Allah says:
[الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ
عَلَى أَفْوَهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَآ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا
كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ ]
(This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us,
and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn.) eThis will be the
state of the disbelievers and hypocrites on the Day of Resurrection, when they
deny the sins they committed in this world and swear that they did not do that.
Allah will seal their mouths and cause their limbs to speak about what they did.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
"We were with the Prophet and he smiled so broadly that his molar could be seen,
then he said:
«أَتَدْرُونَ مِمَّ
أَضْحَكُ؟»
(Do you know why I am smiling) We said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.'
He said:
«مِنْ مُجَادَلَةِ
الْعَبْدِ رَبَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، يَقُولُ: رَبِّ أَلَمْ تُجِرْنِي مِنَ
الظُّلْمِ؟ فَيَقُولُ: بَلَى، فَيَقُولُ: لَا أُجِيزُ عَلَيَّ إِلَّا شَاهِدًا مِنْ
نَفْسِي، فَيَقُولُ: كَفَى بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا، وَبِالْكِرَامِ
الْكَاتِبِينَ شُهُودًا، فَيُخْتَمُ عَلَى فِيهِ، وَيُقَالُ لِأَرْكَانِهِ:
انْطِقِي فَتَنْطِقَ بِعَمَلِهِ، ثُمَّ يُخَلَّى بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْكَلَامِ،
فَيَقُولُ: بُعْدًا لَكُنَّ وَسُحْقًا، فَعَنْكُنَّ كُنْتُ أُنَاضِل»
(Because of the way a servant will argue with his Lord on the Day of
Resurrection. He will say, "O Lord, will You not protect me from injustice''
[Allah] will say, "Of course.'' He will say, "I will not accept any witness
against me except from myself.'' [Allah] will say, "Today you will be a
sufficient witness against yourself, and the honorable scribes will serve as
witnesses against you.'' Then his mouth will be sealed, and it will be said to
his faculties, "Speak!'' So they will speak of what he did. Then he will be
permitted to speak, and he will say, "May you be doomed! It was for you that I
was fighting.'')'' This was recorded by Muslim and An-Nasa'i. Ibn Jarir narrated
that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The believer
will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection, and his Lord will show him
his deeds, just between him and His Lord. He will admit it and will say, `Yes, O
Lord, I did do that.' Then Allah will forgive him his sins and conceal them, and
no creature on earth will see any of those sins, but his good deeds will be
seen, and he will want all the people to see them. Then the disbeliever and the
hypocrite will be brought to account, and his Lord will show him his deeds and
he will deny them, saying, `O Lord, by Your glory, this angel has written down
things that I did not do.' The angel will say to him, `Did you not do such and
such on such a day and in such a place' He will say, `No, by Your glory, I did
not do that.' When he says this, Allah will seal his mouth.'' Abu Musa
Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I think that the first part of
his body to speak will be his right thigh.'' Then he recited:
[الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ
عَلَى أَفْوَهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَآ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا
كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ ]
(This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us,
and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn).
[وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ
لَطَمَسْنَا عَلَى أَعْيُنِهِمْ فَاسْتَبَقُواْ الصِّرَطَ فَأَنَّى يُبْصِرُونَ
]
(And if it had been Our will, We would surely have wiped out their eyes, so
that they would struggle for the path, how then would they see) `Ali bin Abi
Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, explained it:
"Allah says, `If We willed, We could have misguided them all away from true
guidance, so how could they be guided'' And on one occasion he said, "`We could
have blinded them.''' Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "If Allah willed, He could have
covered their eyes and made them blind, stumbling about.'' Mujahid, Abu Salih,
Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "So that they would struggle for the path, i.e., the
right way.'' Ibn Zayd said, "The meaning of path here is the truth -- `How could
they see when We have covered their eyes''' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas,
may Allah be pleased with him said:
[فَأَنَّى
يُبْصِرُونَ]
(how then would they see) "They would not see the truth.''
[وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ
لَمَسَخْنَـهُمْ عَلَى مَكَــنَتِهِمْ]
(And if it had been Our will, We could have transformed them in their
places.) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said;
"`We could have destroyed them.'' As-Suddi said, "`We could have changed their
form.'' Abu Salih said, "`We could have turned them to stone.'' Al-Hasan
Al-Basri and Qatadah said, "`We could have caused them to sit on their feet.''
Allah says:
[فَمَا اسْتَطَـعُواْ
مُضِيّاً]
(Then they would have been unable to go forward) meaning, move to the front,
[وَلاَ
يَرْجِعُونَ]
(nor they could have turned back.) meaning, move backwards. They would have
remained static, unable to move forwards or backwards.
[وَمَن نّعَمِّرْهُ
نُنَكِّـسْهُ فِى الْخَلْقِ أَفَلاَ يَعْقِلُونَ - وَمَا عَلَّمْنَـهُ الشِّعْرَ
وَمَا يَنبَغِى لَهُ إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْءَانٌ مُّبِينٌ - لِّيُنذِرَ
مَن كَانَ حَيّاً وَيَحِقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ ]
(68. And he whom We grant long life -- We reverse him in creation. Will they
not then understand) (69. And We have not taught him poetry, nor is it suitable
for him. This is only a Reminder and a plain Qur'an.) (70. That he or it may
give warning to him who is living, and that Word may be justified against the
disbelievers.)