The believers will gather together on the Day of Resurrection and will say: Should we not ask [someone] to intercede for us with our Lord? So they will come to Adam and will say: You are the Father of mankind; Allah created you with His hand, He made His angels bow down to you and He taught you the names of everything, so intercede for us with your Lord so that He may give us relief form this place where we are. And he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his wrongdoing and will feel ashamed and will say: Go to Noah, for he is the first messenger that Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his having requested something of his Lord about which he had no [proper] knowledge (Quran Chapter 11 Verses 45-46), and he will feel ashamed and will say: Go to the Friend of the Merciful (Abraham). So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Moses, a servant to whom Allah talked and to whom He gave the Torah. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention the taking of a life other that for a life (Quran Chapter 28 Verses 15-16), and he will feel ashamed in the sight of his Lord and will say: Go to Jesus, Allah's servant and messenger, Allah's word and spirit. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a servant to whom Allah has forgiven all his wrongdoing, past and future. So they will come to me and I shall set forth to ask permission to come to my Lord, and permission will be given, and when I shall see my Lord I shall prostrate myself. He will leave me thus for such time as it pleases Him, and then it will be said [to me]: Raise your head. Ask and it will be granted. Speak and it will be heard. Intercede and your intercession will be accepted. So I shall raise my head and praise Him with a form of praise that He will teach me. Then I shall intercede and He will set me a limit [as to the number of people], so I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return to Him, and when I shall see my Lord [I shall bow down] as before. Then I shall intercede and He will set me a limit [as to the number of people]. So I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return for a third time, then a fourth, and I shall say: There remains in Hell-fire only those whom the Qur'an has confined and who must be there for eternity. There shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a grain of wheat; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom.
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (ﷺ), who said:
The Prophet ﷺ describes the Day of Resurrection: humanity gathered, the sun drawn near, the waiting unbearable, and the people going from one great prophet to the next, seeking someone to intercede with Allah to begin the reckoning and bring relief. Each prophet excuses himself, until they come to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who falls in prostration before his Lord, and Allah opens to him praises and grants the intercession.
Where this hadith comes from
This is a hadith qudsi: a saying in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) reports the words and the unseen scene that Allah disclosed to him, outside the wording of the Qur'an. Here he describes the Day of Resurrection: the believers gathered in distress, going from one great prophet to the next to seek someone who will intercede with Allah so the reckoning may begin and relief may come.
It is narrated by Anas ibn Malik (ra) and recorded by al-Bukhari (also in Muslim), so it is sahih and agreed upon, among the most authentic of reports. Its subject is pure creed: the Last Day, the station of the prophets, and the great intercession granted to the Prophet (peace be upon him), all by the leave of Allah.
The key words
What it means, line by line
The believers, overwhelmed by the long standing of that Day, look for someone to plead their case, and they go from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses to Jesus. Each prophet, recalling some moment of his own life, humbly says, 'I am not in a position for that,' and sends them onward. The point is not their failing but their awe before Allah, and that intercession is His to grant, not anyone's to claim.
They come at last to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who goes to his Lord, falls in prostration, and is inspired with praises he never knew before. Then he is told: raise your head, ask and you will be given, intercede and your intercession will be accepted. This is the great intercession, and at its heart the mercy of Allah opens: even those with the smallest weight of faith are brought out of the Fire. So no intercession happens except by His permission and pleasure, as the verse below makes plain.
A Day that demands preparation
The scene is sobering: no escape, no shade, no distraction, only the weight of standing before Allah while the reckoning waits to begin. The Prophet ﷺ painted it so vividly not to terrify us into paralysis, but to wake us. Everything we are gathering now, deeds, sincerity, mercy shown to others, is provision for that Day. The believer lives with one eye on this horizon, letting it order today's priorities.
Mercy opens at the end
Yet notice where the scene leads: not to despair, but to the opening of mercy through intercession. The Prophet ﷺ prostrates, and Allah inspires him with praise no one knew before, and the door of relief swings open. The Day of terror is also the Day the Prophet's ﷺ intercession is granted and the vast mercy of Allah is poured out. So fear the Day enough to prepare, and hope in its mercy enough to keep going. Love the Prophet ﷺ, follow him, and ask to be among those his intercession reaches.
Carry this with you
Live with one eye on the Day, and prepare for it now.
The Day demands provision.
What we gather now, deeds, sincerity, mercy to others, is what we will stand with then.
It should wake, not paralyse.
The Prophet ﷺ painted the scene to order our priorities today, not to crush us with fear.
Mercy opens at the end.
The Day of terror is also the Day of the Prophet's ﷺ intercession and Allah's poured-out mercy.
Seek his intercession.
Love and follow the Prophet ﷺ, send salah upon him, and ask to be among those his intercession reaches.
Ihdina as-sirata l-mustaqim, sirata lladhina an'amta 'alayhim, ghayri l-maghdubi 'alayhim wa la d-dallin
Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned Your anger or of those who are astray. (Al-Fatihah 1:6-7)
A du'a for that Day
The Prophet ﷺ let us see the Day of standing before Allah, its terror and, at its heart, the opening of mercy. We cannot avoid that Day, but we can prepare for it, and hope in the One whose mercy meets us there.
O Allah, make us ready for the Day we stand before You, and let us be among those reached by the intercession of Your Messenger ﷺ. Guide us to the straight path that leads safely home. Ameen.
The hadith qudsi is from sunnah.com: the great intercession on the Day of Resurrection, narrated by Anas (ra), recorded by al-Bukhari (also Muslim), graded sahih (agreed upon). The supporting Qur'an (1:6-7) is in Uthmani script verified via quran.ai (ar-uthmani-minimal) with the Saheeh International translation. Per the editorial policy this stays with the creed (the Last Day and intercession). FOR SCHOLAR REVIEW before publication.
Questions
What does this hadith describe?
The Day of Resurrection: humanity gathered in distress, seeking someone to intercede with Allah so the reckoning may begin and relief may come. They go from prophet to prophet until they reach the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who prostrates and is granted the great intercession by Allah.
What is intercession (shafa'ah)?
It is Allah permitting certain honoured ones, foremost the Prophet ﷺ, to intercede on the Day of Judgement for relief and mercy, by Allah's leave and pleasure. The 'great intercession' to begin the reckoning is a unique station granted to the Prophet ﷺ.
What is the lesson for me?
To take the reality of that Day seriously and prepare for it now with faith and good deeds, while holding firmly to hope in Allah's mercy. Loving and following the Prophet ﷺ, and sending salah upon him, are means of being among those his intercession reaches.
What stayed with you?
A private note, kept only on this device. Find it again on your journey page.