THE SEVEN GROUPS THAT WILL BE PROTECTED BY THE DIVINE SHADE

“God will shade seven (groups of) people under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His: the just ruler; young people who grew up in worship of God; a person whose heart is attached to mosques; two persons who liked one another for God’s sake, who came together and departed on this basis; a man who was called upon (to sin) by a woman of high status and beauty and turned down her offer, saying that he fears God; A person who gave charity in such secrecy that even his left hand did not know what his right hand had given; and a person whose eyes filled with tears on mentioning God in solitude.”
(Bukhari, Adhan, 36; Muslim, Zakat, 91)
Many of the topics mentioned in the above hadith may appear to be difficult to perform and very demanding, but each carries great significance for human willpower. Some people may be able to escape one of the pitfalls facing them, yet be lured into another. The only possible way to escape or avoid these disastrous and sometimes fatal pitfalls is to seek refuge in the mercy of the Creator and to embrace the divine commands of His eternal power. Therefore, human salvation, which lies in the strength of self-control, depends on a person’s devotion and their bond with the Creator.
The above hadith is an offering to those who have willpower; it is for those who possess a power of devotion and a connection with God. An opportunity to attain the greatly sought-after divine protection of the Hereafter is offered. The hope that one will be able to fulfill these tasks, which are demanding and require endurance, and as a result be able to obtain a great reward in the Hereafter, fills our souls with aspiration and desire.
On the Day of Judgment, when the burning sun scorches through, the shade provided by the clouds, gleaming like flames of fire, when the means of salvation have faded away and everything weighs against mankind, there will be no other shade provided but that created by God’s grace and protection. On that day the important fact will not be that the shade is the shade of Heaven; the important factor will be a shift in the rules, the transformation of the skies into shade for those who have earned it. Nobody will be able to aid or assist others on this devastating day, and there will certainly be no protection or favoritism. Who could possibly protect others on a day of such intensity when everyone will hold their breaths in both fear and anticipation of their reward or punishment?
On such a day there is only one possible place to seek refuge and that will be with Divine mercy. The ones who will be granted the shade of benevolence are:
1 – Those who are aware of their responsibilities and duties in the universe, the leaders of communities and nations who represent integrity, who carry out their duties of entrustment with compliance, justification and righteousness.
2 – Young people, who, despite their corporeal passions and desires, devotes themselves to serving God at a time of disruption and disorder.
3 – The devoted worshipper, who, ignoring the material ambitions of the world, constantly attends the mosque and other places of worship with the desire to serve.
4 – Those who love one another for the sake of God, those who come together and depart from one another with the yearning for the Divine in their souls. These are the ones who are devoted to the mission of truth whose motivation is the approval and love of God.
5 – The heroes who live a life of purity and honor, who throughout their lives protect their chastity and virtue and have the resolution and power to resist temptation and reject evil out of their fear of God.
6 – Those who give of their wealth in charity as an indication of their fidelity and devotion to God, those who give in secret, far from the eyes or knowledge of others, for the sake of obtaining Divine pleasure in such a way that the left hand is unaware of that which the right hand has given.
7 – Those who shed tears at times of solitude from the intense emotion and affection in the soul, who constantly obtain their power and self-control from the Creator. These are the heroes who have both the soul and emotion to destroy the aspiration of fear and passion with their astounding determination. This hadith actually guides human beings towards becoming nations of excellence and demonstrates the principles necessary for sustaining these actions.