Download PDF: [S] Your Limbs will speak against you

The blessed Ashaab narrate that one day while they were in the blessed company of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – he began to smile very broadly. He then asked us, “Do you know why I am smiling?” We replied, “Allah and His Prophet know better.”

 

He then explained, “When a person starts to argue with his Creator on the Day of Judgement and says, ‘O Allah! Did you not protect me against oppression?’ The Allah Almighty will reply, ‘Yes.’ The person will then say, ‘If that is the case, I am not prepared to accept the testimony of anyone against me. I only accept my own body and everyone else is my enemy’. The Allah Almighty will then declare the testimony of this person’s body is fine and the testimony of the Angels is also fine. At that moment, the person tongue will be sealed and his body will be told, ‘O the body of this person, become a witness to yourself and inform us what you used to do.’ These limbs will then give testimony to what it had done. The tongue of this person will then be released and he will scold his limbs by saying, ‘May you be cursed, you yourself have become my enemy? I was trying to save you and protect you and because of you, I was seeking another evidence.’” (Sahih Muslim, An Nisaa’i, ibn Habban, etc)

 

This is exactly what will happen when a person refuses to accept and acknowledge his sins and transgressions.

 

Is Surah Yaseen, verse 65, the Qur’an declares:

 

اَلْیَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلٰۤی اَفْوٰہِہِمْ وَ تُکَلِّمُنَاۤ اَیۡدِیۡہِمْ وَ تَشْہَدُ اَرْجُلُہُمْ بِمَا کَانُوۡا یَکْسِبُوۡنَ ﴿۶۵﴾

 

“This day We will set a seal on their mouths, and their hands will speak

out to Us and their feet will bear witness to their deeds.”

 

In Surah Nur, verse 24, the Qur’an declares:

 

یَّوْمَ تَشْہَدُ عَلَیۡہِمْ اَلْسِنَتُہُمْ وَ اَیۡدِیۡہِمْ وَ اَرْجُلُہُمۡ بِمَا کَانُوۡا یَعْمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۲۴﴾

 

“On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet will testify against them, regarding what they used to do.”

 

In Surah Haa Meem Sajdah, the Qur’an declares in verse 20,21:

 

حَتّٰۤی اِذَا مَا جَآءُوۡہَا شَہِدَ عَلَیۡہِمْ سَمْعُہُمْ وَ اَبْصٰرُہُمْ وَ جُلُوۡدُہُمْ بِمَا کَانُوۡا یَعْمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۲۰﴾

وَقَالُوۡا لِجُلُوۡدِہِمْ لِمَ شَہِدۡتُّمْ عَلَیۡنَا ؕ قَالُوۡۤا اَنۡطَقَنَا اللہُ الَّذِیۡۤ اَنۡطَقَ کُلَّ شَیۡءٍ وَّ ہُوَ خَلَقَکُمْ اَوَّلَ مَرَّۃٍ وَّ اِلَیۡہِ تُرْجَعُوۡنَ ﴿۲۱﴾

 

 

“To the extent that when they reach it, their ears and their eyes and their skins will testify against them for what they used to do. And they will say to their skins, “Why did you testify against us?”; they will say, “Allah has made us talk, Who has given all things the power of speech, and it is He Who created you the first time, and it is to Him that you have to return.”

 

When the limbs of people will bear testimony.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that when they were returning after reaching the ocean, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – asked them to reveal any unusual incident which they had seen. “A young man stood up and said, ‘One day, we were sitting at that place when an old female who was among the females of their priests was walking with a container of water on her head. One of the young men bumped into this lady and the container fell from her head and broke. She then looked at this person and said, ‘Mischievous person! You will come to know the result of this action when Allah Almighty will place forward His Divine Throne and gather the past and present and the hands and feet of people will bear testimony and every action single action will be revealed and on that day, a decision will be made about us.’”

 

When the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – heard these words, he replied, “She had spoken the truth, she had spoken the truth. How can a nation be spared who did not give the oppressed their right?” (Tabarani Al Awsat; Bazaaz)

 

When the slave meets the Creator on the Day of Judgement

 

It is reported that on the Day of Judgement, when a person meets the Creator, he will be asked, “O so and so, did I not give you respect (in the world). Did I not give leadership or stature and did I not give you horses and camels (or transport to use). Did I not give you property and a good life?”

 

The slave will answer, “O my Lord! I had brought Imaan on You, on Your Books and on Your Messengers, I performed Salaah, I kept fast and gave charity.” He will also claim that according to his means, he did good deeds.

 

Allah Almighty will then declare, “Very soon, this will be found out.”

 

The person will then be informed that very soon, evidence and testimony will be presented against him. The person will wonder who are those who will bear testimony against him. Thereafter, his mouth will be sealed and his thighs, his flesh and his bones will be told to reveal the truth. His thighs, his flesh and his bones will then bear testimony on his actions. This will be done in this manner so that his body itself becomes a testimony against himself. (Sahih Muslim Shareef, Tirmidi Shareef)

 

Hakeem bin Mu’awiyah narrates from his father that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “On the Day of Judgement, you will be brought in this state that your mouths will be sealed and the first limb which will bear testimony will be the right thigh and his palms.” (Imam Ahmed)

 

One should try to become better than the Angels.

 

The limb of every person will bear witness against him. From the tips of his hair until his toe nails, everything will bear witness against a person. It is through the testimony that is given by these limbs that a person would become entitled for Jannah or not.

 

The limbs of a sinner will reveal the sins of a person and the lips of a true believer will reveal the good deeds of the person. This is the reason that the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has mentioned that we should save our limbs from the Fire of Hell and that we should use our fingers to read the Tasbeeh so that these limbs can bear testimony for you on the Day of Judgement.

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “You should make it necessary upon you to recite the Tasbeeh, the Tahleel and the Taqdeed and count this with your fingertips because it will be questioned. It also be asked to give answers and do not become oblivious of this. And do not forget the Divine Mercy of Allah Almighty.” (Tirmidi Shareef, Ibn Habban)