How shall people come out of their graves on the Day of Resurrection?

Question: How shall people come out of their graves on the Day of Resurrection? And who will be the first to be dressed?

Answer from The Permanent Committee:

Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى, will resurrect man on the Day of Resurrection by reconstructing him from his tail bone. People will grow as perfect creatures just as plants grow from seeds, and palm trees from date stones. They will emerge from their graves barefooted, naked and uncircumcised. They will rush forth like spread out locusts, or dispersed butterflies, and will not miss the way to the Assembly Land. In fact they will know their way to it better than a wild pigeon knows it way to its nest, as they are racing to a target.

The first upon whom the earth will crack open is our Prophet Muhammad صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم. He will be the first to regain consciousness. As for the first to be dressed after Resurrection is Khalilur-Rahmân (the beloved one of the Merciful) may Allaah exalt his mention, and render him safe from evil. Horror will overtake mankind to the point even Prophets will say on the Day: “Myself, myself”. He who reads the Verses that detail with Resurrection in the Surahs Al-Qamar, Al-Ma’arij, and al-Qari’ah, and the like will have more information about that great event.

It is authentically reported in both Bukhari and Muslim, that the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“You shall be summoned barefooted, naked and uncircumcised.”

Then he read and said:

“As we began the first creation, so shall We repeat it, a promise binding upon Us. We shall certainly fulfill it.”

[Al-Anbiya' 21:104]

“The first to be dressed on the Day of Resurrection is Ibrahim. While a group of my Ummah will be snatched away to the left side, and I would call out: ‘My followers!’ It will be said: ‘They apostatized after you left them.’ And I then will say as the good worshiper (‘Isa) said:

“And I was a witness over them as long as I remained with them, but when You collected me, You were the Watcher over them, and You are the witness over everything. If you punish them, they are Your worshipers; and if You forgive them, You are the Mighty, the Wise.”

[Al-Ma'idah 5:117-118]

[Al-Bukhari no. 3349 and Muslim no. 2860]

It is also authentically reported that the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“Mankind will be shocked to swoon on the Day of Resurrection, and I will be the first upon whom the ground will crack open.”

[Al-Bukhari no. 2412]

It is also authentically reported that the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“I will be the first to regain consciousness.”

[Al-Bukhari no. 4638]

You may get further details about the above two traditions from the book Al-Aqidah-at-Tahawiyyah where Imâm At-Tahawi رحمه الله talks about the conditions of people on the Day of Resurrection.

{Taken from Fatawa Islâmiyah, Darussalam, Vol. 1 – Creed, pg. 22 – 24}