—“You will see Him on the Day of Resurrection just as clearly.

Allah will gather all people and say: ‘Whoever used to worship something, let him follow it.’ Those who worshipped the sun will follow the sun, those who worshipped the moon will follow the moon, and those who worshipped false deities will follow the false deities. This community will remain, together with its hypocrites. Then Allah will come to them in a form they do not recognise and say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will reply, ‘We seek refuge in Allah from you; we shall stay where we are until our Lord comes—when He comes we shall recognise Him.’ Allah will then come to them in the form they know and say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will answer, ‘You are our Lord,’ and they will follow Him. A bridge will then be laid across Hell.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “I and my ummah will be the first to cross it, and on that day none will speak except the messengers. The prayer of the messengers that day will be: ‘O Allah, grant safety, grant safety.’ On it are hooks like the thorns of the saʿdān bush. Have you not seen the thorns of the saʿdān?” They said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said,

“They are like the thorns of the saʿdān, but none knows how huge they are except Allah. They will snatch people according to their deeds: some will be destroyed by their deeds, and some will be scraped (1) and then released. When Allah has finished judging between His servants and wills to bring out of the Fire whomever He wills—those who used to testify that there is no god but Allah—He will command the angels to bring them out. The angels will recognise them by the mark of prostration, for Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume the traces of prostration on the son of Adam. They will be brought out, charred, and water will be poured over them—water called the Water of Life—whereupon they will grow like a seed sprouts in the silt left by a flood.

“One man will remain, facing the Fire, and he will say, ‘My Lord, its wind has poisoned me (2) and its blaze has scorched me (3); turn my face away from the Fire.’ He will keep imploring Allah, and Allah will say, ‘Perhaps if I grant you that, you will ask Me for something else?’ He will reply, ‘No, by Your might, I will ask You for nothing else.’ So Allah will turn his face away from the Fire.

“Then he will say, ‘My Lord, bring me near to the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not claim that you would ask Me for nothing else? Woe to you, son of Adam, how treacherous you are!’ He will continue to plead, and Allah will say, ‘Perhaps if I grant you that, you will ask Me for something else?’ He will reply, ‘No, by Your might, I will ask You for nothing else.’ He will give Allah solemn pledges and covenants not to ask for anything further, and so Allah will bring him close to the gate of Paradise. When he sees what is inside, he will remain silent for as long as Allah wills him to be silent.

“Then he will say, ‘My Lord, admit me into Paradise.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not assert that you would ask Me for nothing else? Woe to you, son of Adam, how treacherous you are!’ He will say, ‘My Lord, do not make me the most wretched of Your creation.’ He will keep supplicating until Allah laughs at him; and when Allah laughs at him, He will grant him permission to enter. Once he enters, it will be said to him, ‘Wish for such-and-such.’ He will wish, and it will be said, ‘Wish for such-and-such,’ and he will go on wishing until his desires are exhausted. Then it will be said, ‘This is yours, and the like of it besides.’ ”

Abu Hurayrah said: That man will be the last of the people of Paradise to enter Paradise.

He added: Abu Saʿid al-Khudri was sitting with Abu Hurayrah and did not object to anything in his report until he came to the words, ‘This is yours, and the like of it besides.’ Abu Saʿid then said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “This is yours, and ten times as much.” ’ Abu Hurayrah said, ‘I retained only: “and the like of it besides.” ’ Thus it was narrated.

(1) i.e., lightly scratched.
(2) The toxic heat of its wind has afflicted me.
(3) Its blazing flame has burnt me.