First People Judged on the Day of Judgment
Many people might think that on the Day of Judgment, Allah will begin with His most righteous servants—those who possessed great knowledge, those who gave immense charity, and those who fought and were martyred in the cause of Allah. However, there is a shocking revelation that many people may not know. The people whose accounts will be settled first will not be those who committed minor sins; instead, they will be the most knowledgeable, those who gave the most in charity and Zakat, and those who gave their lives in the path of Allah.
Hearing this, you might think, “Well, that makes sense; these are Allah’s most righteous servants, so their judgment should come first.” But it is not what you think. Although these people performed great deeds, they received no reward for them, making them great sinners who will be among the people of Hellfire. Let us understand why, despite such immense and noble deeds, these individuals will be deprived of Allah’s mercy.
ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT
When that day arrives which Allah has promised, all people from all times—including those from the past—will stand before the One God and witness the outcome of their fate with their own eyes. Some people’s sins will be exposed publicly, while others will be handled privately. Prophet Muhammad ï·º said that on the Day of Resurrection, three types of people will be the first to be judged. These are people who performed what seemed to be the highest rewards and held the highest status. As I mentioned, they will be:
- A SCHOLAR (Qur’an Reciter)
- A MARTYR
- A WEALTHY DONOR
Even though these people appear righteous, there is a shocking turn.
THE CASE OF SCHOLAR
Let’s start with the case of the scholar. How can a scholar, who spent his life in the way of Allah and followed the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ï·º, be a sinner after doing all of this? This scholar taught others the religion and the Qur’an, and in Islam, knowledge holds immense importance.
On the Day of Judgment, Allah will call this person and ask about the favors and blessings he was given:
“What did you do with all those blessings?”
The man will reply:
“I recited the Qur’an, I acquired knowledge, and O Allah, I spent my life in Your way and taught others as well.”
Then Allah will say:
“You are lying!”
Allah will then expose the reality of that person and reveal his true intentions. The man was indeed knowledgeable and taught the Qur’an and religion, but his intention was that people would praise him. He did everything to gain people’s attention and their compliments, which he already received in this world. People said, “Look how beautiful his recitation is,” or “Look how knowledgeable this scholar is.”
It is not a sin for people to praise you, but it is a sin to perform deeds solely to earn that praise—deeds that should have been done sincerely for Allah and to seek His attention. Since he already received what he wanted in the world, he will have no reward in the hereafter and will be among the sinners.
THE CASE OF WEALTHY PERSON
Now we talk about the person who was wealthy and spent his wealth in the way of Allah—one who gave charity, paid Zakat, and helped the poor and helpless. You might think this is a deed of great reward, so how could this person be a sinner? The same thing happens. Allah calls him forward and asks:
“What did you do with all those blessings?”
The man will say:
“I gave all the wealth You granted me in Zakat and helped the poor. I spent it in Your way.”
Allah will say again:
“You are lying!”
Allah will expose his reality and show his intentions clearly. This person gave Zakat and helped the poor so that people would praise him—so they would say, “Look how big-hearted he is and how much he helps the poor.” To clarify again, receiving praise is not the sin; the problem is performing a deed with a corrupt intention just so people will admire you. Allah gave such people exactly what they wanted in this world. They wanted praise, and Allah granted it to them in the world. Consequently, they will receive nothing in the hereafter and will be among the sinners.
THE CASE OF MARTYR
Finally, we talk about the person who was martyred. You might find it hard to believe that someone who gave their life could be among the people of Hell. His story is similar to the other two. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will call him and ask:
“What did you do with all those blessings?”
The man will say:
“O Allah, I gave my life in Your way.”
Allah will say:
“You are lying!”
Again, Allah shows him his reality and his intention. This person lost his life, but his intention was to receive praise from people. He did not fight entirely for the sake of Allah; he fought to gain attention and to be called brave. He received that praise in the world, so Allah takes away the reward of his good deed and gives him what he actually wanted—fame.
WHY DOES “INTENTION” PLAY SUCH A BIG ROLE IN ISLAM?
In Islam, intention (niyyah) is of utmost importance. It is not a small thing. Prophet Muhammad ï·º said:
“Actions are judged by intentions.” (Sahih Bukhari)
(This is actually the very first Hadith in Sahih Bukhari.)
Even a small good deed, if done with a good intention to please Allah and for the benefit of the person you are helping, will earn you a massive reward. On the other hand, even the biggest deeds have no weight before Allah if the intention is not correct or if there is corruption in the heart—such as doing it for show. Therefore, this principle applies to every act of worship and good deed, whether it be:
- Prayer
- Charity
- Knowledge
- Da’wah (Preaching)
- Simple acts of kindness
WHAT IS “RIYA“?
Riya means showing off. Riya is a major sin that is often normalized in today’s world. Prophet Muhammad ï·º strictly stated that Riya is “Minor Shirk” (associating partners with Allah). You can imagine how serious this is; as soon as we hear the word “Shirk,” we know it is a massive sin. Since Riya is considered minor shirk, we must protect ourselves from this grave sin.
Riya can happen in anything, even in worship. Shaitan does not always make people commit obvious sins; sometimes he makes them perform good deeds that are tainted with Riya. Obviously, that deed is no longer “good” but turns into a major sin.
Many companions of the Prophet ﷺ were terrified of Riya. They were always afraid that some corruption might enter their intentions. One such companion was Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman رضي الله عنه, who feared hypocrisy even more than disbelief. This is a great example because Riya is a form of hypocrisy—you are doing a good deed, but your intention is not right because you are doing it for show.
CONCLUSION
Today we have understood who the people are who will be judged first on the Day of Judgment. Let me make one thing clear: if you do a good deed and someone happens to praise you for it, it doesn’t mean you won’t get the reward. Just understand that before performing any deed or worship, you must check your intention.
Ask yourself: Are you doing this to please Allah and help someone, or are you doing it just for show and to get praise? Remember that Allah knows everything—He knows if your intention is pure or corrupt, whether you are a great scholar or a martyr. There is no place for Riya in Islam, as it is minor shirk. As Muslims, we must protect ourselves from every sin and every form of shirk.
That is all for today. We will meet again with a new topic. Take care of yourself and your family. May Allah forgive all our sins and accept our supplications. Ameen.