The Commentary of Al-Qasidah — Page 114
114 The commentary of al-Qa si dah . Their sides keep away from their beds; and they call on their Lord in fear and hope. ( as-Sajdah, 32:17 ) In the days of ignorance they had no concept of the Day of Judgment. Their motto was to eat, drink and be merry because death awaits its day. Therefore, they had no concept of sin being something to be accounted for. After accepting Islam they started praying to their Lord: Meaning, O our Lord, protect us from the punishment of Hell. ( al-Furq a n, 25:66 ) In other words, they were concerned about the Day of Judgment constantly. In the days of ignorance they used to throw away their money in pursuit of their customs, music, fame, luxury, or gambling. They would not find it within their hearts to spend any money for the poor, needy, widows or orphans. These were the same people who after accepting Islam have been described in the Holy Qur’ a n as: Neither stingy, nor exuberant. ( al-Furq a n, 25:68 )