“The day on which the trumpet shall be blown so you shall come forth in hosts, “(78:18)
It is mentioned in Tafsir Majmaul Bayan that Muaaz asked for the explanation of this verse from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) who replied, “You have asked a very important thing.” Then the eyes of the Holy Prophet became tearful.
He said, “On the Day of Judgement, my community (Ummah) will be divided into ten groups. God Almighty will cut all those ten from the Muslims. He will change theirs faces and appearances. Some will come in the shape of monkeys, some in the form of swines, hands and legs of some will be cut off, and some will be blind, some deaf and dumb. One of those groups will arrive in the grand field chewing their own tongues, dirt dripping from their lips the bad foul of which will make all restless.
One group will arrive upside down and will get punishment in the same position. One group will be hanging on branches of fire. One group will be spreading an obnoxious and foul smell, which will be worse than that of corpses. One group will be wearing shirts made of Qitraan, which will stick to their bodies.
People asked, “O Messenger of God! Who will be these people?”
Fate of Backbiters, Usurers and Corrupt People
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “Those who will assume the forms of monkeys will be backbiters. They create enmity between two parties and carry one’s talk to the other, and make them quarrel.”
“Those who will be seen as swines will be eaters of unlawful earning. For example, who give (in trade or business or bargaining) less then due, who are dishonest in their dealings with others and who mix up bad things with good to earn unlawfully and who usurp the properties of others. Those who will arrive on their heads will be eaters of interest, the usurers.
Those who will be chewing their own tongues will be the scholars who did not act according to what they taught to others, whose deeds were different from their words. They had given many sermons but never acted accordingly. Others had benefited from their advices and admonitions but they themselves had remained unfortunate and unlucky. Such scholars will chew their own tongues and will worry very much but to no avail.”
Those who Harassed Their Neighbours, the Oppressive Rulers and the Proud
“Those who will arrive with their hands and feet cut off will be those who had harassed their neighbours. Those who will come blind were oppressive rulers who did not do justice. Who were proud and self-centred will come dumb and deaf. Those who were putting innocent people to trouble by reporting falsely against them before rulers will be clinging to branches of fire. Foul smell will emanate from those who were gratifying their passions by resorting to unlawful sexual pleasures and also those who did not pay poor tax (Zakat or purifying deductions). Those who were making a show of their pomp by wearing clothes of pride will be, on that Day, wearing shirts of fire.”
It is mentioned in another tradition that there will also be some people with rods of fire in their eyes. They will be those who were casting their lustful eyes starring at prohibited men and women.
Offenders will be Recognised by their Faces in the Grand Gathering
Muhaddith Faiz quotes in his book Ainul Yaqeen, “When a drunkard will arrive in the Grand Gathering (Mahshar), a bottle of wine will be dangling from his neck and a cup of wine will be stuck to his hand. His body will be spreading obnoxious and foul smell, which will be worse than any dead body’s smell. All in the gathering will understand that this fellow was a drunkard in his worldly life. Everyone passing by him will curse him.”
The singers and musicians will have their music instruments in their hands, which will be hitting their heads. On that Day everyone will be recognized by his condition as to what he was in the world.
“The guilty shall be recognized by their marks, so they shall be seized by the forelocks and the feet. “(55:41)
How will they Walk with their Disfigured Faces?
In the aforesaid book it is also mentioned that some people will arrive with faces looking worse than the faces of monkeys and pigs. (These animals will seem good looking compared to them).
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said, “People will be made to come to the Mahshar field in three conditions: Some on backs of animals, some on foot and some on their own heads (upside down).” People asked, “O Messenger of Allah! How will they walk on their heads?” The Prophet replied, “The one who enabled them to walk on their feet in the world will also enable to walk on their heads.”
Hearts will Stick to Throats
“And warn them of the day that draws near, when hearts shall rise up to the throats, “(40:18)
The fear and fright of that terrible Day will make hearts jump from their chests and to stick to their throats. They (hearts) will neither go back to their original place (so that they may feel ease) nor they will jump out so that life may end and one may feel freed. On that Day people’s hearts will be full of worries and sorrows.
In short, the fear of that Day will make hearts jump from their chests and they will be sticking to throats and block the passage of breathing. This is a Divine Word of the Holy Qur’an. Lord Almighty has repeatedly warned of such a fear some day and also said that, on that Day, a brother will run away from his brother and hide his face from him. Man will keep distance from his own parents too and so also from his family members.
“The day on which a man shall fly from his brother, And his mother and his father, And his spouse and his son”(80:34-36)
In this Holy verse the Lord of the universe has described the frightful condition of man saying that the terrific fright will disrupt even the closest relations like that between man and wife, father and children and brothers and sisters. All relations will be cut off and everyone will worry breathlessly about himself or herself and will find no time to think about others. So, he will avoid everyone.
The reason for such avoidance could also be that he will fear the demand of their rights, which were trampled by him in the world. Man will become almost breathless. Despite such a big gathering the only voice audible on that Day will be like that of bees.
“On that day they shall follow the inviter, there is no crookedness in him, and the voices shall be low before the Beneficent God so that you shall not hear aught but a soft sound. “ (20:108)
The Fortunate Ones who will be Safe from the Fear of Qiyamat
There will also be some groups about whom the Holy Prophet has promised that they will be in safety and peace on that Day of Resurrection. One such group will be of those who became old and aged as Muslims. Giving honour and respect to such Muslims will provide safety and peace from the great calamity of Qiyamat.
If those (respectable) people were their weak aged parents, then giving respect to them will bring further peace. Secondly, help and assistance to poor and suffering people. If a man had helped such deserving persons, for instance had raised up a fallen man or had removed the worry of someone etc.( Safinatul Bihar, Vol. 2, p. 360 )
Reference:The Hereafter (Ma’ad)- Ayatullah Dastaghaib Shirazi