What end awaits unbelievers in this world?

Allah has made ready for the unbelievers a painful punishment in the Hereafter which is everlasting. Yet besides this, there are various punishments for unbelievers in this world too. These are a sort of preliminary to the endless punishment that they will receive later. They also come in the nature of a warning from Allah to lead them to regret, to pay heed and to reorient themselves to the right path. Allah announces the punishment He will give in the world and the reason for it as follows:

We will give them a taste of lesser punishment before the greater punishment, so that hopefully they will turn back.  (Surat as-Sajda, 21)

The most significant reason for the disbelief of unbelievers is their passionate attachment to the life of this world and the fact that they repudiate the truth. The punishment that Allah has made ready for the unbelievers in this world deprives them of all worldly blessings. Some of these punishments mentioned in the Qur’an are as follows:

-On a nation of unbelievers animals such as locusts, lice and frogs are sent down. (Surat al-A’raf, 133)

-Unbelievers are seized with drought and scarcity of fruits, with trouble in economics. (Surat al-A’raf, 130, Surat an-Nahl, 112)

-Unbelievers are made the most miserable. (Surat al-A’la, 11-12)

-They live filled with false hopes. (Surat an-Nisa, 120)

-Allah makes their breast narrow and constricted; He defiles them. (Surat al-An’am, 125)

What end awaits unbelievers in this world?

Why aren't unbelievers repaid with immediate destruction for their disbelief?

Since this world is a testing place, Allah lets everyone live long enough to pay heed and to correct their behaviour. Until this specified time expires, the punishment of unbelievers in the Hereafter is deferred, so that they won’t have any excuse to offer when they enter the Fire. Those who are resolute in their disbelief are given opportunities to reveal their evil as much as possible. Thus enough evidence is gathered for them to meet the reprisal in Hell for what they have earned.

Those who disbelieve should not imagine that the extra time We grant to them is good for them. We only allow them more time so they will increase in evildoing. They will have a humiliating punishment.  (Surah Al ‘Imran, 178)

Why aren't unbelievers repaid with immediate destruction for their disbelief?

What is the purpose of the wealth granted to unbelievers?

The wealth and power that unbelievers possess have always led them to even further insolence. This is a mystery explained in the Quran. Allah informs believers that the wealth of unbelievers is only worldly and commands believers not to be impressed by them in any way. He also promises that He will increase their disbelief with this wealth, and ultimately drive them altogether into Hell.

A Qur’anic verse relating to this significant fact states:

Do not let their wealth and children impress you. Allah merely wants to punish them by them during their life in this world and for them to expire while they are disbelieving. (Surat at-Tawba, 55)

What is the purpose of the wealth granted to unbelievers?

What do believers show patience in?

One of the distinguishing attributes of believers is their patience. However, the concept of patience that we learn from the Qur’an does not mean endurance at times of hardship. What is recommended in the Qur’an is to display patience when it comes to choosing the kind of behaviour that will be pleasing to Allah, in all situations and at all times.

Allah tests believers with a variety of situations, such as hunger, fear and loss of goods or prosperity. The believer described in the Qur’an perseveringly seeks the good pleasure of Allah regardless of the circumstances. In prosperity he gives thanks to Allah; in case of difficulty and hardship he puts his trust in Him. For him the benefits of the religion always take precedence over personal benefits. He patiently fulfils every detail of a virtuous character throughout his entire life. He is sincere, honest, generous, diligent and eager; he always speaks with generosity and gentleness, and always tries to serve the religion. In short, he applies everything that Allah points out as being good. As a reward for this, Allah gives His patient servants glad tidings:

We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and fruits. But give good news to the patient: Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, “We belong to Allah and to Him we will return.” Those are the people who will have blessings and mercy from their Lord; they are the ones who are guided. (Surat al-Baqara, 155-157)

What do believers show patience in?

Is there any compulsion in religion?

The answer to this question is given clearly in a Qur’anic verse as follows:

There is no compulsion where the religion is concerned. Right guidance has become clearly distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false gods and believes in Allah has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which will never give way. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara, 256)

As stated in the verse, no-one can be compelled to live by Islamic morals. Conveying the existence of Allah and the morals of the Qur’an to other people is a duty that believers are charged with. Believers who desire to perform their duty spread the message of religion in order to guide other people; yet knowing that they cannot do anything unless Allah wills, they leave the rest to Him. Since the existence of Allah and of the Hereafter is evident, it is extremely easy to discriminate between the path that Allah calls to and the indecency that satan calls to. Everyone can easily see which of these is better and beneficial. Therefore, those who fear Allah follow the right path most willingly and with pleasure. Allah states in many verses that believers’ only duty is to convey the truth. This is related in a Qur’anic verse as follows:

 If they argue with you, say, “I have submitted myself completely to Allah, and so have all who follow me.” Tell both those who have been given the Book as well as the unlettered, “Have you become Muslim?” If they become Muslim, they have been guided. If they turn away, you are only responsible for transmission. Allah sees His servants. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 20)

Is there any compulsion in religion?

Why should man not deem himself self-sufficient?

The main purpose of a person who fears Allah is to be pleasing to Him. This person knows that he needs to improve himself and to engage in a continual effort to be better in behaviour; virtues such as sincerity, honesty, diligence, self-sacrifice and modesty have no “upper limits“. In other words no one can say, “I have achieved model behaviour, it couldn’t be any better than this.”

A person’s spiritual improvement will be rapid if he sees himself as imperfect and seeks to become better. Such a person purifies himself of his wrongdoings and progresses towards even better behaviour every single day. If someone sees himself as sufficient in any matter, then he will not attempt to seek or make any improvement. As a matter of fact, he is unable to find his faults and imperfections and so cannot amend them, which prevents improvement. Allah states in the Qur’an, that imagining oneself to be self-sufficient is a serious mistake:

No indeed! Truly man is unbridled seeing himself as self-sufficient. (Surat al-’Alaq, 6-7)

For that reason man should not deem himself sufficient, neither in performing good deeds that would please Allah nor in spiritually improving himself. Using the reason and conscience that Allah granted him he should always ask for what is better and the superior, and make a sincere effort to attain it.

Why should man not deem himself self-sufficient?

Can a person spend his entire life for Allah?

In order to understand how to spend one’s entire life for Allah, one first needs to know the real meaning of life. Allah informs us about the real meaning of the life of this world in the Qur’an:

He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk, 2)

As stated in this verse, everybody is tested in his deeds. Those who do good desire to earn the pleasure of Allah and to enter Paradise. And they know that they therefore need to spend every moment of their lives engaged in such an effort. Some people, however, are mistaken on this point. They think that only observing some religious practices and avoiding what is forbidden are for the pleasure of Allah, and that the rest of the time is not connected to the religion. In fact man should try to earn the good pleasure of Allah at every single moment, in every word, in every thought and in every deed. Someone who intends to devote every moment of his life to Allah always speaks in a manner that will be pleasing to Him. For example, everyone in the world works and earns money.

Yet he who lives for Allah works in order to serve His religion and, setting aside of his earnings for himself only what he needs, spends the rest in deeds that would please Him. This person always talks in the way that would please Allah most. He reminds people of Allah, forbids them what is wrong and commands them to do what is right. He makes friendships with those whom Allah would be pleased with. While making this selection, he does not take into consideration his worldly interests or the criteria of people who do not live by Islamic morals. At every instant, he considers how he can best earn the good pleasure of Allah. To spend one’s entire life for Allah is among the basic demands of the religion. Therefore Allah commands believers to:Say:

“My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds. ” (Surat al-An’am, 162)

Can a person spend his entire life for Allah?