Table of Contents
The place of the Last Day within belief in the unseen
Belief in the Last Day is one of the six pillars of faith. It belongs to the unseen matters that cannot be known by human reason alone. They are known only because Allah has informed us through revelation. Allah mentions belief in the Last Day alongside belief in Him and His angels, books, and messengers.
“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but righteousness is in one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets…”
(Qur’an 2:177)
The Prophet ﷺ summarized the pillars of faith in the famous ḥadīth of Jibrīl.
“…that you believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and that you believe in divine decree, its good and its bad.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Belief in the Last Day is therefore not a secondary idea. It is a central part of what makes a Muslim a believer. It shapes the way a Muslim sees life, death, history, and the final outcome of all actions.
What is meant by “the Last Day”?
The “Last Day” does not mean a single twenty-four hour period. It refers to the final stage of existence of this universe and what comes after it. It begins with the great events that end worldly life and continues through all the stages of the Hereafter until the people of Paradise and the people of Hellfire enter their final homes.
Allah frequently calls it “the Last Day,” “the Day of Resurrection,” “the Day of Judgment,” and many other names, each highlighting a particular aspect such as gathering, reckoning, reward, punishment, regret, or joy.
“Master of the Day of Judgment.”
(Qur’an 1:4)
“Indeed, the Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it, but most of the people do not believe.”
(Qur’an 40:59)
Belief in the Last Day includes belief in all that is authentically reported about the events of that Day and what surrounds it, even when our minds cannot fully picture how these events will occur. The Muslim affirms them because Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have spoken the truth.
The connection between this life and the Last Day
The Last Day is the bridge between worldly life and eternal life. It reveals the true value of all actions here. Without it, life would seem unjust and chaotic, as many oppressors die without being punished, and many righteous people suffer without seeing relief in this world.
Allah promises that the Last Day will expose all deeds and establish perfect justice.
“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”
(Qur’an 99:7–8)
“Do those who commit evil deeds think We will make them like those who believe and do righteous deeds, [make them] equal in their life and their death? Evil is what they judge.”
(Qur’an 45:21)
Because of the Last Day, nothing done sincerely for Allah is ever lost, even if no one appreciates or recognizes it in this world. Likewise, every injustice, even if it is concealed or forgotten on earth, remains written and will be brought forth.
The unseen nature of the Last Day
The events of the Last Day, from the end of the world to the resurrection, gathering, reckoning, and the final destinations, belong completely to the realm of the unseen. Human senses and scientific tools cannot reach them. They are known by revelation, not by experiment.
Allah describes those who are truly conscious of Him as those who believe in the unseen.
“This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for the God-fearing, who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.”
(Qur’an 2:2–3)
The Last Day is among the greatest of those unseen matters. This is why many people in history rejected it. They considered it impossible that bones and dust could be brought back to life.
“And he presents for Us an example and forgets his own creation. He says, ‘Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?’ Say, ‘He who produced them the first time will give them life, and He is, of all creation, Knowing.’”
(Qur’an 36:78–79)
Belief in the Last Day, then, is a test of whether a person truly trusts the word of Allah above his own limited perception.
Names and descriptions of the Last Day
Allah and His Messenger ﷺ called the Last Day by many names. Each name brings a different aspect closer to our understanding. It is called the Day of Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, the Day of Recompense, the Hour, the Overwhelming Event, the Striking Calamity, the Day of Gathering, the Great Announcement, and other names.
“The Striking Calamity. What is the Striking Calamity? And what can make you know what the Striking Calamity is?”
(Qur’an 101:1–3)
“That is the Day of Judgment. So whoever wills may take to his Lord a way.”
(Qur’an 78:39)
Each title points to a particular feature, such as its suddenness, its terror, the universal gathering, or the final decision concerning every soul.
Core elements of belief in the Last Day
Belief in the Last Day is not a vague feeling that “something” will happen after death. It involves affirming specific realities that revelation has made clear. These include the end of this world, the blowing of the Trumpet, the resurrection, the gathering of all creatures, the presentation of records, the weighing of deeds, the passing over the ṣirāṭ, and the final entry into Paradise or Hellfire.
Allah mentions resurrection and gathering together frequently as a reminder.
“Then indeed, after that you are to die. Then indeed, on the Day of Resurrection you will be resurrected.”
(Qur’an 23:15–16)
“The Day when He will gather you for the Day of Gathering, that is the Day of Deprivation.”
(Qur’an 64:9)
The Prophet ﷺ also clarified that justice will be complete on that Day, even between animals.
“The rights will be restored on the Day of Resurrection, until the hornless sheep will be given its right from the horned one.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
The Last Day therefore includes not only human judgment but an all-encompassing setting-right of every wrong.
Why belief in the Last Day is essential
Belief in the Last Day changes a person’s priorities and behavior. When a Muslim remembers that a meeting with Allah is certain, then obedience becomes meaningful and disobedience becomes heavy. Hope and fear come into balance, since nothing is final until the outcome of that Day is known.
Allah links true success with preparation for that Day.
“So whoever is kept away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has certainly achieved success. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.”
(Qur’an 3:185)
“O you who have believed, fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Aware of what you do.”
(Qur’an 59:18)
The believer who is mindful of the Last Day watches his tongue, his dealings, his private actions, and his hidden thoughts, knowing they will all be displayed and questioned.
The emotional impact of remembering the Last Day
Constant awareness of the Last Day purifies the heart. It softens pride, reduces attachment to worldly status, and guards a person from despair during hardship. One who knows that every trial will be weighed and rewarded can show patience, because the end is in sight.
Allah mentions the believers’ feelings when they realize how short worldly life was compared to eternity.
“On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.”
(Qur’an 79:46)
The Prophet ﷺ described how the greatest pleasure or pain of this world becomes insignificant when compared with the first moments of the Hereafter.
“The most prosperous person in this world from among the people of the Fire will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and dipped once in the Fire. Then it will be said, ‘O son of Adam, did you ever see any good? Did you ever experience any blessing?’ He will say, ‘No, by Allah, my Lord.’ And the most miserable person in this world from among the people of Paradise will be brought and dipped once into Paradise. Then it will be said, ‘O son of Adam, did you ever see any misery? Did you ever experience any hardship?’ He will say, ‘No, by Allah, my Lord, I never experienced misery, and I never saw hardship.’”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
With such knowledge, the believer measures all worldly events according to their impact on the final standing before Allah, not according to temporary comfort or pain.
Denial of the Last Day and its consequences
Many people in the Qur’an are criticized not simply for disbelief in Allah, but specifically for denial or neglect of the Last Day. They considered it a distant myth, unlikely to occur, or irrelevant to daily life.
“Those who do not believe in the Hereafter give the angels female names.”
(Qur’an 53:27)
“…Indeed they think it [the matter] is distant, but We see it as near.”
(Qur’an 70:6–7)
Neglecting the Last Day weakens moral responsibility. It encourages a life based purely on immediate desire and gain since there is no serious expectation of questioning or consequence. The Qur’an repeatedly exposes this mentality.
“They say, ‘There is none but our worldly life; we die and live, and nothing destroys us except time.’ And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming.”
(Qur’an 45:24)
Denying the Last Day is therefore not only an intellectual error, it is a moral danger. It opens the door to all types of injustice and arrogance.
Signs that lead to the Last Day
Although the exact time of the Last Day is hidden from creation, Allah has given us signs that will appear before it. These signs are meant to remind people, wake them from heedlessness, and prove that Allah alone has knowledge of the unseen.
“People ask you about the Hour. Say, ‘Its knowledge is only with Allah. And what may make you perceive? Perhaps the Hour is near.’”
(Qur’an 33:63)
The Prophet ﷺ mentioned minor and major signs which come before the Last Day, such as widespread ignorance, the loss of trust, moral corruption, wars, and the appearance of great trials. These details are part of belief in the unseen, and they help the Muslim perceive that history is moving toward a fixed divine appointment.
He ﷺ also taught that the exact moment of the Hour is firmly concealed.
“Five things none knows but Allah,” then he recited, “Indeed Allah has knowledge of the Hour…”
(paraphrasing Qur’an 31:34, reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
The correct response to this knowledge is not to speculate and calculate, but to live in constant readiness.
The believer’s attitude toward the Last Day
Belief in the Last Day produces a specific attitude. The Muslim fears the seriousness of that Day, desires the mercy of Allah, and works consistently, without being deceived by worldly ups and downs. He neither relies upon wishful thinking nor despairs because of his sins.
Allah praises those who fear the standing before Him.
“But as for he who feared standing before his Lord and restrained himself from [following] desire, then indeed, Paradise will be his refuge.”
(Qur’an 79:40–41)
The Prophet ﷺ described a wise person as one who constantly remembers the end and prepares for it.
“The intelligent person is the one who controls himself and works for what comes after death, and the incapable person is the one who follows his desires and merely hopes upon Allah.”
(Sunan at-Tirmidhī)
The believer, therefore, joins sound belief with active effort, always keeping the Last Day in mind.
Summary rule regarding belief in the Last Day
Belief in the Last Day is a single pillar of faith, but it is made up of many connected truths. The most important rule is that a Muslim affirms everything that is authentically reported from the Qur’an and the Sunnah about it, without denial, distortion, or adding claims that contradict revelation.
A Muslim must believe in the Last Day in general and in all of its authentically reported details, and must prepare for it with sincere faith and righteous action, knowing that every soul will meet Allah and be recompensed for what it has done.
This central belief links the seen world with the unseen world and gives every moment of life its true weight.