described it as such. Allah Most High then said: ﴿Indeed, He is surely able to bring him back.﴾ “He” means Allah, Glorious and Exalted. ﴿To bring him back﴾ means to bring man back, and ﴿is surely able﴾ refers to the Day of Resurrection, as indicated by His words: ﴿On the Day when secrets are put to the test.﴾ The One who was able to create man from this lowly, gushing fluid is able to bring him back on the Day of Resurrection. This is reasoning from what can be observed to a future event that is awaited; it is a rational analogy. Through reason, a person concludes that if Allah was able to create man from this lowly fluid and give him life, He is able to bring him back a second time: ﴿He is the One who originates creation and then repeats it, which is even easier for Him﴾ [al-Rūm: 27].

For this reason, Allah, Glorious and Exalted, cites the first creation as evidence for the resurrection, because this is a clear and evident analogy that the mind grasps quickly and effortlessly. His words, ﴿On the Day when secrets are put to the test,﴾ mean that people’s innermost secrets—the contents of their hearts—will be examined. On the Day of Resurrection, judgment will be based on what is in the hearts, whereas judgment in this world is based on the outward deeds of the limbs. The Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family—therefore treated the hypocrites as Muslims. When permission was sought from him to kill them, he would say, “Lest people say that Muhammad kills his Companions.” (1) He did not kill them, even though he knew that so-and-so was a hypocrite and that another so-and-so was a hypocrite. In this world, however, judgment is based on outward appearances, while on the Day of Resurrection it will be based on what lies within. ﴿On the Day when secrets are put to the test﴾ means that they will be examined. This is like His saying: ﴿Does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered forth, and what lies within the breasts is brought to light?﴾ [al-ʿĀdiyāt: 9–10].

We must therefore pay greater attention to the actions of the heart than to the actions of the limbs. The actions of the limbs are an outward sign, but the actions of the heart are what truly matter. Addressing the Companions, the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—said concerning the Khawārij: “One of you would consider his prayer insignificant beside theirs and his fasting insignificant beside theirs—meaning that they exert themselves in outward deeds, yet their hearts are empty, and we seek refuge in Allah—does not pass beyond