The Prophet on the Day of Resurrection

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Prophet on the Day of Resurrection
Qadi ‘Iyad



There are many authentic prophetic sayings relating to the Prophet's exalted and honored position on the Day of Resurrection.
Anas tells us that one day the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, spoke of the events that will occur on the Day of Resurrection. He said, "When mankind are revived, I will be the first to emerge, and I will be their spokesman when they arrive. When they despair, I will give them good news. The Banner of Praise will be in my hand. I am the noblest of the children of Adam before my Lord, and this is no boast."
In another rendering Rabi', son of Anas said, "I will be the first of people to emerge when they are revived and I will be their leader when they arrive and their spokesman when they are silent. I will be their intercessor when they are restrained, and I will give them good news when they despair, and the Banner of Praise will be in my hand. I am the noblest of all the children of Adam with my Lord, and this is no boast. A thousand youths of Paradise will go about me as if they were hidden pearls."
Abu Hurayrah reports that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said, "I will be robed in a robe of the Garden, and I will stand on the right of the Throne where no created being other than I will stand."
He also reported, "I will be the Master of the Children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection, the first for whom the tombs split open, and the first to intercede and the first whose intercession is accepted."
Abu Sayeid Al Khudri tells us that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, spoke of the position of all the prophets on the Day of Resurrection, saying, "On the Day of Resurrection I will be the master of the Children of Adam and the Banner of Praise will be in my hand, and this is not a boast. All the prophets from the time of Adam will come under my banner, and I will be the first for whom the earth splits open, and this is no boast."
Abbas' son tells us that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, spoke of his accepted intercession and the opening of the Gates to the Garden, saying,
"On the Day of Resurrection, I will be the bearer of the Banner of Praise, and this is no boast. I will be the first to intercede and the first whose intercession is accepted, and this is no boast. I will be the first to knock at the Gates of the Garden and they will be opened for me and I will enter accompanied by impoverished believers, and this is no boast. Amongst the first and the last I will be the most honored, and this is no boast."
Anas heard the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, say, "I will be the first of all people to intercede in the Garden, and I will be the one with the most followers." He also heard, "On the Day of Resurrection, I will be the master of people. Do you know why this will be? (It is because) Allah will gather the first and the last …."
Abu Hurayrah heard the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, say, "It is my hope that on the Day of Resurrection I will be the prophet with the greatest wage."
We are also told amongst other matters of the request of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, on the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told his Companions, "Aren't you satisfied that Abraham and Jesus will be among you on the Day of Resurrection? On the Day of Resurrection they will be among my nation and Abraham will say, 'You are the answer to my supplication and my descendant, so let me be placed amongst your nation.' All the prophets are brothers with one father and different mothers, Jesus is my brother and no prophet came between him and myself, because of this I am the closest person to him."
The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, indicated that on that Day, it is he alone who will be given the mastery and intercession.
This is because mankind will not find refuge in any other prophet and seek refuge with him.
When a person is in need he seeks the help of a master, and on that Day it is he alone among all mankind who will be given mastery. There will be none to share with him or claim otherwise.
Allah says, "And who is the Owner of the Kingdom on that Day? Allah, the One, the Conqueror!" (Surah Ghafir: 16). Both this world and the Everlasting world belong to Allah, and those who laid claim to their ownership will be severed, and there is no doubt that Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, will be given mastery over us all in the Everlasting Life.
Anas heard the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, say, "On the Day of Resurrection, I will approach the Gate of the Garden and ask for it to be opened. Its guardian will inquire, 'Who are you?' and I will reply 'Muhammad', whereupon he will say, 'It is because of you that I was ordered not to open the door to anyone before you.'"
The following prophetic quotation describes the Pool (Kawthar) of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. It has been widely reported and includes such narrators as Amr, Abdullah's son, Anas, Lady Ayesha and her sister Asma, may Allah be pleased with all of them, and from them we learn that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him said, "The length of a journey across my pool is that of a month. Its water is whiter than silver and its fragrance is sweeter than musk. Its vessels are like the stars in the heaven and whosoever drinks from it will never thirst again."
Abu Dharr reported a similar saying, but gave details that its length is the distance between Aden and Syria, and that streams from the Garden flow into it.