Prepare for Doomsday

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

"Indeed, the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - but most of the people do not believe. (59)" [Qur'an Ghafir 40:59] Let alone prepare for it. And among those who believe, most don't care to know and so they don't know how and what to prepare.

The Day of Requital or the Day of Judgment is the Day appointed by Allah to recompense good or evil deeds. The world is only the field of action, the place where we are required to perform our duty, and not the place for receiving reward. The mere fact that a person happens to be healthy and wealthy or powerful does not necessarily argue that he has won the pleasure and favor of Allah. Similarly, the mere fact that a person happens to be ill or poor or weak or miserable does not by itself indicates that he is the object of Allah's wrath.

Even in the case of worldly life, would it not be a platitude to remark that a person sweating in a factory or an office for 8 to 16 or more hours a day does not consider it a misfortune? In fact, try to deprive him of this opportunity to sweat, and you would have earned his deepest displeasure; for beyond all this toil he can glimpse the reward he is going to get at the end of a pay period in the form of his wages and perhaps some bonus at the end of the year, which he may not live long enough to receive.

It proceeds from this principle that the Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, faced the greatest trials and sufferings in this world and, after them, of the people of Allah, and yet we see them quite content and even happy. In short, physical well-being or worldly glory or luxury is no sure indication of one's virtue and truthfulness, nor is sorrow and suffering that of one's misdeeds and falsity. It may, however, happen that a man receives some punishment or reward for his deeds in this world. This never is the full recompense, but only a faint model which has been manifested to serve as an intimation or warning.

Allah Almighty has spoken.

وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿٢١

And We will surely let them taste the nearer punishment short of the greater punishment that perhaps they will repent. (21)

[Qur'an As-Sajda 32:21]

كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٣

Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew. (33)

[Qur'an Al-Qalam 68:33]

The sufferings of this world, as even its joys, are sometimes a trial, and sometimes a punishment, but never a full recompense, for the world is itself transitory. What really counts is the joy or suffering that will endure for ever, and which we all will come to know in the other world beyond this world. Given the fact that good or evil deeds are not fully recompensed in this world, and the rational and just principle that good and evil not being equal in value, every deed should be rewarded or punished according to its nature, it readily follows that beyond this world there should be another world where every deed, big or small, good or evil, is to be judged, and then justly rewarded or punished. This the Qur'an calls Al-Akhirah (The world-to-come), or Al-Qiyamah (Doomsday or the Day of Judgment), or 'Yawm al- din (Day of Requital). The whole idea has been explained by the Qur'an itself:

وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَلَا ٱلْمُسِىٓءُ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٥٨
إِنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَـَٔاتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٥٩﴾ وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ ﴿٦٠

And not equal are the blind and the seeing, nor are those who believe and do righteous deeds and the evildoer. Little do you remember. (58) Indeed, the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - but most of the people do not believe. (59) And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible. (60)

[Qur'an Ghafir 40:58-60]

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. [Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:10]

Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam