We have all been there, stuck in a moment where we desperately could hit a rewind button. Maybe it was a missed flight, a failed exam or a word spoken in anger, but imagine a regret so suffocating, that it makes every worldly gain look like dust.
This is the exact regret the Quran warns us about, the moment those who ignored their Creator and chased the illusions of this life, realize they are out of time. On the Day of Judgment, they will beg Allahﷻ for just a little chance, a tiny extension, a brief moment to go back and do even a single small good deed.
A sobering reality check, the life of this world (dunya) was already the short window, and the Hereafter (akhirah) is the eternal reality. Let’s unpack why we get so easily fooled by this short life, what happens when the veil is lifted and how to make sure we aren't among those begging for a second chance.
Human beings are wired to worship. If we don’t worship the One who created us, we inevitably end up worshiping something else. Throughout history and in our modern lives, people have turned away from Allahﷻ to worship, idols and false deities, by attributing divine powers to created things, making their egos, desires, personal whims, money, fame or status the authority in life or relying entirely on worldly powers while forgetting the Ultimate Power.
When someone forgets Allahﷻ from the center of their life, wrongdoing (dhulm) naturally follows. Without an accountability mindset tied to the Creator, morality becomes subjective. People oppress others, exploit the weak and spend their years thinking they are invincible.
Right now, eighty years seems like a long time. We plan for retirement, build houses and worry about our 10 year timelines. But the Quran constantly shifts our perspective on time.
Allahﷻ states that the enjoyment of this world is incredibly small compared to what is to come,
"Have you not seen those who were told, "Restrain your hands (from fighting)(this was before permission was given by Allah) and establish prayer and give zakah"? But then when battle was ordained for them, at once a party of them feared men as they fear Allah or with (even) greater fear. They said, "Our Lord, why have You decreed upon us fighting? If only You had postponed (it for) us for a short time." Say, "The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allah. And injustice will not be done to you, (even) as much as a thread (inside a date seed)."
(Quran 4:77)
Translated Verse from Arabic-English
On the Day of Judgment, when people look back at their entire earth life, it will feel like nothing. The Quran tells us that when they are asked how long they tarried on earth, They will say, "We remained a day or part of a day, ask those who keep count." He will say, "You stayed not but a little, if only you had known. Then did you think that We created you without purpose and that to Us you would not be returned?"
(Quran 23:113-115).
Translated Verse from Arabic-English
Imagine standing before the Creator of the universe, seeing the scales of justice and realizing you spent your entire life chasing a sandstorm, seeing the reality of your striving. The Quran describes a deeply emotional scene where the wrongdoers will look at the punishment and beg for an extension,
"And warn (O Muhammad ﷺ) mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them, then the wrongdoers will say, "Our Lord! Respite us for a little while, we will answer Your Call and follow the Messengers!" (It will be said), "Had you not sworn before that you would not leave (the world for the Hereafter).
(Quran 14:44)
Translated Verse from Arabic-English
They aren't even asking to live a whole second life. They are begging for a little time. Just a few minutes to say Subhan Allah (glory be to Allah), to give a single coin in charity or to bow down once in sincere repentance. Allah reminds them that they were already given an entire lifetime with signs, scriptures and messengers, but they chose to ignore them.
If a student fails a year long course because they slept through every class and skipped every exam, they cannot beg the examiner at the graduation ceremony for just five minutes to rewrite the final paper. The time for testing is over, the time for results has begun.
The beauty of reading these warnings today is that you are still breathing. You still have the one thing the people of the grave are begging for, Time. Keep the dunya in your hand, not in your heart. Use your money, career and resources to build your hereafter (akhirah), rather than letting them possess you. Constantly check your intentions. Are you doing things to please people, your ego or Allahﷻ?
Never underestimate a small good deed, because the wrongdoers will beg to return to just do a small good deed. Don't wait! pray (salah) five times daily prayers, be kind to your parents, smile at your muslim family, friends & neighbors, remove harm from the path and feed an animal. Those small deeds weigh heavily on the scale. You don't need a special ceremony to turn back to Allahﷻ. A sincere astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah) from the bottom of your heart can erase decades of wrongdoing in an instant.
This life is a flash of lightning, the Next Life is eternal. To sacrifice eternity for a few years of fleeting pleasure is the worst trade deal a human being can ever make. Don't wait until your sight, mind, limbs and heart become sharp on the Day of Judgment to realize the true value of life. Invest in your eternity today, while the doors of repentance are still wide open.
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد ان لا اله الا انت استغفرك وأتوب اليك