After Allah mentions that those who have Taqwa, will have Gardens of Delight
with their Lord, He explains when this will be, and its actual occurrence. He
says,
[يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن
سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ]
(The Day when the Shin shall be laid bare and they shall be called to
prostrate themselves, but they shall not be able to do so.) meaning, the Day of
Judgement and the horrors, earthquakes, trials, tests and great matters that
will occur during it. Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that he
heard the Prophet saying,
«يَكْشِفُ رَبُّنَا
عَنْ سَاقِهِ، فَيَسْجُدُ لَهُ كُلُّ مُؤْمِنٍ وَمُؤْمِنَةٍ، وَيَبْقَى مَنْ كَانَ
يَسْجُدُ فِي الدُّنْيَا رِيَاءً وَسُمْعَةً، فَيَذْهَبُ لِيَسْجُدَ، فَيَعُودُ
ظَهْرُهُ طَبَقًا وَاحِدًا»
(Our Lord will reveal His Shin, and every believing male and female will
prostrate to Him. The only people who will remain standing are those who
prostrated in the worldly life only to be seen and heard (showing off). This
type of person will try to prostrate at that time, but his back will made to be
one stiff plate (the bone will not bend or flex).)'' This Hadith was recorded in
the Two Sahihs and other books from different routes of transmission with
various wordings. It is a long Hadith that is very popular. Concerning Allah's
statement,
[خَـشِعَةً
أَبْصَـرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ]
(Their eyes will be cast down and ignominy will cover them;) means, in the
final abode, due to their crimes and arrogance in the worldly life. Thus they
will be punished with the opposite of what they did. When they were called to
prostrate in the worldly life, they refused to do so even though they were
healthy and secure. Therefore, they will be punished with the lack of ability to
do so in the Hereafter. When the Almighty Lord makes Himself visible (before the
believers), then the believers will fall down in prostration to Him, but no one
of the disbelievers and hypocrites will be able to prostrate. rather, their
backs will become one plate. Everytime one of them attempts to prostrate, he
will bow his neck but will not be able to prostrate. This is just like in the
life of this world, when these people were in opposition to what the believers
were doing.