The believers’ joy at meeting Allah

Firstly:

There are verses that speak of the believers’ joy at meeting Allah, may He be exalted, at various stages in the Hereafter.

The first of these stages will be at the time of death. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

Those who believed and were fearing Allah.

For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. No change is there in the words of Allah . That is what is the great attainment” [Yoonus 10:62-64]

“And it will be said to those who feared Allah , "What did your Lord send down?" They will say, "[That which is] good." For those who do good in this world is good; and the home of the Hereafter is better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous –

Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, beneath which rivers flow. They will have therein whatever they wish. Thus does Allah reward the righteous –

The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, ‘Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do’” [an-Nahl 16:30-32]

“Indeed, those who have said, "Our Lord is Allah " and then remained on a right course – the angels will descend upon them, [saying], "Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.

We [angels] were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request [or wish],

As accommodation from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful” [Fussilat 41:30-32].

When the angels of mercy come to the believing slave with glad tidings from Allah, he will feel and express joy and happiness.

As for the disbeliever and the evildoer, he will feel and express anxiety, grief and distress.

Hence, when the believing slave is dying, he will long to meet Allah, whereas the disbeliever or evildoer will hate to meet Allah, may He be exalted.

Anas ibn Maalik narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.” ‘Aa’ishah or one of his wives said: “But we hate death.” He said: “That is not what I meant. When the believer is dying, he is given the glad tidings of the pleasure and honour of Allah, and nothing is dearer to him than that which is ahead of him, thus he loves to meet Allah and Allah loves to meet him. But when the disbeliever is dying, he is given tidings of the punishment and wrath of Allah, and nothing is more hated to him than what is ahead of him, thus he hates to meet Allah and Allah hates to meet him.”

Therefore the righteous person wants those who are carrying him to hasten with him to the grave, because he is longing for bliss, whereas the evildoer cries out, lamenting the fate to which he is going. In Saheeh al-Bukhaari and Sunan an-Nasaa’i, it is narrated that Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When the bier is prepared, and the men lift it up to their shoulders, if the person was righteous, he says: ‘Take me forward,’ but if he was not righteous, he says to his family: ‘Woe to me, where are you taking me?’ And everything except man can hear his voice; if people could hear it they would fall unconscious.

See: al-Qiyaamah as-Sughra by ‘Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar (28); al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (4/131).

Secondly:

The believers will rejoice in the hereafter at the glad tidings that they receive of Paradise and what Allah has prepared for them in it, and they will receive the records of their deeds in their right hands. Look at the great joy of the believer when he receives his record of deeds, in the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, ‘Here, read my record!

Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account.’

So he will be in a pleasant life –

In an elevated garden,

Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near.

[They will be told], ‘Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth in the days past’” [al-Haaqqah 69:19-24].

Thirdly:

Another aspect of the believers’ joy at meeting Allah will be their joy when they see Him and gaze upon His noble Countenance. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra” [Yoonus 10:26].

The scholars of tafseer said that the “extra” is gazing upon the noble Countenance of Allah. This interpretation is supported by the report narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh (181) from Suhayb ar-Roomi (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited this verse – “For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra” – and said: “When the people of Paradise have entered Paradise, and the people of Hell have entered Hell, a caller will call out: ‘O people of Paradise, you have a promise from Allah that He wants to fulfil for you.’ They will say: ‘What is it? Has He not caused our deeds to weigh heavily in the balance, and brightened our faces, and admitted us to Paradise, and saved us from the Fire?’ Then He will remove the veil for them and they will gaze upon Him and, by Allah, they will not be given anything that is dearer or more delightful to them than gazing upon Him.”

And Allah says in Soorat al-Qiyaamah:

“[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant,

Looking at their Lord”

[al-Qiyaamah 75:22-23].

This clearly indicates that on the Day of Resurrection, the faces of the believers will be radiant and happy, gazing upon the Countenance of Allah, may He be glorified, and that will increase them in radiance and happiness.

For more information, please see also the answers to questions no. 1916, 125618, 210252.