The Meaning of the Saying of Allah, the Exalted: "The Day When Secrets Will Be Exposed"

The Shaykh : Pay attention, my brother, to this phrase. We ask Allah to strengthen us and you in its sincerity. On the Day of Resurrection, secrets will be tested. What are the outward appearances and the secrets? The heart, as Allah, the Exalted, said: On the Day of Resurrection, a person is not judged by his outward deeds, otherwise the hypocrites would have succeeded, because the hypocrites come with what? With righteous deeds that appear sound, but their hearts are corrupt. If on the Day of Resurrection their hearts betray them, secrets will be exposed, and there is no salvation for anyone except for the one whose secret is good. We ask Allah to make our secrets good. Good. The test is by outward appearances in this world, and by secrets in the Hereafter. Look at the hypocrites in the time of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. They declared Islam, they came to prayer, they gave charity, and they said to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, "We bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah," and they remembered Allah, but only a little. And the Messenger knew some of them. He knew that, and he even confided to Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman the names of men he had identified, and yet he did not kill them. Why? Please.
The student: So that it would not be said that the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, kills his companions.

The Shaykh : Yes, so that it would not be said that Muhammad kills his companions. If someone were to say: These are not his companions, because they are his enemies, as Allah, the Exalted, said: What? If we say they are his companions outwardly, and the ruling in this world is by what? By the outward appearance. But in the Hereafter, it is by the inner reality. So, reform your secret, my brother. Reform your secret. Look at your heart: Is there faith in it? Is it attached to Allah, hoping for no one but Allah, fearing no one but Allah, and relying on no one but Allah? Then praise Allah and increase in this good. If there is a trial in it, beware of it. Perhaps some of you have heard the story of a man from the companions of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, in a battle, which al-Bukhari narrated in his *Sahih*. He was a man who left no opportunity for the enemy; he was brave, bold, and a skilled archer. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: He is from the people of the Fire. This was a great shock to the companions. How could this mujahid, this hero, this bold warrior be from the people of the Fire? It was a great shock to them. One of the companions said, "By Allah, I will keep close to him until I see what his end will be." He kept close to him, accompanied him, and walked with him. This brave man was hit by an arrow from the enemy. He panicked. How could he be hit, when he was the brave man, the hero? He drew his sword, placed it on his chest, and leaned on it until it came out of his back, and he died. The man came to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah. May Allah send prayers and peace upon him." He said: The man said that what I mentioned about the one who is from the people of the Fire happened to him. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: We seek refuge in Allah from that. O Allah, protect us from this. O Allah, protect us from this. O Allah, protect us from this. Because there was something in his heart, a bad secret that led to a bad ending. We ask Allah for well-being. For this reason, I urge myself and you, my brothers, to reform the inner self, to check the heart. All of us perform wudu and purify our outward appearance. All of us take a ghusl from janabah and purify our entire body. But the heart: Is there any of us who washes it every day? Few are those who wash it.