Different Faces in the Field of Mahshar (Grand Assembly)

By: Ayatullah Shaheed Sayyid Abdul Husain Dastghaib

Yawma…Afwaajaa (Surah Nabaa: 78, V: 18) meaning: The day the Trumpet will be blown and you will come up in various groups.

It is mentioned in Tafseer Maj Ma Ul Bayaan that Muaaz asked for the explanation of this verse from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) who replied: You have asked a very important thing. Then the eyes of the Holy Prophet became tearful. He said: On the Day of Judgement, my community (Ummah) will be divided into ten groups. God Almighty will cut all those ten from the Muslims. He will change theirs faces and appearances. Some will come in the shape of monkeys, some in the form of of swines, hands and legs of some will be cut off, some will be blind, some deaf and dumb. One of those groups will arrive in the grand field chewing their own tongues, dirt dripping from their lips the bad foul of which will make all restless. One group will arrive on their heads (legs up) and will get punishment in the same position. One group will be hanging on branches of fire. One group will be spreading an obnoxious and foul smell which will be worse than that of the dead corpses. One group will be wearing shirst made of Qitraan which will stick to their bodies.

People asked: O Messenger of God! Who will be these people?

Fate Of Backbiters, Usurers And Corrupt People

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

1. Those who will assume the forms of monkeys will be backbiters. They create enmity between two parties and carry one's talk to the other, and make them quarrel.

2. Those who will be seen as swines will be eaters of unlawful earning. For example, who give (in trade or business or bargaining) less then due, who are dishonest in their dealings with others and who mix up bad things with good to earn unlawfully and who usurp the properties of others.

3. Those who will arrive on their heads will be eaters of interest, the usurers.

4. Those who will be chewing their own tongues will be the ulema (scholars) who did not act according to what they taught to others, whose deeds were different from their words. They had given much sermons but never acted accordingly. Others had benefited from their advices and admonitions but they themselves had remained unfortunate and unlucky. Such scholars will chew their own tongues and will worry very much but to no avail.

Those Who Harassed Their Neighbours, The Oppressive Rulers And The Proud

Those who will arrive with their hands and feet cut off will be those who had harassed their neighbours. Those who will come blind were oppressive rulers who did not do justice. Who were proud and self-centred will come dumb and deaf. Those who were putting innocent people to trouble by reporting falsely against them before rulers will be clinging to branches of fire. Foul smell will emanate from those who were gratifying their passions by resorting to unlawful sexual pleasures and also those who did not pay poor tax (Zakaat or purifying deductions). Those who were making a show of their pomp by wearing clothes of pride will be, on that Day, wearing shirts of fire.

It is mentioned in another hadis that there will also be some people with pokes of fire in their eyes. They will be those who were casting their lustful eyes starring at prohibited men and women.

Offenders Will Be Recognised By Their Face In The Grand Gathering Of Mahshar

Hadis recorder Muhaddith Faiz quotes in his book Ainal Yaqeen: “When a drunkard will arrive in Mahshar field, a bottle of wine will be dangling from his neck and a cup of wine will be stuck to his hand. His body will be spreading obnoxious and foul smell which will be worse than any dead body's smell. All in that grand gathering will understand that this fellow was a drunkard in his worldly life. Everyone passing by him will curse him.”
The singers and musicians will have their music instruments in their hands which will be hitting their heads. On that Day everyone will be recognized by his condition as to what he was in the world.: Yu'Riful…Aqdaam (Surah Rahman: 41)

How Will They Walk With Their Disfigured Faces?

In the aforesaid book it is also mentioned that: 'Yahshurun…Khanaazeer' meaning: Some people will arrive with faces looking worse than the faces of monkeys and pigs. (These animals will seem good looking compared to them).

The Holy Prophets (s.a.w.s.) has said: Yahshurun…Wujoohuhum meanings: People will be made to come to the Mahshar field in three conditions: Some on backs of animals, some on foot and some on their own heads (upside down). People asked: O Messenger of Allah! How will they walk on their heads? The Hazrat replied: The one who enabled them to walk on their feet in the world will also enable to walk on their heads.

Hearts Will Stick To Throats

Wa Anzirhum…Kaazimeen Translation: O Messenger! Warn them of the Day of Qiyamat which is very great and also very near. On that Day hearts of people will come upto their throats due to fright. (Surah Momin: 40, V: 18)

The fear and fright of that terrible Day will make hearts jump from their chests and to stick to their throats. They (hearts) will neither go back to their original place (so that they may feel ease) nor they will jump out so that life may end and one may feel freed. On that Day people's hearts will be full of worries and sorrows.
In short, the fear some fright of that Day will make hearts jump from their chests and they will sticking to throats block the passage of breething. This is a Nuss (Divine Word) of the Holy Quran. Lord Almighty has repeatedly warned of such a fear some day and also said that, on that Day, a brother will run away from his brother and hide his face from him. Man will keep distance from his own parents too and so also from his family members.

Yaw Ma Yafirru…Baneeh (Surah Abas: 80, V: 34-36).

In this Holy verse the Lord of the universe has described the frightful condition of man staying that the terrific fright will disrupt even the closest relations like that between man and wife and father and children and brothers and sisters. All relations will be cut off and everyone will worry breathlessly about him or herself and will find no time to think about others. So, he will avoid all. The reason for such avoidance could also be that he will fear the demand of their rights which were trampled by him in the world. Man will become almost breathless. Despite such a big gathering the only voice audible on that Day will be like that of bees.
Wa Kha Sha Atil Aswat…Hamsaa (Surah Tahaa: 108).

Translation: Voices on that Day in the presence of the Lord will become so faltering that it will sound like the humming or buzzing of bees.

The Fortunate Ones Who Will Be Safe From The Fear Of Qiyamat

There will also be some groups about whom the Holy Prophet has promised that they will be in safety and peace on that Day Of Resurrection. One such group will be of those people who became old and aged as Muslims. Giving honour and respect to such Muslims will provide safety and peace from the great calamity of Qiyamat. If those (respectable) people were their weak aged parents, then giving respect to them will bring further peace. Secondly, help and assistance to poor and suffering people. If a man had helped such deserving person, for instance had raised up a fallen man or had removed the worry of some one etc. (Safeenat-ul-Behaar, Vol. 2, p. 360).

Masjid Will Be The Ark Of Salvation In Qiyamat

The mosque in which one was praying regularly with a sincere and zealous heart will be, on the Day of Judgement, brought in the form of a saddle to the grave of that person and he will be made to ride thereon and thus he will be carried to Paradise.

It is mentioned in narrations that a faithful (momin) will ask: Where is Pule Siraat (the Bridge)? (Angels) will reply that it has already passed from beneath your riding machine. He will ask: What kind of a rider is it? He be replied: This (saddle is the changed form those Masjids in which you were regularly and zealously offering Namaz heartfully.

Undoubtedly Mosque is the house of God. So it must be given every respect. No stone should be left unturned in maintaining its dignity.

Death In Or En Route To Mecca

Among those who will be saved from the fear and fright of the Day of Judgement are also those who die or get buried either in Mecca Mukarramah or Medina Munawwarah. Similarly those too who die while going to the said Holy places or while returning from there.

Among such lucky persons are also those who had regarded their nafs (desires) as their enemies (they did not consider others as their foes). The apparent meaning of the Hadis sentence Man…Naas is that while passing life in the society, if he finds unpalatable things in others he would not blame others but only himself. He will scold only himself for having hoped otherwise from others. Such people would ask themselves, “Why not find fault with one's own self? Why find faults with others at all?”

Hama Aib…Daari meaning: It is no manhood and fortitude to find faults with others. Look also into your own self. You will realize that you too are full of sine.

Patience In Passion And Anger

The third group which has been promised to be protected and safe are those people who, despite being able to react angrily and thereby to do something unwise, restrain themselves just due to remembrance of God. Thus, they suppress their anger only for God's sake. Such are the people who will be protected from the fright on the Day of Judgement because they did not indulge in any carnal desire and any selfish act to save their prestige but only for fear of Almighty Allah. One of the Divine Mercies mentioned in books is that if a Momin (faithful) puts his hand on one's grave and recites Surah Qadr for seven times, the body in that grave also remains protected from the fear and fright of Qiyamat.