The Day I Witnessed Hashr

The Day I Witnessed Hashr

Our final year BDS exams were held in the summer of 2007. We had 72 exams that year, including internals and clinicals. Our exams were conducted by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), which means that the results of all the medical students across Maharashtra were declared together... except the results of our college. We had locked horns with our college management in the Bombay High Court, so our results were withheld by the University. The only option left with us was to personally visit the MUHS building and obtain them.

The MUHS building is located outside the city limits of Nashik, bang in the middle of nowhere. Just off the state highway, with no field, market or village in the vicinity. We students went to Nashik, from where we hired private cars to the wilderness. It was Ramazan then. We were ushered into the huge central hall of the building and made to wait in the lobby for what seemed to be an eternity. Anxious. Perspiring. Tense.

The officer in charge of our results would call us any moment to hand out our results to us... our final results. If we pass, we become doctors, the ultimate fruit of our four-year toil and exasperating struggle. But what if we fail? None of us was at ease. We just kept glancing at the office door with waited breath....

Then one by one we were called to the office upstairs. With shivering legs we would venture into​ the room and with trembling hearts we would extend our hands to get the mark-sheet. Then we would sign a register and walk out with our destinies enclosed in that grey paper.

The ones who has passed had faces as radiant as the afternoon sun that shone outside. They ran outside to show their results to their friends, called up home to convey the good news of being admitted to the league of one of the most cherished professionals on earth.

But the ones who had failed... their faces were covered with gloom. They couldn't utter a word. Their friends waiting outside asked them what befell them, but they were too sad and embarrassed to attempt a reply. They returned empty handed.

Now, juxtapose this with the scene of the Day of Judgment sketched out in the Qur'an and aHadith, as I could vividly do that day....
*All men and women would be summoned and gathered in a plain barren ground to announce their results.
*People would be drenched in sweat, anxious over their fate.
*Everyone would be called out one by one and given their results.

Surah al-Inshiqaq says that:
*The ones who would receive their results in their right hands would be overjoyed and show it to their loved ones.
*But the ones who would receive it in their left hands would hide it behind their backs out of shame and disappointment. They were the ones who were negligent of their exam and did not prepare well for it.

*All men would be sorted out in three categories, as mentioned in Surah alWaqiyah-
1. The toppers.
2. The ones who merely passed.
3. The ones who failed.

But do you know the difference between the final year BDS results and the final result on the Day of Judgment? Those who failed in the BDS exams were allowed to reappear for their exams. They eventually passed in the subject they had failed in, with one girl even getting a distinction. They are all successful dental surgeons today and no one remembers whether they had passed that exam 10 years back in the first attempt or not.

But on the Day of Judgment, the person who fails is doomed for eternity. He will plead to God to give him a second chance, but his fervent appeals would be bluntly ignored. No re-exam, no second chance!

Friends, our exam is still going on right now, even as you read this message. We have three choices- either we put in all our efforts and land up among the toppers, or we at least do whatever is required and manage to pass, or we neglect this exam and fail.
The choice is ours!

ﻳَٰٓﺄَﻳُّﻬَﺎ ٱﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ ءَاﻣَﻨُﻮا۟ ٱﺗَّﻘُﻮا۟ ٱﻟﻠَّﻪَ ﻭَﻟْﺘَﻨﻈُﺮْ ﻧَﻔْﺲٌ ﻣَّﺎ ﻗَﺪَّﻣَﺖْ ﻟِﻐَﺪٍ ۖ ﻭَٱﺗَّﻘُﻮا۟ ٱﻟﻠَّﻪَ ۚ ﺇِﻥَّ ٱﻟﻠَّﻪَ ﺧَﺒِﻴﺮٌۢ ﺑِﻤَﺎ ﺗَﻌْﻤَﻠُﻮﻥَ
ﻭَﻻَ ﺗَﻜُﻮﻧُﻮا۟ ﻛَﭑﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ ﻧَﺴُﻮا۟ ٱﻟﻠَّﻪَ ﻓَﺄَﻧﺴَﻰٰﻫُﻢْ ﺃَﻧﻔُﺴَﻬُﻢْ ۚ ﺃُﻭ۟ﻟَٰٓﺌِﻚَ ﻫُﻢُ ٱﻟْﻔَٰﺴِﻘُﻮﻥَ

Believers, fear Allah and let every person look to what he sends forward for the morrow. Fear Allah; Allah is well aware of all that you do.
And be not like those who forgot Allah and so He made them oblivious of themselves. They are the wicked ones. (59:18-19)

Take care... please