associate others with Allah. Each of them wishes that he might live for a thousand years, but even such longevity would not remove him from the punishment. And Allah sees all that they do. (96)” [al-Baqara: 96].

The polytheist does not expect to be resurrected after death, and so he longs for a lengthy life. The Jew, meanwhile, knows the disgrace awaiting him in the Hereafter because of what he has done with the knowledge he possessed (1). This kind of person, and those like him, are the worst of humanity. Thus, greed, avarice, the oppression and enslavement of peoples, and the plundering of their wealth are widespread among them, driven by their eagerness to enjoy the pleasures of this worldly life. This is also why moral dissolution and bestial conduct appear among them.

When they find that the hardships and pains of worldly life outweigh the immediate pleasures for which they hope, nothing prevents them from seeking death. They recognize no accountability in another life, and thus nothing deters them from taking steps to rid themselves of this one.

For this reason, Islam gave particular importance to faith in the Last Day, and the Quran repeatedly emphasizes the reality of resurrection, reckoning, and recompense. Allah rebuked the ignorant for regarding it as far-fetched and commanded His Prophet to swear that it is true: “Say, ‘Yes, by my Lord! You will surely be resurrected, and then you will surely be informed of what you did. And that is easy for Allah.’ (7)” [al-Taghābun: 7]. He also described some of the events of the Day of Resurrection, the reward He has prepared for His righteous servants, and the punishment He has prepared for the disobedient. He drew the attention of those who deny that Day to the proofs of its reality, so as to eradicate doubt from people’s hearts and ensure that they keep constantly before their eyes that Day and the terrors it contains