bringing witnesses upon the people

‘Abdullah bin Hamoud al-Furaih


bringing witnesses upon the people
Allah Almighty watches over His slaves. Nothing is hidden from Him. He does not need witnesses over His slaves for what they have done but in His complete justice, establishing judgement upon the people and variety in proving that, He has placed witnesses upon people. Those witnesses are of various types so that they can establish judgement and vary the witnesses upon them according to their types:
1-Witnesses from the angels
Allah Almighty said:
﴿ وَجَاءتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّعَهَا سَائِقٌ وَشَهِيدٌ ﴾
“And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness” [Qaf: 21]


Ibn Katheer (may Allah be pleased with him) (said) about this verse: “meaning that the King will drive him to the gathering and the King will witness upon him with his deeds. This is visible from the noble verse and it is the choice of Ibn Jarir.”[1]


2. Witnesses from the Prophets PBUT
Allah Almighty says:
﴿ فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَـؤُلاء شَهِيداً ﴾
“So how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and we bring you, [O Muhammad] against these [people] as a witness?” [Al Nisa: 41]

﴿ وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيداً ثُمَّ لاَ يُؤْذَنُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَلاَ هُمْ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ ﴾
“And [mention] the Day when We will resurrect from every nation a witness. Then it will not be permitted to the disbelievers [to apologize or make excuses], nor will they be asked to appease [ Allah ].” [Al Nahl: 84]


3.Witnesses from the community of Mohammed (peace be upon him) over the creation
That is when the Messengers witness upon their communities. They will be witnesses over their communities so they will lie about them and reject what the Messengers came with as they lied about them in the world. They will say “no Prophet came to us” so the community of Mohammed (peace be upon him) will witness for the Messengers. Allah Almighty said:
﴿ وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيداً عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُـونُوا شُهَـدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ فَنِعْمَ الْمَـوْلَى وَنِعْـمَ النَّصِيرُ ﴾
“And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah . He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.” [Al Hajj: 78]


And He said:
﴿ وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطاً لِّتَكُونُواْ شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيداً ﴾
“And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you.” [Al Baqara: 143]


In Sahih Al Bukhari, there is the Hadith of Sa`id (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Noah and his nation will come (on the Day of Resurrection and Allah will ask (Noah), "Did you convey (the Message)?' He will reply, 'Yes, O my Lord!' Then Allah will ask Noah's nation, 'Did Noah convey My Message to you?' They will reply, 'No, no prophet came to us.' Then Allah will ask Noah, 'Who will stand a witness for you?' He will reply, 'Muhammad and his followers (will stand witness for me).' So, I and my followers will stand as witnesses for him (that he conveyed Allah's Message)." That is, (the interpretation) of the Statement of Allah:
﴿ وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ﴾
"And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people…"
“Wasat” is “justice”[2]


4.Witnesses of our Prophet (peace be upon him) over his community
Allah Almighty said:
﴿ وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ﴾
"And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people…" [Al Baqara: 143]


And the Almighty said:
﴿ وَفِي هَذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيداً عَلَيْكُمْ ﴾
“And in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you” [Al Hajj: 78]


5.The earth will be a witness of what deeds were done on it
Even the objects are witnesses as the Almighty says:
﴿ يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا * بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَىٰ لَهَا ﴾

“That Day, it will report its news. Because your Lord has commanded it. ”[Al Zalzala: 4-5]


6.The limbs will be witnesses upon their owners from the disbelievers
The details of this witnessing preceded and the proof for it in the explanation of the situation of the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection. The Almighty said:
﴿ وَيَوْمَ يُحْشَرُ أَعْدَاء اللَّهِ إِلَى النَّارِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ * حَتَّى إِذَا مَا جَاؤُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ * َقَالُوا لِجُلُودِهِمْ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمْ عَلَيْنَا قَالُوا أَنطَقَنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ خَلَقَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴾
“And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day when the enemies of Allah will be gathered to the Fire while they are [driven] assembled in rows. Until, when they reach it, their hearing and their eyes and their skins will testify against them of what they used to do. And they will say to their skins, "Why have you testified against us?" They will say, "We were made to speak by Allah , who has made everything speak; and He created you the first time, and to Him you are returned.” [Fussilat: 19-21]


7.Witnesses upon oneself
From that there is the situation of the disbeliever when they witness disbelief upon themselves. Allah Almighty said:
﴿ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاء يَوْمِكُمْ هَـذَا قَالُواْ شَهِدْنَا عَلَى أَنفُسِنَا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَشَهِدُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ كَافِرِينَ ﴾
“O company of Jinn and mankind, did there not come to you messengers from among you, relating to you My verses and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "We bear witness against ourselves"; and the worldly life had deluded them, and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.” [Al Anaam: 130]


8.The greatest witness: the witness of Allah Almighty over His slaves
What a great witness it is for every big and small deed for the situation of a person. How great Allah is and how great is His knowledge, His Highness. He said:
﴿ وَمَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُو مِنْهُ مِن قُرْآنٍ وَلاَ تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلاَّ كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُوداً إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ وَمَا يَعْـزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقـَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ فِي السَّمَـاء وَلاَ أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَلِكَ وَلا أَكْـبَرَ إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِـينٍ ﴾
“And, [O Muhammad], you are not [engaged] in any matter or recite any of the Qur'an and you [people] do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it. And not absent from your Lord is any [part] of an atom's weight within the earth or within the heaven or [anything] smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear register.” [Yunus: 61]


And He said:
﴿ سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ * أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّحِيطٌ ﴾
“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness? [Fussilat: 53]


So what witness will you meet over your movements and life –in fact, in every situation of your life and deeds? What monitoring do you feel when you are in your world? It is your Lord who has knowledge of all things, so appreciate Him as He should be appreciated


The eighth principle: establishing the scales and weighing the deeds
The discussion of the scales will come in detail in its own chapter by the grace of Allah. These are the principles that will be in the reckoning. We ask Allah to make the reckoning easy

[1] Look at: Tafseer Ibn Katheer for this verse (4/225)

[2] Narrated by Al Bukhari number (3339)