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In
Surat Al-Mutaffifin Almighty Allah draws a
comparison between two groups of people and
gives us the chance to choose for ourselves:
in which group would we like to fit?
The
first group comprises the friends of Sijjin
whose situation in this worldly life is
described in the noble Qur'an as well as what
awaits them on the Day of Judgment, as
follows:
[Not
at all! Surely the Book of the constantly
impious is indeed in Sijjîn. And what
makes you realize what Sijjîn is? (It is)
a Book imprinted. Woe upon that Day to the
beliers, who cry lies to the Day of Doom,
and in no way does anyone cry lies to it
except every constantly vicious
transgressor. When Our ayat (Verses,
signs) are recited to him, he says,
"Myths of the earliest
(people)!" Not at all! No indeed,
(but) whatever they were earning has
overlaid on their hearts. Not at all!
Surely upon that Day they will indeed be
curtained from their Lord; Thereafter
surely they will indeed be roasting in
Hell-Fire. Thereafter it will be said (to
them), "This is what you cried lies
to."]
(Al-Mutaffifin 83:7-17)
Thus,
the noble Qur'an rebukes them and affirms that
a record of their actions is kept in a
specified location, albeit this location is
unknown to us. Furthermore, in recompense for
their transgression, they are threatened with
woe and ruin on that Day when their record
will be reviewed.
The
transgressors, as the Arabic term fujjar here
connotes, are those who excessively indulge in
sin. In their book, all the deeds they have
done throughout their lifetime are recorded.
We do not have any knowledge about the nature
of this book nor are we required to do so. The
whole matter belongs to the realm of which we
know nothing except what is revealed by
Almighty Allah in the Qur'an or through His
Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
Through
verse eight of this surah [And
what makes you realize what Sijjîn is?]
the
addressee is made to feel that the matter is
too great to be fully grasped by a human
being.
[…whatever
they were earning has overlaid on their
hearts.]
Indeed, the hearts of those who indulge in sin
become dull, as if they were veiled by a thick
curtain keeping them in total darkness, unable
to see the light. In this way, they begin to
gradually lose their sensitivity and thus,
become lifeless. The Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) is reported to have
said, "When a man commits a
sin, it throws a black spot over his heart. If
he repents, his heart is polished; but if he
persists in his practice, the stains
increase."
(At-Tirmidhi)
Explaining
this verse, Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri said,
"It is a case of one sin on top of
another until the heart is blinded and
dies."
The Inevitable Reckoning
So
far, we have learnt about the situation of the
unbelieving transgressors, as well as their
motives for transgression and rejection of the
truth. Then we have been informed about what
will befall them on that mighty Day, a destiny
which befits their evil deeds and denial of
the truth. It is related in the Qur'an as
follows:
[Surely
upon that Day they will indeed be
curtained from their Lord; Thereafter
surely they will indeed be roasting in
Hell-Fire. Thereafter it will be said (to
them), "This is what you cried lies
to."]
(Al-Mutaffifin 83:15-17)
Given
the thick veil over their hearts, these people
are unable to feel the presence of Almighty
Allah or observe His limits. Therefore, it is
only appropriate that they would not be
allowed to see His glorious face. Thus, they
will be rightfully deprived of this great
happiness, which is only bestowed on those
whose hearts and souls are so pure and
transparent that they deserve to be
encompassed within the security and infinite
mercy of their Lord. Describing them, the
noble Qur'an says:
[Faces
upon that Day will be blooming, looking
towards their Lord.]
(Al-Qiyamah 75:22–23)
In
contrast, the separation of the unbelievers
from their Lord is the greatest and most
agonizing punishment and deprivation. Indeed,
it is a miserable end for a servant to be
deprived of any contact with his Most Merciful
Lord because of the unbelief and transgression
he committed; thereby incurring his Lord's
wrath upon himself. At this point, man loses
all his humanity and sinks to a level which
ensures Hell is his just recompense [Thereafter
surely they will indeed be roasting in
Hell-Fire.]
On top of this, there is something that is
much worse and more agonizing, namely, the way
they will be rebuked [Thereafter
it will be said (to them), "This is what
you cried lies to."]
Faces Radiant with Joy
As
a typical Qur'anic method of providing two
elaborately contrasting images so that a
detailed comparison can be drawn, the verses
move on to an account of the other group: the
righteous. It is related as follows:
[Not
at all! Surely the Book of the
constantly-benign is indeed in Illiyyîn.
And what makes you realize what Illiyyîn
is? (It is) a Book imprinted, The
near-stationed (to Allah) witness it.
Surely the constantly-benign will indeed
be in Bliss, On couches looking (about).
You recognize in their faces the bloom of
Bliss. They will be given to drink of
sealed nectar, whose sealing is musk; for
this then let the competitors compete- And
whose blend is of Tasnîm, a spring at
which drink the near-stationed (to Allah).]
(Al-Mutaffifin 83:18-28)
In
contrast to the record of the transgressors,
that of the righteous is in `Illiyyin. The
term righteous refers to the believing
servants of Allah who do righteous deeds. They
are the exact opposite of the transgressors,
who indulge in every sort of sin and excess.
The name `Illiyyin connotes elevation and
sublimity, which suggests, on the other hand,
that Sijjin is associated with baseness and
ignominy.
The
above verses tell us that this book is
witnessed by the angels near to Almighty
Allah. Without a doubt, this indicates that
the record of the righteous is associated with
nobility, purity and sublimity. In fact, the
whole image provides evidence of the honor the
righteous shall receive.
After
that, the verses go on to describe the
situation in which the righteous will find
themselves. We are told of the bliss they will
enjoy on that great Day [Surely
the constantly-benign will indeed be in Bliss,
on couches looking (about).]
This means that they will be given a place of
honor: they will be able to look wherever they
wish; they will not have to look down, out of
humility; and nothing therein will trouble
them in the least. In their bliss, the
righteous will live in complete mental and
physical comfort. Moreover, their faces will
radiate with unmistakable joy [You
recognize in their faces the bloom of Bliss.]
In
Paradise, the righteous will be given to drink
of a pure drink, securely sealed with a seal
of musk [They
will be given to drink of sealed nectar, whose
sealing is musk.]
Their
drink is absolutely pure, free of any unwanted
additions or particles of dust. Describing it
as securely sealed with musk indicates,
perhaps, that it is ready-made in secured
containers to be opened when refreshment is
needed. All this adds to the impression of the
meticulous care being taken. The fact that the
seal is of musk also adds an element of
elegance and luxury. The whole picture,
however, is only understood within the limits
of human experience in this world. In the life
to come, however, people will have different
concepts, tastes and standards which will be
free from all the bonds of this limited world.
The description is carried further in the
following two verses:
[And
whose blend is of Tasnîm, a spring at
which drink the near-stationed (to Allah).]
So,
this pure, securely-sealed drink is opened and
mixed with a measure of the water from a
spring called Tasnim and is described as the
one from which those who are brought near to
their Lord drink.
Within
this wonderful description we are also given a
significant instruction […for
this then let the competitors compete.]
Those who strive for an object of this world,
no matter how superb, grand or honorable it
may appear, are in reality striving for
something hollow, cheap and temporary. This
world, in its totality, is not worth, in the
sight of Almighty Allah, a mosquito's wing.
Yet, it is the Hereafter that carries real
weight with Him. Therefore, it should be the
goal for strenuous competition and zealous
striving.
It
is remarkable that striving for the hereafter
elevates the souls of all those who strive,
while competition for worldly objects sinks
the competitors' souls to the lowest depths.
As man works continuously to achieve the
happiness of the Hereafter, his work makes
this world happy and pure for himself and
those around him. On the other hand, efforts
made for the achievement of worldly ends turn
this world into a filthy marsh, where animals
devour one another savagely.
Striving
for the hereafter does not turn the earth into
a barren desert, as some transgressors
mistakenly imagine. Islam views this world as
a farm whose fruit is the hereafter. It
defines the role of the true believer in
building and inhabiting this world while
following the path of piety and righteousness.
In addition, Islam calls upon its followers to
perceive such fruitful endeavors as acts of
worship that fulfill the very purpose of their
existence as defined by the Creator:
[And
in no way did I create the jinn and
humankind except to worship Me.]
(Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
The
statement […for
this then let the competitors compete]
inspires
the believers to look far beyond this finite,
insignificant world. As they work on purifying
the filthy marsh of this world their souls are
elevated to new heights. Man's life on earth
is limited, whereas his life to come is of
limitless duration. The luxuries of this world
are extremely limited in comparison to what
awaits the believers in Paradise, which is far
beyond our imagination. Elements of happiness
in this worldly life are well-known to
everyone, but in the next world they will be
on a level befitting a life everlasting.
What
comparison can then be held between the two
spheres of competition or the two goals, even
when we apply the human method of balancing
losses against profits? It is, indeed, one
race and a single competition that is truly
far more important than any other […for
this then let the competitors compete.]
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