40. THE RESURRECTION

God says

[His promise will be fulfilled] on the Day when earth shall be changed into another earth, as shall be the heavens, * and [all men and women] shall appear before God, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists. For on that Day thou wilt see all who were lost in sin linked together in fetters, clothed in garments of black pitch, with fire veiling their faces. [And all shall be judged on that Day], so that God may requite every human being for all that he has earned [in life]: verily, God is swift in reckoning!This is a message unto all mankind. Hence, let them be warned thereby, and let them know that He is the One and Only God; and let those who are endowed with insight take this to heart! -- Q.14: 48-52

*In the eschatology of the Qur’an the end of the world does not mean an annihilation -- i.e., reduction to nothingness-- of the physical universe but, rather, its fundamental, cataclysmic transformation into something that cannot now be visualized. This is brought out in many allegorical allusions to the Last Day.

And [know] that the Last Hour is bound to come, beyond any doubt, and that God will [indeed] resurrect all who are in their graves. - Q.22: 7

Prophet said

1. “The sun and the moon will be overthrown on the Resurrection Day ” * – H: Bukhari. N: Abu Hurairah.

*For the details of the Day, the Prophet recommended that one should see Chapters: Q.81, 82, & 84 (which are very short ones.)

2. “Those whose account will be strictly taken will perish” – H: Bukhari. N: Bibi Ayesha.

Note: This topic will be concluded next Friday (it will then also conclude this Section No.!)

39. THE WORLD AND THE NEXT (to continue)

God says

As for anyone – be it man or woman – who does righteous deeds, and is a believer withal – him (or her) shall We most certainly cause to live a good life;* and most certainly shall We grant unto such as these their reward in accordance with the best that they ever did. -Q.16: 97

*This relate either to life in this world – or to the happiness which awaits him in the hereafter, or to both.

… whoever is blind [of heart] in this world will be blind in the life to come [as well], and still farther astray from the path [of truth].* -- Q.17: 72

*This passage shows that man’s life in the hereafter is not merely conditioned by the manner of his life on earth, but is also an organic extension of the latter, manifested in a natural development and intensification of previously existing tendencies.

Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which We put men to a test,* [showing] which of them are best in conduct;* and, verily, [in time] We shall reduce all that is on it to barren dust! -- Q.18:7,8

* Real motive underlying men’s refusal to believe in God’s spiritual message (see preceding verse) is almost always their excessive, blind attachment to the good of this world, combined with a false pride in what they regard as their own achievements.

Say [O Muhammad “Shall we tell you who are the greatest losers in whatever they do? (It is) they whose labour has gone astray in (the pursuit of no more than) this world’s life, and who none the less think that they are doing good works: it is they who have chosen* to deny their Sustainer’s messages and the truth that they are destined to meet Him. Their deeds come to naught, and no weight shall We assign to them on Resurrection Day. Q.18: 103 105

and [on that Day] undone shall be he who bears [a burden of] evildoing -- Q.20: 111

Prophet said

1.. “By One in whose hand is my life, if you had known what I know, you would have certainly wept much and laughed little.”– H: Bukhari. N: Ummul ‘Ala al Ansariyah.

2.. “Whoever makes the anxieties a single anxiety -- the anxiety of his next world -- God will remove his anxiety of this world; and whoever has (0nly) a variety of anxieties of this world, God will not care in whichever of its valleys he perishes.” – H: Ibn Majah. N: Abduullah-b-Masud.

39. THE WORLD AND THE NEXT (to continue)

God says

….And whatever [wrong] any human being commits rests upon himself alone; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden….. Q.6: 164

*This basic ethical law -- which is also found in 17:15, 35:18, 39:7 and 53:38 – constitutes a categorical rejection of the Christian doctrines of “original sin” with which every human being is allegedly burdened from birth and “vicarious atonement” for mankind’s sinfulness by Jesus.

O you who believe! If you remain conscious to God*, He will endow you a standard by which to discern** the true from the false, and will remove your bad deeds, and will forgive you your sins: for God is limitless in His great bounty. -- Q.8: 29

*“remain conscious to God”, i.e., remain aware of His all-presence, with a desire to mould your existence in the light of this awareness. (Adapted from Asad’s translation of ‘muttaqi’ in Q.2: 2, which is positive and comprehensive.)

** I.e., the faculty of moral valuation.

Surely, God will not deal unjustly with man in anything. It is man that wrongs his soul-- Q.10:44

Oh, verily, they who are close to God – no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve: they who have attained to faith and have always been conscious of Him. For them there is the glad tiding [of happiness born of spiritual fulfillment] in the life of this world and in the life to come; [and since] nothing could ever alter [the outcome of] God’s promises, this, this is the triumph supreme.-- Q.10: 62-64

As for those who care for [no more than] the life of this world and its bounties – We shall repay them in full for all that they did in this [life], and they shall not be deprived of their just due therein: [yet] it is they who, in the life to come, shall have nothing but the fire – for in vain shall be all that they wrought in this [world], and worthless all that ever did!* -- Q.11:15,16 *

I.e., although their good deeds will be taken fully into account on Judgement Day, they will be outweighed by their refusal to believe in resurrection and the life to come.

Prophet said

1. “Be self-denying in this world, God will love you; and be aloof from what people have, they will love you” – H: Tirmizi and Ibn Majah. N: Sahl-b-S’aad.

2. “By God, the value of this world,* compared to that with the next, is like one of you puts his finger in the sea and then looks at what it returns with” – H: Muslim. N: Mustaorid.* I.e.,

The value of this world is like a few drops of water compared to the sea

3. “God does not destroy the virtues of a believer. He is given (reward) for it in this world and in the hereafter”-- H: Muslim. N: Anas.

39. THE WORLD AND THE NEXT

God says

“O our Sustainer! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come, and keep us safe from suffering through the Fire” ( RABBANAAA AATINA FIDDUNYA HASANATAUN WA FIL AAKHIRATI HASANATAUN WAQINA ‘AZAABANNAR )* -- Q.2: 201

* A supplication of the Prophet. As seen in Hadith, the method to supplicate (for any good cause) is to first praise God, then recite Durood and then supplicate.

The parable of those who spend their possessions for the sake of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains: for God grants manifold increase unto whom He wills; and God is infinite, all-knowing. -- Q.2:261

And be conscious of the day on which you shall be brought back unto God, whereupon every human being shall be repaid in full for what he has earned, and none shall be wronged. * -- Q.2: 281

*According to the uncontested evidence of Ibn ‘Abbas, the above verse was the last revelation for the Prophet who passed away shortly afterwards (Bukhari).

Alluring unto man is the enjoyment of worldly desires through women, and children, and heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, and horses of high mark, and cattle, and lands. All this may be enjoyed in the life of this world -- but the beauteous of all goals [to aim for] is with God. -- Q.3: 14

Prophet said

1. “Love of this world is the root of all his sins” -- H: Razi and Baihaqi. N: Huzaifa.

For instance, God instructs man: “give unto women their marriage portions.” (Q.4: 4). This is woman’s right and her possession. It is formally agreed before wedding: either very large sum (generally, with no intention to pay), or Bibi Fatima’s dower which is of very nominal value (not even two rupees of India’s currency.) On the contrary, in some Muslim societies, barring a few exceptions, the bridegroom wants large sum of cash and other worldly things. If the demand is beyond the resources of girl’s family to arrange, she and the family are made to suffer on the threshold of greed. The practice is against the message of God. According to a Hadith Qudsi, quoted by Muslim on the authority of Abu Zarr, on the Resurrection Day God will not speak to one who treats others harshly, nor look at him, nor purify him and for him there will be a great chastisement. The Apostle also said: “Fear God with regard to women. Indeed, you have married them with the trust of God.” -- Bukhari and Muslim. N: Jabir-b-Abdullah.