In doubt.
Then watch thou
For the day
That the sky will
Bring forth a kind
Of smoke (or mist)
Plainly visible.
Enveloping the people:
This will be chastisement
Grievous.
(They will say:)
"Our Lord! Remove
The chastisement from us,
For we do really believe!"
S.44 A. 9-12
I know this relates to those of us who wait until the last moment possible to accept Allah. They hope to see the signs in time to repent, they are gambling with their souls. Perhaps they think when they truly believe the world is ending, their hearts will open. I am sure that it is a doomed strategy as God will know what was truly in their hearts, and the very act of trying to out guess Him is a particular kind of sin.
This verse suggests another kind of sin to me though. A sin I have been guilty of, too often in my life. Its not that I am waiting until the last moment to accept God, it is that I sometimes wait until I am troubled or in peril to be pious and faithful. I bargain with God, promising all that I should have offered freely, all that was already His, for the cessation of my troubles. In both cases, the timing is wrong, but the consequences are just. This Ramadan I have drawn a line in the sand with myself, and I am going to be proactive, giving to God all that He requires, all that He deserves - and I will face the consequences of my actions with the peace of mind He can grant. No more waiting, no more gambling, no more negotiating!
This verse suggests another kind of sin to me though. A sin I have been guilty of, too often in my life. Its not that I am waiting until the last moment to accept God, it is that I sometimes wait until I am troubled or in peril to be pious and faithful. I bargain with God, promising all that I should have offered freely, all that was already His, for the cessation of my troubles. In both cases, the timing is wrong, but the consequences are just. This Ramadan I have drawn a line in the sand with myself, and I am going to be proactive, giving to God all that He requires, all that He deserves - and I will face the consequences of my actions with the peace of mind He can grant. No more waiting, no more gambling, no more negotiating!
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