How Can All Creatures Be Gathered in Sham and Palestine for Resurrection?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
How can all creatures be gathered on the land of Sham and parts of Palestine for resurrection, given their immense numbers?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
The Levant, an area covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, holds a special eschatological significance; gathering all creatures is part of a divine plan surpassing physical constraints. Just as Allah will resurrect billions of people from dust, He is capable of gathering all souls in ways that transcend human understanding.
Abu’l-Hasan al-Shuja al-Rib’i, who narrates Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him), “The Levant (Al-Sham) is the land of gathering and resurrection.”
This hadith has been mentioned in Fadha’il al-Sham by Rib’i, Ibn Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq, and in Bazzar and graded as authentic (sahih).
This means that it is the place where people will be assembled for judgment and resurrected from their graves before being led there.
It was specifically designated as such because it is the land that Allah said: “We filled with blessings unto all generations and peoples of mankind” [Quran, 21:71]. Moreover, most prophets were sent from this region, and their teachings spread worldwide, making it fitting to be the land of gathering and resurrection. [Munawi, Faydh al-Qadir Sharh al-Jami‘ al-Sagir; San‘ani, al-Tanwir Sharh al-Jami‘ al-Sagir]
Earth Will Be Turned Into Some Other Earth
For a detailed explanation, read the commentary on the following verse:
“(Watch for) the Day (when) the earth will be changed into a different earth and the heavens as well, and all will appear before Allah—the One, the Supreme.” [Quran, 14:48]
Please go through the valuable answers and links below. Insha’Allah, they will provide you with guidance and direction.
Related
- Where Is the Levant (Sham) and Why Is It Significant?
- Seeker’s Complete Quran Tafsir (See commentary of Verse 14:48)
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersGuidance? You can choose from the Islamic Studies Curriculum and progress through each course step by step.
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
