Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | April 22, 2018Some people have not, in their hearts, bowed to God.Their outward prostration is a mere pretense. The Quran says about such persons that in the next world, they will be told to bow down before the Lord, but they will not be able to do so. (68:42)Prostration is not just a ritual and time bound physical action; it is to surrender oneself to sublime reality. It is to make oneself follow truth in one's whole life.This verse of the Quran does not just refer to prostration in a limited sense; it indicates a truth which pertains to the whole of one's life.In this world, people - both on an individual and national level - do not in their hearts bow to the reality; they do not adopt the path of truth. [Highlight1] Yet in their outward demeanour they pretend to be on the side of truth; they speak words which make it seem that they are in the right and are not exploiting others.But such deceit is only possible in this world of trial. In the next world, there will be no possibility of making lies appear true, and unjustness appear like justness. In the next world, words will refuse to take on false meanings.No one will be able to disguise falsehood as truth. A person will appear exactly as he was in relation to reality, rather than in the manner which he used to contrive in front of others.If people can convince others that they are in the right, then they are sure that they have been proved right.But, in fact, only those who are proved right in God's sight are truly in the right.This verse, then, does not only refer to hypocritical prostration; it gives us an indication of the outcome facing both individuals and nations.
Related Articles
Article
Sunday Guardian | September 03, 2023
Reviewing modern, scientific civilization, a commentator has made the very pertinent observation that it is not invested with ideological permanence. This seems quite true when we…
Article
Sadia Khan | TOI | February 9, 2011Even as children, we dream. We try to realise our dreams all throughout our lives. However, when our dreams remain unfulfilled, we tend to sink into dejection and get disillusioned.Of…
Article
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | September 06, 2015
After a long journey, the express train was approaching its destination. The view from the train indicated that the final station was near. Hundreds of…
Article
by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Speaking Tree, Sunday, Feb 9, 2020Today, the biggest problem for Muslims is not communal riots or the conspiracies of others. Rather, it is their not being able to understand what they…
Article
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I The Sunday Guardian I April 26, 2015Self-confidence is an important attribute. You need to trust yourself. You need to have the necessary determination to do the task you have set for yourself…
Article
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I The Sunday Guardian I March 30, 2014Life is the art of right decisions. Successful is the one who is able to take right decisions at crucial moments. A person who is not able to do this shall…