The Hereafter
There are many instances in Hadith literature of the unerring justice of divine retribution for, in the life after death, man will be rewarded or punished strictly in accordance with the virtues or vices of his deeds in this world.
The Quran gives us this notable example: “Proclaim a woeful punishment to those that hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in God’s cause. The day will surely come when their treasures shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads, sides and backs branded with them. Their tormentors will say to them; “These are the riches which you hoarded, taste then the punishment which is your due” (The Quran 9:34-35).
When the Prophet went on his Night Journey to the Heavens, amongst the things that he was shown was a world of allegory in which man’s worldly actions appeared in an other-worldly form. He was not only shown the results of good deeds in the everlasting life after death but was also given an insight into the forms which evil deeds would assume in that eternal world.
When he saw people having their heads smashed with mighty rocks, he asked the Archangel who they were, and was told that they were those whose heaviness of head prevented them from rising for prayer. Then there were people grazing in the manner of cattle, with patches all over their clothes. When he asked who they were, the Archangel told him that they were the ones who did not spend their wealth to advance God’s cause. Then he saw someone trying to lift a bundle of wood he had gathered, but each time he was on the point of doing so, a few more sticks would be added to the bundle. This time the Prophet was told that this was a man who, instead of trying to diminish an already overwhelming load of responsibilities, took more and more of a burden upon himself.
Others were having their tongues and lips cut with scissors. The Angel accompanying the Prophet explained to him that these were people whose tongues wagged uncontrollably and irresponsibly, causing corruption in the land. In one place the Prophet saw a huge ox emerging from a hole in a rock. When it tried to re-enter it, it was unable to do so, even after a mighty struggle. When the Prophet asked what this meant, the Angel told him that this represented a person who, having uttered contentious words and seen their evil consequences, wanted to take back his words but was unable to do so. At another point, people were cutting off pieces of their own flesh and eating them. The Prophet was told that these were the ones who accused and derided their fellow men.
Next were individuals whose nails were made of copper. With these they were scratching their own faces and chests. These turned out to be people who sought to expose the faults of others, attacking their honour and dignity. There were some too, with lips like those of camels, consuming fire. The angel told the Prophet that they were the devourers of orphans’ property. Then came people with enlarged stomachs full of writhing snakes. Passersby were trampling on them, but they could not escape, for they were rooted to the spot, unable to move. “These,” said the Angel, “are the usurers.” Further on there were people who had piles of meat placed on both sides of them. On one side was good, fresh meat, and on the other side was rotten, foul-smelling meat. These people, ignoring the good meat, were eating the meat which had gone bad. The Angel explained that these were the men and women who had forsaken their own legitimate spouses and taken to unlawful partners for the satisfaction of their desires.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1386)
The state of affairs in Paradise is the same. The Quran explains that the reward given in Heaven will be of the same hue as one’s actions in this world. “Proclaim good tidings to those who have faith and do good works. They shall dwell in gardens watered by running streams. Whenever they are given fruit to eat, they will say: ‘This is what we used to eat before,’ for they shall be given the like” (The Quran, 2:25). This means that the rewards of the Hereafter will be in exact accordance with one’s actions in this world. The form of the reward will be exactly suited to our deeds.
At one place during the same Night Journey, the Prophet saw some harvesters at work. The more they cut, the more their harvest increased. When he asked who they were, he was told by the Archangel that they were people who struggled on earth in the path of God.
Man is being tested in this world to see what response he offers in certain given situations. It is man and man alone who is being tested in this way. An inanimate object, such as a stone or a piece of wood, would not find itself required to give responses to varying sets of circumstances. Man, on the other hand, is an aware, sensate being, who is stirred by the situations he faces in life, and who reacts to them mentally and physically, in word and in deed. God has given man freedom of thought and action in this world, and herein lies man’s real test, for God has given man this freedom to see how he uses it—whether, for example, he returns abuse for abuse, malice for malice, or whether he suffers these things, yet offering only prayers and goodwill in return.
Man’s response to the situations he faces in life can take one of two forms: the infernal or the heavenly. An infernal response is one which is categorically opposed to the will of God, while a heavenly response is one which humbly conforms to His will. Those who make the former response are Satanic in character and fit only for Hell. The latter evince divine characteristics and will be admitted to the Garden of Bliss.
How do we define ‘Satanic’ characteristics? They are those personality traits which cause an individual to embark on a retaliatory course, quite unmindful of the consequences, whenever he is confronted with circumstances which are not to his liking. Whether it be pain, sorrow or mere embarrassment, which is inflicted upon him, he feels he must hit back, returning hate for hate, anger for anger. Divine characteristics, on the other hand, being deep-rooted in the fear of God, cause a man to rise above fleeting emotions and prevent him from ‘being swayed by passionate love or hate in his dealings. To acquire these divine characteristics, we need only put into practice the commandments the Prophet was given by his Maker: “To join up with those who sever ties with me; to give to those who deprive me; to forgive those who wrong me.” (Jami’ al-Usool by Ibn al-Athir, Hadith No. 9317)
In this world there is no escaping adverse sets of circumstances in which unpleasantness occurs over and over again, thus arousing strong antipathies. But believers are exhorted, by divine commandments, to rise above the treatment meted out to them and to confront negative treatment with positive behaviour. This means suppressing angry and vengeful feelings and permitting absolutely no outburst of bitterness and loathing. All of these emotions have to be thoroughly stifled, and, in spite of having experienced them, the true believer must deal with others in the purest spirit of goodwill.
The Garden of Paradise is an exquisite and unblemished haven, which God has specifically created for the truly, righteous among His servants. A glimpse of this world is to be had from the words of the Prophet:
“The Companions of Paradise will eat and drink there, but they will neither salivate, urinate or defecate.” “What will happen to what they eat?” asked the companions, to which the Prophet replied: “There will be belching and perspiration, which will be as fragrant as musk. Praise and glorification of God will come as naturally to them as breathing comes to you in this world.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2835)
Just as the human body excretes filth, so does the human mentality emits hate, — antipathy, jealousy, vengeance, arrogance and injustice. Considering that the Prophet’s words show Paradise as a world in which all filth and foul matter will be emitted in a fragrant form, how could it ever be possible for people who emit foul sentiments to enter that flawless domain? Those who discharge ‘filth’ in a form that is unacceptable are certainly not fit to inhabit the pure world of Paradise.
Those of God’s servants who will be welcomed in Paradise are those who exude purity. They are the ones who show love in return for hatred, who forgive when they might well seek vengeance. Paradise is a place for people who display, good-will when tempted to be jealous and malicious, a sense of justice when in a position to be cruel, and humility when it would be easy to be arrogant. This is what is meant by transforming inner filth into purity and fragrance. It is only people who are able to do so who will find their abode in the Gardens of Paradise.
The world has been so made that from time to time unpleasant situations are bound to arise. This is inescapable, since the world has been thus designed as a place of trial for mankind. One who responds positively in untoward situations will prove himself worthy of Paradise, while one who allows himself to fall a prey to negative sentiments will forfeit his right even to enter its gates.
Those who are truly fit to breathe the air of Paradise are the ones who, when beset by some calamity, do not succumb to despair, but who bear their sufferings with patience and fortitude. They are the ones who pray for those who wrong them, who adhere to justice and give others whatever is their due. They do not resent being critcised, but rather listen to their critics dispassionately. No matter how great their grievances, they do not waver from the path of justice. Justice, in fact is the hallmark of their behaviour towards others; all can expect exemplary treatment at their hands. Although feelings of resentment and antagonism may creep into their hearts, because they themselves have suffered from disagreeable treatment, they do not allow such feelings to permeate their entire consciousness, and certainly do not permit them to affect their outward demeanour. Indeed, they make extra efforts to convert all feelings of antipathy into good-will and fair mindedness before having any further dealings with those who have wronged them. They behave like the flowers which counter pollution with fragrance. The only people who can live such utterly blameless lives are those who remember God with every breath they take and whose hearts beat to the tune of their Maker. The lives of such saintly people are, indeed, based on the twin pillars of fear and love of the Lord.
When the flames of contumacy are fanned, it is the believer’s duty to bow in humility. When there is an up-surge of hatred, a believer should extend his kindness and love. Wherever ill-will is in evidence, a believer is required to be the embodiment of good-will and benevolence. When imprecations are being hurled, it is a believer’s duty to utter words of prayer. There are times when one is tempted to deny the rights of others: at such times, the believer must not forget the demands of justice, and must give others what is theirs by right. There are times too, when to acknowledge the truth is to suffer a loss of face; even so a believer should banish all thoughts of personal position and prestige, and acknowledge the truth, no matter how painfully humiliating. Sometimes there is an urge to have one’s revenge, at such moments, a believer is duty-bound to suppress this urge and to act in a manner which is in total consonance with the principles of justice and the sentiment of good-will.
If one is riding in a lorry, one cannot avoid experiencing a series of jolts as the lorry bounces along. A luxury car, on the other hand, no matter how fast it is travelling, gives its passengers a smooth, comfortable journey, thanks to its shock-absorbers. It is because the lorry has no shock absorbers of this type that it passes on all the jolts to its passengers. A man who does not fear God is like that lorry. Unable to bear his own psychological jolts, he passes them on to others. One who fears God, however, absorbs the jolts himself, thus preventing others from being disturbed by their impact. Living on this earth amongst other human beings, one is bound to have unpleasant experiences from time to time. The man who patiently acts as a buffer to these shocks, thus preventing others from suffering their impact, is a person of very great merit. But the person who can absorb unpleasant experiences and then pass them on to others in the form of pleasant experiences is of even greater merit. It is people with such patience, fortitude and consideration for others who are truly fit to take up residence in Paradise—a place of the greatest purity and refinement, where even filth impinges on the senses in the form of fragrance. The best candidate for entry to such a world is one who has shown his capacity to accomplish this same process of conversion in the world of mankind. Here, the manifestation of filth in the form of fragrance takes place on an abstract level, within the mind. In Paradise, at God’s behest, it will assume a physical form. In other words, human action on a moral plane in this world will take concrete shape in the next world.
Every situation which confronts a man in this world invites one of two kinds of responses. It is on the basis of this response that one will be pronounced fit for Heaven or far Hell.
A true word is spoken. One acknowledges it, another denies it. An issue arises, eliciting justice and mercy on the one hand, and cruelty and oppression on the other. Adverse circumstances came into being, arousing feelings of humility in one and contumacy in another. Attitudes of good-will and regard for others are faced off by the urge to hate and avenge. These opposing reactions are what determines our fate in the Hereafter, the positive taking us to Heaven and the negative to Hell. We should never lose sight of the fact that it is by them that we stand, or fall.
