Why are you so late!

There were only 15 minutes left before Solat-ul Isha {The night prayer}.

He quickly made Wudhu {purification washing of the face, hands, head, ears, and feet} and then, performed Solat-ul Maghrib {The dusk prayer}.

While making Tasbih {praising of ALLAH}, he again remembered his grandmother and was
embarrassed by how he had prayed.

His grandmother prayed with such tranquillity and peace.

He began making Dua{suplications} and went down to make Sajdah{prostration} and stayed like that
for a while.

He had been at work all day and was tired, so tired.

He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and shouting.

He was sweating profusely.

He looked around.

It was very crowded.

Every direction he looked in was filled with people.

Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and right and
some were on their knees with their heads in their hands just waiting.

Pure fear and apprehension filled him as he realized where he was.

His heart was about to burst.

It was the Day of Judgment.

When he was alive, he had heard many things about the questioning on the

Day of Judgment, but that seemed so long ago..

Could this be something his mind made up?

No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imagined this.

The interrogation was still going on.

He began moving frantically from people to people to ask if his name
had been called.

No one could answer him.

All of a sudden his name was called and the crowd split into two and
made a passageway for him.

Two angels grabbed his arms and led him forward.

He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd.

The angels brought him to the centre and left him there.

His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his
eyes like a movie.

He opened his eyes but saw only another world.

The people were all helping others.

He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his
wealth in the way of Islam.

His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set
while the other was being cleared.

He pleaded his case,

'I too was always on this path..

I helped others.

I spread the words of Allah.

I performed my Solah{prayers} .

I fasted in the month of Ramadhan.

Whatever ALLAH ordered us to do, I did.

Whatever HE ordered us not to do, I did not.'

He began to cry and think about how much he loved ALLAH.

He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what
ALLAH deserved and his only protector was ALLAH... He was sweating like
never before and was shaking all over.

His eyes were fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision.

At last, the decision was made.

The two angels with sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd.



His legs felt like they were going to collapse.

He closed his eyes as they began

To read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam{the worst Hell Fire}.

His name was read first.

He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn't be,

'How could I go to Jahannam{the worst Hell Fire}?

I served others all my life,

I spread the words of ALLAH to others'.

His eyes had become blurry and he was shaking with sweat.

The two angels took him by the arms.

As his feet dragged, they went through the crowd and advanced toward
the blazing flames of Jahannam{the worst Hell Fire}.

He was yelling and wondered if there was any person who was going to help him.

He was yelling of all the good deeds he had done, how he had helped
his father, his fasts, prayers, the Noble Qur'an that he read, he was
asking if none of them would help him.

The Jahannam angels continued to drag him.

They had gotten closer to the Hellfire.

He looked back and these were his last pleas.

Had not Rasulullah [S.A.W.] {Messanger of ALLAH Muhammad Peace be upon him} said;

'How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day,
so too does the Solah performed five times cleanse someone of their
sins'?

He began yelling,

'My prayers? My prayers? My prayers.?'

The two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Jahannam{The Worst Hell Fire}.

The flames of the Fire were burning his face.

He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had
nothing left in him.

One of the angels pushed him in.

He found himself in the air and falling towards the Flames.

He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand grabbed him by the arm
and pulled him back.

He lifted his head and saw an old man with a long white beard.

He wiped some dust off himself and asked him,

'Who are you?'

The old man replied,

'I am your prayers'.

'Why are you so late! I was almost in the Fire!

You rescued me at the last minute before I fell in'.

The old man smiled and shook his head,

'You always performed me at the last minute, did you forget?'

At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from Sajdah{prostation} .

He was in a sweat.

He listened to the voices coming from outside.

He heard the Adhan{call for prayer} for Solat-ul Isha{the night prayer}.

He got up quickly and went to perform Wudhu{purification washing of the face, hands, head, ears, and feet}.