Page 18 - The Day of Judgment

16 THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

the real purpose and the true gain. Allah reveals the true purpose of
our creation, as follows:
I only created jinn and man to worship Me. (Surat adh-
Dhariyat, 56)

Only by fulfilling this responsibility can we expect the gifts of the
Hereafter. If one has nothing to expect from the Hereafter, there is
only one possibility left: To become nothing with death. This
possibility is both wrong and is scarier than all the others. The
unbelievers develop various methods of forgetting this possibility,
because they fear it so much. Among these methods are not talking
about, discussing, or remembering death, even though it is a
certainty for everyone. Most people act as if it does not exist. That
most people behave in such a way might be reassuring to some
extent, but in reality they are all misguided. People know about
death, the Last Day, and the Hereafter, but refuse to ponder them.
They are satisfied with this worldly life, or at least make themselves
believe that they are. However, Allah reveals that death will find
everyone:

Say: "Death, from which you are fleeing, will certainly catch up
with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the
Unseen and the Visible, and He will inform you about what
you did." (Surat al-Jumu'a, 8)
The universe and all of its contents, not just humanity, will die on
the Day of Judgment, for on that Day the trial will end. Many people
will recognize its coming by its signs, and the events leading up to

the universe's death will be literally hair-raising. Finally, on that
Day, Allah will raise up all those in the graves and all people on the
Earth will be called to account. Those who did not expect to
experience such a Day will no longer be able to deny it, and so will