How the people will be divided on the Day of Resurrection

 

How the people will be divided on the Day of Resurrection 


“And you (all) will be in three groups.


So those on the Right Hand (i.e. those who will be given their Records in their right hands) how (fortunate) will be those on the Right Hand! (As a respect for them, because they will enter Paradise).


And those on the Left Hand (i.e. those who will be given their Record in their left hands) how (unfortunate) will be those on the Left Hand! (As a disgrace for them, because they will enter Hell).”


[al-Waaqi’ah 56:7-9 – interpretation of the meaning] 

Praise
be to Allaah.

Ibn Katheer said: i.e., the people will be divided into
three groups on the Day of Resurrection. 

Al-Tabari said: thus they will be divided into the three
groups mentioned at the end of the soorah at the time when they are
dying. 

Then Allaah explained the state of the (three) groups.
He said “those on the Right Hand” to point out how great is their
status and how respected they are. 

“And those on the Left Hand
(i.e. those who will be given their Record in their left hands)
how (unfortunate) will be those on the Left Hand”;
their being on the left indicates how terrible their situation will
be. 

“And those foremost [(in Islamic Faith of Monotheism
and in performing righteous deeds) in the life of this world on the
very first call for to embrace Islam] will be foremost (in Paradise)”
[al-Waaq’iah 56:10 – interpretation of
the meaning] 

This means that those who were foremost in doing good
deeds in this world will be foremost in the Hereafter and will be the
first to enter Paradise. Those who are of this caliber are the ones
who will be closest to Allaah in gardens of delight, in the heights
of ‘Illiyeen, in a lofty status above which there are no higher status.
We ask Allaah to make us among those who are foremost. And Allaah knows
best. 

See Tafseer Ibn Sa’di, p. 832