Islamic Article :-How Big is your Light?

You're sitting comfortably in your room when all of a sudden, the
electricity goesoff. It becomes completely dark. You can't see a
thing. Although it is your own house, life comes to an inconvenient,
complete halt.
That's because you can't see a thing! You dare not move, in the fear
that you may knock something overor worse still, you may stumble and
hurt yourself. Uncomfortable and unnerving, isn't it?
Now fast forward to an unknown time in the future……when it will be
darker and even worse…..
when you…. and I…… and all of mankind…..will be gathered in the dark,
in front of a bridge…..
a bridge that is sharper than a sword and thinner than a hair…..
a bridge called as-Siraat…….the bridge over Hellfire.
When the companions asked about the bridge, he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa
Sallam) said:
'It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps and (hooks like)
thorns which are wide at one side and narrow at the other and have
bent ends… Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as
the wink of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind,
or fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe without any harm;
some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall
down into Hellfire. The last person will cross by being dragged (over
the bridge)." [Bukhaari]
And then, it will be orderedthat we all pass over this bridge. And we
will have no choice but to comply to the order of the Lord of
theWorlds. But it will be dark, darker than any darkness one can ever
imagine…..
and on this horrific Day, mankind will be desperate… desperate to do
anything, anything, to have some kind of light that will help them see
the way and guide them to cross over the Siraat.
And then….. there will be light.
But, you know what? This light will only be accordingto the light of
Imaan that you had in your heart in the Dunya.
If your Imaan was strong, so will be this light….strongand bright and
illuminating. And if your Imaan was weak, this light will be weak too,
dim and faltering and feeble.
Ibn Kathir reported in his Tafseer:
"They will pass over the Siraat according to their deeds. Some of them
willhave a light as large as a mountain, some as a date tree, some as
big as a man in the standing position. The least among them has a
light as big as his index finger,it is lit at times and extinguished
at other times." (Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir).
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim says:
"For one person, it (the light) will be like the sun,for another like
the moon, the stars or a lamp. For yet another, this light will be
only at the tips of his toes; it will shine, then go out [then shine,
then go out]. For just as his light had been in this world, so he
shall be given when crossing the Bridge. In fact, it is the same light
that had appeared to him before. However, just as the hypocrite has no
real light in this world, or has only an outward light butnone within,
so shall he be given [on that Day] anoutward light which will vanish
in the darkness and be lost."
If you lived a life of righteousness and Taqwa, a life according to
Islaam, submitting to Allaah and repenting to Him, obeying His
commandments, hoping for His Mercy yet fearing His Wrath, taking care
not to disobey Him to the best of your ability, then good news for
you, O Muslim. Allaah will illuminate your path over the Siraat just
like He illuminated your heart in this Dunya with guidance and
righteousness.
"The Day (will surely come) when you shall see believing men and women
with their light running before them andon their right hands, (it will
be said to them): 'Glad tidings for you this Day. You shall live for
ever in Gardens underneath which rivers flow! That is indeed the
mighty triumph." (Surah Hadeed: 12)
BUT,
If you dared to disobey theLord of the Worlds, following your whims
and desires, earning haraam, lying, cheating and backbiting,involved
in all sorts of sins and forgetting the Aakhirah, then dim andfeeble
will be your light in accordance with the deeds that YOU chose to
commit.
Imagine the desperation, despair and hopelessness of a person in such
a situation!
Complete darkness….. and abridge, that he has to cross….a bridge so
sharp and so slippery and so thin,with hooks….stretching over
Hellfire….and he can't see a thing!
May Allaah protect us.
Wouldn't he give anything,anything to have a light that is strong and bright…..
A light that can illuminate his way across the Siraat….
A light that can take him toJannah??!!
Alas…for him, it will be too late…..
BUT, it's not too late for US.We still have time. We still have a
chance to make our light big and strong. All we have to do is to
submit to Allaah and repent sincerely.