Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
Religious Needs Assessment of Human Beings in the Light of Islamic Teachings (part 18)
In continuation of the previous discussions regarding the reality of the Hereafter and Paradise, it must be said that:
If the life of the Hereafter were only eating, drinking, and bodily pleasure, it would not be superior to the worldly life; rather, its superiority lies in the perfection of both spiritual and physical life a perfection that is unattainable in this world. For this reason, the intelligent person sacrifices his insignificant worldly life in order to attain it. Allah the Exalted says: (إِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ﴾[1] Translation: Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise.
The world occupies hearts and distracts bodies with play; yet its adornments and pleasures are fleeting, and in the end, nothing remains for its lovers except regret and remorse. As for the Hereafter, it is the abode of ḥayawān that is, true and complete life; where bodies and faculties are created for permanence and enjoyment, and all means of spiritual and physical perfection are fully provided. [2]
If it is said that the negation of death applies equally to the people of Paradise and the people of Hell, the response is that the negation of death indicates the permanence of life; however, the life of the people of Paradise is a perfection for everlasting bliss, whereas the life of the people of Hell is a perfection for everlasting punishment. Thus, it becomes clear that the reward and punishment of the Hereafter are not merely physical; rather, the human soul is also rewarded or punished in the same manner.
If a human being remains hungry for only a few days in this world or is afflicted with some forms of suffering, his intellect becomes disturbed and many of his claim’s collapse. Therefore, no created being can endure the punishment of the Creator, nor can anyone be independent of His mercy.
Third Discussion: Revelatory Guidance as the Means to Realizing the Purpose of Human Existence
Pure human intellect, on its own, is incapable of finding the path that leads a human being to the realization of the purpose of his existence. Intellect is like a tool that, for proper function, requires the combination of two forces: an internal force and an external force. Intellect is like seeing eye; if its inner light is extinguished, even if the external light is strong, it will see nothing; and if there is no external light, despite the soundness of the eye, seeing is still impossible.
The external force of intellect is the light of divine revelation, which Allah the Exalted sent down to His servants through the Prophets (PBUTH). Without revelation, people wander in the darkness of ignorance, and whenever the light of revelation grows dim among a people, ignorance and misguidance overpower them. As a result, without any ability to distinguish between righteousness and corruption, they become followers of desires and lusts.
In this state, a human being undergoes a gradual downfall that drags him to the worship of stone and tree; he is separated from the noble rank by which he was given superiority over other creatures and descends into humiliation and lowliness; thus, transforming from being “chosen” to becoming “useless.”
Allah the Exalted has informed in His Book that the cause of the misguidance of those who go astray is that He did not appoint for them a light by which they could find the path; rather, He left them in the very darkness in which they were created and did not transfer them to the light of guidance.
Allah is the Protector and Guardian of the believers; He brings them out of darknesses into the light. Whomever Allah wills to guide, He grants him an existential light that gives life to his heart and soul, just as the body is given life by the soul. Thus, the human being has two kinds of life: the life of the body by the soul, and the life of the soul and heart by the light.
For this reason, Allah has named revelation “spirit,” because true life depends upon it, as He says: ﴿يُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ بِالرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَىٰ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ﴾ [3] Translation: He sends down the angels with the Spirit by His command upon whom He wills of His servants.
And He also says: (وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِي بِهِ مَن نَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا﴾ [4] Translation: And thus, We have revealed to you a Spirit from Our command. You did not know what the Book was, nor faith, but We made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants.
Thus, revelation is both “spirit” and “light.” Whoever is not given life by this spirit is dead, and whoever does not benefit from this light is in darknesses and has no light at all. For this reason, Allah says: أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا﴾ [5]) Translation: Is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him a light by which he walks among the people like one whose example is in darknesses, never emerging from them?
A person who has been given such life is perceptive and aware in his affairs; he knows his path, recognizes good and chooses it, and strives to realize it; he recognizes evil, detests it, and strives to abandon and repel it from himself and others.
Is this equal to one who is immersed in the darknesses of ignorance, misguidance, disbelief, and sin, whose paths are confused, and who lives in grief, anxiety, and misery? Never—just as night and day, light and darkness, and the living and the dead are not equal.
But why do some, despite this clear distinction, choose darkness? In reality, their deeds have been made attractive to them; for Satan continually beautifies their actions in their sight until they believe them to be truth, and this belief settles as a firm trait in their hearts. Thus, they become content with that falsehood and ugliness and remain wandering in misguidance.
To be continued…
References:
- At-Tawbah: 111
- Abdulrahman ibn Nasir, Al-Sa‘di, Taysir al-Karim al-Rahman fi Tafsir Kalam al-Mannan, p. 635
- An-Nahl: 2
- Ash-Shura: 52
- Al-An‘am: 122
