سورة هود

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him): A man said: "I entered the mosque of Medina and saw a man narrating a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) with people gathered around him. I said to him: 'Tell me about the meaning of شاهِدٍ وَ مَشْهُودٍ [Witness and witnessed, in the Quran]!' He said: 'Yes! The witness is Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection. Have you not heard that Allah the Exalted has said: O Prophet! Indeed We have sent you as a witness (al-Ahzab/45), and He has said: ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَ ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَشْهُودٌ [That is a day on which the people shall be gathered together, and that is a day that shall be witnessed].' I asked: 'Who is he?' They said: 'He is Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).'"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Imam, in explaining the verse ذَلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَّجْمُوعٌ لَّهُ النَّاسُ وَ ذَلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَّشْهُودٌ [That is a day on which the people shall be gathered together, and that is a day that shall be witnessed], said: "What is meant by the witnessed day is the day of Arafah, and what is meant by the day of gathering, on which the people are gathered together, is the Day of Resurrection."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Yazid ibn Sallam asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): "Tell me about the day of Friday!" He said: "یَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَ ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَشْهُودٌ [It is a day on which the people shall be gathered together, and that is a day that shall be witnessed]; and it is the day of شاهِدٌ [witness] and مَشْهُود [witnessed]!"

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): شاهِدٌ is the day of Arafah, and مَشْهُود is the Day of Resurrection. Have you not read the Quran? Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَ ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَشْهُود [That is a day on which the people shall be gathered together, and that is a day that shall be witnessed].

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) was admonishing the people in the mosque of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). O son of Adam! Know that following this world there is an event greater, more terrifying and more heart-rending, and that is the Day of Resurrection. ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَ ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَشْهُودٌ [This is a day on which the people shall be gathered together and this is a day that shall be witnessed]; and on it Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will gather the earlier ones and the later ones. This is the day on which the Trumpet is blown.

Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them): ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَ ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَشْهُودٌ [This is a day on which the people shall be gathered together and this is a day that shall be witnessed]; this verse describes the Day of Resurrection, and that day is "the Promised Day".

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): O people! Do not let the adornment of the life of this world deceive you. Do not attach your hearts to this life, for the world is a house of deception. The end of the life and the destiny of all the people of the world is annihilation and destruction. Take from this life provision for the hereafter. The provision of the hereafter is only taqwa (Allah-consciousness) and righteous deeds, for it is only through them that you will be placed within Allah's mercy, because only righteous deeds — if they are sincere and unblemished — ascend to the presence of Allah, and Allah accepts only the obedience of the pious. Allah has informed you of the station of the believers and the righteous, and He has informed you of the station of the unbelievers and of those who worked for other than Allah, and He has said: ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَ ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَشْهُود، وَ ما نُؤَخِّرُهُ إِلَّا لِأَجَلٍ مَعْدُودٍ، یَوْمَ یَأْتِ لا تَکَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِیٌّ وَ سَعِیدٌ، فَأَمَّا الَّذِینَ شَقُوا فَفِی النَّارِ لَهُمْ فِیها زَفِیرٌ وَ شَهِیقٌ، خالِدِینَ فِیها ما دامَتِ السَّماواتُ وَ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا ما شاءَ رَبُّکَ إِنَّ رَبَّکَ فَعَّالٌ لِما یُرِیدُ، وَ أَمَّا الَّذِینَ سُعِدُوا فَفِی الجَنَّةِ خالِدِینَ فِیها ما دامَتِ السَّماواتُ وَ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا ما شاءَ رَبُّکَ عَطاءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ [This is a day on which the people shall be gathered together and this is a day that shall be witnessed. And We do not delay it save for an appointed term. On the day when it comes no soul shall speak except with His permission; then some of them shall be wretched and some happy. As for those who are wretched, they shall be in the Fire; for them therein shall be sighing and groaning, abiding therein so long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord wills; surely your Lord is the Doer of what He intends. And as for those who are made happy, they shall be in the Garden, abiding therein so long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord wills — a gift never to be cut off].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ ذلِکَ یَوْمٌ مَشْهُودٌ [And this is a day that shall be witnessed]; [meaning] the prophets and the messengers will bear witness against them (regarding the deeds of the people).