Answer
Short Answer:
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give Shade of His Throne on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne’s Shade: A just ruler; a youth who grew up worshipping Allah; a man whose heart is attached to mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left-hand does not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
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Walaykum Asalam wa Rahmat Allah, dear questioner,
Thank you so much for this question that shall serve as an important reminder for all readers, insha’Allah.
Judgment Day
It is important to know and remember the intensity of the situation on Judgment Day.
Al-Miqdad (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
“On the Day of Resurrection, the sun will come so close to people that there would be left only a distance of one mile.” Sulaim bin ‘Amir said: By Allah, I do not know whether he meant by “mile”, the mile of the distance measure or the stick used for applying antimony powder to the eye. [Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is also reported to have said:
‘The people then will be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds, some up to their ankles, some up to their knees, some up to the waist and some will have the bridle of perspiration (reaching their mouth and nose)’ While saying this, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, pointed to his mouth with his hand.” [Muslim]
7 Persons in the Shade of Allah’s Throne on Judgment Day
Now, your question is very important as it deals with what one can do to be safe and secure in this situation; and the answer to your question is mentioned also in the blessed Prophetic hadith.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give Shade of His Throne on the Day when there would be no shade other than His Throne’s Shade: A just ruler; a youth who grew up worshipping Allah; a man whose heart is attached to mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
In light of that, one must work hard to fall under at least one of these 7 categories.
Youth who grew up worshipping Allah
Many young people today think they could delay worshipping Allah and committing to the religion until after they grow old. And this is wrong first because no one can guarantee tomorrow or even guarantee waking up the next morning.
Second, even if one lived into old age, they’d miss the opportunity of living a blessed life in worshipful connection with The King in this life, and then earning His Shade and closeness in the next. Committing to Allah at the end “near death” is not as sincere as choosing to live a life of true love and commitment to the Creator.
A just ruler
If we ever come into a position of power, we need to make sure to do everything in our capacity to be just. No matter how long we live, there will come a Day when we return to the Ultimate Judge and He will make justice prevail on that Day, so we need to be on the side of justice and never lean towards injustice.
Allah tells us in the Quran, 4:58:
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.”
A man whose heart is attached to being in the mosque
Many brothers forget the major rewards that await them for praying in the mosques, and instead, they pray at home. Whereas The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said if a man goes out of his house after performing ablution with the intention to pray the prescribed prayer in congregation (in the mosque), his reward will be like that of one who goes for Hajj pilgrimage after wearing ihram (robe worn by the Hajj pilgrims). [Sunan Abi Dawud]
Two people who love one another for the pleasure of Allah
Two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the pleasure of Allah will be in the shade of Allah’s throne. Sometimes we forget this virtue and its rewards, so it is essential to revive the habit of sincerely loving our brothers and sisters in Islam for the pleasure of Allah and visiting them specifically for this purpose, not for any other desire or worldly gain.
A person who resists sexual temptation
A man who is seduced by an extremely beautiful woman (for illicit relations) who then rejects this offer by saying, “I fear Allah” will be in the shade of Allah’s throne on the Day of Judgment. We must remember that living as Muslims amidst all the immoral images people see on social media, like Instagram and Facebook, and TV—as well as in the streets today—is a major test for brothers, especially.
But the reward of guarding themselves and not indulging in these temptations will be something they’d pay everything in the world to get on the Day of Judgment. A little patience in this life will earn them eternal, indescribable rewards. So working hard in this area should be a goal.
A person who gives in charity and conceals it
We are to give in charity in such a way that our left-hand does not know what the right hand has given. That is to say that instead of publicizing the charities that we give and allowing any worldly praise to get into our hearts, we must work hard to conceal our charities. Doing so will make them more sincere and truly genuinely for the sake of Allah and His unrivaled rewards.
A person who remembers Allah in solitude
When someone goes away from people to sit alone and remembers Allah and then is moved to tears, Allah takes pleasure in that person. How often do we give ourselves the chance to be alone with Allah and His Book, listening to the Qur’an and reading it and allowing this to fill our hearts with peace, joy, serenity, and longing for our Creator, the Most Merciful?
This is something we must work on doing much more often for the immense peace it brings in this life and the next.
All of these acts have to do with controlling and disciplining the self, being sincere, and being truly loving to Allah Almighty. We show this when we prioritize Him over our own desires or worldly gains. If you remember all of this and try your best to fulfill what you can of them, then you have taken the means; and may Allah grant you and us His Shade on the Day of Judgment.
And Allah knows best.
I hope this helps.
Salam and please keep in touch.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
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