Proving Resurrection and the Hereafter -1

1. Proving Resurrectionandthe Hereafter -1 The Tenth Word of the Risale-i Nur

2. Hashr and Akhirah– What are they? Hashris often translated as ‘Resurrection’ It refers to our being raised back to life after our ‘apparent’ death in the present world We are resurrected on the ‘Day of Judgment’, where we will give account of our deeds in this life Akhirah refers to the ‘afterlife’ or the ‘hereafter’. The Day of Judgment,Paradiseand Hell are all part of the ‘hereafter’

3. Why does it matter? What’s so important about proving Hashr and the afterlife? Why does the Risale-i Nur focus on it? Hashr and the Hereafter is one of the four major themes of the Quran – thus the Risale focuses on it strongly As Said Nursi rightly points out, there is no more important matter for human beings than ‘gaining the Afterlife’. By this he means passing the examination of this world and gaining Paradise. Thus, proving Hashr and Akhirah, along with proving Allah and the other pillars of belief, is of paramount importance

4. A note on ‘analogy’ • We often encounter analogies in the Risale-i Nur, including in the Tenth Word • Analogy, comparison, allegory and metaphor may be used in various ways - usually to aid understanding, to prove a matter or both • The use of analogical arguments has been criticized in the past, especially by Hume, on the basis of ‘weakness’ of analogy

5. A note on ‘analogy’ But when Said Nursi uses analogical arguments, he points out very strong points of similarity between the matters being compared For example, he insightfully compares the Universe to a book. In doing so, he looks not to the external characteristics of the two, but rather, to their inner aspects. In this case, he shows how universal phenomena and books both exist to convey ‘meaning’ – thus they are perfectly analogous All comparisons used in the Risale-i Nur can be demonstrated in the same way, to be immune from Humean criticism

6. Readings – The Tenth Word Readings – The Tenth Word up to the ‘First Aspect’

7. The ‘First Aspect’ “Is it at all possible that in any kingdom, and particularly so splendid a kingdom as this, there should be no reward for those who serve obediently and no punishment for those who rebel? Reward and punishment are virtually non-existent here; there must therefore be a Supreme Tribunal somewhere else.” On the face of it, this proof addresses those who concede that there could be a God, yet doubt the likelihood of the Hereafter. But it can also be seen as proving God in the first place, by alluding to the fact that the universe is a ‘kingdom’ which must have a Ruler, thereby addressing the atheist as well. More on this later…

8. The ‘First Aspect’ It highlights the fact that while we perform much valuable work here, our recompense for it is small. Consider the pay earned by a paramedic, compared to the value of saving a life for example. Or consider ritual worship It’s clear that the real reward for these duties is deferred Conversely, consider the punishment meted out to criminals – is a ‘life sentence’ sufficient justice for murder? Is even the death penalty sufficient to right the wrong ofkilling? What about those who get away with serious crimes? Clearly, if Allah exists, the Hereafter must exist, so that real justice can be done

9. The Second Aspect “Look at the organization and administration of this kingdom! See how everyone, including the poorest and the weakest, is provided with perfect and ornate sustenance. The best care is taken of the sick. Royal and delicious foods, dishes, jewel encrusted decorations, embroidered garments, splendid feasts - all are to be found here… The ruler of this kingdom must possess, then, great generosity and all-embracing compassion… Now generosity requires liberality; compassion cannot dispense with beneficence… But not even a thousandth part of what that generosity … requires is to be seen in this realm.”

10. The Second Aspect Here, Ustad refers to the bounties provided to living beings, like food, health and even ‘beauty’ in general. Humans in particular need a wide range of things to survive, and an even wider range of things to thrive. All these things are somehow there for us, and keep coming all the time. This proves that Allah exists, but also that He is both Generous and Powerful But one cannot act with generosity unless they possess wealth and the power to give

11. The Second Aspect The ceaseless, all encompassing ‘provision for needs’ we see points to the fact that the Provider of those needs possesses an infinite treasury, and has infinite power Infinite Power and Generosity necessitate the existence of a permanent realm, where that generosity is manifested eternally

12. The Second Aspect - continued “See how everyone pays due attention to his duties, with the exception of empty-headed people such as yourself. No one transgresses his bounds by as much as an inch. The greatest of all men is engaged in modest and obedient service, with an attitude of fear and awe. The ruler of this kingdom must possess, then… great dignity, exalted awesomeness and honour … awesomeness and honour make it imperative that the discourteous be chastised. But not even a thousandth part of what that … awesomeness requires is to be seen in this realm. The oppressor retains his power, and the oppressed, his humiliation, as they both depart and migrate from this realm. Their affairs are, then, left to the same Supreme Tribunal of which we speak.” This ‘aspect’ can refer not only to the obedience of men to the Divine Commands in the Shariah, but alsotothe obedience of all things in the universe to the Divine Commands that are the ‘laws of the universe’…

13. The Second Aspect - continued There is an all-encompassing obedience to these laws everywhere in the universe. The only exceptions are free-willed beings like humans, who ‘break laws’ only through the insubstantial act of ‘choosing’ what is outlawed. But apart from this, even the sinful are obliged to obey. They can only transgress to the extent allowed by Allah This all-encompassing obedience, and dutiful ‘service’ performed everywhere by beings, points to the existence of a Ruler of infinite Power, Majesty, Grandeur and Dignity (a Malik who is Qadir, Azim, Jalil and Aziz) Again, this necessitates a realm where the discourteous will be dealt with appropriately, the righteous rewarded and the oppressed compensated, but also, these infinite attributes require an infinite place of manifestation