Ezra, the son of Allah.’ It will be said to them, ‘You have lied. Allah has taken neither a wife nor a son. What, then, do you seek?’ They will say, ‘We are thirsty, our Lord, so give us drink.’ They will be directed, ‘Will you not go down to drink?’ Then they will be driven toward the Fire, which will appear like a mirage, its parts crushing one another, and they will fall into the Fire.

Then the Christians will be summoned and asked, ‘What did you used to worship?’ They will say, ‘We used to worship the Messiah, the son of Allah.’ It will be said to them, ‘Allah has taken neither a wife nor a son.’ Then they will be asked, ‘What do you seek?’ They will say, ‘We are thirsty, our Lord, so give us drink.’ They will be directed, ‘Will you not go down to drink?’ Then they will be driven toward Hell, which will appear like a mirage, its parts crushing one another, and they will fall into the Fire.

Then, when none remains except those—righteous and wicked—who used to worship Allah, the Lord of the worlds will come to them in a form less than that in which they had seen Him. He will say, ‘What are you waiting for? Let every community follow what it used to worship.’ They will say, ‘Our Lord, we separated ourselves from the people in this world, though we were more in need of them than ever, and we did not keep their company.’ He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will reply, ‘We seek refuge in Allah from you! We associate nothing with Allah’—twice or three times—until some of them will nearly turn away. He will say, ‘Is there a sign between you and Him by which you will recognize Him?’ They will say, ‘Yes.’ Then He will uncover the Shin, and none who used to prostrate to Allah willingly will remain except that Allah will permit him to prostrate. As for everyone who used to prostrate hypocritically and for show, Allah will make his back a single rigid slab; whenever he tries to prostrate, he will fall backward onto the back of his head.

Then they will raise their heads, and He will have appeared in the form in which they saw Him the first time. He will say, ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say, ‘You are our Lord.’ Then the bridge will be laid across Hell, and intercession will be permitted. They will say, ‘O Allah, grant safety! Grant safety!’

It was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is the bridge?’ He said, ‘It is a slippery, treacherous crossing, upon which are hooks, grappling hooks, and thorns like the thorny plant found in Najd called al-Sa'dan. The believers will pass over it as swiftly as the blink of an eye, as lightning, as the wind, as birds, and as fine horses and camels. Some will be saved unharmed; some will be scratched and then released; and others will be piled up in the Fire of Hell.

‘When the believers have been delivered from the Fire, by Him in whose hand is my soul, none of you is more insistent with Allah in demanding a rightful claim than the believers will be with Allah on the Day of Resurrection for their brothers who are in the Fire. They will say, “Our Lord, they used to fast with us, pray with us, and perform pilgrimage with us.” They will be told, “Bring out those whom you recognize.” Their forms will be forbidden to the Fire, and they will bring out many people whom the Fire has reached up to the middle of their shins or up to their knees. Then they will say, “Our Lord, none remains therein of those whom You commanded us to bring out.” He will say, “Return, and bring out anyone in whose heart you find the weight of a dinar of goodness.” So they will bring out many people. Then they will say, “Our Lord, we have not left therein anyone whom You commanded us to bring out.”

‘Then He will say, “Return, and bring out anyone in whose heart you find the weight of half a dinar of goodness.” So they will bring out many people. Then they will say, “Our Lord, we have not left therein anyone of those whom You commanded us to bring out.” Then He will say, “Return, and bring out anyone in whose heart you find an atom’s weight of goodness.” So they will bring out many people. Then they will say, “Our Lord, we have not left therein anyone who possesses any goodness among those whom You commanded us to bring out.”’

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, would say: ‘If you do not believe me concerning this hadith, then recite, if you wish: “Indeed, Allah does not wrong even by an atom’s weight; and if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a tremendous reward” (al-Nisa 4:40).

Then Allah will say, “The angels have interceded, the prophets have interceded, and the believers have interceded; and none remains except the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.” Then He will take a handful from the Fire and bring forth from it people who never did any good at all, having become charred. He will cast them into a river at the entrances of Paradise called the River of Life. They will emerge as a seed emerges in the debris carried by a flood. Do you not see how it grows beside a rock or a tree? That which is exposed to the sun is yellowish and green, while that which is in the shade is white?’

He said: ‘They will emerge like pearls, with seals upon their necks. The people of Paradise will recognize them and say, “These are those whom Allah freed from the Fire, whom Allah admitted into Paradise without any deed they had performed or any good they had sent ahead.” Then He will say, “Enter Paradise. Whatever you see therein is yours.” They will say, “Our Lord, You have given us what You have not given anyone else in all the worlds.” He will say, “I have something better than this for you.” They will say, “Our Lord, what could be better than this?” He will say, “My pleasure, and I will never be displeased with you after it.”’ (1)

Muhammad ibn Isma'il narrated this hadith from Yahya ibn Bukayr, from al-Layth, from Khalid ibn Yazid, from Sa'id ibn Abi Hilal, from Zayd ibn Aslam, with this meaning.

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il related to us; Adam related to us; al-Layth related to us, from Khalid ibn Yazid, from Sa'id ibn Abi Hilal, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from Ata ibn Yasar, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Our Lord will uncover His Shin, and every believing man and believing woman will prostrate to Him. There will remain those who used to prostrate in the world out of ostentation and seeking reputation. He will go to prostrate, but his back will become a single rigid slab.’ (2)

Regarding His words, exalted is He, ‘And they will be called to prostrate, but they will not be able’: this refers to the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Their backbones will become like the horns of cattle, and they will be unable to prostrate.