The Meaning of the Saying of Allah, the Exalted: "Indeed, they were before that in luxury - to His saying - gathered to the appointed time of a known day"
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The Shaykh : And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, described the state of the people of the Left in this world, saying: [Al-Waqi'ah 56:45] They were in luxury in this world, enjoying blessings. Allah had bestowed upon them health, well-being, wealth, family, dwellings, and other things, until they reached a state of luxury. It is said that in luxury lies destruction, because whoever immerses himself in luxury, the most likely outcome is that he will be destroyed, except for whom Allah, Mighty and Majestic, wills.
[Al-Waqi'ah 56:45-46], al-hanith: sin. They persisted in it and did not care about it, and it is shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (disbelief) in Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
Denying the true promise, the resurrection [Al-Waqi'ah 56:47-48]. The question here is for denial, meaning they deny that they will be resurrected. They say: How will we be resurrected when we were bones and dust? Rather, they say: How will we be resurrected and our former fathers be resurrected? They add denial upon denial, may Allah protect us from that: denial that they will be resurrected and denial that their former fathers will be resurrected.
And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned in another verse that they used to challenge and say: Bring our fathers if you are truthful? Meaning, if you are truthful about the resurrection, then bring our fathers who died before.
And this challenge is a challenge of stubbornness, because the messengers, peace and blessings be upon them, did not say to people that your fathers will be resurrected in this world, so that this challenge would have a basis. Rather, they said: You will be resurrected when? In the Hereafter, on the Day of Resurrection. And the messengers did not say: You will be resurrected today, so that they would say: Where are our fathers if you are truthful? Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:[Al-Waqi'ah 56:49-50] And is this known day far or near?
The student: Near.
The Shaykh : Near. This day is near, but Allah, the Exalted, delays it until a known term[Hud 11:104], and how likely it is for the counted term to end.
And so the days pass for a person as if they were an hour of the day. How many days, hours, minutes, seconds, and moments have passed for us since last year? How many have passed? A great deal has passed, and it was as if it were a single moment.[Al-Ahqaf 46:35], how near is this limited, counted time! How near is it to say: So-and-so has died! And everything has ended. He has moved from this world to the Hereafter, and nothing remains for him except righteous deeds. Then, when he is resurrected, the criminals say: [Ya-Sin 36:52], as if it were a sleep, no matter how long the duration while he is in the grave, it is as if it were a sleep. He says [Ya-Sin 36:52], and then the Hereafter, and then the person sees the truth, and then the people are divided into a group in Paradise and a group in the blazing Fire, [Al-Waqi'ah 56:49-50].
Indeed they were, before that, indulging in affluence,
إنهم كانوا قبل ذلك مترفين(45) Indeed they were, before that, indulging in affluence, (46) And they used to persist in the great violation,
إنهم كانوا قبل ذلك مترفين وكانوا يصرون على الحنث العظيمAnd they used to say
وكانوا يقولون"When we die and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected? (48) And our forefathers [as well]?"
أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَإِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ * أَوَآبَاؤُنَا الْأَوَّلُونَAnd Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned in another verse that they used to challenge and say: Bring our fathers if you are truthful? Meaning, if you are truthful about the resurrection, then bring our fathers who died before.
And this challenge is a challenge of stubbornness, because the messengers, peace and blessings be upon them, did not say to people that your fathers will be resurrected in this world, so that this challenge would have a basis. Rather, they said: You will be resurrected when? In the Hereafter, on the Day of Resurrection. And the messengers did not say: You will be resurrected today, so that they would say: Where are our fathers if you are truthful? Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
(49) Say, [O Muhammad], "Indeed, the former and the later peoples (50) Are to be gathered together for the appointment of a known Day."
قل إن الأولين والآخرين لمجموعون إلى ميقات يوم معلومThe student: Near.
The Shaykh : Near. This day is near, but Allah, the Exalted, delays it until a known term
And We do not delay it except for a limited term.
وما نؤخره إلا لأجل معدودAnd so the days pass for a person as if they were an hour of the day. How many days, hours, minutes, seconds, and moments have passed for us since last year? How many have passed? A great deal has passed, and it was as if it were a single moment.