Bridge of Siraat

QUESTION:

Will the bridge of Siraat have width for those who have good deeds?

ANSWER:

Allamah Ibn Hajar Asqalaani Rahimahullah has recorded the following statement of Sa’eed bin Abi Hilal Rahimahullah in his commentary of Bukhari Shareef:

وَعَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِلَالٍ قَالَ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ الصِّرَاطَ أَدَقُّ مِنَ الشَّعْرِ عَلَى بَعْضِ النَّاسِ وَلِبَعْضِ النَّاسِ مِثْلُ الْوَادِي الْوَاسِعِ أَخْرَجَهُ بن الْمُبَارك وبن أَبِي الدُّنْيَا (فتح الباري 11/454)

“This information has reached us the bridge of Siraat is thinner than the strand of hair for some people and for others it will be like a huge valley.”

From the above, it is apparent that the bridge of Siraat will be wide for those were upright and pious, and very narrow for those who were impious.

Also, there are certain actions mentioned in the Ahaadith that will assist one on the bridge of Siraat. One such action is the recitation of Durood Shareef. See the following incident below:

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ: خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – فَقَالَ: «إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ الْبَارِحَةَ عَجَبًا… وَرَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي قَدْ خَفَّ مِيزَانُهُ، فَجَاءَهُ إِقْرَاضُهُ فَثَقُلَ مِيزَانُهُ. وَرَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي يُرْعِدُ كَمَا تُرْعِدُ الزَّعْفَةُ، فَجَاءَهُ حُسْنُ ظَنِّهِ بِاللَّهِ فَسَكَّنَ رِعْدَتَهُ. وَرَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَزْحَفُ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ مَرَّةً وَيَجْثُو مَرَّةً وَيَتَعَلَّقُ مَرَّةً، فَجَاءَتْهُ صَلَاتُهُ عَلَيَّ فَأَخَذَتْ بِيَدِهِ فَأَقَامَتْهُ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ حَتَّى جَاوَزَ (مجمع الزوائد #11746)

“Abdur Rahman bin Samurah Radiallahu Anhu reports, “On one occasion, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam came to us and said, ‘Last night, I saw something extraordinary in a dream. I saw a man from my Ummah who was crossing the Siraat. At times he was crawling, at other times, he was dragging himself on his behind, and sometimes, he was hanging onto the bridge [about to fall into Jahannam]. Suddenly, his salutations (Durood) that he would recite upon me in the world came to him. It then held his hand, helped him to stand up on the bridge and assisted him to cross over it.”

Furthermore, as a matter of interest, Allamah Ibn Hajar Asqalaani Rahimahullah has also recorded the statement of Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad Rahimahullah in his commentary of Bukhari Shareef describing the length of the bridge of Siraat:

وَجَاءَ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ عِيَاضٍ قَالَ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ الصِّرَاطَ مَسِيرَةُ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ خَمْسةُ آلَافٍ صُعُودٌ وَخَمْسَةُ آلَافٍ هُبُوطٌ وَخَمْسَةُ آلَافٍ مُسْتَوَى أَدَقُّ مِنَ الشَّعْرَةِ وَأَحَدُّ مِنَ السَّيْفِ عَلَى مَتْنِ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يَجُوزُ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا ضامر مهزول من خشيَة الله أخرجه بن عَسَاكِرَ فِي تَرْجَمَتِهِ (فتح الباري 11/454)

“I have heard that the bridge over Jahannam is the distance of 15000 years journey. 5000 years upwards, 5000 years straight and 5000 years down. It will be thinner than a strand of hair and sharper than a blade. Only that person will be able to pass over it who has true fear of Allah.”

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Abdul Kader Fazlani

Date: 12 Dhul Qa’dah 1446 / 11 May 2025

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb