Qiyamah

Qiyamah
Knowledge of the Hereafter

Qiyamah from viewpoint of logic

Suppose we had no naqali (divinely conveyed statements) and had there been no arrival of all the Prophets and messengers who have informed us that a day will certainly come for taking account of human deeds and who told people that: You will have to, on one day, answer for all of your words and deeds, reason and logic itself is a very big proof and testimony indicating that this revolving of skies and the initiation of the creation of every being and everything is not without any aim or intention. Every wise and intelligent man, whenever he looks all around him, he observes that day and night come one after another and man eats and drinks and sleeps and goes in privacy and fulfills all of his desires; that a child grows up and turns into a youth and then an old man and then dies. Is all this huge and vast unending movements and happenings which all of us always observe with our own eyes aimed only at these movements and is it limited only up to here. Has it no aim or object? If it is so then it only means that man has been created just for creating dirt. This is merely a false and aimless business. There were animals to fulfill such deeds like eating and drinking and sleeping and gratifying passions. There was no need at all for the creation of man.

Deniers Of Hereafter Do Not understand God’s Wisdom

Those who do not believe in Akhirah (Qiyamah) of Hereafter, in fact, do not believe in the wisdom and intelligence of God Almighty. (May He forgive). This denial only means that all of this vast and huge universe has been created without any aim or object. “A Fa Hasibtum… (Surah Muminoon: 23, V: 115).

But to think so is the fault and error of their thinking. Whenever and wherever we look at anything we find that it has thousands of wisdoms (proper aims) and that man can hardly comprehend even a few of them. Even the most trifling and ordinary atom too is not without any wisdom behind its creation. Then what to talk about bigger and higher things!

Nail As A Support

This hair and nail too are not aimless. For example, take the case of nails. One of the wisdoms behind its creation is that, despite it being a short and apparently insignificant part of the human body, it serves as a support for fingers. Whenever man wants to pick up anything, it is only this nail, due to which the finger can bear the pressure falling on it. Otherwise it was not possible to bear such crushing weight for the fleshy fingers. That is why; if nails are drawn out from its base it will be difficult to lift certain things. What would then have happened had there been no nails at all?

Moreover, these nails help us in scratching things or our bodies. Again, dirty and excessive matters within the body also go out through these nails. That is why it has been ordered that nails must be cut at least once in a week (specially on Friday).

Exit Of Excessive Matter Through Hair

Not a single hair of our body too is without wisdom or aim or strategy. Imam Sadiq (A.S.) tells Mafazzal bin Amr: Some ignorant people say it would have been better were hair not to grow on certain body parts. They do not know that those are the parts where excess and dirty (impure or unclean) body matter concentrates. If that dirt were not to be driven out through hair, the human body would become ill and sick. (For further detail please refer to Tawheed Mufazzail). That is why we have been commanded to remove this hair as soon as possible (within two weeks at the most).

If man ponders deeply he will realize that all the elements of the world of creation are full of wisdom and strategy.

Medicine Made From Cow Dung Beetle Proved Effective For Eye Trouble

It is said that the famous doctor Jaaleenoos (Galenus) once looked at the dirty insect cow dung beetle and expressed his opinion saying “I do not see any wisdom in the creation of this thing. Why, after all, had God created it? After some time he developed severe pain in his eyes. Despite using all medicines in his expert knowledge no remedy worked on that trouble. Other doctors also tried in vain. At last there came an old woman and said: I have a pill. It is very effective for the illness of the eyes. When Hakeem Jaalinoos used it he became alight. He asked how the pill was prepared. She said it was a paste with the cow dung beetle as one of its ingredients.

Is The World Existence Void Of Wisdom

Not even a single particle in the world of existence is created without any wise aim. Can then the entire universe be aimless at all? In the human body, even a nail and a hair are without its utility. Can then the whole human body have been created without any aim and intention? Never. All modern day scientists are unanimous in their opinion that they have not been able to comprehend all the wisdoms and strategies behind all the things in this world. Only God knows how many new and astonishing things will come to light in future. About half a century ago, people in Europe were of the opinion that in our body at the end of intestines there is an extension called appendicitis; that it is of no use. So, many healthy people got it removed. But soon thereafter they realized that they were wrong. So, they announced that healthy persons should not remove it because now they had come to understand that the said extension was a sign of alarm. When much impurities pile up in the intestines, this extension gives pain thus cautioning them before the impurities could havoc. So, the patient becomes alert and resorts to remedy. It is also possible that it may have other benefits too which have not yet come to our notice despite research and about which we may know in the days and years to come.

Not A Single Tooth Is Without Wisdom

In the human mouth not a single tooth is void of usefulness. The grinding gum's job cannot be done by the pointed teeth. Not a single bone out of the 248 in the human body is useless, that is, even one of them is missing, it renders the whole body defective. Similar is the case with veins, nerves and fats etc. Can then the entire body be ever void of utility and wisdom behind it?

After recognizing the creator of the universe as most wise and after realizing that even the tiniest atom is not useless here, it is now our duty to try to understand the wisdom and aim behind the great creation. We see how many benefits we derive from various kinds of innumerable stones, vegetables and animals.

Abro Baado…Baree meaning: The clouds, wind, moon and sun all are busy in their duties so that, O Man! You may get and eat bread. All these are moving and working round the cloud for you. Is it, then, not very unjust that you may not obey the commands of your Lord!

Creation Would Have Been Aimless Had There Been Only Happiness

Is the aim of the creation of man only this worldly and material life? Is there nothing after death? Are we totally and suddenly annihilated? If it is taken for granted that the only aim of human life in this universe is eating, drinking, resting and pleasure-hunting to gratify passion lust and greed and desires and had it been so that man would not ever test what is pain and trouble and difficulty and grief and sorrow throughout his life then, in that case, also the creation would have been aimless. The reason for this conclusion is that even though the said life is full of pleasure and happiness it is yet unreliable and untrustworthy because, after all, it is passing and it is bound to end one day. So it is unthinkable that such a wide and huge universe should be for anything which is to perish while human life is, from its beginning to end, full of different kinds of difficulties and troubles and pains and sorrows.

As the poet Aasoodeh has said: Yak Tane…Bood meaning: I have seen in this world only one asoodeh (happy) person. But then, it was only his pen name that was Aasoodeh).

Another poet says: -

Dile Begam…Bashad meaning: You will not find any man in this world who has no worries. If he has no worry then he is not the son of Adam).

Every Gulp After Thousands Of Stings

The fact is that, if man is to perish after his death and if his life is limited only to this world of matter which is made up of various kinds of sorrows, physical and spiritual and mental troubles, sufferings, mischief, fornications, usurpations, illness of children, death of progeny, separation from friends then this life is totally senseless and void of wisdom. This is against the divine attributes like the Just, the Kind, the Most Merciful, the Most Wise etc. In that case the creation of human beings in the world would be like an example in which, suppose, a generous man invites guests in a house which is full of all kinds of harmful animals like tigers, leopards, wolves, snakes, scorpions and wasps. Then when that guest arrives therein he may be served with eatables in that very horrible house and then any morsel taken by him is accompanied by the stings of several troubles and poisonous insects. Not only this, there also may be some attackers with swords in their hands ready to attack that guest even before he completes his feast (and thereafter nothing at all)! Just tell me, is there any use of such a feat? Is it not a futile endeavor?

For The Sake Of A Joy Which Will Be Without Sorrow Or Pain

What can be surmised from the above discussion is that, for man, another life or world will surely arrive in which all of his happiness and joys will be available. It is absolutely essential that he (a good man or woman) must get joy and relief and comfort which has no pain with it and also an everlasting happiness which must not be followed by any trouble and grief or sorrow. The deserving persons must get comforts which should never end.

Khurram Aan Rooz…Bi Ravam meaning: Very happy will be the day when I will walk away from the passing world to find peace in my soul and to meet the beloved.

So it has been established from the viewpoint of logic and reason and it is now realized that God Almighty has created man for eternal and everlasting happiness. He has detained a man for a little temporary period so that he may prepare to be eligible for the sure and permanent life which is full of joys and bounties. God has given him two wings of knowledge and action with which he may fly high to gain extreme heights in the eternal realm.

Qiyamah Cannot Be Doubted

The fact is that if man turns towards his God given mind and nature and thinks deeply he will very soon find that there can be a doubt in each and every possible thing but there is no room for any doubt at all in the belief in God, His creation and the Hereafter. Eternal life after death and reward or punishment in the everlasting Hereafter (Aakhirah).

Wa Annas… (Surah Hajj: 22, V: 7). Of course, some people, because of their drowning in desires and constant engagement in material affairs and continuous commitment to sins have disfigured their nature thereby falling in doubt about the above-mentioned doubtless matters.

Bal Yuree Doon…Amaamah (Surah Qiyamah: 75, V: 5) meaning: But man desires that he should go on doing evil things henceforth).

So the verdict of reason has established that there is an aim and utility and wisdom behind the creation of the earth, the sky and each and every part of the human body which will be known to him on the day when he will have to leave this material world. On the basis of all this, the coming of another world or realm is a must after the end of this world.


Divine Justice Demands A Day Of Judgement

While describing the attributes of the Lord Almighty during the discussion of the Oneness of the Creator of the Universe, we have said that God is Just and so He has provided each and every essential thing for everything and every being, without demand:

Maa Adam…Shanvad meaning: We were nothing, we never demanded to come out as living things. How kind is the Most Merciful Lord Who hears without anyone says or speaks anything.

One of the demands of God's justice is to give reward to those good people who, as we see, passed their whole lives in obedience and worship and piety but, in this world of ours, they got no reward in proportion with their labors and hardships. Likewise, the Just Lord's attribute of Justice also demands that He should give punishment to offenders who, as we see, have indulged in various mischiefs and conspiracies and devastating corruption but no punishment is or has been given to them in this world. They pass away from this world continuing their offenses and sins. Often it also happens that mischievous offenders live easy and luxurious lives whereas good people live in trouble. We also see how much cruelty man shows towards man. They loot one another's property; kill one another and trample others' honor under their feet. Since God Almighty is Just, certainly a day will come when every one will get his due based on his good or bad deeds. The Rights of every one will be restored to him or her. Those who had oppressed others will surely be thrown into fire on that Day as was promised: Innaa…Suraadiquhaa (Surah Kahf: 18, V: 29) meaning: We have prepared fire for the oppressors, the flames of which encircle them. The poor person who was unjustly killed will be able to take revenge from the evil oppressor.

Wa Izal…Qutilat (Surah Takweer: 81, V: 8-9) meaning: And God may give reward/compensation to the oppressed victim. Good people may get rewards and evil ones may get chastisement so that His justice may become manifest.


True People Have Informed About Qiyamah

All the Messengers and Prophets who were most true in the entire universe and whose word is an argument (Hujjat) for us (as has been discussed at length in the chapter about Prophethood) have given the news that Qiyamah will come. Pious and religious minded people belonging to every religion and sect believed in becoming alive after death. In fact religion is based only on two principles: Mabda’ (beginning) and Ma'aad (returning to life). In most of the verses of the Holy Quran mentioning faith in God have also at the same time, is a demand for faith in Akhirah (Hereafter or Resurrection).

Yoominoona…Aakhir. (Surah Al Imran: 3, V: 14) meaning: And all the religions and faiths are unanimous about the aforesaid two principles of Mabda’ and Ma'ad.

In short, nor one or two but thousands of true announcers have given the news of the arrival of the Day of Judgment. (So also) logic demands that this thing must be accepted and it must be understood and believed that the Day will certainly come.


The Best Proof OF Resurrection Is The Possibility Of Its Coming

As has been said earlier, the issue of resurrection is not against logic. Whenever the mind thinks about it, it says that it is a 'possible or likely' thing. Moreover, all the true informers whose number is one lakh twenty-four thousand (Messengers and Prophets) and so also all of their legatees have said so and the word of each and every one of them is sufficient for the brain to accept.

Some ill-informed persons have tried to create a doubt that Iaadat…meaning: Coming back from a perished thing is impossible. They say how it appeared again! But they have no proof (argument) in support of this claim. The only word which they have with them is 'necessity'. Taking support of this word they say our argument in this matter is the said Iaadat. In case, anybody puts forth a logical argument, our reply is as has been given earlier.

* The Hereafter - Ma'ad. Chapter 3. By Ayatullah Dastghaib Shiraazi (q.s.).