Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 37331 — The words of Abu al-Darda

Tamim bin Ghaylan relates that a man came to Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) during his illness and said: "O Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him)! You are surely at the edge of this world, so give me an instruction through which Allah Almighty will benefit me and by which I will remember you." Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "You are from a nation that has been pardoned. So establish the prayer, pay zakah if you have wealth, fast Ramadan and avoid indecencies, and then you have glad tidings." The man said this to Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) a second time, and Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said the same to him again. At this the man shook out his cloak and said: "Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We have made it clear to the people" up to His saying: "and those who curse will curse them." [Al-Baqarah: 159] So Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Bring him to me." The man came, and Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "What did you say?" The man said: "You are a man of knowledge. You have knowledge that I do not have. My intention was that you would tell me something through which Allah Almighty would benefit me, but you gave me only one answer." At this Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the man: "Sit down and understand what I am about to tell you. Where do you stand regarding the day on which you will have of the earth only a plot two cubits wide and four cubits long? Your family, who do not like to be separated from you, will bring you there, and your companions and brothers, who do not like to be separated from you, will bring you there. They will make a fine structure over you, pile plenty of earth on you, and leave you to that state. Then two curly-haired, black and blue angels will come to you, whose names will be Munkar and Nakir. These two will sit you up and ask you: 'What are you? What religion were you upon? And what do you say about this man?' If you say: 'By Allah, I do not know. I used to hear the people saying something, so I said what the people said,' then you are surely ruined and destroyed. And if you say: 'This is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah Almighty sent down His Book upon him, and I believed in him and in what he brought,' then you have surely been saved and rightly guided. And you will never be able to do this without steadfastness from Allah, while you will also be seeing severity and terror. Then where do you stand regarding the day on which you will have of the earth only a space the size of your two feet? It will be a day whose length is equal to fifty thousand years. On that day all people will stand before the Lord of the Worlds, there will be no shade except the shade of the Throne of the Lord of the Worlds, and the sun will be brought near. If you are among the people of the shade, then by Allah you are surely saved and guided, and if you are among the people of the sun, then by Allah you are surely ruined and destroyed. Then where do you stand regarding the day on which Hell will be brought, having enclosed both sides (the east and the west), and it will be said: 'You will never enter Paradise until you cross Hell'? If you have light, you will go straight across the Bridge, and then you are surely saved and guided. And if you do not have light, then some of the hooks of Hell, or its grappling-irons, or other clinging things there will fasten upon you, and then you are surely ruined and destroyed. By the Lord of Abu al-Darda, what I have said is the truth, so understand what I have said."