But as soon as death approaches - the time when the real and...

But as soon as death approaches - the time when the real and complete benefits of Islam should have ap­peared - Allah takes away the light, nullifies his deeds and leaves him in utter darkness in which he cannot see at all. Thus he falls between two darknesses - his original one and the one he added with his dark deeds. Qur’an: Or like an abundant rain . . .

Allah has power over all things: “as-Sayyib” ( الصَّيّب = abundant rain); “al- barq” ( البرق = lightning; flesh of lightning); “ad-ra'd” ( الرَّعد = thunder that is heard after lightning); “as-sa `iqah ” ( الصّاعِقة = thunderbolt, to strike with lightning). This is another example for the hypocrites. A man is caught in a rain pour; darkness surrounds him, he is unable to see around and loses his bearings.

The rain tells him to run away; to find a shelter somewhere, but darkness prevents him from it; frightening thunder and lightning-bolts have overwhelmed him, yet when lightning appears he tries to take its advantage by walking ahead in its light - but it appears only for a fleeting moment and then disappears; whenever it shines he walks ahead and when darkness I engulfs him again he stops. A hypocrite is exactly in the same position. He does not like Islam, but has to profess to be a Muslim.

His words do not reach his heart; what he says is different from what he believes in his heart. Because of this discrepancy his path is not illuminated as it should have been. The result is that he gropes about aimlessly and stumbles every now and then; he walks a little and then stops. Thus Allah punishes him with disgrace; and had He wished so, He would have taken away his sight and hearing, thereby disgracing him on the very first day. Previous…