Let’s continue with hadiths regarding the stages of life after death:

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (ra) and Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (ra): 

“Then a bridge will be laid across Hell. I and my followers will be the first ones to go across it.”

“An announcer will ask, “Where is Muhammad?” Upon this the Rasul of Allah (saw) will stand and all of his followers, the devout and the sinners, will follow him to the bridge.

Then the light of the believers will blind the sinners and they will begin to fall into hell until only the Rasul and the devout followers are left.”

“All the other nations will move out of our way and we will pass through them with the mark of ablution shining on our body, our faces lit with Nur. The other nations will look at my followers and say, “They have come so close to becoming Nabis!” On that day none but the Rasuls will speak. And the invocation of the Rasuls will be “O Allah, keep us safe! O Allah keep us safe!”

“Then when they reach the Bridge ‘as-Sirat’ Allah will give Nur (light) to each of them. Once they pass over the inclined part of the bridge and reach the flat part the Nur will be taken from the hypocrites. The hypocrites will say to the believers, “Wait for us, let us borrow some of your light” and the believers will reply, “Our Rabb! Increase and complete our Nur…”

“They will be told, “Run to salvation according to your Nur!” While crossing the bridge some will pass in the blink of an eye, some will pass like lightning, some will pass like the wind, some will pass like swift horses, some will pass like camels, some will walk, some will crawl, and some will be thrown into Hell.” 

Ibn Masud (ra), explains the varying speeds as:

“The blink of an eye, the speed of lightening, as fast as a meteor, like the wind, like swift horses, like she-camels” and adds “some will have Nur only in their toes and crawl over the bridge dragging their arms and legs.”

“There will be thorny hooks on the bridge like the hooks in hell called as-Sadan… Did you see as-Sadan? These hooks will be like the thorns of Sadan but none knows how big they are other than Allah. The hooks will snatch those with bad deeds.”

Some will run, some will walk, and the last one will creep and crawl his way to heaven. Then he will ask, “My Rabb why did you leave me behind?”

And Allah will say, “It was your own deeds that left you behind.”

The 8th verse of chapter at-Tahrim says:

“Their Nur (light of knowledge) will race before them and on their right. They will say, “Our Rabb... Perfect our Nur (increase the scope of our observation) and forgive us... Indeed, you are Qadir over all things.”

And the 13th verse of chapter al-Hadid says:

“On that Day the (hypocrite) men and two-faced women will say to those who believed, “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light (Nur; knowledge of the reality).” It will be said, “Go back and seek light.” And an (unsurpassable) wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior (inner world) containing grace, but its exterior is torment (the condition of those who fail to experience the reality is suffering, whereas observing the qualities of the Names leads to a state of grace).”

“Both the hypocrites and the believers will be given Nur and as they begin to cross the bridge the hooks and clamps will snatch some away and the Nur of the hypocrites will be extinguished. In the end, only the believers will be saved.”

“The first group to pass the bridge will be a group of seventy thousand believers. They will go directly to heaven without being called to account. Those who come after them will be like the brightest stars in the sky. They too will pass with ease.” 

“There are hooks and clamps on each side of the Bridge and they catch on command. These hooks are the lustrous desires that surround hell. Those who are deluded by these desires will fall into hell and be destroyed. Some will eventually reach salvation after a period of suffering.”

We asked, “O Rasul of Allah! What is the bridge?” He said, “It is a slippery (bridge). I have come to know that the bridge over Hell is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. Some will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down into Hell (Fire). The last person will cross by being dragged (over the bridge).”

Finally when Allah finishes His judgment, and intends to take out of the Fire whoever He wishes to take out from among those who used to testify that none had the right to be worshipped but Allah, He will order the angels to take them out and the angels will recognize them by the mark of prostration (on their foreheads) for Allah banned the fire to consume the traces of prostration on the body of Adam's son. 

I swear by Allah in whose hand of power is my being, the invocation and prayers of those who are saved from hell for the salvation of their brothers who are still inside will be nothing like the beseeching and praying you have seen in this world. Those who are saved will say, 

“Our Rabb, those who remain in hell are our sisters and brothers. They used to pray with us and fast with us and perform pilgrimage and do good deeds.”

Then Allah will say, “Go then and save anyone with a dinar worth of faith in their heart.”

Allah will forbid the fire from burning them. These intercessors will enter hell and take out their brethren. 

Then Allah will say, “Go back and take out anyone with a half dinar weight of faith in their heart.”

And they will go back inside and save them.

Then Allah will say:

“Go back inside and save anyone with an iotas weight of faith in his heart.”