The end of death
Finally, after the people of Paradise have entered Paradise and the people of Hell have entered Hell, death itself will be brought in the form of a ram and slaughtered.
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said:
ؤْتَى بِالْمَوْتِ كَهَيْئَةِ كَبْشٍ أَمْلَحَ فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ، فَيَشْرَئِبُّونَ وَيَنْظُرُونَ فَيَقُولُ هَلْ تَعْرِفُونَ هَذَا فَيَقُولُونَ نَعَمْ هَذَا الْمَوْتُ، وَكُلُّهُمْ قَدْ رَآهُ، ثُمَّ يُنَادِي يَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ، فَيَشْرَئِبُّونَ وَيَنْظُرُونَ، فَيَقُولُ هَلْ تَعْرِفُونَ هَذَا فَيَقُولُونَ نَعَمْ هَذَا الْمَوْتُ، وَكُلُّهُمْ قَدْ رَآهُ، فَيُذْبَحُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ، خُلُودٌ فَلاَ مَوْتَ، وَيَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ، خُلُودٌ فَلاَ مَوْتَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ {وَأَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ} وَهَؤُلاَءِ فِي غَفْلَةٍ أَهْلُ الدُّنْيَا {وَهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ}”
On the Day of Resurrection Death will be brought forward in the shape of a black and white ram. Then a call maker will call, ‘O people of Paradise!’ Thereupon they will stretch their necks and look carefully. The caller will say, ‘Do you know this?’ They will say, ‘Yes, this is Death.’ By then all of them will have seen it. Then it will be announced again, ‘O people of Hell!’ They will stretch their necks and look carefully. The caller will say, ‘Do you know this?’ They will say, ‘Yes, this is Death.’ And by then all of them will have seen it. Then it (that ram) will be slaughtered and the caller will say, ‘O people of Paradise! Eternity for you and no death O people of Hell! Eternity for you and no death.”‘ Then the Prophet, recited:– ‘And warn them of the Day of distress when the case has been decided, while (now) they are in a state of carelessness (i.e. the people of the world) and they do not believe.’ (19.39)
(Bukhari)
This means life in the Hereafter will never end. For the people of Paradise, it will be an everlasting joy without fear or sadness. For the people of Hell, it will be a never-ending punishment.
Intercession and the final judgment
The people who enter Paradise will be immensely grateful.
وَنَزَعۡنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنۡ غِلّٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهِمُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۖ وَقَالُواْ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي هَدَىٰنَا لِهَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهۡتَدِيَ لَوۡلَآ أَنۡ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُۖ لَقَدۡ جَآءَتۡ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ وَنُودُوٓاْ أَن تِلۡكُمُ ٱلۡجَنَّةُ أُورِثۡتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ
They shall say, “Praise be to Allah, Who guided us to this, and we wouldn’t be guided had Allah not guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord had come with the truth.” And they will be called, “This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do.”
(Al Araf 7:43)
They will be grateful for all the means Allah bestowed to them in their life that lead them to Paradise, whether, it was a teacher whom Allah willed for them to meet, or a book they came across, or a fellow brother or sister who helped them another point in their journey. They will acknowledge and thank Allah for all the means through which He guided them.
The people of Jannah will also testify the truth that came from previous messengers and they will confirm it. Every nation truthfully followed their prophet. It will be announced to them on that day, that this is the Paradise they have inherited.
When all people are gathered and their records shown, everyone will realise that no one can help them except Allah. The Prophet ﷺ, the angels, and the righteous will only be allowed to speak or intercede if Allah gives them permission.
يَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّا تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَٰعَةُ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُۥ قَوۡلٗا
On that Day, no intercession will be of any use, except for the one for whom the Most Merciful has granted permission and whose word He accepts.
(Ta Ha 20:109)
This means no idol, saint, or leader can rescue anyone, only those whom Allah allows will be able to speak on behalf of others. Even then, they can only help those whom Allah chooses to forgive.
Allah reminds us of His perfect knowledge and justice:
يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٗا
He knows what is before them and what will be after them, but they will never encompass any part of His knowledge. All faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the One who sustains everything. Whoever carried wrongdoing will be lost, but whoever does good deeds while believing will have no fear of injustice or loss.
(Ta ha 20:110–112)
This shows that Allah’s judgment will be absolutely fair, no one will be wronged or have their reward reduced. Those who lived with faith and righteousness will be completely safe.
Intercession of believers
The believers will intercede for each other. Those who are a higher level they will ask for the others to be taken up with them. They will carry each other unlike the disbelievers who will drop each other.
The Prophet ﷺ isn’t the only one who will intercede. Good friends will also be able to. He ﷺ said:
مَا مُجَادَلَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ فِي الْحَقِّ يَكُونُ لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا بِأَشَدَّ مُجَادَلَةً مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِرَبِّهِمْ فِي إِخْوَانِهِمْ الَّذِينَ أُدْخِلُوا النَّارَ قَالَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا إِخْوَانُنَا كَانُوا يُصَلُّونَ مَعَنَا وَيَصُومُونَ مَعَنَا وَيَحُجُّونَ مَعَنَا فَأَدْخَلْتَهُمْ النَّارَ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ اذْهَبُوا فَأَخْرِجُوا مَنْ عَرَفْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ قَالَ فَيَأْتُونَهُمْ فَيَعْرِفُونَهُمْ بِصُوَرِهِمْ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَخَذَتْهُ النَّارُ إِلَى أَنْصَافِ سَاقَيْهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَخَذَتْهُ إِلَى كَعْبَيْهِ فَيُخْرِجُونَهُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا قَدْ أَخْرَجْنَا مَنْ أَمَرْتَنَا قَالَ وَيَقُولُ أَخْرِجُوا مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَزْنُ دِينَارٍ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَزْنُ نِصْفِ دِينَارٍ حَتَّى يَقُولَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَزْنُ ذَرَّةٍ
‘None of you disputes more intensely for something that is rightly his in this world, than the believers will dispute with their Lord for their brothers who have entered the Fire. They will say: ‘Our Lord, our brothers used to pray with us and fast with us, and perform Hajj with us, and you have caused them to enter the Fire?’ He will say: ‘Go and bring forth whomever you recognise among them.’ So they will go to them, and will recognise them by their appearances. Among them will be those who have been seized by the Fire up to the middle of their shins, and some among them those whom it has taken up to his ankles. They will bring them forth, then they will say: ‘Our Lord, we have brought forth those whom You commanded us (to bring forth).’ He will say: ‘Bring forth everyone in whose heart is faith the weight of a Dinar.’ Then He will say: ‘Everyone in whose heart is faith the weight of half a Dinar,’ until He will say: ‘In whose heart is faith the weight of the smallest speck.’” Abu Sa’eed said: “Whoever does not believe this, let him read the Verse: ‘Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills up to a tremendous (sin).’
(Nasa’i)
This is the importance of having the right companions around you. They will intercede for you in Jannah. When they miss you, they will ask for you. And the Prophet ﷺ will intercede for all of us. So be careful in your friends and your decisions. We ask Allah to enable us to be among the righteous people and among the people of Jannah.
The angels will intercede, the Prophets will intercede, and the believers will intercede. Then the Most Merciful will say: ‘Now remains My intercession,’ and He will take out of the Fire whomever He wills.”
(Muslim and Ahmad)
Thus, intercession is hierarchical – first the Prophet ﷺ, then angels and Prophets, then righteous believers, and finally Allah Himself who will show mercy to whomever He wills.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
يُشَفَّعُ الشَّهِيدُ فِي سَبْعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ
The intercession of a martyr will be accepted for seventy members of his family.
(Abu Dawoud and Ibn Majah)
Other narrations mention that the righteous will be allowed to intercede for their family members and companions.
In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:
اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شَفِيعًا لأَصْحَابِهِ اقْرَءُوا الزَّهْرَاوَيْنِ الْبَقَرَةَ وَسُورَةَ آلِ عِمْرَانَ فَإِنَّهُمَا تَأْتِيَانِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كَأَنَّهُمَا غَمَامَتَانِ أَوْ كَأَنَّهُمَا غَيَايَتَانِ أَوْ كَأَنَّهُمَا فِرْقَانِ مِنْ طَيْرٍ صَوَافَّ تُحَاجَّانِ عَنْ أَصْحَابِهِمَا
Recite the Qur’an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite It. Recite the two bright ones, al-Baqara and Surah Al ‘Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds or two shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for those who recite them.
(Muslim)
الصِّيَامُ وَالْقُرْآنُ يَشْفَعَانِ لِلْعَبْدِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَقُولُ الصِّيَامُ أَيْ رَبِّ مَنَعْتُهُ الطَّعَامَ وَالشَّهَوَاتِ بِالنَّهَارِ فَشَفِّعْنِي فِيهِ وَيَقُولُ الْقُرْآنُ مَنَعْتُهُ النَّوْمَ بِاللَّيْلِ فَشَفِّعْنِي فِيهِ قَالَ فَيُشَفَّعَانِ
Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for the servant. Fasting will say: ‘O Lord, I prevented him from food and desires by day, so allow me to intercede for him,’ and the Qur’an will say: ‘I prevented him from sleep by night, so allow me to intercede for him.’
(Ahmad and ibn Hakim)
Deceased children will come to fetch their parents and bring them to Paradise. It is recorded in Muslim that when one of them will meet their father or parent at the gates of Paradise and take hold of his garment, and they will not let go until Allah admits him to Paradise.
The final outcome
When judgment is complete, every soul will know exactly where it stands. Allah says:
Those whose good deeds outweigh their bad will be welcomed into gardens of peace, safety, and joy, where they will never feel tired, afraid, or sad again. Those whose deeds were full of pride, cruelty, or disbelief will fall into the punishment they earned.
And through it all, Allah will be perfectly just. Not a single good deed will be lost, nor a single wrong deed forgotten. Every word, intention, and action will have its result.