لطفا منتظر باشید ...
THE
HEREAFTER
Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
"By the Resurrection Day and by the self-reproaching
soul, does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put
together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers"
(75:1-4).
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said; "You have not been created for
annihilation. You have been created for everlasting life.The only thing is that
you are moved from one world to another.
One of the principles of the Islamic world view which is an
important foundation of Islamic faith is the belief in the Hereafter. Having
faith in the next world and believing that one will live in it in both body and
soul is an essential requirement for being a Muslim. All Prophets and sacred
books unanimously agree that, with death, the human life does not come to an end
and that, after this world, there exists another where human beings will be
rewarded or punished according to their deeds. The virtuous will lead a happy
and pleasant life in heaven and the evil-doers will be punished and tormented in
Hell.
The origin and the source of belief in
eternal life comes, in the first place, from Allah's revelation which is
delivered by His prophets and from man's mental, logical and scientific
investigations. The Holy Qur'an says:
"Did you think that We had made you in vain and that you
were not going to return to Us?" (23:115).The Holy Qur'an also says:
"And surely you have known the first creation, then why
do you not ponder?" (56:62).
In other words, it says that if you have seen the life of
this world, why do you not conclude that there may be another world also? To put
it simply, if one believes that Allah has created him from a single cell, it
should only be logical to believer that Allah can create this person again after
his death to live in another world if He wishes to do so. Scientifically
speaking, the doctrine of imperishability of matter which was first propounded
by Lavoisier has rendered the question of complete annihilation totally
unscientific. According to it, the particles of man however decomposed and
scattered they may become, still exist in this very world and it is possible
that one day they may be rearranged. With the progress of science, the question
of Resurrection is no longer as complicated as it once was. Now, it is
comprehensible and fully admissible from a scientific standpoint. Resurrection
and Hereafter are signs of Allah's Justice toward mankind. It is in the
Hereafter that all shall be judged fairly and justly. In this life, the judges
are mere men with the weaknesses and deficiencies characteristic of all human
beings. Their knowledge and foresight are very limited and their own passions
overpowering at times. But in the next life, Allah, the All-Knowing the
Omnipotent, shall be the judge. It is there, and not here, where we shall
receive exactly what we deserve for each and every action , not more and not
less. The Holy Qur'an states that if there was no Resurrection, eternal life,
eternal bliss and final reward or punishment, it would be proof that Allah is
cruel and unjust, but cruelty is not a characteristic of
Allah.
Faith in Resurrection, besides logically interpreting and
resolving the puzzle of life and death and besides being a truth, produces
diverse effects on human life the most important of them being the
following:
First, the pictures of death and old
age are not appalling or dreadful, since there will be another life where
everything will be eternal and on a higher and bigger scale. Thus, one can lead
a more comfortable and satisfied life in this world with less
anxiety.
Second, the realization that all good
and bad deeds are to be minutely accounted for and that one has to receive the
reward or the punishment, as the case may be, certainly exerts a healthy effect
on human conduct and behavior. Thus, the belief in the next world creates a
favorable atmosphere for the promotion of good deeds and keeps outbursts of
passion under control.
The confidence a believer has in the Hereafter will motivate
him to sacrfice, to be honest and obedient to Allah. even if he does not receive
any rewards or recognition in this life. He will not be angered or frustrated by
those who become successful in this life by dishonest and devious means. A
believer in the Hereafter rests assured that Allah will not forget him or anyone
who has been oppressed or unjustly treated. Does it seem logical that both the
criminals and evil-doers have the same fate as the virtuous? Allah
says,
"Shall We treat the people of faith Iike the people of
sin? what is the matter with you? How do you
judge?"(68:35-36).
The saying, "we only live once" is not relevant for Muslims.
Certainly. we only live once in this world and it is an important life since our
actions will determine our final place. If there was no judgement day, life in
this world would be pointless and the world would wander aimlessly and,
according to the Qur'an, creation would be vain, useless. and
frivolous.
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, "When
the season of spring arrives. remind yourself of your resurrection."
