The gathering of mankind and the animals

Allaah calls the Day of Resurrection the Day of Gathering
because Allaah will gather His slaves, mankind and the jinn. Allaah says: 

“Indeed in that (there) is a sure lesson for those who
fear the torment of the Hereafter. That is a Day whereon mankind will be
gathered together, and that is a Day when all (the dwellers of the heavens
and the earth) will be present”

[Hood 11:103] 

“Say (O Muhammad): (Yes) verily, those of old, and those
of later times.

All will surely be gathered together for appointed Meeting
of a known Day”

[al-Waaqiyah 56:49-50] 

“There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto
the Most Gracious (Allaah) as a slave.

Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a
full counting.

And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of
Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender)”

[Maryam 19:93-95] 

“And (remember) the Day We shall cause the mountains to
pass away (like clouds of dust), and you will see the earth as a levelled
plain, and we shall gather them all together so as to leave not one of them
behind”

[al-Kahf 18:47]

Also included in this gathering are the animals. Shaykh
al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) said: 

“As for the animals, they will all be gathered by Allaah, as
is indicated by the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

‘There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a
bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have
neglected nothing in the Book, then unto their Lord they (all) shall be
gathered’

[al-An’aam 6:38] 

‘And when the wild beasts are gathered together’

[al-Takweer 81:5] 

‘And among His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs,
etc.) is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and whatever moving
(living) creatures He has dispersed in them both. And He is All-Potent over
their assembling (i.e. resurrecting them on the Day of Resurrection after
their death, and dispersion of their bodies) whenever He wills’

[al-Shoora 42:29]

The word idha (translated
here as when or whenever) refers to something that will inevitably come to
pass. And there are many well known ahaadeeth on this topic. On the Day of
Resurrection Allaah will gather the animals, and the scores among them will
be settled. Then it will be said to them, “Be dust!” and they will become
dust. At that point the kaafir will say, “Would that I were dust!” (al-Naba’
72:40 – interpretation of the meaning). Whoever says that they will not be
brought back to life is making a serious mistake, indeed he is misguided or
is a kaafir. And Allaah knows best. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/248 

Ahmad (20534) narrated from Abu Dharr that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting, and two
sheep locked horns, and one of them butted the other and defeated it. The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) smiled,
and it was said to him, “Why are you smiling, O Messenger of Allaah?” He
said, “Because of the sheep. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it will
settle its score with the other on the Day of Resurrection.”  

Ahmad Shaakir said, its isnaad is hasan and unbroken. 

Muslim (2582) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All rights
will be restored on the Day of Resurrection, until even the hornless sheep
will settle its score with the one that has horns.” 

Al-Nawawi said: 

This clearly indicates that the animals will be gathered on
the Day of Resurrection, and that they will be brought back to life like
human beings who are accountable, and like children and the insane and those
who were not reached by the call of Islam. This is what is indicated by the
Qur’aan and Sunnah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And when the wild beasts are gathered together”

[al-Takweer 81:5]

If something is stated in a shar’i text, and there is no
rational or shar’i reason not to interpret it according to what it appears
to mean, then it must be taken at face value. The scholars said that it is
not a condition of the gathering or the resurrection that there should be
reward or punishment. With regard to the hornless sheep settling their
scores with those that have horns, this is not the retaliation that comes
with accountability, because they are not accountable. Rather it is simply
settling the scores. And Allaah knows best. 

People will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection barefoot,
naked and uncircumcised. It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “You will be gathered barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.”
Then he recited, “As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (It
is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it” [al-Anbiya’ 21:104 –
interpretation of the meaning]. Then he said: “The first one to be
clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be Ibraaheem. Some people from among
my followers will be taken away towards the left and I will say, ‘My
followers, my followers!’ He will say, ‘They kept turning back on their
heels after you left them.’ And I will say what the righteous slave said:

‘And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them,
but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are a
Witness to all things. (This is a great admonition and warning to the
Christians of the whole world).

If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You
forgive them, verily, You, only You, are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise’

[al-Maa’idah 5:117].”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3349) 

It was narrated that
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘You will be gathered
barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, men and
women will be looking at one another?!’ He said, ‘The situation will be so
terrible that that will not concern them.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6527) 

And it was narrated in the hadeeth that people will be
resurrected in the clothes in which they died. It was narrated that when Abu
Sa’eed al-Khudri was dying, he called for new clothes and put them on, then
he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say, ‘The deceased will be resurrected in the clothes in
which he died.’” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3114; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1671). 

This hadeeth may seem to
contradict the hadeeth quoted above, which says that they will be
resurrected naked. The scholars reconciled between the two reports by noting
the following points: 

1-That they will be raised in
those garments but they will wear out after the resurrection, and when they
reach the place of standing they will be naked.

2-They will be raised naked then
when the Prophets and Siddeeqs etc have been clothed, everyone else will be
clothed in the same kind of clothes as those in which they died.

3-Some of the scholars
interpreted this hadeeth as referring to the martyrs (shuhada’), because
they are the ones whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) commanded should be buried in the clothes in which they died, so
they will be resurrected in their clothes in order to distinguish them from
others.

4-What is meant by clothes is
righteous deeds, as in the verses (interpretation of the meanings)

“and the raiment of righteousness, that is better”

[al-A’raaf 7:26]

“And purify your garments”

[al-Muddaththir 74:4]

What is meant by a person
being resurrected according to what he was doing when he died is that if his
final action was good, then it will be good (for him) and if it was bad then
it will be bad (for him). This is indicated by the hadeeth of Jaabir who
said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
say, ‘Every person will be resurrected in the manner that he died.’”
(Narrated by Muslim, 2878) 

And Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him): “The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
‘When Allaah sends down punishment upon a people, the punishment also
befalls those who were among them, then they will be resurrected according
to their deeds.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7108). 

This is also indicated by the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “Whilst a man was at ‘Arafah, he fell
from his mount and broke his neck (or it broke his neck). The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Wash him with water and
lotus leaves, and shroud him in two garments, but do not apply perfume or
cover his head, for he will be raised on the Day of Resurrection reciting
the Talbiyah.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1265). 

And it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every wound that the
Muslim receives for the sake of Allaah will appear on the Day of
Resurrection as it was at the time when it was inflicted; blood will be
flowing from the wound and its color will be that of blood but its smell
will be the fragrance of musk.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 237). 

Hence it is mustahabb to encourage one who is dying to say
Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, so that these good words will be his last words
in this world and he will be raised saying them on the Day of Resurrection.
 

See Fath al-Baari, 11/383 

The people will be
gathered on that Day on another earth, one that is different from this
earth, with specific features that are explained in the Sunnah. It was
narrated that Sahl ibn Sa’d said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘The people will be gathered on the
Day of Resurrection on reddish white land like a pure loaf of bread (made
from pure fine flour).” Sahl or someone else said, “It will have no
landmarks for anyone (to make use of).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6521) 

‘Afra’ (translated here as reddish) means white that has a
hint of redness; or it was said that it is intensely white; or it was said
that it means pure white.  A pure loaf of bread means a loaf that is made
from pure flour that is unadulterated.