The Holy Books are sent down by Allah (swt) to be conveyed through the messengers then by the people of knowledge to impart to everyone. Those who withhold Allah’s (swt) revelations oppose the methodology of Allah (swt) and such people become obstacles hindering the methodology of Allah (swt) which is intended to regulate life.  This is only done by a person who wants to take unlawful benefits and violate the rights of others.

What is their benefit from that? The benefit is the little price, such as the bribes or the things they used to take from their followers to tailor Allah’s ordainments according to people’s wishes. Allah (swt) manifests to them that estimation of anything is done only by the one who knows its true value whereas they try to estimate the value of Allah’s methodology which only He (swt) knows the true value of it. Therefore, the price which Allah (swt) has set for implementing His methodology should be a profitable and convincing to them. So, if they took a price in return for withholding Allah’s revelations and propitiated the people by legislating that which suited them, indeed they have lost this transaction.  This is because this price, no matter how high it is according to the human evaluation, is but a low price and short-lived. Since the prices are usually related with the fundamentals of life such as food and drink, so that Allah (swt) says:

( أُولَٰئِكَ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ إِلَّا النَّارَ ) (those consume not into their bellies except the Fire.): Whereas they eat fire in their stomachs, how can their stomachs absorb that fire? The believer as the Prophet of Allah (saws) said:

‘The Muslim eats only in one intestine, and the non-believer (kafir) eats in seven!’[1]

That is, the unbeliever does not eat but to relish the food; he wants to enjoy food until he becomes full. While the believer eats only as much as enough to sustain his life. The master of creation Muhammad (saws) said:

“A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. Sufficient for the

child of Adam are a few morsels sustaining his body .”[2]

Therefore, eating for the believer is a necessity of life and as fuel for his movement, while the unbeliever consumes food for self-pleasure. Allah (swt) says:

{ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ الْأَنْعَامُ وَالنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ }

(but those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.)  (Muhammad: 12)

( أُولَٰئِكَ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ إِلَّا النَّارَ ) (those consume not into their bellies except the Fire.): Just as they filled their tummies, out of gluttony, with the unlawful worldly pleasure, Allah (swt) will fill their tummies with fire as an equitable punishment with the little price that they took. Their bellies will be filled with fire on the Day of Resurrection as an appropriate penalty to what they have committed. This is a type of material punishment which is followed by another type of punishment:

( وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ) (And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection.): That means that Allah (swt) does not care about them on the Day of Resurrection. However, when we read (someone does not speak to another) we sense anger because the speech for humans is a means of affability, so if a person abstains from speaking to another, it is as if he dislikes and hates him. Thus, Allah (swt) “will not speak to them” indicates that Allah resents them. Sufficient a chastising punishment it is when Allah (swt) turns away from His creation. However, someone might wonder: How can it be that we read here that Allah (swt) does not speak to them, and it is He (swt) who says:

 {قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا ضَالِّينَ % رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ % قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ }

(They will say, “Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray % Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil]، we would indeed be wrongdoers.” % He will say, “Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.)  (Al-Muminoon: 106-108)

We answer that it is true that Allah (swt) says to them “do not speak to Me” but when the speech is denied from Allah (swt) it indicates the words of mercy, tranquility and kindness. As the words of punishment are of curse.

The best blessing granted to the believers on the Day of Judgment is Allah’s (swt) speaking to them and their looking at Him (swt):

{ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ % إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ }

([Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, (23) Looking at their Lord.)  (Al-Qiyaama: 22-23)

( وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ) (or will He purify them. And they will have a painful punishment.): After Allah (swt) will neither speak them, nor make them worthy of being near Him or purify them, following all these, they are yet to be severely tormented. Thus, their punishment will be doubled because they have concealed Allah’s methodology from people so caused their misguidance. Hence, they will carry the burden of their sins and the sins of those whom they misled.

[1] Sunan Ibn Majah, book of food, Hadith 3349

[2] Sunan Ibn Majah, book of food, Hadith 3349