ قال: فيقول: ما هي؟ فيقولون: يكشف عن ساقه. قال: فعند ذلك ينكشف عن ساق، فيخر كل من كان يظهره طبق، ويبقى قوم ظهورهم كصياصي البقر يريدون السجود فلا يستطيعون وقد كان يدعون إلى السجود وهم سالمون. ثم يقول: ارفعوا رؤوسكم فيرفعون رؤوسهم فيعطيهم نورهم على قدر أعمالهم فمنهم من يعطى نوره مثل الجبل العظيم يسعى بين يديه، ومنهم من يعطى نوره أصغر من ذلك، ومنهم من يعطى نورا مثل النخلة بيمينه، ومنهم من يعطى نورا أصغر من ذلك، حتى يكون آخرهم رجلا يعطى نوره على إبهام قدمه يضيء مرة ويطفئ مرة، فإذا أضاء قدم قدمه فمشى، وإذا طفئ قام. قال: والرب عز وجل أمامهم حتى يمر في النار فيبقى أثره كحد السيف دحض مزلة. قال: ويقول: مروا؛ فيمرون على قدر نورهم منهم من يمر كطرف العين، ومنهم من يمر كالبرق، ومنهم من يمر كالسحاب، ومنهم من يمر كانقضاض الكوكب، ومنهم من يمر كالريح، ومنهم من يمر كشد الفرس، ومنهم من يمر كشد الرجل، حتى يمر الذي أعطي نوره على إبهام قدمه يحبو على وجهه ويديه ورجليه تخر يد وتعلق يد تخر رجل وتعلق رجل ويصيب جوانبه النار، فلا يزال كذلك حتى يخلص فإذا خلص وقف عليها. ثم قال: الحمد لله لقد أعطاني الله ما لم يعط أحدا أن نجاني منها بعد إذ رأيتها. قال: فينطلق به إلى غديرعند باب الجنة فيغسل فيعود إليه روح ما وجد من الجنة والواراتهم يرى ما في الجنة من خلال الباب، فيقول: رب أدخلني الجنة. فيقول الله: أتسأل الجنة وقد نجيتك من النار؟ فيقول: رب اجعل بيني وبينها حجابا لا أسمع حسيسها. قال: فيدخل الجنة. قال: فيرى أو يرفع له منزل أمام ذلك كأنما هو فيه إليه حلم. فيقول: رب أعطني ذلك المنزل. فيقول له: فلعلك إن أعطيتكه تسأل غيره؟ فيقول: لا وعزتك لا أسألك غيره، وأي منزل يكون أحسن منه؟ فيعطيه فينزله ويرى أمام ذلك منزلا كأنما هو فيه إليه حلم، قال: رب أعطني ذلك المنزل فيقول الله عز وجل: فلعلك إن أعطيتكه تسأل غيره، فيقول: لا وعزتك لا أسألك غيره، وأي منزل يكون أحسن منه، قال: فيعطى منزله، قال: ويرى أو يرفع له أمام ذلك منزل آخر كأنما هو إليه حلم، فيقول: أعطني ذلك المنزل. فيقول الله ﷻ: فلعلك إن أعطيتكه تسأل غيره؟ قال: لا وعزتك لا أسألك غيره وأي منزل يكون أحسن منه. قال: فيعطاه فينزله، ثم يسكت، فيقول الله عز وجل: ما لك لا تسأل؟ فيقول: رب لقد سألتك حتى استحييتك وأقسمت لك حتى استحييتك. فيقول الله تعالى: ألم ترض أن أعطيك مثل الدنيا منذ خلقتها إلى يوم أفنيتها وعشرة أضعافه؟ فيقول: أتستهزئ بي وأنت رب العزة، فيضحك الرب عز وجل من قوله- قال: فرأيت عبد الله بن مسعود إذا بلغ هذا المكان من هذا الحديث ضحك. فقال له رجل: يا أبا عبد الرحمن قد سمعتك تحدث هذا الحديث مرارا كلما بلغت هذا المكان ضحكت؟- فقال: إني سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يحدث هذا الحديث مرارا كلما بلغ هذا المكان من هذا الحديث ضحك حتى تبدو أضراسه. قال: فيقول الرب عز وجل: لا لاكتفي على ذلك قادر، فيقول: ألحقني بالناس، فيقول: الحق الناس. قال: فينطلق برجل في الجنة حتى إذا دنا من الناس، رفع له قصر من ذرة فيخر ساجدا. فيقال له: ارفع رأسك مالك؟ فيقول: رأيت ربي أو تراءى لي ربي؟ فيقال له: إنما هو منزل من منازلك. قال: ثم يلقى رجلا فيهيأ للسجود له، فيقال له: مه مالك؟ فيقول رأيت أنك ملك من الملائكة، فيقول: إنما أنا خازن من خزائنك، عبد من عبيدك تحت يدي ألف قهرمان على مثل ما أنا عليه. قال: فينطلق أمامه حتى يفتح له القصر قال وهو في درة مجوفة سقفها وأبوابها وأغلاقها ومفاتيحها منها يستقبله جوهرة، جوهرة خضراء مطبقة بحمراء، كل جوهرة تقضي إلى جوهرة على غير لون الأخرى، في كل جوهرة سرر وأزواج ووصائف أدناهن حوراء عيناء عليها سبعون حلة، يرى مخ ساقها من وراء حللها، كبدها مرآته وكبده مرآتها إذا أعرض عنها أعراضة ازدادت في عينه سبعين ضعفا عما كانت قبل ذلك، وإذا أعرضت عنه أعراضة ازدادت في عينيها سبعين ضعفا عما كان قبل ذلك. فيقول لها: والله لقد ازددت في عيني سبعين ضعفا وتقول له: وأنت والله لقد ازددت في عيني سبعين ضعفا فيقال له: أشرف. قال: فيشرف، فيقال له: ملكك مسيرة مائة عام ينفذه بصره. قال: فقال عمر: ألا تسمع ما يحدثنا أبو عبد الكعب عن أدنى أهل الجنة منزلة، فكيف أعلاهم؟ فقال كعب: يا أمير المؤمنين ما لا عين رأت ولا أذن سمعت إن الله عز وجل جعل دارا فجعل فيها ما شاء من الأزواج والثمرات والأشربة ثم أطبقها ثم لم يرها أحد من خلقه لا جبريل ولا غيره من الملائكة ثم قرأ كعب: {فلا تعلم نفس ما أخفي لهم من قرة أعين جزاء بما كانوا يعملون} قال: وخلق دون ذلك جنتين ورزقهما بما شاء وأراهما من شاء من خلقه. ثم قال: من كان كتابه في عليين نزل تلك الدار التي لم يرها أحد، حتى إن الرجل من أهل عليين ليخرج فيسير في ملكه فما تبقى خيمة من خيام الجنة إلا دخلها من ضوء وجهه فيستبشرون بريحه فيقولون واها لهذا الريح هذا ريح رجل من أهل عليين قد خرج يسير في ملكه فقال: وبحك يا كعب إن هذه القلوب قد استرسلت واشمأزت فقال كعب: والذي نفسي بيده إن لهيجتم يوم القيامة لذرفة ما من ملك مقرب ولا نبي مرسل إلا بخر لركبته حتى إن إبراهيم خليل الله ليقول: رب نفسي نفسي، حتى لو كان لك عمل سبعين نبيا إلى عملك لظننت أنك لا تنجو.
Tabarani reported it in Kabir (9/416–421) through two chains, from Ali bin Abdul-Aziz, who said, Abu Ghassan narrated to us, who said, Abdul-Salam bin Harb narrated to us, from Abu Khalid Dalani, from Minhal bin Amr, from Abu Ubayda, from Masruq, from Abdullah bin Masud.And also from Muhammad bin Nadr Azdi, Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal, and Hadrami, who said, Ismail bin Ubayd bin Abu Karima Harrani narrated to us, who said, Muhammad bin Salama Harrani narrated to us, from Abu Abdul-Rahim, from Zayd bin Abu Unaysa, from Minhal bin Amr, from Abu Ubayda bin Abdullah, from Masruq bin Ajda, who said, Abdullah bin Masud narrated to us, and he related it.This hadith is found in Kitab Sunna (1203) by Abdullah bin Ahmad. Ibn Manda also reported it in Tawhid (531) through two other routes from Ismail bin Ubayd bin Abu Karima, with his chain of transmission, in similar form.Ibn Khuzayma said in Kitab Tawhid (468), "We have the hadith of Abdullah bin Masud with two connected chains of transmission. It was narrated through Abu Ghassan, that is, Malik bin Ismail Nahdi, with his chain, in abridged form. The second chain is what he narrated from Muhammad bin Bashshar, who said, Yahya narrated to me, and read it to me from my book, he said, Sufyan narrated to us, Salama, that is, Ibn Kuhayl, narrated to us, from Abu Zaraa, from Abdullah bin Masud, and he mentioned the hadith in abridged form."Ibn Manda pointed to this in Kitab Tawhid (3/123) and said, "From Ibn Masud, and in it, 'Allah will take on a form before creation, then come to them in His form.' This same wording was also narrated by Abu Hurairah and Abu Saeed."Dhahabi quoted this in Uluw (1/201) in similar fashion, without attributing it to Ibn Manda.I say, the hadiths of Abu Hurairah and Abu Saeed have already been mentioned earlier in this chapter.Abu Abdul-Rahim is Khalid bin Abu Yazid bin Simak Umawi, their freedman.Hakim also graded it sahih (4/589–592) and said, "The narrators of this hadith, down to the last of them, are trustworthy, except that the two of them did not include Abu Khalid Dalani in the Sahihayn because of what has been mentioned about his deviation from correct practice in speaking about the companions. As for the earlier scholars, they all attested to Abu Khalid's truthfulness and precision, and the hadith is sahih even though the two of them did not include it, and Abu Khalid Dalani is among those whose hadith is gathered among the imams of the people of Kufa."Dhahabi responded to him by saying, "What a strange hadith this is, despite the excellence of its chain, for Abu Khalid was a deviant Shiite."But in Uluw (200) he graded its chain hasan without qualification.I say, Abu Khalid Dalani's name is Yazid bin Abdul-Rahman Asadi Kufi. Ibn Main and Nasai both said of him, "There is no harm in him," and Abu Hatim said, "Truthful and reliable."Ibn Hibban criticized him, but his own teacher Ibn Khuzayma narrated from him and accepted him.Moreover, he was corroborated in the second chain of transmission, except that what was mentioned about sujud to other than Allah contains something objectionable, for how could one who did not prostrate to other than Allah in this world prostrate to other than Allah in the hereafter?