In this excerpt from his book on the Day of Resurrection, Muḥāsibī describes the scene that will take place on the day itself: the angels surround the judgment scene in rows and the hell-monster Jahannam is seated at the left foot of God’s throne. The Prophet Muḥammad will also be present on the Day of Judgment, interceding for his community. In his chapter comparing earthly justice with heavenly justice in the early Islamic imagination in Justice and Leadership in Early Islamic Courts, Christian Lange uses this source to highlight parallels between exegetes’ depiction of the heavenly court and the features of earthly courtrooms. He notes that the placement of Jahannam corresponds to the usual position of the executioner on the left of the ruler’s throne in medieval representations of the royal court.
This source is part of the Online Companion to the book Justice and Leadership in Early Islamic Courts, ed. Intisar A. Rabb and Abigail Krasner Balbale(ILSP/HUP 2017)—a collection of primary sources and other material used in and related to the book.