A Muslim never knows what is
going to happen when he dies and what he is going to face when in grave. He only
knows that people with good deeds shall be pardoned while those tainted with
sins are going to suffer quite badly. He does not know how he, in particular, is
going to be evaluated or tested on the day of Judgment because he does not know
if his good deeds are considerable or not, or his hands are weighed down with
countless sins.
He does not even have the slightest idea how and when he is going to die or is
his death going to be an honorable one or not?
One moment he is alive, the next, he is being borne, lifted out of the coffin,
and buried along with his pride and vanity. No one to his aid. All those people
who vowed their love to him, who even cried hysterically at parting, have now
wiped off their tears and gone, gone without him, gone and left him, lying deep
down in the ground, helpless and hopeless, and unmoving just like the dead
earth, which is tread on and spat on and nobody cares.
Now, there is only darkness around him. The tight place suffocates him. His
entire body stiff and cold covered with only two pieces of white cloth. Where
are all those preppy clothes?, all that élan and style?, and everything he used
to boast about?. Are all those evaporated into thin air?
No, of course not. They exist, but not down below, up above. He has left
everything behind him, just as he was told will happen.
Then what has he brought here? He must have brought something. Something to save
him, something to give him peace and serenity. After all, he did not waste his
time entirely.
However, he does not know, at least for the time being, that what is there in
store for him. Only time can tell. For the moment, he only awaits judgment, the
terrible and heart shuddering judgment he was always warned about but which he
took rather lightly.
He starts to feel the suffocation again. It increases by each passing minute. A
bitter smell surrounds him and chokes him. He feels as if he is going to crumble
any moment. What is happening? he thinks frantically, and then the realization
makes him tremble all over, makes him freak out.
The small place where he is lying is getting frighteningly smaller! It is
closing in, crushing him, smothering him…!
He hears a sound now, a weird hissing and spitting sound. It pierces his ears.
He tries to shield them, but he cannot move. What is it? He thinks again. Then
his eyes spread with horror when he sees that a number of snakes, scorpions and
other creepy creatures are making their way towards him…! How horrifying!
Oh Allah he moans.
Allah! The Almighty Allah! So it is His wrath! Maybe I was not good enough after
all; the scary creatures are going to finish me then. He asks for help. But help
is not given to him; it is too late now even to repent….
On the other hand, a pious person feels much better. He feels the coolness of
air instead of suffocation. He feels fresh scent filling his nostrils rather
than the foul smell. The creatures come to him too, but cannot harm him. They
are held back and pushed away. He wonders how. Well, his good deeds like his
prayers, his fasts, his charities, and all his virtues and righteousness, fence
him, guard him and protect him. His grave enlarges to extremity, and gives off
luminous light. He feels extremely relaxed, happy and blissful and not at all
agitated or afraid. And then he starts a new life, the life of eternity!
This eternal life, of which everyone is so anxious about, is exceedingly
wonderful and delightful in his case as he had spent his transient life in
hardships and worship, preparing for this day rather than taking interest in all
the worldly treasures and leisure. He had spent the available time for
meditation and contemplation and not for amusement or enjoyment. And now, he is
rewarded.
He is now blessed with the love of Allah. He is greeted by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W)
with great love and then welcomed to his (S.A.W) entourage with open arms. All
because he had worshipped his Creator and remembered his Prophet (S.A.W) at all
times. So now, he is given his blessings….
He lives in the beautiful Paradise; with huge palaces, just for him and widely
spread gorgeous gardens to stroll around. There are wonderful streams of milk
and honey. He gets everything he wishes for without a second’s delay. He eats
what he wants, drinks when he wants and does whatever he fancies. There is no
one to stop him and no one to disturb him. He is free and on his own.
He has totally forgotten his past life, the good times, and even the worst ones,
for he is lost in this world of countless bounties and one which is beautiful
beyond imagination. He is engrossed in its luxury and will remain so forever.
On the other hand, the disobedient man is thrown into hell. He is punished for
each sin and wrong that he was guilty of in his worldly life. He is thrown in
the hell fire for all eternity to come. Charred and reduced to ashes, he is
revived again to be burned again and then this trauma continues forever. It is
excruciating! He shouts and screams, and begs for this unbearable agony to stop,
but it continues. He pleads with Allah to forgive him, to give him another
chance, another life; for he knows now what terrifying punishments are in store
for those who do not listen, who do not obey Allah and who do not follow His
commands. He says that he will turn over a new leaf and not take a step off the
right path if he is just given a second chance, but to no avail.
Because Allah enquires, was he not aware of the right path when he got his first
chance? Was he not told to obey Allah and follow his orders? Had he not known
that five times Salaah, Fastings in Ramadan, yearly Zakat and the holy
pilgrimage (if capable) were imposed on him as religious obligations? And that
rejection to these will result in severe punishment? Was he not told to follow
in the footprints of the beloved Prophet (S.A.W), to acquire his (S.A.W) Sunnah?
And to pay him (S.A.W) and Allah his respect? Had not a messenger came to him
too? Had not anybody warned him about that? Of course, they had! Many people had
warned him and tried to stop him. But he had turned his back on all of them and
made fun of them. He cannot deny it. He can never deny it because Allah knows it
all. So why ask for a second chance, when in the first place he was aware of
everything? It is just that he did not pay any attention to it, but that was his
fault. And faults are to be punished. Therefore, he shall not be granted another
chance, not ever! He had an entire lifetime to rectify him, so why did he not do
so? Now he shall suffer forever.
So unlike the truly religious person, this one does not or maybe cannot, forget
his life on earth. He recalls each and every moment of his life. Every minute
that he had wasted and every second he had spent relaxing or entertaining
himself. “If only I had been more close to Allah”, he wishes, “If only I had
listened to those who warned me, who tried to shake me into consciousness, and
attempted to awaken my sleeping, dead soul just for my own sake”. But this
cannot be undone. He must go through the punishments he very well deserves. He
now regrets not obeying the religious instructions and teachings. But it is too
late; he must now face the wrath of Almighty. If anybody had warned him back
there, he used to assume that Allah is merciful and that He will show sympathy.
It is not so. Allah’s sympathy, on the Day of Judgment, will only be towards
those who had obeyed Him, not for those who had disobeyed. Now nothing can be
done.
He is punished for all his lies, deceits, deceptions, for all the mistreatment
and all other misdoings. He is also punished for the wrongdoings of his friends
who were led astray by him. And assuredly he too is punished for any wrong
doings committed by his family members, because he had transferred all his
undesirable acts to them, and also for the environment he provided to his
children, keeping them unaware of all the basic morals of life and religion. Had
his children been good and pious, he would have certainly received credit for
it. Being unkind to parents, unfriendly to brother, rude to sister and deceiving
his family by gaining their trust and then using it for his sinful and immoral
purposes certainly invokes the wrath of Allah Almighty.
He had been quite shocked on the Day of Judgment when his book of deeds was
handed over to him. It contained even the tiniest of his unlawful activities,
those that he himself had never noticed, the smallest lie he had ever told, and
every single rude word or bad name he had used, even if just for fun. He had
always taken these actions as not a big deal, but as it is, they are so in front
of Allah. No doubt, that Allah is the greatest judge of all as he is aware of
every thing, good or bad. In fact activities like swearing, backbiting and not
helping and caring for neighbors, considered by him as non-issues, were also
included in the list of crimes. Thus, the punishment meted out had been
according to the sublime justice of Allah.
A pious person had been pleasantly taken aback when he got his book of deeds. It
had the records of the minutest good acts he had performed during his life time.
For instance, a slight hug or a tender smile he had given to his brother to
console him. Such a pious person had justly been rewarded for all such acts.
In all cases of sinful humans, the decision of Allah is final and irrevocable
except in the case of Muslims, though first they are punished for all the sins
they have committed.
Why this grand gesture of forgiveness?
What made Allah extend forgiveness to them?
There must be a very heart warming reason.
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W), who is very near and very much liked by Allah, bows
before Him and prays for His forgiveness to such sinful Muslims. He (S.A.W) does
not bring up his forehead until his (S.A.W) wish is granted. Why? As these
people were from his (S.A.W) ummat. Such is the love of our Prophet p.b.u.h.!
The sinful person is also hit by the realization then, that it would certainly
have been so much better, rather than embarrassment, to meet the Holy Prophet
(SAW) if in his lifetime he had followed his (SAW) time honored teachings.
May Allah Almighty grand us wisdom and foresight to follow with all humility the
teachings of our Holy Prophet (S.A.W), Ameen Summa Ameen.
My Deep Thoughts
The actions and beliefs of today’s generation, especially the teenagers, and a
keen observation of my surroundings, left a deep and lasting impression on me
and compelled me to write this article. Through it, I would like give a wake up
call to the present day youth. I would like to ask them, if as a Muslim they
have forgotten their true identity, their basic role of life? Is it not better
that they kill their ardent fanciful desires, so that they may not have to face
humiliation, embarrassment and shame afterwards? Don’t they think that the path
most of them are following is leading them astray? Of course they realize it. In
their heart, everyone does, but they ignore the fact, and sometimes even try to
do so. Not only their actions but also their attire is against the teachings of
Islam. Just look at the way they dress, one wonders are they covering up or
exposing themselves. Is this what Islam tells us to do? As to their actions,
well, they are totally shameless! They are always talking about one or the other
cool guy or a hot girl, or unknown to others, about meeting their boyfriend or
girlfriend at some secret place. In the past, schools were supposed to be the
places where children enter to learn moral values as per aspirations of their
parents. Nowadays, schools are places where a person is free to do almost
anything. I was quite shocked when the first time I heard that some girls have
been communicating with boys outside the school walls! But now it is everyday
news. Do they think all this stuff is allowed in Islam? If so, let me tell them
that it is absolutely forbidden. In fact, it is haram! This youth, which is so
far away from religion, should read the life of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) so as
to know what our religion teaches us, for the very path they are following would
certainly not enable them to achieve their goal in life or after life. Don’t
they understand that what they are doing is not advocated by the Islamic
teachings but that is what the non-Muslims do? Don’t they realize that they are
gladly following the non-Muslims, the ultimate inhabitants of hell, rather than
their Prophet (S.A.W), the king of Heavens? And if somebody stops them, they say
that everyone is doing the same thing and that you are talking like old people
and that it will be embarrassing if we do not behave like everyone else. But it
is not true. Just think about it, if everyone is preparing to face Allah’s
wrath, are you also eager to do so too? And if you think that it will be
embarrassing (although it is not), in front of some people, then think about the
embarrassment/severe punishment you will have to suffer on the Day of Judgment?
In some cases when the parents try to stop their children, they think they are
strict and old fashioned. But it is not so. They do this because they love you
and want you to be safe, secured, and protected. So please, just think it over,
and next time you have such a feeling, just remember: One is always free when he
is safe, but never safe when he is free.
May Allah lead all of us to the right path. Ameen.