Darul Uloom Trinidad & Tobago

Sura Al Ahzab continues in verse 44 and states:

44. Their greeting on the Day they shall meet Him will be “Salam: Peace” And He has prepared for them a generous reward (i.e. Paradise).

This means that the greeting of peace will be extended to the believers from Allah on the Day they would meet Him. The greeting of Salaams being extended to them shows a great honour for the believers in the Hereafter. It is also an indication that they would be saved from His wrath and would also be given security from the fire.

In Sura Yaseen, verse 58, Allah emphasizes this Salaam from Himself, ‘They will have a greeting of peace from the Most Merciful Lord’ (36:58).

While explaining ‘the Day they will meet Allah’, some of the commentators of the Holy Quran explains that it can have three different interpretations or can refer to three different occasions.

(1)  The Day of Qiyamah

(2)  The Day the believers will enter the Paradise they would receive Salaams from Allah as well as the angels.

(3)  The Day of death when they would leave the Dunya (worldly life) to be present before Allah. Abdullah bin Masood (R.A) states that when the Angel of Death goes to a believer to extract the soul from him, he gives him a message that his Lord has sent Salam to him.

After mentioning these three occasions, the author of Ma’ariful Quran writes, ‘There can be no objections or contradictions in these traditions because Salaam from Allah is sent on all three occasions. (Ruhul Ma’ani)

Imam Baghwi mentions that Allah will give Salaams to the believers on the Day they will see him (Tafseer Baghwi).

In Ruhul Ma’ani, it is narrated that Allah will say when the believers will enter into the place of honour (Jannah) ‘Salaamun Alaikum (Peace be unto you) O my servants, I am pleased with you, Are you pleased with Me?’ They will all say, ‘O our Lord, certainly we are pleased with every form of pleasure’.

It is also mentioned that Allah will say to them, ‘Assalaamu Alaikum (Peace be unto you), Welcome my believing slaves who pleased Me in the life of the world by adhering to My orders’.

It has also been mentioned that the Salaam would come from the angels when the believers would enter the Jannah, as Allah says in Sura Ra’d, verse 13, ‘And the angels will enter upon them from every door saying, ‘Peace be upon you, because of the patience that you exercised. How blissful is the outcome of the Hereafter’ (Ruhul Ma’ani, Anwarul Bayaan)

In Tafseer At Tabari, it is mentioned that the verse, ‘Their greetings on the Day they will meet Him will be Salaams’ means that the greeting of those believers in Jannah will be Salaams. Some of them will say to some, ‘security is there for us and for you from Allah, by our entry in this place that Allah will never punish us again’. This is the opinion of Qatada (A.R). (Tafseer At Tabari & Tafseer Ibn Katheer)

The commentators have mentioned the importance of the believers greeting each other in this world (when they meet each other) with such a greeting which would be done in Paradise. It can be used as a proof for the greeting of ‘Assalaamu Alaikum’ whether from the older to the younger ones or from the younger to the older ones’. (Ma’ariful Quran)

At the end of the verse, Allah says, ‘And He has prepared for them a noble reward’. Allah has already prepared for the believers who remember Him abundantly and who adhere to His commands and abstain from His prohibitions, a noble, generous and honourable reward. This is a promise from Allah to the righteous believers.

They would be given the Paradise and everything in it of the food, drinks, clothing, dwellings, physical pleasures, luxuries and delightful scenes, such as no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard and no thought has ever entered the mind of man. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer)

Sura Al Ahzab continues in verses 45 – 46 and state:

45. O Prophet (Muhammad S.A)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,

46. And as one who invites to Allah by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light.

Verses 45 and 46 mention some of the attributes of the Prophet (S.A). These attributes serve to elevate the honour and status of the Prophet (S.A). It also informs of the aim and mission of the Nubuwwah (prophethood) of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A).

Allah addressed the Prophet (S.A) not by his name but by the title ‘O Prophet’. This shows a sense of honour to the Prophet (S.A) by Allah. Further, Allah says, ‘Verily We have sent you’, which is a confirmation that the mission upon which the Prophet (S.A) has embarked on, and is so earnestly pursuing, is not because of his own desire and decision, but it was only because Allah has chosen him and made him a prophet like the prophets of the past. He was commissioned with a duty to perform in guiding mankind towards the truth. It can also be seen as an encouragement to continue his mission and not be despondent; knowing that Allah has sent him and that help and assistance will come from Allah.

The verse then continues highlighting five attributes of the Prophet (S.A): Shahid (witness), Mubash-shir (bringer of good tidings), Nadheer (warner), Daa’i ilallah (one who invites to Allah), Sirajan Muneera (illuminating lamp).

The attribute of Shahid can be applicable to several meanings:

–         He would be a witness to Allah’s Oneness, for there is no God except He (Allah).

–         He would be a witness of the A’maal (actions) good or bad, of the people of the Dunya. He would be a witness to their denial of the faith or of their confirmation to the truth. Such a testimony will be accepted by Allah just like a truthful and reliable person bears witness to an action for the decree of a law. (Tafseer Kash-shaaf pg. 859; Tafseer Ruhul Ma’ani pg. 304)

–         He will be a witness for or against people on the Day of Judgement.

In a hadith narrated by Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A), the Prophet (S.A) said, Nuh (A.S) and his community shall come/be brought (on the Day of Judgement) and Allah Most High shall say, ‘Did you (O Nuh) convey (My message)? He shall say, ‘Yes, Indeed my Lord’. Then Allah will ask his community, ‘Did he convey (My message) to you?’ They will say, ‘No, no prophet came to us’. Then Allah shall ask, ‘O Nuh, ‘who is your witness?’ He (Nuh) will reply, ‘Muhammad (S.A) and his community’. Then we shall bear witness that he indeed conveyed (the message). (Bukhari, Nasaai, Tirmizi)

Ibn Hajar in his commentary of the above narration in Fathul Baari, said that similar narrations recorded by Ahmad and Ibn Majah informs that such witnessing by the Prophet (S.A) will apply to all the communities and not only to that of Nuh (A.S).