The True Meaning of “Imam” on the Day of Judgment New

Understanding the Role of the Imam on the Day of Judgment

The Day of Judgment will see people being called with their (Imam’s) book of deeds.

Undoubtedly, the status of the Imams is high, and they are more deserving of respect and reverence. Honoring them is an important part of Islamic morals and etiquette. However, some Muslims, under the guise of respect, have made false claims within the Ummah. In these false claims, they have altered the meanings of the Quran and Hadith. In some cases, they declared it obligatory to follow every word of the Imam, and to reject it was seen as dishonoring them. In other cases, they falsely attributed sayings and events to the Imams, raising their status higher than the Prophet (PBUH). Those who refused to accept these false attributions, which were in contradiction to the Quran and Hadith, were labeled as disrespecting the Imams and were widely defamed in order to divert people’s hearts from the true teachings of the Quran and Hadith.

Every human is prone to error, and mistakes can happen from anyone, including the Imams. We do not consider them infallible, as they were humans like us. When a human can make mistakes, it is not correct to blindly follow every statement of a specific Imam, for this is not the way of the religion. The work that the Imams did for the religion is commendable, but that does not mean we must consider their mistakes as part of the religion. Allah did not reveal the religion and law to the Imams but to the Prophet (PBUH), and it is the Prophet’s responsibility to explain and interpret the law. The duty of the Imams is to convey the religion as it was revealed to the Prophet, and as the Prophet demonstrated it in practice.

Ahl al-Hadith respect all Imams, whether they lived before or after the four major Imams, and they benefit from their scholarly insight. Those who claim to respect and follow the Imams are actually more restrictive in their respect for them. They claim that only the four Imams are correct, but they only follow one of them. For example, if all four Imams agreed that raising the hands at four places during prayer is a Sunnah, then the followers should accept this. However, observe how the scholars of the Hanafi school have written volumes denying this Sunnah, boldly rejecting it and even ridiculing it. Is this what we call respecting the Imams? Is this how we show that all four Imams are correct?

Now, let’s address the topic at hand. Some claim, using a verse from the Quran, that those who follow the Imams will be with them on the Day of Judgment, and that Ahl al-Hadith will be without an Imam, as they lived without one and will be resurrected without one. Let us examine this verse and understand its true meaning.

Allah’s command is:
يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ ۖ فَمَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَابَهُمْ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا (الاسراء:71)
Translation: The Day when We will call every people with their Imam. Then whoever is given his book in his right hand will read it with pleasure, and they will not be wronged a thread’s width.

This verse states that people will be called with their Imam. Now, we need to understand what “Imam” refers to here. When we look at the interpretations of this verse, we find three views:

1. One view is that the “Imam” refers to the Prophet. In this case, each nation will be called with its Prophet. For example, “O nation of Noah,” “O nation of Muhammad,” etc. This view is attributed to Mujahid, Qatadah, and others, based on the Quranic verse:
   وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولٌ فَإِذَا جَاءَ رَسُولُهُمْ قُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ (يونس:47)
   Translation: And for every nation, there is a messenger. So when their messenger comes, judgment will be made between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.
   
2. Another view is that the “Imam” refers to the Shari’ah of the Prophets. In this case, each nation would be called by its Shari’ah, such as “O people of the Torah,” “O people of the Gospel,” and “O people of the Quran.”
   
3. The third view is that the “Imam” refers to the book of deeds, meaning they will be called with their record of deeds. Many scholars, including Ibn Kathir, have adopted this view. The evidence for this view is found in another verse of the Quran:
   إِنَّا نُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ (يس:12)
   Translation: Indeed, We give life to the dead and We record what they have done and their footprints, and We have enumerated everything in a clear record (Imam).
   

This verse clearly indicates that “Imam” here refers to the book of deeds. Similarly, in the verse of Surah Al-Jathiya:
وَتَرَىٰ كُلَّ أُمَّةٍ جَاثِيَةً ۚ كُلَّ أُمَّةٍ تُدْعَىٰ إِلَىٰ كِتَابِهَا الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (الجاثیۃ:28)
Translation: And you will see every nation humbled to its knees. Every nation will be called to its book (record of deeds); today, you will be recompensed for what you used to do.

This verse is a clear explanation of the verse in Surah Al-Isra. It shows that people will be called with their book of deeds, which will either be in their right or left hand. This is the strongest and most widely accepted interpretation.

Now, regarding the Day of Judgment, it will be a gathering of all people, including Prophets and Messengers. Yet, each person will be with his Prophet, not with the specific Imams of the madhabs. In the Hereafter, there will be no flags for worldly Imams. All will be gathered with the Prophet whose message they followed. The Hadiths below clarify this point:

Hadith 1:
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يَجِيءُ نُوحٌ وَأُمَّتُهُ، فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، هَلْ بَلَّغْتَ؟ فَيَقُولُ نَعَمْ أَيْ رَبِّ، فَيَقُولُ لِأُمَّتِهِ: هَلْ بَلَّغَكُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ لاَ مَا جَاءَنَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ، فَيَقُولُ لِنُوحٍ: مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأُمَّتُهُ، فَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَّغَ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ: وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَالوَسَطُ العَدْلُ (صحيح البخاري:3339)
Translation: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “On the Day of Judgment, Noah (AS) and his people will come. Allah will ask: ‘Did you deliver the message?’ Noah will say: ‘Yes, my Lord.’ Allah will then ask his people: ‘Did he deliver the message to you?’ They will reply: ‘No, no prophet came to us.’ Allah will ask Noah: ‘Who will testify for you?’ Noah will reply: ‘Muhammad and his Ummah.’ Then we will testify that Noah conveyed the message, as mentioned in the verse: ‘And thus we have made you a middle nation to be witnesses over the people.'”

This hadith clearly indicates that each nation will be with its Prophet on the Day of Judgment, and the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) will testify for the Prophets before them.

Hadith 2:
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يَجِيءُ النَّبِيُّ وَمَعَهُ الرَّجُلَانِ وَيَجِيءُ النَّبِيُّ وَمَعَهُ الثَّلَاثَةُ وَأَكْثَرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَقَلُّ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ هَلْ بَلَّغْتَ قَوْمَكَ فَيَقُولُ نَعَمْ فَيُدْعَى قَوْمُهُ فَيُقَالُ هَلْ بَلَّغَكُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ لَا فَيُقَالُ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لَكَ فَيَقُولُ مُحَمَّدٌ وَأُمَّتُهُ فَتُدْعَى أُمَّةُ مُحَمَّدٍ فَيُقَالُ هَلْ بَلَّغَ هَذَا فَيَقُولُونَ نَعَمْ فَيَقُولُ وَمَا عِلْمُكُمْ بِذَلِكَ فَيَقُولُونَ أَخْبَرَنَا نَبِيُّنَا بِذَلِكَ أَنَّ الرُّسُلَ قَدْ بَلَّغُوا فَصَدَّقْنَاهُ قَالَ فَذَلِكُمْ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا (البقرہ:143) (صحيح ابن ماجه:3476)
Translation: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “On the Day of Judgment, a Prophet will come with two or three people, and Allah will ask him: ‘Did you deliver the message to your people?’ The Prophet will reply: ‘Yes.’ Allah will then ask the people: ‘Did he deliver the message to you?’ They will say: ‘No.’ Allah will then ask: ‘Who will testify for you?’ The Prophet will say: ‘Muhammad and his Ummah.’ Then the Ummah of Muhammad will be called, and they will testify that the Prophet conveyed the message. This is the meaning of the verse: ‘Thus We have made you a middle nation to be witnesses over the people.'”

In conclusion, the religion is based on the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). Allah sent the law and Shari’ah to the Prophets, which is why Allah has commanded following only the Prophets. Those who turn away from the following of Allah and His Messenger are surely doomed. Listen to the clear declaration of the Prophet (PBUH):
وَعَن مَالك بن أنس مُرْسَلًا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: تَرَكْتُ فِيكُمْ أَمْرَيْنِ لَنْ تَضِلُّوا مَا تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِمَا: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةَ رَسُولِهِ « رَوَاهُ مالك فِي الْمُوَطَّأ»
Translation: Malik ibn Anas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “I have left among you two things, and as long as you hold on to them, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari)

After reading this Hadith, we should evaluate our beliefs and practices: are we following the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) or the words of other individuals? Is our Imam and leader Muhammad (PBUH), or do we follow someone else? If we do not follow Muhammad (PBUH) as our Imam in this world, how ashamed will we be when we are gathered with him on the Day of Judgment?

Finally, my message is: make Muhammad (PBUH) your Imam in this world, follow his commands, and in the Hereafter, your Imam will be Muhammad (PBUH). By adhering to his Sunnah, you will find success, Insha’Allah. Always remember, the only path to success is following the Sunnah of the Messenger.