Who Sits on the 'Arsh on Judgement Day?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is adapted from a swuhbah by Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) on the 08^th February 2010. 

Nothing from this world is of any help to us but so many of us depend completely on our worldly gifts to support ourselves.  The majority of mankind is chasing this worldly life, seeking materialism to protect themselves.  But Protection from evil is only from the Divine, for this world is full of evil, full of devils who have set countless traps for every person.  For every human being on earth, there is at least seven shayathin dedicated to him.  In these Last Days, the shayathin are striving ceaselessly, setting traps for our eyes, our ears, our minds, our tongues, our feet, our stomachs, our hearts - these are dangerous traps; only Allah (s.w.t.) can Extend to us His Divine Protection.  Nothing from dunya can protect us from them. 

How many of us are aware that we will be Gathered before our Lord one day?  We have not grasped the magnitude of that event – to be Gathered with our book of deeds, to face Questioning, to have our deeds Weighed on the Scales of Truth, to face claims from all whom we have wronged in this worldly life, and to cross the hair-thin Swirath, while Hellfire burns below us.  It is a momentous event, the defining point of our eternal lives, a day in which we will stand in the plains of Masyar, naked, sweating in the blistering heat of the overhead sun, trembling in fear and regret, as will be, even the prophets, on that Day.  Does that sound like a gathering to be taken lightly? 

It has been Written in Scripture, that the Throne will be Brought to the plains of Masyar on that Day.  Why?  Certainly, it is not for Allah (s.w.t.) to sit on while presiding over Judgement, for Allah (s.w.t.) is not constrained by space or time.  He does not move, and nothing in Creation can contain Him.  For Allah (s.w.t.) to ‘move’, He would have to ‘move’ into a space, yet space is a Creation of His, and His Creation is unable to support Him.  But Creation is bound by time; it has a beginning and an end, and it must exist within a place, a plane or a station, maqam.  This universe, with its seven heavens and seven levels of earth, will be like a tiny ring when placed before the Kursi, and the Kursi is like a mere candle when placed on the ‘Arsh. 

So, who will sit on the ‘Arsh at Masyar?  The Bible mentions the one who will sit on the Throne.  The Christians believe that Jesus (a.s.) will sit on that Throne, but they have stripped him of his dignity by suggesting he was crucified in humiliation.  The Jews believe that Moses (a.s.) will ascend the Throne on that Day, but that is also not to be. 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعرَاف

وَلَمَّا جَآءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَـٰتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ ۥ رَبُّهُ ۥ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِىٓ أَنظُرۡ إِلَيۡكَ‌ۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَٮٰنِى وَلَـٰكِنِ ٱنظُرۡ إِلَى ٱلۡجَبَلِ فَإِنِ ٱسۡتَقَرَّ مَڪَانَهُ ۥ فَسَوۡفَ تَرَٮٰنِى‌ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ ۥ لِلۡجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ ۥ دَڪًّ۬ا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقً۬ا‌ۚ فَلَمَّآ أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ تُبۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ وَأَنَا۟ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ (١٤٣) 

When Moses came to the place Appointed by Us and his Lord Addressed him, He said, “O my Lord!  Show (Yourself) to me, that I may look upon You.”  Allah Said, “By no means can you see Me (direct); but look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shall you see Me.”  When his Lord Manifested Himself to the mount, He Made it as dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon.  When he recovered his senses, he said, “Glory be to You!  To You I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe.” (Surah al-A’araf:143) 

When Moses (a.s.) told Allah (s.w.t.), that he wanted to see Him, in reality, Allah (s.w.t.) Showed him His real khalifah of Creation, that Nur.  That was not the Nur of Allah (s.w.t.) since if that were so, all Creation would have been Annihilated.  That was one ray of the tajalli of the Nur of Muhammad (s.a.w.) through a tiny opening; the mountain was crushed to dust and Moses (a.s.) was knocked unconscious. 

On the Day of Judgement, Allah (s.w.t.) will not be ‘moving’ to the Throne to ‘sit’ on it, for such are attributes of the Creation, not the Creator.  So, He Sends His representative, Muhammad (s.a.w.).  The proof of this lies in the Qur’an, where Allah (s.w.t.) Says to Rasulullah (s.a.w.): 

سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء

... عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبۡعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامً۬ا مَّحۡمُودً۬ا (٧٩) 

… soon will your Lord Raise you to a station of praise and glory! (Surah al-Isra’:79) 

The maqam mahmudah Mentioned in this ayat above is not in this dunya.  It is a station in akhirah, the highest station for Creation that Iblis coveted so dearly.  Iblis had performed thousands of years of worship, yearning to be that Chosen one.  Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) will ascend the ‘Arsh on Judgement Day, as Allah’s (s.w.t.) Chosen khalifah. 

This swuhbah is to teach us the exalted maqam of praise and glory that Allah (s.w.t.) will Bestow on His Beloved (s.a.w.) on Judgement Day.  We should follow the Sunnah of Allah (s.w.t.) and accord Rasulullah (s.a.w.) the highest respect and love, as his ummah.  We show our love, by following his sunnah, remembering him in Mawlid and qaswa’id, and by constant swalawat upon him, especially in the blessed month of Rabi al-Awwal, the month Allah (s.w.t.) Sent us His Beloved (s.a.w.).