Imagine that day.

The Day in which we will all be brought into account. For some, it will be easy, but for others, hard. A day of wait. A day when our deeds will determine how long we will stand, waiting….to be accounted. For the disbelievers, it can be as long as 50,000 years, and for the righteous believers, only a short passing moment. But there are a special group of people who will not be accounted nor punished. A unique group who have been chosen because of their special characteristics. Who are they, and how can we be from amongst them ?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I was shown the nations, and some Prophets passed by with a few followers, and some Prophets passed by with no followers. Then I was shown a great multitude, and I said, ‘What is this? Is this my ummah?’ It was said, ‘No, this is Musa and his people.’ It was said, ‘Look at the horizon.’ There I saw a huge multitude filling the horizon. And it was said, ‘Look there, and there, on the horizons of the sky.’ There was a multitude filling the horizons. It was said, ‘This is your ummah, and of these, seventy thousand will enter Paradise without being brought to account.’” Then he [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)] went inside, without explaining further. The people started to discuss what he had said, saying, “We are the ones who have believed in Allah and followed His Messenger; we are they” or, “It is our children who were born in Islam whilst we were born in Jaahiliyyah.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard about what was being said, so he came out and said: “They are the ones who do not seek ruqya, do not believe in bad omens, do not use branding and they put their trust in their Lord…” (Al Bukhari)

Subhana Allah. But 70,000 seems very little. Counting the companions, the earlier generations, the salaf and righteous people of the past, the amount will surely exceed this number. It may seem almost impossible to be from them. But remember that Allah is the Most Merciful so we are given more good news !

The Prophet ﷺ said: “My Lord promised me that seventy thousand of my ummah will enter Paradise without being brought to account or being punished; with each thousand of them will be another seventy thousand, plus three handfuls of the handfuls of my Lord, may He be glorified.” (Ibn Majah – Hasan)

Now, let’s look at each category individually:

1. They do not seek ruqyah.

Meaning that they do not ask others to perform ruqyah on them, but rather, they perform ruqyah on themselves. The wisdom behind this is that when someone reads on themselves, he/she has complete and the highest level of trust in Allah that He will cure them. Asking others for ruqyah is like asking them to supplicate for you and a form of deficiency in one’s trust in Allah. And part of having full trust in Allah is that we should not ask anything from anyone but seek complete help from Allah. Additionally, seeking ruqyah from others can be a source of fitnah when the person starts to believe that healing comes from that raqi which can lead to shirk. Although it’s not haram to ask others for ruqyah, you will be depriving yourself from such reward.

** It is Important to note that one can read ruqyah on oneself or on others and it will not fall into this category. As a matter of fact, it’s highly recommended to perform ruqyah on oneself as this was the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him). In addition, if someone comes to recite Ruqyah over you, this also does not fall into this category as you never asked for it.

2. They do not believe in evil omen (Tatayyur)

Meaning, they don’t believe in any superstitions or omens. Examples include believing that the number 13, breaking a mirror or a black cat can cause bad luck, or a certain person, place, or day brings negative vibes or bad omens. They same applies to attributing anything or anyone as an agent of good luck. This is an outright form of shirk and we should believe that everything, whether good or bad, comes from Allah alone, and by His Will.

3. They do not use branding.

Meaning, they do not seek cauterization for curing purposes. This is the process in which one uses fire, hot iron or electric current for remedy. This is highly discouraged as it causes much pain and suffering. Accordingly, one should not resort to such matter except for extreme necessity. Cauterizing would be used in the case of amputation. Although it is not prohibited, it is highly discouraged. This matter may also have been directed to those who use it when not necessary. But nowadays, we have surgical operations which do not require such procedure. And Allah knows best.

4. They put their trust in Allah.

Meaning, their faith is held to the highest extent whereby they have perfect and complete reliance on Allah for everything. They completely trust in Allah’s plan, never lose hope in Him and are always content with Allah’s decision of their affairs, whether good or bad. It is those who do not depend on anyone other than Allah and have firm belief that whatever means they take to achieve a certain result, the outcome will be what is best for them.

We pray to Allah that He makes us from among them.