An Earthquake

When the earth is rocked in her last convulsion; when the earth shakes off its burdens and man asks ‘What may this mean?’ -on that day it will proclaim its tidings, for your Lord will have inspired it.

On that day mankind will come in scattered groups to be shown their labours. Whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it also.

(The Quran 99:1-8)

The earthquake on Doomsday will be a proclamation of the termination of the period of trial. This will mean that the freedom which people had been allotted for the purpose of their, being tested has been taken away from them. Then the time will have come for people to receive their just deserts. Today the world of God appears to be silent. But when circumstances change, everything will be given the power of speech. Present day inventions and discoveries have proved that even lifeless objects have the power of “speech.” Studio performances can be fully replayed by recording sets. Similarly, the present world is as if a huge divine studio. Whatever man does or says is being preserved at every moment. And when the time comes, the story of everyone will be repeated by this world in such a way that neither great nor small sayings and doing will escape God’s attention.

For the observance of proper behaviour in this world, man requires only one thing. It should be firmly embedded in his mind that he is under divine surveillance at every moment. The deeds of his entire life will be presented in the court of God. Be these great or small, done secretly or publicly, everything will be there on record.

If man is fully convinced of this reality, he will be shaken completely even before the shaking of the world. Before the all-encompassing earthquake of Doomsday, he will experience an earthquake in his own soul which will change him completely. As a   result, he will become his own keeper. He will abopt a disciplined life instead of a life of license. He will use his powers as guided by the command of God instead of acting independently.