ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

By Babatunde Jose

Death is one of the few indisputable facts of life. Regardless of faith, race, status, or age, we will all die. While the certainty of death is universally accepted, the question of what happens afterwards has been debated throughout history. Islam teaches that one’s life does not end on earth; rather, it is followed by the eternal life of the hereafter. This belief has a major impact on our earthly lives, while instilling hope for healing in a perfect world where God’s ultimate justice will prevail.

The most important events that will happen on the Day of Judgement are when we will be held accountable for our deeds and when we will be questioned by Allah. On that day, every individual will be resurrected to account for their lives.

God describes this event in the Quran saying everyone who has done even an atom’s weight of good, or evil will see it on that day. See Quran 99:6-8.

The Prophet said: “The son of Adam will not pass away from Allah until he is asked about five things: how he lived his life, and how he utilized his youth, with what means did he earn his wealth, how did he spend his wealth, and what did he do with his knowledge.” Reported by Imam At-Tirmidhī.

Today our country is ravaged by war, a war of socio-religious dimension. Nigerians have had to endure extraordinary suffering particularly in the last 22 years of civil rule with increasing tempo each successive year, culminating in the present state of anomie. In a country that is the largest economy in Africa and 25th in the world, we now adorn the ignoble badge of the poverty capital of the world and one of the most unsafe places to live in. Its people are today among the poorest and most fragile in the world, with more than 50% of its population threatened by food insecurity, 14 million out of school children and unemployment the worst in living memory. At the same time, we have been bouncing in and out of recession like an Indian rubber ball. While precise figures are lacking, tens of thousands have been killed as a direct effect of religious and ethnic insurrections, hunger, poverty and mass impoverishment and preventable disease. Unemployment rate is 33.3 %; Headline inflation is 18.17% and food inflation is 23%. We are the second most unelectrified country in Africa. Hmmmm! Oga o!

The sins and iniquities of our leaders have risen to high heavens and certainly, God will visit his wrath on them. It was a Catholic Bishop who once said that God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah if He fails to punish the iniquities of our leaders. If there is no Judgement, all our acts of worship; daily prayers, fast, zakat, unquestioning belief in an unseen God, our faith in our chosen religion, keeping the commandments and all the idiosyncrasies we have evolved to uphold our moral values would have come to naught and in vain.

The villains, scoundrels and evil doers, fraudsters, political marauders, embezzlers, pen robbers, charlatans, economic highwaymen, and the unbelievers would have gotten away free and would have mocked the living God for nothing. In the end, atheists would have had the last laugh on believers. What will then become of the essence of God? Therefore, there must be another life where scores would be settled. There must be a Day of Reckoning.
Despite its inevitability, we get so absorbed in living that we forget about death.

Our daily routines, the comfort of our homes and our relationships keep us so busy that we have little time left to ponder over the fleeting nature of this world.

Then, suddenly, we are forced to face the reality of our existence when a loved one is afflicted with a debilitating disease or we experience a shocking loss. Helpless, we are jolted by the frailty of life, leading us to question our priorities and re-evaluate our lifestyles. And then it might be too late.
When confronted with a calamity, we say, *“To God we belong and to Him we shall return” (Quran 2:156).* This invocation is also recited when someone dies. Reminding us of our origin and our ultimate destiny, it puts the purpose of our lives in perspective and encourages us to conduct every aspect of our lives with God-consciousness. Muslims believe they will return to God when they die. Therefore, instead of the end, death becomes part of a continuum which stretches into eternity.

There are many Quranic verses and Hadith that tell us about these events so that the believers will prepare themselves for the most important, final test. They can prepare for this test with their strong faiths and with their righteous deeds. But are we prepared? See Quran 88: 25-2; 7:6-7 and 3:30.

We will be asked on the Day of Judgement about all the blessings and bounties that Allah gave us in this life. Some of these blessings may include our good health, our wealth, our food and drink, our ride, and our home, etc. See Quran 102:8; 24:24; and 41:21.

Also, Allah will ask us on the Day of Judgment about all our covenants and promises. Those promises may be made to Allah or made to people. Like the promises our leaders make to us about providing us electricity, water, health care, education, and security. Whoever they are, that are responsible for our woes and tribulations should not forget that there will be a day of reckoning when they would have to account for their stewardship.

The good believer is the one who prepares himself for those difficult events by getting closer to Allah, by doing good deeds, and by staying away from what Allah has forbidden, and by fulfilling promises and covenants, so that he will be among those who receive their ‘book of deeds’ on the Day of Judgment in their right hand and Allah will enter them into Jannatul Firdous. As for those who have visited woes on their people, a special place in hell has been reserved for them.

In this category are the kidnappers, thieves and brigands who pose as political leaders and administrators, raiders of the commonwealth, perpetrators of evil and makers of mischief, knaves, and scallywags. In this category too are the so called ‘jagbajantis and the shololokogbangoses; people of doubtful origins and pedigree who strut the landscape posing as ‘leaders’ of this and that. They would be surprised; a well-dressed man in the present will be naked in the Hereafter.

Those who have ears, let them listen now, for, no sinner shall go unpunished. And on that day, *“There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Luke 13:28*
*Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend.*

*Babatunde Jose*

ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

By Babatunde Jose

Death is one of the few indisputable facts of life. Regardless of faith, race, status, or age, we will all die. While the certainty of death is universally accepted, the question of what happens afterwards has been debated throughout history. Islam teaches that one’s life does not end on earth; rather, it is followed by the eternal life of the hereafter. This belief has a major impact on our earthly lives, while instilling hope for healing in a perfect world where God’s ultimate justice will prevail.

The most important events that will happen on the Day of Judgement are when we will be held accountable for our deeds and when we will be questioned by Allah. On that day, every individual will be resurrected to account for their lives.

God describes this event in the Quran saying everyone who has done even an atom’s weight of good, or evil will see it on that day. See Quran 99:6-8.

The Prophet said: “The son of Adam will not pass away from Allah until he is asked about five things: how he lived his life, and how he utilized his youth, with what means did he earn his wealth, how did he spend his wealth, and what did he do with his knowledge.” Reported by Imam At-Tirmidhī.

Today our country is ravaged by war, a war of socio-religious dimension. Nigerians have had to endure extraordinary suffering particularly in the last 22 years of civil rule with increasing tempo each successive year, culminating in the present state of anomie. In a country that is the largest economy in Africa and 25th in the world, we now adorn the ignoble badge of the poverty capital of the world and one of the most unsafe places to live in. Its people are today among the poorest and most fragile in the world, with more than 50% of its population threatened by food insecurity, 14 million out of school children and unemployment the worst in living memory. At the same time, we have been bouncing in and out of recession like an Indian rubber ball. While precise figures are lacking, tens of thousands have been killed as a direct effect of religious and ethnic insurrections, hunger, poverty and mass impoverishment and preventable disease. Unemployment rate is 33.3 %; Headline inflation is 18.17% and food inflation is 23%. We are the second most unelectrified country in Africa. Hmmmm! Oga o!

The sins and iniquities of our leaders have risen to high heavens and certainly, God will visit his wrath on them. It was a Catholic Bishop who once said that God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah if He fails to punish the iniquities of our leaders. If there is no Judgement, all our acts of worship; daily prayers, fast, zakat, unquestioning belief in an unseen God, our faith in our chosen religion, keeping the commandments and all the idiosyncrasies we have evolved to uphold our moral values would have come to naught and in vain.

The villains, scoundrels and evil doers, fraudsters, political marauders, embezzlers, pen robbers, charlatans, economic highwaymen, and the unbelievers would have gotten away free and would have mocked the living God for nothing. In the end, atheists would have had the last laugh on believers. What will then become of the essence of God? Therefore, there must be another life where scores would be settled. There must be a Day of Reckoning.
Despite its inevitability, we get so absorbed in living that we forget about death.

Our daily routines, the comfort of our homes and our relationships keep us so busy that we have little time left to ponder over the fleeting nature of this world.

Then, suddenly, we are forced to face the reality of our existence when a loved one is afflicted with a debilitating disease or we experience a shocking loss. Helpless, we are jolted by the frailty of life, leading us to question our priorities and re-evaluate our lifestyles. And then it might be too late.
When confronted with a calamity, we say, *“To God we belong and to Him we shall return” (Quran 2:156).* This invocation is also recited when someone dies. Reminding us of our origin and our ultimate destiny, it puts the purpose of our lives in perspective and encourages us to conduct every aspect of our lives with God-consciousness. Muslims believe they will return to God when they die. Therefore, instead of the end, death becomes part of a continuum which stretches into eternity.

There are many Quranic verses and Hadith that tell us about these events so that the believers will prepare themselves for the most important, final test. They can prepare for this test with their strong faiths and with their righteous deeds. But are we prepared? See Quran 88: 25-2; 7:6-7 and 3:30.

We will be asked on the Day of Judgement about all the blessings and bounties that Allah gave us in this life. Some of these blessings may include our good health, our wealth, our food and drink, our ride, and our home, etc. See Quran 102:8; 24:24; and 41:21.

Also, Allah will ask us on the Day of Judgment about all our covenants and promises. Those promises may be made to Allah or made to people. Like the promises our leaders make to us about providing us electricity, water, health care, education, and security. Whoever they are, that are responsible for our woes and tribulations should not forget that there will be a day of reckoning when they would have to account for their stewardship.

The good believer is the one who prepares himself for those difficult events by getting closer to Allah, by doing good deeds, and by staying away from what Allah has forbidden, and by fulfilling promises and covenants, so that he will be among those who receive their ‘book of deeds’ on the Day of Judgment in their right hand and Allah will enter them into Jannatul Firdous. As for those who have visited woes on their people, a special place in hell has been reserved for them.

In this category are the kidnappers, thieves and brigands who pose as political leaders and administrators, raiders of the commonwealth, perpetrators of evil and makers of mischief, knaves, and scallywags. In this category too are the so called ‘jagbajantis and the shololokogbangoses; people of doubtful origins and pedigree who strut the landscape posing as ‘leaders’ of this and that. They would be surprised; a well-dressed man in the present will be naked in the Hereafter.

Those who have ears, let them listen now, for, no sinner shall go unpunished. And on that day, *“There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Luke 13:28*
*Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend.*

*Babatunde Jose*