Surah as-Sajdah (The Prostration) 32 : 14

Explanatory Note

Those evildoers who stand in front of God, hanging their heads are among those upon whom God’s word shall be fulfilled. They will be told: “Taste this, for you [deliberately] forgot you would ever meet this day.” The reference here is to the Day of Judgement, but it is described as this present day, as if we are looking at its scenes now. They are made to taste the suffering because they forgot this day and neglected to prepare for it when they had all the time they needed to do so. Taste it because “We, too, will forget you.” Needless to say, God does not forget anyone, but they are treated like people who have been forgotten. They are humiliated and abandoned.

“And taste this abiding suffering for all the evil you did.” The curtains are drawn and the final word has been said. The guilty evildoers are left to their abject fate. The reader feels as he passes these verses as if he has left them behind where they are looking fixedly at what awaits them.