Mu` meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah`s Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Janab brother Burhan, Assalam alaikum,

May Allah reward you for your work. I was reading meaning of Quran and got confused on the verse 52 or Bani-Israel

"On the Day when He will call you, and you will answer (His Call) with (words of) His Praise and Obedience, and you will think that you have stayed (in this world) but a little while!"

I heard that there will be azab in the grave to unbelievers so why they will think on the day of qayamat that they stayed in this world for a little while?

Jazak Allah khair!

Regards

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

What means stayed in the world a little while

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The punishment of the grave is in the life after death in a state called ‘barzakh’. The aayah you have quoted of Surah Bani Israel pertains to actual life of the Hereafter, after the Day of Judgement. When we are all given life again in the Hereafter, it will become evident to each and every one that the life of the Hereafter is eternal and will never ever end! And when one compares the time ahead of him in the eternal life of the Hereafter to the time one has spent in this transient world, he will realize that he did indeed spend only a little while in this transitory world.

The same situation is described by Allah Subhanah in another Surah of the Holy Quran:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Muminoon verses 112-116:

112 He (Allah) will say: "What number of years did ye stay on earth?"

113 They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who keep account."

114 He will say: "Ye stayed not but a little if ye had only known!

115 "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?"

116 Therefore exalted be Allah the King the Reality; there is no god but He, the Lord of the Throne of Honor!

When one understands the reality of the eternity of time of the Hereafter, and especially if one witnesses that eternity of Truth right in front of his very eyes on the Day of Judgement; he will undoubtedly bear witness that he stayed in the world only for a short while!

And a basic and simple comparison of time can easily be made when one understands from the Holy Quran that just the Day of Judgement itself will last for 50,000 years as we reckon time! Compare that to the average age of 65 years for a human being; and 65 years suddenly seems like a little while compared to 50,000 years! And that is just the time-span of the One Day of Judgement; beyond that time is the eternal life of the Hereafter in the Gardens of Bliss in Paradise, or in the dungeons of Hell Fire!!!!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 70 Surah Maarij verses 1-4:

1 A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall

2 the Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off

3 (A Penalty) from Allah Lord of the Ways of Ascent.

4 The angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day, the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:

May Allah save you and us all from the torment of the Hereafter.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan