The Day of Resurrection

Every man out of his natural disposition has some conception of the Day of Resurrection because there is no one who would not like to know the ultimate future of man and of this world, where the life's struggle of man ends and what the real purpose of life is?

We have two answers to this question as follows:

(i) All the Divine religions according to the arguments, we shall advance at a later stage, have an optimistic view of the future of man and this world. The Holy Qur'an says:

To your Lord will all things eventually return. (Surah an-Najm, 53:42)

(ii) The materialistic views consider that this world and the man will ultimately be annihilated. This is a very dangerous and disappointing view and besides those who hold such a view do not have any convincing argument. In this context, the Holy Qur'an says:

They say, 'The only life is this worldly life and here we shall live and die. It is only time which annihilates us'. They have no knowledge about this. It is only their speculations. (Surah al-Jathiyah, 45:24)

Natural Arguments

There are some people who do not admit by their tongue the Resurrection Day but subconsciously they feel man's eternal existence. Sometimes they themselves give out indications to show that despite death and the physical destruction of the body they do not consider that man would ultimately perish. We give below some examples of these indications:

(i) All those who do not believe in Resurrection hold in reverence the graves of their ancestors.

(ii) These people name their roads, institutions, universities and schools after the names of their dead ones.

(iii) These people wish that after their death they should be remembered with a good name.

(iv) These people name their children after the names of their ancestors.

(v) These people mummify the dead bodies of their dear ones so as to protect them from putrefaction.

If those who deny Resurrection and think that death annihilates man what is then the argument with them for their such a thinking? When they mean death to be annihilation why then do they erect mausoleums for their dead and lay wreaths on their graves? Obviously such things point to the fact that those who do not believe in Resurrection do have some taint belief in their heart of hearts about the eternal existence of man's soul by which it is meant that by death man's being is not destroyed. We elaborate this point a little more.

If people consider death to be total destruction then why do the various nations and races name their children after the names of their forefathers and why do they feel proud of them? And if somebody kicks the grave of their father why do they quarrel with him? Why do they erect magnificent mausoleums? Why some tribes bury ornaments, weapons and garments alongwith the dead ones?

True, man has in his heart a feeling of an eternal existence of man and by one way or the other considers the good name in history as a sign of satisfaction. On the other hand man has a feeling of estrangement as this world is very limited and narrow for him. He gets himself involved in his wife, children, wealth and property and other enjoyments of life. But after a time in his heart he misses something as despite all his comforts he does not seem to be fully satisfied. Sometimes he wants to end his life and sometimes he asks himself a question as to what is the purpose of his existence and for what he has been created. All this vague feeling of restlessness points to the fact that man feels himself estranged in this world. Despite its vast expanse this world seems to him a narrow alley, his body is like a bird's cage and the world a prison to him. This sort of feeling is based on the conviction that one day he will be satisfied and all his wishes and goals will be fulfilled because for every feeling, want and internal restlessness there lies an answer in external source as for example the sensation of thirst is removed by drinking water, and of sexual desire by cohabitation with his spouse and the feeling of estrangement by the thought of Resurrection.

Guidance to Right Arguments

Man's every natural feeling can be answered in two ways:

(i) Timely wrong answer.

(ii) Everlasting correct answer.

Example: A thirsty man can be given water or he can be shown a mirage also. Similarly, a hungry baby can be satisfied by suckling or he can be given a rubber nipple to soothe him.

Thus every natural sensation or feeling can be treated in two different ways, real and permanent one, or artificial and temporary one. Imam Ali says, "The Merciful Allah appointed Muhammad (peace be upon him and his descendants) as His trustworthy messenger and entrusted him with the mission of converting people from idolatry to the worship of Allah and guiding them to obey Him instead of obeying the Satan".

Indeed there exists in man a basic desire for love and worship. If man's internal predisposition had not been diverted to the right path, he would have plunged himself into the darkness of superstition.

Answers that Prophets Give: So far we have said that man has a feeling of his existence and wishes it to continue. This feeling should be given a true and permanent support. Now we should see what the Prophets say in this regard and we reproduce their pronouncements with their arguments.

Allah's Message Through Prophets

The Holy Qur'an says:

Do you think We created you for nothing, and that you will not return to Us? (Surah al-Mo'minun, 23:115)

And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should worship Me. (Surah az-Zariyat, 51: 56)

Do you not see that Allah has made subservient to you whatever is in the earth and the ships running in the ocean by His commands. (Surah al-Hajj 22:65)

Whoever has done an atom 's weight of good, will see it and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil, will also see it. (Surah az-Zilzal, 99:7, 8) 

Every soul is entangled in what it does. (Surah Muddaththir, 74: 38)

Don 't follow that of which you have no knowledge. Verily the ear, the eye, and the heart, each will be questioned. (Surah Bani Isra'il, 17: 36)

Allah may reward them with the best of what they have done. (Surah at-Tauba, 9:121)

These are the view-points that the Prophets have put forward in relation to Resurrection and each one of them has some logical reasoning which we shall discuss later. But at this moment it is better to see whether the Resurrection (coming back to life again) will actually happen or not, or whether it is possible from the point of view of common sense. Thus when we understand that there is a possibility of such a happening, then we shall look into the reasonings and argument for Resurrection as only its possibility is not sufficient, for nothing can happen unless there is reason for its happening. Thirdly we shall see whether there is some obstruction in the way of Resurrection.

Coming of the Dead to Life is Not Impossible

No one has up to this time put forward any argument to show that Resurrection will not happen. Those who do not believe in Resurrection harp on the same old tune saying how a dead one can come to life when his body has decomposed and each and every part of it has decayed and reduced to dust.

To this, according to common sense and according to the Holy Qur'an, the answer is that it can happen as it is not impossible. This thing comes to our imagination and we come across day and night examples of the dead coming to life again.

Imam Muhammad Taqi, says, "Sleeping and waking are the two best examples by which we can fully comprehend the issue of dying and coming back to life. Death is nothing more than a long slumber".

Secondly it can be seen when the trees sprout in the spring and die in the autumn. The Holy Qur'an says:

Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the cloud, then We bring forth therewith fruits of various colours, and in the mountains are streaks, white and red, of various hues and (others) intensely black? (Surah Fatir, 35:27)

A sustenance for the creatures and We give life thereby to a dead land; thus will be the resurrection. (Surah Qaf, 50:11)

In short, day in and day out we come across the incidence of coming into life of the dead things, which makes the issue of resurrection though seemingly a difficult one, easy and simple to comprehend.

A Memorable Incident of the Holy Qur'an

A man extracted a piece of bone from underneath a wall and after pulverizing it brought to the Holy Prophet and putting on airs insolently said: "Who can bring back this decayed and powdered bone to life?" Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:

He has said, 'Who will give life to the bones which have become ashes'. (Muhammad), tell him, 'He who gave them life in the first place will bring them back to life again. He has the best knowledge of all creatures '. (Surah Ya Sin, 36:78, 79)

If a maker of something says that he can re-assemble the broken parts of his product he will not be in the wrong because making a thing is more difficult than assembling its parts.

The deniers of Resurrection had doubts about two things:

(i) "How can decayed bones come to life?" The Holy Qur'an says:

He has said, 'Who will give life to the bones which have become ashes? (Surah Ya Sin, 36:78)

(ii) If the powdered bones are accepted to come to life again then who will return them to life? The Holy Qur'an says:

(Muhammad), tell him, 'He Who gave them life in the first place will bring them back to life again'. (Surah Ya Sin, 36:79)

If a brick-maker claims that after pulverizing the brick he can re-make it, can anybody doubt it? Certainly not.

Why do these people who consider the decomposed parts of the dead coming back to life as a very strange phenomenon not doubt the very creation of their life? Obviously to create life in the first instance is more difficult than to re-create it. Is it more difficult to make an air-plane or to re-assemble it after dismantling it? If a maker of planes claims that he can disintegrate its parts and then re-assemble it, can anybody doubt his statement? No, certainly not, because re-assembling the parts is easier than making a thing. Thus when one accomplishes a difficult task he can also do the easier one but for Almighty Allah nothing is difficult. The Holy Qur'an says:

And He it is Who originates the creation, then reproduces it, and it is easy to Him, and His are the most exalted attributes in the heavens and the earth, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. (Surah ar-Rum, 30:27)

Other Examples in Proof of Resurrection

In support of the proof that coming of the dead to life again is not a difficult or impossible thing, the Holy Qur'an has provided many examples and among them are the two incidents related to Prophet Uzayr and Prophet Ibrahim.

(i) Once Prophet Uzayr, while on a journey, passed through a deserted place, and there he thought to himself, not by way of disbelief but out of inquisitiveness: 'How will Allah bring them back to life after they have been dead for so many years?"

The Almighty Allah kept him dead for 100 years and after reviving him asked, "How long have you been here?" The Prophet replied, "Half an hour or so" Allah said, "No, you have been here for 100 years. Now you look at your donkey, your animal of riding and also your food that you had with you. Now wonder at the Greatness and Power of Allah, how your donkey died and perished into dust and the food which should have decayed in a day or two is still fresh after 100 years. Now if you want to witness the coming of the dead into life again you may look at the decayed bones of the donkey from which We will bring it back to life again fully intact with its skin, flesh and soul, so that it may serve as a good lesson for the coming generations". (Vide: Surah al-Baqarah, 2:259)

As soon as Prophet Uzayr saw his donkey coming back to life and the food remaining fresh for 100 years he exclaimed, "I know Allah has the Power to do every thing".

(ii) Once Prophet Ibrahim was passing by the bank of a river when he saw a corpse, one portion of which was in water and the other was on the ground. The land and marine animals and birds flocked round it, and every animal was eating practically every bit of the dead body. Prophet Ibrahim after seeing this asked Allah, "How will you bring back the dead to life on the Day of Judgement when this corpse has almost been eaten up by the animals and it has been assimilated in their bodies as their integral part". Allah asked Prophet Ibrahim, "Do you have no faith in My Power and belief in resurrection". He replied, "Why not! But I want to satisfy myself by seeing this phenomenam with my own eyes". (Discussions and argumentation satisfy the mind while experience and observation satisfy the heart)

Allah then asked Prophet Ibrahim, "Take four different kinds of birds. Slaughter them and mix up their flesh together and put them on different mountains. Thereafter, call out each bird one by one and see for yourself how various portions of the mixed flesh get separated and go to bring back each bird in its original form". Prophet Ibrahim did as he was directed. He slaughtered a pigeon, a chicken, a peacock and a crow, mixed up their flesh together in one whole put them on the top of ten different mountains. Then he called out each animal and each one of them appeared before him in its original form. (Vide Surah al-Baqarah, 2:260)

Infact, Prophet Ibrahim the chosen Messenger of Allah, is passed through special test and trial and is put on an exalted position while on the other hand there are people like us who have not even passed an initial stage of recognizing preliminary things as conviction, ascension etc.

We give some simple examples further to elaborate how scattered particles can form together to a complete being.

(i) A cow grazes grass which on assimilation yields milk.

(ii) A man eats a piece of bread which goes to form various component tissues and organs of his body. e.g. blood, bones, hair, nails, flesh etc.

(iii) Many cloths are made of fibres which are produced from petroleum.

(iv) When a metal is melted its impurities are separated in the foam.

(v) When milk or curd is churned its cream is separated on top.

Now you admit that the digestive function of a cow yields milk from grass. Many fibers from petroleum and cream from milk or curd can be obtained. But when you hear that Allah will shake the earth in a quake, the decayed bone particles wherever they are, will form together in original shape, you do not believe it! (Vide: Surah Zilzal, 99:1—2)

We quote here some more verses of the Holy Qur'an:

As He brought you forth in the beginning, so shall you also return. (Surah al-A'raf, 7 29)

And certainly you know the first creation, then why do you not reflect? (Surah al-Waqi'a, 56:62)

Let man reflect from what he was made of: He was created of spurting water issuing from the loins and ribs, Allah has the Power to resurrect him. (Surah at-Tariq, 86:5—8)

Does man think that he will be left to himself, alone? Wasn't he once just an emitted drop of semen? Then formed into an embryo? Then he fashioned, shaped and proportioned and assigned it sexes, male and female. Doesn't He then have the power to bring the dead back to life. (Surah al-Qiyamah, 75:36—40)

Did We fail to accomplish the first creation? And yet they are still in doubt about a new creation. We created man and surely know what doubts arise in his mind. (Surah Qaf, 50:15)

Don't they realize that Allah Who has created the heavens and the earth has the power to create the like of them? There is no doubt that He has fixed a term for them. Even then the wicked turn away in disbelief (from Our Revelation). (Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:99)

Does not man remember that before We created him he was nothing? (Surah Mar yam, 19:67)

Though we are giving proofs from the Holy Qur'an yet it advises us to apply our wisdom and reasoning. Can anybody still be in doubt after seeing the clear proof of Allah's doing all the year round?

Since our discussion requires brevity and simplicity we are not quoting other examples that are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, for instance the story about the People of the Cave (ashabul kahaf) and of that young man who awoke from his sleep after 309 years.

We have said that there are three stages of any work that is to be performed. First the possibility of its happening, which we have already dealt with.

Now comes the second stage which pertains to the cause of that happening, that is, the proof of Resurrection, because the possibility of coming back to life is not sufficient. For instance man can perform many functions and there is a possibility of their performance too, but he needs the cause and justification for that also. It is possible for everybody to drink water but unless we feel thirsty we do not take it. Similarly other things, talking, walking and some other similar work that are possible, but we do not do them unless we have some reason to do them.

Thus every possible work needs the justification for its being done. At this point we will very briefly discuss the reasons for Resurrection because on this subject numerous books have been written in detail. May Allah bless the writers as well as the readers of those books.

The First Proof of Resurrection is Allah's Justice

We can give proofs of Resurrection which are in accord with human intelligence and the Holy Qur'an. One of those proofs is that since Allah is Just, Resurrection must be there. If there is no Resurrection, Allah's Justice will be in question. The explanation of this is that in the presence of the commandments of Allah and the Prophets there are two groups of people, the first group is in favour and the second is in opposition. The Holy Qur'an says:

He it is who created you, but one of you is an unbeliever and another of you is a believer, and Allah sees what you do. (Surah at-Taghabun, 64:2)

On the other side suppose no reward or punishment is given for one's deeds in this world, or the punishment is so meager that it is not felt at all. However, sooner or later everyone has to depart from this world. Therefore, if there is going to be no accounting for the deeds and no reward or punishment is given in another place, that is, on the Day of Judgement, and everything is forgotten after death, then where does Allah's Justice stand? If Allah is Just and there is no recompense or punishment for our deeds in this world then it must be awarded in some another place. We now quote a question and its answer here.

Question: Why does Allah not reward or punish in this world? Was it not better to have this matter settled quickly by rewarding or punishing in this world and in that way there would have been no necessity of the Day of Judgement?

There can be several answers to this question but we give a few here.

(i) Since by inflicting punishment in this world others also can be affected; therefore it would become a kind of cruelty. The explanation of this is like this: Suppose I slapped a man on his face and Allah paralyzed my hand. When I go home my relations see my condition and they suffer agony though they have not been responsible for my fault. This world is a place of mutual relationship and here others will be affected by my pleasures and agony. In that case if the punishment is awarded in this world, it will be an injustice. But on the Day of Judgement all relationships will be severed and everybody will be bothering for himself so much so that according to the Holy Qur'an man will avoid his wife and children and will only be worrying about his own salvation, and if the wrong doer is chastised there, nobody will be affected by it. It is just possible that you may now say that in this world no culprit should be punished because by this his dear and near ones would be affected.

The answer to this plea is that if a thief's hand is not chopped off or he is not flogged, the letting off of such bad characters will create panic and sense of insecurity in the society and this will also amount to cruelty because for the sake of the relatives of a criminal we plunge the entire society into a dangerous situation. Thus in that case it will be better that we should give priority to the well-being of the society over that of the individuals.

(ii) If Allah starts rewarding or punishing people in this world, people will become virtuous because of the fear of punishment but this will be out of expediency only. The real virtue lies in that man remains free and independent and then he commits no sin, otherwise if every farmer, mason, merchant or student performs any good deed and Allah rewards him with gardens, palatial homes, wealth, etc. then in that case everybody will become pious but there will be no value of such deeds. Man's virtues lie in that he himself should decide for performing noble deeds without any deterrent factor or incentives otherwise hundreds and thousands of angels were already there to worship Allah. Allah has so created man as to make him select for himself from two poles of desires a right path to follow.

Standard of Values in Islam

The Holy Qur'an basically praises those people who from two opposite paths, select for themselves the right path after suppressing their inordinate desires and ignoring glamorous way of life.

The Holy Qur'an mentions many instances such as on one side there is a handsome and youthful Prophet Yusuf and on the other side is Zulaykha in an inviting position, and, to crown all, the doors are also bolted from inside. But Prophet Yusuf after invoking Allah steps aside and saves himself from temptation. The Holy Qur'an says:

His master's wife then tried to seduce him. She locked the doors and said to him, "Come on " He said, 'I seek Allah 's refuge and Allah has given me good place of shelter. The unjust will certainly have no happiness'. (Surah Yusuf, 12:23)

Prophet Ibrahim at the age of 100 years yearned for having a son. He offered supplication and invoked Allah. Then Allah gave him a son, Ismai'l. Then came Allah's command: "O Ibrahim! Slaughter your son with your own hand in the way of Allah". Prophet Ibrahim on the one hand was under the natural pressure of his love for his son, and on the other hand he had to make a response to the Call of Allah. He had to choose between these two things and ultimately he sacrificed his pressure of parental love for his child to the pleasure of Allah. That is the very exalted position of man before Allah. The Holy Qur'an narrates this event as follows.

And when he was old enough to go about with him, he said: 'O my son! I saw in a dream that I was sacrificing you. So what is your opinion?' He replied, O my father! Do as you are commanded. If Allah pleases, you will find me of the patients '. When they both submitted to the will of Allah he (Ibrahim) laid him (his son) down upon his forehead. And We called out to him saying, 'O Ibrahim! You have indeed confirmed your dream ' Thus do We reward the doers of good. (Surah as-Saffat, 37:102—105)

Self-sacrifice of Ahlul Bayt

Imam Ali and Lady Fatimtuz Zahra break their fast with water only and despite being intensely hungry, give away their food to the hungry ones. The Holy Qur'an praises their generosity as follows:

And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive. (Surah ad-Dahr, 76:8)

About those who at the dead of night despite deep sleep rouse from their beds and get themselves busy in supplicating and invoking the blessings of Allah, the Holy Qur'an says:

Their backs do not rest on their beds and pray to their Lord in fear and hope, and spend (benevolently) of what We have given them. (Surah as-Sajdah, 32:16)

They slept little in the night. And every morning they asked forgiveness. (Surah az-Zariyah, 51: 17,18)

In short the standard of one's deeds before Allah is that man should be quite free to choose for himself a righteous path despite having before him material interests and natural temptations, otherwise none of his deeds will be of any worth. Of course, if man keeps mum despite having a tongue and controls his anger, it is a good and valuable quality. If a man is dumb or he does not show his temper in ordinary circumstances it does him no credit.

A Reminder: You will pose a question that if in this world everybody gets his reward for his deeds they will out of fear turn virtuous, but this will be of no value. However there arises another question: "Would the promise of Paradise and warning of Hell not make people pious?"

The answer to this is: Since Paradise and the Hell are not before the people, man does not feel compulsion to become pious. There is a difference between a man who has got to pay his dues only tomorrow and a man who has to do this after several months. The first one is shaky and scared of, while the other one who has several months at his disposal feels relaxed.

In fact, from the human point of view there is a lot of difference between reward and punishment being awarded at once and those to be awarded after a lapse of time rather after a long time. Therefore, Allah has given relaxation in matter of awarding reward and punishment so that people should not get scared and should gradually overcome their inordinate desires and proceed to the Right Path of Allah.

To a question as to why Allah does not award us for our deeds in this very world, the answer is that because of diversities it is not possible. As for example what reward the Holy Prophet got for his great services to liberate the mankind from ignorance, superstitions, polytheism, disunity and dissensions? Do we have any better food than honey and roasted meat, and bed better than silk, or a transport better than an air-plane?

Are these foods, bed, and transport, not the same one which are enjoyed by sinners also? So what was the reward of the Holy Prophet? Is there any martyr who has laid down his life for a noble cause and whom you can compensate for his sacrifice?

Apart from this there are sinners and criminals who massacre hundreds and thousands of innocent people. How can you punish such a person with an appropriate punishment in this world? If, at most, he is sentenced to death; then it will be only one killing in place of massacres of hundreds and thousands of innocent people. What will become of the spilling of the blood of those innocent people?

Tooth for Tooth, Nail for Nail

Our discussion is that punishment in the next world shall be thorough and severer. This punishment should not exclude those punishments which are awarded to some in this world only. The Qur'anic verses tell us that Allah punishes some in this world. The Holy Qur'an says:

Corruption has spread over land and sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return to the right path. (Surah ar-Rum, 30:41)

They shall meet with disgrace in this world, and severe punishment in the Hereafter. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:114)

But in fact these punishments are just a part of the punishments which they will receive on the Day of Judgement.

It will be better to quote some more verses here:

Those who disregard their covenant with Allah after He has taken such a, pledge from them, who sever the proper relations that Allah has commanded them to establish, and those who spread evil in the land, will have Allah's condemnation instead of reward and will face the most terrible end. (Surah ar-Ra'd, 13:25)

And thus do We chastise him who is extravagant and does not believe in the signs of h is Lord; and certainly the chastisement of the Hereafter is severer and persistent. (Surah Ta Ha, 20:127)

We shall certainly make them suffer worldly torments before suffering the great torment so that perhaps they may return to Us. (Surah as-Sajdah, 32:21)

Turning away haughtily that he may lead (others) astray from the way of Allah, for him is disgrace in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection We will make him taste the punishment of burning. (Surah al-Hajj, 22:9)

We sent upon the people of 'Ad a violent wind during a few ill-fated days to make them suffer a disgraceful torment in this life. Their torment in the life to come will even be more disgraceful and they will not receive any help. (Surah Ha Min Sajdah, 41:16)

So far we have quoted those verses which tell us that Allah will make the sinners taste the punishment in the world also but the actual place for reward or punishment is the Day of Resurrection. In the traditions also we come across the worldly punishment. As for example we read in a tradition, "Those who wish ill of others themselves fall into the ditch of misfortune. Allah punishes those who treat their parents disgracefully, oppress the people and who are ungrateful in this world and He never puts it off for the Day of Resurrection". (Safinatul Bihar)

Examples of Worldly Punishments

It will not be out of place if we mention here a few examples of the punishments that are awarded in this world, though the real punishment will be awarded on the Day of Resurrection as this world is too small to account for awarding rewards and punishment here.

With regard to the bravery of the supporters of the Prophets and their steadfastness the Holy Qur'an says.

And whoever desires the reward in this world, We shall give it, and whoever desires the reward in the Hereafter, We shall do that. We shall certainly reward those who are grateful. (Surah Ale Imran, 3:145)

About Prophet Ibrahim the Holy Qur'an says.

And We gave him what is good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the good. (Surah an-Nahl, 16:122)

It also says about the Prophets' supporters and their help and assistance.

Most surely We help Our Messengers and those who believe, in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses shall stand up. (Surah Mo'min, 40:51)

Perhaps we have drifted from our main topic but not too far. Yes, the main topic of discussion was as to why in this world one is not wholly rewarded or punished. We have now reached the answer to the third question that the worldly punishments are just a part of the main punishments that will be awarded on the Day of Resurrection.

You have now known answers to the three questions regarding the punishments that are not given in this world. Now we come to the fourth answer of this question which we derive from the Holy Qur'an. It says.

Was Allah to seize people immediately for their injustice, no living creature would be left on earth. He gives them respite for an appointed time. When their term is over, they will not be able to change the inevitable. (Surah an-Nahl, 16:61)

Were Allah to punish people for their deeds immediately, not one creature would have survived on earth. However, He has given them a respite for an appointed time, and when their term comes to an end, let it be known that Allah watches over His servants. (Surah Fatir, 35:45)

Thus the Wisdom and Will of Allah lie in that a creature like man should remain alive as a free and independent being for a limited period of time so that the disobedient may also get some respite otherwise if such disobedient persons were to be killed there would remain no living person on earth. After all is there one, who has not disobeyed Allah, and is the punishment for his disobedience and insolence lesser than death?

Though the worldly punishments are meant to serve as a warning, yet if every sinner receives his punishment in full it will amount to lack of Allah's Grace and Blessings for it is just possible that a sinner may one day repent and seek forgiveness and give up disobedience to the commands of Allah and unravel the truth which he has so far hidden. We have seen many sinners or heard of them that they repented of their sins before death and changed their ways. Therefore, is it not proper and fair that man who is so weak and prone to inordinate desires and is apt to be prey to evil forces, be granted a respite so as to make amends for his bad deeds at the last moment and it may be just possible that his heart may become enlightened like esteemed Hur who had gone to fight against Imam Husayn but without losing any time he changed his mind and decided to fight against the enemies of the Holy Imam in the plain of Karbala?

Though it is certain that some people may take wrong advantage of this respite but still this will help the Muslims generally. Therefore, it is the Blessings and the Grace of Allah that man should not be punished in this world so that he may seek forgiveness of his sins before death comes to him.

The rewards and punishments will only be justifiable if we consider not only the deeds but their causes also. The Holy Qur'an says:

It is We Who bring the dead to life and record man 's deeds and their consequences. We keep everything recorded in an illustrious Book. (Surah Ya Sin, 36.12)

Suppose a man abruptly came into a meeting and after extinguishing the lamp ran away. There cannot be any severe punishment for extinguishing the lamp. Instead, a slap on his face will be a sufficient punishment, perhaps. But here it is to be seen what problems this extinguishing of the lamp would have caused? Maybe the carpet on the floor could catch fire by the falling of the lamp. Somebody might injure someone with a knife or some weapon. Someone might fall down from the staircase. Someone could strike his head against the wall. Some utensils could fall down from the table and get broken. So on and so forth. If we catch hold of the culprit, the problem before us would not be the mere extinguishing of the lamp but the justice would demand to assess the damage that this act might have caused. After citing this example we now come to the main discussion.

When someone introduces the use of harmful drug like heroin, or a life-saving medicine like an antibiotic it will not be fair to reward or punish such a person immediately. We should wait until the end of the world to know to what extent heroin caused damage by taking the life of the people and to what extent the other drug benefited the sick people. Thereafter, we should think of giving recompense.

Similarly if a man by means of a film strip, book or a cassette or any other such thing causes damage for a considerable length of time in that case we should not be in haste but should wait until the end of the world to assess its evil or good effects. This thing not only appeals to reason but it is justified also according to twelfth verse of Surah Yasin just quoted above as well as the traditions.

In the traditions also we read as follows: "If someone initiates a useful practice or sets a precedent for something good he will be sharing the reward with the people who will be following it, but because of this sharing the people's share will not be reduced. Similarly if a person sows the seeds of discord or makes the people deviate from the right path, the people will be sinners of course but the one, who initiated an evil, will, besides being the sinner himself, bear the burden of the other sinners also". (Safinatul Bihar, vol. II, p. 261)

In short, the first proof of Resurrection is the Justice of Allah. That is from three following premises it is proved that the coming of the Day of Resurrection is just in accordance with Justice of Allah:

(i) Regarding the commandments of Allah and the Prophets people are divided into two groups—the followers and the dissenters.

(ii) From the six answers that we have already given, this world is not the place for rewards and punishments.

(iii) It has been established without doubt by logical reasonings that Allah is Just and He will definitely reward or punish the people for their deeds and, therefore, there must be some day for it, and that is the Day of Resurrection.

The First Proof—Justice of Allah

There are many Qur'anic verses which ask the human intellect and conscience whether good and bad people are alike or there is a difference between the two. The Holy Qur'an says

Shall We treat those who believe and do good like the mischief-makers on the earth? Or shall We make those who guard against evil like the wicked? (Surah Sad, 38:28)

What! shall We then make those who submit as the guilty? (Surah al-Qalam, 68:35)

Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are never equal. (Surah as-Sajdah, 32:18)

Nay! do those who have wrought evil deeds think that We will make them like those who believe and do good—that their life and their death shall be equal? Evil is that they judge (Surah al-Jathiya, 45:21)

We have mentioned some Qur'anic verses in the chapter on Justice of Allah. You will read a synopsis of all that has been said earlier now in this chapter. Still in order not to affect the continuity we are repeating what has been said before. We said earlier that there are three conditions for a certain thing to happen:

(i) The possibility of that happening about which we have discussed before.

(ii) The cause of the happening, the division of mankind in two groups, limitations of this world and the Justice of Allah, which we have already discussed.

(iii) Now remains the third condition, that is, the absence of any hurdle or obstruction.

There is No Obstacle in the Resurrection

Normally obstruction is for smaller forces as for example for a vehicle which is bound to run on one track there can be no remedy for it. A big stone lying on its way can serve as an obstacle for its motion, but this very stone cannot be a hurdle for a bird which does not follow a specific course for its motion. Of course the greater the force or strength of knowledge the lesser will be the number of obstacles.

There are two conditions for the dead coming back to life:

(i) Immense knowledge and 

(ii) Infinite Power.

Therefore, how can there be any obstacle in the way of Allah Who has Infinite Knowledge of the location and condition of each and every particle of the earth? The Holy Qur'an says:

We know indeed what the earth diminishes of them, and with Us is a writing that preserves. (Surah Qaf, 50:4)

There can be no doubt about the assembling of the scattered particles before the Infinite Power of Allah and no obstacle can be conceived in the way of Allah. The Holy Qur'an has said about forty times:

Surely Allah is All-Powerful. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:20)

We ourselves are made of earth particles and we are only in this world because of wheat which grows from earth and we are alive because of rice and fruits which grow from earth. We came into existence first in the shape of a sperm of our father and then remained for some time in the womb of our mother and ultimately saw the light in this mortal world. Yes, each and every cell of our body must have come from one part of the earth or the other. The Infinite Power Who made us from the earth particles will again bring us back to life from the decayed bones and scattered particles of our dead body.

However, it is the Satan which makes us skeptical about our coming back to life again but the Holy Qur'an by such verses as "This is easy to Allah", which have come in the Holy Qur'an again and again, says that for Allah bringing the dead ones back to life is quite easy.

Real Difficulty That Faces Us

The real difficulty of ours is that we view Allah's Power and Knowledge from our own narrow thinking. Since we ourselves are limited we cannot conceive the infinity. In the Qur'anic narrations we come across from the beginning to the end this reality that Allah wants to broaden our mental horizon so as to let us come out of our limited frame of mind. For instance Allah says:

We produced a male child from virgin Maryam. (Surah Maryam, 19: 20)

We made the new-born child speak from the cradle. (Surah Maryam, 19:30)

We destroyed the people mounting on elephants by birds called "ababil " (swallows). (Surah al-Fil, 105: 3, 4)

We produced the stream of water by the striking on the ground with a staff. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:60)

We made the dead ones come to life by the blowing of the mouth's breath by Prophet Isa. (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:110)

We made an old and infertile woman give birth to a male child, Prophet Yahya. (Surah Hud, 11:72)

We got Prophet Musa to be brought up by Fir'aun himself. (Surah al-Qasas, 28:8)

These and hundreds of other such instances are, in fact the means to broaden the limited horizon of man's materialistic approach so as to let him think beyond his limited frame of mind. The recommendations for reading the Holy Qur'an are meant to train the mind so as to make him comprehend these Qur'anic statements. We should therefore not confine our thoughts to the natural laws and phenomena as it is Allah Who does everything whenever He wills. It always happens when He wills. In short before Allah's Infinite Power and Knowledge nothing is impossible and no obstacle comes in His way.