“O Children of Israel, remember My favor that I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds [peoples]. And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.”
Allah, the Exalted, encourages the people of the book living in Medina to show gratitude for the countless blessings He granted them, such as sending numerous Holy Prophets, peace be upon them, to their ancestors, by accepting Islam, especially when its truthfulness was made clear to them in their divine scriptures. Chapter 6 Al An’am, verse 20:
“Those to whom We have given the Scripture recognize it[the Holy Quran] as they recognize their [own] sons…”
And chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 146:
“Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him [Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him] as they know their own sons…”
One of the greatest blessings Allah, the Exalted, granted them was their appointment as His representatives on Earth. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 47:
“O Children of Israel, remember My favor that I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds [peoples].”
Allah, the Exalted, reminded them of their ancestor, the Holy Prophet Yaqoob, peace be upon him, who was also called Israel. Just like the Holy Prophet Yaqoob, peace be upon him, fulfilled his role as the representative of Allah, the Exalted, the people of the book, his offspring, also needed to fulfil their roles and duties. An aspect of this role was to accept Islam and the final Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, when they encountered him and the divine scripture he would be granted, the Holy Quran. Chapter 7 Al A’raf, verses 155-157:
“And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. And when the earthquake seized them, he said, “My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well]. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is not but Your trial by which You send astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of forgivers. And decree for us in this world [that which is] good and [also] in the Hereafter; indeed, we have turned back to You.” [Allāh] said, “My punishment – I afflict with it whom I will, but My mercy encompasses all things.” So I will decree it [especially] for those who fear Me and give zakāh and those who believe in Our verses. Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written [i.e., described] in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and prohibits them from what is wrong and makes lawful for them what is good and forbids them from what is evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him – it is those who will be the successful.”
But out of fear of losing out on the worldly things they obtained, such as wealth and authority, through compromising on their divine scriptures, they rejected Islam. For example, in the ninth year after the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, migrated to Medina, a delegation visited the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. This Christian delegation did not accept Islam but agreed to a peace treaty with the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. While leaving Medina, two members of this delegation, Abu Haritha and Kurz Bin Alqama, were riding near each other. The mule of Abu Haritha stumbled and out of frustration Kurz criticized the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, indirectly. In response, Abu Haritha criticized him. When Kurz questioned his response, Abu Haritha told him that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was undoubtedly the final Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, they had been waiting for and who had been discussed in their divine scriptures. When Kurz questioned why he did not accept Islam despite believing this fact, Abu Haritha replied that he did so because of the honor, wealth and authority their people had given them and he was afraid he would lose it all if he accepted Islam. This has been discussed in Imam Ibn Kathir’s, the Life of the Prophet, Volume 4, Pages 75-76.
As the people of the book failed their role as the representatives of Islam, this honor and responsibility was then transferred to the muslim nation. Chapter 3 Alee Imran, verse 110:
“You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allāh. If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.”
But as clearly indicated in this verse, the muslim nation will only successfully represent Allah, the Exalted, on Earth when they sincerely obey Him. This involves using the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. This will lead to peace of mind for them and ensure they show the true face of Islam to the rest of the world. Chapter 16 An Nahl, verse 97:
“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.”
But if they fail in this duty then they will face the consequences of this in both this world and the next. Chapter 20 Taha, verses 124-126:
“And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind.” He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?” [Allāh] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot [i.e., disregarded] them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.””
Allah, the Exalted, then warns the people of the book, and by extension the muslim nation, that if they fail in their duty of representing Allah, the Exalted, on Earth correctly, then nothing will save them on the Day of Judgement. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verses 47-48:
“O Children of Israel, remember My favor that I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds [peoples]. And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.”
The people of the book adopted wishful thinking whereby they believed that they could disobey Allah, the Exalted, and fail in their duty to represent Him correctly on Earth and somehow they would escape punishment on the Day of Judgement. They believed someone, such as the Holy Prophets Musa and Eesa, peace be upon them, will intercede for them thereby saving them from facing the consequences of their actions. They also believed they would simply apologize for their disobedience and Allah, the Exalted, would accept this as compensation and not punish them, as they considered themselves His beloveds and children. Chapter 5 Al Ma’idah, verse 18:
“But the Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of Allāh and His beloved.” Say, “Then why does He punish you for your sins?” Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills…”
They falsely believed Allah, the Exalted, would simply criticize them, similar to how a father criticizes his children but avoids punishing them out of love for them.
This type of wishful thinking is extremely disrespectful as this person believes Allah, the Exalted, is not just and racist as He would simply ignore the stubborn and persistent disobedience of certain groups of people because of their lineage. They assumed He would treat the evil doer and the doer of good equally in this world and the next. A worldly judge would be harshly criticized and removed from their position if they behaved in this manner, then how can one then attribute this deviant attitude to Allah, the Exalted, the All Just? Chapter 45 Al Jathiyah, verse 21:
“Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds – [make them] equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge.”
Sadly, this wishful thinking has infected many muslims who believe someone will save them on Judgement Day, such as the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, or Allah, the Exalted, will simply forgive them as they are from the nation of His beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, despite the fact they persistently and stubbornly disobey Him. Even though the intercession of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, on Judgement Day is a fact, which has been discussed in many Hadiths, such as the one found in Sunan Ibn Majah, number 4308, none the less, one must not mock it by persistently disobeying Allah, the Exalted, and then expect his intercession to save them. One must note that despite the intercession of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, many disobedient muslims will still go to Hell, even if their stay in it is reduced. The bitter truth is that the one who persistently disobeys Allah, the Exalted, should be fearful that they will not leave this world with their faith, as they failed to nourish the plant of faith with the practical obedience of Allah, the Exalted, as intercession will only be accepted for muslims. In addition, the tradition of Allah, the Exalted, does not change for anyone. The same way Allah, the Exalted, punished the previous nations in this world and has threatened to punish them in the next world for their persistent disobedience to Him, so will the muslims be punished if they adopt their attitude and lifestyle. Chapter 48 Al Fath, verse 23:
“The established way of Allāh which has occurred before. And never will you find in the way of Allāh any change.”
Claiming love verbally for Allah, the Exalted, and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has no value until one proves this by learning and acting on the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Chapter 3 Alee Imran, verse 31:
“Say, [Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins….””
Only when one behaves in this manner will they end up in the hereafter with those they love. This has been advised in a Hadith found in a Hadith found in Sahih Bukhari, number 3688. But if one fails to prove their love through actions, they will not end up with the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in the hereafter, just like the people of the book will not end up with their Holy Prophets, peace be upon them, as they failed to practically follow in their footsteps.
One must understand the difference between true hope in the mercy of Allah, the Exalted, and wishful thinking. True hope is always connected to striving in the sincere obedience of Allah, the Exalted, which involves using the blessings one has been granted in ways pleasing to Him, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and whenever one happens to commit sins, they sincerely repent and correct their behaviour in the future. The one who adopts this attitude has the right to then hope Allah, the Exalted, will forgive them in this world and the next. Whereas, the wishful thinker persistently disobeys Allah, the Exalted, and still expects to be forgiven and granted blessings in both worlds. The latter has no value in Islam. This difference has been discussed in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 2459.
To conclude, one must understand that they will be held responsible for their actions in both this world and in the next. They must not persist on the disobedience of Allah, the Exalted, and assume someone they have a connection with, such as a relative, spiritual teacher or friend, will save them on Judgement Day. In fact, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has already warned that a person’s lineage will not benefit them on Judgement Day if they lack good deeds. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, number 6853. Chapter 80 Abasa, verses 34-37:
“On the Day a man will flee from his brother. And his mother and his father. And his wife and his children. For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.”
One must adopt the correct attitude, which involves sincerely obeying Allah, the Exalted, and then hope that others will be allowed to benefit them on Judgement Day.
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 48:
“And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.”
Generally speaking, this verse also warns against adopting the misguided belief that one will make peace with Allah, the Exalted, on Judgement, despite the fact they led a life of sins and disobedience. The time of connecting with Allah, the Exalted, through His sincere obedience is in this world. The time of answering for one’s actions is the hereafter. One should not confuse the two as this leads to disobedience and the adopting of false beliefs regarding Allah, the Exalted, and the Day of Judgement. Chapter 45 Al Jathiyah, verse 35:
“…So that Day they will not be removed from it [Hell], nor will they be asked to appease [Allāh].”
In addition, verse 48 also warns people that they will not be able to blame others for the sins they committed. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 48:
“And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all…”
Each person is responsible for their own actions and therefore will be judged accordingly. Both the doer of sins and those who invite others towards sins will face the consequences of their disobedience. A person must therefore avoid blindly following others and accompanying those who persistently disobey Allah, the Exalted, as this will only cause them to adopt a similar attitude. One must always observe what they are being invited to and not who is inviting them in order to decide whether they should respond to them or not. If the invitation is towards something which is good, they should respond but if it is towards something which is bad, they must refuse and warn those involved, even if the people inviting them are their relatives and friends. Simply put if one blaming the Devil on Judgement Day for their sins will not be accepted by Allah, the Exalted, how can blaming anyone else? Chapter 14 Ibrahim, verse 22:
“And Satan will say when the matter has been concluded, “Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves…””
And Chapter 25 Al Furqan, verse 28:
“Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend.”
And Chapter 43 Az Zukhruf, verse 67:
“Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous.”
Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 48:
“And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.”
This verse also warns people not wrong others as an oppressor will not be allowed to compensate their victims on Judgement Day through an apology or by any other worldly means, such as returning their rights to them. They will instead be forced to hand over their good deeds to their victim and if necessary, they will take their victim’s sins until justice is established. This may well cause them to be hurled into Hell on Judgement Day. This has been warned in a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, number 6579.
One must never be fooled by the fact they are not punished immediately in this world or in an obvious way or by their ability to escape the consequences of their actions through their influence, power and wealth. All these things may work in this world but they will certainly not work on the Day of Judgement. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 48:
“And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.”
On must therefore practically prepare for the Day of Judgement, by using the blessings they have been granted in ways pleasing to Allah, the Exalted, as outlined in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, so that they are granted peace of mind in both worlds. Chapter 16 An Nahl, verse 97:
“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.”
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