Allah says in the Quran:
إِنَّ إِلَيْنَا إِيَابَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا حِسَابَهُم
“Verily, to Us is their return; Then verily, upon Us is their reckoning.”
— Surah Al-Ghashiyah: 25, 26
Abul Laith (Rahimahullah) narrates: On the Day of Judgment, when people are resurrected from their graves, they will remain standing in that terrifying state for seventy years.
No attention will be paid to them. Out of sheer distress and helplessness, they will weep so intensely that their tears will dry up, and blood will begin to flow from their eyes instead.
Afterward, they will be summoned toward the plains of Mahshar (the Place of Gathering). Angels will begin descending from the heavens. The angels of each heaven will form distinct rows and circles, with the angels of one heaven standing behind those of the next.
Regarding this, Allah says in the Quran:
وَيَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ السَّمَاءُ بِالْغَمَامِ وَنُزِّلَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَنزيلًا الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ وَكَانَ يَوْمًا عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ عَسِيرًا وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ الظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي اتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا يَا وَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِي عَنِ الذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَاءَنِي وَكَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ لِلْإِنسَانِ خَذُولًا
“And (remember) the Day when the heaven shall be rent asunder with clouds, and the angels will be sent down, a grand descending. The sovereignty on that Day will be the true (sovereignty), belonging to the Most Beneficent (Allah), and it will be a hard Day for the disbelievers. And the Day when the wrongdoer will bite at his hands, he will say: ‘Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger. Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend! He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Quran) after it had come to me. And Satan is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need.'”
— Surah Al-Furqan: 25-29
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: On that day, an announcement will be made from Allah: “O mankind and Jinn! I gave you counsel in the world. Today, your deeds are right here before you. Whoever finds good in his record of deeds, let him praise and thank Allah; and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself!”
Thereafter, Allah the Almighty will command Hell, and it will appear before everyone’s eyes with all its torment. Upon seeing it, every human being will fall to their knees in terror.
(Note: The wound caused by a slip of the tongue is far greater than the wound caused by a slip of the foot.)
Regarding this, Allah says in Surat al-Jathiyah:
وَتَرَىٰ كُلَّ أُمَّةٍ جَاثِيَةً كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ تُدْعَىٰ إِلَىٰ كِتَابِهَا
“And you will see each nation humbled to their knees (kneeling); each nation will be called to its Record (of deeds).”
— Surah Al-Jathiyah: 28
Following this, judgment among the creations will commence. Justice will be served even among animals; the hornless sheep will be given retaliation against the horned sheep that harmed it. After that, the animals will be commanded, “Become dust.”
وَيَقُولُ الْكَافِرُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنتُ تُرَابًا
“And the disbeliever will say: ‘Woe to me! Would that I were dust!'”
— Surah An-Naba: 40
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “People will be gathered on the Day of Mahshar naked, just as they were born from their mother’s womb.”
When the Prophet (ﷺ) said this, Mother Aisha (RA) asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Won’t it be embarrassing to stand naked in front of everyone? Won’t people look at one another?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “On that day, the distress and hardship people find themselves in will be so overwhelming that no one will have the time or opportunity to look at anyone else.”
Everyone’s eyes will be fixed upward in terror. Each person will be drowned in sweat in proportion to their evil deeds. For some, the sweat will reach their ankles; for some, their shins; for some, their waists; and for others, it will reach up to their mouths.
The angels will stand in rows around the Throne (Arsh). At that moment, each human being will be called out by name. Whoever is called will step out of the crowd and come forward.
When he is made to stand before Allah, a proclamation will be made: “Let anyone who holds a claim or right against this person come forward!” If he owes anyone a right, or if he had committed any injustice against anyone, they will all be called, and their rights will be compensated from his good deeds.
If his good deeds run out or are insufficient, the sins of those oppressed people will be loaded onto him. When he is heavily burdened with his own sins as well as the sins of others, it will be said to him, “Go! Cast yourself into Hawiyah (the blazing fire of Hell).” Hearing such a severe trial and accounting, there is no one—whether a close angel or a Prophet—who will not be struck with intense fear, except those whom Allah protects.
At that time, every human being will be questioned regarding four things:
- How did you spend your life/age?
- What good deeds did you perform according to your knowledge?
- How did you earn your wealth?
- How did you spend your wealth?
This worldly life is not meant for living according to the whims and desires of the mind. Rather, man is bound to give an account of this worldly life on the Day of Judgment.
Regarding this, Allah says in the Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَاخْشَوْا يَوْمًا لَّا يَجْزِي وَالِدٌ عَن وَلَدِهِ وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَن وَالِدِهِ شَيْئًا ۚ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ ۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ
“O mankind! Keep your duty to your Lord and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. Verily, the promise of Allah is true, let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah.”
— Surah Luqman: 33
Hazrat Ikrima (RA) narrates:
On that day, a father will approach his son and say, “I was your father in the world,” and the son will acknowledge all the favors and kindness his father did for him. Then the father will plead, “I need just one good deed today, even if it is the weight of an atom, so that the scale of my good deeds may become heavy.” The son will reply, “I am in distress myself. I do not know what is going to happen to me, so I cannot give you any good deed!” and he will refuse.
Afterward, that man will go to his wife and say the same, reminding her of his companionship and favors. She, too, will refuse in the same manner. In this way, he will go to every relative, begging for help, but none will assist.
Allah says in the Quran:
وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۚ وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَىٰ حِمْلِهَا لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ
“And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden; and if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, nothing of it will be lifted, even though he be near of kin.”
— Surah Fatir: 18
The Companion Qatadah (RA) narrates:
“On the Day of Resurrection, every human being will be terrified that anyone they recognize or any close relative might see them. This is because they will fear that their relatives might ask them for help or claim a right from them.”