Page 50 - The Day of Judgment

48 THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

vision, moral values lose their importance, and materialism
becomes the defining factor for their character. The Qur'an's
morality, together with its commands and prohibitions, lose their
precedence in the lives of the mentioned people; amassing wealth
almost becomes a goal itself, and personal gain becomes preeminent
in relationships.
On the Day of Judgment, however, everything will be reversed.
People will forget all about what they used to value, for now they
will realize that the objects of their desires have no more meaning.
Their values will alter in moments, for wealth and children will
have no value and parental emotions will lose their meaning for
such people. In the face of this Day's terror, they will forget their
most loved people: their children. No one will remember his or her
children, much less inquiring about their well-being. In every way,
this will be a very hard Day for the unbelievers.
On the Day, the sky is like molten brass and the mountains
like tufts of colored wool. No good friend will ask about his
friend, even though they can see each other. An evildoer will
wish that he could ransom himself from the punishment of
that Day by means of his sons, his wife, his brother, or his
family who sheltered him or everyone else on Earth, if that
only meant that he could save himself. (Surat al-Ma'arij, 8-14)
The Day when Heaven is split apart in clouds, and the angels
are sent down rank upon rank. The Kingdom that Day will
belong in truth to the All-Merciful. It will be a hard Day for the
unbelievers. (Surat al-Furqan, 25-26)

Families will desert infants, and people will be confused as to
what to do. The fear will strike so suddenly and forcefully that
pregnant women will miscarry and mothers will forget about their
breast-feeding children: