Some, however, have claimed that this contradicts the religion of the Muslims, on the grounds that there are no religious obligations in the Hereafter. This is not correct. Such obligations cease only when people enter the abode of recompense—Paradise or Hell. Before that, they are tested and tried in their graves. Each person is asked:

“Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your prophet?”

Likewise, on the plains of the Resurrection, it will be said:

“Let every people follow what they used to worship.”

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 those false deities. This community will remain, including its hypocrites. Allah will then come to them in a form different from the form in which they saw Him the first time, and He will say, “I am your Lord.” They will reply, “We seek refuge in Allah from you. We shall remain here until our Lord comes to us.” According to another narration, He questions them and makes them steadfast.

This is a test for them: will they follow anyone other than the Lord whom they recognized as Allah, who manifested Himself to them the first time? Allah Most High makes them steadfast during this trial, just as He makes them steadfast during the trial of the grave. When they do not follow Him because He has come in a form other than the one they recognize, He then comes to them in the form they recognize and uncovers a shin. When they see Him, they fall down before Him in prostration, except for anyone who was a hypocrite: he will wish to prostrate but will be unable to do so, his back remaining rigid like a platter.

This meaning is widely transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in several authentic hadiths narrated by Abū Hurayrah and Abū Sa'īd, both recorded in the two Sahīh collections. It is also narrated from Jābir—and Muslim has related it—and from Ibn Mas'ūd and Abū Mūsā, as is well known through the narrations of Ahmad and others. This demonstrates