13.1. Every nation will follow the god that it used to worship
At the end of the Day of Resurrection, the people will be driven either to Paradise or to Hell. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that it will be asked of every nation at the end of that Day to follow the god that it used to worship.
Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “When the Day of Resurrection comes, a caller will announce: ‘Let every nation follow that which it used to worship,’ and there will be no one left of those who used to worship anything other than Allah, such as idols and stones, but they will fall into the Fire, until there will be no one left but those who used to worship Allah, righteous and evildoers alike, and the remnants of the people of the Book. The Jews will be called and it will be said to them, ‘What did you worship?’ They will say: ‘We used to worship ‘Uzayr the son of God.’ It will be said to them: ‘You are lying, for Allah has no wife nor son. What do you want?’ They will say: ‘We are thirsty, O Lord, give us to drink.’ It will be pointed out to them, why don’t you go there and drink? And they will be gathered towards the Fire, as if it is a mirage, parts of it consuming other parts, and they will start to fall into the Fire. Then the Christians will be called, and it will be said to them: ‘What did you worship?’ They will say: ‘We used to worship the Messiah, the son of God.’ It will be said to them: ‘You are lying, for Allah has no wife nor son. What do you want?’ They will say: ‘We are thirsty, O Lord, give us to drink.’ It will be pointed out to them, why don’t you go there? And they will be gathered towards the Fire, as if it is a mirage, parts of it consuming other parts, and they will start to fall into the Fire. Then, when there is no one left but those who used to worship Allah, both righteous and evildoers, the Lord of the Worlds Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will come to them in a form that is closest to that which they know from before (from the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah), and will say: ‘What are you waiting for? Every nation has followed that which they used to worship.’ They will say: ‘Our Lord, we kept ourselves away from the people in the world even though we were in great need of them, and we did not keep company with them.’ He will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘We seek refuge with Allah from you; we do not associate anything with Allah,’ two or three times. Then some of them will be on the verge of failing the test. He will say: ‘Is there any sign between you and Him by which you will recognize Him?’ They will say, ‘Yes.’ Then the Shin will be laid bare, and there will be no one who prostrated to Allah of his own accord but Allah will grant him permission to prostrate, and there will be no one who prostrated out of fear of the people and to show off, but Allah will make his back solid, and every time he tries to prostrate, he will fall on his back. Then they will raise their heads and He will have changed into the form that they knew from before. He will say, ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say, ‘You are our Lord.’ Then the bridge will be set up over Hell, and intercession will be permitted. They will say, ‘O Allah, grant safety, grant safety!’” It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what is the bridge? He said: “A smooth and slippery bridge, in which there are hooks and spikes and thorns, like the thorns in Najd that are called al-sa‘dan. The believers will cross like the blink of an eye, like lightning, like the wind, like birds and like the swiftest horses and camels. Some will cross safe and sound, some will be scratched then let go, and some will be piled up in the Fire of Hell.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
Ibn Rajab said, “This hadith indicates that the polytheists who used to worship other gods besides Allah in this world will follow their gods that they worshipped on the Day of Resurrection, and they will lead them to the Fire, as Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says regarding Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning), "He will go ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection and lead them into the fire." (Hud 11:98) Then there will remain those who used to worship Allah alone outwardly, whether they were true believers or hypocrites. They will wait for the one whom they used to worship in this world, namely Allah alone, with no partner or associate.
This hadith states that Allah will come to them the first time and they will not recognise Him, then He will come to them the second time and they will recognise Him… the Qur’an indicates the same as this hadith in several places, such as the verses in which Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "What are they waiting for, but for Allah to come to them in the shadows of the clouds, together with the angels?" (al-Baqarah 2:210) "What are they waiting for, but for the angels to come to them, or for your Lord to come, or for some of the signs of your Lord to come?" (al-An‘am 6:158) "And your Lord comes with the angels, row after row." (al-Fajr 89:22)
The Sahabah and the Tabi‘in did not interpret that in any manner other than the apparent meaning, and did not try to find a meaning for it other than what it indicated; rather what was narrated from them indicates that they accepted it, believed in it and did not question it.”
13.2. The driving of the disbelievers into the fire
There are many texts which depict for us how the disbelievers will be driven into the Fire, along with their gods that they used to worship.
i. They will be driven like flocks, group after group, and shoved violently and shouted at from here and there, as the herdsman does with his cattle or sheep. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "The disbelievers will be driven to hell in groups." (al-Zumar 39:71)
Ibn Jarir said, “Here Allah tells us that on the Day of Resurrection, those who disbelieved in Allah will be driven in groups to His Fire that He has prepared for them, one group after another, one band after another.”
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "On the day when they are shoved forcibly towards the fire of hell." (al-Tur 52:13)
Al-Sam‘ani said, “That is, they will be shoved towards the fire of Hell. What is meant by the word translated here as shoved is pushing forcefully and violently.”
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "And remember the day when the enemies of Allah will be gathered together for the fire, then they will be assembled then driven." (Fussilat 41:19)
Al-Sa‘di said, “That is, the first of them will be joined to the last of them, and they will be driven towards it violently; they will not be able to refuse and they will not be able to help themselves, nor will they be helped.”
ii. They will be driven to the fire on their faces, not as they used to walk on their feet in this world. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Those who will be driven on their faces to hell – they are in a worse position and are further astray from the right path." (al-Furqan 25:34)
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man said, "O Messenger of Allah, how will the disbeliever be driven on his face on the Day of Resurrection? He said: “Is not the One Who caused him to walk on his feet in this world able to cause him to walk on his face on the Day of Resurrection?” Qatadah said: Yes indeed, by the Glory of our Lord." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
iii. They will be driven blind and not seeing anything, dumb and not saying anything, deaf and not hearing anything. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "We will gather them on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf. Their abode will be hell; every time its flames die down, We will increase for them the fierceness of the blaze." (al-Isra’ 17:97)
iv. They will be gathered with their false gods and their supporters and followers. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Allah will command: Gather together those who did wrong, and others of their ilk, as well as whatever they used to worship besides Allah, and direct them to the path of hell." (al-Saffat 37:22-23)
Ibn Jarir said, “What is meant is that those who disbelieved in Allah in this world and disobeyed Him will be gathered with others of their ilk and their supporters, on the basis of what they used to follow of disbelief in Allah and the false gods that they used to worship besides Allah.”
Al-Sam‘ani said, “The words and others of their ilk mean: those like them or, it was said, their peers or their followers. The words as well as whatever they used to worship besides Allah that is, the idols, and direct them to the path of hell.”
v. Before they reach the Fire, its sounds will reach their ears and fill their hearts with fear and terror. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "When it sees them from afar, they will hear its raging and roaring." (al-Furqan 25:12)
vi. When they reach the Fire and see its horror with their own eyes, they will be filled with regret and will wish to return to this world so that they could believe. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "If you could but see them when they will be made to stand before the fire. They will say: Would that we could be sent back to this world! Then we would not reject the revelations of our Lord, and we would be among the believers." (al-An‘am 25:27)
But they will find no escape from the Fire, as Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "The evildoers will see the fire and will realize that they are bound to fall into it, and will find no escape from it." (al-Kahf 18:53)
vii. They will be ordered to enter the Fire and enter the wrath of the Almighty, as humiliated losers. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "So enter the gates of hell, to abide therein forever. Wretched indeed is the abode of the arrogant!" (al-Nahl 16:29)