When the Truth Shall Be
Made Clear
Some people have not really submitted to God although they make a big pretence of prostrating before Him. Of such people it is said that in the Hereafter, when they shall be told to prostrate before God, they will not be able to do so. The Quran (68:42) says:
On the Day when the truth shall be laid bare, they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, but they will not be able to do so.
Prostration to God in prayer is not a time-bound, ritualistic physical action. Rather, it indicates one’s submission before the Highest Reality. It symbolizes the willingness to subordinate one’s entire life to truth and justice. In this sense, then, this Quranic verse does not mention ‘prostration’ in a restricted sense, but talks of a very important reality of the whole of life.
If you look around, you will find no person or community who has fully and truly prostrated before, or subordinated themselves to, the truth. However, externally, everyone makes a show of having done so. Everyone claims to be acting very justly. But this deceptive behaviour is possible only in this world where people are being tested. The situation will be totally changed in the Hereafter. A fake coin can work in a market but not in a bank. Likewise, in the Hereafter, it will no longer be possible to lie and cover it up with seemingly beautiful words. You will not be able to try to prove injustice to be justice, and so on. In the Hereafter, words will simply refuse to accept wrong meanings. It will not be possible then for someone to call oppression ‘justice’ or to present falsehood in the guise of ‘truth’. At that time, the difference between the outer and the inner, the external and the internal, will be wiped out. People will speak only what is in their hearts. On the Day of Judgment, everyone will appear as they truly are, not as they artificially make themselves out to be in front of others in this world.
People make a show of being truthful before others. This makes them think that they truly are indeed truthful. But, in actual fact, only those people are truthful who prove to be truthful before God.
