Islam: Articles of faith-5
Metaphysics, Eschatology (Al Ghaib) & Science
By: Aftab Khan
“He(alone) knows
that which is beyond the reach of a created being's perception, and to none
does He disclose aught of the mysteries of His Own unfathomable knowledge,
unless it be to an apostle whom He has been pleased to elect”(Qur’an;72:26-27)
"In this way We showed Abraham Our kingdom of the heavens and the earth, so that he might have certainty of faith." (Quran;6:75)
"When Abraham said, "Show me, my Lord, how You revive the dead!" God said, "Do you not believe?" Abraham answered, "Yes, indeed I do believe, but just to reassure my heart." Then God said, "Take four birds, and train them to come back to you. Then place them separately on each hilltop, and call them: they will come flying to you. Know that God is almighty and wise." (Quran;2:260)
Introduction:
The concept of spirit and
life hereafter exists in the revealed and most of other religions in some form
or other. It provides balanced approach and complete the understanding the
purpose of creation, test, trial, reward & punishment. Al Ghaib (Metaphysics) has vast meanings in
Islam; it includes: knowledge about Allah, His attributes, angels, holy books,
Allah’s messengers and Divine pre-ordainments (Al-Qadar). It also includes what Allah and His last
Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) informed about the knowledge of the
matters of past, present, and the future e.g., news abut the creation of the
heavens and earth, botanical and zoological life, the news abut the nations of
the past, eschatology including paradise, hell, resurrection, the Day of Judgment,
and events preceding and following to it. A Muslim must believe in all that is
reported in the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions concerning the metaphysical
matters (Al-Ghaib).
Three articles of Islamic Faith were introduced previously. The
root of affirmation of ‘Islamic Faith’ is based on the conviction upon unity of
God (Allah) (Tawheed). Following six ‘Articles of Faith’ are orally confessed
by the Muslims (believers), which should also be deep rooted, in the heart:
- To affirm his/her belief in Allah (The Creator, Just One God).
- To believe in His Messengers (from Adam, Noah, Abraham to Moses and Jesus Christ (pbuh), 25 are mentioned by name in Qur’an), and Muhammad (pbuh) the Last Messenger for humanity.
- His Books, Quran and all scriptures revealed to His Messengers which also include the original Torah, Psalms (Zabur) and original Gospel (Injeel) to Jesus Christ (pbuh).
- To believe in Al Ghaib [metaphysical, hidden creatures] like the angels, Jinns, etc.
- Resurrectionafter death on the Day of Judgment, accounting and the scales, hell and paradise.
- Qada & Qadar (Predestination), the good and evil of destiny are in the power of Allah, the Most High.
Effort has been made to introduce the Metaphysics of Bible &
Qur’an. There are many commonalities about eschatology among three Abrahamic
faiths. While appearing similar to certain parts of the Bible (Ezekiel,James,1
Peter, Revelation), this is dissimilar to some Protestant branches of
Christianity, where salvation comes by faith in Jesus alone. Catholics,
however, cite James 2:24 as evidence that judgment is not based on faith alone.
Islam emphasizes that while faith & works are required, the Divine Grace
does not conflict with perfect justice.
- Metaphysics & Eschatology
- Creatures: Angels : Angels in the Bible; Angels in Islam:Gabriel; Michael; Israfil; Izra`il: Munkar and Nakir; Cherub; Devil
- Jinns: Iblis
- Eschatology:
- The Biblical Concept
- Human -Inseparable Psychosomatic Unit
- After Life in Christianity
- After Life in Judaism
- Events Preceding The End Of The World:
- Biblical Concept: Jewish Concept of Antichrist; Christian Concept of Antichrist; Gog and Magog; Second Coming of Jesus; Armageddon
- Islamic Concept : Signs & Indications; Death: Body & Soul; Trial of the Grave; Paradise and Hell; Straight Path
- Intersession & Prayers:
- The Intercession on The Day of Judgement; The Great Intercession of The Apostle (peace be upon him)
Metaphysics & Eschatology
The word ‘Metaphysics’ is derived from Medieval Greek word,
metaphusika; ‘the things after the physics’. It was the phrase used by early
students of Aristotle to refer to the contents of Aristotle's treatise.
Aristotle had distinguished two tasks for the philosopher: first, to
investigate the nature and properties of what exists in the natural, or ‘sensible world’, and second, to explore
the characteristics of "Being as such" and to inquire into the
character of "the substance that is free from movement," or the most real
of all things, the intelligible reality on which everything in the world of
nature was thought to be causally dependent. The first constituted "second
philosophy" and was carried out primarily in the Aristotelian treatise now
known as the Physica; the second, which
Aristotle had also referred to as "theology" (because God was the
unmoved mover in his system), is roughly the subject matter of his Metaphysica.
Modern readers of Aristotle are inclined to take both the Physica and the
Metaphysica as philosophical treatises; the distinction their titles suggest
between an empirical and a conceptual inquiry has little foundation. According
to Encyclopedia Britannica: Metaphysics is the philosophical study whose object
is to determine the real nature of things--to determine the meaning, structure,
and principles of whatever is insofar as it is. Although this study is
popularly conceived as referring to anything ‘excessively subtle’ and highly
theoretical and although it has been subjected to many criticisms, it is
presented by metaphysicians as the most fundamental and most comprehensive of
inquiries, inasmuch as it is concerned with reality as a whole. In other words;
the branch of philosophy that deals with the
first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing,
substance, cause, identity, time, and space.
“Al-Ghaib” implies the ‘hidden,
unknown and invisible or veiled’; the things not seen or perceived through the
human senses. The Unseen has two aspects. The relative Unseen is so with
reference to a particular person, because of the intervention of Time, Space,
or particular circumstances. The Absolute Unseen, the Absolute Mystery, is
something which no creature can know or see, except in so far as Allah reveals
it to him. Man in his weak state would be most miserable if he could see the
secrets of the Future or the secrets of the Unseen. But things are revealed to
him from time to time as may be expedient for him, by Messengers chosen for the
purpose among whom the greatest is Muhammad (peace be upon him). In the
spiritual Kingdom, as indeed, in all things,-Allah's knowledge, wisdom, and
Plan comprehend all things, great and small nothing which happens that is
outside His account.
Hence the term Metaphysics, though not in its classical
meanings, may also be partly applied to Alam-Al-Ghaib as referring to
‘excessively subtle’ matters. The word Alam-Al-Ghaib (The hidden, unknown
and invisible world) henceforth referred here as Metaphysics has vast meanings
in Islam; it includes: Knowledge about Allah, His attributes, Angels, Holy
Books, Allah’s Messengers and Divine Pre-ordainments (Al-Qadar). Alam-Al-Ghaib It also includes what Allah and
His last Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) informed about the knowledge of
the matters of past, present, and the future e.g., news abut the creation of
the heavens and earth, botanical and zoological life, the news abut the nations
of the past, eschatology including paradise, hell, resurrection, the Day of
Judgment, and events preceding and following to it. A Muslim must believe in
all that is reported in the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions concerning the
metaphysical matters (Al-Ghaib). It is mentioned in Qur’an:
It (Qur’an) is a guide for those who are God
conscious, who believe in the Unseen..” (Qur’an;2:2-3).
“O believers! Believe in Allah, His Messenger, the Book which
He has revealed to His Messenger, and every Book which He previously revealed.
He who denies Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day has
gone far astray.”(Qur’an;4:136).
The knowledge of invisible is with Allah alone. The Qur’an
says:
“He Alone has the keys of the unseen treasures, of which no
one knows except Him. He knows whatever is in the land and in the sea; there is
not a single leaf that falls without His knowledge, there is neither a grain in
the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry which has not been recorded
in a Clear Book.”(Qur’an;6:59).
Allah reveals some of the mysteries of Unseen to His chosen
messengers : “He Alone knows the Unseen.
He does not reveal His Mysteries to
anyone except to the Apostle whom He has choose for
that...”(Qur’an;72:26-28).
Metaphysical Creatures:
Many people of the modern times are involved in the
misunderstanding about the reality of metaphysical special creatures of Allah
i.e. spirit, angels and jinns that, they are not real, but only a figment of
the ancient superstition and myths. They have not formed this opinion on the
basis that they have known all the realities and truths about the universe and
have thus discovered that the spirits, jinn and angels do not exist. They
cannot claim to possess complete knowledge either. But they have assumed
without reason and proof that nothing exists in the universe except what they
can see or feel through their physical senses alone, whereas the sphere of human perceptions as
against the vastness of this great universe is not even comparable to a drop of
water as against the ocean. Here, the person who thinks that what he does not
perceive, does not exist, and what exists must necessarily be perceived, in
fact, provides a proof of the narrowness of his own mind. With this mode of
thought, not to speak of the angel & jinn, man cannot even accept and
acknowledge any other reality, which cannot be directly experienced and
observed through physical senses.
The view that the truth values of certain claims – especially
metaphysical and religious claims such as whether or not God, the divine or the
supernatural exist – are unknown and perhaps unknowable is Agnosticism.
According to the philosopher William L. Rowe: "In the popular sense of the
term, an agnostic is someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in the
existence of God, while a Theist believes that God exists, an Atheist
disbelieves in God". Agnosticism is a doctrine or set of tenets rather
than a religion as such.
The renowned scientist Albert Einstein, through his famous
‘Special Theory of Relativity’ established the equitation of Mass and Energy, according to which the
Energy (E) of a quantity of Matter, with Mass
(m) , is equal to the product of the Mass and the square of the velocity of
Light (c). This relationship is commonly expressed in the mathematical formula:
E = mc 2. It can be deduced that the matter, light and energy are
interchangeable or different forms of same thing. The crude example of three
different forms of water, solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (steam or vapors)
may be considered for understanding. Thus it may be reasonable presumption that
the human are made of ‘matter’ (m- a solid & liquid forms of material),
then other creatures can also be made from other forms i.e. Angels from ‘light’ (c) and jinns from
‘energy’ (E) the heat produced from the flame of fire!
Spirit, Human Creation & Trial:
“They are asking thee concerning the Spirit (rúħ, روح). Say:
The Spirit (rúħ, روح) is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been
vouchsafed but little.” (Quran 17:85).
The word 'spirit' in English has origin from Latin spiritus
"breath". Spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most
of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material
body. The word spirit is often used metaphysically to refer to the
consciousness or personality. The notions of a person's
"spirit" and "soul" often also overlap, as both contrast
with body and both are understood as surviving the bodily death in religion. The distinction between
soul and spirit also developed in the Abrahamic religions: Arabic nafs (نفس),rúħ (روح);
Hebrew neshama (נְשָׁמָה nəšâmâh) or nephesh (in Hebrew
neshama comes from the root NŠM or "breath") opposite ruach (רוּחַ rûaħ).
(Semitic languages, including Arabic, also preserve meanings involving misc.
air phenomena: "breath", "wind", and even
"odour"). "Spirit" can also have the sense of
"ghost", i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person. The
term may also refer to any incorporeal or immaterial being, such as angels,
demons or deity. Christian theology can use the term "Spirit" to
describe God, or aspects of God — as in the "Holy Spirit" (Matthew
28:19). Christian Science uses "Spirit" as one of the seven synonyms
for God, as in: "Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love".
It is narrated in Bible: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters.”(Genesis;1:1-2) .
In Quran rúħ (روح) is
used in meaning of Revelation, angel Gabriel or Spirit in human. God created
the first human (Adam) from clay and spirit & breathe Hid spirit (Qur’an;15:28-29).
How did Allah breathe His spirit into Adam whom He made of clay and when did
all this happen, these are the details which He has not chosen to disclose. The
knowledge of such details will not be of any help to human in the fulfillment
of the task i.e. the building of human life on earth, through His obedience
(worship) and service to Allah. Had such information been of benefit to
humanity in this regard, it would not have been withheld. God blessed human
being with countless characteristics, including the most important; knowledge
& intellect. The later humanity is created out of the first couple. This
truth has been sent down to man since the dawn of time by prophets, and
revealed in holy books. Every prophet has told the communities he addressed
that God created man and all living things. The Bible and the Qur’an all tell
of the news of creation in the same way.
The human creation has three interlinked phases: According to Islamic
perspective, much earlier than the physical creation of humanity, God created
all the human spirits, to be born in the world from day one till the last day
of the world. This was ‘The First Creation’ and He entered in to
Covenant:
“When thy Lord drew forth
from the children of Adam from their loins their descendants and made them
testify concerning themselves (saying): “Am I not your Lord?” They said: “Yea!
we do testify!” (This) lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: “of this we
were never mindful.” (Qur’an;7:172).
Thereafter the spirits were
put in to the state of sleep (First Death). Allah has also instilled
instinctive cognition to differentiate between right and wrong:
“by the soul and Him Who
perfected it and inspired it with knowledge of what is wrong for it and what is
right for it: indeed successful will be the one who keeps it pure, and indeed
failure will be the one who corrupts it!”(Qur’an;91:7-10).
It is due to this implied
Covenant with whole of humanity, that
the concept of One
Supreme God, Allah is part of
nature of every human being, right from the day he is
physically borne in this world (Second Creation) weather he receives the
message of guidance from an apostle or not. Though he tends to forget it due to
the influence of satanic forces and environments.
Narrated by Abu Hurairah;
Allah’s Apostle said, “No child is born except on Al-Fitra (Islam) and then his
parents make him Jewish, Christian or Magian, as an animal produces a perfect
young animal: do you see any part of its body amputated?” Then he recited:
“Therefore, stand firm in your devotion to the upright faith - the nature made
by Allah, (hanefa fitr’ah) the one on
which mankind is created - and the laws of Nature ordained by Allah cannot be
changed. That is the ‘Standard True Religion’, but most among mankind do not
know.”(Qur’an;30:30). [Sahih Bukhari Hadith No.298, volume 4]
Hence the belief of a
Supreme deity who created the world and governs it, still remains among the
primitive African tribes not exposed to any other religion.
Man lives in this world with
the freedom of choice to follow the way of the Lord or of Satan. After living
in this world for specific period, he dies (Second Death). He will be raised
again on Day of Judgment (Third Creation) for accountability:
“on that Day when the earth
shall split asunder and the people shall be rushing out of it; that gathering
them together shall be quite easy for Us.”(Qur’an;50:44)
“They shall come out from
their graves, like swarming locusts, with downcast eyes, rushing towards the
caller and the same unbelievers will cry: “This is indeed an awful
Day!”(Qur’an;54:7-8)
“That Day will every soul be
requited for what it earned; no injustice will there be that Day for Allah is
Swift in taking account.”(Qur’an;40:17).
Thereafter while the
unbelievers will be thrown to hell to live there forever, the pious believers
(of all the messengers and prophets) according to their faith and deeds will be
blessed to live in paradise, however the sinful believers will be punished, but
ultimately God will accord permission to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
to intercede, hence they will be taken out of hell in batches to live in paradise
forever. Those people who did not receive the message of guidance through
messenger or preachers, will be judged according to the ‘Implied Covenant’;
part of their nature explored through the intellect; but not according to the
Law (Shari’a), which they did not know. They may hang around between paradise
and hell, (like ashab ul ar’af,
Qur’an;7:46-47) with the hope to enter paradise with Mercy of Allah. Allah is All
Mighty, Powerful to do whatever He Wills.
Angels:
The term angel, which is derived from the Greek word angelus, is the
equivalent of the Hebrew word mal'akh, and Arabic
malak meaning ‘angel’,
"messenger." The literal meaning of the word angel thus points more
toward the function or status of such beings in a cosmic hierarchy rather than
toward connotations of essence or nature, which have been prominent in popular
piety, especially in Semitic religions. The primary function of angels is to
praise and serve Allah and do His Will, this is the concept of angels in
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The existence and orders of angelic beings can
only be discovered from the Scriptures. Although the Bible does not treat of
this subject specially, yet there are numerous incidental details that furnish
us with ample information.
Polls suggest that nearly 70 percent of Americans think
angels exist. In their book "Paranormal America," sociologists
Christopher Bader, F. Carson Mencken, and Joseph Baker note that "Angels
pervade popular culture in books, television shows, and movies.... Believers
exchange informal testimonials in newsletters and interpersonal conversations
about the potential power of angels to influence the world, and more than half
of Americans (53 percent) believe that they have personally been saved from
harm by a guardian angel."
A 2007 Baylor Religion Survey found that 57 percent of
Catholics, 81 percent of Black Protestants, 66 percent of Evangelical
Protestants, and 10 percent of Jews reported having a personal experience with
a guardian angel. Curiously, 20 percent of those who identified themselves as
having no religion also claimed having encountered an angel. Many Muslims also
claim such experiences.
Angels in the Bible:
Their personal existence is plainly implied in such passages
as Genesis ;16:7,10-11; Judges;13:1-21; Mathew; 28:2-5; Hebrews;1:4, etc. These
superior beings are very numerous. "Thousand thousands," etc.
(Daniel; 7:10; Mathew; 26:53; Luke: 2:13; Hebrews; 12:22-23). Angels are of
different orders (Isaiah;6:2), are wise (2Samuel;14:20), mighty (Psalms; 103:20) and innumerable (Job
25:3; Hebrews; 12:22). They are also spoken of as of different ranks in dignity
and power (Zechariah;1:9,11; Daniel; 10:13; 12:1; 1
Timothy;4:16; Jude 1:9; Ephesians;1:21; Col 1:16). As to their nature, they are
spirits (Hebrews; 1:14), like the soul of man, but not incorporeal. In Bible
Angels are mentioned as ordinary messenger (Job;1:14; 1Samuel;11:3; Luke;7:24;
9:52), of prophets (Isaiah;42:19; Haggai;1:13), of priests (Malachi;2:7), and
ministers of the New Testament (Revelation;1:20). It is also applied to such
impersonal agents as the pestilence (2Samuel;24:16-17; 2Ki 19:35), the wind
(Psalms;104:4). Such expressions as "like the angels" (Luke: 20:36),
and the fact that whenever angels appeared to man it was always in a human
form (Genesis; 18:2; 19:1,10; Luke: 24:4; Acts;1:10),
and the titles that are applied to them ("sons of God," Job 1:6;
38:7; Daniel; 3:25; 3:28) and to men (Luke;3:38), seem all to indicate some
resemblance between them and the human race both being creatures of God. They
are created by God and they worship Him: Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou
hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and
all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou
preserves them all; and the host of heaven worship thee.”(Nehemiah;9:6).
Imperfection is ascribed to them as creatures (Job;4:18; Mathew; 24:36; 1Peter;
1:12). When the manna is called "angels' food," this is merely to
denote its excellence (Psalms; 78:25).
Angels never die (Luke;20:36). They are possessed of
superhuman intelligence and power (Mark;13:32; 2Timothy; 1:7; Psalms; 103:20).
They are called "holy" (Luke: 9:26), "elect"
(1Timothy;5:21). The redeemed in glory are "like unto the angels"
(Luke;20:36). They are not to be worshipped (Colossians; 2:18; Revelation;
19:10). The functions of angels are manifold. They obey the will of God
(Psalms; 103:20; Mathew; 6:10), execute the purposes of God (Numbers;22:22;
Psalms; 103:21), execute the judgments of God (2Samuel; 24:16; 2Ki 19:35;
Psalms; 35:5-6), celebrate the praises of God (Job 38:7; Psalms; 148:2; Isaiah;
6:3). In the widest sense they are agents of God's providence (Ex 12:23;
Psalms; 104:4; Hebrews; 11:28; 1 Corinthians;10:10; 2 Samuel; 24:16; 1
Chronicles; 21:16; 2Kings;19:35; Acts;12:23). They are specially God's agents
in carrying on his great work of redemption. The have charge over the children
(servant, human) of God (Psalms; 34:7; 91:11-12). There is no notice of angelic
appearances to man till after the call of Abraham. From that time onward there
are frequent references to their ministry on earth (Genesis;18;19; 24:7,40;
28:12; 32:1). They appear to rebuke idolatry (Judges; 2:1-4), to call Gideon
(Judges; 6:11-12), and to consecrate Samson (Judges; 13:3). In the days of the
prophets, from Samuel downward, the angels appear only in their behalf (1Kings;
19:5; 2Kings; 6:17; Zechariah; 1-6; Daniel; 4:13,23; 10:10,13,20-21). The "angel of
his presence" (Isaiah;63:9, Exodus;23:20-21; 32:34, 33:2; Numbers;20:16)
is interpreted as the Messiah as the guide of his people. Others have supposed
the expression to refer to Gabriel (Luke; 1:19).
As finite creatures they may fall under temptation; and
accordingly "fallen angels" have been mentioned. Of the cause
and manner of their "fall" one is wholly ignorant. It is known that
"they left their first estate" (“Then shall he say also unto them on
the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for
the devil and his angels: Mathew;25:41, Revelation; 12:7-9), and that they are
"reserved unto judgment" (2Peter; 2:4). It is believed that some
angels have fallen from a position of proximity to God, because of pride or for
attempts to usurp the position of the Supreme Being such as Lucifer (after his fall called
Satan by early Church Fathers): “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,
son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the
nations!”(Isaiah;14:12).
In their fallen condition they then attempt to keep man from
gaining a right relationship with God by provoking men to sin. Some medieval
scholars of demonology ascribed to a hierarchy of seven arch-demons the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’: Lucifer (Pride); Mammon (Avarice); Asmodeus
(Lechery); Satan (Anger); Beelzebub (Gluttony); Leviathan (Envy); and Belphegor
(Sloth). Besides tempting men to sin, the fallen angels, or devils, were
believed to cause various types of calamities, both natural and accidental.
Like the demons and evil spirits of nature in primitive religions, the fallen
angels were viewed as the agents of famine, disease, war, earthquakes,
accidental deaths, and various mental or emotional disorders. Persons afflicted
with mental diseases were considered to be "demon possessed." However
the concept of ‘fallen angels’ does not exist in Islam; as Iblis which
fell from grace was a Jinn (having limited free will to choose between good and
evil, like human) of very high spiritual stature. In Islam, the angels do not
have free will or choice to disobey Allah, they only obey and worship Allah.
Angels-Islamic Perspective:
According to Islam; angels are created by Allah in the
universe for special missions. According to Qur’an:
“The angels are but His honored servants. They do not precede
Him in speaking and they act according to His commandment.”(Qur’an;21:26-27).
“To Him belongs all that exist in the heavens and in the
earth; and the angels, who are in His very presence, are not too proud to serve
Him, nor do they feel wearied of His service. They glorify Him night and day;
and do not pause.”(Qur’an;21:19-20).
Allah created them and they worship and obey Him.
“- - Those who are in His presence do not disdain to worship
Him, nor do they weary" (Qur’an;21:19).
“To Allah prostrate all the creatures of the heavens and the
earth, including the angels; and they are not arrogant.”(Qur’an;16:49).
“The angels in fact say: "We each have our appointed
place”.(Qur’an;37:164).
“How many are the angels in the heavens; yet their
intercession can avail none unless Allah gives them permission in favor of whom
He wants and is pleased with.(Qur’an;53:26).
Angels are purely spiritual and splendid beings created by
Allah from light.
They are impervious to the physical desires or material needs, they do not
require food or drink or sleep. Angels spend their time in the service of
Allah. Knowledge and the truth are not entirely confined to sensory knowledge
or sensory perception alone. The angels are assigned certain functions. They
help the believers in fight against infidels if God commands them to do so:
“Of course! If you remain patient and on your guard, Allah
will send to your aid not three thousand but, five thousand specially marked
angels in case of a sudden attack from the enemy.”(Qur’an;3:125).
They curse unbelievers:
“Surely those who are unbelievers and die while they are
unbelievers, they are the ones on whom is the curse of Allah, the angels and
all mankind,”(Qur’an;2:161).
Some angels are designated to bear the Throne of God: “
Those angels who bear the Throne of Allah and those who stand
around it glorify their Lord with His praises, believe in Him and implore
forgiveness for the believers, saying: "Our Lord! You embrace all things
with your mercy and knowledge. Forgive those who repent and follow Your Way,
and save them from the punishment of the blazing fire.”(Qur’an;40:7).
“You will see the angels surrounding the Divine Throne,
glorifying their Lord with His praises. The judgment between the people will be
made with perfect justice, and it will be proclaimed: "Praise be to Allah
the Sustainer(Lord) of the worlds!”(Qur’an;39:75).
An angels is in charge of mountains; and Malik, the keeper of
Hell. Some angels are in charge of embryos in wombs, some are responsible for
protecting human beings, Some angels are in charge of the dwellers of Paradise:
"The angels enter to them from every gate, saying:
'Peace be upon you for that you were patient. How excellent is your final home"'
(Qur’an;13:24).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) told that: "seventy thousand angels
enter or pray in the populous house in heaven every day. They never come back
to it as long as they live" (because their turn will never come) (Bukhari
and Muslim).
God chose some angels to act as His messengers:
“Allah chooses His Messengers from among the angels and from
among the human beings, for surely Allah is All-Hearing,
All-Seeing.”(Qur’an;22:75).
“He sends down His angels with inspiration of His Command to
whom He pleases of His servants, saying: "Warn the people that there is no
one else worthy of worship except Me, therefore fear Me.”(Qur’an;16:2).
“As for those who fear their God, although they have not seen
Him, shall have forgiveness and a great reward.”(Qur’an;67:12).
“Praise be to Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the
earth! Who appoint the angels having two, three and four pairs of wings as His
messengers. He adds to His creation as He pleases; for Allah has power over all
things.”(Qur’an;35:1).
“When Our Messengers (angels) came to Abraham with the good
news (the birth of a son in his old age), they said: "We are to destroy
the people of that township (people of Lot), for its people are indeed
wrongdoers."(Qur’an;29:31).
“As he (Zechariah) stood praying in the a prayer place in the
sanctuary, the angels called out to him saying: "Allah gives you good news
of a son to be named Yahya (John, the Baptist), he will confirm the word of
Allah, he will be a great leader and chaste, a Prophet and a righteous
man.”(Qur’an;3:39).
There came the time when angels said: "O Mary! Surely
Allah has exalted you, purified you, and preferred you for His service over all
the women of the worlds.(Qur’an;3:42). When the angels said "O Mary! Allah
gives you the good news with a Word from Him that you will be given a son: his
name will be Messiah, Esa (Jesus Christ) the son of Mary. He will be noble in
this world and the Hereafter; and he will be from those who are very close to
Allah.(Qur’an;3:45).
There are two guardian angels who record the good and evil
actions of every human being, according to Qur’an:
“Each person has been assigned guardian angels before him and
behind him, who watch him by the command of Allah. The fact is that Allah never
changes the condition of a people until they intend to change it themselves. If
Allah wants to afflict a people with misfortune, none can ward it off, nor they
can find any protector besides Him.”(Qur’an;13:11).
“..indeed Our angels are recording all the plots you make.”(Qur’an;10:21).
“You should know that guardian angels have indeed been
appointed over you,”(Qur’an;82:10).
We created man, We know the prompting of his soul, and We are
closer to him than his jugular vein. Besides this direct knowledge ,We have
assigned to every one two scribes (guardian angels), the one seated on his
right and the other on his left, not a single word does he utter but there is a
vigilant guardian ready to note it down.”(Qur’an;50:16-17).
“Do they think that We cannot hear their secret talks and
their private converse? Of course We do, and Our messengers (angels) who are
assigned to them, record it all.(Qur’an;43:80).
Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) was granted special powers by
God, some mischievous people falsely attributed them to sorcery, it is
clarified in Qur’an:
“And accepted what the devils falsely attributed to the
kingdom of Solomon; not that Solomon was an unbeliever, it was the devils who
were unbelievers: they taught witchcraft to the people and that which was
revealed to the two angels, Harut and Marut in the city of Babylon. Yet these
two angels never taught magic to anyone without saying: "We have been sent
to tempt you; do not renounce your faith." In spite of this warning those
people kept on learning, from the angels, the magic which could cause discord
between husband and wife; although they could harm none with it except with
Allah's permission. They learned, indeed, what harmed them and did not profit
them; even though they knew fully well that the buyers of magic would have no
share in the happiness of the Hereafter. Surely, they sold their souls for a
bad price, if they could understand it!” (Qur’an;2:102).
Some angels have special assignments
in eschatology, according to Qur’an:
“Then a trumpet shall be blown (by Israfil) and, behold, they
will rise up from their graves and hasten to their Lord.”(Qur’an;36:51). “On
that Day when the heavens shall burst asunder with clouds and the angels will
be sent down ranks after ranks,”(Qur’an;25:15). “On that Day, the Spirit
(Gabriel) and the angels shall stand in their ranks; none shall speak except
the one to whom the Compassionate (Allah) shall grant permission to speak, and
he will speak straight to the point.”(Qur’an;78:38). “- the Paradise of
perpetual bliss: they will enter into it along with their righteous
forefathers, their spouses and their descendants. The angels will come to
welcome them from every side,”(Qur’an;13:23). We have appointed none but angels
as wardens of the fire;”(Qur’an;74:31). “…If you could only see these
wrongdoers when they are in the agonies of death and the angels stretch forth
their hands saying, "Take out your soul! Today you will be rewarded with a
disgraceful punishment for saying falsehood against Allah which you had no
right to say and showing arrogance against His revelations!” (Qur’an;6:93). The
important well known angels mentioned in Islamic traditions are: Gabriel,
Michael, Israfil, 'Izra`il, Munkar and Nakir.
Gabriel:
Gabriel (in Hebrew; Gavri`el, and in Arabic; Jibril), is one
of the archangels in the Bible and the Qur’an. Gabriel, delivered revelations
to the Messengers of God. According to Bible, Gabriel was the heavenly
messenger sent to Daniel (Daniel;8:16, 9:21). He explained the vision of the
ram and the he-goat and to communicate the prediction of the Seventy Weeks. He
was also employed to announce the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah
(Luke;1:19). and to announce the birth of Jesus to the Mary (Luke;1:26-35). It
is because he stood in the divine presence that Jewish, Christian and Muslim
writers generally speak of him as an archangel (Luke;1:19). In the Books of
Enoch "the four great archangels" are Michael, Uriel, Suriel
(Raphael), and Gabriel, though elsewhere they are said to number seven. His
name is mentioned in the Qur’an three times, but various epithets in the
scripture are widely recognized as referring to him. It is mentioned in Qur’an:
“Say O Muhammad: "Whoever is the enemy of Gabriel should
know that he revealed this Qur'an to your heart by Allah's command, which
confirms previous scriptures, and is a guidance and good news for the
believers." Let them know that whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels,
His Messenger, Gabriel and Michael; Allah is an enemy to such
unbelievers.”(Qur’an;2:97-98), “..then you should know that his (Muhammad’s)
protectors are Allah, Gabriel and all righteous believers, furthermore the
angels too are his supporters.”(Qur’an;66:4).
Michael:
Michael (Hebrew Mikha`el, Arabic Mika`il) is
another among the archangels mentioned in the Bible and the Qur’an. In
Bible he is repeatedly depicted as the "great captain," the leader of
the heavenly hosts: “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil
he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing
accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” (Jude;1:9) , the warrior: “And
there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and
the dragon fought and his angels”(Revelation;12:7). He is presumed to be
helping the children of Israel; and early in the history of the Christian
church he came to be regarded as helper of the church's armies against the
heathen. He holds the secret of the mighty "word" by the utterance of
which God created heaven and earth and was "the angel who spoke to (Moses)
on Mount Sinai" (Acts;7:38). The numerous representations of Michael
in art reflect
his character as a warrior: he is shown with a sword, in combat with or triumph
over a dragon, from the story in the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse).
According to the Islamic traditions, Mikal, also spelled Mika`il
is the archangel. In biblical literature
Michael is the counterpart of Mikal. According to some traditions
Mikail and Jibril were the first angels to obey God's order to
bow down to Adam, and that Mikail
was so shocked at the sight of hell when it was created that he never laughed
again. He is also remembered as aiding the Muslims to their military victory in
the initial days. The single reference to Mikal in the Qur’an
states:
"Whoever is an enemy of God or his angels or his
apostles or Jibril or Mikal, verily God is an enemy of the
unbelievers."(Qur’an;2:98).
This has generated several explanatory traditions that
revolve around the Jews, who hold Michael in particular esteem as "the
lord of Israel." In one incidence Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) is questioned by Jews about his prophetic mission and he answered them
quite satisfactorily. But when he says that Jibril is the bearer of his
revelations, the Jews attack the archangel as the spirit of destruction and the
foe of Michael, the angel of fertility. On another occasion the caliph 'Umar is
reported to have asked the Jews of the synagogue of Medina how Mikal
and Jibril were regarded by God. The Jews replied that Michael sat at
God's left and Gabriel at his right but that the two were enemies. Whereupon
'Umar revealed the falseness of their position and said that an enemy of either
angel was immediately an enemy of God. Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: Allah's
Messenger said, "There is no prophet who does not have two wazirs from the
inhabitants of Heaven and two from the inhabitants of Earth. My two wazirs from
the inhabitants of Heaven are Gabriel and Michael, and my two wazirs from the
inhabitants of Earth are AbuBakr and Umar."Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying
this is a hasan gharib tradition. (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith:1572).
Israfil is the archangel who will blow the trumpet from a holy rock in
Jerusalem to announce the Day of Resurrection, his name is not mentioned in
Qur’an but in Hadith. The trumpet is constantly poised at his lips, ready to be
blown when God so orders. Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: Allah's Messenger (peace
be upon him) said, "Allah created Israfil who has been keeping his feet in
line from the day he was created and not raising his glance. Between him and
the Lord Who is Blessed and Exalted, there are seventy lights, not one of which
he could approach without being burned." Tirmidhi transmitted it and
called it Sahih. (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith:1511). In Judeo-Christian biblical
literature, Raphael is the counterpart of Israfil. He is overcome
by sorrow and tears three times every day and every night at the sight of hell.
Izra`il is the angel of death who
separates souls from their bodies; he is one of the four archangels (with Jibril,
Mikal, and Israfil). In Islamic eschatology,
Munkar and Nakir are two angels who test the faith of every soul after death. The believer will be
put to sleep, while the non believers will remain in misery till the day of
resurrection or as long as God deems necessary. Cherub, plural ‘Cherubim’,
in Jewish, Christian, literature is a celestial winged being with human,
animal, or birdlike characteristics who functions as a throne bearer of the
deity. These celestial beings serve important liturgical and intercessory
functions in the hierarchy of angels. The term most likely derives from the
Akkadian karibu, or kuribu (from the verb karabu, meaning "to pray,"
or "to bless"). Old Testament descriptions of the cherubim emphasize
their supernatural mobility and their cultic role as throne bearers of God,
rather than their intercessory functions. In Christianity the cherubim are
ranked among the higher orders of angels and, as celestial attendants of God,
continually praise him.
Belief in the angels is an article of faith in Islam, which results in
appreciating the dignity of Allah, His might, and His sovereignty. The love and
admiration for the angels due to what they are doing, namely, worshipping Allah
in the best possible manner and praying for the believers is a source of
comfort and satisfaction for the believers.
Devil:
Devil, derived from Greek ‘diabolos’,
"slanderer," or "accuser", is the spirit or power of evil:
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil.”(Matthew;4:1). Though sometimes used for minor demonic spirits, the word
devil generally refers to the prince of evil spirits and as such takes various
forms in the religions of the world. In Judaism and Christianity, the devil
is viewed as a fallen angel who in pride has tried to usurp the position of the
one and only God, known as Satan. In the Old Testament, Satan is viewed as
the prosecutor of Yahweh's court, as in Job, chapters 1 and 2, but he is not
regarded as an adversary of God. In post biblical Judaism and in Christianity,
however, Satan became known as the "prince of devils" and assumed
various names: Beelzebub ("Lord of Flies") in Matthew 12:24-27, often
cited as Beelzebul ("Lord of Dung"), and Lucifer (the fallen angel of
Light).
In Christian theology the devil's main task is that of
tempting man to reject the way of life and redemption and to accept the way of
death and destruction. The leader of the angels who have fallen from heaven
because of pride, Satan has as his main adversary in Christian thought, legend,
and iconography the archangel Michael, leader of God's heavenly hosts. Islamic
theology is rich in references to Iblis, the personal name
of the devil, who is also known as ash-Shaytan
("The Demon") and 'aduw Allah ("Enemy of God"). Iblis
is among the jinn (creature capable of good or evil).
One common pictorial perception of devil
Jinns:
It is narrated in Qur’an: “We have not created jinns and
mankind except to serve Me.”(Qur’an;51:56). [Complete service,
obedience to the will of God ]. Allah says: “while before him (man) We had
created Jinn from smokeless fire.”(Qur’an;15:27). “If your Lord had so willed,
He would have certainly made mankind one single
but that is not what He wants, so they will continue to differ except
those on whom He has bestowed His mercy; and that very freedom of choice and
action is the whole purpose of their creation. That is how the Word of your
Lord, that He will fill Hell with jinns and human beings all together, will be
fulfilled.”(Qur’an;11:118-119). Like angels jinns are also not visible to human
eye, however like human being they have limited choice to follow good or evil.
They are spirits, and therefore subtle like a flame of fire. Their being free
from smoke implies that they are free from grossness for smoke is the grosser
accompaniment of fire. Iblis (devil) belongs to the same community. Like human
they will be sent to heaven or hell as per their faith and deeds.
In the Qur’an, Iblis first appears in the story of the
creation of the world. He alone refuses God's order to bow before Adam, the
first man, while the angels obeyed the commandment of God. He is then cursed by
God; his punishment is to come on the Day of Judgment, but until then he is
empowered to tempt the unfaithful (but not true believers). Iblis next
appears as the tempter of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Qur’an
describes: “When We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourself before
Adam," all prostrated themselves except Iblees (Shaitan), who was one of
the Jinns and chose to disobey the command of his Lord. Would you then take him
and his children as your protectors rather than Me, even though they are your
enemies? What a bad substitute the wrongdoers have
chosen!”(Qur’an;18:50).“Iblees said: "I am better than him(man) : You
created me from fire and created him from clay." Allah said: "Get out of here: for you
are accursed, and My curse shall be on you till the Day of Judgment."
Iblees said: "O Lord! Then give me respite till the Day of Resurrection.
"Allah said: "Well, you are given respite till the Day of Appointed
Time." Iblees said: "I swear by Your Honor, I will mislead them all
except your chosen sincere devotees among them." Allah said: "Fair
enough and now what I am going to say is also fair: that I will fill hell with
you and all of those who follow you among them."(Qur’an;38:76-85). Some
Muslims influenced by Western thought, but cannot deny the Qur’an either,
have given strange interpretations of the clear statements of the Qur’an about
the angels, jinn, Iblis and Satan. They think that Jinns do not refer to any
hidden creation, which may have its own independent existence, but it sometimes
implies man's own animal forces, which have been called Satan, and sometimes it
implies savage and wild mountain tribes, and sometimes the people who used to
listen to the Qur’an secretly. But the statements of the Qur’an in this regard
are so clear and explicit that these interpretations bear no relevance to them
whatever.
The Qur’an
frequently mentions the jinn and the men in a manner as to indicate that they
are two separate creations. This is, mentioned “He will say: "enter ye in
the company of the peoples who passed away before you men and Jinns into the
fire.”(Qur’an;7:38). “And We have destined for them intimate companions (of like
nature) Who made alluring to them what was before them and behind them; and the
sentence among the previous generations of jinns and men who have passed away
is proved against them; for they are utterly lost”(Qur’an;41:25). “And the
Unbelievers will say: "Our Lord! show us those among jinns and men who
misled us: we shall crush them beneath our feet so that they become the vilest
(before all)." ”(Qur’an;41:29).
“Such are they against whom is proved the Sentence among the previous
generations of jinns and men that have passed away; for they will be (utterly)
lost.”(Qur’an;46:18). The entire Chapter.55 ‘The Beneficent’ (Surah Rahman), which bears such clear
evidence as to leave no room to regard the jinn from the category of human.
Allah has
entrusted the man with the vicegerency of the earth hence the man is superior
to the jinn. Although the jinn can ascend to the heavens, they cannot exceed a
certain limit; if they try to ascend beyond that limit and try to find out what
goes on in the heavens, they are not allowed to do so, and if they try to
eavesdrop they are driven away by meteorites; “And We have (from of old)
adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps and We have made such (Lamps) (as)
missiles to drive away the Evil Ones and have prepared for them the Penalty of
the Blazing Fire.”(Qur’an;67:5). Hence the belief of the polytheistic Arabs
that the jinn possess the knowledge of the unseen, or have access to Divine
secrets, has been refuted. Although the jinn also have been given certain
extraordinary powers and abilities an example of which is found in Qur’an;
“Said an Ifrit of the jinns: "I will bring it (the throne of Sheba from
Yemen) to thee (Solomon) before thou rise from thy Council: indeed I have full
strength for the purpose and may be trusted."(Qur’an;27:39), yet the
animals likewise have been given some powers greater than man, but these are no
argument that the animals are superior to man.
The Qur’an also
explains that the jinn, like men, are a creation possessed of power and
authority, hence they, can choose between obedience and disobedience, faith and
disbelief. This is confirmed by the story of Satan and the event of the jinn
affirming the faith as found in Chapter 46 and 72 (Surahs, Al-Ahqaf and Al-Jinn). The Satanic jinns have been
persistently trying to mislead man, but they do not have the power to overwhelm
and make do something forcibly. God warns the believers to be aware of Satan:
“O ye children of Adam! let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got
your parents out of the garden stripping them of their raiment to expose their
shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them:
We made the evil ones friends (only) to those without faith.” (Qur’an;7:27).
“Like this Messenger (Muhammad), We had granted each Messenger his opponents -
shaitans from among the human beings and Jinns - some of them inspire the
others with seductive discourses of deception. If your Sustainer (Lord) wanted,
they would not have done so. Therefore, neglect them as well as what they
invent, (Qur’an;6:112)
Because of their mysterious
qualities, ignorant people have formed exaggerated concepts about them and
their powers, and some of them even worshipped them. The stannic jinns try to
seduce with evil suggestions, beguile human and make evil seem good to them.
This is, mentioned in Qur’an at;
4:117-120, 7:11-17, 14:22, 15:30-42, 16:98-100 and 17:61-65. In the pre-Islamic
ignorance period the polytheist Arabs regarded the jinn as associates of Allah;
they worshipped them and thought they were descended from God. It is mentioned
in Qur’an: “Yet they make the Jinns as the partners with Allah, whereas He is
their Creator; and also ascribe to Him sons and daughters without having any
knowledge. Glory to Him! He is highly exalted far above what they
ascribe.”(Qur’an;6:100). “Indeed, some individuals among mankind used to seek
protection with some individuals among the jinns, so they caused such jinns to
become more arrogant,”(Qur’an;72:6). “One Day He will gather them all together
and ask the angels: "Was it you that these people used to worship?"
They will respond: "Glory be to You! Our tie is with You - as a protector
- not with them; but they used to worship the jinns and it was them in whom
most of these people believed.”(Qur’an;34:40-41).
Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him)
was granted the special kingdom, the only of its king in the human history,
besides other creatures, the jinns were made subservient to him, according to
Qur’an: “Solomon gathered an army comprised of Jinns, men and birds; they all
were kept under strict discipline.”(Qur’an;27:17). “..and (God) subdued Jinns
for him(Solomon) who worked in front of
him by the leave of his Lord; and if any of them turned aside from Our command,
We made Him taste the punishment of the blazing fire.”(Qur’an;34:12). “When We
decreed Solomon's death he was leaning on his staff. The jinns did not know
that he was dead until the termite ate away his staff and fell down. Thus it
became clear to the jinns that if they had known the unseen, they would not
have continued in the humiliating punishment of their task.”(Qur’an;34:14).
“And We had subjected to him(Solomon) many of the shaitans who dived for him
into the sea and performed other duties besides this; and We were the One Who
had control over them for him.”(Qur’an;21:82). “One audacious (Ifrit) from the
Jinns said (to Solomon) : "I will bring it (throne of Queen of Sheba) to
you before you adjourn your court; and most surely I have the necessary
strength and I am trustworthy.”(Qur’an;27:39).
Among the jinns too there
are the believers and the unbelievers, the obedient and the rebellious, as
among human beings, and among them too there exist such groups who believed in
the Prophets sent by Allah and in the Divine Books. It is clearly pointed out
that the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Qur’an is
meant both for men and for jinn and that his Prophethood is not restricted to
human beings alone. The jinns listened to the Qur’an, recited by Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) and became believers. Some of them were followers
of Moses. It is narrated in Qur’an: “O’ Prophet say: "It has been revealed
to me that a band of jinns listened to the Qur'an, then returned to their folk
and said: 'We have heard a wonderful Qur'an which guides to the Right Way. We
have believed in it and henceforth shall worship none besides Our Lord.”
(Qur’an;72:1-2). “ (O’ Muhammad) Tell them how We brought to you a group of
jinns, who when they reached the place where you were reciting and listened to
the Qur'an, said to each other: "Be silent." When the recitation was
over, they returned to their people as warners . They said "O our people!
We have just listened to a Book that has been revealed after Moses which is
confirming that what came before it, and it guides to the truth and to the
Right Way.”(Qur’an;46:29-30). God jointly addresses men and the jinn, the two
creation endowed with freedom of will and action in Qur’an (Chaper.55, Surah
Rahman): “O you, the assembly of jinns and men! If you have the power to get
away from the boundaries of the heavens and the earth (to escape from His
punishment), then get away! You cannot get away except with Our Own
authority.”(Qur’an;55:31). Both men and jinn have been made to realize the
wonders of Allah's power, His countless blessings, their own helplessness and
accountability before Him, and have been warned of the evil consequences of His
disobedience and made aware of the best results of His obedience. According to
Qur’an: “On the Day when He will assemble them all together, (Allah will
address the Jinns): "O assembly of Jinns! You seduced mankind in great
number." And their votaries from among mankind will say: "Our
Sustainer, we have both enjoyed each other's fellowship but alas! Now we have
reached the end of our term which You had decreed for us." Then Allah will
say: "Now hellfire is your dwelling-place; you will live therein forever
unless Allah ordains otherwise." Surely your Sustainer is Wise,
Knowledgeable.” (Qur’an;6:128). “Certainly, We have destined many Jinns and
human beings for hell; those are the ones who have hearts with which they do
not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, they have ears with
which they do not hear. They are like animals - or even worse than them ,
because they are those who are heedless.”(Qur’an;7:179).
In Judeo-Christian
tradition,
the word or concept of jinn as such does not occur in the original Hebrew text
of the Bible, but the Arabic word ǧinn is often used in several old Arabic
translations. In several verses in those Arabic translations, the words jinn (جن), jann (الجان al-Ǧānn), majnoon (مجنون
Maǧnūn), and Iblīs (إبلیس) are
mentioned as translations of familiar spirit or אוב (ob)
for jann and the devil or δαιμόνιον (daimónion) for Iblīs. In Van Dyck's Arabic
translation of the Bible, these words are mentioned in Leviticus 19:31, Lev
20:6, 1 Samuel 28:3, 1 Sa 28:9, 1 Sa 28:7, 1 Chronicles 10:13, Gospel of
Matthew 4:1, Mat 12:22, Gospel of Luke 4:5, Luk 8:12, Gospel of John 8:44 and
other verses as well. Also, in the
apocryphal book Testament of Solomon, Solomon describes particular demons whom
he enslaved to help build the temple, the questions he put to them about their
deeds and how they could be thwarted, and their answers, which provide a kind
of self-help manual against demonic activity.
Science and Metaphysical Creatures:
The existence of spiritual creature is considered the domain
of theology. For believers scriptural evidence suffice. Most scientists, out
rightly disagree with existence of non physical creatures, while some agree. Scientists
(G. Feinberg and R.Shapiro, LIFE BEYOND EARTH Published by William Morrow and
Co., Inc., New York, 1980) predict that there is the highest probability of
finding life in the Plasma of our Sun or any star. They call these creatures as
Plasmabeasts. Plasmabeasts can be construed as nothing but the Jinns. Life on
Earth is called Chemical life, whereas the life in the Plasma of the Sun is
based on Physical life. In the Plasma, the positively charged ions and the
freely floating electrons (negative ions) are both acted on by intense magnetic
forces present in the sun (star). The Jinns are interpreted to be composed of
patterns of magnetic force, together with groups of moving charges in a kind of
symbiosis. The possible inhabitants of Plasmaland (place of inhabitants) or
Jinns have a more complex basis for their life involving charges as well as
magnetic forces. The positive and negative ions interact and respond to the
presence of magnetic forces. The stable structure and movement of the Jinns is
influenced by the magnetic forces. In Physics we know that the moving charges
influence the motion of these electrical charges or ions. This situation is
similar to the influence of proteins and nucleic acids in Earth life. Finally
these processes result in a favored form. For this to take place supply of free
energy is required which is obtained from the flow of radiation within the sun.
Therefore the Jinn can be construed to use radiant energy in their vital
processes.
University of Notre Dame philosopher Thomas Flint. “It seems
to me to be perfectly plausible to believe that angels and demons exist,” Flint
begins, “though perhaps not with all of the cultural trappings—the wings and
long robes.”
Flint defines an angel as “simply a finite nonphysical person
who has, so to speak, decided for God to obey God. And a demon is simply a
nonphysical finite person who has decided against God to rebel against God.” To
Flint, angels and demons are “free spiritual beings who have something akin to
a human soul, but not a physical body connected with it.” And, he adds, “it
seems entirely reasonable to believe that God would create such beings.” One
reason, he says, is that “there seems to be a large distance between us and
God,” with “lots of possibilities for different kinds of beings for God to
create [to fill the gap]. If anything, it would be very surprising if God had
not created anything lower than himself but higher than us.”
Dean Radin, a leading researcher in extrasensory perception,
has special ideas about angels and demons. “I view them as a projection of the
unconscious,” he says. “You don’t need to go too far into the ESP world to
appreciate why people persist in believing in such things. There is some kind
of intersubjective reality, a reality that we create between ourselves and
others by sharing thoughts and feelings.”
This is more than personal psychology. “It’s a natural
extension of the idea that you’re not locked inside your head,” Radin says.
“The moment that you make the leap of faith that our intentions, to some
degree, can affect the world around us and what other people think, then you
might create a shared mental space which can appear as if it were an angel or
demon. It will seem just as real as a hard table would seem real, but it’s
different in type.”
Radin uses the example of ghosts and haunting (where, he
stresses, psychological explanations can be ruled out). “People go to places
and they experience weird things,” he says. “Sometimes, they actually see
characters of some types. Assuming these reports are real, where did those
‘characters’ come from? Perhaps many years of people all paying close attention
to a given space will change it in some way so that when somebody new comes
along, in that vicinity, maybe that person can resonate in some way with all of
these intentions going back into the past.”
Radin calls it “place memory,” a literal physical change of
some new kind in a specific location caused by multiple interactions with
multiple minds. “At an informational level, the physical substrate, like the
granite wall of a castle, for example, physically changes in some way,” he
speculates. “And it stores information. So when somebody comes into the
vicinity of that information, they pick it up.”
As a scientist, Radin prefers this kind of explanation to
that of spiritual beings and nonphysical realms. “I’m thinking more or less
from a physicalist, scientific perspective,” he says. “What’s the alternative?”
“That there really is something there,” he says. “From a spiritual perspective,
there may be some kind of actual entity which has gotten stuck there.” Instead,
Radin favors “something like a collective unconscious, which would have aspects
of telepathy [mind-to-mind communication] and psychokinesis [mind over
matter].” He calls this “large ESP,” and his conjecture is that what we
traditionally call “angels and demons” manifestations of ESP.
Eschatology:
Eschatology is the branch of theology that is concerned with the end of
the world or of humankind. In Abrahamic faiths it is related with the beliefs
or a doctrine concerning the ultimate or final things, such as death, the
destiny of humanity, the Second Coming, resurrection of the dead, the Last
Judgment, paradise and hell etc, which are the matters of the unseen world (alam-al-ghaib).
The Day of Judgment:
The Day of Judgment is one of the cardinal beliefs in
Islamic Faith. Many people wonder as to how a person with a scientific and
logical temperament, can lend any credence to the belief of life after death.
People assume that anyone believing in the hereafter is doing so on the basis
of blind belief. The belief in the hereafter can also be based on proves with
the logical arguments. According to Dr.Zakir Naik; there are more than a
thousand verses in the Glorious Qur’an, containing scientific facts. Many facts
mentioned in the Qur’an have been discovered in the last few centuries. But
science has not advanced to a level where it can confirm every statement of the
Qur’an concerning science. Suppose 80% of all that is mentioned in the Qur’an
has been proved 100% correct, while for the remaining 20%, science makes no
categorical statement, since it has not advanced to a level, where it can
either prove or disprove these statements. With the limited knowledge through
science available today one cannot say
for sure whether even a single percentage or a single verse of the Qur’an from
this 20% portion is wrong. Thus when 80% of the Qur’an is 100% correct and the
remaining 20% is not disproved, logic says that even the 20% portion is
correct. Notwithstanding the moral and religious aspects; the cloning of sheep
and cows indicates that revival of animals of extinct species through DNA, a
theme of fictional movies and novels may
become a reality in future, if God Wills. It is just simple and easy for
the Creator to recreate the human being on the Day of Judgment. Thus existence
of the hereafter, which is mentioned in the Qur’an, falls in the 20% presently
ambiguous portion which as per this logic is correct.
Any one committing an evil act like robbing, killing, rape etc
may get away with it if he is cunning and influential. The human legal system
has its limitations and at times it becomes impossible to prove the crime in
the court of law even by the best lawyers. The only place of final justice is
the ‘Hereafter’ where the Most Powerful will administer His Justice. Thus a
believer may have a reason to refrain form doing evil acts and be a good human
being. As this life is a test for the hereafter. The Glorious Qur’an says:
" He Who created Death and Life that He may try which of you is best in
deed: and He is the Exalted in Might Oft-Forgiving." (Qur’an;67:2). It is
possible that a person receives part of his punishment in this world. The final
reward and punishment will only be in the hereafter. Similar is the case for
reward for good deeds. History is full of tyrant rulers like Genghis Khan,
Hitler and many more who massacred millions of innocent people. Even if tried
in the court of law, maximum punishment they could get is life imprisonment or
death! Is it a fair justice, Allah say in the Qur’an: "Those who reject Our signs, We shall
soon Cast into the Fire; As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall
change them for fresh skins, That they may taste the penalty: for Allah Is Exalted in Power,
Wise"(Qur’an;4:56). If Allah wishes he can incinerate such sinners million
times (or equal to number of people killed by them) in the hereafter for
punishment congruous to their crimes. It is clear that without convincing a
person about The Final Day of Judgment, the concept of human values and the
good or evil nature of acts is impossible to prove to any person, who is doing
injustice especially when he is influential and powerful. Allah says in Qur’an:
“Man says: "What! when I am dead shall I then be raised up alive? "But does not man
call to mind that We created him before out of nothing? So by thy Lord without doubt We shall
gather them together and (also) the Evil Ones (with them); then shall We
bring them forth on their knees round about Hell; Then shall We certainly Drag out from every sect all those who were
worst in obstinate rebellion against
(Allah) Most Gracious. And certainly We know best those who are most
worthy of being burned therein. Not one of you but will pass over it: this is
with thy Lord a Decree which must be accomplished. But We shall save those who
guarded against evil and We shall leave
the wrongdoers therein (humbled) to
their knees.”(Qur’an;19:66-72).
"When Abraham said, "Show me, my Lord, how You revive the dead!" God said, "Do you not believe?" Abraham answered, "Yes, indeed I do believe, but just to reassure my heart." Then God said, "Take four birds, and train them to come back to you. Then place them separately on each hilltop, and call them: they will come flying to you. Know that God is almighty and wise." (Quran;2:260)
Islam on D of J:
Allah has narrated the unfolding of the events on the Day of
Judgment:
“Asking
(derisively): "When will this Day of Resurrection be?" Well, it will
come when the sight shall be dazed, the moon will be eclipsed, and the sun and
the moon will be brought together”(Qur’an;75:6-9); “It will be the Day when no
one shall have the power to do anything for another: for, on that Day, God
shall keep the entire command to Himself.”(Qur’an;82:19);
“The Day
whereon they will (all) come forth: Not
a single thing concerning them is hidden from Allah. Whose will be the dominion
that Day? That of Allah the One the
Irresistible!. That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no
injustice will there be that Day for Allah is Swift in taking
account.”(Qur’an;40:16-17). The time of
the Day of Judgment is known only to God (Qur’an;7:187). “All
that exists on the earth will perish, but the Face of your Lord will remain
full of Majesty and Glory.”(Qur’an;55:27); “On
that Day We shall roll up the heavens like a scroll of writings; just as We
originated the first creation, so shall We produce it again - that is Our
promise, and We will fulfill it.”(Qur’an;21:104); “.. On the Day of
Resurrection the whole earth shall be in His grasp and all the heavens shall be
rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! Exalted be He above what they
associate with Him.”; “The
trumpet will (Just) be sounded, when all that are In the heavens and on earth
will swoon, except such As it will please Allah (to exempt); then will a second
one be sounded, when, Behold, They will be standing and looking on!. And the earth
will shine with the glory of its Lord: the record (of deeds) will be placed
(open); the prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward and a just
decision pronounced between them; and They will not be wronged (in the least).
And to every soul will be paid In full (the fruit) of its deeds; and ((Allah))
knows best all that They do. The unbelievers will be led to Hell In crowd:
until, when They arrive, there, its gates will be opened. and its keepers will
say, "Did not apostles come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing to
you the Signs of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting of This Day of
yours?" the answer will be: "True: but the Decree of punishment has
been proved true against the unbelievers!" (to them) will be said: "Enter
ye the gates of Hell, to dwell therein: and evil is (this) abode of the
Arrogant!"; And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Garden In
crowds: until Behold, They arrive there; its gates will be opened; and its
keepers will say: "Peace be upon you! well have ye done! enter ye here, to
dwell therein." They will say: "Praise be to Allah, who has truly
fulfilled His promise to us, and has given us (this) land In heritage: we can
dwell In the Garden As we will: How excellent a reward for those who work
(righteousness)!". And Thou wilt see the angels surrounding the Throne
(Divine) on all sides, singing glory and Praise to their Lord; the decision
between them (at judgment) will be In (perfect) justice, and the cry (on all
sides) will be, "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the
worlds!”(Qur’an;39:67-75). “On that Day, some faces shall be
bright, looking towards their Lord.”(Qur’an;75:22-23).
Bible
says: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”(Matthew;5:8);
“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when
I awake, with thy likeness.”(Psalms;17:15);“And they shall see his face; and
his name shall be in their foreheads.”(Revelation;22:4);“Thy throne, O God, is
for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.”(Psalms’45:6).
In the Bible
Jesus (peace be upon him) is also reported to have denied having knowledge of
the final hour:
“But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor
the Son, but only the Father.”(Mark; 13:32). The dead will be resurrected: “And
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”(Daniel;12:2).
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall
be changed.”(1Corinthians 15:51-52). “Thy dead men shall live, together with my
dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew
is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” (Isaiah;26:19);
“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the
LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And
caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the
open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O
Lord GOD, thou know. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say
unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus said the Lord GOD
unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall
live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and
cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall
know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I
prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came
together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh
came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in
them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and
say to the wind, Thus said the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath,
and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the
breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an
exceeding great army.”(Ezekiel;37:1-10).
“The LORD shall
judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and
according to mine integrity that is in me.”(Psalms;7:8). Similar concepts are
found in some other Western religions. Historical eschatology is basic to the Old
Testament and
Qur’an, it is part of the structure of
faith of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The
Last Judgment is a
general, or sometimes individual, judging of the thoughts, words, and deeds of
persons by God on resurrection after death. The Western prophetic religions (Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity) developed
concepts of the Last Judgment that are rich in imagery, while Islam has given a good
description. Zoroastrianism(6th-century B.C) founded by the Iranian prophet
Zoroaster, teaches that after death the soul waits for three nights by the
grave and on the fourth day goes to the Bridge of the Requiter, where his deeds are
weighed. If the good outweigh the bad, the soul is able to cross the bridge to
heaven; if the bad outweigh the good deeds, the bridge becomes too narrow for
the soul to cross, and it plunges into the cold and dark abyss of hell. This is not the end,
however, for there will be a final overthrow of Ahriman, the prince of demons,
by Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, who will resurrect all men, preside over
a Last Judgment, and restore the world to goodness.
Resurrection & Science:
It is
generally perceived that the scientific case against resurrection is pretty
straightforward: once dead you stay
dead, that's just the way it works. Coming back to life after having been would
constitute a violation of natural law, a miracle and miracles just don't happen
according to atheists. However with the
advancement in science now it is much easy to comprehend the fundamental
Islamic beliefs scientifically:
“We
will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes
clear to them that it is the truth.”(Quran;41:53)
Some
of greatest scientists, such as Albert Einstein and Michael Polanyi, have
stated that faith (or belief) is essential to any kind of advance in physical
science." Michael Polanyi points
out that, "No human intelligence…can operate outside such a context of
faith, for it is within that context that there arises within us, under
compulsion from the reality of the world we experience, a regulative set of
convictions or a framework of beliefs which prompts and guides our assessment
of the evidence." Einstein referred to faith "as having
'extra-logical' status, but being nonetheless rational."
Resurrection Science:
It is a global scientific investigation into DNA
sequencing and bio-molecular cloning, to understand how scientists around the
world are competing to be the first to rewrite the history of our planet and
resurrect creatures from the past. Far from science fiction, three scientists
have made it their mission to turn this dream into reality. From the labs of
MIT to those of Kyoto, capabilities are here: it is no longer a matter of “if”
but only a matter of “when”.
The appearance of Dolly, the first cloned sheep became a worldwide sensation that rocked the
scientific community and ordinary citizens. Charming Dolly the sheep was born
in July 1996 in Edinburgh's Roslin Institute as a result of its successful
cloning from an adult cell. British scientists managed to do what many thought
impossible, or simply fiction, giving a new impetus to the rapid development of
genetic engineering.
Big Bang, Repeating Creation:
The big
bang, the event which gave rise to our Universe, is physically possible. It
happened, 13.5 billion years ago, and it produced everything we observe around
us, including ourselves. Allah says:
“And
the heaven We created with might, and indeed We are (its) expander.” (Quran
51:47)
“Have
those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a
joined entity, then We separated them, and made from water every living
thing? Then will they not believe?”
(Quran 21:30)
The
evidence for the big bang is today so strong that it can be taken as a fact and
a solid basis to construct hypotheses. So why should not we trust that, being a
possible physical process, the big bang is repeatable ?
The justification of the hypothesis that the big bang
is a unrepeatable process is tough. We do not need to know what mechanism
ignited our Universe, but it seems that Ockham's razor forces to prefer the
simpler hypothesis that there is nothing "magical" at work, nothing
that made the big bang a unique event which cannot occur again. Obviously God
could choose to create the Universe and then choose to repeat or not to repeat
His act; but in the absence of a God (atheists), whatever caused our Universe
to come into existence should be there to do it again.
“Have they not seen that Allah Who created the
heavens and the earth is Able to create the like of them, and hath appointed
for them an end whereof there is no doubt? But the wrong-doers refuse aught
save disbelief.” (17:99)
“The Day when We shall roll up the heavens and a
recorder rolleth up a written scroll. As We began the first creation, We shall
repeat it. (It is) a promise (binding) upon Us. Lo! We are to perform it.”
(21:104)
“See they not how Allah produces creation, then
reproduces it? Lo! for Allah that is easy” (Quran: 29:19)
If the big bang is a repeatable process, it will
repeat itself: not being impossible, it must happen again. Note that here the
fact being ignored is that time might be something quite different from what we
perceive it to be: something with a beginning and an end just like spatial
dimensions. One can argue that even if we associate the notion of time to the
existence of our Universe, this still does not prevent us to imagining that the
whole thing is repeatable.
People are born, acquire self-awareness, live, and
die. As people die they cease to exist, but if people are materialistic enough
to accept that what the self-awareness is, the collection and interrelation of neural circuits, synapses, activation
potentials, and that these are bound to some day come again to existence in the
very same form, which may be considered as a resurrection. And an instantaneous
one for our conscience -however unaware it will be of its past instantiations:
the unimaginable amount of time it has passed since the same biological
configuration came to existence is immaterial from the personal point of view
of an individual. Man dies and is reborn; no matter how much time that
"and" corresponds to.
According to the Theory
of General Relativity: "Time has no independent existence apart from the
order of events by which we measure it." Since time is based on
perception, it depends entirely on the perceiver and is therefore relative. The
findings of modern science lead to the conclusion that: Time is not an absolute
fact as supposed by materialists, but only a relative perception:
“On the Day when He will
call you, you will answer His Call with words of His Praise and Obedience, and
you will think that you have stayed in this world but a little while!”(Qur'an;17:52”)
“And on the Day when He
shall gather them together, it will seem to them as if they had not tarried on
earth longer than an hour of a day: they will recognize each
other”.(Qur'an;10:45).
Resurrection of extinct species through cloning, DNA
is being explored by the sicentists, which also points to support the doctrine
of resurrection of humans. There is "Resurrection Science":
Conservation, De-Extinction and the Precarious Future of Wild Things Resurrection
Science Imagine a living, breathing dinosaur, mammoth, or Neanderthal. This is
the story of science's latest frontier.
Resurrection via Time Reversal:
One should not be surprised to know that the
religious contention that man will rise from the grave is not just a myth or
wishful thinking but is based on real scientific principles. Rising up from the
grave and coming back alive can happen simply with the reversal of time. The
end of the universe is an entirely different phenomenon from the common disasters
witnessed periodically but it has been built into the laws of the universe by
the creator.
With the tremendous scientific advancements of the
twentieth century, people have placed trust trust in science and technology to
solve all problems. Dazzled by the ability of technology to produce quick
results, the faith in God has become weak. The actions are for worldly goals,
although a stronger belief in God and fear of accountability in the afterlife
could make a better humanity.
Many verses in the Quran describe the Day of
Judgment. We live in a universe that has been expanding since its creation
billions of years ago. Both the birth of the universe with the “Big Bang” and
its expansion are described in the Quran. Physicists and astronomers have
recently (1998) discovered that the expansion of the universe appears to be
accelerating. This anomalous finding is expected if the expansion of space is
linked to time. The verses of the Quran suggest that the universe will not
expand forever and that the Day of Judgment will begin with the contraction of
the universe. It appears that time and gravity will reverse when the universe
begins to contract. Reversal of time will bring about the resurrection from the
grave or place of human remains.
Reversal of gravity will be the cause of the final
earthquake mentioned in the Quran. This will change the earth so that it will
be turned inside out and transformed into a giant hollow sphere with the sky
towards its center. The reversed gravity focused towards the “earth’s
center-sky” will have a runaway effect on space. The space in the center-sky
will be literally torn apart to produce openings or gates to the higher
dimensions that are beyond our universe. Through these openings, we will be
removed from the collapsing universe.
Everyone will be taken away to escape the unrelenting
effect of time reversal that could regress us to nothingness in our mother’s wombs.
In some higher dimension or plane mankind will be brought together from all
times and places in history, to face the judgment for their deeds and hell or
heaven.
From the Quran, it appears that the timing of the Day
of Judgment will never be known and it may come at any time:
"The threatened hour is near; none beside God
can disclose it. Are you surprised then at this statement?" (Qur’an
53:57-59)
We should be aware that The Day of Judgment is very
near to every one of us as there is no perception of passage of time after
death. It should be kept in mind that everything big and small that is
performed is being recorded in time on the Day of Judgment. The reversal of
time will expose all the secrets.
Biblical Eschatology
Old Testament eschatology is based on the conviction that the
catastrophes that beset the people of Israel and threatened their destruction
were because of the Jewish people's disobedience to the laws and will of God.
Subsequent conformity to the will of God would result in a return for the
Jews to a final condition of righteousness and moral and material renewal,
in which God's purpose would at last be fulfilled. Old Testament eschatology is
closely bound to the concept of a redemptive history, in which the Jewish
people are viewed as God's chosen instrument for the carrying out of his
purpose and in which, upon the fulfillment of God's promises, the Jewish
people would be the vehicle for both their own salvation and that of the rest
of the world. If for Judaism the peculiar eschatological event lies in the
future, this future of God, according to the New Testament, has already begun
with Christ (peace be upon him). Christian eschatology is centered in the figure of Christ (peace
be upon him) as
the anticipation of the future Kingdom of God. Jesus (peace
be upon him) is
viewed as the Messiah of God, through whom and by whom the new age of God's
redemption has at last been opened. The historical development of Christianity
was subsequently marked by widely differing interpretations and degrees of
acceptance of this original eschatology. The diverse strands of 20th-century
Christian theology are in agreement perhaps only in that they regard faith
itself, in its ultimate anticipation of God's redemption of creation, as being
essentially eschatological. The concept of heaven for the blessed and hell for
the sinners or non believers is part of eschatology in the three Abrahamic
faiths in one way or the other.
Early Judaic writers emphasized a Day of Yahweh, the God of
Israel,
which is also called the Day of the Lord. This day, which will be a day of
judgment of Israel and all nations, will inaugurate the Kingdom
of God.
Christianity, further developing the concept of the Last Judgment, teaches that
it will occur at the Parousia (the Second Coming, or Second Advent, of
Christ in glory), when all men will stand before a judging God. In early
Christian art the scene is one of Christ the judge, the resurrection
of the dead, the weighing of souls, the separation of the saved and the damned,
and representations of paradise and hell. Romanesque
artists produced a more terrible vision of the Last Judgment. In the gentler,
more humanistic art of the Gothic period, a beautiful Christ is shown as the
Redeemer. The intercessors are restored, and the scene of the Judgment is treated
with optimism. In the 16th century, Michelangelo produced a radically different
version of the Last Judgment in his fresco in the Sistine Chapel in Rome
(1533-41 C.E): a vengeful Christ, , unclad, gestures threateningly toward the
damned.
Human-Inseparable Psychosomatic Unit :
A careful examination of the biblical material, particularly
the words nefesh, neshama, and ruah, which are often
too broadly translated as "soul"
and "spirit," indicates that these must not be understood as
referring to the psychical side of a psychophysical pair. A man did not possess
a nefesh but rather was a nefesh, as said: "wayehi ha-adam le-nefesh
hayya" “And the LORD God formed man
of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living being.” (Genesis;2:7). Man was, for most of the
biblical writers, what has been called "a unit of vital power," not a
dual creature separable into two distinct parts of unequal importance and
value. While this understanding of the nature of man dominated biblical
thought, in apocalyptic literature (2nd century B.C-2nd century C.E) the term
nefesh began to be viewed as a separable psychical entity with existence apart
from body. Although this was not entirely divorced from the unitary biblical view,
nonetheless a functional body-soul dualism
was present in such literature. In the Alexandrian version of Hellenistic Judaism the orientation
toward Greek philosophy, particularly the Platonic view of the soul imprisoned
in the flesh, led to a clear-cut dualism with a negative attitude toward the
body. Rabbinic thought remained closer to the biblical position, at least in
its understanding of man as a psychosomatic unit (mind, soul or spirit &
body), although the temporary separation of the components after death was an accepted position.
The biblical view of man as an inseparable psychosomatic unit meant that death
was understood to be his dissolution. Yet, although man ceased to be, this
dissolution was not utter extinction.
Afterlife in Christianity:
The delay of the imminent expectation brought about the
question of the fate of the dead person in the period between the death of the
individual Christian and the resurrection. Two basic views were developed. One
view is that of an individual judgment, which takes place immediately after
death and brings the individual to an interim state, from which he enters into
the realm of bliss or that of perdition (eternal damnation, Hell). The idea of
an individual judgment, however, cannot be readily harmonized with the concept
of the general Last Judgment
on the day of the general resurrection
of the dead. It anticipates the decision of the general judgment and thus
deprives of its significance the notion of the Last Judgment. A second view,
therefore, also prevailed: the sleep of the soul--i.e., the soul of the dead
person enters into a sleeping state that continues until the Last Judgment,
which will occur after the general resurrection. At the Last Judgment the
resurrected will be assigned either to eternal life or eternal damnation. This
conception, accepted in many churches, contains many discrepancies, especially
the abandonment of the fundamental idea of the continuity of personal life.
Both views contain a consequence. The first leaves to people no further
opportunity to improve the mistakes of their lives and to expiate their guilt.
The second preserves the personality in an intermediate state for an indefinite
period so as to later punish it for sins or reward it for good deeds from a
time prior to entrance into the sleep of the soul. The belief in purgatory (an
interim state in which a correction of a dead person's evil condition is still
possible) of the Roman Catholic Church gives the deceased opportunities for
repentance and penance to ameliorate their situation.
The presupposition of the doctrine of purgatory is that there
is a special judgment for each individual at once after death. Hence, the
logical conclusion is that purgatory ceases with the Last Judgment. The stay in
purgatory can be shortened through intercession, alms, indulgences, and
benefits of the sacrifice of the mass. The Eastern Orthodox Church has no
doctrine of purgatory but does practice an intercession for the dead. It assumes that, on the
basis of the connection between the church of the living and that of the dead,
an exertion of influence upon the fate of the dead through intercession is
possible before the time of the Last Judgment. The Roman Catholic understanding
of the intercession of the saints is an extension of the belief in the
communion of saints. Although such veneration does tend to multiply mediators,
it has often fostered a simple and not unpleasing familiarity with the world of
the supernatural.
The idea of the Last Judgment has often become
incomprehensible to the modern world. At the most, people
apparently are still open to the concept of judgment of the guilt and innocence
of the individual. The idea decisive for the early church's expectation of the
Judgment, however, was that the Last Judgment will be a public one. This
corresponds to the fundamental Christian idea that human beings--both the living
and the dead--are bound together in an indissoluble communion; it presupposes
the conception of the church as the body of Christ. All of humanity is as one
person. Humans sin with one another, and their evil is connected together in
the "realm of sin" in a manifold way, unrecognizable in the
individual. Each person is responsible for the other and is guilty with the
other. The judgment upon each person, therefore, concerns all. Judgment
upon the individual is thus at the same time judgment upon the whole, and vice
versa. The Judgment is also public in regard to the positive side--the praise
and reward of God for that which is done rightly and practiced in the common
life, often without knowing it.
For the most part, the churches of the latter part of the
20th century no longer have the courage to uphold the Christian teaching of
life after death. The church has long neglected teachings about the entire area
of the last things. The New Testament responses presuppose the imminent
expectation and thus leave many questions unanswered that arose because of the
delay of the Parousia. The doctrine of the sleep of the soul, on the
other hand, contains many consequences that question the fundamental idea of
the Christian view of the personality of the imago Dei ("image of
God"). The beginnings of a further development of the Christian view of
life after death, as are found in Swedenborg, have never been recognized
positively by the church. For this reason, since the period of Romanticism and
Idealism, ideas of the transmigration of souls and reincarnation, taken over
from Hinduism and Buddhism, have gained a footing in Christian views of the
end-time expectation. Some important impulses toward a new understanding of the
view of life after death are found in Christian theosophy, such as the idea of
a further development of the human personality upon other celestial bodies
after death.
The Last Judgment:
The justice demand reward for the obedient and punishment for
disobedient. A killer of millions like Hitler can get death penalty or life
imprisonment in any court after trial. Its not fair justice, such persons need
to be punished according to nature of their crimes, which can only be done by God
in hereafter. Sin is "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law
of God" (1John; 3:4; Romans;4:15). “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh,
cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall
destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the
constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in
his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will
punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will
cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of
the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than
the golden wedge of Ophir.”(Isaiah;13:9-12).
The ‘Last Judgment’ has been predicted in the Old Testament
(1Corinthians;6:33; Psalsm;9:7;96:13; Ecclesiastes;3:17), a day has been
appointed (Acts;17:31; Romans;2:16), but the time is unknown to any creature
(Mark;13:32). The judgment shall be held upon; All nations (Mathew;25:32); All
men (Hebrews;9:27; 12:23) ; Small and great (Revelation;20:12); Righteous and
wicked (Ecclesiastes;3:17); Quick and dead (2 Timothy; 4:1; 1 Peter; 4:5). The
Devils shall be condemned (2Peter;2:4;
Jude;1:6). The Judgment shall be of all; Actions (Ecclesiastes;11:9; 12:14;
Revelation;20:13; Mathew;25:1-46; Romans; 14:10-11; 2 Corinthians; 5:10; 2
Thessalonians; 1:7-10), Words (Matthew; 12:36-37) and Thoughts (Ecclesiastes;
12:14; 1Corinthians; 4:5). There will be Final everlasting punishment of the
wicked and reward for righteous: “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew;25:46). The Jews, shall be
judged by the law of Moses: “For as many as have sinned without law shall also
perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by
the law;”(Romans; 2:2), “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written,
There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness
from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their
sins.”(Romans;11:26-27).
The Christians shall be judged by the gospel (James;2:12;
Mathew;11:20-24; John;3:19) and the Gentiles (people without any law), will be
judged by the law of conscience: “For when the Gentiles, which have not the
law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law,
are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their
hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean
while accusing or else excusing one another;(Romans;2:14-15 also Luke;12:47-48).
In Judaism, the day of judgmen happens every year on Rosh Hashanah; therefore, the belief in a last day of judgment for all mankind is disputed. Some rabbis hold that there will be such a day following the resurrection of the dead. Others hold that there is no need for that because of Rosh Hashanah. Yet others hold that this accounting and judgment happens when one dies. Other rabbis hold that the last judgment only applies to the gentile nations and not the Jewish people:
After Life in Judaism:
In Judaism, the day of judgmen happens every year on Rosh Hashanah; therefore, the belief in a last day of judgment for all mankind is disputed. Some rabbis hold that there will be such a day following the resurrection of the dead. Others hold that there is no need for that because of Rosh Hashanah. Yet others hold that this accounting and judgment happens when one dies. Other rabbis hold that the last judgment only applies to the gentile nations and not the Jewish people:
After Life in Judaism:
Individual eschatology emerges only on the periphery of the
Old Testament. Amazingly, there were in Israel no known death cults and no
vivid conceptions of life after death. The late expectation of the resurrection
from the dead to judgment is not a yearning for salvation but hope in the
victorious righteousness of God : “And many of them that sleep in the dust of
the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt.” (Daniel;12:2). Rabbinical messianism continued this same
line of thought. The restoration of the holy nation, moreover, always has been
linked with its Holy Land; and Hebrew literature, both in biblical and later
forms, has lovingly described the establishment of a New Jerusalem and a new
Temple of Yahweh (the Lord), whether it be in this world or in some new cosmic
order. Into this new order, the rest of mankind, repentant and purified, will
be incorporated; for the original promise made to the patriarch Abraham
included all men within the divine blessing. In the Book of Zechariah, the ultimate
salvation of mankind is graphically envisaged: the Gentiles, in company with
the Jews, will return to serve God in an ideal Jerusalem.
The Hebrews were much concerned about sources of information
about the heavenly world and about the places of the damned and saved souls. In
later Jewish and early Christian apocalypses, in which the pious one,
undertakes a heavenly trip and sees the secrets that are hidden from others,
these sources of information are highly significant. III Baruch, a book written
in Greek--in which Baruch, the disciple of the prophet Jeremiah, visits the
universe and sees its secrets and the places of the souls and of the angels, is
such an apocalypse. In the Greek text the number of heavens visited by Baruch
is five, but it is possible that originally he was said to have seen seven
heavens. There are Christian passages in the book, but it seems to have been a
Jewish work from the 1st century CE later rewritten by a Christian.
Another book that was written during the period of the
apocalyptic movement in which the Dead Sea sect came into existence is the Book
of Enoch, (I Enoch).The first treatise (chapters 1-36) speaks about the fall of
the angels, who rebelled before the Flood, and describes Enoch's celestial
journeys, in which divine secrets were revealed to him. It was probably written
in the late 2nd century B.C. Abraham was shown the mysteries of un known: “We
showed Ibrahim the kingdom of the heavens and the earth , as We show you with
examples from nature, so he became one of the firm believers.”(Qur’an;6:75). It
may be mentioned here, that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was also shown
the secrets of heavens through Mairaj.
Events Preceding End of The World:
Jewish Concept of
Antichrist:
In the Old Testament the Jewish conception of the struggle is found in the prophecy of Daniel, written at the beginning
of the Maccabean period (167-164 BC). The historical figure who served as a
model for the Antichrist was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the persecutor of the Jews, and he left a lasting
impression upon the conception. Since then, ever-recurring characterizations of
this figure are that he would appear as a mighty ruler at the head of gigantic
armies, destroy three rulers (three horns) and devastate the Temple of
God. “I considered the horns, and,
behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were
three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were
eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”
(Daniel;7:8).“And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall
arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the
first, and he shall subdue three kings.” (Daniel;7:24). “And he shall speak
great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most
High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand
until a time and times and the dividing of time.” (Daniel;7:25). In later
times, the tyrant who was God's enemy became a figure of prophecy, applied to
various situations of crisis. Also, Jewish and Christian writers of apocalypses
saw in the emperor Nero (died C.E 68) the Antichrist.
Christian Concept of Antichrist:
The earliest mention of the name Antichrist, which was
probably first coined in Christian eschatological literature (concerned with
the end of time), is in the letters of St. John (IJohn; 2: 18, 22; II John; 7),
although the figure does appear in the earlier II Thessalonians as "the
lawless one." Yet the conception of a mighty ruler who will appear at the
end of time and whose essence will be enmity of God is older and was taken over
by Christianity from Judaism. Jesus is attributed to have said: “Then if any one says to
you, `Lo, here is the Christ!' or `There he is!' do not believe it. For
false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders,
so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”(Mathew;24:23-24). The
Antichrist appears as a tempter who works by signs and wonders and seeks to
obtain divine honours; it is further signified that this "man of
lawlessness" will obtain credence, especially among the Jews because they
have not accepted the truth. This version of the figure of Antichrist, who may
now really for the first time be described by this name, appears to have been
at once widely accepted in Christendom. The idea that the Jews would believe in
Antichrist as punishment for not having believed in the true Christ seems to be
expressed by the author of the Fourth Gospel
(John; 5:43).
The conception of Antichrist as a perverter of men led
naturally to his connection with false doctrine (1John; 2:18,22, 4:3; 2John;1:
7). In the Book of Revelation the Antichrist is seen as a worker of wonders and a seducer.
In the history it became a common feature to call the opponents as Anti Christ
which has now subsided. Among some modern Protestant theologians the Antichrist
can be interpreted as whatever resists or denies the lordship of Christ and
tends to deify a political power--within either the church or the state. In
dispensational and pre-millennial theology the expectancy of a personal
Antichrist at the end of time remains strong.
Gog and Magog:
According to the Bible, Gog is a hostile power that is
ruled by Satan and will manifest itself immediately before the end of the
world: “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters
of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of
whom is as the sand of the sea”. (Revelation;20:8). In the biblical passage
in Revelation and in other Christian and Jewish apocalyptic literature, Gog
is joined by a
second hostile force, Magog; but elsewhere (Ezekiel;38; Genesis;10:2) Magog
is apparently
the place of Gog's origin. An independent legend of Gog
and Magog
surrounds two
colossal wooden effigies in the Guildhall, London. They are thought to
represent survivors of a race of giants destroyed by Brutus the Trojan, the
legendary founder of London (Troia Nova, or New Troy), and brought there to act
as porters at the gate of the royal palace. Effigies of Gog
and Magog
have existed in
London from the time of Henry V. The first figures were destroyed in the Great
Fire (1666 C.E) and were replaced in 1708. The second pair was destroyed in an
air raid in 1940 and again replaced in 1953. In the legends recounted by the
medieval English historian Geoffrey of Monmouth, Gogmagog, or Goëmagot, was a giant chieftain of Cornwall who was
slain by Brutus' companion Corineus.
Second Coming of Jesus Christ:
The Second Coming of Jesus is also called Second Advent, or Parousia,
in Christianity, it is the future return of Jesus Christ in glory, when it is
understood that he will set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the
faithful, living and dead. Early Christians believed the Advent to be imminent,
and those who have later professed what is known as Adventism have believed that the visible appearance of Jesus may occur
at any moment and that Christians should be ever ready for it. Such believers
find evidence for the Second Coming in the Gospels (Matthew;24,25; Mark;13;
Luke;21:5-26; John;14:25-29), in the Book of Revelations, and in other biblical
and traditional sources.
Armageddon:
In the New Testament it is the place
where the kings of the Earth under demonic leadership will wage war on the
forces of God at the end of world history, probably in Hebrew it is the
"Hill of Megiddo". Armageddon is mentioned in the Bible only once, in
Revelations: “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth
of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the
false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go
forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the
battle of that great day of God Almighty. “And I saw, issuing from the mouth of
the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false
prophet, three foul spirits like frogs;
for they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the
kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God
the Almighty. ("Lo, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who is awake,
keeping his garments that he may not go naked and be seen exposed!") And
they assembled them at the place which is called in Hebrew Armageddon.”(Revelation;16:13-16). The Palestinian city of Megiddo was probably used as a
symbol for such a battle because of its strategic importance in Palestinian
history. Because it controlled a pass that cut through the Mount Carmel ridge
from the coastal Plain of Sharon into Esdraelon, Megiddo commanded the road
leading from Egypt and the coastal plain of Palestine into Galilee, Syria, and
Mesopotamia. Megiddo was the scene of many battles, and Revelations seems to
imply that the "hill" on which the city fortress stood, or the
"mountain" heights behind it, had become a symbol of the final
battlefield where God's heavenly armies will defeat the demon-led forces of
evil. Other biblical references suggest Jerusalem as the site of this battle.
Christian Zionists:
They believe that in order to fulfill Biblical
prophecy, Israel must conquer most of the Middle East. They are a growing force
in American politics with ties to many powerful pro-Israel groups in
Washington. Once considered a marginal doctrine among evangelicals, the
dispensationalist theology of Christian Zionism includes a belief in the
rapture, when the faithful are to be lifted up to Heaven while the rest of
humanity—including most of the Jews—will perish.
The Zionist Jews consider Zionist Fundamentalist
Christians as useful idiots, serving their purpose of colonial Zionist
existence in Palestine, while Zionist
Fundamentalist Christians consider Jews nothing more than ‘sacrificial lamb’.
Rejection by Christians:
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (Catholic), the
Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem
and the Middle East and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy
Land, have recently joined together in order to proclaim and to publish the
Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism (August 22, 2006). This Declaration
rejects Christian Zionism for substituting a political-military program in
place of the teachings of Jesus Christ. The statement is very critical of
Christian Zionism because it provides a worldview where the Gospel is
identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism. Palestinian
Christian leaders have also been very vocal in supporting the “Kairos
Palestine” document calling for a boycott against Israel until it stops its discriminatory
policies in the Palestinian territories.
Islamic Eschatology
The belief in hereafter is part of faith in Islam, according
to Qur’an:
“Your God is One God; as for those who do not believe in the
hereafter, they have faithless hearts and are puffed up with
arrogance.”(Qur’an;16:22).
“He is the One Who has given you life, will cause you to die
and then will bring you back to life again - yet man is indeed very
ungrateful.”(Qur’an;22:66)
“Every soul is bound
to have the taste of death. We are putting all of you to a test by passing you
through bad and good conditions, and finally you shall return to
Us.”(Qur’an;21:35)
“To Him you shall all return. Allah's promise is true. He is
the One Who originates the process of Creation and repeats it (will bring it
back to life) so that He may justly reward those who believed in Him and did
righteous deeds. As for those who disbelieved, they shall have boiling fluids
to drink and shall undergo a painful punishment because they rejected the
truth.” (Qur’an;10:4)
".. So you have
come back to Us Alone as We created you at the first time, leaving behind all
that which We gave you in that world and We don't see with you your
intercessors, whom you claimed to be Allah's partners in your affairs; all your
ties have been cut off and what you presumed has failed you.”(Qur’an;65:94).
On many occasions, the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned his
companions and Muslims in following generations, about the Day of Judgment
and emphasized the need to be well prepared for it. After death, souls
are in what is called “the life in the Barzakh”, which is a status in
between this life and the second life that begins on the Day of Judgment. This
is the day when everyone will be held accountable for whatever they had done or
said in their lives:
“We shall unite the true believers with those of their
descendants who follow them in their faith, and shall not deny them the reward
of their good deeds - everyone is responsible for his deeds”(Qur’an;52:21).
Everyone will be judged on the same basis, by the same
criterion, and his or her destiny will be known. God may pardon whomever He
wills, and He certainly forgives a countless number of people much of their
sins. Whoever is so forgiven will end up in Heaven, while those who are not,
will end up in Hell. The basic element that earns forgiveness is belief in God.
Those who do not believe in Him or associate with Him other deities forfeit
their claims to forgiveness, because their basic sin is too grave to merit
forgiveness.
Since resurrection and the Day of Judgment are so strongly
emphasized in Islam, the Prophet, peace be upon him, was many times asked about
knowledge or the time of the Last Hour, which is another name for the Day of
Judgment. In the Qur’an, he is
instructed to say that only God knows its time:
"They ask you about the Last Hour: “When will it come to
pass?" Say: “Knowledge of it rests with my Lord alone. None but He will
reveal it at its appointed time. It will weigh heavily on the heavens and the
Earth; and it will not fall on you except suddenly.” They will ask you further
as if you yourself persistently inquire about it. Say: “They ask thee about the
(final) hour when will be its appointed time? Say: "The knowledge thereof
is with my Lord (alone): none but He can reveal as to when it will occur. Heavy were its burden through the heavens and
the earth. Only all of a sudden will it
come to you. They ask thee as if thou wert eager in search thereof: Say:
"The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone) but most men know not.” (Qur’an;7: 187).
It will arrive suddenly: “Do they only wait for the Hour that
it should come on them all of a sudden while they perceive not?”(Qur’an;43:66).
“Lost indeed are they who treat it as a falsehood that they must meet Allah
until on a sudden the hour is on them and they say: "Ah! woe unto us that
we took no thought of it"; for they bear their burdens on their backs; and
evil indeed are the burdens that they bear!”(Qur’an;6:31).
The time of the Hour, is something that
God has chosen not to reveal. Hence, there is no need to ask about it.
The time of death is important because after death, no one can alter what he
has done in this life, Allah says in Qur’an:
“Repentance with Allah (right to be forgiven by Allah) is
only for those who do something evil in ignorance and repent as soon as they
realize it; Allah will pardon them. Allah is the Knowledgeable, Wise. There is
no repentance for those who persist in their evil deeds until death approaches
anyone of them and he says: "surely now I repent." Similarly, there
is no repentance for those who die while they were still unbelievers; for them
We have prepared a painful punishment.”(Qur’an;4:17-18).
One may continue to earn reward, only in the three specified
ways: Continuous charity, Useful contribution to knowledge and Prayer by the
children. The Prophet’s answers when he was asked about the Last Hour were
always in this vein, reminding his interlocutors of their approaching death.
The Prophet’s answer indicate the fact that after death; it would not matter to
anyone when human life is brought to an end, because their own hour had already
come.
Signs & Indications:
Some events which will take place before the Day of Judgment
has been mentioned in Qur’an while other details have
been mentioned in Hadith. It is mentioned in the Qur'an that the Day of
Judgment will be preceded by strange happenings in the universe. One of these
is that a walking creature will come out of the earth, which will speak to
people, mentioned in Qur’an:
“And when the Word is fulfilled against them (the unjust) We
shall produce from the earth a beast to (face) them: he will speak to them for
that mankind did not believe with assurance in our Signs.”(Qur’an;27:82).
Since God has not given any more information about this
creature, it is not appropriate to indulge in guesswork. It is appropriate to
believe the Qur'anic statement as it is, knowing that God is able to do what He
pleases in the manner and fashion He chooses. Another indication which the
Qur'an has mentioned is the release of Yajuj & Majuj (Gog and Magog) after
the collapse of the barrier (wall) which separates them from known world:
“Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (their
barrier) and they swiftly swarm from every hill”.(Qur’an;21:96).
It is not known as to who Gog and Magog are, or where their
land lies, or where the wall is. If humanity manage to identify these on the
basis of research and linking various sorts of evidence and come up with a
conclusion which is not contrary to the Qur'an, it would be accepted.
Otherwise, the Qur'anic statement in its generality should be accepted as such.
Before the Day of Judgment the earth would be first full of corruption that people
would be so used to it that they will not even think about God or their
religious duties. True knowledge becomes scanty, while ignorance becomes
widespread. Drinking intoxicants and adultery becomes commonplace. Women become
greater in number than men, and honesty becomes a rare commodity in human
society. Social standards become inconsistent, and lowly people rise in
society. Many of the Hadiths that mention abut future events,
particularly those relating to the Day of Judgment and its signs and the events
that precede it are not at the highest level of authenticity. Some of them are
of the grade of Sahih (authentic), and some are Hasan (acceptable), while
others are poor in authenticity. Moreover, many accept a figurative
interpretation. The coming of The
Imposter (Dajjal) and rightly guided man
(Arabic: Mahdi) a messianic figure who will appear in the last days is not
found in the Qur’an but is well fostered in Shi’a thought, and even some
Sunni inclination, sometimes identified
with Jesus. The Imposter (In Christianity called Anti-Christ) will appear
during a period of great tribulation, before the end of time; after a reign of
40 days or 40 years, will try to remove all goodness from human life. He will
be followed by the Jews and will claim to be God in Jerusalem. He will work
false miracles, and will delude a great many people. None but the true
believers will be able to recognize that he is an impostor.
Mehdi:
The rightly guided one (Mahdi), will fill the Earth
with justice and equity, restore true religion of Islam, and usher in a short
golden age lasting seven, eight, or nine years before the end of the world. He
will be from the family of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through his
daughter Fatima (r.a). The Qur’an does not mention him, and almost no reliable
Hadith concerning the Mahdi can be adduced. He will strive hard to put an end
to the Impostor who would have wreaked havoc and spread corruption. He would
fight that Imposter with those who believe in the right faith. He appears before
the Second Coming of Jesus and when Jesus comes, he hands over the leadership
of the believers to him. He is believed to be an ordinary human being to whom
God grants guidance. The Twelver Shi’as (Imamis) believe that their twelfth
Imam Mahdi, who is believed to have gone into occultation since 329 A.H (939
C.E) will reappear at the end of time as the messianic Imam who will restore
justice and equity on earth. He is therefore referred to as Imam al Muntazir
the expected or awaited Imam.
The second coming of Prophet Jesus Christ:
The second coming of the Prophet Jesus Christ will take place
around this period. He will break the cross and kill pigs. He would gather
around him some believers who would be dedicated to the cause of the divine
faith. He will fight the Impostor and kill him to establish a world order. He
will rule the world according to law of Qur’an (Shari’a) and establish peace
and Islamic rule in world. All Jews and Christians will believe him as
‘Messenger of Allah and a human being’, they will follow him. Jesus will die
his natural death.
Death: Body & Soul:
After death, souls are in
what is called “the life in the Barzakh (Barrier)”, which is a status in
between this life and the second life that begins on the Day of Judgment.
According to Qur’an: “These people will never refrain from wrongdoing until
when death comes to anyone of them, he will say: "O Sustainer! Send me
back, so that I may do good deeds in the world that I have left behind." Never!
This is just a statement which carries no value, it will be too late because
there will be a barrier between them and the world they have just left till the
Day they are raised to life again.”(Qur’an;23:99-100). The questioning or the
trial of grave will take place. The details of this life and how it is
conducted are not well known. It is only known that the faithful who have done
well in this life, being devout and doing what God requires them to do will be
in a happy state, while determined sinners will suffer what is termed as the
“torment in the grave.”
Trial of the Grave:
The grave is the place of burial, it also symbolize death or
extinction of physical body. In biblical accounts (New Testament), the spirits
of the dead, are placed in a state or abode called Hades, the place of
waiting before judgment. It is mentioned as Sheol in the Old
Testament. The righteous and the wicked are separated, the blessed dead are in
that part of Hades called paradise (Luke;23:43). They are also said to be in
Abraham's bosom (Luke;16:22). The wicked are in state of torments in hell
(Luke;16:23).
According to the Islamic traditions, there will be a short
pre trial after death called ‘The Trial of the Grave’, which involves
questioning the deceased person by two angels; Munkir and Nakir, about
his Lord, his religion, and his prophet. There "Allah confirms those who
believe with a firm saying, in the present life and the hereafter"
(Qur’an;14:27).
The believer will say: "Allah is my Lord, Islam is my
religion, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is my prophet." The unbeliever
or the hypocrite will say: "I do not know. I heard the people saying
something and I said it." The believers will be in a happy state in the
grave; "Those whose lives the angels take in state of purity, saying
'peace be on you; enter paradise for what you were doing' (Qur’an;16:32).
The transgressing unbelievers will get the “torment in the
grave.”: "If you could only see when the evildoers are in the agonies
of death and the angels are stretching out their hands, saying, 'Give up your
souls! Today you shall be rewarded with the punishment of humiliation for what
you used to say untrue about Allah, and for scornfully rejecting His
signs"(Qur’an;6:93).
The dead will rise as in a stupor, and they will be confused
in the new conditions! They will gradually regain their memory and their
personality. They will be reminded that Allah in His grace and mercy had already
announced the Hereafter in their probationary lives, and the word of Allah's
messengers, which then seemed so strange and remote, was true and was now being
fulfilled! The new dreadful, frightening and terrifying environments will have
such adverse affect that the period they had spent in the grave and the
“torment in the grave” will appear to them as nothing, very short as if they
were asleep :“And the trumpet is blown and lo! from the graves they will rush
forth to their Lord! Crying: Woe upon us! Who hath raised us from our place of
sleep? This is that which the Beneficent did promise, and the messengers spoke
truth,(Qur’an;36:51-52). The sayings of the Prophet are numerous and well-known
in this subject. A Muslim must believe in all that is reported in the Qur'an
and the prophetic traditions concerning the unseen matters. He should not
contradict it by his worldly experience, because the affairs of the hereafter
cannot be perceived by the affairs of this life. The difference between them is
very great. Allah is the source of help.
Science on Soul, Spirit:
This world is composed of material
objects that occupy space and have properties like mass, electric charge,
extension, etc., whereas the mental world is populated not by material objects but by
thoughts. Paul Davis says
"the mind (or soul) is not
located inside the brain, or any other part of the body; or indeed anywhere in
space at all. Mind is not a physical substance, but a tenuous, elusive, ethereal
sort of substance, the stuff that thoughts and dreams are
made of, free and independent of
ordinary ponderous matter."
If soul is not space, then it exists in time. Here the issue 1s more subtle. If
soul is the source of the human perception then this
must include the
human perception of time. If a
concept is abstract rather than substantial does not make it unreal or
illusory. For example one's nationality.
The faith, beliefs or
thoughts do not occupy a space inside one's body. They cannot be measured or
subjected to physical laws. In computer terminology if
body is the hardware then soul or mind could be compared to software. Therefore
in principle it is possible for the mind to survive after death of the brain by
transferring it to some other mechanism or system. Study of Quantum physics
and mysticism can also help in
understanding the nature of soul.
Paradise and Hell:
Paradise
& hell are opposite to each other. Paradise is the abode of enjoyment which Allah, the Exalted,
prepared for the righteous. No eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and
no human being has ever thought of the blessings that they will enjoy there. It
is mentioned in Qur’an: "No soul knows what comfort is kept hidden for
them, as a reward for their deeds"(Qur’an;32:17). It is mentioned in
Bible: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be
with me in paradise.”(Luke;23:43), “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward
in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”(Genesis;2:8). The Hell
is the abode of punishment that Allah has prepared for the unbelievers and the
evildoers. The torture and horror in it cannot be imagined: "Surely, We
have prepared for the evildoers a fire, whose pavilion encompasses them. If
they call for help, they will be helped with water like molten copper which
will scald their faces. How dreadful a drink and how evil a resting
place!"(Qur’an;18:29). According to Bible: “The wicked shall be turned
into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”(Psalms;9:17), “For thou wilt
not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see
corruption.”(Psalms;16:10),“For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast
delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”(Psalms;86:13). “Ye serpents, ye
generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew;23:33).
Both paradise and hell exist and will never perish:
"Whoever believes in Allah and does righteousness, He will admit him to
gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever. Allah had indeed
made for him an excellent provision" (Qur’an;65-11); "Certainly,
Allah has cursed the unbelievers and prepared for them a blazing fire to dwell
therein forever, they shall find neither protector nor helper. On the day when
their faces are turned about in the fire they shall say: 'Would that we had
obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger!"(Qur’an;33:64-66). The paradise
confirmed to ten people in addition to the Prophet (pbuh), in Qur’an or the
prophetic traditions either by description or name are: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman,
Ali, Talhah, az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Sa'd ibn Malik and Abdu rRahman ibn Awf.
Sa'id ibn Zayd. (Sunan of Abu-Dawood. Hadith 4632). Among those whom Muslims confirm to
enter paradise because they fit the description are the faithful and the pious.
Muslim likewise confirm hell to whom it is confirmed in the Qur'an and the
sayings of the Prophet, whether in name or description. Among those who are
mentioned by name to be in hell are Abu Lahab, 'Amr Ibn Luhai al-Khuza'i, and
others (Bukhari and Muslim). Confirmation of hell that is based on description
includes every unbeliever, polytheist, or hypocrite.
Straight Path:
The straight path (Sirat Bridge) is set up over hell. People
pass over it according to their deeds: the first of them as fast as lighting,
then as fast as wind, then as fast as birds, and then as fast as a running man.
The Prophet will be standing on the path, saying: "Lord, Save!
Save!," as some people's deeds will fall short. Some of them will come
crawling. At both sides of the path there are hooks designed to take whom Allah
wills: some are saved but bruised; others are thrown into hell. (Bukhari and Muslim).
All that is mentioned in the Qur'an or the prophetic sayings concerning that
day and its horrors is to be believed, may Allah save the believers from them.
Intercession and Prayers:
It is important to differentiate between three terminologies;
Shif’at (Intercession), Du’a (Supplication) and Salah (Prayer). The Arabic word
Shif’at used in Qur’an is generally translated as ‘Intercession’, meaning
entreaty in favor of another, especially a prayer or petition to God in behalf
of another. Intercession commonly refers to mediation between God and sinners
by pious and those considered nearer to God to seek forgiveness and blessing
for sinners. Du’a (Supplication) is to
ask for humbly or earnestly, as by praying, to make a humble, earnest petition
to God: “Therefore, you should know that
there is no god but Allah; implore Him to forgive your sins and to forgive the
believing men and believing women; for Allah knows your activities and your
resting places”(Qur'an;47:19). Prayer is to utter or
address a prayer or prayers to God, a mode of worship : “If anyone does evil or
wrongs his own soul and then seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah
Forgiving, Merciful.”(Qur’an;4:110). Praying or addressing supplication to any
one other than God is strictly forbidden in Islam, for God says: “Unto Him is
the real prayer. Those unto whom they pray beside Allah respond to them not at
all, save as (if the response to) one who stretches forth his hands toward
water (asking) that it may come unto his mouth, and it will never reach it.
likewise the prayer (du’a) of the unbelievers is nothing but a fruitless
effort.”(Qur’an;13:14). In Islam Salah
refers to obligatory prayers, worship God (five times a day), Dua
(Supplication) are part of Salah, however Dua (Supplication) may be offered any
time, i.e. Muslims greet the Muslims and non Muslims alike by saying ‘Asalamo
Alaikum’ (peace be upon you) a form of Du’a.
Among the Babylonians and the Assyrians, priesthood was
established primarily to say prayers of intercession. There is a
perception that prayers of intercession to the divine can be supported by
mediator human protectors (alive or dead), marabouts (from Arabic murabit,
dervishes, or mystics, believed, to have special powers), or saints
in Christianity, whose mediation is believed to ensure that the prayer will be
effective. However the practice of addressing supplication to any one other
than Allah is against Tawheed (Islamic monotheism), the dead men are
themselves in need of prayers, according to Qur’an: “Nor are alike those that
are living and those that are dead.
Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those
to hear who are (buried) in graves”(Qur’an;35:22). “If ye invoke them (other
than Allah) they will not listen to your call and if they were to listen they
cannot answer your (prayer). On the Day
of Judgment they will reject your "Partnership." And none (O man!) can tell thee (the Truth)
like the One Who is acquainted with all things”.(Qur’an;35:14). “And your
Lord hath said: Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer. Lo! those who
scorn My service, they will enter hell, disgraced.” (Qur’an;40:60).
In Biblical religion, intercession is spiritualized
in view of a consciousness of the messianic (salvatory) mission. Moses views
himself as one with his people even when they fail in their duty: "Pardon
your people," he prays, "or remove me from the Book of Life."
Such solidarity finds its supreme form in the prayer of Christ (as per
Christian belief) on the cross--"Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do"--which St. Stephen (the first recorded Christian martyr) and
other martyrs repeated in the course of their sufferings. The Roman Catholic
understanding of the intercession of the saints is an extension of the belief
in the communion of saints. Although such veneration does tend to multiply
mediators, it has often fostered familiarity with the world of the
supernatural.
The Supplications:
Supplications (du’a), in which the needs of
others are expressed is a common practice among followers of all faiths. Apart
from an individual himself supplicating directly to God, the family members
supplicate for the other members of the family, but the supplications also
are extended to the whole tribe, family and the brothers in faith. The pious
faithful are requested by common faithful to supplicate to God for legitimate
favours, like forgiveness of sins, good health, promotion of business,
eradication of worries and many other favours and blessings of God. In every
obligatory prayer the Muslims supplicate: “All prayers and worship
through words, action and sanctity are for Allah only. Peace be on you, O
Prophet and Mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Peace be on us and on those who are righteous servants of Allah. I bear
witness to the fact that there is no deity but Allah. I bear witness that
Muhammad is His slave and messenger. O Allah, exalt Muhammad and the followers
of Muhammad As Though did exalt Abraham and his followers. Thou art the
praised, the Glorious O Allah, exalt (pay tribute to) Muhammad and his
followers as Thou has blest Abraham and his followers. Thou art the Praised,
the Glorious O Lord! Make me and my children steadfast in Prayer (Salah); Lord!
Accept the prayer. Our Lord! forgive me and my parents and believers on the Day
of Judgment.” Traditionally after the Salah, the prayer leader (Imam) loudly
offer Du’a to Allah and the offer followers join him by saying ‘Amen’. Believer
may pray for ‘peace’ for the living non believers, so that Allah may open their
hearts for Islam, but it is forbidden for a Muslim to pray for the
dead non believers; may be they are
very close relatives like parents and other relations etc.
According to Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, 2.442: Narrated by Said
bin Al Musaiyab from his father, that; when Abu Talib (guardian uncle of the
Apostle, peace be upon him) at the death bead declined to accept Islam, then
Allah's Apostle said, "I will keep on asking Allah's forgiveness for you
unless I am forbidden (by Allah) to do so." So Allah revealed (the verse)
concerning him (i.e. “It is not fitting for the prophet and those who believe
that they should pray for forgiveness for pagans even though they be of kin
after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire.”
(Qur’an;9:113). “The prayer of Abraham for the forgiveness of his father was
only because of a promise he had promised him, but when it had become clear
unto him that he (his father) was an enemy to Allah he (Abraham) disowned him.
Lo! Abraham was soft of heart, long-suffering.”(Qur’an;9:114).
The Intercession on the Day of Judgment:
The widely accepted presumption of unqualified intercession
by living or dead pirs, saints or prophets is rebuffed by Islam. God will grant
permission to His prophets and those qualified for this honor (known to God
only) to intercede for such of sinners as will have already achieved His
acceptance for salvation by virtue of their repentance or basic righteousness,
piety and His Mercy. This stresses indirectly on to only God’s omniscience
(Having total knowledge) which requires no ‘mediator’ but also the immutability
of His will. No one can challenge or add to His knowledge as He is Knower of
all. This is evident from the following verses from Qur’an:
“On that Day, the sky shall become like molten brass and the
mountains like tufts of wool; even a close friend will not ask of his friend,
though they will see each other.”(Qur’an;70:10-11).“There is none in the
heavens and in the earth but must come to the Compassionate (Allah) in full
submission. He has a comprehensive knowledge and has kept strict count of all
His creatures, and every one of
them will come to Him individually
on the Day of Resurrection.”(Qur’an;19:93-95). “Who can intercede with Him
without His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind
them.”(Qur’an;2:255 also at 10:3, 19:87 & 20:109). “Warn them of the Day
that is (ever) drawing near when the Hearts will (come) right up to the Throats
to choke (them); no Intimate friend nor intercessor will the wrongdoers have who could be listened
to.”(Qur’an;40:18). “They worship other deities besides Allah, who can neither
harm them nor benefit them, and they say: "These are our intercessors with
Allah." O Muhammad, say to them: "Are you informing Allah of what He
knows to exist neither in the heavens nor on the earth? Glory to Him! He is far
above from having the partners they ascribe to Him!”(Qur’an;10:18).“He knows
what is before them and what is behind them and they do not intercede except
for the one whom He approves, and for fear of Him they tremble.”(Qur’an;21:28).
“How many are the angels in the heavens; yet their intercession can avail none
unless Allah gives them permission in favor of whom He wants and is pleased
with.”( Qur’an;53:26). “All who obey Allah and the Apostle are in the company
of those on whom is the Grace of Allah of the Nabiyyin ( Apostles) the Siddiqin
(Sincere lovers of truth) the Shuhada (Witnesses- who testify) and
the Salihin (Righteous, who do good):
ah! what a beautiful fellowship!”(Qur’an;4:69).
Hence the intercession that concerns some sinner believers, who
will have already achieved His acceptance for salvation by virtue of their
repentance or basic righteousness, piety and His Mercy, so were to be taken out
from the fire. The intercession for them will be granted by Allah to the
Nabiyyin (Apostles) the Siddiqin
(Sincere lovers of truth, those followers of the prophets who were first
and foremost to believe in them)) the Shuhada (Witnesses- who testify, martyrs)
and the Salihin (Righteous, who do good,
pious) and some angles. Even those who had been Fasting sincerely and remained
devoted to the Qur'an will be entitled for intercession form them. The
meekest who accepts Faith and does good becomes an accepted member of a great
and beautiful company in the Hereafter. It is a company which lives
perpetually in the sunshine of God's Grace. It is a glorious hierarchy, of
which four grades are specified: (1) The highest is that of the (Nabiyyin)
Prophets or Apostles, who get plenary inspiration from God, and who teach
mankind by example and precept. That rank in Islam is held by Muhammad (peace
be upon him). According to Hadith, Prophet (pbuh) said; "Every prophet is
given a supplication (dua), and I wish to preserve my dua as intercession for
my community in the next world.(Al Muwatta Hadith.15.26). “My intercession will
be for those of my people who have committed major sins.”(Sunan of Abu-Dawood,
Hadith. 2208). (2) The next are Siddiqin, those whose badge is sincerity and
truth: they love and support the truth with their person, their means, their
influence, and all that is theirs. That rank was held by the special Companions
of Muhammad, among whom the type was that of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq. (3) The next
are the noble army of Shuhada, Witnesses, who testify to the truth. The
testimony may be by martyrdom, Or it may be by the tongue of the true Preacher
or the pen of the devoted scholar, or the life of the man devoted to service,
(4) Lastly, there is the large company of Salihin, Righteous people, the
ordinary folk who do their ordinary business, but always in a righteous Way.
While status of Apostle is well known, it is beyond the
capabilities of common believers to determine as to who are Siddiqin, Shahada
& Salihin among them except form what is apparent: “..Allah has knowledge
of the secrets of your hearts.”(Qur’an;3:154), “O believers! Allah knows all
that is in your hearts; for Allah is All-Knowing, Most
Forbearing.”(Qur’an;33:51). Hence only Allah knows their actual status. So it may be appropriate to respect the
pious people, but it will be futile for the believers to run after them
considering them to be among Siddiqin,
Shuhada or Salihin. They should adhere to Qur’an and Sunnah and pray to
Allah to seek His Mercy and grant of Wasila to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him), as desired by him according to Hadith narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn
al-'As: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: When you hear the
Mu'adhdhin (Prayer Caller), repeat what
he says, then invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invokes a blessing on
me will receive ten blessings from Allah: then beg from Allah al-Wasilah
for me, which is a rank in Paradise fitting for only one of Allah's Servants,
and I hope that I may be that one. If anyone who asks that I be given the Wasilah,
he will be assured of my intercession.(Sahih Muslim Hadith.177). The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: The intercession of a martyr will be accepted for
seventy members of his family. (Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith. 1042). Narrated
Abdullah ibn Amr: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Fasting and
the Qur'an intercede for a man. Fasting says, 'O my Lord, I have kept him away
from his food and his passions by day, so accept my intercession for him.' The
Qur'an says, 'I have kept him away from sleep by night, so accept my
intercession for him.' Then their intercession is accepted." Bayhaqi
transmitted it in Shu'ab al-Iman.(Al Tirmidhi Hadith.612).
The Great Intercession of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh):
The ‘Special Great Intercession’ of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will take place (for the
followers of Prophet Adam till Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them) on the Day
of Judgment. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will plead with
Allah, after His permission and on behalf of believers of all mankind, to judge
among His servants when they suffer from worries and troubles that they cannot
bear. They will go to Adam, then to Noah, then to Abraham, then to Moses, then
to Jesus, and finally to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Prophet Muhammad
will ask the permission of the Lord. Allah would allow him to intercede (for a
certain kind of people) and will fix a limit on believers for admittance into
Paradise. The Prophet will keep on repeating request till he said: There will
come out of Hell (Fire) everyone who says: 'La ilaha illal-lah,' and has in his
heart good equal to the weight of a barley grain. Then there will come out of
Hell (Fire) everyone who says: ' La ilaha illal-lah,' and has in his heart good
equal to the weight of a wheat grain. Then there will come out of Hell (Fire)
everyone who says: 'La ilaha illal-lah,' and has in his heart good equal to the
weight of an atom (or a smallest ant)." [Summarized for Sahih Al-Bukhari
Hadith No. 9.507]. Allah
will save from hell some of the believers without the intercession of any one,
but by His grace and mercy. The time interval between
various batches of sinners may be perceived keeping in view the Time of Allah.
His Day (epoch) may be a thousand or fifty thousand years (Qur’an; 70:4 &
32:5) of human reckoning. He guides, rules, and controls all affairs: and in
the immense Future all affairs will go up to Him, for He will be the Judge, and
His restoration of all values will be as in a Day or an Hour or the Twinkling
of an eye; and yet to human perception it will be as a thousand years! Since it
is beyond the human perception to fully comprehend the mysteries of the unseen
world (Alam Al Ghaib) which could also be called metaphysics; the believer have
full faith in what ever has been mentioned in Qur’an and the authentic
traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
CONCLUSION:
Human has been blessed with intellect and granted knowledge
but it is beyond human capabilities to fully comprehend every thing. Hence many
aspects specially the mysteries of life hereafter have been kept hidden. Man
only knows what has been conveyed by His messengers and scriptures. More over
the actual nature of God, His angels and other creature like Jinns is only
known to Him. Science does not claim to know every thing, all mysteries of
nature have not be resolved by science. However with the advancement in the
scientific knowledge many mysteries have being resolved and understood. Same is
the case with the Metaphysical sciences, Al Ghaib.
Man should strive to concentrate on what is with in his abilities
and believe what has been revealed by His messengers. The life after death,
resurrection, reward and punishment are the matters of hereafter. There are
many commonalties about eschatology among three Abrahamic faiths. While
appearing similar to certain parts of the Bible (Ezekiel,James,1 Peter,
Revelation), this is dissimilar to some, the Protestant branches of
Christianity, where salvation comes by faith in Jesus alone. Catholics,
however, cite James 2:24 as evidence that judgment is not based on faith alone.
Islam emphasizes that grace does not conflict with perfect justice.
Prayers can only be addressed to God. He will permit
intercession for deserving people like His messengers and pious people. The
matter of heart and faith are only known to God, hence no one can himself claim
to be closer to God. It is batter that people should concentrate towards their
deeds and seek His forgiveness and blessings.
Allah may grant us power and conviction of firm belief and strong faith,
followed by good deeds to enable for good reward with Mercy of Allah.
“Our Sustainer! Do not punish us if we forget or make
a mistake.” (Qur’an;2:286)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
References: http://JustOneGod.blogspot.com
Related:
- Fundamentals of Faith
- GUIDANCE
Introduction - Messengers of God
- Prophet Abraham (pbuh) to Muhammad (pbuh)
- Prophet Moses (pbuh)
- Prophet David (pbuh),
- Jesus Christ (pbuh),
- Muhammad (pbuh), The Last Messenger
- Bible & Old Scriptures
- Quran
- http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/2012/06/metaphysics-al-ghaib.html
- Read eBook online: WebDoc or PDF
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