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Fatwa CenterHow reckoning will take place on Day of Judgment
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. I have heard that we will be asked to account for the blessings we are given. What is meant by that? How will it be done? If Allah asks every muslim about His blessings, it will take a long long time. And the Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, used to supplicate: "O Allah, grant me an easy reckoning." What is meant by this? And how will this happen on the Day of Judgment? May Allah bless us and reward you with good.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, you should know that scholars of Tafseer (Quran exegesis) held different opinions on the interpretation of the verse: {Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure.} [Quran 102:8] They differed on whether the verse applies to all people in general or to the disbelievers in particular. Some of them held that it applies to the disbelievers, while others held that it applies to all people in general. The second view is the preponderant one in this regard, as evidenced by the following hadith: "When the verse {Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure} was revealed, Az-Zubayr said, 'O Messenger of Allah, what pleasure shall we be asked about? (meaning that they only had dates and water).' The Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, replied, 'Verily, it will happen.'" [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi, and Ibn Maajah]
In his Tafseer, Al-Qurtubi 
quoted from Al-Qushayri that he said, "The reconciliation between the relevant reports is that all people shall be questioned; however, questioning the disbelievers shall be for the purpose of rebuke and reproach, because they did not thank Allah (for His blessings), and questioning the believers shall be for honoring them, because they did thank Allah."
As for the manner in which the people shall be asked about the worldly pleasures, the Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, "Allah, the Exalted, shall say to the believer and the disbeliever, 'O so-and-so! Did I not honor you and give you authority and pair you up and subdue for you the horses and camels and let you rule over your subjects...'" [Al-Bukhaari]
Saying that this will take a long long time, if you mean that this is a huge matter by human standards, then it is simple by the standards of the Lord of the worlds. Verily, Allah, the Exalted, is Able to do all things as He wishes. Allah says (what means): {Those will have a share of what they have earned, and Allah is swift in account.} [Quran 2:202]
Al-Qurtubi commented on the verse saying, "Al-Hasan said, The reckoning shall be faster than the blink of an eye ... The Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, 'The reckoning would take the time it takes to milk a sheep.' ... It was said to ʻAli ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, 'How will Allah ask all people in one day?' He replied, 'Just as He provides for them in one day.'"
The easy reckoning mentioned in the verse: {He will be judged with an easy account.} [Quran 84:8] was explained in the Sunnah as the mere presentation of the deeds; i.e. without any questioning. Al-Bukhaari narrated that whenever ʻAa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, heard anything which she did not understand, she used to ask again till she understood it completely. Once, the Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, "Whoever will be called to account (about his deeds on the Day of Resurrection) will surely be punished." ʻAa’ishah said, "Does not Allah say: {He will be judged with an easy account.} [Quran 84:8]?" He replied, "This refers to the presentation (of deeds), but whoever is thoroughly questioned in the reckoning will certainly be doomed."
Allah knows best.
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