Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 356
356 can take My servants as protectors instead of Me? Surely, We have prepared the fire as an entertainment for those who believe not. Say: ‘Shall we tell you of those who are the greatest losers in respect of their works? Those whose effort is lost in search after things pertaining to the life of this world, and they imagine they are doing great works. ’ Those are they who disbelieve in the Signs of their Lord, and in the meeting with Him. So their works are vain, and on the Day of Judgement We shall give them no weight. That is their reward ⎯ torment, because they disbelieved and made a jest of My Signs and My Messengers. Truly, those who believe and act righteously will have the Gardens of Eternity for an abode, wherein they will abide; they will not desire any change therefrom. Say: ‘If the ocean became ink for the words of my Lord, surely the ocean would be exhausted before the words of my Lord came to an end, even though We brought the like thereof as further help. ’ Say: ‘I am only a man like yourselves; it is revealed to me that your Lord is only One God. ’ So let him who hopes to meet his Lord act righteously, and let him make no one a sharer of the worship due unto his Lord” (18:100 ⎯ 111). Here the chastisement is described as taking the form of peoples surging against each other, in consequence of which veritable hell would be let loose, and the earth would be converted into a barren