What is the Criteria for a True Prophet?

 

Rays from the Same Lamp

A natural question to ask someone who believes in any prophet is: ‘What are the criteria for your belief in him?’  Reasonable criteria would be:

(i)   evidence for his claim.

(ii)  consistency in his teachings (about God, afterlife, and similar issues of belief)

(iii) similarity to the teachings of earlier prophets.

(iv) integrity: he must be a man of high morals.

The Bible lends support to our criteria.  The Old Testament says of a false prophet:

1.    Pretends to be sent by God.[1]

2.    Described as covetous,[2]  drunken,[3]  immoral and profane,[4]  influenced by evil spirits.[5]

3.    Prophesizes falsely,[6]  lies in the name of the Lord,[7]  out of his own heart,[8]  in the name of false gods.[9]

4.    Often practices divination and witchcraft.[10]

5.    Leads people into error,[11]  makes to forget God’s name,[12]  teaches profaneness and sin,[13]  and oppresses.[14]

The New Testament says of Jesus’ criteria to identify false prophets:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."[15]

We learn the following:

(i)   prophecy will continue after Jesus.

(ii)  beware of false prophets.

(iii) the criteria to identify a false prophet is his fruits, that is his works or deeds.[16]

As stated earlier, Muhammad claimed unequivocally, ‘I am God’s Messenger.’  If a person evaluates his claim on the above criteria, he will find it meets the criteria completely.

In Islamic doctrine, all prophets constitute a spiritual fraternity of brothers with a single ‘father,’ but different ‘mothers.’  The ‘father’ is prophethood and unity of God, the ‘mothers’ are the different Laws they brought.  Emphasizing the spiritual fraternity of all prophets, Prophet Muhammad said:

"I am the closest of all people to the son of Mary (Jesus).  The prophets are paternal brothers, their mothers are different, but their religion is one." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

All prophets are ‘rays’ from the same ‘Lamp’: the central message of all prophets throughout ages was to dedicate worship to God only.  That’s why Islam views denying a single prophet as equivalent to denying them all.  The Quran states:

"Indeed, those who deny God and His messengers, and wish to separate God from His messengers, saying: ‘We believe in some but reject others’ and want to pursue a path in-between - it is they, they who are truly denying the truth: and for those who deny the truth We have readied shameful suffering.  But as for those who believe in God and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them - unto them, in time, will He grant their rewards [in full].  And God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace." (Quran 4:150-152)

Denying the prophethood of Muhammad is tantamount to denying all prophets.  The prophethood of Muhammad is known just like the prophethood of Moses and Jesus is known: the numerous reports of their miracles that have reached us.  The Book brought by Muhammad (the Quran) is fully preserved, and His Law is complete and applicable to today’s world.  Moses brought the Law and justice, Jesus brought grace and flexibility.  Muhammad combined between the Law of Moses and the grace of Jesus.

If someone were to say, ‘he was an imposter,’ others are more fit to be charged with this accusation.  Hence, denying Muhammad is denying one’s own prophets.  If a reasonable person looks at two bright stars, he must acknowledge both are stars, he cannot say to one, ‘Yes, this one is a bright star,’ but deny the other!  Doing so would be denying reality and a lie.

Make a table of all the prophets you believe in.  Start from the first one to the last one you believe in.  Answer the following questions:

What is the evidence I believe he was a true prophet?

What was the mission of the prophet in his own words?

Did he bring a Law?  Is his Law applicable today?

What scripture did he bring?  How is its content and meaning?

Is the scripture preserved in the original language it was revealed in?  Is it considered a literary authority, free of internal inconsistencies?

What do you know of his morals and integrity?

Compare all the prophets you have listed and then answer the same questions about Muhammad.  Then ask yourself, ‘Can I honestly take Muhammad out of my list because he does not meet the criteria as other prophets?’  It will not take too much effort to discover that the evidence for Muhammad’s prophethood is stronger and more convincing.

A skeptic need consider what is so unusual about Muhammad’s claim to be a prophet?  When did God declare an end to prophecy before him?  Who decided that there would not be any more divine communication with human beings?  With no evidence to block divine revelation, it is natural to accept a continuity of revelation:

"Indeed, We have sent you with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner: for there never was any community but a Warner has [lived and] passed away in its midst." (Quran 35:24)

"And We sent forth Our messengers, one after another: [and] every time their messenger came to a community, they gave him the lie: and so We caused them to follow one another [into the grave], and let them become [mere] tales: and so - away with the folk who would not believe!" (Quran 23:44)

This is true especially when the truth was perverted by Jews and Christians, the Christians claiming Jesus was the son of God and Jews calling him an illegitimate son of Joseph the Carpenter.  Muhammad brought the truth: Jesus was God’s noble prophet born of a miraculous virgin birth.  As a result, Muslims believe in Jesus and love him, neither going to the extreme like the Christians, nor disparaging him like the Jews.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Jer 23:17,18,31

[2]Mic 3:11

[3]Isa 28:7

[4]Jer 23:11,14

[5]1Ki 22:21,22

[6]Jer 5:31

[7] Jer 14:14

[8]Jer 23:16,26; Eze 13:2

[9]Jer 2:8

[10]Jer 14:14; Eze 22:28; Act 13:6

[11]Jer 23:13; Mic 3:5

[12] Jer 23:27

[13] Jer 23:14,15

[14]Eze 22:25

[15]Matthew 7:15-17 (King James Version)

[16]According to ‘Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.’

Supermoms

 

A book, Perfect Madness by Judith Warner, published by Riverhead Books, tells us that during her research, Warner discovered that:

·“Seventy percent of American moms say they find motherhood today ‘incredibly stressful.’”

·“Thirty percent of mothers of young children reportedly suffer from depression.”

In the lands where all that glitters is somehow perceived to be gold and therefore desirable, women are discovering that playing roles that were not ordained for them by God is not all it is cracked up to be.

Women in the West, who have long been battling both themselves and the natural order to be “superwomen,” are finding that banging their heads on the glass ceiling is giving them more than a headache.  They are finding themselves on a merry-go-round that will not stop.  Their makeup and their hair must be perfect; their size must be unrealistically thin; their children must be perfect, talented, and high achievers; their houses must be spotless; and all this must be achieved in the stolen hours between working and sleeping.

This is more than just struggling against the glass ceiling in pursuit of career goals: It is banging your head against a wall on a relentless and ongoing basis. As Judith Warner states, “I have seen so many mothers banging their heads against a wall: treating their pain - the chronic headache of their lives - with sleeping pills, antidepressants and anxiety meds, and a more and more potent, more and more vicious self-and-other-attacking form of anxious perfectionism.”

The chronic headache of their lives …!  Is that a life?  This is mere survival in a life of stress and loneliness.  The superwoman goal is unachievable not because women are incapable, but because they fail to see that fulfilling natural and predestined roles is undoubtedly the real super achievement.  Playing mother, wife, and career woman all at the same time is not an enviable position, and, except in cases of necessity, the woman’s role as caregiver and homemaker should take precedence over career and outside activities.

Islam defines women as superwomen - but with a different meaning.  Islam recognizes that the role of wife and mother is of paramount importance.  Islam defines marriage as half of the religion.  Islam clearly states that Heaven lies at the feet of mothers.  Islam goes much further than just recognition; it clearly defines the roles that women play and states rights and obligations with clarity and common sense.

The role of a mother in bringing up children is greater than that of a father.  She is responsible for their emotional, behavioral, and intellectual development.  She is responsible for instilling the love of Islam in them, especially in their early formative years.  When a woman understands the teachings of Islam and her own role in life, she understands her complete responsibility for the upbringing of her children, as is referred to in the Quran:

“O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones.” (Quran 66:6)

More than 40 years ago, Muslim women who were secure in their roles and their lives could see the damage being caused by a Western lifestyle.  In 1962 after observing her Western sisters, Salma Al-Haffar said in the Damacus newspaper Al-Ayyam,:

“It is truly a shame that women lose the most precious thing that nature has given them, that is, their femininity, and then their happiness, because the constant cycle of exhausting work has caused them to lose the small paradise which is the natural refuge of women and men alike, a refuge that can only flourish under the care of a mother who stays at home.  The happiness of individuals and society as a whole is to be found at home, in the lap of the family; the family is the source of inspiration, goodness and creativity.”

Nowadays, a woman is often forced to make choices that are not easy.  Often, she feels that she must work to help financially support the family.  Often, she is the family’s sole breadwinner.  However, before we focus blame on the stresses and demands of society today and blame them for the destruction of family values and the pain and anguish of failing supermoms, let’s recall how we have unrealistically idealized the lives women’s lives in the 21st century.

On the other hand, the lives of Muslim women must be guided only by the precepts of the Quran and the Sunnah.  We must not be fooled by slogans such as “times have changed.”

The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was sent with a message for all mankind, in all times and in all places.  The guidelines sent down to us by our Creator, God Almighty, are perfect and cover all situations.  God made it clear that a woman’s first responsibility is to her Creator, then to her husband, and then to her home.  There is nothing in Islam that prevents a woman from continuing her education, from working or from pursuing outside activities.  Nothing, that is, except the well-being of her family.

The importance that Islam places upon marriage is clear.

“And among His signs is this that He has created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquillity with them; and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect.” (Quran 30:21)

The usual by-product of marriage is children, and these children are the future of society.  What greater role can there be than that of mother?  How can the women who fulfill this role be regarded as anything but superwomen?  Women who understand their religion are secure in the fact that God Most High knows what is best for His slaves.

Women must be vigilant, for our society’s future rests in their hands, and being burnt out supermoms achieves nothing but stress and anxiety.  Unfortunately, many non-Western women today are blindly rushing to follow a well-worn road.  It is a road of consumerism and excess, and it leads nowhere. That nowhere has no substance; it is merely a feeling of emptiness and loss. It is better not to follow such women into oblivion; let us learn from their mistakes.

As is evident from the research found in Perfect Madness, the Western lifestyle being clutched to so desperately is not a cure for what ails us. The motherhood that needs to be sought is compatible with God Most High.  That is it, nothing more.  If we achieve this, we are the real superwomen; the true supermoms. - islamreligion.com

The Style of the Quran

 

What topics does the Quran discuss?  It covers various subjects.  Most importantly, it talks about the unity of God and how to live a life which accords to His Will.  Other topics include religious doctrine, creation, criminal and civil law, Judaism, Christianity, polytheism, social values, morality, history, stories of past prophets, and science.

The Quran calls the great human exemplars of the past prophets and mentions their great sacrifice in spreading the message of God, the most important of them being Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.  The Quran elaborates on the ways in which the followers of the prophets, specifically the Jews and the Christians, have or have not lived up to the prophetic messages.  It also discusses the fate of past nations who rejected their Prophets, such as Noah and Lot.  It issues instructions on how to live a life pleasing to God.  It commands people that they should pray, fast, and take care of the needy.  It discusses matters of human interrelationships, sometimes in great detail - such as laws of inheritance and marriage - in a manner reminiscent of parts of the Hebrew Bible but foreign to the New Testament.  The Quran tells people that they should observe God’s instructions purely for God’s sake, not for any worldly aims.  It warns those who deny God’s messages that they will be thrown into the fire of Hell, and it promises those who accept the messages that they will be given the bliss of Paradise.

The Quran retells in their original form many of the stories from the Biblical heritage, especially that of Moses (mentioned by name more than any other person, followed by Pharaoh, his great enemy, who is the Quranic archetype of human evil).  However, it does not offer a sustained narrative of the kind found in the Book of Exodus.  It has much to say about the moral and legal duties of believers, but contains nothing like the law-code which is the centerpiece of the Book of Deuteronomy.  Many Quranic passages could aptly be described as preaching; but where the voice of the preacher in the Gospels is that of Jesus during his ministry on earth, in the Quran it is that of the ever-living God.

Also, the Quran repeats certain verses and themes at times, shifts topics, and often relates narratives in summarized form.  We can see two reasons for this characteristic.  First, it serves a linguistic purpose and is one of the powerful rhetorical techniques of classical Arabic.  Second, all themes of the Quran, no matter how varied, are wrapped around one common thread running through the entire book: that all types of worship rendered to others besides or alongside God is false, and that obedience to Him and His prophets, Muhammad being one of them, is a must.  The Quran, unlike the Bible, does not mention genealogies, chronological events, or minute historical details, but rather uses events from both past and present to illustrate its central message.  So, when the Quran is discussing the healing properties of honey or the life of Jesus, neither topic is an end in itself, but each is related in one way or another to the central message – unity of God and unity of the prophetic message.  No matter what the topic may be, it finds occasion to refer the discussion back to this central theme.

Another important point to keep in mind is that the Quran was not revealed in one sitting, but was revealed in parts over a span of 23 years.  Like the previous scriptures, many passages were revealed in response to specific events.  Often, Quranic revelation would come from the angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammad as a response to questions raised by those around him, whether believers or unbelievers.  The Quran addresses the People of the Scripture (a term used by the Quran for Jews and Christians), humanity at large, believers, and, finally, it addresses the Prophet himself, commanding him what to do in certain situations or supporting him and giving him solace in the face of ridicule and rejection.  Knowing the historical and social context clarifies the text.

Some other notable features of Quran’s style are the following:

(1)  The use of parables to stir curiosity of the reader and explain deep truths.

(2)  More than two hundred passages begin with the Arabic word Qul - ‘Say’ - addressing Prophet Muhammad to say what follows in reply to a question, to explain a matter of faith, or to announce a legal ruling.  For example,

“Say: ‘O People of the Scripture!  Do you disapprove of us for no other reason than that we believe in God, and the revelation that has come to us and that which came before (us), and because most of you are rebellious and disobedient?’” (Quran 5:59)

(3)  In some passages of the Quran, God takes oaths by His marvelous creation to strengthen an argument or to dispel doubts in the mind of the listener,

“By the sun and its brightness,

by the moon when it follows it,

by the day when it displays it,

by the night when it covers it,

by the sky and He who constructed it,

by the earth and He who spread it,

by the soul and He who proportioned it…” (Quran 91:1-7)

Sometimes God takes an oath by Himself:

“But no, by your Lord, they will not (truly) believe until they make you, (O Muhammad), judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in (full, willing) submission.” (Quran 4:65)

(4)  Lastly, the Quran has what is called ‘the disjointed letters,’ composed of letters of the Arabic alphabet which taken together do not have a known meaning in the Arabic lexicon.  Their meaning is only known to God.  They appear at the beginning of twenty nine surahs, and upon recital, each letter is pronounced and not the words they form.  For example, the first aayah of Surat-ul-Baqara appears as Alif-Lam-Mim, three letters of the Arabic alphabet pronounced individually.

A person unfamiliar with the Quran may find it a little difficult to read, especially at the start, but if they keep these points in mind, they will become more accustomed to it, and they will indeed find that even though it is a translation, it is truly profound book incomparable to any other. - islamreligion.com

The Importance of Prayer

 

The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated.  It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, mentioned after mentioning the Testimony of Faith, by which one becomes a Muslim.  It was made obligatory upon all the prophets and for all peoples.  God has declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances.  For example, when God spoke directly to Moses, He said,

“And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you.  Verily, I am God! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance.” (Quran 20:13-14)

Similarly, the prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet Muhammad during his ascension to heaven.  Furthermore, when God praises the believers, such as in the beginning of the chapter entitled ‘al-Muminoon’ (the Believers), one of the first descriptions He states is their adherence to the prayers. 

Once a man asked the Prophet about the most virtuous deed.  The Prophet stated that the most virtuous deed is the prayer.  The man asked again and again and for the first three times, the Prophet answered, “The prayer,” then on the fourth occasion he stated, “Jihad in the way of God.”[1]

The importance of prayer is demonstrated in many of the Prophet’s statements.  For example, the Prophet said,

“The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer.  If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound.  And if it is incomplete, then the rest of his deeds will be incomplete.”[2]

The importance of the prayers lies in the fact that no matter what actions one performs in his life, the most important aspect is one’s relationship to God, that is, one’s faith (imaan), God-consciousness (taqwa), sincerity (ikhlas) and worship of God (ibaadah).  This relationship with God is both demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by the prayer.  Therefore, if the prayers are sound and proper, the rest of the deeds will be sound and proper; and if the prayers are not sound and proper, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and proper, as the Prophet himself stated. 

In reality, the prayer is performed properly – with true remembrance of God and turning to Him for forgiveness – it will have a lasting effect on the person.  After he finishes the prayer, his heart will be filled with the remembrance of God.  He will be fearful as well as hopeful of God.  After that experience, he will not want to move from that lofty position to one wherein he disobeys God.  God has mentioned this aspect of the prayer when He has said,

“Verily, the prayer keeps one from the great sins and evil deeds” (Quran 29:45)

Nadwi has described this effect in the following eloquent way,

Its aim is to generate within the subliminal self of man such spiritual power, light of faith and awareness of God as can enable him to strive successfully against all kinds of evils and temptations and remain steadfast at times of trial and adversity and protect himself against the weakness of the flesh and the mischief of immoderate appetites.[3]

The overall affect that the properly performed prayers should have upon humans is described in other verses in the Quran:

“Verily, man was created impatient, irritable when evil touches him and ungenerous when good touches him.  Except for those devoted to prayer those who remain constant in their prayers…” (Quran 70:19-23)

As for the Hereafter, God’s forgiveness and pleasure is closely related to the prayers.  The Messenger of God said,

“God has obligated five prayers.  Whoever excellently performs their ablutions, prays them in their proper times, completes their bows, prostrations and khushu[4], has a promise from God that He will forgive him.  And whoever does not do that has no promise from God.  He may either forgive him or punish him.”

The prayers are a type of purification for a human being.  He turns and meets with his Lord five times a day.  As alluded to above, this repeated standing in front of God should keep the person from doing sinful acts during the day.  Furthermore, it should also be a time of remorse and repentance, such that he earnestly asks God for forgiveness for those sins that he committed.  In addition, the prayer in itself is a good deed that wipes away some of the evil deeds that he performed.  These points can be noted in the following hadith of the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him:

“If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it five times a day, do you think he would have any filth left on him?” The people said, “No filth would remain on him whatsoever.” The Prophet then said, “That is like the five daily prayers: God wipes away the sins by them.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

In another hadith, the Prophet said,

“The five daily prayers and the Friday Prayer until the Friday prayer are expiation for what is between them.” (Saheeh Muslim)

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]This is form a hadith recorded by Ahmad and ibn Hibban.  According to al-Albani, the hadith is hasan.  Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Sahih al-Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1982), vol.  1, p.  150

[2]Recorded by al-Tabarani.  According to al-Albani, it is Sahih.  Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol.1, p.  503.

[3]Nadwi, p. 24

[4]Khushu` in the prayer is where the person’s heart is attuned to the prayer.  This feeling in the heart is then reflected on the body.  The person remains still and calm.  His gaze is also lowered.  Even his voice is affected by this feeling in the heart.  For more details on this concept (as well as the difference between it and khudhu`), see Muhammad al-Shaayi, al-Furooq al-Laughawiyyah wa Atharahaa fi Tafseer al-Quran al-Kareem (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ubaikaan, 1993), pp.  249-254.  

Who are the Strangers?

 

Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said, “Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers.”[1]  It was asked, “Who are those strangers, O Messenger of God?”  He replied, “Those that correct the people when they become corrupt.”[2]  In another narration he said in response to the same question, “They are a small group of people among a large evil population.  Those who oppose them are more than those who follow them.[3]

Just who are the strangers?  Is it me or you or the neighbours; is it the people at the mosque, or the other mosque?  Is it all of us or none of us?  Are the strangers those who have converted to Islam? Or the born Muslim who suddenly grows a beard, or puts on a scarf for the first time?  I think that many of you would agree that being Muslim in the 21st century makes you well acquainted with being strange.  It might even be a metaphor for random, as in you have been randomly selected.

Seriously though, many converts to Islam will tell you about feeling as if they were strangers, before finding Islam.  They will speak of feeling that they belonged somewhere else, that their lives were just slightly off centre.  They often speak about a vague sense of knowing they were not like everyone else around them, feeling like a stranger in a strange land.  Converting to Islam gives one a sense of coming home, of finally being normal, albeit sometimes still in a strange land.

It does not take long though before some converts begin to feel that they are still strangers and they start to wonder if this feeling of never quite being at ease, or  at home, will ever end.  Some conclude that it will not, at least not until they are in their true home – al Jennah, the Paradise.  This feeling is not restricted to converts; often those who were born into the religion of Islam feel a sense of not belonging, of being out of place, of not fitting in, of being strange.

We are not the first or only Muslims to ponder our strangeness.  The first Muslims in Mecca must have looked to their sisters, fathers and aunts and wondered why they just couldn’t see the truth.  Why didn’t they see that Muhammad was the messenger of God?  Finding and accepting the truth is a wonderful blessing but often the feeling of strangeness remains.  And that is not such a bad thing.

Noted Islamic scholar Ibnul Qayyim said, Muslims are strangers among mankind; the true believers are strangers among Muslims; and the scholars are strangers among the true believers.  And the followers of the Sunnah, those that abandon all forms of innovation, are likewise strangers.

The strangeness we feel is a sensation that was shared by the prophets and messengers before Prophet Muhammad.  Prophet Noah preached the word of God to his people for 950 years yet he was rejected and mocked.  Prophet Lot, Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Jonah, were abused, persecuted and humiliated.  Prophet Moses was rejected not only by the Pharaoh but also by his own people when they rejected his call and worshipped the golden calf instead of God alone.  Prophet Jesus and his disciples were ridiculed when they chose to worship God Alone and must surely have felt the strangeness that we feel today.

Imam Ibnul Qayyim suggested that there were three degrees of strangeness.[4]  The first one he called ‘praiseworthy strangeness’, which is the result of adhering to the belief in One God.  It is the strangeness of those who say, there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.  It is a comforting strangeness, that comes from knowing that there is no help except from God.  He (God) says that most of mankind will not follow the truth.  Those that worship God truly and correctly will be the strangers from among mankind.

And if you obey most of the people on Earth, they will lead you astray. (Quran 6: 116)

And most of mankind will not believe, even if you (O Muhammad) desire it eagerly. (Quran 12: 103)

And truly, most of mankind are rebellious and disobedient (to God). (Quran 5: 49)

But nay, most of mankind are ungrateful. (Quran 12: 38)

As to the second type of strangeness, ‘blameworthy strangeness’, Ibnul Qayyim said more than 600 years ago, words that are pertinent even today.  “Their strangeness is due to their refusal to follow the correct and straight path of God.  This strangeness is the strangeness of not conforming to the religion of Islam and, as such, it will remain strange even if its followers are numerous, its power is strong and its existence is widespread.  These are the strangers to God.  May God keep us from becoming one of them.”

The third category is the strangeness a traveller feels.  It is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy.  It does however have the potential to become praiseworthy.  When  a person who lives in a place for a short period of time, knowing that he has to move on he feels strange, as if not belonging anywhere.

We are all strangers in this world, for we will all go one day to our permanent abode in the Hereafter.  Understanding this means that we understand and embrace what Ibnul Qayyim called praiseworthy strangeness.

Prophet Muhammad said, “Live in this world as though you are a stranger or a wayfarer.”  The strangeness that is felt by many Muslims is usually a good thing.  It can be that praiseworthy strangeness that confirms our love for God and His Messenger.  It reminds us to live our lives as if we are travellers at a way stop, waiting for God to call us home to our final abode. 

 islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Saheeh Muslim, At Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad.

[2]Reported by Abu Amr al-Dani, from the hadith of ibn Masoud

[3]Reported by ibn Asaakir.

[4]Al  Ghurbathu wa al Ghuraba, a booklet by Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah.

Life after Death : An Argument & Its Fruits

 

Life after Death (part 1 of 2): An Argument

The question of whether or not there is life after death does not fall into the field of science, because science is only concerned with the classification and analysis of recorded data.  Moreover, man has been busy with scientific enquiries and research, in the modern sense of the term, only for the last few centuries, while he has been familiar with the idea of life after death since time immemorial.  All the prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death.  They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt concerning the actuality of it meant denying God, and made all other beliefs meaningless.  Prophets of God have come and gone, the epochs of their advent being spread over thousands of years, yet life after death was proclaimed by them all.  The very fact that they have all dealt with this metaphysical question so confidently and uniformly goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of what to expect after death was the same: Divine revelation.

We also know that these prophets of God were greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of resurrection to life once a person had died, since their people thought it to be impossible.  But in spite of that opposition, the prophets won many sincere followers.  The question of what made those followers forsake their earlier belief systems arises.  What led them to reject the established beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers even though they risked being totally alienated from their own community?  The simple answer is that they made use of their faculties of mind and heart, and realized the truth.  Did they realize the truth through experiencing it?  It cannot be so, as the perceptual experience of life after death is impossible. 

Actually, God has given man, besides perceptual consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too.  It is this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory data.  That is why all the prophets of God, while calling people to believe in God and the life hereafter, appealed to the aesthetic, moral and rational sides of man.  For example, when the idolaters of Mecca denied even the possibility of life after death, the Quran exposed the weakness of their stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments in support of it:

“And Man has coined for Us a similitude, and has forgotten the fact of his creation, saying: ‘Who will revive these bones when they have rotted away?’  Say: ‘He will revive them who produced them at the first, for He is the Knower of every creation, Who has appointed for you fire from the green tree, and behold!  You kindle from it.  Is it not He who created the heavens and the earth, able to create the like of them?  Yes, and He is indeed the Supreme Creator, the All-Knowing.” (Quran 36:78-81)

At another occasion, the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers have no sound basis for their denial of life after death.  It is based on pure conjecture:

“They say, ‘There is nothing but our present life; we die, and we live, and nothing but time destroys us.’  Of that they have no knowledge; they merely conjecture.  And when Our revelations are recited to them, their only argument is that they say, ‘Bring us our father, if you speak truly.’” (Quran 45:24-25)

Surely God will raise all the dead, but not at our whim or for our idle inspection in the mundane world; God has His own plan of things.  A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed, and then again will the dead be resurrected to stand before God.  That day will be the beginning of the life that will never end, and that Day, every person will be rewarded by God according to his good and evil deeds.

The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after death is what the moral consciousness of man demands it.  Actually, if there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes irrelevant, or, even if one believes in God, that would be an unjust and indifferent God.  He would have been a God who once created man, only to be unconcerned with his fate thereafter.  Surely, God is just.  He will punish the tyrants whose crimes are beyond count: having killed hundreds of innocent persons, created great corruption in the society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, and so forth.  Man, having a very short span of life in this world, and this physical world also not being eternal, the punishments or rewards equal to the evil or noble deeds of persons are not possible here.  The Quran very emphatically states that the Day of Judgment must come and God will decide about the fate of each soul according to his or her record of deeds:

“Those who disbelieve say: The Hour will never come unto us.  Say: Nay, by my Lord, but it is coming unto you surely.  (He is) the Knower of the Unseen.  Not an atom’s weight, or less than that or greater, escapes Him in the heavens or in the earth, but it is in a clear Record.  That He may reward those who believe and do good works.  For them is pardon and a rich provision.  But those who strive against our revelations, challenging (Us), theirs will be a painful doom of wrath.” (Quran 34:3-5)

The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy will be in full manifestation.  God will shower His mercy on those who suffered for His sake in their worldly life, believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them.  But those who abused the bounties of God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in the most miserable state.  Drawing a comparison between them the Quran says:

“Is he, then, to whom we have promised a goodly promise the fulfillment of which he will meet, like the one whom We have provided with the good things of this life, and then on the Day of Resurrection he will be of those who will be brought arraigned before God?” (Quran 28:61)

Life after Death (part 2 of 2): Its Fruits

The Quran also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the eternal life after death.  But those who deny it become slaves of their passions and desires, and make fun of virtuous and God-conscious persons.  Such people realize their folly only at the time of their death and wish in vain to be given a further chance in the world.  Their miserable state at the time of death, the horror of the Day of Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers are very beautifully mentioned in the following verses of the Quran.

“Until, when death comes unto one of them, he says, ‘My Lord, send me back, that I may do right in that which I have left behind!’  But nay!  It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is a barrier until the day when they are raised.  And when the Trumpet is blown there will be no kinship among them that day, nor will they ask of another.  Then those whose scales are heavy, they are successful.  And those whose scales are light are those who lose their souls, in hell abiding, the fire burns their faces and they are glum therein.” (Quran 23:99-104)

The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the Hereafter, but also makes this world full of peace and happiness. This is through making individuals exceedingly responsible and dutiful in their activities due to their awe of God: the fear of His punishment and hope for His reward.

Think of the people of Arabia.  Gambling, drinking, tribal feuds, plundering and murdering were the main traits of their society when they had no belief in a life hereafter.  But as soon as they accepted the belief in One God and life after death, they became the most disciplined nation of the world.  They gave up their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice and equality.  Similarly, the denial of life after death has its consequences not only in the Hereafter, but also in this world.  When a nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of evil and corruption become rampant in that society and ultimately it is destroyed.  The Quran mentions the terrible end of  the ‘Aad, Thamud and the Pharaoh in some detail:

“(The tribes of) Thamud and ‘Aad disbelieved in the judgment to come.  As for Thamud, they were destroyed by the lightning, and as for ‘Aad, they were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind, which he imposed on them for seven long nights and eight long days, so that you might see the people laid prostrate in it as if they were the stumps of fallen down palm trees.

“Now do you see remnant of them?  Pharaoh likewise and those before him and the subverted cities.  They committed errors and those before him, and they rebelled against the Messenger of their Lord, and He seized them with a surpassing grip.  Lo, when the waters rose, We bore you in the running ship that We might make it a reminder for you and for heeding ears to hold.

“So when the Trumpet is blown with a single blast and the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed with a single blow, then on that day, the Terror shall come to pass, and the heaven shall be split, for upon that day it shall be very frail.

“Then as for him who is given his book in his right hand, he shall say ‘Here, take and read my book!  Certainly I thought that I should encounter my reckoning.’  So he shall be in a pleasing life in a lofty garden, its clusters nigh to gather.  Eat and drink with wholesome appetite for what you did long ago, in the days gone by.

“But as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he shall say: ‘Would that I had not been given my book and known my reckoning!  Would it had been the end!  My wealth has not availed me, my authority is gone from me.’” (Quran 69:4-29)

Thus, there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death.

First, all the prophets of God have called their people to believe in it.

Secondly, whenever a human society is built on the basis of this belief, it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral evils.

Thirdly, history bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of their Prophet, the group as a whole has been punished by God, even in this world.

Fourthly, moral, aesthetic and rational facilities of man endorse the possibility of life after death.

Fifthly, God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy would have no meaning if there is no life after death. - islamreligion.com