Whenever I have had a good workout – the kind that renders one immobile, going into rukū’/sujūd reminds me of my sore back which in turn reminds me of this āyah which, in turn, makes my heart stop:
[The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able] Qalam:42
Scholars comment that the backs of those who did not prostrate to the Almighty in this life will become one solid block preventing them from bending and thus from prostrating to Allāh on the Day of Judgement.
‘Shin will be uncovered’ is a figure of speech in Arabic, referring to the intensity of the realities of that Day.
Ibn Kathīr narrates, “On the Day of Judgement, every nation will be shown what they worshiped and each nation will go to whatever they worshiped, until everyone leave and Ahl at-Tawḥīd (people of monotheism) are left. It will be said to them, ‘What do you wait for when everyone has already left?’
They will reply, ‘We had a Rabb in Dunya that we worshiped, but we haven’t seen Him’
It will be said to them, ‘Will you recognise Him when you see Him?’
They will reply affirming, ‘Yes.’
The questioner will ask, ‘How will you recognise Him when you have never seen him?’
They will reply with certainty, ‘There is nothing like Him.’
So a veil will be removed and they will see Allah ta’āla and upon doing so they will fall down in sujūd. And the backs of the polytheists will become like horns of cows (unbendable) and they will want to prostrate but they will be unable to do so.”
This is what this āyah refers to.
May Allah make us of Ahl at-Tawḥīd and may He make us Rāki’īn and Sājidīn till our last breath.
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