The previous passage in the sūrah provided a long comment on the story of man’s creation and the confrontation with the ignorant Arabian society, and indeed all jāhiliyyah societies, over the question of propriety and decency. Such values require that bodies be covered with appropriate dress and that souls be adorned with fear of God. The whole question relates directly to the major issue of faith.

This new address to mankind tackles the central issue to which the question of dress was related in the previous passage. It deals with the question of whom to follow in connection with religious rites and practices, as well as in legal issues, and indeed in all matters of life. Mankind must follow the messengers who bring them revelations from their Lord. It is on the basis of their response to those messengers that accountability and reward on the Day of Judgement will be determined.

“Children of Adam! Whenever there come to you messengers from among yourselves to relate to you My revelations, then those who are conscious of Me and live righteously shall have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve. But those who deny and scorn Our revelations are the ones destined for the fire, where they shall abide.” (Verses 35-36)

It is the covenant God has made with Adam and his children, and the condition that He stipulated for man to be given the task of vicegerency on earth. After all, it is God who has created the earth and made it suitable to support life before assigning the task of building it to mankind and giving them the necessary talents, aptitudes and means to fulfil their obligations in accordance with God’s covenant. Unless human beings follow the messengers God sends them, then whatever they do in this life will be rejected. No one who submits himself to God will accept such actions which will become on the Day of Judgement a burden that will inescapably lead to hell: “Children of Adam! Whenever there come to you messengers from among yourselves to relate to you My revelations, then those who are conscious of Me and live righteously shall have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Verse 35)

Fearing God helps human beings to steer away from sin and indecency. Indeed, the most wicked aspect of gross indecency is to associate partners with God and to claim for oneself God’s authority and Godhead qualities. Fearing God also helps human beings maintain the path of obedience and to do only what is right. Thus, it brings a sense of security which is totally free from worry about one’s eventual destiny. “But those who deny and scorn Our revelations are the ones destined for the fire, where they shall abide.” (Verse 36) This is only because denying God’s revelations and scorning the duty of abiding by God’s covenant puts any person in one camp with Satan who most unashamedly scorned his duty of submission to God. Thus, God’s warning to Satan and his followers shall come to pass: “As for those of them that follow you, I shall fill Hell with you all.” (Verse 18)

The sūrah moves on to portray the scene of approaching death, or the term to which the last verse in the previous passage refers: “For every community a term has been set. When [the end of] their term approaches, they can neither delay nor hasten it by a single moment.” (Verse 34) This is followed by the scene of resurrection and reckoning, judgement and reward. These come by way of setting in detail what was at first briefly stated. It describes what happens to those who fear God and those who deny His revelations after their term has been completed. The description uses the unique Qur’ānic method of depicting vivid scenes that are held before our eyes as if we see them now and hear what takes place.

We have now a series of scenes portraying the end of this life and the beginning of the next one. We see first a scene of death as it overwhelms those who fabricate false claims against God, alleging that their inherited concepts and philosophies and the traditions and laws they enact for themselves have been sanctioned by God. Such people deny God’s revelations when they are conveyed to them by His messengers although these contain a perfect divine code. Thus, they prefer their suspect, unconfirmed knowledge to the confirmed truth of God’s revelations. They have already received what was decreed to be their lot of the comforts of this world. They have completed the period of test God had willed them to go through, and received their part of the revelations God has given to His messengers who, in turn, conveyed it to them: “Who is more wicked than one who invents lies about God or denies His revelations? These shall have whatever has been decreed to be their lot [in life]. When Our messengers come to carry off their souls, they will say: `Where, now, are those whom you used to invoke besides God?’ They will reply: ‘They have forsaken us!’ Thus, they will bear witness against themselves that they had been unbelievers.” (Verse 37)

Here we see portrayed before our eyes the scene of those who invented lies against God and denied His revelations. The angels come to gather their souls and cause them to die, at which point certain remarks are exchanged between the two groups. The angels ask them: “Where, now, are those whom you used to invoke besides God?” (Verse 37) What happened to the fabricated claims you used to emphasize?

Where are the gods you invoked and worshipped, which caused you to turn away from the truth conveyed to you by God’s messengers? Where are they now at this very critical point in time when your lives have come to an end, and you find no one to give you an extra hour beyond the deadline appointed to you by God?

They have only one answer to make. It is a clear, unambiguous and factual answer: “They have forsaken us!” They have simply gone away, far away. We do not know where they are, nor do they have a clear way of returning to us. Lost indeed are those whose gods cannot find them or who cannot help them in their hour of need. Worthless are the gods who know no way to reach their servants when they need them most.

“Thus, they will bear witness against themselves that they had been unbelievers.” (Verse 37) This is the same attitude described earlier in the sūrah showing their reaction at the time when God’s might overwhelms them in this life. Their reply then was a clear acknowledgement of being in the wrong: “When Our punishment fell upon them, all they could say was: ‘We have indeed been wrongdoers.” (Verse 5)

When this scene of approaching death is over, we are immediately presented with another scene showing those who were about to die having been thrown in to hell.

The sūrah drops completely the period between their actual death and their resurrection and gathering on the Day of Judgement. Thus, it gives the impression that those who are about to die will actually be taken from their homes directly to hell.

Let us now look at the opposite scene: “As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We never burden a soul with more than it can bear. They are destined for paradise, where they will abide. We shall remove any rancour that may be lingering in their hearts.

Running waters will flow at their feet; and they will say: All praise is due to God who has guided us to this. Had He not given us guidance, we would certainly have not found the right path. Our Lord’s messengers have certainly brought us the truth.’ (A voice) will call out to them: ‘This is the paradise you have inherited by virtue of what you used to do.’” (Verses 42- 43)

Here we have a description of the destiny of those who believe and do righteous deeds as best they can. These return to paradise, because they are, by God’s grace, its rightful owners. He has granted it to them as a reward for their good deeds which are motivated by faith. It is they who followed God’s messengers, obeyed the commandments of their Lord, the Almighty, the Merciful and disobeyed Satan, their age- old enemy. Had it not been for God’s grace, their actions would not have been sufficient, considering their limited ability. The Prophet says in an authentic ĥadīth related by Muslim: “No one of you will be admitted into heaven by virtue of his action.” His companions asked: “Not even you, Messenger of God?” He replied:

“Not even me, unless God bestows His mercy and grace on me.” There is no contradiction or discrepancy between what God says in this regard and what is stated in this ĥadīth by His Messenger, who does not say anything related to religion on his own initiative. All scholastic debate that has taken place among Islamic schools of thought concerning this question did not rely on an accurate understanding of this religion. God knows that human beings are too weak to earn admittance into heaven by virtue of their own actions. Indeed, whatever they do is insufficient to repay for a single aspect of His grace which God bestows on them in this life on earth. Therefore, He has committed Himself to bestow His mercy on them and accept from them their meagre efforts and give them heaven as a reward, but only through His grace. Thus they earn it by their action combined with God’s mercy and grace.

In contrast to the scene of mutual hatred surfacing among the evildoers in hell, even against their former close and intimate friends, we see the believers demonstrating their perfect love for one another in heaven. They are brethren who harbour no ill-feeling to anyone. They enjoy perfect peace and bliss: “We shall remove any rancour that may be lingering in their hearts.” (Verse 43) They are only human, and they lived the life of human beings. In this life on earth they may have had some disagreements and disputes that brought about ill-feeling. As believers, they tried hard to overcome these feelings and allowed their brotherhood to predominate.

Nevertheless, there might have remained some lingering traces of rancour.

Al-Qurţubī, a leading commentator on the Qur’ān, says: “God’s messenger (peace be upon him) says: `Rancour stays at the doorstep of heaven just like camels are seated outside people’s dwellings. God removes it from believers’ hearts.’ It is also reported that Alī said: `I hope that `Uthmān, Ţalĥah, al-Zubayr and myself are among those about whom God says: “We shall remove any rancour that may be lingering in their hearts.” As already stated, the people of hell are engulfed by fire that overwhelms them from above and beneath. By contrast, the people of heaven have running waters which give an air of freshness to the whole scene: “Running waters will flow at their feet.” (Verse 43). While the former group is always quarrelling and exchanging accusations, the people of heaven praise God and acknowledge their own shortcomings: “They will say: ‘All praise is due to God who has guided us to this. Had He not given us guidance, we would certainly have not found the right path. Our Lord’s messengers have certainly brought us the truth.’” (Verse 43).

The contrast between the two groups is total, but the sūrah moves on to raise before our eyes a scene that comes later than the one we have just witnessed. Now we see the people of heaven having settled down comfortably in their dwelling place, while the people of hell are now certain of their doom. The former group calls out to the latter asking them about God’s promise: “The dwellers of paradise will call out to the inmates of the fire: ‘We have found what our Lord promised to be true. Have you, too, found the promise of your Lord to be true?’ They will answer: ‘Yes,’ whereupon someone from their midst will proclaim: ‘Cursed indeed are the wrongdoers who turn others away from God’s path and try to make it appear crooked, and who reject the truth of the lift to come.’” (Verses 44-45)

The question itself is full of irony. The believers are absolutely certain that what God has warned against has actually come to pass in the same way as His promise has been fulfilled. Nevertheless, they ask the people of hell about it. The answer is given in a single word: “Yes”.

Thus the dialogue that takes place across the great divide between heaven and hell comes to a stop as a voice is heard by the two groups. Someone will proclaim in their midst: “Cursed indeed are the wrongdoers who turn others away from God’s path and try to make it appear crooked, and who reject the truth of the lift to come.” (Verses 44-45) This statement clearly defines the meaning of `the wrongdoers’ which is often used in the Qur’ān as a synonym for `unbelievers’. It is the ones who are devoid of faith that turn people away from God’s path and try hard to make it appear crooked. They do not believe in the life to come.

The description of the wrongdoers as the ones who “try to make it appear crooked,” points out the true aim of those who turn people away from God’s path. They prefer the crooked way to the straight path. There is simply one straight way which follows what God has revealed and implement His law. Every other way is crooked. As these people prefer it that way, they are in the same line as unbelievers. No one who believes in the Day of Judgement and who ascertains in his mind that he will return to his Lord will ever try to turn people away from God’s path or select for himself a path that moves away from it. It is a description that clearly delineates the nature of those who reject God’s law.

At this juncture, the sūrah draws our attention to something additional painted in this scene. We see that the two camps are separated by a barrier over which stand some people who recognize the dwellers of heaven and the inmates of the fire by their looks and features. It is important to find out who these people are and what have they got to do with the two groups destined either for heaven or hell.

Between the two parties there will be a barrier, and on the Heights there will be men who recognize everyone by their looks. They will call out to the dwellers of paradise:

“Peace be upon you” — not having entered it themselves, but longing still [to be there]. And whenever their eyes are turned towards the inmates of the fire, they will say: “Our Lord, do not place us alongside such wrongdoing people.” Then those on the Heights will call out to certain people whom they recognize by their looks, saying:

“What have your great throngs and your false pride availed you? Are these the selfsame people whom you swore that God would never show them mercy?” (Now they have been told,) “Enter Paradise. You have nothing to fear, nor will you grieve.” (Verses 46-49)

It has been reported that those people on the Heights which separate heaven and hell are human beings whose good deeds are equal in weight and measure to their bad ones. Hence, their good deeds are not enough to guarantee their admission into heaven, nor have their sins condemned them to the fire. They remain in between, waiting for God’s grace to be bestowed on them. They recognize the people of paradise by their looks, probably by the fact that their faces are white and bright, or by the light which accompanies them. They also recognize the people destined to the fire by their features, probably by their dark faces or the marks printed on their noses which they used to raise as a gesture of arrogance. The printing of this mark on their noses is mentioned in Sūrah 68, The Pen. They greet the people of heaven with the greeting of peace, clearly entertaining hope that God will bestow His mercy on them and admit them to heaven as well. When their eyes fall on the people of the fire, whom they are deliberately made to see, they plead to be spared their destiny.

Between the two parties there will be a barrier, and on the Heights there will be men who recognize everyone by their looks. They will call out to the dwellers of paradise:

“Peace be upon you”, — not having entered it themselves, but longing still [to be there]. And whenever their eyes are turned towards the inmates of the fire, they will say: “Our Lord, do not place us alongside such wrongdoing people.” (Verses 46-47)

They then see some leading figures among the wrongdoing people and they recognize them by their features. They rebuke them for what they have been doing:

“Then those on the Heights will call out to certain people whom they recognize by their looks, saying: ‘What have your great throngs and your false pride availed you?’” (Verse 48) You see now that you are in Hell, where your armies and great multitude are of no use to you, nor indeed are your arrogance and vain pride.