Arguments for Resurrection – Part 19

“These decorations are only samples of the bounties stored by the All- Merciful for believers in gardens of Paradise. These transient things were not created for eternal extinction, but have been assembled here to be copied with their forms, meanings, and consequences of their existence. Everlasting scenes will be woven from them for the people of eternity, or the One Who subjects them to incessant transformations will make from them whatever He wills in the eternal world.”

Hadith: It is said that the Prophet PBUH went to a companion’s place. There he saw two threads, a black and white one lying next to his pillow. The Prophet inquired about the threads and the companion answered saying that it helps him keep track of the dawn. That is he puts them by the horizon and when they are distinguishable, he stops eating as stated in the Quran. To which the Prophet’s reply alluded to the fact that the message of the Quran is not to be taken literally. Try to see whether daybreak is distinguishable from the darkness of night for the purpose of starting time of fasting. But in a very universal level of understanding: Pay attention to the existence of the day and night. How does one explain the events?

What does it mean for us?
Quran speaks in a figurative language. The Prophet shared the Quranic verses and taught people generally.  Any message needs to be confirmed with its meaning by the individual person for themselves under the light of the Quran.  Prophetic teachings are occasional, personal and time-space bound.  However, the teachings of the Quran are not time-space bound.  They are applicable to everyone and one has to interpret those teachings at a personal level within her/his own present conditions which is called “belief”.

Additionally, if one seeks advice from an expert for some important matter, then one still has to work on confirming his belief for himself.  The expert cannot confirm belief for you as his/her responsibility is only to share his expertise/experience with you.

Belief training got lost in focusing on the grammar of Arabic language and the historical information. And as a result belief training is missing from most schools of thought.  Belief is the primary focus of Islam. For example historically, we hear that Judaism got a hold of belief training discipline from Muslim Scholars. However, the “belief training” itself got meddled in with the discipline of theology and hence, forgotten. There are some scholars that specialize in hadiths narrations and derive rulings from it only, while others specialize in theology only.  You cannot have one without the other but the important point is to apply the belief aspect into it for yourself. Make the message of your Creator meaningful to your existence right now.

What can I make out of “Paradise is prepared for believers”?

Paradise and Hell are abstract notions. One has to understand what a “believer” is before we link it to Paradise. However, both belief and paradise are integrally connected.

It is known in the tradition that Paradise is open to everyone, whereas to go to Hell one has to force themselves into it. What does it mean?  It means living in tune with your human nature is Paradise, whereas deviating from your human nature is Hell. One has to make the effort in order to enter Hell whereas if one lives by the way they are created (according to fitrah), listen to their human qualities then without any effort, paradise is achieved.

In this creation on earth, Paradise and Hell is within your own condition. That is, within your own understanding, you experience Paradise or Hell in your reality.

• Paradise is within one’s perception of the treatment of the Creator.
• Hell is within one’s perception of the reality confined to this transient universe.

Analogy: Hansel and Gretel are guests at Maria’s house. Hansel is scared from Maria, the host, that she may attack him anytime while he is asleep. Any little noise he hears at night frightens him that the host is coming to kill him. On the other hand, Gretel feels at ease at Maria’s house. She sleeps in peace comfortably without any fear or doubt about Maria.

• Similarly, based on how a person interprets existence of this universe, this person feels Paradise or Hell accordingly. Within the order of creation, you experience Paradise or Hell within your perception, i.e. how you interpret it. It is based on the person’s worldview. How much one has developed their human potentialities to understand their existence and the existence of the universe. Whatever I see/experience in this creation, do I see that event as coming from a source with Absolute Will, Knowledge, Power, Mercy?
• Experiencing Paradise or Hell is within the perception of every human being.
• Everything is interpreted within my perception and is the will of the Creator.

What is Eternity?

We can logically conclude its existence but we cannot comprehend its nature.

What is non-existence?

That which does not exist is not comprehensible at all. It is just a concept which allows human beings to be aware of existence rather than nonexistence.

• If something exists, there is no Eternal extinction for it.
• We cannot imagine eternal extinction. If something exists in a meaningful way and demonstrates the qualities of its Maker, then its Source of existence must be Absolute/Eternal. If the Source is Eternal as the Creator, then His act of Creatorship (all qualities manifested in the universe) will be Eternal. We cannot say that He is the Creator today but tomorrow I do not know. If He is Absolute, then you cannot put any limit to it. But the type of creation may vary.
• If the Source of Existence is Absolute, then things carry meaning of the Absolute.

What is Absolute?

That which cannot be described within the universe and that which is not dependent on anything else for its existence is Absolute.

• We cannot imagine the Absolute in an abstract way. That is, we cannot explain things without referring it to an Absolute Source.
• Example: You observe a fork. How do you explain its existence? Does it happen to be given existence by itself? No. The fork must have a Maker.
• What qualities are needed to be a Maker?
• The ability to give existence in Absolute form.
• If something has Absolute qualities, then it cannot be describable within the universe.

Similarly, whatever we see in existence must have a maker that must not be of the nature of the universe and thus we conclude that this maker must be Absolute.