Against Excuses begins by enumerating the favours of Allah on mankind. Life, family relationship, freewill, water, alternation of day and night, variation in language and colours, vegetation, animals and their bye-products, creation of everything in pairs, not to mention the sun, moon, heaven, earth, complexity of our body, etc. The list is endless. Allah reminded us: If ye count up the favours of Allah, never will ye be able to number them; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (Q 16:18).

Being one of the articles of Faith, Muslims believe that on a certain day, all creatures shall be resurrected and be rewarded with bliss in Paradise or chastisement in Hell based on their deeds in this world. The events of this great day have been highlighted in the Qur’an and several Hadith of the Prophet (S.A.W). The author systematically gave the reader a glimpse of what to expect on that day. At this point, one might mistake the book as a script of a yet to be produced film titled “Day of Judgement.”

“Heaven shall be rent asunder with clouds; angels sent down; sun folded up; moon buried in darkness; earth shaken to its depths; graves turned upside down; men will be like moths scattered around; no friend will ask after a friend; man will flee from own brother, father, mother, wife and children …”

In Paradise, the inhabitants shall be “in peace and tranquility; have all sorts of food and drink; rewarded with garments of silk; wearing heavy brocade adorned with bracelets of silver; beside them will be chaste women with big eyes of wonder and beauty…” What else? “They shall live therein forever.”

While the occupants of hell will be entertained with: “blazing fire kindled to fierce heat; drink of boiling hot spring; food that neither nourish or satisfy hunger; punished with maces of iron and anytime they wish to get away, they shall be forced back therein …”

This book is a reminder and a great companion of anyone that believes in the unity of Allah. It intends to keep the believer on track and assure him not to lose hope no matter the difficulties he may encounter in the course of obeying and keeping to the commandments of Allah. This is because, Abu Hurairah reported Allah’s Apostle (S.A.W) as saying that: Allah the Exalted and Glorious said: I have prepared for my pious servants that which no eye has ever seen, and no ear has ever heard, and no human heart has ever perceived but it is testified by the Book of Allah. He then recited, “No soul knows what comfort has been concealed for them, as a reward for what they did.” Q 32:17 (Muslim).

Justice Abdul-Qadir Orire wrote the forward.

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