19 April 2015: Suleiman* and Bilqees, Fear on the Day of Judgment

19 April 2015: Suleiman* and Bilqees, Fear on the Day of Judgment

Lives of the Prophets: Suleiman*

The Queen of Sheba Sends Gifts
The queen was very disturbed and hurriedly summoned her advisors. They reacted as to a challenge, for they felt that there was someone challenging them, hinting at war and defeat, and asking them to submit to his conditions. They told her that they could only offer advice, but it was her right to command action. She sensed that they wanted to meet Suleiman's invasion threat with a battle. However, she told them: "Peace and friendship are better and wiser; war only brings humiliation, enslaves people and destroys the good things. I have decided to send gifts to Suleiman, selected from our most precious treasure. The courtiers who will deliver the gifts will also have an opportunity to learn about Suleiman and his military mighty."

Reasons for War
The Queen made an observation based upon her experience and reading of history whereby when kings invade different lands they do it for resources, power and money. Afterwards, they destroy the previous government and often kill subjugate the previous ruling elite, and promote the lowly minority to help them maintain power.
This observation is still true today when most people/countries go to war they do so for material benefit, and lay waste to the country conquered and install their own puppets to maintain their control and interest.
This is evident from recent history when imperial countries like Britain or America invade countries it is never for peace, freedom, democracy or other slogans but rather to gain their resources. Neither should we accept the slogan that Western countries are peace loving because they are far from that as can be seen over the last few hundred years. In fact, since America came into existence it has constantly been at war with other countries apart from about 20 years of its existence! They cannot claim to be peace loving when they are in fact a warmongering nation.
War should in fact be a last resort once every other means for peace has been exhausted. However, in the military mindset of modern Western governments war is often the first option! In Islam however, war is always a last resort and there are only two main justifications for fighting war – either in self-defence or to remove obstacles that are preventing the spread of Islam through dawah.

Suleiman's Rejects the Queen's Gifts
Suleiman's reconnaissance team brought him the news of the arrival of Bilqees' messengers with a gift. The envoys of Bilqees, entering amidst the well-equipped army, realized that their wealth was nothing in comparison to that of the kingdom of Suleiman's. They eagerly presented their queen's precious gifts and told Suleiman that the queen wished that he would accept them as an act of friendship. They were shocked by his reaction: he did not even ask to open the covers of the containers! He told them: "Allah has given me plenty of wealth, a large kingdom, and prophethood. I am, therefore, beyond bribery. My only objective is to spread the belief in Tawheed, the Oneness of Allah." He also directed them to take back the gifts to the queen and to tell her that if she did not stop her kind of worship he would uproot her kingdom and drive its people out of the land.

The Queen Decides to Visit Suleiman
The queen's envoys returned with the gifts and delivered the message. They and told her of the wonderful things they had seen. Instead of taking offense, she decided to visit Suleiman. Accompanied by her royal officials and servants, she left Sheba. Suleiman asked the jinns who worked for him whether anyone among them could bring her throne to his palace before she arrived. One of them said; "I will bring it to you before this court session is over." Another offer also came: "I will fetch it for you in the twinkling of an eye!" No sooner had this one - who had the knowledge of the Book - finished his phrase than the throne stood before Suleiman. The mission had, indeed, been completed in the blinking of an eye. Suleiman's seat was in Palestine, and the throne of Bilqees had been in Yemen, two thousand miles away. This was a great event performed by one of those sitting with Suleiman. He asked them to make some minor modifications to test the queen, and he gave thanks to Allah for allowing this to happen.

The Queen's Visit with Suleiman
When Bilqees arrived at Suleiman's palace Suleiman asked her whether her throne looked like that one. She looked at it again and again. In her mind she was convinced that her throne could not possibly be the one she was looking at, as hers was in her palace; but, she detected a striking similarity and replied: "It is as if it were the very same."
Further information about how this throne was transported within a twinkling of an eye has not been documented and so we should not speculate about the nature of this occurrence or this book/knowledge since we have no further information other than what is mentioned in the Qur’an.
Suleiman judged that she was intelligent and diplomatic. He then invited her into the great hall, the floor of which was laid in glass and shimmering as if water flowed underneath. Thinking it was water, as she stepped on the floor, she lifted her skirt slightly above her heels, for fear of wetting it. Suleiman pointed out to her that it was made of solid glass. She was amazed. She had never seen such things before. Bilqees realized that she was in the company of a very knowledgeable person who was not only a ruler of a great kingdom but a messenger of Allah, as well. She repented, gave up sun worship, accepted the faith of Allah, and asked her people to do the same.
Further speculation about what happened after she became a Muslim is not warranted because it is not mentioned in the Koran and so we should not do a disservice to Prophet Suleiman by perpetuating myths and stories that have little foundation in Islam.

Suleiman is Informed About the Queen of Sheba
Almighty Allah told us this story in the Quran:
"He inspected the birds, and said: "What is the matter that I see not a hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? I will surely punish him with a severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason."
But the hoopoe stayed not long, he came up and said: "I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Sheba with true news. I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds fair seeming to them, and has barred them from Allah's Way, so they have no guidance."
Al-La (this word has two interpretations) [As Satan has barred them from Allah's Way} so that they do not worship (prostrate before) Allah, or so that they may worship (prostrate before) Allah, Who brings light to what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne! (Suleiman) said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are one of the liars. Go with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what answer they return."
She said: "O chiefs! Verily! Here is a delivered to me a noble letter. Verily! It is from Suleiman and verily! It (reads): 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims (true believers who submit to Allah with full submission)."
She said: "O chiefs! Advise me in this case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me."
They said: "We have great strength, and great ability for war, but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command."
She said: "Verily! Kings, when they enter a town (country), they despoil it, and make the most honorable amongst its people low. And thus they do. But verily! I am going to send him a present, and see with what answer the messengers return."
So when (the messengers with the present) came to Suleiman, he said: "Will you help me in wealth? What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay, you rejoice in your gift!" (Then Suleiman said to the chief of her messengers who brought the present): "Go back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there is disgrace, and they will be abased."
He said: "O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience?"
An Ifrit (strong) from the jinns said: "I will bring it to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work."
One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: "I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!" then when Suleiman saw it placed before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord, to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for the good of his ownself, and whoever is ungrateful, he is ungrateful only for the loss of his ownself. Certainly! My Lord is Rich (Free of all wants), Bountiful!"
He said: "Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will be guided (to recognize her throne), or she will be one of those not guided."
So when she came, it was said to her: "Is your throne like this?"
She said: "It is as though it was the very same."
And Suleiman said: "Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we were submitted to Allah (in Islam as Muslims before her)."
And that which she used to worship besides Allah has prevented her from Islam, for she was of a disbelieving people.
It was said to her: "Enter As-Sarh" (a glass surface with water underneath it) or a palace, but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool, and she tucked up her clothes, uncovering her legs. Suleiman said: "Verily, it is Sarh paved smooth with slab of glass."
She said: "My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, and I submit (in Islam), together with Suleiman, to Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinns, and all that exists)." (TMQ 27:20-44)

 
Main Topic:
Descriptions of the Day of Judgment
 
The Day of Resurrection will be a Day of tremendous import and immense horror, the like of which mankind will never have seen. Several things point to the enormity of its terrors:
 
A great, heavy and hard day
Allah described that Day as being great, as being heavy, and as being hard. His description of it as such is sufficient for us to know that it is more serious than we can ever imagine.
“Think they not that they will be resurrected [for reckoning], On a Great Day, the Day when [all] mankind will stand before the Lord of the 'Aalameen [mankind, jinn and all that exists]?) (TMQ 83: 4-6)
“Verily, these [disbelievers] love the present life of this world, and put behind them a heavy Day [that will be hard]. (TMQ 76: 2 7)
“Truly, that Day will be a Hard Day - Far from easy for the disbelievers) (TMQ 74: 9-10)

The Fear that Day
The fear and terror which will befall mankind on that Day will be so great that the mother who would readily sacrifice herself for her infant will, on that Day, be heedless of him. Pregnant women will miscarry, and people will be like drunkards who have lost their senses.
“O' mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour [of Judgement] is a terrible thing. The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but severe will be the Torment of Allah) (TMQ 22: 1-2)
Because of the intensity of the terror, on that Day eyes will be not blinking and not looking to the right or the left. Because of their great fear, their hearts will be empty, not comprehending anything at all.
“Consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the Zaalimoon [polytheists, wrongdoers] do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror. [They will be] hastening forward with necks outstretched, their heads raised up [towards the sky], their gaze returning not towards them and their hearts empty [from thinking because of extreme fear]. (TMQ 14: 42-43)
Because of their extreme terror, the hearts of the evildoers will rise to their throats, but they will not come out, neither will they settle back in their places: 
“And warn them [O' Muhammad] of the Day that is drawing near [i.e. the Day of Resurrection], when the hearts will be choking the throats, and they can neither return them [hearts] to their chests nor can they throw them out..) (TMQ 40: 18)
Elsewhere, Allah describes what will happen to people's hearts and eyes on that Day:
“They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned [out of the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection]. (TMQ 24: 3 7)
“[Some] hearts that Day will shake with fear and anxiety. Their eyes will be downcast) (TMQ 79: 8-9)
It suffices to know that the hair of the child who has never committed sin will turn grey because of the intense horror of what he is seeing:
“Then how can you avoid the punishment, if you disbelieve, on a Day [i.e. the Day of Resurrection] that will make the children grey-headed? Whereon the heaven will be cleft asunder? His Promise is certainly to be accomplished) (TMQ 73: 1 7-18)
We ask Allah to give us peace and security on that day. Ameen.

Every Man for Himself
Blood ties (bonds of kinship) will be severed on the Day of Resurrection, as Allah says: “Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another) (TMQ 23: 101)
On that Day, each person will care only about himself, and will not think of anyone else. Indeed, a man will run from those who are dearest to him, from his brother, his mother, his father, his wife and his sons:
“Then when there comes As-Saakhkhah [the second blowing of the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection] - That Day shall a man flee from his brother, and from his mother and his father, and from his wife and his children. Every man that Day will have enough to make him careless of others) (TMQ 80: 33-3 7)
“O mankind! Be afraid of your Lord [by keeping your duty to Him and avoiding all evil], and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. Verily, the Promise of Allah is true .. ) (TMQ 31: 33)
“And fear a Day [of Judgement] when a person shall not avail another, nor will intercession be accepted from him nor will compensation be taken from him nor will they be helped) (TMQ 2: 48)

The Willingness to Sacrifice Anything
On the Day of Resurrection, the disbelievers will be prepared to give up everything to save themselves from the punishment. If they possessed everything on earth, they would try to ransom themselves with it. Even if they had as many times as what is on earth, they would not be able to ransom themselves with it. He will be prepared to sacrifice what he has, even if it were an earthful of gold, if that were possible, but Allah will not accept it from him.
“And if every person who had wronged [by disbelieving in Allah and by worshipping others besides Allah] possessed all that is on the earth and sought to ransom himself therewith [it will not be accepted] .. ) (TMQ 1O: 54)
“But those who answered not His Call [disbelieved in the Oneness of Allah and followed not His Messenger Muhammad], if they had all that is in the earth together with its like, they would offer it in order to save themselves [from the torment, but it will be in vain]. For them there will be the terrible reckoning .. ) (TMQ 13: 18)
“Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the [whole] earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them even if they offered it as a ransom. For them is a painful torment and they will have no helpers) (TMQ 3: 91)
Bukhari it is narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet* used to say:
"The non-believer will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection and it will be said to him, 'Do you think that if you had an earthful of gold that you would be able to ransom yourself with it?' He will say, 'Yes. ' It will be said to him, ' I used to ask you for less than that. "'
On that Day, things will be so bad for the non-believer that he will wish that he could send the most beloved of people to him to the Fire, in order to save himself from the torment: “ ... The Mujrim, [criminal, sinner, disbeliever] would desire to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by his children. And his wife and his brother, and his kindred who sheltered him, and all that are in the earth, so that it might save him. By no means! Verily, it will be the fire of Hell.) (TMQ 70: 11-15)
A non-believer will sacrifice anything for the sake of freeing himself. That non-believer who wasn’t willing to give Allah in this world will be willing to give the world and everything in it. Allah is not asking us for all of the gold in the world. They were asked for something easier than that (to join none in worship with Allah (i.e. to accept Islam, but they refused). Imagine your children. Imagine there is a burning building with blazing flames, and you throw your children and watch them burn in front of your eyes. I don’t think anyone can even imagine doing that, nevermind anything else. The horror of the Day of Judgment will be such that we will be willing to do even that – and more. We would be willing to give up our parents and everything that we have. By just seeing hellfire for one moment – it will change our state of mind.
If we will be willing to sacrifice our families that day, we need to give that day some effort while we are in this dunya. No matter what we give, it won’t be a lot. It’s going to be a little. That’s why The Prophet* says in an authentic hadith, “If one of you is being dragged on his face from the day that he is born until the day that he dies, and he is doing that for the sake of Allah, he would view that as insignificant and nothing on the day of judgment.” Not just sujood or dhikr – but being dragged on your face.

The Length of that Day
Allah tells us in the Qur’an of what happened in the past, and He also tells us of things that are set in the future. When we see the Day of Judgment, what will happen? Allah conveys to us some of the conversation in Jannah and in hell. Another indication of how terrible that Day will be is the fact that it will be so long. Allah says: “The angels and the Ruh, [Jibreel (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years. So be patient [O' Muhammad], with a good patience. Verily, they see it [the torment] afar off. But We see it [quite] near) (TMQ 70: 4-7)
The context of the ayaat (verses) clearly indicates that what is referred to here is the Day of Resurrection. Because that Day will be so long, on the Day of Resurrection, people will think that they only stayed in this world for a part of a day, as Allah says:
“And on the Day when He shall gather [resurrect] them together, [it will be] as if they had not stayed [in the life of this world and graves] but an hour of a day .. ) (TMQ 1O: 45)
“The Day they see it, [it will be] as if they had not tarried [in this world] except an afternoon or a morning) (TMQ 79: 46)
“We know very well what they will say, when the best among them in knowledge and wisdom will say: 'You stayed no longer than a day! ' (TMQ 20: 104)
“And on the Day that the Hour will be established, the Mujrimoon [criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners] will swear that they stayed not but an hour .. ) (TMQ 30: 55)
This indicates how short the life of this world is in comparison with the Hereafter, as Allah says: “He [Allah] will say: 'What number of years did you stay on earth?' They will say: 'We stayed a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep account. ' He [Allah] will say: 'You stayed not but a little, if you had only known! ' (TMQ 23: 112-114)
That’s why we ask Allah in the du’aa`: “Make the best day of our days, the day that we meet you.” That day is the most important of all days. Allah says, “When they see it.” We don’t see it now, so we underestimate it and don’t appreciate it.
Look at the advice that Luqman al-Hakim gives his son: “Serve the world according to the time you are going to spend in it and work for akhirah according to the time you’re going to spend in it.” We are not saying not to work in this world, just give it what it deserves and give the akhirah what it deserves. Even so, we will only enter Jannah by the Mercy of Allah – because whatever we do will not be enough the deserve eternity in Paradise.