Question Summary:
Where is the day of qiyamah? I was taught that the day of qiyamah will be on the plains of Arafat but recently heard that it is somewhere in Syria? Can you please clarify the matter?

Question Detail:

Where is the day of qiyamah? I was taught that the day of qiyamah will be on the plains of Arafat but recently heard that it is somewhere in Syria? Can you please clarify the matter?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
1) – Based on the evidence found in the books of tafaaseer and ahadith , the day of qiyamah will take place in .
    -  Imaam al Qurtobi in his tafseer has commentated regarding the following ayat:
"و استمع يوم يناد المناد من مكان قريب"
Surah Qaaf  Surah no. 50 Ayat no. 41
 
و قد زادت السنة هذاه الاية بيانا , فروى الترمذى عن معاوية بن حيده عن النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم فى حديث ذكره  قال و اشار بيده الى الشام فقال " من ها هنا الى ها هنا تحشرون ركبانا و مشاة و تجّرون على وجوهكم يوم القيامة .Tafseer al-Qurtobi Vol  17-18  Pg 31 (Darul Hadith Cairo)
-  He states that , narrated by Imaam at- Tirmidhi  that Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) indicated towards Syria and stated “from this area to this area you will be resurrected some people riding  some walking and some dragged on their faces on the day of qiyamah .
-  Furthermore , Imaam al Qurtobi explains the exact location to be Musjid-al-Aqsaa , Palestine.
و قيل : المكان القريب صخرة بيت المقدس
Tafseer al-Qurtobi  Vol  17-18 Pg 31 (Darul Hadith Cairo)
N.B- It should be noted that the Shaam() referred to in the books of ahadith is a more vast area than the modern day . It is inclusive of present day , Palestine, and a part of .
 
- In a narration from al-Musnad of Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal , Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) was asked regarding  Baitul-Maqdis . Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) commented “ It is the land of resurrection , visit it and perform salaah in it , because the salaah performed in it is equivalent to a thousand salaah .
 
حدّثنا ابو نعيم ثنا اسرائيل عن زيد بن جبير عن ابى يزيد الضنى عن ميمونة مولاة النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم قالت يا نبى الله افتنا فى بيت المقدس فقال : " ارض المنشر و المحشر اءتوه فصلوا فيه فانّ صلاة فيه كألف صلاة فيما سواه
Al-Musnad  Vol 18   Pg  606  (Darul Hadith Cairo)
 
- Imaam al Qurtobi narrates in his book at-Tazkirah , commentating on the ayat :
" فاذا هم بالساهرة"
(Al Quraan - Surah an-Naazi’aat )
- He quotes Imaam as-Sowri as saying that the land of resurrection is .
و قال الثورى : الساهرة ارض الشام
At-Tazkirah   Pg  168  (Darul Hadith Cairo)
- It should be understood that qiyamah is inevitable , to worry ourselves with when it will occur or where it will occur is trivial , the important issue is what have we prepared for it.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Abdul Hameed,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah