Qaf part 4
Recap: Things act with their opposites. We must prepare our minds about the consequences of this life. In other words, can resurrection take place?
- Can resurrection happen? Is it possible? We will look at creation as evidence for it, just how the Quran presents.
- Will resurrection really happen? How can I be sure? We will look for other evidence.
When we look at the world, without the message and its messenger, this life will turn into meaninglessness. If we do not bring Messengership into our lives, this universe means nothing to me. If I expect the Messenger’s life to be supported by something extra such as miracles for me to take the messenger seriously as a representative of God on Earth and to follow his teachings, then I am at a loss about understanding the reality of existence. By definition, the messenger must be a person educated by God to demonstrate how this message must be practiced in human life. There is a slight difference between obeying and following the message. While I am following the Prophetic lifestyle, I am obeying God’s message. However, I cannot follow God’s lifestyle without a human pattern.
My existence is totally dependent on the will of a One who gives me life. How do I explain my various feelings, especially the need for eternal perfection? We have all the right to complain to the Source of our Existence that: “If you do not give me eternal perfection, then I will be angry at You. My feeling of anger when my expectations of eternal happiness is not met, is given to me by the One Who created my feelings.” Obviously, eternal perfection is not possible in this universe, but our need for it is always with us.
Comment: An eternal pleasurable existence seems like “wishful thinking.”
How do we explain our thoughts? Where did you get this wishful thinking from? My responsibility here is to explain the existence of this universe.
- How do I explain my desires, feelings, and emotions?
If there was no departure from this universe or resurrection here, then I will live in a universe of torture and suffocation because everything is taken away from me gradually and sometimes suddenly (unexpectedly). If this existence is going into non-existence, then I will feel that I am slowly dragged into a chamber of torture. Every day I am getting closer to the end of my existence. When you look at the universe, the Creator does not seem like an aimless One because everything seems to be enjoying their existence. The way things exist, are acted upon in a Merciful way. Now, if there was no resurrection, I will feel that my Creator is torturing me by giving something to continuously enjoy and then right here, take it away from me.
We must look at this universe in the form of a school. I am here learning step by step and I know that this stage of education is going to come to an end. If I learn, then I am hopeful of what I learn, otherwise, I will be sorry for what I have not learned. We know that after receiving our degrees at graduation, another life will start. That is why we must take into consideration that every day I am preparing myself for my life after graduation. Everyday I shall be very enthusiastic in learning. If someone says that I will disappear from existence after graduation, then that person is not consciously aware of the Necessity of Resurrection. These people feel that I will try to enjoy as many opportunities as possible here. Can such people be hopeful in their existence? No, they will be feeling despair anytime they think of their future. At the end of the school, they think that they will just die and disappear, so they do not bother about learning. The main purpose of life of such heedless people will be to just entertain themselves here without any learning from the messages that all things present to them and thus without making their existence meaningful for them. They will “graduate” from this school of the universe as ignorant people. Inevitably, they will suffer in the next life after “graduation” which is death. That is why if someone thinks that there is no logic behind resurrection (and people are free to use their free will to confirm or deny the Necessity of Resurrection), then such a person must always suffer from the loss of hope in his life.
Religious belief is an extra resource for the human being, i.e., when the Prophet comes with such news of resurrection and eternal perfection, then I must check within myself. If I say that this seems to be right, that is what I experience here, and thus, it must be so. As a result, I must take this person seriously and listen to what he says. Fundamentally, the message is that there must be a Creator (logically), there must be a hereafter (logically), and there must be a communication between the Creator and the conscious human beings (practically). It must be so, for my Creator is giving me consciousness so that He must be in communication with me. The fundamental teaching is existentially confirmed, without which the existence of this universe does not make sense. Now, what this messenger says seems to be correct and so I take this man seriously and follow His message to learn about what I do not know about the reality of this existence. This person must also guide me on how to live in this world. Fundamentally, I confirm the message through my intellectual activity, and afterwards, I learn what I do not know from the messenger. If I cannot confirm it, then I cannot benefit from him and take him seriously.
Some people who do not take the message seriously are just concerned about their daily enjoyment (including humanitarian work/activities…). That is good, but what does all this point to? Why are you doing what you do? What will happen to you after graduation from this universe? You lived here happily and just will disappear from existence forever. Obviously, no one wants to die and we are given the feelings to live a healthy life here and prolong our existence as much as possible within the conditions of this universe. These are the signs of the need for a permanently satisfied life.
If someone you love suffers from an illness, would you want them to live longer and make their life comfortable? If I can and yes, but why bother about prolonging life here if everything dies and disappears from existence at the end? We are made in a way with the desire to want to live longer in a healthy way. If you are given a perfect life now, and someone comes to ask how long would you like to enjoy? You say 1000 years. After that, if someone comes to tell you that you will be put into non-existence after 1000 years, you ask for another option because you enjoy the life here.
- Would you rather ask for another extension of enjoyment rather than going into annihilation? Yes!
This is human nature, and I am created with this desire which permanently exists with me. The One who created me with this desire must do something in order not to contradict Himself. That is, He gives me this desire for eternal perfection and if He does not fulfill it, then He is crazy. Why did you give me this desire then?
If we were not made with the desire for wanting eternal happiness, then resurrection would mean nothing. The very existence of the desire in me proves that the One who gave me this desire is promising me that He is the One who will fulfill this desire.
In the first section of this Chapter Qaf, we explored how the Creator of the universe must create eternal life? In the next verses, we will investigate why the Creator of the universe will create eternal happiness? These verses are a simple way of presenting the desire of so labed “wishful thinking” that is nothing but represents our reality.