Surah An-Nazi'at, Ayah 46

The Day of Judgement, its Pleasures and Hell, and that its Time is not known

Allah says,

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ الطَّآمَّةُ الْكُبْرَى

(But when there comes the Great Catastrophe) This refers to the Day of Judgement. This has been said by Ibn `Abbas. It has been called this because it will overcome every matter. It will be frightful and horrifying. As Allah says,

وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ

(And the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter.) (54:46) Then Allah says,

يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الإِنسَـنُ مَا سَعَى

(The Day when man shall remember what he strove for.) meaning, at that time the Son of Adam will reflect upon all of his deeds, both the good and the evil. This is as Allah says,

Thereafter, the special marks of the inmates of Paradise are described. They too have two characteristics:

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَ‌بِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ (whereas for the one who feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained his self from the [ evil ] desire, 79:40). In other words, [ 1] the first characteristic of a God-fearing person is that, in this life, he shudders at the thought of appearing before Allah to account for his deeds on the Day of Reckoning; and [ 2] forbids the baser self from its evil desires. Those who are characterised by these two qualities have the good news that the Paradise will be their abode, thus: فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ (the Paradise will be the abode....79:41)

Man is between two domains. One is the present world, which is before him, and the second is the world of the Hereafter, which is hidden from view. The real test of man is that he should prefer the Hereafter to the present world. But this can be done only by one who has the courage to exercise control over the base desires of the self and not behave arrogantly.