Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 5

(Ayah 5) {مَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوْا لِقَآءَ اللّٰهِ فَاِنَّ اَجَلَ اللّٰهِ …:} In this verse, there is glad tidings for the believers that whoever hopes to meet Allah, if he endures this short-lived trial with patience and strives to do as many good deeds as possible, then his hope will surely be fulfilled, because the appointed time of Allah will certainly come, and He is the One who hears and knows every supplication and action of His servant, indeed every sound and deed in the universe. In the Noble Qur’an, two types of people are mentioned: one, those who believe in the Day of Judgment and hope to meet Allah; they are mentioned in this verse and also in the last verse of Surah Al-Kahf, where it is said: «{ فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوْا لِقَآءَ رَبِّهٖ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَّ لَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهٖۤ اَحَدًا } » [ الکہف : ۱۱۰ ] “So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.” The summary of both verses is that whoever hopes and longs to meet Allah has glad tidings that his hope will surely be fulfilled, and the time Allah has appointed for it will certainly come. Therefore, he should take advantage of the respite given before that time and perform righteous deeds with sincerity that please his Lord. ‘Ubada bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: [ مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللّٰهِ أَحَبَّ اللّٰهُ لِقَاءَهُ، وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللّٰهِ كَرِهَ اللّٰهُ لِقَاءَهُ، قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ أَوْ بَعْضُ أَزْوَاجِهِ إِنَّا لَنَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ، قَالَ لَيْسَ ذَاكَ وَلٰكِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ بُشِّرَ بِرِضْوَانِ اللّٰهِ وَكَرَامَتِهِ فَلَيْسَ شَيْءٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا أَمَامَهُ فَأَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللّٰهِ وَأَحَبَّ اللّٰهُ لِقَاءَهُ وَإِنَّ الْكَافِرَ إِذَا حُضِرَ بُشِّرَ بِعَذَابِ اللّٰهِ وَ عُقُوْبَتِهِ فَلَيْسَ شَيْءٌ أَكْرَهَ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا أَمَامَهُ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللّٰهِ وَ كَرِهَ اللّٰهُ لِقَاءَهُ ] [بخاري، الرقاق، باب من أحب لقاء اللہ أحب اللہ لقاءہ : ۶۵۰۷ ] “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever dislikes to meet Allah, Allah dislikes to meet him.” Upon this, ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) or one of his other wives said: “We dislike death.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It is not that, but when the time of death comes for a believer, he is given glad tidings of Allah’s pleasure and honor, so nothing becomes more beloved to him than what lies ahead, and when the time of death comes for a disbeliever, he is given glad tidings of Allah’s punishment and torment, so nothing becomes more disliked to him than what lies ahead, so he dislikes to meet Allah and Allah dislikes to meet him.” ‘Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) recited a supplication in prayer which he heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), in which several things are asked from Allah, and among them are these words: [ وَ أَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلٰی وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلٰی لِقَائِكَ فِيْ غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ ] [ نسائي، السھو، نوع آخر : ۱۳۰۶ ] “(O Allah!) I ask You for the delight of looking at Your Face and the longing to meet You, without any harmful distress and without any misleading trial.”

The second group of people are those who neither hope nor long to meet Allah; regarding them, it is said: «{ اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ لَا يَرْجُوْنَ لِقَآءَنَا وَ رَضُوْا بِالْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَ اطْمَاَنُّوْا بِهَا وَ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ عَنْ اٰيٰتِنَا غٰفِلُوْنَ (7) اُولٰٓىِٕكَ مَاْوٰىهُمُ النَّارُ بِمَا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ }» [ یونس : ۷، ۸ ] “Indeed, those who do not expect to meet Us and are pleased and satisfied with the life of this world, and those who are heedless of Our signs—these are the ones whose abode is the Fire, because of what they used to earn.”