✍🏻 Answer:
On the Day of Resurrection, a person will pass through many stages. These include being brought back to life after death, gathering in the Plain of Assembly (Maidan-e-Hashr), the reckoning, the weighing of deeds, receiving the record of deeds, crossing the Bridge (Pul-e-Sirat), and finally entering Paradise or Hell.
The Bridge (Pul-e-Sirat) will be set over Hell, and everyone will have to cross it. Each person will cross according to his faith and deeds: some like lightning, some like the wind, some like a swift horse, some running, some walking, and some crawling. Some will cross safely, while others, because of their deeds, will slip off it and fall into Hell.
Let us understand the major events of the Day of Resurrection in order.
1️⃣ The End of the World and the Blowing of the Horn
Before the Day of Resurrection is established, the signs appointed by Allah the Almighty will appear. When the time comes, the angel Hazrat Israfil (peace be upon him) will blow the Horn.
After the Horn is blown, by the command of Allah the Almighty the present order of the world will come to an end and all living creatures will perish, except those whom Allah wills.
Allah the Almighty says:
«وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَنْ شَاءَ اللّٰهُ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُونَ»
Translation:
And the Horn will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will fall unconscious, except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown a second time, and at once they will be standing, looking on.
(Surah Az-Zumar: 68)
Here the Holy Qur'an mentions the Horn being blown twice: the first time for death, and the second time for being brought back to life.
2️⃣ Resurrection after Death (Ba'th)
When Allah the Almighty commands the Horn to be blown again, all the dead will be brought back to life and will rise from their graves. People will be resurrected, their bodies will be recreated, and all will stand up to appear before Allah the Almighty. This event is called Ba'th, meaning coming back to life after death.
3️⃣ Gathering in the Plain of Assembly (Maidan-e-Hashr)
After being resurrected, all human beings will be gathered in one plain, called the Maidan-e-Hashr. Everyone from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him) to the last human being to come before the Day of Resurrection will be gathered there.
It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلًا»
Translation:
On the Day of Resurrection, people will be gathered barefoot, unclothed, and uncircumcised.
(Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
On that day, no one will benefit from his wealth, rank, riches, or worldly power. Everyone will be concerned about himself.
4️⃣ The Hardship and Waiting in the Plain of Assembly
In the Plain of Assembly, people will face a very long wait and severe distress. The sun will be near, the heat and thirst will be intense, and everyone will be anxious about his fate. People's conditions will differ according to their deeds. Some fortunate ones will be given a place in the shade of Allah's Throne. During this long wait and distress, people will look for someone who can intercede with Allah the Almighty so that the reckoning may begin. (They will seek a means of intercession.)
5️⃣ The Great Intercession (Shafa'at-e-Kubra): Intercession for the Reckoning to Begin
When the distress of the Plain of Assembly grows severe, people will go to Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him) and request his intercession. He will excuse himself and send them to other prophets. Likewise, people will go to Hazrat Nuh, Hazrat Ibrahim, Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Isa (peace be upon them). Finally, all will come to our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa ﷺ. He ﷺ will prostrate before Allah the Almighty and, upon receiving permission from Allah, will intercede.
This intercession is called the Great Intercession (Shafa'at-e-Kubra). As a result, the decision for the reckoning to begin will be made.
(Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
6️⃣ Appearance before Allah and the Reckoning
After that, people will be presented before Allah the Almighty and their deeds will be reckoned. Every person will be asked about his faith, deeds, acts of worship, the rights of others (Huquq-ul-Ibad), and his life. Allah the Almighty will not wrong anyone even by the weight of an atom.
Allah the Almighty says:
«وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا»
Translation:
And We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be wronged in the least.
(Surah Al-Anbiya: 47)
On that day, a person will have to answer for every good and bad deed.
However, some fortunate people will, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, enter Paradise without any reckoning.
7️⃣ Receiving the Record of Deeds
During the stages of reckoning, people will be given their records of deeds. Some will be given their record in the right hand, and some in the left hand or from behind their backs.
Allah says:
«فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا»
Translation:
As for the one given his record in his right hand, he will be given an easy reckoning.
(Surah Al-Inshiqaq: 7-8)
The righteous will rejoice on receiving their record in the right hand, while the wrongdoers and criminals will be distressed on seeing their records.
8️⃣ The Scale of Deeds (Weighing of Deeds)
After this, deeds will be weighed. A scale (Meezan) will be set up in which good and bad deeds will be weighed.
Allah says:
«فَمَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ»
Translation:
Then those whose scales are heavy, they are the successful. And those whose scales are light, they are the ones who have lost their own souls.
(Surah Al-Mu'minun: 102-103)
At this stage, the decision for each person will be according to his deeds, and Allah the Almighty will not be unjust to anyone.
9️⃣ Drinking from the Pond of Kawthar (Hawd-e-Kawthar)
On the Day of Resurrection, our beloved Prophet ﷺ will be given the Pond of Kawthar. The fortunate people of his Ummah will drink from this pond. Whoever drinks from it will never feel thirsty again.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said about the pond that its water will be whiter than milk and sweeter than honey.
(Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
🔟 The Setting Up of Pul-e-Sirat (The Main Stage Asked About)
When the reckoning and the other related stages are complete, Pul-e-Sirat will be set up over Hell. It will be a bridge that people must cross. It is mentioned in the blessed hadiths:
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Saeed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«ثُمَّ يُضْرَبُ الْجِسْرُ عَلَى جَهَنَّمَ»
Translation:
Then the bridge will be set over Hell.
(Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
The speed of those crossing this bridge will differ according to their deeds:
1. Some will pass swiftly like lightning.
2. Some will pass like the wind.
3. Some will pass like swift horses.
4. Some will pass running.
5. Some will pass walking.
6. Some will pass crawling.
7. Some will be seized by thorns and hooks and thrown into Hell.
On that occasion, the prayer of the prophets (peace be upon them) will be:
«اللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْ سَلِّمْ»
Translation:
O Allah! Grant safety, grant safety!
(Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
This shows that crossing Pul-e-Sirat will be an extremely important and difficult stage. A person will find it easy or difficult to cross according to his deeds.
1️⃣1️⃣ Being Held at the Qantarah after Crossing Pul-e-Sirat
This is an important stage; it is mentioned in the hadith.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that when the believers have been saved from Hell and have crossed, they will be held on a bridge between Paradise and Hell. There, retribution will be settled for the wrongs done to one another in the world; that is, if someone had usurped the right of another Muslim or wronged him, it will be settled there.
When they have been cleansed of one another's rights, they will be permitted to enter Paradise.
(Sahih Bukhari)
This shows that even after crossing Pul-e-Sirat, before entering Paradise there will be a stage of settling and clearing the rights of others (Huquq-ul-Ibad).
1️⃣2️⃣ Entering Paradise
When the people of faith have crossed Pul-e-Sirat and been cleansed of one another's rights at the Qantarah, they will be permitted by Allah's command to enter Paradise.
First of all, our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa ﷺ will have the gate of Paradise opened. It is in the blessed hadith that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«أَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَقْرَعُ بَابَ الْجَنَّةِ»
Translation:
I am the first to knock on the gate of Paradise.
(Sahih Muslim)
After entering Paradise, the people of faith will be granted eternal blessings. There will be no death, no illness, no grief, and no hardship there.
1️⃣3️⃣ Entering Hell and the Matter of Sinful Muslims
Those about whom Allah's decision is Hell will meet their fate. Disbelievers and polytheists will remain in Hell forever, while some sinful Muslims may receive punishment because of their sins.
But a Muslim who has faith in his heart will not remain in Hell forever. By His grace and generosity, and through the intercession of His Prophet ﷺ, Allah the Almighty will grant many sinful Muslims salvation from Hell. Authentic hadiths mention that sinful believers will be taken out of Hell through intercession.
(Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)
📌 Clarification:
The presence of the Pond of Kawthar on the Day of Resurrection is established by the hadiths, but there is no definitive and agreed-upon sequence in the narrations regarding the mutual order of the reckoning, the Scale, and the Pond.
واللہ تعالیٰ اعلم بالصواب
محمد عظمت الله نظامي عفی عنہ