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Shi’as Go To Heaven
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi
The Prophet of Allah (S) will intercede on behalf of his ummah, the following. The Imams (as) too will recommend for the deliverance of their followers, the Shi’as. Some mu’mins, pious persons too, will take the cause of their friends for pardon. The number of such persons will be equal to the combined population of Rabeah and Mudar. Some mu’min will only vouch for the one who served him in his life.
The Prophet (S) said that, three types of people will try to intercede on behalf of their friends on the Day of Judgment. Firstly, the Prophets (S), then the ulama (the learned scholars) and thirdly, the Shohada (the martyrs).
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) that Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as) asked the Prophet (S) about the Verse of the Holy Qur’an “That day We shall resurrect the pious (muttaqi) persons in a group in the Presence of the merciful Allah.” The Prophet (S) said, “O ‘Ali (as)! This group was abstinent in the world and therefore is dear to Allah. Allah praised their actions and gave them the title of Muttaqi—the pious! O ‘Ali (as)! By Allah, these persons will rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection, in a way that their faces will be shining white like the snow, they will be in shining raiment and wearing golden footwear studded with pearls. The angels will fetch carriages for them to travel through Mahshar, the Place of Judgement.
With every carriage there will be a thousand angels. They will bring them very respectfully to the gate of the Heaven. Near the gate there will be a tree. Under each leaf of that tree one hundred thousand persons can take shelter. To the right of the tree will be a sweet water lake from which the persons will quench their thirst. The water has a special quality of removing the feelings of anger and jealousy from the nature of a person and the superfluous hair will fall from the body of the person who drinks it. Therefore, Allah says in the Holy Book, “And Allah will make them drink a pure beverage that will wipe away their outward and latent defects.”
Then they will reach another lake that is on the left side of the tree. The lake is called Mahrul-Hayat- the Lake of Life. The persons will take a bath in the lake. The water of this lake has a special effect that it makes the bather immortal. They will be forever free from any pain or ailment. Then Allah will order His angels to admit the persons to the Heaven. When the angels bring them to the gate of the Heaven, then the houris specially created by Allah for them will receive them and will welcome the new arrivals. The consorts of these people and the other inmates of the Heaven will then say, “Welcome! We were eagerly awaiting your arrival!” The new arrivals too will greet their friends in the Heaven.” When the Prophet (S) reached this point, Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as) asked, “Who these people are?” The Prophet (S) said, “This is the group of Shi’as of whom you are the Imam!”
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) that the Prophet of Allah (S) said, “On the Day of Judgment a herald will announce, ‘Where are the people who are patient and forbearing?’ At that time one group would come forward. The angels will ask them respectfully, “How did you practice forbearance?” They will reply, “We kept ourselves away from disobedience of Allah and kept our conscience free of sinful thoughts.” Then a voice will come, ‘They are telling the truth! Without taking any account of their deeds, they may be admitted to the Heaven!’ then another herald would cry, ‘Who are people of fadl (excellence)?’ Another group would come forward and the angels will receive them with respect. And ask them, ‘What is the excellence in you that you have achieved this position?’ They will say, ‘The enemies of Allah used to torture us, to heap insults and indignities on us. We bore all that with equanimity and always prayed for their reform!’
Then a voice will come, ‘These are truthful persons! Admit them to the Heaven!’ Then the herald will call, ‘Where are the neighbors?’ Then another group of people would come forward. The angels will ask them, ‘What good deed you have done to earn the privilege of being termed the neighbors of Allah?’ They will reply, ‘In the world we strived hard to keep good relations with our pious neighbor to please Allah. We treated them like brothers and went to help them in times of need!’ A voice said, ‘These are truthful persons! Admit them to the Heaven!’ Then the Prophet of Allah (S) added, ‘These persons will be the neighbors of the prophets and the Vicegerents (as). Other people will be subject to the hardships of the Day of Judgment, but these will not have any fear. All others will be required for their deeds in the world, but this group would be admitted into the Heaven without undergoing the accounting process!”
Liwaa al-Hamd: The Standard
Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) narrates that on the Day of Judgment the Divine favor of Allah will be of such intensity that even the Satan will wish to be a recipient of it.
Reliable sources narrate from the Prophet of Islam (S), “O ‘Ali (as)! You will be the first to enter the Heaven. You will have the Liwaa al-Hamd, the Standard, in your hand. This standard will consist of a thousand flags. Each flag will be larger than the sun and the moon.
One narration is that the Prophet (S) said to Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as), O ‘Ali (as)! You will be the first to be summoned on the Day of Judgment. You will be given the Liwaa al-Hamd. All the people on the Day of Resurrection will line up on both sides. You will pass through the middle of these rows with the Standard. The staff of the standard will be of silver and the top will be of red rubies. The length of the flag will be equal to the distance that can be traversed in one thousand years.
Prophet Adam (as) and all the other prophets (as) will be under this flag. It will have three flanks, one to the East, the second to the West and the third covering all the worlds. They will have three lines written on them. The first will be,’ Bism Illah ar Rahman ir Rahim’, the second, ‘Alhamdu Lillahi Rabil aalamin’ and the third, ‘La ilaha il Allah Muhammadan Rasool Allah’. Every line will be equal to the distance traversed in a thousand years. The width too will be of the same dimension. O ‘Ali (as)! You will be my Standard Bearer! Imam Hasan (as) will be on your right and Imam Husayn (as) will be on the left. You will thus reach me in the shade of the Arsh (the Empyrean Throne of Allah).A garment from the Heaven will be provided to you to wear. At that time the herald would announce,’ Your father, Ibrahim (as) is an exemplary father and your brother ‘Ali (as), too is the best of brothers!’”
It is narrated from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) that the Prophet of Islam (S) has said, “When you pray (ask for boons), do it through my Wasila (mediation)! The people asked, “What is the Wasila?” The Prophet (S) replied, “Allah has earmarked a position for me in the Heaven. That is called the Wasila. It has four stages. Each stage is equivalent to the distance that can be traversed in a thousand years on the back of a fast steed. One of the stages is topaz, one ruby, another of pearls and the fourth of gold and silver.
On the Day of Judgment the Stages of my Wasila, along with those of the other Prophets (as) will be brought. My Wasila will radiate then like the moon. All the Prophets (as) will say that the one who has such shining stages of his Wasila is very fortunate! At that time the herald would announce, “This Stage is that of Muhammad bin Abd Allah (S)!” I shall reach there in raiment of light, with a crown on my head! ‘Ali (as) will be in my front carrying Lava al Hamd. The standard will have inscribed on it,’ la ilaha Ilallaho Mohammadun Rasool Allahi muflehoona humul fayezoon?” I shall be one Stage above that on which ‘Ali (as) will be stationed. All the Privileged Persons of Allah will say, ‘How superior are these two persons!’ A sound will come, ‘They are My Habib (Friend), Mohammad (S) and Wali (the Vicegerent), ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (as). Fortunate are those who are their friends and accursed are their enemies!’”
Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali’s Authority
The prophet (S) will tell to Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as) at this juncture, “Hearing this announcement your friends will be beside themselves with joy and your enemies, who usurped your rights, will be shivering in fear. The faces of the enemies will turn black in mortification. Then two angels, Ridwan, the Keeper of the Heaven and Malik, the chief of the Hell will approach and greet me. I will ask them, who they were. Ridwan would say, ‘O Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as)! I am the Keeper of the Heaven and have come to give you the key to the Gate of the Heaven.’ Taking the key I will thank Allah for giving me the privilege. Then the keeper of the hell, Malik, would greet me and introduce himself to me thus, ‘I am the Keeper of the Hell and have come to you to handover its key to you.’ Taking the key, I will again thank Allah for the privilege bestowed on me.
Then I will hand over the keys to you and you will stand near the wall of the Hell. The nose-rope of the Hell will be in your hand. Hell will complain to you that with your Noor (the light) its fire was getting cold. You will then say, ‘O Hell! Take care! Beware of taking in our friends! Admit our foes into your precincts and punish them!’”
Then the Prophet (S) said, “By Allah! On that day, the Hell would be more submissive to ‘Ali (as) than your slaves are submissive to you now!”
It is imperative on every Muslim that he believes that one day, with Allah’s Orders, the earth, the sky, the mountains and everything thereon will perish. The dead would then resurrect and be assembled for giving account of their deeds.
The Pressure of the Grave, the Questioning by Munkir and Nakeer will all take place when the dead are resurrected. Thereafter the spirits of the pious would be transferred to exemplary bodies and will be sent to the worldly Heaven and sometimes they will go to Wadi as Salam located in the wilderness near Najaf. When people visit their graves, they would know about it. The spirits of the infidels and hypocrites will be made captive in exemplary bodies and subjected to hardship. They will be sent to the Valley of Barhoot where they will suffer till the Day of Judgment. This, for all the dead, is the period of Barzakh, or Interregnum prior to the final Day of Judgement. About Barzakh, more later.
The Prophet of Islam (as) says, “O Abu Dharr! On the Doomsday, the worst person in the view of Allah will be one who has neither derived benefit from his knowledge nor has he transmitted it to others. Therefore, one who pursues search for knowledge just to awe others and to be recognized as their superior, would not even get to smell the fragrance of the Heaven!
O Abu Dharr! If people ask you of a thing you don’t know, own your ignorance frankly. Because, otherwise you may be subject to Allah’s wrath on the Day of Judgment! O Abu Dharr! The inmates of the Heaven will ask the inmates of Hell, ‘What has brought you to the Hell; though your own disciples are in the Heaven!’ They will say, ‘We preached about being virtuous but in practice we ourselves were not virtuous.”
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