Quran Garden

Session 514

Chapter 3

Verse 185

Every self will taste death, and your wages will be fully paid on the Day of Resurrection.  Whoever is tugged away from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have triumphed.  The present world is only an illusory pleasure.  (Chapter 3: Verse 185)

In Aya 184, God consoled Prophet Muhammad not to be saddened by the Jews of Medina who rejected Islam and spoke ill of him and his Lord.  Many of the Messengers who came before faced similar hostilities and worse, despite brining clear scriptures and wondrous miracles.  Allah wanted to give the believers immunity against what their enemies would say and do.  This is similar to what we do in modern medicine.  When doctors want to protect a patient from a disease like Polio, they introduce the body to a weakened version of the Polio microbe.  This inoculation trains the immune system on what to expect and how to fight a full assault of Polio infection. 

More importantly, Allah informs the believers that the verbal attacks, lies, and violence will not last forever.  Why?  Because every person is hurling towards death and will ultimately stand before the Lord to be taken to account.  God says,

Every self will taste death, and your wages will be fully paid on the Day of Resurrection.

In aya 181, we discussed how the verb 'taste' expresses an all-encompassing feeling.  We also know that death has a broad meaning that covers all ends of life, such as natural death, killing, and accidents.  God set a predetermined moment for each of us to die, and your time cannot be changed or delayed for a single second.  Scholars said that if the murderer had waited for only one minute before pulling the trigger, the victim would have dropped dead on their own.  Still, God will punish the murderer for transgressing the limit against someone else's well-being. 

Now, let's consider the precision of the expression, "and your wages will be fully paid on the Day of Resurrection," meaning: do not wait for or expect the fruits of your faith in this world.  You may see a reward, but it is far from complete.  Why?  Because life is temporary and "Every self will taste death." If you receive the rewards of your faith today, you may enjoy them only for a few days or years.  Thus, the full compensation for faith must be in the Hereafter to enjoy indefinitely. 

In the second pledge of Aqaba, the Ansar of Medina visited Prophet Muhammad in Mecca and asked: "O Messenger of God, to what do we pledge allegiance?  He said, 'To listen and obey in times of busyness and laziness, to spend in times of hardship and ease, to speak the truth for God's sake regardless of the consequences; and to support me if I come to you, and protect me from whatever you protect yourselves, your wives, and your children.'" Ibn Zurara, one of the youngest, said, "Slow down, O people of Yathrib!  We did not travel all this distance except knowing Muhammad is God's Messenger.  But know this well:  If we take this oath and protect the Prophet, we will be shunned by all the Arab tribes, our finest men and women will be killed, and swords will bite us from all sides.  Either we are a people of patience and strength, and our reward is with God, or we are a people who fear and withdraw under immense pressure.  If you are so, speak now!  It is an excuse for you before God." They asked, "What's in it for us, Messenger of Allah, if we keep our pledge?" He, peace be upon him, answered with one word: "Paradise."  They said: "Extend your hand.  By God, we will never abandon this pledge," So he, peace be upon him, stretched out his hand, and they swore allegiance to him.  

Had the Prophet promised them worldly gains, such as vast wealth or military victory, the smart ones would have figured out that such a reward is an illusion.  What if they keep their pledge, sacrifice wealth and health, and then die before victory?  Ibn Zurara was wise to see all the dangers ahead and recognize that the true reward is with God. 

This brings us back to the verse, as if Allah is saying: 'Beware of expecting the reward of faith in this life, for if it were worldly, it would become a mirage.  Faith connects you to God, and since God is eternal, the reward of connecting with Me is also eternal.' 

Those who closely studied the Quran noted that the phrase "and your wages will be fully paid on the Day of Resurrection" means that there may be a small advance worldly payment.  But the full balance will only be collected in the Hereafter.  Indeed, Allah may give you peace of mind, divine guidance, tranquillity of faith, and so on.  Some believers may even live long enough to see victory and get the spoils of war.  But that is a minimal deposit; "your wages will be fully paid on the Day of Resurrection." 

When a companion told his friend, "I love you as much as this world," he replied, "Am I that fleeting and worthless to you?"