The Day of Resurrection [Electronic resources] : A time for Reward and Punishment نسخه متنی

Once Imam Ali (AS) was approached by an
inquisitive man from Yemen. The Yemeni asked the Imam if he had ever seen
Allah. To this Imam Ali (peace be with him) replied that he refused to worship
any being that he could not see. The baffled inquirer asked how it could be that
Imam Ali could see the Unseen Allah. The great Lion of Allah said that it is not
the eyes that see Allah, but it is the hearts that see Him and are brought near
to Him if they please Him.

This shows us that in order for Muslims to
gain the pleasure of Allah and feel His presence, we must take our actions very
seriously, since we will be made accountable on the Day of Resurrection.
Only those who followed the straight path and refrained from evil shall be made
to grieve no more.The Holy Qur''an cites the Day of Resurrection in
Sura, al-Qiyamah.We are informed about the total demolition of the earth, the
end of earthly life and the great trial to follow. This day will be signified by
the boiling of the seas, the darkening of the sun and the moon and the shaking
of the mountains.

Although the Holy Qur''an does not directly
mention how the demolition will occur, it does continuously emphasize the fact
that it will indeed occur. The seas of destruction are already flowing in
unstoppable tides and torrents. In this very century alone man has discovered
the use of chemical and nuclear weapons. We have seen the horrendous affects of
the bomb on Hiroshima and the arrogance of nation-states proud to possess such
weaponry and proud to threaten their neighbouring states with the use of such
weaponry.

The Holy Qur''an teaches
us that on the Day of Resurrection, after our bodies have decayed and
decomposed, the Al-Mighty Allah will not only reassemble our bones but even our
very fingertips will be reconstructed, with their unique prints. It is easy for
Allah.

Sura 84, entitled Inshiqaq (The Bursting
Asunder), refers to humankind being brought back to life on the Day of
Resurrection. It is at this time that we will be presented with a record of our
deeds, as recorded by Allah''s angels. Those who receive this record in their
right hand will be exalted, whilst those who recieve their record from behind
will be abased. We know from Hadith that for every person two angels are
appointed by by Allah to record every action. On Judgement Day even our bodies
will bear witness to our deeds.

"When the heaven bursts asunder,

And Obeys its Lord and it rnust

And wnen the earth is
stretched,

And casts forth
what is in it and becomes empty,

And obeys its
Lord and it must.

0 man! surely you
must strive(to attain) to your Lord,

a
hard striving until you meet Him.

Then as to him
who is given his book in his right hand,

He shall be reckoned with by an easy
reckoning,

And he shall go
back to his people joyful.

And as to him who
is given his book behind his back,

He shall call for
perdition,

And enter into
burning fire".

According to Sura 75 of the Holy Qur''an,
al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection) on the Day of Judgement some faces shall be made
bright and brought near to the creator, whilst others shall be made gloomy and
forced into eternal perdition. Until that day we have the freedom of choice.
However, we are all responsible for our own actions.

In the Islamic faith, punishment for bad deeds
takes place not only in the Hereafter but also in this life. For instance,
crimes such as murder, if left unchecked by the Muslim authorities, would lead
to a destructive crime-ridden society. Hence in order to preserve Islamic
morality we cling to the rulings in the Holy Qur''an which are for believers and
non-believers. Sura 66, Tahrim (The Prohibition) tells us that we shall be
rewarded only for what we used to do. Moreover, Sura 3, Ayah 30, Ahle Imran (The
Family of Imran), according to the great Tafseer of Sayyed Muhammad Husayni
Tabatabai''i, states that on the Day of Judgement every soul shall find present
what it has done of good and what it has done of evil. It is this event that we
must all be prepared for.

Imam Ali said : "You are examined in this
life but created for the other [lifel."

Source:

Al-Noor

By: Sayyed Fadlill
Milani