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[quote]Asalamu Alaykum

Below is a an encompassing answer to a question regarding the concept of the hereafter by Mr. Moiz Amjad, taken from: 
http://www.understanding-islam.com/related/text.asp?type=question&qid=959&sscatid=13

(I think it will answer a lot of the questions on this topic.)

Before explaining the bases on which the Qur'an has evidenced the Day of Judgment, we must first consciously realize whether the present setup of the world and our lives require a Judgment Day or not. Without first consciously realizing the need for the Judgment Day within ourselves, we can never fully appreciate the great blessing and relief entailed in the belief that a universal Judgment Day will, in fact, be established one day. To fully understand this point, take the example of clean and clear water - one of the great blessings of God that we enjoy in our daily lives. We can fully appreciate this great blessing of God, because we have, at one time or another practically experienced or observed thirst and have quenched it with water. Had we never experienced thirst, we would never have realized the great blessing entailed in water and its quality of quenching our thirst.

On the other hand, if we had experienced thirst, in the same way as we now do, and yet had not found water (or anything similar to it), with which we could quench our thirsts, this would indeed have created a vacuum in our lives. We would then have searched the earth, the mountains, the skies and everything that existed around us to find something which would quench our thirsts. We would have carried on this search till the time that we either found something which would satisfy our need (thirst) or discovered a plausible explanation for the strong need that exists within us and yet remains non-existent in our environment.

We so strongly trust the providence and mercy of our Creator that we know that there is no real need in us, which our Creator has not provided for. If we required a delicate balance of various gases in the atmosphere to survive, we were provided with that delicate balance in our environment; if we required particles of food to maintain our health, we were provided with a variety of tasty and healthy foods; all our physical requirements were provided for to the ultimate. There is not a single requirement that exists within us, which is necessary to maintain our lives, which is not provided for in our environment.

But then, there is a set of needs that exist within us, yet which remains unanswered:

My desires know no limits, yet the opportunities available to me are extremely limited; Given good health and the desirable environment, I would like to live on forever, yet there is nothing more certain in my life than death; From the day I become conscious, I am taught to strive for a blissful future, yet my present is always blemished by the thoughts of 'what could have been' and 'what might be'; My conscience condemns me for every wrong that I do, yet I have to bear the heavy costs of every step that I take in the right direction; I am told that justice would ultimately prevail, yet justice, in its absolute sense, is impossible to secure in this world, no courts of law, no legislations, no governments can provide me with absolute justice. Yet I crave for it.

These are only some of the glaring vacuums in my life. These are some of the pressing needs that I find implanted in my heart and soul, yet since time immemorial my search continues for ways of satisfying these needs. Even though some of these may be more pressing than others at various stages of my life, yet each of them exists in its own right and forces me to find ways to fulfill them. But to no avail.

According to the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - all these strong requirements and needs, imbedded inside of me are, actually, a continual internal reminder of the Day of Judgment and the eternal life that would follow. It would, in fact, be quite accurate to say that one of the basic - if not the basic - message of all divine religions has been to provide an explanation for the existence of the referred human needs by pointing out to them the bases for the belief in the Hereafter.

However, before we take a look at these bases, let us first take an overview of the concept of the Hereafter, as propounded by the Qur'an.

According to the Qur'an, the life of this world is a testing ground for man. As a requirement of the test, this life is only a temporary phase in man's existence. The scope of this test is primarily moral. During this test, man has been bestowed with the knowledge of 'good' and 'evil', which subsequently has been further strengthened by God, through His prophets and messengers. During this test, man is required to do 'right', even if it entails material and emotional costs, and to refrain from doing 'wrong', even if this restraint deprives him of immediate gains. This test shall soon be terminated. At the end of this test, man will have to face its results. The 'good' and the 'bad' that remain mixed and indistinguishable during the life of this world, shall on that day be separated from each other. Both shall meet separate ends. Those, who, during the life of this world, ignored the call of their conscience and that of the prophets and messengers of God, shall have to face the dire consequences of their deeds; while those, who stood by the truth with patience and perseverance, shall have all their needs and requirements completely fulfilled and shall remain in the eternal bliss of God's Paradise, forever.

Keeping this basic concept of the Day of Judgment in mind, let us now take a look at the bases for the belief in the Hereafter, as given in the Qur'an:

[b]Day of Judgment as a Requirement of God's Basic Attributes[/b]

The Day of Judgment is evidenced on the basis of God's obvious attributes from two separate perspectives. Firstly, the Qur'an emphatically states that the Day of Judgment is a necessary requirement of God's mercy, providence, wisdom and justice. Secondly, God's omnipotence and omniscience are referred to evidence the fact that God can, as required by His basic attributes, organize a Day of Judgment.

[b]As a Requirement of God's Mercy[/b]

According to the Qur'an, the Hereafter is an obvious requirement of God's abounding and continuing mercy. 
If life were to end at death, it would be as if God has discontinued his mercy for man. This, according to the Qur'an is clearly contrary to the requirements of the continuing nature of God's mercy and is, therefore, obviously, incorrect.

Another aspect, which can easily be derived from the referred idea, is that it is primarily to reward the pious and the loyal that the Day of Judgment shall be established. The punishment of the transgressors is not the primary purpose of the establishment of the Day of Judgment, but is, in fact, its corollary. The Qur'an says:

He has made mercy binding upon Himself; He would, therefore, definitely gather you till the Day of Resurrection in which there is absolutely no doubt. But those, who have completely lost their souls shall not believe in it. (6:12)

[b]As a Requirement of God's Providence[/b]

According to the Qur'an, the merciful provider, who has arranged for the adequate fulfillment of each and every one of man's needs and requirements, will soon provide for the fulfillment of each of man's existing vacuums, as well.

As has been stated earlier, because of the temporary and testing nature of the life of this world, it was essential that 'good' and 'bad' deeds should not immediately follow their respective consequences. If the reward and punishment of 'good' and 'bad' respectively were to follow immediately, it would then, for all practical purposes, have refuted the test. It is, thus, the temporary and testing nature of this life, which requires that the referred vacuums be left unfilled during this life. This, however, does not mean that these vacuums would remain agape forever. The Provident Creator, who has arranged for the fulfillment of all the necessary requirements of man, has made an unblemished arrangement for the fulfillment of these requirements, as well.

How can man bring himself to even imagine that the all-encompassing providence, which has catered for all the physical needs and requirements of all that enjoys existence, would be unmindful of man's moral and spiritual needs and requirements? Thus, a lack of belief in the Day of Judgment is, in fact, a refusal to trust God's Providence.

[b]As a Requirement of God's Wisdom[/b]

According to the Qur'an, all of God's decisions and actions are based on His unblemished wisdom. God does not do anything, which lacks wisdom. The Qur'an emphatically states that if everything was to end at death, it would imply that all the magnificent structure of this vast universe and all the brilliance entailed in man, was without any wisdom. It forcefully states that the Day of Judgment is what makes the present existence meaningful. Rejecting the Day of Judgment is like saying that God takes pleasure in man's miseries and his unfulfilled needs, requirements and desires. The Qur'an strongly refutes this idea and declares that God has not created this vast universe for His entertainment. He has created this universe for a wise and meaningful end. He would definitely bring about the Day of Judgment to fulfill this wise and meaningful end.

[b]As a Requirement of God's Justice[/b]

According to the Qur'an, the Day of Judgment is also an obvious requirement of God's justice. As has been stated earlier, for the purpose of making the test in the life of this world possible, 'good' and 'bad' deeds are not, generally, followed by their respective consequences. This, however, does not mean that God would allow this lack of distinction between 'good' and 'evil' to exist forever. Even though man has sometimes been prone to rejecting the quality of justice for God, in view of His apparent indifference toward 'good' and 'evil', yet the Qur'an strongly refutes this idea. How can the Creator, Who has implanted within us a sense of justice and Who has directed us to always decide with justice, be Himself void of all sense of justice? The Qur'an refutes this idea as mere stupidity.

The Qur'an says:

Will We make the obedient and the criminals alike? What is wrong with you? How do you judge? (68:35-36)

[b]God's Omnipotence & Omniscience[/b]

Even though the attributes of mercy, providence, wisdom and justice require God to set-up a Day of Judgment, yet man has traditionally found the possibility of the setting-up of such a universal Day of Judgment, as propounded by Divine religions, hard to accept. Once a person has died and has disintegrated into dust and bones, how can he be brought back to life? What kind of a record-keeper can maintain the record of billions of deeds of trillions and trillions of people that have inhabited the earth since the beginning of time? These two questions have generally been the stumbling block for those, who, even in the face of the strong requirement for the Day of Judgment, could not accept its possibility.

The answer to these questions lies in the attributes of 'Omnipotence' and 'Omniscient':

According to the Qur'an, if God could bring man to life once, then why would it become impossible or even difficult for Him to do so once again? The Qur'an says:

You are already aware of the first creation, then why are you not reminded [of God's powers]? (56:62)

At another instance, the Qur'an says:

Has the first creation [completely] drained Us of Our powers? (50:10)

As for the records of the deeds of men, the Qur'an says that God's knowledge not only encompasses man's deeds but also the ideas that arise in his mind. The Qur'an says:
We created man and We are even aware of the seductions of his heart; and We are closer to Him than even his life-vein. (50:16)

Furthermore, the deeds of man are not only safely stored in God's knowledge, but are also being carefully recorded by two of his angels put in-charge of each person. The Qur'an says:

He [i.e. man] does not even utter a word, but it is recorded by a sentinel by him, who is prompt in recording. (50:18)

On the Day of Judgment, this comprehensive record of each individual shall be placed in front of him. The Qur'an says:

And the Book [of the record of deeds] shall be placed. Then you shall see these criminals in extreme terror of what shall be recorded in it. And they shall say: Woe to us! What kind of a book is this? It misses out on nothing - big or small - but encompasses it all. And they shall find each of their deeds present in it. And your Lord shall not be unjust to anyone. (18:49)

[b]Signs & Indications of the Day of Judgment[/b]

Besides the foregoing bases of belief in the Hereafter, mentioned in the Qur'an, the Qur'an has also pointed out toward a few phenomena, which not only substantiate, but also serve as signs and indications of the approaching Day of Judgment. Some of these signs are explained below:

[u]Man's Nature[/u]

The Qur'an has strongly pointed toward man's inherent knowledge of 'good' and 'evil' as an indication of the fact that man shall soon be faced with accountability and reward or punishment.

The Qur'an says:

The human soul and the way it has been adorned - with the inspiration of what is right for it and what is wrong - bears witness that whoever purifies it, shall succeed and whoever corrupts it, shall fail. (91:6-9)

The Qur'an further points out that it is not merely the knowledge of 'good' and 'evil', which is entailed in man, but man is also endowed with a strong conscience, which encourages and acknowledges his 'good' deeds and discourages and condemns him for doing 'evil'.

This knowledge and conscience of man, in combination are not only an indication of the fact that man's Creator is not indifferent toward 'good' and 'evil', but is also an inherent evidence of the fact that 'good' and 'evil' should meet separate ends.

[u]The Messengers of God - as a Sign of the Day of Judgment[/u]

Another point, which the Qur'an presents as evidence for the universal Day of Judgment is the history of God's judgment for those nations in which he sent His messengers.

According to the Qur'an, a messenger of God is not merely a deliverer of God's revelations for his people. In addition to delivering of God's messages, a messenger of God is also a sign of the fast approaching universal Day of Judgment. Explaining this point, I have written in one of my earlier responses[1]:

The advent of a Rasu'l (Messenger - as distinct from Nabi or Prophet) of God is an exception to the above general principle. A Rasu'l of God is not just a deliverer of God's message. In addition to that, a Rasu'l is also a symbol and an evidence of God's final justice on the Day of Judgment. When a Rasu'l of God is sent to a people, their reward and punishment is not governed by the general principles mentioned above (refer to the first point). The reward/punishment of these people is no longer deferred till the Day of Judgment. God directly guides the Rasu'l in his deliverance of the message and furnishes him with all the necessary qualities and requirements to affect this deliverance at a level after which no excuse of rejection is left with the addressees of the Rasu'l. At this juncture, the collectivity of the people towards whom the Rasu'l is sent is neither left ignorant of God's truth nor is their rejection due to any mistake in their understanding. No questions are left unanswered. No doubts about the truthfulness of the Rasu'l are left to exist in the minds of his addressees. Truth and falsehood become as clear of each other as the light of the day from the darkness of the night. The path of God's liking becomes an apparent reality. Thus, no one is left with any excuse of rejecting the truth revealed by God. This is stage of Itmaam al-Hujjah. If the addressees of the Rasu'l persist in their rejection of the truth even at this stage, then the punishment of God, which shall be the fate of all those who knowingly do evil on the Day of Judgment, is initiated for these people. Consequently, the pious and the impious - who would generally be separated on the Day of Judgment - are separated and grouped in the life of this world.

Thus, with the advent of a messenger of God in a people, God's Judgment is carried-out for that people, whereby the pious and the transgressors are separated. This Judgment - at a micro level - is a clear indication of the point that God is not indifferent toward the overall judgment of the whole of the humankind.

[u]Creation in Complementary Parts[/u]

The Qur'an has pointed-out toward the nature of God's creation during the life of this world as another indication of the fact that a Day of Judgment is required for the moral completing of the life of this world. The Qur'an says that nothing in the life of this world is self-sufficient and independent. All phenomena in the life of this world is designed in such a way that a unit taken independent of the other seems to be incomplete, seeking completion through the combination of its complementary part. For instance, 'human being' is divided into the 'male' and the 'female' gender. Taken independent of each other, both have gaping vacuums in them. These vacuums are filled only when the two complement each other. Similarly, the phenomenon of '24-hour day' is divided into the complementing parts of 'day' and 'night'. The Qur'an says:

And each of the things We have created is divided in complementing parts. [We point this out to you,] so that you be reminded [of the complementing part of the life of this world]. (51:49)

The Qur'an points out the fact that just as any other part of a phenomena, if taken independent of its complementing part, is incomplete, the life of this world has gaping moral vacuums in it and is in search of its complementing part, for its completion. This complementing part for the life of this world, according to the teachings of the prophets and messengers of God, is the Hereafter.

These are some of the major bases and indications of the life hereafter and the Day of Judgment, which the Divine religions want us to believe.

I hope this helps.
Regards,
Moiz Amjad
September 26, 2001
________________________________________
[1] Reference is to one of my earlier responses titled: Some Clarifications regarding the Position and the Mission of Rasu'l".[/quote]

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