FISABILILLAH - ﻓﺳﺑﻟﻳﻟﻟﻪ

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and upon his family and Companions.

The question of whether or not there is life after death does not fall under the field of science, because man has only studied and researched this field for the last few centuries. As we are aware, life after death has been since times immemorial. All the prophets of Allah ‘azza wajal called their people to worship Allah alone and to believe in the life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying Allah ‘azza wajal and made all other beliefs meaningless. The very fact that all the prophets of Allah have dealt with this metaphysical question so confidently, the space between their ages being thousands of years, goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of life after death, as proclaimed by them all, was the same, the Devine revelations.

We also know that these prophets of Allah were greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after death, as many people thought it was impossible for life after death to even exist. However, in spite of that opposition, the prophets gained many sincere followers. The question arises, what made those followers forsake the established beliefs, traditions and customs of their ancestors, regardless of the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The simple answer is that they made use of their faculties of mind and heart and realized the truth.

Did they realize the truth through experiencing it? Of course not, as the experience of life after death is impossible. Allah ‘azza wajal has given man, besides perceptual awareness, the moral awareness. It is this awareness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory data. That is why all the prophets of Allah, while calling people to believe in Allah ‘azza wajal alone and the life after death, appealed to the moral and rational sides of man. For example, when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility of life after death, the Qur’an exposed the weakness of their stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments in support of it:

And he has invented for us a similitude, and has forgotten the fact of his creation, He says: “Who will give life to these bones when they have rotted away and became dust?” Say: (O Muhammad SAW) “He will give life to them who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!” He, who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold! You kindle therewith. Is not He, Who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the like of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator. (Ya-Sin 36:78-81)

At another occasion, Allah ‘azza wajal says that the disbelievers have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on pure speculations:
And they say: “There is nothing but our life of this world, we die and we live and nothing destroys us except Ad-Dahr (the time). And they have no knowledge of it, they only conjecture. And when Our Clear Verses are recited to them, their argument is no other than that they say: “Bring back our (dead) fathers, if you are truthful!” (Al-Jathiyah 45:24-25)

Surely Allah ‘azza wajal will raise all of us from the dead. However, Allah has His own plan of things. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then again the dead will be resurrected to stand before their lord. That day will be the beginning of the life that will never end, and that Day, Allah will reward every person according to his good and evil deeds.

If there is no life after death, the very belief in Allah becomes irrelevant, or even if one believes in Allah, that would be an unjust and indifferent God: having once created man only to be unconcerned with his fate. Surely, Allah is just. He will punish the tyrants whose crimes are beyond count: the ones who have killed hundreds of innocent people, the ones who created great corruptions in the society, and the ones who enslaved numerous people to serve their whims, and so forth. If there was no life after death would there even be a purpose of our existence? Our good and bad deeds will not matter as noble deeds of a person will not be judged. The Qur’an states that the Day of Judgment must come and Allah will decide about the fate of each soul according to his or her record of deeds:

Those who disbelieve say: “The Hour will not come to us.” Say: “Yes, by my Lord, it will come to you.” (Allâh, He is) the All­Knower of the unseen, not even the weight of an atom (or a small ant) or less than that or greater, escapes from His Knowledge in the heavens or in the earth, but it is in a Clear Book (Al­Lauh Al­Mahfûz). That He may recompense those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds. Those, theirs is forgiveness and Rizqun Karîm (generous provision, i.e. Paradise). But those who strive against Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) to frustrate them, those, for them will be a severe painful torment. (Saba’ 34:3-5)

The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when Allah’s attributes of Justice and Mercy will be in full demonstration. Allah will shower His mercy on those who suffered for His sake in this life, believing that an eternal bliss was waiting for them. But those who abused the reward of allah, having no care in what is to come, will be in the most miserable state. Allah says: Is he whom We have promised an excellent promise (Paradise), which he will find true, like him whom We have made to enjoy the luxuries of the life of (this) world, then on the Day of Resurrection, he will be among those brought up (to be punished in the Hell-fire)? (Al-Qasas 28:61)

The Qur’an also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the ever-lasting life after death. However, those who deny it become slaves of their own passions and desires. They ridicule the god fearing and god conscious people, these people will only realize their foolishness only at the time of death. They will beg for mercy and another chance in this life to prove their belief but will their lord accept it, of course not. Their foolishness has caused them to be in this situation. Allah says in the Quran: until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allâh), he says: “My Lord! Send me back, So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!” No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected. Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another. Then, those whose scales (of good deeds) are heavy, - these, they are the successful. And those whose scales (of good deeds) are light, they are those who lose their ownselves, in Hell will they abide. The Fire will burn their faces, and therein they will grin, with displaced lips (disfigured). (Al-Mu’minun 23:99-104)

The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the Hereafter, but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities.

Look back at the time when Islam began. The companions of the prophet peace be upon him used to gamble, drink wine, were drowning in tribal feuds, were aggressive and killing one another, and all of this was the norm to them as they had no belief in life after death. However, as soon as they accepted the belief in One God and life after death, they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They gave up their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all their disputes based on justice and equality.

The denial of life after death has its consequences not only in the Hereafter, but also in this world. When you deny it, all kinds of evil and corruption become rampant in the society and ultimately it is destroyed. Let us recollect the story of the nations of Thamud, Aad and phira’un. Allah punished them in this dunya and made them a living example for us to look back and take heed. ‘’Thamûd and ‘Ad people denied the Qâri’ah [the striking Hour (of Judgement)]! As for Thamûd, they were destroyed by the awful cry! And as for ‘Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent wind; Which Allâh imposed on them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed), as if they were hollow trunks of date-palms! Do you see any remnants of them? And Fir’aun (Pharaoh), and those before him, and the cities overthrown [the towns of the people of [Lout (Lot)] committed sin, And they disobeyed their Lord’s Messenger, so He punished them with a strong punishment. Verily! When the water rose beyond its limits [Nûh’s (Noah) Flood], We carried you (mankind) in the floating [ship that was constructed by Nûh (Noah)]. That We might make it a remembrance for you, and the keen ear (person) may (hear and) understand it. Then when the Trumpet will be blown with one blowing (the first one), And the earth and the mountains shall be removed from their places, and crushed with a single crushing, Then on that Day shall the (Great) Event befall, And the heaven will split asunder, for that Day it (the heaven will be frail (weak), and torn up, And the angels will be on its sides, and eight angels will, that Day, bear the Throne of your Lord above them. That Day shall you be brought to Judgement, not a secret of you will be hidden. Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand will say: “Take, read my Record! “Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!” So he shall be in a life, well-pleasing. In a lofty Paradise, The fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand. Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past! But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: “I wish that I had not been given my Record! “And that I had never known, how my Account is? “I wish, would that it had been my end (death)! “My wealth has not availed me, “My power and arguments (to defend myself) have gone from me!” (Al-Haqqah 69:4-29)

Finally, there are some pertinent and convincing reasons to believe in the life after death.

First, all the prophets of God have called their people to believe in it.

Secondly, whenever a human society is built on this foundation, it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral evils.

Thirdly, history bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of the Prophets, God, even in this world, has punished the group as a whole.

Fourthly, moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man endorses and proves the possibility of life after death.

Fifthly, God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy have no meaning if there is no life after death.

Wal Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil ‘Alamin

By Sister Umm Saliha