Resurrection after Death (part 26)

Author: Abu Ayesha

Resurrection after Death (part 26)

Introduction

In the previous sections, we discussed some of the most important objections raised by those who deny resurrection. Since these doubts continue to be repeated, this section seeks to address further objections and provide responses to them.

Fifth Doubt: The Independence (or Non-Existence) of the Soul

Materialists believe that the existence of a life after death has no foundation and lacks validity because, in their view, the soul perishes and ceases to exist. Once a person dies, his existence comes to an end, and consequently there can be no life after death. [1]

Ernst Haeckel states: “If we view matter from the standpoint of reason, free from the influence of religion, we shall find that belief in immortality is entirely incompatible with the facts of evolution and development.”

He further adds that when one examines the history of this belief, it becomes evident that the doctrine of immortality has held no significant position among scholars.

From such statements, they conclude that there is fundamentally no return of the soul after death. If this premise is accepted, then beliefs concerning the Hereafter must inevitably be regarded as lying outside the bounds of reason. [2]

In explaining this position, Haeckel argues that human beings devote all their efforts to filling the void created by the disappearance of faith in the laws of nature. To fill this void, they employ every possible means and ultimately adopt religious belief as their final foundation, despite the fact that, according to him, it previously possessed no basis within the sphere of scientific development. By this statement, he is referring to religious doctrines.

Response to the Doubt

First and foremost, it should be understood that this objection is weak and unfounded. The following points clarify its shortcomings:

1. A Claim Based on Speculation and Desire

What this group and those who follow their path present is essentially a form of personal desire and conjecture.

The denial of an afterlife on the grounds that the soul perishes with the body—that it exists only while the body exists and ceases when the body ceases—is merely a hypothesis with no valid proof. It is nothing more than an assumption, for it is a claim advanced without evidence.

2. The Limits of Dissection and Empirical Observation

These individuals base their argument on anatomical dissection, claiming that because the soul cannot be observed through such procedures, it therefore does not exist. Consequently, they conclude that there can be no resurrection.

This claim is invalid because the inability to see something is not proof of its nonexistence. Human beings consist of two dimensions: a material dimension and a spiritual dimension. What is subject to experimentation and observation is only the former, not the latter.

This is precisely what Professor Ducasse eventually concluded. After extensive investigation and research, he came to believe in the existence of another life because he discovered considerable evidence pointing to the presence of a spiritual reality within human beings. These findings ultimately led him to believe in the soul and in the Hereafter.

3. The Power of the Creator

The One who brought human beings into existence, fashioned them in the most beautiful form, perfected their appearance, and endowed them with the wonders of creation and divine design is undoubtedly capable of restoring what He has created.

Therefore, the Creator who originated humanity can certainly resurrect them again, raise the dead, and restore life to bones even after they have decayed and turned to dust. [3]

4. Scriptural Evidence for the Survival of the Soul

Numerous verses of the Qur’an and Prophetic traditions affirm that the soul continues to exist after the body has perished.

Among them is the statement of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) regarding the souls of the martyrs: “The souls of the martyrs are in the bodies of green birds … roaming freely in Paradise.”

This narration clearly demonstrates that the soul remains alive after separation from the physical body and continues to enjoy the blessings prepared by Allah. [4]

To be continued…

Previous Part

References:

• Al-Muqaddam, Jihan Nūr al-Dīn Muḥ Al-Maʿād Bayna al-Muthbitīn wa al-Munkirīn: Dirāsah Taḥlīliyyah Naqdiyyah (Resurrection between the Affirmers and the Deniers: An Analytical and Critical Study), published in the Journal of the Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2019, p. 60.
• p. 60.
• Al-Muqaddam, Jihan Nūr al-Dīn Muḥ Al-Maʿād Bayna al-Muthbitīn wa al-Munkirīn: Dirāsah Taḥlīliyyah Naqdiyyah (Resurrection between the Affirmers and the Deniers: An Analytical and Critical Study), published in the Journal of the Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2019, p. 60.
• Sahih Muslim, Kitāb al-Imārah, Chapter: Bayān Anna Arwāḥ al-Shuhadāʾ fī al-Jannah (Explanation that the Souls of the Martyrs are in Paradise), Vol. 3, p. 1502, Hadith No. 121.