Living The Quran
From Issue: 615 [Read full issue]
Secrets exposed
Al-Haqqah (The Inevitable Truth) - Chapter 69: Verse 18
"On that day you shall be brought to judgement and none of your secrets will remain hidden."
All are exposed: bodies, souls, consciences, actions and destinies. All curtains that used to hide secrets are lifted, and souls are laid bare just like bodies. What used to be concealed is now in full view. Man is without any of his precautions, schemes and plans. What he was keen to conceal, even from himself, is there to be seen by all. Such disgrace and in front of everyone! As for God, He has always been fully aware of every little thing, even that which is most deeply hidden, but man, accustomed to all sorts of concealment on earth, does not appreciate this.
Man has a very complex nature. There are within his soul many corners and pathways where he hides his feelings, whims, yearnings, thoughts, secrets and private matters. Imagine how a snail quickly withdraws into its shell when it feels danger, hiding itself completely. Should man realize that an eye manages to see what he is keen to conceal, or that a glance exposes something he wants to remain hidden, he does much more than a snail sensing danger. He is deeply hurt when someone looks into his inner secrets. So how will man feel when he stands truly naked in body, heart, feeling and soul; when he has nothing to cover himself with, when he is under the throne of the Almighty and before this great assembly of creatures? This is the most painful of all situations.
Compiled From:
"In The Shade Of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Volume 17, pp. 223, 224