The Real Life

In His Name, the Most High

In Suratul Fajr, we read about the miserable one who, on that day when he is raised from the dead, laments by saying,

"Ya laytanee qaddamtu li hayaati! O, if only I had sent forth something (good) for my life!"

The question arises, why does he refer to the first day of the hereafter as life after he has already lived a life in this world and died? Agha Puya in his tafseer writes, "This indicates that the life hereafter is not only a continuation but a development which actually deserves to be called life."

What we are in right now is only temporary and a chance to send forth (qaddama) for the real life. We read in Suratul Hashr, "Wal tandhur nafsun maa qaddamat li ghad! Look carefully at what you send forth for tomorrow!".

The best thing we can send forth is quite simply good deeds (a'amaal salih). The Qur'an refers to accumulation of good deeds as noor (light). The Qur'an describes this light in Suratul Hadeed verses 12-13: That day when you will see the believing men and women with their light running before them. We can infer that their light will be so bright that their presence will be announced by their light.

The surah continues with a description of the hypocrites, who, having been plunged in the darkness of their deeds, will say to the people of the light: Wait for us a bit, so that we can borrow some of your light!

However, the hypocrites will be told, Go back where you came from and try to get some light from there! It is too late. The time for accumulating light was the previous world.