Living The Quran
From Issue: 1038 [Read full issue]
Most Intelligent
Al-Sajda (The Prostration) Sura 32: Verse 14
"So taste [the punishment] for having forgotten the meeting with this your Day! Verily, We have forgotten you! And taste the punishment everlasting for that which you used to do."
These words are spoken by God or by the angels who serve as the keepers of Hell to the disbelievers as the latter enter Hell. This is one of several verses that speak of the disbelievers being forgotten by God. Such verses mean that they are cast out of God's Mercy or into the state of punishment since God does not "forget". Many understand such verses to mean that disbelievers are left to wallow in the punishment of the Fire, but it also speaks to the importance for one's spiritual life of remembering the meeting with God and thus death. In this regard, the Prophet is reported to have said, "The intelligent person is one who knows his soul and works for what follows death." And when asked, "Who is the most intelligent of believers?" he replied, "The most frequent in remembering death, and the best prepared for what follows it, they are the most intelligent."
Compiled From:
"The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary" - Seyyed Hossein Nasr