Theological Instructions

LESSON FIFTY: THE IMAGE OF RESURRECTION IN THE QUR’AN

Introduction

It is understood from the Holy Qur’an, that the establishment of the Resurrection is not restricted to restoring life to human beings; rather the system of this world will change fundamentally, and another world with different characteristics will come into existence i.e. an unpredictable world about whose particularities we cannot acquire any exact insight. All human beings from the entire time span of creation will then be presented with the results of their deeds and meet eternal bliss or chastisement.

There are numerous Qur’anic verses in relation to this subject, and we will present here a brief summery of their contents.

The conditions of the earth, sea and mountain

There will be a horrific earthquake (refer to al-Zalzalah:1, al-Hajj:1, al-Wāqi’ah:4, al-Muzzammil:14); the earth will bring forth that which it contains (al-Zalzalah:2, al- Inshiqāq:4); it will explode (al-Hāqqah:14, al-Fajr:21); the seas will split (al- Takwīr:6, al- Infitār:3). The mountains will move (al-Kahf:47, al-Nahl:88, al- Tūr:10, al-Takwīr:2), explode (al-Hāqqah:4, al-Wāqi’ah:5), change into hills of sand (al-Muzzammil:14), and will later change into blown cotton (al-Ma’ārij:9, al- Qāri’ah:5), and scatter in the sky (Tāha:105-107, al-Mursalāt: 10); nothing except a mirage will remain where once the highest mountains existed (al-Kahf:8, al-Naba’:20).

The condition of the sky and stars

The moon (refer to al-Qiyāmah:8, Ibrāhīm:2, al Āadiyāt:10. al-Tāriq:9, Qāf:22, al- Hāqqah:18), the sun (al-Takwīr:1, al-Hajj:65, al-Furqān:26, Ghāafir:16, al- Infitār:19), and the larger stars (some of which are far bigger and brighter than our sun), will become dark and cool (al-Takwīr:2, Hūd:105, Tāha:108-111, al- Naba’:38), and will face disorders in their movement (al-Infitār: 2, ‘Abasa:34-37, al-Shu’arā’:88, al-Ma’ārij:10-14, Luqmān:33). For example, the sun and the moon will come together (al-Qiyāmah:9, al-Baqarah:166, al-Mu’minūn:101), and the sky, which has surrounded the world like a strong ceiling will become loose and trembling (al-Tūr:1, al-Hāqqah:16, al-Zukhruf:67), it will split and tear (al-Rahmān: 37, al- Hāaqqah:16, al-Muzzammil:18, al-Mursalāt:9, al-Naba’:19, al-Infitār:1, al- Inshiqāq:1), and become totally annihilated (al-Anbiyā:104, al-Takwīr:11). Other heavenly bodies will change into melting metals (al-Ma’ārij:8, al-An’ām:31, Maryam:39, Yūnus:54) and the whole atmosphere will become full of smoke and clouds (al-Furqān:25, al-Dukhān:10).

The trumpet of death

It will be under these circumstances that the trumpet of death will be blown and cause all living things to perish (al-Zumar:68, al-Hāaqqah:13, Yāsīn:49), no sign of life will remain. Terror and fear will grip all (al-Naml: 87-89) except those who know the facts and secrets of existence, their hearts will be filled will the knowledge and love of God the Supreme.

The trumpet of life and the beginning of resurrection

Then, another world with the capability of being eternal will be established (Ibrāhīm:48, Zumar:67, Maryam:38, Qāf:22), and the whole universe will be illuminated in the light of God (al-Zumar:69), and the Horn of Life will be blown (al- Zumar:68, Kahf:99, Qāf:20,42, al-Naba’:18, al-Nāzi’āt:13-14, al-Muddaththir:8, al- Sāffāt:19). All human beings [even animals (al-An’ām:38, al-Takwīr:5) will become alive at once (al-Nahl:77, al-Qamar:50, al-Naba’:18), and like grasshoppers and butterflies which scatter in the air (al-Qāri’ah:4, al-Qamar:7), will move quickly (Qāf:44, al-Ma’ārij:43), fearfully and excitedly (Qāf:20) towards God (Yāsīn:51, al- Mutaffifiīn:30, al-Qiyāmah:12,30). All the people will gather together (al-Kahf:99, al-Taghābun:9, al-Nisā’:87, al-An’ām:12, Āl-Imrān:9, Hūd:103) and most of them will think that their stay between the material world and the Resurrection has been for one hour, one day or a few days (al-Rūm:55, al-Nāzi’āt:46, Yūnus:45, al-Isrā’:52, Tāha:103-104, al-Mu’minūn:113, al-Ahqāf:35).

The presence of God’s government and the disappearance of consanguine and relative-in-law relations In the other world, the facts will be revealed, and God’s government and Kingdom will reign supreme. The people will become so affected that no-one will dare to speak aloud; everybody will be concerned with his/her own faith, even the children will escape from their parents and the relatives from each other. Any kind of relationship among the people will be destroyed. Friendships based on worldly and satanic benefits and standards will change into enmity and the hearts will be full of sorrow and regrets about the sins of the past.

The Divine court of justice

The Divine court of justice will be established after the resurrection, and the deeds of all God’s servants will be presented to them (Āl-‘Imrān:30, al-Takwīr:14, al-Isrā: 49); and the deeds’ documents will be distributed (al-Isrā’:13-14,71, al-Hāqqah: 19,25, al-Inshiqāaq:7,10). The correspondence between the doer and the action is so obvious that there will be no need to ask anyone what he/she has done (al-Rahmaān: 39). In that court, the angels, the prophets and other selected people by God will bear witness (al-Zumar:69, al-Baqarah:143, Āl-‘Imrān:140, al-Nisā’:41&69, Hūd:18, al- Hajj:78, Qāf:21, Nahl:84,89). The hands, feet, and even the skin of the people will provide evidence (for what their owners have done) (al-Nūr:24, Yāsīn:65, Fussilat:20-21); the case of every body will be carefully analysed and all deeds will be measured by the Divine scale (al-A’rāf:8-9, al-Anbiyā’:47), everybody will be judged according to justice (Yūnus:54,93, al-Nahl:78, al-Zumar: 69,75). Every individual will meet with the result of his attempts (al-Najm:40-41, al- Baqarah:281,286, al-An’ām:70, Hūd:111, Ibrāhīm:51, Tāha:15, Tūr:21, Yāsīn:54, al-Zumar:24), and the doers of good will receive reward tenfold (al-An’ām:160). No- one will bear the responsibility of what others have done (al-Najm:39, al-An’ām:146, Fātir:18, al-Zumar:7) except those who mislead others, who will carry not only the responsibility of their own sins but also those of all the mislead individuals (Nahl:25, ‘Ankabūt:13, Also it is possible from these verses to

guess that those who have helped people move towards God in this world will receive double reward. This is, nevertheless, explicitly stated in the traditions). However, no reduction will be made in the punishment of the misled. Moreover, no exchange (of deeds) will be accepted from anybody (al-Baqarah:48-123, Āl-‘Imrān:91, Luqmān:23, al-Mā’idah:36).

Nobody’s mediation will be accepted, (al-Baqarah: 48,123,254, al-Muddaththir:48) except that of those who are permitted to do so by God, and they will mediate according to the standards, which are inline with His satisfaction (al-Anbiyā’:28, al- Baqarah:255, Yūnus:3, Saba’:23, al-Zukhruf:86, Tāha:109).

Towards the eternal residence

God’s judgment will be announced and the doers of good will be separated from the guilty (Hūd:105-108, Yāsīn:59). The believers with their happy and glorious faces will move towards Paradise (al-Zumar:73, Maryam:85, ‘Abasa:28-29), while the unbelievers and hypocrites with their unhappy and dark faces move abjectly towards Hell (al-Zumar:60-71, Yūnus:27, Maryam:86, Isrā:72,97). Both groups will, nevertheless pass Hell (Maryam:71-72); the glory of the believers’ faces will shed light making their way clear (al-Hadīd:12), whilst the unbelievers and hypocrites will remain engulfed in darkness.

The hypocrites who had some connection with the believers in the world will call upon them and ask them, “Look at us so that we can use your light”, but they hear “You should go back to the world to get light”. They will again ask “Weren’t we friends in the world?” and hear that “You were with us outwardly but you made problems for yourselves; you became hard-hearted and surrendered to doubts and today you meet the results of all your deeds; no excuse is accepted from you and the unbelievers”.

Finally the unbelievers and hypocrites will descend deep into Hell (al-Hadīd:13-15, al-Nisā’:140).

When the believers approach Paradise, its doors will open, the angels will welcome them and together with greetings and respect they will give them the good news of eternal prosperity (al-Zumar:73, al-Ra’d: 22,24). On the other hand, when the unbelievers and hypocrites arrive in Hell, its doors will open and the angels of punishment will harshly blame them and inform them about the eternal punishment (al-Zumar:71-72, al-Tahrīm:6, al-Anbyā’:103).

Paradise

There will be gardens as vast as the skies and earth in Paradise (Āl-‘Imrān:133, al- Hadīd:21). The gardens will be filled with different types of trees with all kinds of ripe fruits, easily accessible (al-Hāqqah:23, Dahr: 6,1,21). There will be magnificent buildings, and clear and pure rivers of water (al-Baqarah:25, Āl-‘Imrān:15), milk, honey (Muhammad:15, al-Dahr:6,18,21, al-Mutaffifīn:28); whatever the residents of Paradise wish for (al-Nahl:31, al-Furqān:16, al-Zumar:34, Fussilat:31, al- Zukhruuf:70-71, Qāf: 35), and even beyond their wishes (Qāf:35), will be at their disposal.

Those who enter Paradise will become adorned in clothes made of the softest thread like silk, and different types of jewellery (al-Kahf:31, al

Hajj:23, Fātir:33, al- Dukhān:53, al-Dahr:21, al-A’rāf:32), they will sit in front of each other, leaning on their soft seats studded with jewels, and praise and worship God (al-A’rāf:43, Yūnus:10, Faātir:34, Zumar:74). They will not talk in vain nor hear any meaningless speech (Maryam:62, al-Naba’:35); they will not be disturbed by cold or hot weather (al-Dahr:13). They will never become tired, and nothing will cause them to suffer (Maryam:62, al-Naba’:35). No fear, sadness (al-A’rāf:35, al-Hijr:48) or rancour (al- A’rāf:35, al-Hijr:48) will they find in their hearts. Beautiful maids will move around them (al-Wāqi’ah:17, Dahr:19) and offer glasses of Paradisal drink to them, which will provide them with happiness and refreshment and will suffer them no ill (al- Sāffāt:45&47, Sād:51, al-Tūr:23, al-Dahr:5-6,15-19, al-Naba’:34). They will also eat various fruits and the meat of different kinds of poultry (Sād:51, al-Tūr:22, al- Rahmān: 52,68, al-Wāqi’ah:20-21), and will have dialogues with their pretty, kind and clean spouses (al-Baqarah:25, Āl-‘Imrān:15, al-Nisā’: 57, al-Tūr:20, al- Rahmān:56,70-74, al-Wāqi’ah: 22-23,34-37), above all they will enjoy the spiritual pleasure of living in God’s Paradise (Āl-‘Imrān:15, al-Tawbah:21,73, al-Hadīd:20, al-Māidah:119, al-Bayyinah 8). They will be subject to God’s kindness, which will delight them; however, no-one can imagine the degree of such happiness (al- Sajdah:17). This unique prosperity and those indescribable blessings, kindnesses, life in God’s Paradise and residence close to Him continue forever (al-Baqarah:25,82, Āl-‘Imrān:107,198, al-Nisā’:13,57,122, al-Tawbah:22,72, Yūnus:26, Ibrāhīm:23, al- Kahf:3,108, Tāha:76, ‘Ankabūt: 58, Qāf:34) and never end (al-Dukhān:56).

Hell

The unbelievers and hypocrites in whose hearts there is no belief in God will reside in Hell (al-Nisā’:140). The capacity of Hell is so that after surrounding the guilty, it will still ask for more (Qāf:30). Hell is but fire and torture.

The flames of fire will blaze from everywhere and the ear-splitting and harsh sounds will increase the fright and anxiety of the disbelievers (Hūd:106, al-Anbyāa’:100, al- Furqaān:12, al-Mulk:7-8). The faces will be sad, frowning, dark, ugly and wrinkled (Āl-‘Imrān:106, al-Mulk:27, al-Zumar:60). No sign of love, mercy, or flexibility will even be seen on the faces of the angels of Hell (Tahrīm 91). The residents of Hell will be tied in iron chains (Ra’d, Ibrāhīm:49, Saba’:33), and fire will engulf them from head to toe (Ibrāhīm: 50, Furqān:13, Jinn:15); they are in fact, the fuel for the fire (al-Baqarah:24, Āl-‘Imrāan:10, al-Tahrīm:6). There is no voice in Hell except the groans, complaints, and screams of the residents and the dreadful shouts of Hell’s guards (al-Furqān:13-14, al-Inshiqāq:11). Boiling water, which will cause their insides to melt, will be poured on the inhabitants of Hell (al-Hajj:19-20, al- Dukhāan:48). When, due to their great thirst and temperature, they ask for water, some hot, polluted, and fetid water will be given to them and they will drink it eagerly and greedily (al-An’ām: 70, Yūnus:4, al-Kahf: 29, al-Wāqi’ah:42-44). Their food will be from the Zaqūm tree, which grows from fire and whose fruit will increase

the irritation of their insides (al-Sāffāt:62-66, Sād:57, al-Dukhān:45-46, al-Naba’:25).

Their clothes are made of a black and sticky material and are by themselves a torture (Ibrāhīm:17, Tāha:74, Fātir:36). Their companions will be the Satans and Jinn to whom the residents of Hell would wish they had no relation (Zukhruuf:38-39, Sād:85). Moreover, they curse and damn each other (al-A’rāf:38-39, al-‘Ankabūt;25).

As soon as they start apologizing to God about their deeds, the commands of ‘Go away!’ and ‘Shut up!’ make them quiet (al-Mu’minūn:108, al-Rūm:57, al- Mursalāt:35-36). They will ask the guards of Hell to intervene and request some decrease in their punishment from God; they will answer “Didn’t God send you His prophets and provide you with all the means of guidance?” (Ghāfir 49-50). Then, they will ask for their death and learn that they will be in Hell forever (al-Zukhruuf:77).

Although death rushes to them from everywhere, they will never die (Ibrāhīm:17, Tāha:74, Fātir:36); as their skins burn, they will be replaced by new skins, so that the punishment continues forever (Nisā’:56).

They will ask the people in Paradise for some food and water, and will hear in reply that; “God has prohibited you from the blessings of Paradise” (al-A’rāf:50). Then the residents of Paradise ask them “What caused your bad luck and took you to Hell?” They will answer “We didn’t pray and worship God, and didn’t help the poor. In addition, we accompanied wrong doers and rejected the Resurrection” (al- Muddaththir:29-47).

They will then start to struggle and fight against each other (Sād:59-64); the mislead will tell the misleaders, “You deceived us” and they will reply, “You followed us willingly” (al-Arāf:38-9, al-Sāffāt:27-33, Qāf:

27-28). The inferior will say to their superiors “You caused us to be in such desperate conditions”, and they will answer, “Did we change your way towards God forcefully?” (Ibrāhīm:21, Saba’:31-33).

Finally, they will turn to Satan saying, “You mislead us” and he will reply, “God promised you with truth, but you didn’t accept, while I promised you with untruth and you accepted. Therefore, instead of blaming me blame yourselves”. He will then continue, “however, at present, none of us can help the other” (Ibrāhīm:22). Thus, they have no alternative but to accept the results of their own disobedience and face the consequences of remaining in torture forever (al-Baqarah:39, Āl-‘Imrān: 88&116, al-Nisā’:169, al-An’ām:128, Tāha:101, al-Jinn:23).

Questions

  1. Describe the conditions of the sky and the earth at the time of Resurrection.

  2. Explain the way Resurrection begins and discuss its characteristics.

  3. Describe the Divine court of justice.

  4. Explain the movement of the believers and disbelievers towards their eternal residence.

  5. Describe the blessings in Paradise.

  6. Discuss the conditions of Hell and its residents.

  7. Explain the dialogues among the residents of Hell.