Page 68 - Signs of the End Times in Surat Al-Kahf

SIGNS OF THE END TIMES IN SURAT AL-KAHF

time and space, both of which He created, and so what we call the past,
present, and future are all the same to Him. Just as we see the beginning,
middle, and end of a ruler and all of its units in between, Allah sees and
knows the "time" of our existence as one whole, from its beginning to its
end. However, we only experience a particular event, all of which He al-
ready knows, when its time has come and thus witness the destiny that
Allah has created for us.
Saying that something definitely will happen is, in fact, growing arro-
gant toward Allah, something that will result in ultimate loss, as the fol-
lowing verse proclaims:
As for those who believe and do right actions, He will pay them

their wages in full and will give them increase from His favor. As
for those who show disdain and grow arrogant, He will punish
them with a painful punishment. They will not find any protector
or helper for themselves besides Allah. (Surat an-Nisa', 173)

For the person marked by the red circle, the way behind him is where he was in
the past, and the street ahead is where he will be in future. Someone with a bird's-
eye view of the street can see that the person's past, present, and future at the same
instant. Allah, the sole Creator of everything, is beyond time and space and there-
fore knows all of these stages as one time.