1 Belief in the Hereafter By Sheikh Munawar Haque The essence of any Friday khutba is basically to remind ourselves of the divine teachings and injunctions, which perhaps we already know. We need to be reminded again and again because we are humans. The very word for human in Arabic is made up from the root letters ( ), from which we have the word which means to forget. Since we forget, we need to be reminded. If we understand this, then we can appreciate why God Almighty says in the Qur an, And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers (Az-Zariyat, 51:55) In today s khutba, I intend to share with you some aspects of belief in the hereafter (al- Akhirah). Along with belief in God, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and His Divine Decree, belief in the hereafter is one of the most basic articles of the Islamic faith. It is indeed impossible to discuss the teachings of Islam without referring to the great significance that the hereafter possesses, not only for man s final destination but also for his life in this world. What does the hereafter signify? It signifies the other and ultimate state of existence in the world to come and the life of everlasting duration. Death is a reality that awaits all human beings. Whether or not there will be a life after death, in one form or another is a question that has engaged the imagination of humans since earliest of times. The answers suggested have varied. It is recognized by some and denied by others. Belief in the afterlife is common to many religions of the world. It exists in Judaism and Christianity with varying interpretations. Some image of afterlife also exists in Hinduism, Buddhism and among the peoples of the ancient world, such as the Zoroastrians, the Romans, the Egyptians, the Greek, the Babylonians, and the Chaldeans. In the Islamic worldview, there is not only the life of this world but also the life in the world to come. In essence, time-space in the overall perspective of the Qur an has a beginning and an end. The starting point is, of course, the creation of the world. During the course of its flow, from one instance to the next, almost all the natural phenomena are subject to change, mutation or movement which will culminate in or lead to exhaustion and disintegration. Since human beings are situated in this time-space compass, they are equally subject to the same fate. The end of the world, however, is not a complete extinction or an ultimate end, but the beginning of a completely new state of existence with new laws and systems that entail eternity. Likewise, death is not the permanent end of humankind, but the passage into a new and eternal life. The Qur an leaves no doubt that the alternatives for each individual on the Day of Judgment are two: the bliss of the Heaven or the torment of the Hell. What is the Qur an s argument about the Hereafter The Qur an makes it clear and provides assurances that God can and will raise the dead and that such a resurrection is a binding promise and an integral part of all creations. Allah says in the Qur an,
2 We shall reproduce creation just as we produced it the first time: this is our binding promise (al-anbiya, 21:104). Man is born to die and then to be resurrected. Resurrection or the final accounting is an idea that disbelievers and materialists have always found and still find very hard to accept. That is not to say that such people doubt the reality of death. Of course, they witness their family members and associates dying one after another before their very own eyes. But they dissociate death with resurrection. To them, the phenomenon of death is the dead-end, the ultimate extinction of all beings. They deny resurrection; something that has been unambiguously assured by God Himself. What is the necessity and wisdom of the hereafter? Despite all the protests against the probability and the possibility of the hereafter, the Qur an considers it crucial for multiple, fundamental reasons: 1. It is the Manifestation of Divine Justice The quality of people s performance must be judged. Also, fairness cannot be ensured merely on the basis of what transpires in this life. The imperfection of worldly justice makes the quest for another life, where justice will be rendered, necessary. Some criminals and oppressive rulers may enjoy luxury until the end of their lives. They may escape the grasp of justice and never suffer the natural consequences of their deeds. On the other hand, other people might be righteous and lead a virtuous life but might not survive to reap the fruits of their labour. Were the files of both groups of people to be closed in this world on the basis of what transpires, what would become of the infinite justice, wisdom and mercy that God cherishes for His servants? Nobody who has the slightest notion of love and justice would consent to such a state of affairs. It is also obvious that not all the good and evil deeds are subject to final accounting in this worldly life. Certain crimes and evils are so extensive in their effects that they cannot be adequately punished in this world. Some individuals were and indeed are directly involved in the bloody massacre or genocide of thousands of innocent people. Even if they are punished for their crimes against humanity, the punishment involved would be unjust and grossly unequal. Similarly, certain virtues cannot be rewarded in a fitting and complete manner in this world. What reward can be given in this world to someone who has dedicated his entire life to the service of people just to seek God s pleasure? The basic idea underlying the Qur an s teaching on the hereafter is that there will come a time when every human will squarely and starkly face his or her own doings and misdoings. That is why the Qur an admonishes by saying,
3 You were sunk in deep heedlessness of this [accounting], but now we have lifted the veil from you, so your sight today is sharp (Qaf, 50:22). 2. It is the exposition of human actions and aspirations What were the intentions behind one s actions in this worldly life? What were the means adopted to carry out these actions and for what ends? Philosophers often consider happiness as our ultimate end to which all our actions are directed. It is considered as the complete good in itself. But happiness in this life cannot be our ultimate goal because life is momentary. It passes away. For happiness to be real, it must be constant. However great or extensive one s happiness might be, it is exhaustible; death ends it all. So what makes the hereafter better than this worldly life is not only because of the quality of life therein, but also because of the permanence of such a life. The Qur an simultaneously maintains both characteristics when it states: But the Hereafter is better [in terms of the quality of that life] and more enduring [in terms of its duration (al-a la, 87:17). In order to give our life and efforts a purpose and indeed to make a good sense of this world, in its entirety, there must be an ultimate end to which human actions are directed; when the true meaning of our actions will be known and the true end of our aspirations will be disclosed. The hereafter fulfils this aspiration. 3. It is the manifestation of conflict resolution Disputes, dissensions, and conflicts of human orientations must be finally resolved. For the most part, human differences are plagued with motivations of selfishness whether they are of individuals, groups, or nations. These motivations will be unveiled on that day. The Qur an makes frequent reference to such conflicts and conflict- resolution: Say, You will not be questioned about our sins, nor will we be questioned about what you do. Say: Our Lord will bring us all together and then will judge between us with the truth. He is the Judge; the All-Knowing (Saba, 34:25-26).
4 What are some of the benefits of belief in the hereafter? Belief in the hereafter has several benefits at different levels. There are individual benefits, social benefits and civilizational benefits. a. Individual Benefit At individual level, it gives man a unique and valuable advantage with a greater choice that has an eternal implication. He knows that with his own hand, he can sow the seed of his life in the hereafter making his future destiny within his reach. In other words, belief in the hereafter lets one realise that his eternal abode, either in Heaven or in Hell, depends upon his course of action in this worldly life. Anyone who is concerned with his eternal welfare will immediately feel the burden of disobedience awaiting him once he allows himself to sin. Whenever he commits a sin by mistake, he immediately repents and implores God for His forgiveness and mercy. His behaviour is therefore shaped by truthfulness and sincerity. His drive for unrestrained enjoyment will be brought under control making him avoid the greedy, irrational and undisciplined accumulation of wealth and power. Belief in the hereafter also provides a psychological benefit to an individual. It prevents man from fearing the passing difficulties of life, makes him accept them with calmness and even transforms those difficulties into means of development and ascent toward the lofty goals of life. b. Social Benefits A society composed of such individuals who believe in the hereafter and work for it has much to gain. It is obvious that almost in every society; there is a mixture of virtue and vice, right and wrong. Many right actions are not properly appreciated and many wrong deeds are not
5 noticed. Belief in the hereafter, when a virtue will be compensated manifold, encourages the right doers to persevere in their acts. Similarly, belief in the Supreme Tribunal of the hereafter where every misdeed will be taken into account will pacify the oppressed ones and prevent them from seeking revenge which may trigger a chaos in society and a war of all against all. After belief in God, belief in the hereafter has the primary place in preserving social security and preventing the spread of corruption, crime and violation of law. It is a force capable of taming the rebellious desires of the soul. That is because whoever holds this belief will obey a series of ethical principles without hypocrisy and without being subject to external pressure. Anyone seriously concerned with his eternal abode, will accustom himself with good conduct and the society will thus be protected from the crimes or immoralities that he might otherwise have committed. c. Civilizational Benefits Belief in the hereafter also has civilizational benefits. It is obvious that for the rise and growth of civilization, there must be optimum utilization of physical, cultural, spiritual, and human resources. However, the optimum utilization of man s potentialities and natural resources is not sufficient to create a responsible civilization. Enamoured with his vast potentialities and tremendous material achievements, man can do many things virtue and vice, commendable and abominable simply because he can do them. This attitude will lead to irresponsible subjugation of nature, amounting to unsustainable development. However, belief in hereafter where everyone will be accountable for his deeds and misdeeds will instil in one the sense of responsibility, which is a condition of sustainable development. Man will consequently choose the right course of action, pursuing only that which should be pursued and not just whatever that can be pursued. Belief in the hereafter should be seen as a source of strength and not of weakness, for responsible individuals, societies and civilizations. To conclude, we may ask Is there anything to lose if one believes in the hereafter and works for it? The answer is no! To invest one s thoughts and actions in the hereafter means to live a purposeful and responsible life in this world and to prepare for one s eternal happiness in the world to come. Belief in the hereafter is not a fairytale or a sort of blind faith. Rather, it is rational and necessary if only to make sense of the existence of this worldly life. The important lesson to be learned is to keep always in mind the reality of afterlife, and the ultimate consequence of one s actions and one s responsibility toward Allah (SWT) for what one does.