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Lesson
Three
Resurrection,
a Manifestation of God's Far-reaching Wisdom
There can be no doubt that the volitional
acts and motions of man, in all their variety, proceed from inner motivations.
All our strivings in their different aspects, are reflections of our intentions
and ideals, as well as being attempts to fulfil them; they are like so
many affirmative responses to the summons of our inclinations and wishes.
Even if we imagine that some of our volitional
and deliberate acts completely free of personal motivation, we must not
overlook the fact that none of our modes of behavior is ultimately separable
from a hidden and unspoken goal. In the depths of every act a secret and
apparently unknown aim is concealed.
For example, when we conceive the intention
of doing good to someone, we are not inspired exclusively by a humanitarian
desire or a generous impulse, contrary to what we imagine. It is the desire
for our own peace of mind which is our primary motivation.
The same is the case with any natural factor
within the realm of nature; it, too, cannot lack an ideal and goal. The
difference is that what man undertakes as a result of knowledge and awareness
arises in nature as the product of a natural factor, totally unconnected
to knowledge and perception. In both cases, then, the essence of the matter
is the same; the presence of an aim and a goal.
The intellect that is free of illusion understands
that the whole structure of the universe has the implicit wish to nurture
within it a being that will be endowed with thought, capable of development,
empowered over its own destiny, and able to emerge from the confines of
subjection to the instincts, to move in the orbit of guidance by the light
of its own intelligence, and to choose freely the path of ascent or that
of decline.
In addition, science presents to us the picture
of a well-ordered universe that is regulated by precise and unfailing laws
and norms. It is a universe in which all things the wing of a moth, the
leaf of a tree, a grain of sand follow precise systems peculiar to themselves
and regulating their motions with geometric precision. From the atom to
the galaxy which contains several suns within itself, from the galaxy to
infinite space which in turn contains numerous galaxies within itself,
the whole infinitude of being, ranging from the smallest particle to the
largest of heavenly bodies everything moves in accordance with a unique
and amazing regularity.
This being the case, it is quite incompatible
with man''''s intelligence as well as with his scientific thought to assert
that in all the extensive indeed infinite activities that take place in
the world there is no connection between the doer and the deed or the doer
and his purpose.
Once we assume that the wondrous system of
the universe has been created by an infinite knowledge and power, we cannot
believe that the Creator should place in the very heart of the universe
and all its creatures, whether animate or inanimate, laws that regulate
their functioning, and equip each of those creatures with the means necessary
for subsistence, without pursuing a definite goal in all this planning
and ordering.
A society composed of believers in the unity
of God, recognizing Him to possess all forms of perfection, also accept
without equivocation that the order of the world has a purpose.
How can one simultaneously bear witness to
the infinite knowledge and the eternal power and wisdom of the Creator
and deny that all the activity of that sublime being has an ultimate goal?
It is inconceivable that we should assert that
the seed of purpose has been sown in the smallest of our bodily organs
and on the other hand claim that the destination of man as a totality is
emptiness and aimlessness.
Beginning with the moment that his sperm is
formed, man cannot be conceived of as a being that is left to its own devices,
to follow the various stages of growth simply in accordance with natural
instinct. It is also not sufficient if out of all the concerns that are
necessary for him he contents himself only with assuring the means of existence.
Generally speaking, the summons of all divine
religions are based on the responsibility and accountability of man. The
prophets and messengers of God have always declared, in the categorical
manner that is peculiar to them, that in the vast, indeed infinite, world
which lies before man, all of his deeds are subject to an accounting. Accordingly,
they have emphatically exhorted those who have accepted their message to
prepare themselves for the great event which will take place throughout
creation, causing it to enter a new stage, be submitted to a new order
and take on a new life. They have further commanded their followers to
make use of their potentialities for growth, development and change in
order to let all dimensions of their existence flourish and to prosper
and attain salvation. They have warned them against doing anything which
would earn them misery and wretchedness in the hereafter and cause them
to burn in the fire of eternal regret.
With his own hand, man sows in this life the
seed of his life in the hereafter; he determines himself the fate that
will be his in the next world. To express it differently, his eternal life
is formed from the materials he himself provides in advance.
Imagine a skilful painter who spends a great
deal of time in creating a true work of art and then destroys it. Is it
possible to regard such a person as rationally sound? There can be no doubt
that no intelligent person would do such a thing.
Can the purpose behind the creation of the
vast and magnificent scheme of being, woven together with such consummate
skill, or the creation of man with all his restless faculties and powers,
be the restricted, confined life of this world, with all the contradictions
it contains? Is it the destiny of man to struggle hopelessly in a whirlpool
of fantasy and blind imaginings, to be the captive of false criteria of
his own fashioning, and then to be scattered like a handful of dust particles
in the infinitude of space once death closes the book on his life?
If this were to be the case, would it not make
the Creator resemble that hypothetical artist, nihilistic and purposeless?
Would it not be quite incompatible with the knowledge and wise power of
that aware and creative Being the light of whose far-reaching purposiveness
is manifest in the inner and outer aspect of every atom of creation?
Were the divine wisdom to be thus drastically
reduced, it could no longer be a broad river irrigating the whole plain
of existence.
The caravan of being is bound, in the course
of its journeying towards perfection, ultimately to reach absolute perfection,
and we, too, whose source of being is God, will also return to that ultimate
truth.
In the general order of the universe the coming
of resurrection has a certain natural inevitability. Just as darkness brings
light and justice emerges from oppression and injustice, so too the life
of this world is succeeded by resurrection. If we deny this truth, we are
in effect belittling the exact and precisely calculated ordinances that
rule over creation, as well as the vast expanse of nature and the world
which is too infinite and complex for our thought and vision to encompass.
In addition, we are forgetting the principle of advance towards perfection
that can be deduced from the careful observation of creation and the motion
of all parts of the universe.
How can we accept on the one hand that this
principle prevails over the entire system of creation, from the smallest
particles of the atom to the huge and awe-inspiring heavenly bodies, and
suppose on the other hand that the final result of the operation of this
principle will be obliteration and utter non-being?
If this be our concept of the order of the
universe, it will be incompatible with infinitude of creation and the countless
phenomena that it contains. Wisdom and intelligence will be unable to reconcile
with the wisdom of God, that infinite essence, the great planner of creation,
the choice of this transient, material life as an ultimate goal.
Apart from the relative and transitional goals
that can be observed throughout the system of the universe, there is a
point of termination for all things, which the Qur''''an describes as eternity
and everlasting life.
Whatever exists in the heavens and the earth
belongs to God, and to Him is the return of all things. (3:109)
Whatever exists in the heavens and on the
earth belongs to God, and to Him do all affairs revert and return.
(42:53)
The Maker has created the sublime order of
being with limitless power and wisdom; He has brought into being countless
creatures throughout the expanse of the world; and from among them He has
chosen man as the supreme product of His workshop, even subordinating to
his will all the phenomena of creation. If this Maker were then to decree
that the whole existence of man should come to an end with his death, He
would render fruitless and meaningless the very foundation for the existence
of the world and the presence in it of so noble a creature as man.
However, based on the principle of growth towards
perfection, the attainment of everlasting life represents the last stage
of perfection. Otherwise, what growth would it be that after traversing
a whole series of motions and changes the final destiny of all beings should
be annihilation? For what is implied by the principle is progress and advancement,
not change and development leading to nothing. Even a cyclical concept
of motion and change would be meaningless, because it too would lack a
final outcome and goal.
Apart from all this, human knowledge and science
exclude the possibility of absolute annihilation for any phenomenon whatsoever;
given the imperishability of matter and energy, the material particles
that make up this world cannot be destroyed within the context of the present
order of things.
All things will attain the perfection they
seek when another order, based in immortality and eternity, comes to prevail
over the scattered elements of this world, irrespective of whether the
universal movement towards perfection takes place in the outer form of
things or in their essence and content.
This comprehensive process of change, this
permanent motion, becomes rationally acceptable and capable of being correctly
understood only when it has a direction and an aim toward which it advances.
With its regular and precisely calculated motion,
the entirety of the universe is moving forward to its final maturity i.e.,
resurrection just like a child advancing to the higher stage of development
that maturity represents. In short, the universal and innate progress of
all things from defectiveness to a series of relative perfection has as
its aim absolute perfection, just as the Qur''''an declares: "To Him you
will return" (10:4).
Thus not only does the wheel of material progress
never stop, and the entirety of the universe never cease advancing. At
the same time, man''''s inner and spiritual progress and his lofty ideals
cannot be completed under the conditions of his present existence. It is
in fact the ending of the present order of things that brings about the
beginning of his eternal life and the conditions that are required for
him to attain lofty degree and sublime station. Freed from all kinds of
material impurity, he discovers for himself a realm overflowing with both
material and spiritual pleasure; it is there that his faith and deeds come
to bear fruit, and everyone is requited for his convictions and acts.
Thus the Qur''''an says: "We did not create
the heavens and the earth and all they contain in vain and for no purpose"
(28:27).
Those who in all states standing, sitting,
or lying remember God and reflect constantly on the creation of the heavens
and the earth, and say, "O Creator, you did not create this magnificent
universe in vain; You are pure and exalted; preserve us from hellfire through
Your grace." (3:191).
"We did not create as a game the heavens
and the earth and all they contain; We created them in justice and in accordance
with wisdom, but most men know not" (44:38-39).
The one who is convinced of the far-reaching
wisdom of God knows that in this vast arena where all things are uniquely
submitted to His preeternal power nothing is left to its own devices or
lacks fixed, defined content. He knows that the order of the world in nurtured
by perfect wisdom and justice and that all the phenomena it contains are
constantly changing and advancing in accordance with an orderly, harmonious,
and ineluctable pattern.
Were rebellion and the violation of law to
be the principle governing the universe, were the foundation of all existent
things to be error, there would be no sign of harmony or orderliness in
the world, and in fact we would be obliged to condemn the whole world to
non-existence.
The believer in God''''s wisdom knows that he
possesses himself the means of cultivating the inner world that will last
unto eternity; he can either build and cultivate his future life, or set
it ablaze and turn it into a ruin.
So if man has such a concept of the universe,
he will never imagine that all dimensions of human existence are annihilated
once this life comes to an end. He understands that the present order of
things continues in a profound sense, in a form that is both appropriate
and glorious, and that it is within that transformed order of things that
his thirst for exalted values and ideals may be finally quenched.
The infinite essence of God is perfect in every
respect; lack and need cannot assail His sacred being. It is, on the contrary,
created things that stand in need of Him. God bestows the blessings of
life, together with all powers and faculties, on man, and it is but natural
that the final outcome of His creation should revert to Him. Thus the Qur''''an
says: "O mankind, you stand in need of God; it is only His unique essence
that is absolutely free of all need" (35:15).
God''''s wisdom thus necessitates that on a certain
day men should be called to account for their deeds. The Qur''''an promises
that such a day will come: "Of a certainty, God will gather all His
creatures on the day of resurrection, all His deeds are inspired by knowledge
and wisdom" (15:25).
The ultimate perfection of which man is truly
worthy is not attainable in the sphere of this world. His growth towards
perfection continues until in the afterlife he reaches his ultimate aim
and desire, which is the attainment of union with the sublime origin of
all being.
Men will come to meet their Creator in a way
determined by their deeds, characteristics, and their conduct in this world.
This is true both of the pure and the fortunate and of the wretched whose
hearts are blackened with sin. For all creatures must inevitably submit
to the irresistible will of God and the unfailing norms He has established;
willingly or not, they return to Him. However, the way in which they meet
God is determined by their conduct while in this world and the attributes
they have acquired Once the deeds of men reach their conclusion, the results
of their acts are revealed and become apparent. The quality of men''''s meeting
with God depends, then, on the mode of behavior that has distinguished
and characterized them in this world.
Thus the Qur''''an proclaims: "O man! To the
degree that you strive to obey God you will in the end meet your Creator"
(84:6).
"Your ending will be with God Almighty"
(53:42).
"He is God Whose might and power are supreme
over His servants. He sends angels as guards to watch over you, so that
when the time for the death of one among you arrives Our messengers drive
him forth. They show no lassitude in taking your soul. Then you will return
to the Lord of the Universe Who is in reality the master of His servants.
Be aware that judgement over mankind belongs to God, and He is swifter
than anyone in calling to account" (6:61-62).
As for those black-hearted ones who are destined
for hellfire, they too come face to face with the Most Sacred Essence of
God. However, God does not look upon them with favor and mercy, and they
are deprived of His favor.
The Qur''''an says: "There shall be no share
for them on the day of resurrection: God will not speak to them or look
in their direction" (3:77).
"The faces of one group of men will be luminous
and smiling on the day when they meet God, while the faces of another group
will be as if covered with dust: mired in shame, these will be the unbelievers,
evil in conduct" (80:38-42).
Man possesses lofty religious and moral instincts
that draw him to God. Under the influence of these instincts he will come
to believe in God and desire to cross the boundaries which imprison him
throughout his material life. Accordingly, he will eagerly and in a spirit
of high aspiration renounce the outer, material life of this world for
the sake of great goals and valuable ideals.
Such a transformation in his outlook is made
possible by the fact that an eternal ideal wells up from his being and
that he possesses lofty instincts which are related to eternity. Those
instincts draw him in the direction of eternity so that ultimately he enters
his true realm. All of this means that there is innate within man the capacity
for life everlasting.
The deeds and conduct of man are like a seed
from which eternal life grows, a seed that can flourish and develop only
in a life of eternal bliss. The seeds that evildoers plant in this world
also earn them a form of eternal life, one in which they reap the fruits
of their evil.
Ali b. Abi Talib, the Commander of the Faithful,
peace be upon him, remarked in this connection: "The world is a place of
passage and the hereafter a place of abode." (Nahj al Balaghah, Sermon
203)
It is in truth the hereafter that gives meaning
to the life of this world.
