In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent

When death approaches any of them, he says: ‘My Lord! Let me return (to life) so that I may act righteously in whatever I have failed to do.’ By no means! It is but a word he says. Behind them there stands a barrier till the Day when all will be raised from the dead.

Then, when the trumpet is sounded, there will be no ties of kinship between them on that Day, nor will they ask about one another.

Those whose weight (of good deeds) is heavy in the scales will be successful; but those whose weight is light will have lost their souls and will abide in hell. The fire will scorch their faces, and therein they will look gloomy.

“Were not My revelations read out to you, and did you not consider them as lies?” They will reply: “Our Lord! Our misfortune has overwhelmed us, and so we went astray. Our Lord! Bring us from this (suffering). If ever We relapse, then we shall be wrongdoers indeed.”

He will say: “Away with you into this ignominy! And do not plead with Me. Among My servants there were those who said: ‘Our Lord! We believe in You. Forgive us and have mercy on us; for You are the best of those who show mercy.’ But you made them the target of your derision to the point where it made you forget all remembrance of Me; and you went on laughing at them. Today I have rewarded them for their patience in adversity. Indeed it is they who have achieved triumph.” (The Believers, Al-Mu’minoon, 23: 99-111)

These verses constitute the last part of this surah. Here we have further discussion of the end that will inevitably be faced by the idolaters. It is shown here in an opening scene of the approaching death, and ends with a scene showing what happens after the trumpet is blown. It culminates with an emphatic statement of God’s oneness, coupled with further warnings to those who associate partners with Him. The surah then ends with a directive given to the Prophet to seek God’s forgiveness and pray for His grace.

“When death approaches any of them, he says: My Lord! Let me return (to life) so that I may act righteously in whatever I have failed to do.” In this scene we see a person realizing that death is overtaking him. He declares his repentance and prays that he may return to life to attend to what he failed to take care of, and also to take proper action with regard to his family and his property.

We see all this as if it is happening now before our eyes. Yet this is a prayer uttered when the chance had gone. The answer to this prayer is not given to the one who is saying it; it is stated publicly, for all mankind: “By no means! It is but a word he says.” These are mere words with little significance. They do not merit any attention. It is uttered when the speaker is facing a very hard situation. As such, it does not express any real attitude of sincere repentance.

Thus ends the scene of approaching death. Now we see insurmountable barriers separating the speaker from the whole world. The matter is settled and all contacts have come to an end, with all doors closed: “Behind them there stands a barrier till the Day when all will be raised from the dead.” They belong neither to this present human life, nor to the hereafter. They are in a stage in between that lasts until the Day of Resurrection.

The surah moves on to describe that day and vividly present it to us: “Then, when the trumpet is sounded, there will be no ties of kinship between them on that Day, nor will they ask about one another.” All ties are severed, and all the values upheld in this life are no longer valid. This is expressed in the verse in the negation of ties of kinship on the day. Moreover, they are all silent, holding no conversation. None inquires after another.

The reckoning of people’s deeds is then shown, but it is summed up in a rapid, brief account: “Those whose weight (of good deeds) is heavy in the scales will be successful; but those whose weight is light will have lost their souls and will abide in hell. The fire will scorch their faces, and therein they will look gloomy.” The deeds are put up on special scales.

This process is shown in the familiar Qur’anic method of expressing ideas through images, and giving the abstract a physical appearance, or a moving scene. The scene we have here is very painful. It describes faces being scorched, changing color and appearance. They now look ugly, gloomy and depressing.

Those whose weights are light have lost everything. They have indeed lost themselves. When people lose themselves, they have nothing left. What could remain when one has lost everything that gives one a distinctive character? He becomes a non-entity, as though he has never existed.

Now the surah changes style. Up to this point it used the method of reporting, but now it shifts to the form of address. The physical torture inflicted on those unbelievers, terrible as it is, seems more tolerable than the reproach and humiliation they now suffer. Here we have a dialogue presented to us as though it is taking place now before our very eyes: “Were not My revelations read out to you, and did you not consider them as lies?”

On hearing this question, they imagine that they have been given permission to speak and plead their case. They feel that acknowledging their past mistakes may give their pleas a chance of being accepted: “They will reply: Our Lord! Our misfortune has overwhelmed us, and so we went astray. Our Lord! Bring us from this (suffering). If ever We relapse, then we shall be wrongdoers indeed.”

This confession carries a bitter overtone of misery at the fate they have to suffer. But it seems that by merely making this confession they step over the line in their impolite behavior. Apparently, they are permitted no more than an answer to the question put to them. Or indeed the question was put as a form of reproach, requiring no answer. Hence, they are strongly rebuffed: “He will say: Away with you into this ignominy! And do not plead with Me.” They are told to shut up. They deserve the terrible suffering and misery they are made to suffer.

Some of their past deeds are recounted to them: “Among My servants there were those who said: ‘Our Lord! We believe in You. Forgive us and have mercy on us; for You are the best of those who show mercy.’ But you made them the target of your derision to the point where it made you forget all remembrance of Me; and you went on laughing at them. Today I have rewarded them for their patience in adversity. Indeed it is they who have achieved triumph.”

Arab News Islam 13 June 2003