Upon the authority of Anas Ibn Maalik who said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم to intercede for me on the day of judgement and he said: “I will do so” so I said: “Where will I seek you on the day of Judgement Oh Messenger of Allah? He replied “The first place you should seek for me is at the Siraat (The bridge over the Hellfire) So I said: and if I do not find you at the Siraat? He said: “Then seek for me at the scales” So I said: “And if I do not find you at the scales? He said “Then seek me at the Hawd (The pond of the Messenger –صلى الله عليه وسلم ) for certainly I will not be mistaken in one of these three places on the day of Judgement[1]”
(Collected by Ahmad 3/178) and At Tirmidhi 2433 and declared ‘Saheeh’ by Shaikh Albaani in Saheeh At Targheeb (3/235/3625) and Mishkaat (5595))
Benefit: This hadeeth points towards a position held by some of the people of knowledge (from them Al Imaam Al Bukhaari) that the Hawd will be after the Siraat.
Also, the scholars who have explained the hadeeth, mention that the fact the Prophet – صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned these places as locations to find him on the day of judgement does not indicate that this is the order in which these things will occur, since the well-known order is the Hawd, then the reckoning in the presence of the scales and then the siraat.
We ask Allah to grant us his intercession on that trying day.
Wa Sallallahu ‘alaa Nabiyinaa Muhammad
[1] Meaning, these will be the three most pressing times the intercession of the Messenger will be sought (Tuhfatul Ahwadhi: 6/225)
