2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

O you who believe! Remain conscious of God; and let every human being look to what he sends ahead for the morrow! And [once again]: Remain conscious of God, for God is fully aware of all that you do! -- Q.59:18

Only firm belief in God and in that He is aware of all that we think and do, and firm belief again, can keep us on guard and be critical of our thoughts and our actions. He says, “whether you bring into the open what is in your minds or conceal it, God will call you to account for it”(Q.2: 284). The Prophet had said, ‘God will not look upon your forms, nor upon your deeds, but will look into your hearts and your intentions’. He even said. ‘Niyat-ul-momin khair-um min ‘amlehi’ i.e., the intention of the believer is better than his action!

And [always], O you believers – all of you – turn unto God in repentance, so that you might attain to a happy state!* -- Q24:31(last sentence)

*The implication of this general call to repentance is that since “man has been created weak”(4:28), no one is ever free of faults and temptations – so much so that even the Prophet used to say, “I turn to Him in repentance a hundred times every day” -- (Ibn Hanbal, Bukhari and Bayhaqi, all of them on the authority of Abd Allah ibn ‘umar).

The following is recommended in view of the above:

(1) Very brief calls to repentance.100 times each morning and evening. If you can’t, then you may do one in the morning and the other in the evening.

“Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi, astaghfirullah, wa aatoobo elaiyh”.

“Rabbighfir warham wa anta Khair- ur- Rahemeen”.

(2) Include in your supplications after every Farz prayer:

Alla-humagh-firli wale-waledayya wa le jamee-il momeneena wal momenaate wal muslemeena wal muslimaatin al-ahyaaa-e minhum wal amwaat. Birahmateka ya Arhamar Rahemeen.


Prophet said

“….on the Resurrection Day God will increase honour of one who pardons an oppressor, seeking thereby the pleasure of God..” – H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Kabsha ‘Aamiri.

“A mischief monger (causing discord) shall not enter paradise.” -- H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Huzaifah.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

True piety does not consist in turning your faces towards east or the west* -- but truly pious is he who believes in God, and the Last Day, and the angels, and [divine] revelation, and the prophets; and spends his substance – however much he himself may cherish it – upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer,** and the beggars, and the freeing of human beings from bondage;*** and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly constant are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: it is they, they who are conscious of God. –Q.2:177

*Thus the Quran stresses the principle that mere compliance with outward forms does not fulfill the requirements of piety. The reference of turning one’s face in prayer in this or that direction flows from passages, earlier in this surah, with the question of qiblah.

***The expression ibn as-sabeel (lit., “son of the road”) denotes any person who is far from his home, and especially one who, because of this circumstance, does not have sufficient means of livelihood at his disposal.

****The expression fi ‘r-riqab denotes “in the cause of freeing human beings from bondage”. It applies to both ransoming of captives and the freeing of slaves. By including this kind of expenditure within the essential acts of piety, the Quran implies that the freeing of people from bondage – and, thus, the abolition of slavery which was, then, an established institution throughout the world – is one of the social objective of Islam.

Never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; -- Q.3: 92


Prophet said

“There is no wisdom like effort, no piety like self denial, and no goodness like self conduct” – H: Baihaqi. N: Abu Zarr.

Next Friday, inshaa’ Allah, will be the last of the “The Day Of Accountability”. There will be two verses: golden rules for our existence.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

Truly man is to his Lord, ungrateful; and to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds); - Q.100:6-7

You are obsessed by greed for more and more until you go down to your graves.*
--Q.102: 1,2
*The term takasur bears the connotation of “greedily striving for an increase”, i.e., in benefits, be they tangible or intangible, real or illusory. In the above context It denotes man’s obsessive striving for more and more comforts, more material goods, greater power over his fellow-men or over nature, and unceasing technological progress. A passionate pursuit of such endeavors, to the exclusion of everything else, bars man from all spiritual insight and, hence, from the acceptance of any restrictions and inhibitions based on purely moral values – with the result that not only individuals but whole societies gradually lose all inner stability and, thus, all chance of inner happiness.

Woe unto every slanderer, fault-finder!* -- Q.104:1
*I.e., everyone who tries to uncover real or imaginary faults in others.

Beware of the inner self because “verily, man’s inner self does incite [him] to evil,”(12:53) – i.e., it's impulses often clash with morals-- “saved are only they upon whom my Sustainer bestows His grace. Behold, my Sustainer is much forgiving, most gracious!”


Prophet said

“A man says: My property, my property! But, verily, his properties out of his wealth are three: what he puts on and is worn out; what he gives away (in charity) out of what he has hoarded; what is besides that is perishable and he will leave it for people.” -- H: Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah.

A number of verses given in the series of The Day Of Accountability are not about the Day itself but given as reminder of the Day, in order to prepare for it, now that we still have time. For the same purpose next Friday, insha Allah, will be given one verse.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

“….and on that Day you will most surely be called to account for [what you did with] the boon of life!” -- Q.102:8

Prophet said

“Call yourselves to account before you are called to account, and weigh up your deeds before they are weighed for you” -- Hadith quoted by Tirmizi.

Best time to do this is in the night just before sleep: going over day’s actions, repenting and begging forgiveness for the wrongs committed. God is much forgiving, most gracious!

What you simply know of right and wrong is only knowledge, which is like sugar: one cannot know unless one tastes it. Knowledge should lead to belief and belief to action.

Infirm belief in the hereafter tends to make one forget that one will have to give account for whatever one does. Make sure.

“The astute man is one who passes judgment and works for what is after death, and the fool is one who pursues vain pleasures and counts on God the Exalted to realize his wishes” – Hadith quoted by Tirmizi, Ibn Maja and Ibn Hanbal.

Of the 2892 minutes in a weekend it would take barely 10 minutes to go through the Friday Post. Then the whole week to imbibe and shape one’s course! Is that too much to save the Day?

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

And as for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand, he will in time be called to account with an easy accounting, and will [be able to] turn joyfully to those of his own kind.* But as for him whose record shall be given to him behind his back, he will in time pray for utter destruction: but he will enter the blazing fire. Behold, [in his earthly life] he lived joyfully among people of his own kind** -- for, behold, he never thought that he would have to return [to God]. -- Q.84:7-14
*Lit., “his people” – i.e., those who, like him, were righteous in life.
*Lit., “his people” – i.e., people of the same sinful inclination.

To happiness [in the life to come] will indeed attain he who attains to purity [in this world], and remembers his Sustainer’s name, and prays [unto Him] -- Q.87:14,15

…for, behold, unto Us will be their return, and, verily, it is for Us to call them to account. -- Q.88:25,26

…. he who is truly conscious of God: he that spends his possessions [on others] so that he might grow in purity – not as payment for favours received, but only out of a longing for the countenance of his Lord, the All-Highest: and such, indeed, in time will be well-pleased. -- Q.92:17-21

….and on that Day you will most surely be called to account for [what you did with] the boon of life! -- Q.102:8

Consider the flight of time! Verily, man is bound to lose himself unless he be of those who attain to faith, and do good works, and enjoin upon one another the keeping of truth, and enjoin upon one another patience in adversity. -- Q.103


Prophet said

According to a Tradition quoted by Tirmizi and Ibn Hanbal on the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the Day of Judgment the earth will bear witness, as it were, to all that has ever been done by man.

“Everyone will be resurrected in the condition in which he died”. – H; Muslim. N: Jabir.