Reconciling Allah’s statement about the Day of Resurrection, “On that Day, some faces will be white and some faces will be black,” with His statement, “And We will gather the criminals on the Day of Resurrection with blue faces.”
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The Shaykh : Likewise, Allah mentioned that on the Day of Resurrection, some faces will be white and some faces will be black. In another verse, He said: [Taha 20:102] There is a difference between blackness and blueness, so how was that?
A misguided person comes and says, “This Qur'an is contradictory.” We say, “There is no contradiction; it is contradictory only to you because you did not seek guidance from it. If you had sought guidance from it, it would have become clear to you that it is not contradictory.” How long is the duration of the Day of Resurrection? Fifty thousand years. We see in this world that things change within ten years, and faces change within ten years. The Day of Resurrection is fifty thousand years; is it not possible for faces to change from black to blue, or from blue to black? Answer, everyone. Yes, it is possible. Is it not possible that some people are gathered with black faces and others with blue faces due to the difference in their crimes? So either it is said that the duration is long and faces change within it, or it is said that the crimes differ, and each person is gathered according to his crime. And so on. How excellent is the book compiled by Shaykh Muhammad al-Shinqiti (may Allah have mercy on him), the author of *Adwa' al-Bayan*, in a treatise he titled *Daf' Iham al-Idtirab 'an Ay al-Kitab*. It is a good book in which he explains the verses that appear contradictory and reconciles them. But I remind you that the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the highest speech, the truest speech, the best speech, and the most eloquent speech, and it is impossible for there to be any contradiction in it. The debate between Nafi' ibn al-Azraq and Ibn 'Abbas on these issues is famous; al-Suyuti and others mentioned it, where Nafi' would raise doubts and Ibn 'Abbas would answer and refute them.
And We will gather the criminals, that Day, blue-eyed.
ونحشر المجرمين يومئذ زرقاA misguided person comes and says, “This Qur'an is contradictory.” We say, “There is no contradiction; it is contradictory only to you because you did not seek guidance from it. If you had sought guidance from it, it would have become clear to you that it is not contradictory.” How long is the duration of the Day of Resurrection? Fifty thousand years. We see in this world that things change within ten years, and faces change within ten years. The Day of Resurrection is fifty thousand years; is it not possible for faces to change from black to blue, or from blue to black? Answer, everyone. Yes, it is possible. Is it not possible that some people are gathered with black faces and others with blue faces due to the difference in their crimes? So either it is said that the duration is long and faces change within it, or it is said that the crimes differ, and each person is gathered according to his crime. And so on. How excellent is the book compiled by Shaykh Muhammad al-Shinqiti (may Allah have mercy on him), the author of *Adwa' al-Bayan*, in a treatise he titled *Daf' Iham al-Idtirab 'an Ay al-Kitab*. It is a good book in which he explains the verses that appear contradictory and reconciles them. But I remind you that the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the highest speech, the truest speech, the best speech, and the most eloquent speech, and it is impossible for there to be any contradiction in it. The debate between Nafi' ibn al-Azraq and Ibn 'Abbas on these issues is famous; al-Suyuti and others mentioned it, where Nafi' would raise doubts and Ibn 'Abbas would answer and refute them.