What
The Qur'an Teaches: Unusual Witnesses - Living Islam
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim JournalsArab News
& Information - By Adil Salahi
In the name of God,
the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful. On the day when
God’s enemies will be gathered together before the
fire, they will be driven onwards until, when they
reach it, their ears, their eyes and their very skins
will bear witness against them, speaking of what they
used to do [on earth].
They will ask their skins: ‘Why did you bear witness
against us?’ To which they will reply: ‘God, who gave
speech to all things, has made us speak. It is He who
created you in the first instance, and to Him you now
return. ‘You did not try to hide yourselves so that
your ears, eyes and skins could not be made to testify
against you. Yet you thought that God did not know
much of what you were doing. ‘And it is this thought
of yours which you entertained about your Lord that
brought you to perdition, so that you are now among
the lost.’ If they resign themselves to patience, the
fire will be their home; and if they pray to be
allowed to make amends, they will not be allowed to do
so.
(Clearly Expounded; Fussilat: 41: 19-24)
The unbelievers have been told of God’s power over the
universe and mankind. Now the surah tells them of His
power over their own selves. They have no authority
over themselves, and no part of them is beyond the
reach of His power. Even their ears, eyes and skins
obey Him. Their organs too disobey them so as to be
witnesses against them on the Day of Judgment.
There is a great surprise in this very difficult
situation in which they see their own senses and
faculties obeying God and doing as they are bid. In
this situation they are branded as ‘enemies of God’!
What fate will God’s enemies suffer? They are herded
together, from all generations, like a flock of sheep,
and driven to the fire. When they stand close to it
and the reckoning begins, they find themselves facing
witnesses whom they did not reckon with. Their
tongues, long used to lie, fabricate falsehood and
engage in ridicule are now tied, while their ears,
eyes and skins rebel against them obeying their Lord.
They report on what they used to consider secret. They
used to hide themselves, thinking that God would not
see them conceal their intentions and crimes. But they
did not try to hide themselves from their own ears,
eyes or skins. How could they, when these faculties
are part of them? Now, these publicize what the
unbelievers thought to be concealed from all creatures
and from God Almighty as well.
As God so commands their own organs, they are
overwhelmed and respond in complete obedience: “They
will ask their skins: Why did you bear witness against
us?” They will put the facts clearly before them,
attempting to hide nothing: “To which they will reply:
‘God, who gave speech to all things, has made us
speak.” It is He who made tongues the organs of
speech. He can easily give speech to other organs. He
gave speech to all things, making them speak and
explain things as they are. “It is He who created you
in the first instance, and to Him you now return.”
From Him all originate, and to Him all shall return.
There is no escape from His authority, neither at the
beginning, nor at the end. Their minds used to deny
this; now their skins state it to them in an
undeniable way.
The remainder of the comments may be a continuation of
what their own organs say to them, or equally it may
be a comment on this amazing situation: “You did not
try to hide yourselves so that your ears, eyes and
skins could not be made to testify against you.” It
never occurred to you that these, your organs, could
rebel against you. In fact, you could not have hidden
yourselves from your organs even if you had tried.
“Yet you thought that God did not know much of what
you were doing.” Your foolish and ignorant thoughts
deceived you, leading you to hell: “And it is this
thought of yours which you entertained about your Lord
that brought you to perdition, so that you are now
among the lost.”
We then have the final comment: “If they resign
themselves to patience, the fire will be their home.”
What an absurd situation. Patience now entails
enduring the fire. It is no longer the patience that
withstands adversity in order to achieve a cherished
goal and earn reward from God. It is a sort of
patience that incurs the penalty of hell where they
abide: “And if they pray to be allowed to make amends,
they will not be allowed to do so.”
There is no way back, no remonstration or
acknowledgement of error will suffice. It is customary
for admissions of error to be coupled with a request
for forgiveness, after removing the causes of strained
relations. Now, no admission of error is allowed, let
alone forgiveness and improved relations.
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