The Second Degree of Islam - Part Four

Belief in the Last Day

The end of every being in this world culminates in death. What, then, is the fate of man after death? What is the end of the unjust people who escaped punishment in this world? Will they escape the consequences of their injustices? What will happen to the righteous people who did not receive their share of the rewards in this world? Will their rewards be wasted?

Indeed, mankind shall continue to die, generation after generation, until Allah gives His permission that this world should come to an end and all creatures on the face of the Earth die.

Allah Almighty will thereafter resurrect all creatures in a day that will be witnessed by all, a day in which Allah will gather all former and later generations. He will then judge men for their worldly deeds, good or bad. The believers will be led to Paradise, and the disbelievers will be marched to Hell.

Paradise is the abode of peace that God has prepared for His believing slaves. There are in it all kinds of bliss, which no one can describe. It has degrees, and every degree will have dwellers according to the degree of their belief in Allah and their obedience to Him. The lowest degree of the dwellers of Paradise in bliss will be equal to tenfold the kingdom of one of the kings of this world.

Hell is the abode of punishment that Allah has prepared for those who disbelieved in Him. It has all kinds of torment whose mere mention is terrifying. If Allah will allow anyone to die in the Hereafter, the dwellers of the Fire will certainly die at the mere sight of it.

Allah knows—by His pre-knowledge—what every man will do or say of good or evil, secretly or publicly. He assigned to every man two angels: one records his good deeds and the other his evil ones, and nothing escapes them. Allah Almighty says, "Not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him, ready to record it." (Holy Quran 50:18).

God says, “And the book (one’s record) will be placed, and you will see the sinners fearful of that which is recorded therein. They will say, ‘Woe to us! What kind of book records everything, both small and large, with numbers? They will find all their deeds placed before them, and your Lord treats no one unjustly." (Holy Quran 18:49)

The man will then read his record and will not deny anything therein, and whosoever denies anything of his deeds, Allah will give power of speech to his ears, eyes, hands, legs, and skin so that they could contradict him.

“And they will say to their skins, ‘Why do you testify against us? They will say, Allah has caused us to speak—and He causes all things to speak, and He created you the first time, and to Him you are made to return. And you have not been hiding yourselves in this world lest your ears, your eyes, and your skins should testify against you, but you thought that Allah knew not much of what you were doing.” (Holy Quran 41:21-22)

All messengers and prophets preached the belief in the Last Day—Day of Resurrection. Allah Almighty says, “And among His signs is that you see the earth barren, but when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and the growth (of vegetation). Verily, He who gives it life can surely give it to the dead (on the Day of Resurrection). He can do all things.” (Holy Quran 41:39)

God Almighty also adds, “Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the Earth and was not wearied by their creation, can give life to the dead?” (Holy Quran 46:33)

This is what the Divine Wisdom necessitates, for Allah did not create His creation in vain or leave them for fun. The weakest person in intelligence cannot carry out any important action without having a purpose for it. How can one think that Allah created man for fun and will leave him in vain? Far and highly exalted is Allah above all that they say.

• “Did you think that we created you in play (without any purpose) and that you would not be brought back to Us?” (Holy Quran 23:115)

• “And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the assumption of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve (in Islamic Monotheism) from the Fire.” (Holy Quran 38:27)

All wise men testify to the necessity of belief in the Last Day, for that’s what intelligence and reason necessitate and what sound human nature agrees to. When a man believes in the Day of Resurrection, he knows why he should abstain from what he is ordered to leave and do what he is ordered to do, hoping for what is with Allah.

He will also know that he who does injustice to people will inevitably have his recompense and that those he wrongs will take revenge on him on the Day of Resurrection.

He will also know that a man must have a reward: a favorable reward for positive deeds and commensurate punishment for evil deeds, so that each soul shall be rewarded for what it strived for, and Divine Justice can be established. Allah Almighty says, “So whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it.” (Holy Quran 99:7-8)

No one among mankind knows when the Day of Resurrection will come. This is a day that is known to neither a sent prophet nor a favored angel. Allah keeps the knowledge of that to Himself alone. He says the following:

• “They ask you about the Hour (Day of Resurrection): ‘When will be its appointed hour?’ Say: ‘The knowledge thereof is with my Lord. None can reveal its time but He.” (Holy Quran 7:187)

• “Verily, with Allah is the knowledge of the hour.” (Holy Quran 31:34)