The Book That Doesn’t Leave Out Anything

By Jawwad Ahmed

Picture this: There is a book in your hand. When you first get hold of it, you wonder what it is about. It doesn’t have the usual ‘about this book’ part on the hardback cover, so you open it somewhere in the middle.

You read a few lines, and you gasp. You are astonished. You really didn’t think you’d read this.

Not now.

Not here.

You flip over a few pages and read a couple more lines.

You do this a third time, and then again – each time, your heart beat increases.

You scream out loud.

Suddenly, something clicks. You’ve figured out what’s happening.

‘…And they will say, “Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?” And they will find what they did present [before them]…’

[Quran; 18:49]

This is the Day of Judgment. And THIS is your book of deeds.

***

You open your book again and read about the time you sneaked a peek at a friend’s exam paper during the finals. Math paper, it says… A day in May. Sure the friend didn’t mind, but Allah had it recorded anyway.

A few days later, you were ogling a certain girl, again. A full 4 minutes and 37.06 seconds of just sitting there and staring. And you thought you could justify it as the ‘first glance’.

The day after that, you read on, you used a bit of filthy language mid conversation- for no apparent reason at all! You weren’t angry. You weren’t down. You only said it because you thought your friends would think you cool. Not the only time you’ve said those words. Not the only bad words you’ve ever said.

Truth is, you pretty much knew you were screwed when they gave you the book in your left hand. You tried to hide your left hand behind your back, pretending it wasn’t there- but the book found its way.

You pretty much knew you were messed up when you were forced out of your grave. Barefoot, naked and up-to-the-throat drenched in sweat thinking of just a handful of the big sins you could remember.

You had this flash-back of your entire life in the moments of your death. You were horrified at all the filth. You had this idea all along that life shouldn’t be the game you had been playing. You had planned on repenting…only some 25-30 years later. You weren’t ready for the car-accident. Death came unannounced, and you had Bryan Adams in your ears.

***

Safe in your bed with your laptop resting on your lap, this entire picture may appear to be a little extreme.

Isn’t the equation something like:

I am a Muslim + Allah is Al-Ghafoor and Al-Raheem = I go to Jannah

Really though? Is it actually  that simple?

What of Allah being Saree’-ul-Hisaab (the Swift Taker of accounts) and Shadeed-ul-‘Iqaab (Strict in punishment)? What of the accountability?

You think no one is taking notes of your ‘small’ sins?

Angels are recording every bit and every byte of what you do. There are backups, and more backups. This information cannot be corrupted, cannot be lost. Additionally, Allah knows too.

There will be recompense. There will be Accountability.

My request to you, dear reader: do your accountability now. Do it yourself. Do it before someone else does it for you.

Go through your life, and identify things…your sins, big and small. Repent. For stuff that you still do, try to stop – make a plan.

Remember: If you repent now, Allah WILL forgive you. He will wipe your sin-slate all clean, inshaAllah.