Reflection from Surat al-Hadeed verses 12-14
On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], "Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally." That is what is the great attainment. On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, "Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light." It will be said, "Go back behind you and seek light." And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment. The hypocrites will call to the believers, "Were we not with you?" They will say, "Yes, but you afflicted yourselves and awaited [misfortune for us] and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allah. And the Deceiver deceived you concerning Allah, (57:12-14).
Of course, with any verses in the Qur’an, we can spend hours upon hours reflecting and we will never exhaust the wisdom and lessons contained within them. According to the tafseer of Ibn Kathir, the light that will be emanating from the believing men and women will shine their path as they cross the sirat on the Day of Judgment. There will be varying degrees of light, “Some of them will have a light as large as a mountain, some as a date tree, some as big as a man in the standing position. The least among them has a light as big as his index finger, it is lit at times and extinguished at other times,” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir). The word used to describe the light is yas’aa which means that it is a continuous light that never extinguishes. May Allah make our light as big as the mountains and may we lead others into Paradise through that light.
On the other hand, Allah describes the munaafiqoon (hypocrites) in an entirely different “light.” The root word for munaafiq is nafaqa which is a tunnel with different entrances and exits. Nafaqa also means “to rot, decay, have a bad odor.” Allah dedicates 12 verses in the first few pages of Surat al Baqara describing the munafiqoon in a very powerful way. The hypocrites continuously look to straddle two playing fields trying to figure out what is most advantageous for them in this worldly life. “And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers,”’ (2:14).
On the Day of Judgment Allah will place the hypocrites with the believing men and women, giving them a sense of hope that they may enter Paradise. Isn’t that the same exact tactic the hypocrites would also use, playing on the heartstrings of the believers, while secretly devising an alternate plan? Then a wall is erected separating the two groups from one another, diminishing the hope that they could have deceived the All-Knowing.
“Wishful thinking deluded you,” is what strikes the most fear in my heart. It has the same gravitas as the verses in Surat al Kahf, “Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in their work, (18:103-104). They think they are doing well and yet it is this wishful thinking: “I still have time, Allah will forgive, why be so serious, etc.” and this attitude of complacency gives us a false sense of security.
May Allah grant us steadfastness and righteous companionship ya Rabb that will remind us that every good deed we do will transform into a nonextinguishable light. If we were to change our thinking when we perform good actions into understanding that these good deeds will be a light for us, how much sweeter would those actions be to us? How much more would we hold on to the opportunities to help others in need and be of service to our community? I ask Allah to use us in all circumstances and never replace us.