A Different Dimension
Assalamu alaikum, today's post is the first part of my notes from Lesson 183 of the Commentary of al Tajrid al Sarih (Book of Funerals, The Abridged Saheeh al-Bukhari) which was delivered by our respected teacher Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq on Friday 8th February 2008. In this lesson, we studied ahadeeth 694-697. The notes below are for hadeeth 694.
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باب: الميت يُعْرَضُ عَلَيهِ مقعده بِالغَدَاةِ وَالعَشِي
CHAPTER 45. The deceased is shown his actual place (in Paradise or in Hell) both in the morning and in the afternoon.
694. عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا: أَنّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: (إِنّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا مَاتَ, عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ مَقْعَدُهُ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيّ, إِنْ كانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الجَنّةِ فَمِنْ أَهْلِ الجَنّةِ, وَإِنْ كانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النّارِ فَمِنْ أَهْلِ النّارِ, فَيُقَالُ: هذَا مَقْعَدُكَ حَتّى يَبْعَثَكَ اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ). رواه البخاري 1379 .
Narrated 'Abdullâh bin 'Umar رضى الله عنهما : Allâh's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, When anyone of you dies, he is shown his place both in the morning and in the afternoon. If he is one of the people of Paradise; he is shown his place in it, and if he is from the people of the Hellfire; he is shown his place therein. Then it is said to him, 'This is your place till Allâh resurrect you on the Day of Resurrection.' (2:461O.B)
In this hadeeth, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم informs us that when anyone dies (believer or non-believer) then each morning and evening his seat (where he is destined to ultimately go) i.e. his place either in paradise or in the hellfire is revealed to him. He is constantly reminded of his ultimate destiny. There are a number of points we need to understand about this hadeeth such as ‘morning and evening’.
When a person passes away they are in a different dimension altogether .Our reality is different and their reality is different. The things we perceive, feel and sense are real as are the things which they perceive, feel and sense; just because we can’t see any tell-tale signs of this, it does not mean that it is not happening.
And when Allah سبحانه وتعالى will withhold the soul at the time of death for it to be never released again, then the experience for it is real; despite being in a completely different dimension and universe the experience will be real and the punishment will be real. The soul will physically feel the pain and the torment; similarly for the good soul pleasure will also be felt for real. In the lesson, the respected Shaykh said he would suffice with just saying that for the deceased it is quite simply a different dimension without elaborating on this further.
Some people in the past have questioned whether the deceased person has any concept of time, morning or evening, especially as there is no sun or other factors pertaining to morning and evening as we understand it in the worldly life. Again, we accept exactly as it is; morning and evening as Allah سبحانه وتعالى has destined for them. In fact, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Quran that their food and their sustenance will be brought to them morning and evening. Thus, there will be a morning and evening in Jannah and there will be morning and evening in the grave; how is this? It is a different dimension, so each morning and evening the place of the person, the person’s ultimate place and abode and destiny is exposed and shown to them. The deceased person is reminded of it.
We learn that if someone is destined for the hellfire for eternity then their place will be shown to them. The question we can ask is what of the believer who is destined to suffer in the hellfire for a short period for the sins that they have committed, but will ultimately go to Jannah (once their sins have been purged and they have been cleaned and purified); so will they be shown their place of the fire or they will be shown their place of Jannah? Ultimately they will be shown their place of Jannah. But they may also be reminded of Jahannam (Allah knows best) but we are discussing the ultimate destiny in this hadeeth. They will be reminded of their ultimate destiny till Allah سبحانه وتعالى resurrects them on the day of judgment.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم informs us that when anyone dies (believer or non-believer) then each morning and evening his seat (where he is destined to ultimately go) i.e. his place either in paradise or in the hellfire is revealed to him. He is constantly reminded of his ultimate destiny. There are a number of points we need to understand about this hadeeth such as ‘morning and evening’.
When a person passes away they are in a different dimension altogether .Our reality is different and their reality is different. The things we perceive, feel and sense are real as are the things which they perceive, feel and sense; just because we can’t see any tell-tale signs of this, it does not mean that it is not happening.
And when Allah سبحانه وتعالى will withhold the soul at the time of death for it to be never released again, then the experience for it is real; despite being in a completely different dimension and universe the experience will be real and the punishment will be real. The soul will physically feel the pain and the torment; similarly for the good soul pleasure will also be felt for real. In the lesson, the respected Shaykh said he would suffice with just saying that for the deceased it is quite simply a different dimension without elaborating on this further.
Some people in the past have questioned whether the deceased person has any concept of time, morning or evening, especially as there is no sun or other factors pertaining to morning and evening as we understand it in the worldly life. Again, we accept exactly as it is; morning and evening as Allah سبحانه وتعالى has destined for them. In fact, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Quran that their food and their sustenance will be brought to them morning and evening. Thus, there will be a morning and evening in Jannah and there will be morning and evening in the grave; how is this? It is a different dimension, so each morning and evening the place of the person, the person’s ultimate place and abode and destiny is exposed and shown to them. The deceased person is reminded of it.
We learn that if someone is destined for the hellfire for eternity then their place will be shown to them. The question we can ask is what of the believer who is destined to suffer in the hellfire for a short period for the sins that they have committed, but will ultimately go to Jannah (once their sins have been purged and they have been cleaned and purified); so will they be shown their place of the fire or they will be shown their place of Jannah? Ultimately they will be shown their place of Jannah. But they may also be reminded of Jahannam (Allah knows best) but we are discussing the ultimate destiny in this hadeeth. They will be reminded of their ultimate destiny till Allah سبحانه وتعالى resurrects them on the day of judgment.
