BELIEF IN THE HEREAFTER AND THE JUDGMENT DAY

1. BELIEF IN THE HEREAFTER AND THE JUDGMENT DAY

2. OUTLINE • What is the Hereafter ? • What are the Stages ? • Life in the grave • Judgment day • The balances • The books • Hell and Heaven • Doomsday • The Gathering • What are the evidences of the existence of Hereafter ? • Is the Soul and the Body going to resurrect together ? • Is Hereafter infinite ? • What are the benefits of believing in Hereafter ?

3. Hereafter The Muslims believe that there will be a final hour bringing the end to this world’s life, and that there will be a last Day after which there will be no other day. Then the second life begins. The term last day refers to events of the hereafter, when Allah the Almighty will resurrect all the creatures, gather them before Him and call them all to account. Then he will reward the pious with the eternal bliss in Paradise, and the evildoers with the disgraceful chastisement in the fire.

4. Stages : • Life in the grave The Prophet (sav) said: "The grave is either a garden from the Gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of Hell." [At-Tirmithi] Muslims believe that each person will be questioned in the grave and he/she can either suffer punishment which would reduce his/her punishment later on, or he/she can enjoy the grave it is a Garden of Paradise for him/her.

5. Life in the grave cont’d • The first stage of reckoning starts in the grave. • In the grave the first thing a person will be asked will be: • - Who was your Lord? • - What is your religion? • Who is this man who was sent amongst you? (referring to the Prophet, peace be upon him) • If answered correctly, the person will succeed and be granted the glad tidings.

6. Judgment day When God commands Israafeel (the Angel in charge of blowing the Trumpet) to blow the Trumpet the life on this earth will end through a series of enormous catastrophic events like mountains moving from their places. When God commands Israafeel to blow the Trumpet for the second time, people in the graves will rise from their graves alive together with the other ones.

7. The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! from the sepulchers (men) will rush forth to their Lord! They will say: "Ah! Woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?"... (A voice will say:) "This is what the Most Gracious had promised. And true was the word of the messengers!" (36:51-52) People will gather at the place of Hashr (Gathering). The sun will closer to people to such extent that their sweats will engulf them, upto their necks in some cases.

8. The Balances Balances will be set up. The good and the bad deeds will be given materialistic existence and weight. They will be placed in the pans of the balance. Whichever side comes down will determine if the person goes to heaven or hell.

9. The Books Muslims believe that each person’s actions are recorded by two angels on the shoulders into a book. During judgment the deeds in the books will be revealed and each person will receive his book either to his right or left hand. The ones who receive their books into their right hand will be the ones to go to heaven while the other ones got to hell. Then he who is given his Record in his right hand, Soon will his account be taken by an easy reckoning, And he will turn to his people, rejoicing! But he who is given his Record behind his back,- Soon will he cry for Perdition, And he will enter a Blazing Fire. (84:7-12)

10. Heaven Muslims believe that people will be present in heaven and hell not only with their souls but also with materialistic bodies but the bodies will not suffer any difficulties or have needs in heaven. For Muslims heaven is the place to meet all the people one wants to meet. People will have the opportunity to see the prophets and other great people in heaven and have conversations with them. There will be no bad feelings and all the desires will be fulfilled in heaven.

11. Hell There are various punishments in hell. The person’s body and soul will suffer the punishment and the body will be remade if necessary at the end of the punishment.

12. Doomsday Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), among other things, came to warn us of a time when truth would be known, when the thoughts and intentions of the heart would be revealed. He earnestly proclaimed as inevitable a day when accounts would be settled and when scales would be balanced. Fazlur Rahman, in an oblique paraphrase of sura 50:22, said that Judgment Day is the "Hour when every human will be shaken into a unique and unprecedented self-awareness of his deeds; he will squarely and starkly face his own doings, not-doings, and mis-doings and accept the judgment upon them. . . . "

13. The Gathering • When all humans ever created are gathered (hashr) to stand naked and uncircumcised on a great plain under the ferocious scorching heat of the Sun, an elite group of pious men and women will be shaded under the Throne of God.  • The Prophet Muhammad foretold just who these fortunate souls will be, on that Day when no other shade will avail:

14. Gathering cont’d • a just ruler who did not abuse his power, but established divinely revealed justice among people • a young man who grew up worshipping his Lord and controlled his desires in order to remain chaste • those who hearts were attached to the Mosques, longing to return every time they left them • those who loved one another for God’s sake • those who were tempted by seductively beautiful women, but their fear of God stopped them from sinning • the one who spend sincerely for God’s sake, keeping their charity secret • the one who wept out of God’s fear in solitude

15. What are the evidences of the existence of Hereafter ? • Allah says: "O mankind! Be afraid of your Lord, and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father" [Quran 31:33] • Allah says: "Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them even if they offered it as a ransom." • “Then did you think that We created you in vain and that to Us you would not be returned?  Therefore exalted be God, the Sovereign, the Truth; no deity is there save Him, Lord of the Supreme Throne.” (Quran 23:115-116)

16. Is the Soul and the Body going to resurrect together ? • The dead will be raised physically and spiritually. According to the context, the Qur'an mentions either spiritual or bodily resurrection. For example: O soul at peace! Return unto your Lord well-pleasing and well-pleased! Enter among My (righteous) servants. Enter My Paradise! (89:27-30). • These verses mention the soul's return to its Lord. However, many other verses describe the Resurrection and the other world in such material or physical terms that we must accept that it also will be physical.

17. Is Hereafter infinite ? • An eternal home that will fulfill all our wholesome desires, seduce all our senses, grant us everything we could possibly want and much more besides.  God describes His Paradise as having earth made of is fine musk powder,[2]  soil of saffron,[3]  bricks of gold and silver, and pebbles of pearls and rubies. • “But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, ‘Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein.” (Quran 39:73

18. What are the benefits of believing in Hereafter ? • After belief in God, belief in the Resurrection (hereafter) has the primary place in securing a peaceful social order. • Belief in the Hereafter prevents young people from wasting their lives in transitory and trivial things, and gives hope to the elderly as they move closer to the grave.

19. Cont’d • It also helps children endure the death of loved ones. Children who believe that they will be reunited with their deceased loved ones in a far better world find true consolation in the Resurrection.