What many Jews and Muslims do not realize is that they share many similar religious beliefs. I believe that if more people were taught about the many connections between Judaism and Islam, they would see them as a bridge toward greater interfaith understanding.

Shared belief in one God

One of the most fundamental ways in which Judaism and Islam are similar is their firm monotheistic belief in one God. Jews recite the following verse from Deuteronomy 6:4 as part of their daily prayers:

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.”[1]

This is probably the best-known declaration of faith in all of Judaism, because it establishes absolute monotheismand belief in the absolute unity of God. The medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides affirmed that “God is one. He is not two or more, but one, unified in a manner that surpasses any unity that is found in the world.”[2]

This is certainly similar to Shahada, the first pillar of Islam, in which Muslims state that “there is no god but Allah,” as well as the declaration in the Qur’an, 112:1, which states, “Say: ‘He – (He is) God, (Who is) the Unique One of Absolute Oneness.”[3]

Both Judaism and Islam teach that it is God who created the universe. The Hebrew Bible opens with this statement in the book of Genesis:

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

So too does the Qur’an 7:54 state:

“Indeed your Lord is God, Who has created the heavens and the earth in six days.”

Both religions affirm that it is God who creates and forms human beings. The Hebrew Bible states in Genesis 2:7, that “The Lord God formed man from the dust of the earth.” A parallel verse is found in the Qur’an 40:67: “He it is Who created you from earth.”

Shared reverence for the Hebrew Bible and Biblical prophecy

Traditional Judaism is based on the belief that the Hebrew Bible is the sacred word of God. Within the Bible, the Torah is considered the most sacred, because according to Rabbinic tradition, Moses received not only the Ten Commandments from God at Mount Sinai, but also the entire Torah. The Torah’s commandments, teachings, and theological beliefs form the core of what Jews believe and how they are to behave.

The Qur’an sees the transmission of the divine word as a process that encompasses both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament. 3:3-4 confirms that “He sends down on you the Book in parts with the truth, confirming (the Divine origin of, and the truths still contained by) the Revelations prior to it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel in time past, as guidance for the people.”

While Islam views the Qur’an as the culmination of divine revelation, it accepts the divine origin of both the Torah and the Gospels.

The tradition of prophets, who received messages from God and transmitted them to the community, is very ancient in Judaism. Moses stands out as a prophet, because he was able to receive prophetic messages “face to face” with God (Deuteronomy 34:10). Islam also reveres prophets. The Biblical prophets of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament are accepted by Islam as authentic, with Muhammad as the pinnacle of prophetic activity:

“We have believed in God (without associating any partners with Him), and that which has been sent down to us, and that which has been sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Prophets who were raised in the tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and that (knowledge, wisdom, and Prophethood) which was given to all other Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them” (Qur’an 2:136).

Shared belief in the Afterlife, Final Judgment, and Resurrection

Both Judaism and Islam share a belief in an afterlife – that as human beings we are created with both a body and a soul, and that after death our soul continues. The ancient Rabbis stated in Talmud Shabbat 152b, “After death, the souls of the righteous are kept beside the Throne of Glory in heaven.” Concerning the soul, the Qur’an 89:27-30 states, “O you soul at rest (content with the truths of faith and God’s commands, and with His treatment of His creatures!) Return to your Lord, well-pleased (with Him and His treatment of you, and well-pleasing to Him.”

Both Judaism and Islam also believe that human souls will experience a Final Judgment at the end of time, when all the righteous will receive their ultimate reward and the wicked their ultimate punishment. For both Judaism and Islam, the righteous will be resurrected after death, with their bodies and souls reunited forever, and will enjoy eternity in a heavenly realm. The prophet Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible describes resurrection in dramatic, poetic terms:

“Thus the Lord God said to the dry bones: ‘I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live again. I will lay sinews upon you, and cover you with flesh, and form skin over you. And I will put breath into you, and you shall live again.’”

So too does the Qur’an 39:67, 73-74 describe resurrection in uplifting terms:

“The whole earth will be in His Grasp on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand… Those who keep from disobedience to their Lord in reverence for Him and piety will be led to Paradise in companies. When they finally arrive there, its doors will be opened (as sheer grace from God), and its keepers will welcome them saying: ‘Peace be upon you! Well you have faired and are purified (from the foul residues of sin, and delivered from all suffering), so enter it (Paradise) to abide!’ And they say: ‘All praise and gratitude are for God, Who has fulfilled His promise to us, and has made us inheritors of this land (of bliss).’ ”

The centrality of prayer and ritual

Both Jews and Muslims are required to pray daily, and daily prayer is the second pillar of Islam. For Jews, there are three daily prayer services, and for Muslims, five. These consistent times of prayer are meant to remind us of God’s continuous presence in the world and to give us opportunities to give praise and thanks to God.

Both traditions also have times of fasting, during which neither food nor water is permitted. Jews fast on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), when we confess and atone for our sins, resolve to turn from evil, and ask for God’s forgiveness. Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan, which is the fourth pillar of Islam. Like Judaism, the Qur’an 2:183 states that fasting during Ramadan is “so that you may deserve God’s protection (against the temptations of your carnal soul) and attain piety.”

Both Judaism and Islam affirm the spiritual value of religious pilgrimage. For Jews, there are three pilgrimage festivals each year (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot) that are ideally observed in Israel, and many Jews make the effort to be in Israel for these sacred times. Similarly, the pilgrimage to Mecca, the fifth pillar of Islam, is a supremely important religious observance.

Jews and Muslims are also required to observe dietary laws. They share the prohibition against eating pork. These restrictions cause us to think about God every time we eat, provide us with a daily discipline of paying attention to what we put in our mouths, and cause us to see eating as a sanctified ritual, rather than mindlessly consuming whatever food is readily available.

Shared values

One of the most cherished values in Judaism is that of tzedakah, which involves acts of charity to those in need. Leviticus 19:9-10 teaches us, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.”

Similarly, the third pillar of Islam is Zakat, the duty of Muslims to give charity to the poor and needy. The Qur’an 2:177 praises the person who “gives away of his property with pleasure, although he loves it, to relatives, orphans, the destitute, the wayfarer, and those who have to beg (or who need a loan).”

Both religions have a very high regard for the value of humility. The Hebrew Bible notes that humility is the outstanding trait of Moses:

“Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

The same is found in the Qur’an 25:63:

“The (true) servants of the All-Merciful are they who move on the earth gently and humbly.”

Lastly, both traditions emphasize the power of forgiveness. In the Hebrew Bible, Exodus 34:6-7 lists God’s qualities of forgiveness:

“A God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.”

Islam also emphasizes the qualities of Allah as “the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” in the Basmala. We are all imperfect human beings who rely on God’s boundless mercy to forgive us when we sin and help us to repent for our wrongs.

Judaism and Islam also expect believers to be forgiving of each other, just as God is forgiving of us. The medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides emphasized that we are required to forgive those who have harmed us:

“It is forbidden for a person to be cruel and refuse to be appeased. Rather, he should be easily pacified, but hard to anger. When a person who wronged him asks for forgiveness, he should forgive him with a complete heart and a willing spirit. Even if he aggravated and wronged him severely, he should not seek revenge or bear a grudge.”[4]

The ideal of the forgiving person is described in the Qur’an 3:134 as the kind of person who is “ever-restraining their rage (even when provoked and able to retaliate), and pardoning people (their offenses). God loves (such) people who are devoted to doing good.”

A bridge to interfaith understanding

These are just a few examples of the many ways in which Judaism and Islam share common beliefs and values. In today’s fractured world, it is vital that Jews and Muslims understand what they have in common and reach out to each other in friendship and support. We need to repair the gaping hole where ignorance currently resides. Knowledge of each other is the only way to prevent future religious bigotry and violence, and to replace hatred with love.

Resurrection plants are desiccation (extreme dryness) tolerant plant species. All are relatively small and mostly found in Southern Africa, North America, Brazil, and Australia. They are able to stay in a dehydrated state under conditions in which other plants would perish. They come back to life and resume their physiological activities when water becomes available again. During the dehydration process, leaves of resurrection plants shrink and curl up due to water loss. Some of them fold up their stems into a tight ball as they desiccate to limit surface area and conserve internal moisture. It is not yet clear how the leaves and stems reduce their size. However, electron microscopy revealed desiccation-induced cell wall folding in the majority of mesophyll and epidermal cells of a resurrection plant. Thick-walled vascular tissue did not fold and supported the surrounding tissue, thereby limiting the extent of leaf shrinkage and allowing leaf morphology to be rapidly regained upon rehydration (Moore et al 2006, 651–62). When the resurrection plant is dehydrated, its stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 concentration is decreased and hence its photosynthetic rate, but sugar, starch and non-structural carbohydrate reserves increased during this stage. Mature tissues of resurrection plants such as leaves and roots are able to remain in the air-dried state for months by reaching an inactive state, comparable to dormancy in seeds in several aspects. All metabolic functions are reduced to a bare minimum and they appear to be dead. Resurrection plants take immediate advantage of rainfall after dry periods: they absorb water, grow rapidly, and reproduce (Bartels 2005, 696–701; Xu 2010, 183–190).

One of the most common examples of resurrection plants is Myrothamnus flabellifolia, grown in southern Africa, the only known woody resurrection plant. Craterostigma wilmsii and Xerophyta viscosa are other resurrection plants from southern Africa. All these plants are used extensively in African medicine and traditional culture. Ramonda serbica and her sister Haberlea rhodopensis are members of Gesneriaceae family from the Balkan peninsula; they are rare and forbidden for collecting. Anastatica hierochuntica is native to western Asia, while Selaginella lepidophylla is collected from the wilderness of the southwestern United States and Mexico, sold to tourists, and exported worldwide—it can even be bought online, in their dry and lifeless form. After buying this plant, we soak it in water and voila! If one does not have a “green thumb” and still want to have greenery in one’s home, this resurrection plant might work best for you. However, its downside is that sometimes people complain that the gray-brown ball and its branches do not become fully green or open up in water totally, which does not look very attractive. But even though you may not like how it looks, your kids might enjoy it as a science project.

Why is it important to know how these plants survive drought and come back to life?

The world’s need for water is likely to become one of the most critical resource issues of this century. The International Water Management Institute predicts that by the year 2025, one-third of the world’s population will reside in regions that experience severe water scarcity (www.iwmi.org) (Bartels and Salamini 2001, 1346–1353). Drought is a factor that dramatically threatens the world’s food supply. Therefore, plant scientists have been interested in using resurrection plants as model organisms to find out noble cellular mechanisms for improving the drought tolerance of important crop plants. Research on the molecular genetic mechanisms, metabolic and antioxidant systems as well as macromolecular and structural stabilizing processes in resurrection plants have been carried out (Moore et al 2009, 110–7). One study of Craterostigma wilmsii demonstrates that it relies almost entirely on protection during natural drying; however, it also induces a repair mechanism during rehydration that enables recovery from rapid drying. Thus, it apparently has the ability to repair if protection is inadequate and damage is incurred (Cooper 2002, 1805–13). In addition to repair mechanisms of resurrection plants, the processes that involve regulation of gene and protein activity that allow these plants to use energy storage efficiently have been investigated. The resurrection capability appears to be associated with the accumulation of a carbohydrate in the tissues as they dry. In a majority of cases, sucrose is the major carbohydrate that accumulates (Norwood et al. 2000, 159–65). In addition, an unusual disaccharide named trehalose, which is the main blood sugar in insects and serves as a major energy storage molecule enabling flight, is found in high levels in resurrection plants. This is unusual, because normally there is not much trehalose in plants. It has been proposed that trehalose serves as an osmoprotectant (Avonce et al 2005, 276–279). Osmoprotectants are small molecules that help organisms to survive when a rapid change in the movement of water across their cell membrane occurs. Peter Scott of the Annuals of Botany wrote a summary of the ability of resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum to survive dehydration and revive (Scott 2000, 159–166). According to his botanical briefing the roots, being in the soil, are most likely to sense the decrease in water availability first. Abscisic Acid (ABA), a plant hormone, is synthesized and released by roots as a response to drought stress. Once released, ABA could activate batteries of genes required for metabolic processes such as the accumulation of sucrose from either stored carbohydrates or through an alteration in photosynthetic carbon partitioning. In addition, the synthesis of other proteins such as dehydrins and Late Embryogenesis Abundant proteins (LEAs) could help to stabilize the plant cells as they lose water. Thus as the tissues dehydrate, leaves shrink, chlorophyll is degraded, sucrose accumulates and ultimately the xylem, which is one of the transport tissues in plants, fills with air and the plants become desiccated. On addition of water, the xylem refills with water and cells begin to take up water and expand, enzymes present in the tissues are activated, sucrose is metabolized, and chlorophyll is resynthesized. Within 24 hours the plant is restored, and is reproductively active within two weeks.

Based on these findings, it is of particular significance to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of resurrection plants and focus on biological engineering strategies for improving plant drought tolerance in important crop species such as cotton, soybeans, peanuts, corn, and potatoes. But these plants do not merely represent a unique model for scientists to understand a plant’s ability to cope with drought; they also serve us to deepen our faith for the Day of Judgment and rationalize it in our minds. The astonishing changes in the tissue of resurrection plants, and how they are brought back to life when they appear to be completely dead, remind us of Qur’anic verses such as the one below regarding the resurrection of decayed flesh and bones (36:78–79).

“And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: ‘Who will give life to these bones when they have rotted away and became dust?’ Say: ‘He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!’”

Time-lapse videos of resurrection plants in action, like Xerophyta and Jericho rose, are available on the web. Enjoy!

References

• Moore JP, Nguema-Ona E, Chevalier L, Lindsey GG, Brandt WF, Lerouge P, Farrant JM, Driouich A. 2006. Response of the leaf cell wall to desiccation in the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolius. Plant Physiol. 141:651–62.
• Bartels D. 2005. Desiccation Tolerance Studied in the Resurrection Plant Craterostigma plantagineum. Integr. Comp. Biol. 45: 696–701
• Xu D, Su P, Zhang R, Li H, Zhao L, Wang G. 2010. Photosynthetic parameters and carbon reserves of a resurrection plant Reaumuria soongorica during dehydration and rehydration. Plant Growth Reg. 60: 183–190.
• http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombrello/pow/resurrection_plant.htm
• Bartels D, Salamini F. 2001. Desiccation tolerance in the resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum. A contribution to the study of drought tolerance at the molecular level. Plant Physiol. 127:1346–1353.
• Moore JP, Le NT, Brandt WF, Driouich A, Farrant JM. 2009 Towards a systems-based understanding of plant desiccation tolerance. Trends Plant Sci. 14:110–7.
• Cooper K, Farrant JM. 2002. Recovery of the resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii from desiccation: protection versus repair. J Exp Bot. 53:1805–13.
• Norwood M, Truesdale MR, Richter A, Scott P. 2000. Photosynthetic carbohydrate metabolism in the resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum. J Exp Bot. 51:159–65.
• Avonce N, Leyman B, Thevelein J, Iturriaga G. 2005. Trehalose metabolism and glucose sensing in plants. Biochem Soc Trans. 33:276–279.
• Scott P. 2000. Resurrection Plants and the Secrets of Eternal Leaf Annals of Botany. 85: 159–166.

The Qur’anic approach is to arrive at a position through observation and reason from which the intellect clears the obstacles for faith, allowing it to take hold in one’s heart and preparing the way for dedicated worship of one God. After faith takes hold of one’s heart, there will be many elements of creed as well as principles of personal and social life which may or may not be suitable for verification through scientific means. In such cases, it is sufficient that such beliefs and rules of conduct do not contradict observation or reason. Hence, the Qur’anic style combines philosophy, theology, and “all dimensions of our being.” In the following I will give examples from the exegeses of Maududi, Yazir and Nursi that, in my opinion, support this view. Unless marked otherwise, the English rendering of verse meanings will be from the Maududi exegesis translated by Ansari.

Nursi: KNOW, O FRIEND, that out of the purposes for things’ existence, the Qur’an sometimes mentions those related to humanity. This does not mean, however, that humanity was created only for the purposes mentioned. Rather, it draws our attention to their benefits, to the order and harmony they display, and thus to their Maker’s Names. We only pay attention to and prefer that which is related to us, even if it is microscopic, in preference to a “sun” with which we have no relation. For example: And the moon: We have determined stations (phases) for it (36:39), that you might know the number of years and the reckoning (10:5). This is only one of the moon’s thousands of purposes, and it is mentioned because it is the most evident one for humanity⁵

Yazir comments on the role of such verses in encouraging humanity to discover the laws of nature, which are indeed works of God, and through them to discover the purpose of human life, developing a methodology for a type of scientific acquisition of knowledge along the way:

Yazir: Indeed, the source of the notion of time is movement, a continuity and change that underlies the order in which these created objects exist. Indeed, the way to the true sciences is reflection on the heavens and the Earth, the day and the night, creation and change and their perception by intelligence.

Yazir also narrates a report of Prophet Muhammad’s reception of this verse. Aisha told that the Prophet asked permission to worship. She said, “He then stood up, made ablution with a little water and stood for prayer. He was reciting the Qur’an and crying. I even saw that his tears wet the floor. Then Bilal came and informed him of the congregation for morning prayer. Upon seeing that the Prophet was crying, Bilal asked: ‘O Messenger of God, did not God forgive your previous as well as future sins? Why would you cry?’ The Prophet then responded: ‘O Bilal! Under these circumstances, should I not be a thankful servant? Why should I not cry, God Almighty revealed this verse tonight, (and recited the verse) Woe on those who recite this verse and do not reflect on it.’”

Thanksgiving

He set the earth for all creatures, with all kinds of tasty fruits in abundance and palm-trees with sheathed fruit, and a variety of corn with husk as well as grain. So, O jinn and men, which of your Lord’s blessings will you deny? (Rahman 55:10-13)

Maududi begins his commentary with a discussion of the term alaa’ which has traditionally been understood to mean bounty.

Maududi then indicates another meaning of the term, that is, power and the wonders of power, which is based on the famous exegesis of Ibn Jarir Tabari. He continues to comment on how the observation of these objects of need and desire come not only with benefits, but also with the qualities that satisfy the various lofty human senses. He describes in what ways humans deny the bounties of God: By out right rejection of a creator, by associating partners with God, by disobeying the commands of their Creator or by simply not offering thanksgiving, which he calls denial by practice.

Nursi comments on the importance of thanksgiving based on the observation of the universe, the Earth, the living beings, including the human, and how the latter are cared for and sustained:

Nursi: Indeed, both the All-Wise Qur’an shows thanks to be the result of creation, and the mighty Qur’an of the universe shows that the most important result of the creation of the world is thanks. For if the universe is observed carefully, it is apparent that all things result in thanks in the way each is arranged within it; to a degree each looks to thanks and is turned towards it. It is as if the most important fruit of the tree of creation is thanks and the most elevated product of the factory of the universe is thanks.

Nursi then details the picture that emerges when one carefully observes the relationship of the universe, the inanimate beings, the living beings, and humans.

Nursi: We see in the creation of the world that its beings are arranged as though in a circle, with life as its central point. All beings look to life, and serve life, and produce the necessities of life. That is to say, the One Who created the universe cares for life in it.

Then we see that He created the animal kingdom in the form of a circle and placed the human at its center. Simply, He centered the aims intended from animate beings on the human, gathering all living creatures around him (the human), and subjugating them to him…Then we see that the world of human, and the animal world too, are formed like circles, with sustenance placed at their centre.

We can draw a picture based on Nursi’s description:

Nursi then continues to comment on the relationship of sustenance with thanksgiving:

Nursi: He has made mankind and the animals enamored of sustenance, has subjugated them to it, and made them serve it. What rules them is sustenance. And He has made sustenance such a vast and rich treasury that it encompasses His innumerable bounties. Even, with a faculty called the sense of taste, He has placed on the tongue fine and sensitive scales to the number of foods, so that they can recognize the tastes of the many varieties of sustenance. That is to say, the most mysterious, richest, most wonderful, most agreeable, most comprehensive, and most marvelous truth in the universe lies in sustenance. Now we see that just as everything has been gathered around sustenance and looks to it, so does sustenance in all its varieties subsist through thanks, both material and immaterial and this is offered by word and by state; it exists through thanks, it produces thanks, it shows thanks.

We can summarize Nursi’s commentary as follows: When a human observes the universe, they will notice that all inanimate beings serve life, plants and animals serve humans, and humans are in need of sustenance. In addition to satisfying the needs of life, sustenance carries other qualities that satisfy the higher senses of the human. It shows signs of mercy, care and love from the Creator. Therefore, all of these observations ought to lead a person to be thankful to their Creator.

The signs of resurrection

Just see the Signs of Allah’s Mercy, how He brings back to life the dead earth. Likewise, He will bring back the dead to life: He has power over everything. (Rum 30:50)

Does not man see that We created him from a sperm-drop, and yet he stands forth as a manifest adversary? Now he strikes out likenesses for Us and forgets his own creation. He says, “Who will give life to these bones when they are rotten?” Tell him, “He Who created them in the first instance will give them life again: He is skilled at every kind of creation. (Ya-Sin 36:77-79)

The basic argument in this verse, repeated elsewhere in the Qur’an, can be summarized as follows: When you observe the coming to life of living beings, the coming back to life of plants and animals after a period of inactivity, which resembles death and other similar phenomena, you should have no doubt that the Creator and Sustainer of the universe is capable of bringing humans back to life after their death. The coming into existence of the first living being and that of first human being, the coming back to life of their various traits through their progeny, the preservation of their qualities in their seeds and sperms should all make it easy for the intellect to accept the possibility of resurrection. In other words, after observing all of these phenomena, one should not reject the idea of resurrection simply because it does not occur for individual humans before their eyes:

Against this, the Qur’an employs a basic argument which is not difficult to accept rationally, equating two similar feats: the power that can accomplish something once can do it again. From the fact that human beings now exist, it is clear that divine power was not incapable of making them: why should it be assumed that such power will be incapable of doing for a second time what it achieved the first (50:15)? Indeed, a second creation is easier than a first one (30:27).

Commenting on 36:77-79, both Maududi and Yazir relate an account of the occasion of revelation which illustrates the disbeliever’s attitude:

Yazir: It is related that Ubey b. Halef came to the presence of God’s Messenger (upon whom be peace and blessings) with a decayed bone and crushed it. He then asked, “Would you say that God could give life to this after it has perished as such?” The Messenger answered: “Yes indeed! He resurrects you and places in hellfire.” And God knows every aspect of His creation. In other words, He knows every detail of every part of His creatures, their situations, quantities and qualities. He knows all forms of creation, material and immaterial, with instruments or without instruments, with archetypes and without archetypes, unbounded by time. And this concludes the matter.

The entire chapter entitled the 10th Word in Nursi’s book The Words, consisting of over sixty pages, is dedicated to the issue of belief in resurrection and life in the hereafter. After discussing in detail of various forms of signs and similitudes of resurrection, Nursi concludes with an appeal to the reader’s conscience:

Nursi: Can you not see the numerous designs made by God as signs, similitudes, or analogies of resurrection? He has placed them in every era, the alteration of day and night, even in the coming and going of clouds. If you imagine yourself a thousand years in the past and then compare past and future, you will see as many similitudes and analogies of resurrection as there are centuries or days past. If, after this, you still consider corporeal resurrection improbable and unacceptable to reason, there is something seriously wrong with your powers of reasoning .

Maududi comments that in addition to being a sign of resurrection, there is a moral lesson in the example of rain bringing life to the Earth in the spring. In addition to being reminded about the resurrection, human beings are reminded about the life-giving nature of divine guidance:

Maududi: There is a subtle allusion in the mention of the Prophethood and the rain, one after the other, to the reality that the advent of a Prophet is a blessing for man’s moral life even as the coming of the rain proves to be a blessing for his material life. Just as the dead earth awakens to life by a shower of the rain from the sky and starts blooming and swelling with vegetation, so is the morally and spiritually desolate human world quickened to life at the coming down of Divine Revelation and starts blossoming with moral excellences and virtues. This is the disbelievers’ own misfortune that they show ingratitude, and regard the blessing of Prophethood as a portent of death for themselves instead of a good news of life.

In this verse we once more see an example of the Qur’an’s appeal to observation and reasoning based on some intuitive premises shared by humanity due to their innate nature: Reflect on the first living being. How did it come to existence? Reflect on your own existence. How did your forefather come into being? Observe the winter and spring. How did these plants and animals that look as if they are dead in the winter come back to life in the spring? In particular the trees which show no sign of life suddenly take on a completely new form and color after the rain wets their skirts and the sun warms them? Remember your own ability to memorize events and people. How you are able to reconstruct a virtual scene based on your memories? What do these actions tell you with respect to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Whose power is not limited and Whose knowledge is infinite?

Conclusion

The narrative style of the Qur’an is sometimes described as a river that makes turns but flows toward and end. The basic themes of the Qur’an have generally been recognized: the Unity of God and the necessity that humans acknowledge and worship God; the phenomenon of the messengers and revelations of God and the finality of God’s revelation to Muhammad in the form of Islam; resurrection after death and life in the hereafter, and the principles of social justice. The Qur’an makes it clear that it addresses intelligent beings that are capable of observation and reason. It does not ask its readers to suspend their critical faculties in embracing the faith. On the contrary, it expects them to make careful observations, relate their experiences from social life, and draw logical conclusions that eliminate intellectual obstacles to faith’s taking hold in one’s heart. In the meantime, the Qur’an also exposes the invalidity of the false arguments of those who reject its message out of ulterior motives such as greed, habit, pride or fear of material disadvantage. The approach of the Qur’an to observation and reason in relationship to faith is one of balance. The use of observation and reason helps build faith on sound foundations. There is no room for bigotry or fanaticism. However, the Qur’an also praises those who believe in the unseen (2:3). Hence, believers are still expected to have faith in matters that are beyond direct observation; however, this faith is now grounded on a foundation of observation and reason. In this paper I have presented interpretations from three popular works of exegesis: Nursi, Yazir and Maududi. In each of these commentaries, we can see the Qur’an’s appeal to observation and reason as expounded by their respective authors. It should be noted that there was little to no interaction among these authors. Although Nursi and Yazir were contemporaries, their works were written in parallel, while Nursi was in exile and his works not widely available. Since translations of the complete works of neither Yazir nor Nursi were available in Urdu and English at the time of Maududi, it is safe to assume that either text had little or no impact on Maududi. Therefore, the resonant comments on the paper’s basic premise reflected in these commentaries should be considered independent support for my thesis.

Finally, what about the persons who use their observation and reason as the Qur’an encourages, but reach different conclusions about metaphysical phenomena? The basic premise of the Qur’an is that if the human intellect and conscience are not influenced by other motives, such as persistent wrongdoing or the pursuit of material interests, then the God-created human nature should yield the same result for everyone, at least as far as the pillars of faith are concerned. Whether this very premise is valid or not has to be left to human conscience.

Notes

1. Irving et al., The Qur’an: Basic Teachings, London: The Islamic Foundation, 1979, p. 35.

2. Fethullah Gulen, in Ali Unal Foreword, The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English, New Jersey: The Light Inc., xviii., 2006.

3. Yazir does not provide a commentary on this verse.

4. Said Nursi, The Letters, Twentieth Letter, Addendum to the Tenth Phrase. Sozler Publications, Istanbul, 2001, p. 306.

5. Nursi, Al-Mathnawi al-Nuri: Seedbed of The Light, NJ: The Light, Inc., 2007, p. 304.

6. Nursi, The Letters, Twenty-eighth Letter, On Thanks. Sozler Publications, Istanbul, 2001, p. 428.

7. Nursi, The Letters, 28th Letter, London: Truestar, 1995.

8. Muhammad AbdelHaleem, Understanding the Qur’an: Themes and Style, London: I.B. Tauris, 1999, p. 85.

9. Nursi, The Words, Tenth Word, New Jersey: The Light Inc., 2005, p. 97.

10. See, for instance, Robert Hunt, Muslim Faith and Values: What Every Christian Should Know, New York: GBGM Books, 2003, p. 81; Abdel Haleem ibid., Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Qur’an. Chicago: Bibliotheca Islamica, 1989; Michael Sells, Approaching the Qur’an: the early revelations. Ashland, Oregon: White Cloud Press, 1999; Unal ibid., x.

11. Malise Ruthven, Islam in the World, London: Granta Publications, 2006, p. 103.

References

• Bucaille, Maurice The Bible, The Qur’an and Science, Indianapolis: North American Trust Publications, 1978.
• El-Fandy, Muhammad J. On Cosmic Verses in the Qur’an, Cairo: Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, 1961.
• Hunt, Robert. Muslim Faith and Values: What Every Christian Should Know, New York: GBGM Books, 2003.
• Khalifa, Rashad. Miracle of the Qur’an, St Louis: Islamic Productions International, 1973.
• Khan, Maulana W. Religion and Science, New Delhi: Al Risala Books, 1988.
• Kiyimba, Abasi. “Islam and Science: An Overview,” in Islamic Perspectives on Science, Izmir: Kaynak A.S., 1998.
• Irving, Thomas B., Khurshid Ahmad, and Muhammad M. Ahsan, The Qur’an: Basic Teachings, London: The Islamic Foundation, 1979.
• Maududi, Sayyid Abul A’la. Towards Understanding the Quran. Trans. of Tafheem al-Qur’an by Zafar I. Ansari. London: The Islamic Foundation, 2007, available online at http://www.tafheem.net/main.html.
• Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Islamic Science: An Illustrated Study, Chicago: Kazi, 2007.
• Nursi, Said. The Words, New Jersey: The Light Inc., 2005.
• Nursi, Said. The Letters, 28th Letter, London: Truestar, 1995.
• Nursi, Said. Isarat-ul I’caz, Istanbul: Yeni Asya, 2001.
• Rahman, Fazlur. Major Themes of the Qur’an. Chicago: Bibliotheca Islamica, 1989.
• Sells, Michael. Approaching the Qur’an: the early revelations. Ashland, Oregon: White Cloud Press, 1999.
• Shafiq, Muhammad. Growth of Islamic Thought in North America: Focus on Isma’il Raji al Faruqi, Amana Publications, 1994.
• Unal, Ali. The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English, New Jersey: The Light Inc., 2006.
• Yazir, Elmalili Muhammed Hamdi. Hak Dili Kur’an Dili, Istanbul: Zehraveyn, 1991.

Hurtled all around, we sob and rustle

As if we resemble winnowed leaves

Since life path tramples our heart castle.

Wondering the yonder of the shades

“Let bygones be bygones” no longer holds true.

Why autumn evermore betrays lovers

Dispersing men and scattering ladies

The ease of souls someday blossom with peace

No doubt resurrection lays bare

The repose of hearts; fleeting and deceased,

Turning our shadows into reality.

In this issue we discuss not the theological arguments concerning the Day of Judgment, but some scientific speculations on how it might happen. Some say global warming followed by an ice age will bring life on Earth to an end and may trigger the Apocalypse. Expounding on some Qur’anic verses, Dr. Cakmak speculates on how Divine Predestination could operate on the physical world in the folding and collection of light. He suggests, “The events depicted in the verses, by the will of the Creator, may be dependent on the gravitational power of black holes.” Dr. Polatoz argues that apocalyptic events will take place within the sphere of physical laws which will destroy the world, but these laws will not apply after a certain stage following resurrection. These arguments are certainly personal deductions and only God knows what is to come. Dr. Kurtoglu reminds us about the perfect balance established in our universe with a fascinating article on phytoplankton and the critical role these microorganisms hold in the food chain. He makes us realize the horrible destruction we cause in our beautiful world. So, now the question is: Are we preparing our own end?

The Reverend Kip Gilts’ article on “Levels of Tolerance” provides inspirational guidelines for volunteers in interfaith dialogue on how to promote understanding of others who are not like “us.” We learn from his short essay that tolerance is not a compromise, but a love-filled path of sharing the same world.

The Fountain

The universe is a palace, but it is such a palace that in it is a city which is being constantly shaken by destruction and reconstruction. And in the city is a country which is being continuously agitated by war and emigration. And within the country is a world which is unceasingly revolving amid death and life. But such an astonishing balance, equilibrium and equilibration prevail in the palace, city, country and world that it self-evidently proves that the transformations, incomings and outgoings apparent in these innumerable beings are being measured and weighed every moment on the scales of a Single Being Who sees and supervises the whole universe.

For if it had been otherwise, if causes had been free and unrestrained, which try to destroy the balance and overrun everything, through a single fish laying a thousand eggs and a single flower like a poppy producing twenty thousand seeds, and through the onslaught and violence of change and the elements flowing in floods, or if it had been referred to aimless, purposeless chance, anarchic blind forces, and unconscious dark Nature, the equilibrium of beings and balance of the universe would have been so utterly destroyed that within a year, indeed within a day, there would have been chaos. That is to say, the seas would have been filled with things in total disorder and confusion and would have become fetid; the atmosphere would have been poisoned with noxious gases; and as for the earth, it would have turned into a refuse-heap, slaughter-house, and swamp. The world would have suffocated.

Thus, everything from the cells of an animate body, the red and white corpuscles in the blood, the transformations of minute particles, and the mutual proportion and relation of the body’s organs, to the incomings and outgoings of the seas, the income and expenditure of springs under the earth, the birth and death of animals and plants, the destruction of autumn and the reconstruction of spring, the duties and motion of the elements and the stars, and the alternations, struggles and clashes of death and life, light and darkness, and heat and cold, are ordered and weighed with so sensitive a balance, so fine a measure, that the human mind can nowhere see any waste or futility, just as human science and philosophy see everywhere and point out the most perfect order and beautiful symmetry. Indeed, human science and philosophy are a manifestation and interpreter of that order and symmetry.

So, come and consider the balance and equilibrium of the sun and its twelve planets. Does this balance not point as clearly as the sun to the All-Glorious One Who is All-Just and All-Powerful? And especially our ship, that is, the globe of the earth, which is one of the planets; it travels an orbit of twenty-four thousand years in one year, not scattering or shaking the things stored up and stacked on its face, despite its extraordinary speed, nor throwing them off into space. If its speed had been increased or reduced just a little, it would have thrown its inhabitants off into the atmosphere, and scattered them through space. And if its balance was to be destroyed for a minute, or even a second, it would destroy the world. Indeed, it would clash with another body and doomsday would break forth.

And especially the compassionate balance on the face of the earth of the births, deaths, livelihoods, and lives of the four hundred thousand plant and animal species, it shows a single Just and Compassionate One, as clearly as light shows the sun.

And especially the members, faculties, and senses of a single of the innumerable members of those species, they are related to each other with so fine a balance and equilibrium that their balance and mutual proportion show an All-Wise and Just Maker so clearly as to be self-evident.

And especially the cells and blood-vessels in the bodies of animals, and the corpuscles in the blood and particles in the corpuscles, they have such a fine, sensitive, and wondrous balance that it self-evidently proves that they are being nurtured and administered through the balance, law, and order of a single All-Just and Wise Creator in Whose hands are the reins of all things, has the key to all things, for Whom nothing is an obstacle to anything else, and directs all things as easily as a single thing.

If someone who does not believe or deems it unlikely that the deeds of jinn and men will be weighed up on the supreme scales of justice at the Last Judgment notes carefully this vast balance which he can see in this world with his own eyes, he will surely no longer consider it unlikely.

O wasteful, prodigal.. wrongful, unjust.. dirty, unclean.. wretched man! You have not acted in accordance with the economy, cleanliness, and justice which is the principle by which the whole universe and all beings act, and are therefore in effect the object of their anger and disgust. On what do you rely that through your wrongdoing and disequilibrium, your wastefulness and uncleanliness, you make all beings angry? Yes, the universal wisdom of the universe, which is the greatest manifestation of the Divine Name of All-Wise, turns on economy and lack of waste. It commands frugality.

While the total justice in the universe proceeding from the greatest manifestation of the Name of All-Just, administers the balance of all things. And it enjoins justice on man. Mentioning the word `balance’ four times, these verses in Sura al-Rahman,

And the firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the balance (of justice); In order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance (55:7-9),indicate four degrees and four sorts of balance, showing its immensity and supreme importance in the universe. Yes, just as there is no wastefulness in anything, so too in nothing is there true injustice and imbalance.

And the cleanliness and purification proceeding from the Name of Most Holy cleans and makes beautiful all the beings in the universe. So long as man’s dirty hand does not interfere, there is no true uncleanliness or ugliness in anything.

So, you may understand how basic to human life are the principles of justice, frugality, and cleanliness, which are truths of the Qur’an and Islamic principles. And know how closely connected with the universe are the injunctions of the Qur’an, having spread their firm roots everywhere, and that it is impossible to destroy those truths like it is impossible to destroy the universe and change its form.

Is it at all possible that although hundreds of comprehensive truths like these three vast lights, such as mercy, grace, and preservation, require and necessitate the resurrection of the dead and the Hereafter, powerful and all-encompassing truths like mercy, favour, justice, wisdom, frugality, and cleanliness, which govern in the universe and all beings, should be transformed into unkindness, tyranny, lack of wisdom, wastefulness, uncleanliness, and futility, through there being no Hereafter and the resurrection not occurring?

God forbid, a hundred thousand times, God forbid! Would a mercy and wisdom which compassionately preserve the rights of life of a fly violate the countless rights of life of all conscious beings and the numberless rights of numberless beings, through not bringing about the resurrection? And if one may say so, would a splendid dominicality which displays infinite sensitivity and care in its mercy and compassion and justice and wisdom, and a Divine sovereignty which adorns the universe with His endless wondrous arts and bounties in order to display His perfections and make himself known and loved, permit there to be no resurrection, which would reduce to nothing the value of creatures and all their perfections, and make them denied? God forbid! An absolute beauty such as that clearly would not permit such absolute ugliness.

Yes, one who wants to deny the Hereafter must first deny all the world and all its truths. Otherwise the world together with all its truths will give him the lie with a hundred thousand tongues, proving the compounded nature of his lie. As a result the existence of the Hereafter is as definite and indubitable as the existence of this world as proven by certain evidences.

Flashes, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Sozler Yayinevi
Translated by Sukran Vahide,

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam teach that such an outlook is the most serious affliction that can strike a person. The Prophets and Messengers of these religions taught that everything must have importance and value, for an intentional will preserves it in the most beneficial manner. If this were not so, nothing could exist. For a variety of reasons, many people ignore this fact and so look at themselves and their surroundings without really seeing what is there. After all, why should that which is deemed unimportant and simple be noticed? Unfortunately, large numbers of people consider what they need for their mental and moral health to be unimportant.

What we see in ourselves and in nature indicates that each thing’s existence, no matter how small, is important. Has the sun ever failed to rise in the morning, or the oxygen that we need to survive been denied? Such a perpetual meeting of our needs, even though we do not even know all of them, indicates that a very important message is being sent to us.

These events demand our appreciation, praise, and respect, for all of us know that nothing happens without a reason. Each event contains its own wisdom, for if it did not, how could it occur in a very precise and accurate manner and at the most appropriate time and place in order to fulfill its specific purpose? Upon reflection, we can see that these events inform us of the existence of an all-seeing, all-hearing, and all-knowing power that meets and fulfils all of our needs despite our ignorance of them.

The mistaken assumption that existence arises from what is physically apparent has caused many to regard life and the entire universe as mere coincidence.1 But how can such a view be upheld? Does this supposed “law of coincidence” have the ability to choose what will and will not happen in nature? The events we see in nature can only be the results of a conscious choice (will), for coincidence cannot guide existence to behave in a perfect manner. It has no such power to do so. Only conscious choice can do that.

Unfortunately, this unaccounted-for idea of giving power to something that can be present only in a being with conscious choice has led to a general loss of appreciation for the value of nature and life. The former is unjustly exploited for the interest of a tiny minority, while the latter engenders even worse personal behavior. The end result of such thought processes is a superficial view of life and all existence.

We cannot afford to ignore what everyday events show us: If our current life is given importance and value, it cannot be temporary. Rather, this life must be a precursor of the eternal life to come. Just as the end of pleasure brings pain, the end of separation from loved ones brings pleasure.2 If life is so important and valuable, it cannot just end in such separation, as this is contrary to care and compassion. Care and value necessitate that loved ones will never be separated. This means that a universal re-union achieved through a universal resurrection must occur, for eternal separation and non-existence would violate care and value. Such a resurrection would re-unite the beloved and the lover and ensure that everyone receives exactly what he or she deserves, be it a reward or a punishment.

Many events in our everyday lives indicate that an eternal re-union and hence life after death exist. By “reading” these messages, our lives are both lived with and end with peace. Ignoring these messages or pretending that they do not exist empties our lives of meaning, value, or care. All that is left is a blind consciousness. In short, we can no longer call ourselves human, for we deny that which makes us human.

Signs of the Afterlife

Alternating Periods of Sleep and Wakefulness. The onset of night heralds a simultaneous decrease in the productivity and activity of daily occupations. This principle applies to all human, animal, and plant life located within night’s sphere. Sleep, like being half-dead, is a physiological condition that allows growth, renewal, and the storing of new information to take place. We cannot remain healthy without rest and sleep. Waking up from a good sleep allows us to make a fresh start and deal with the responsibilities that life entails. Just as the need for sleep follows a day of work, there is a need for death (a form of discharge) after life. Just as there is a need to wake up after sleep so that we will be refreshed to face the next day’s activities, there is a need to re-awaken after death so that we will be ready for our eternal life. Hence, there is resurrection after death.

Alternating Seasons. Many animals hibernate during winter. Their waking up and “resuming” their lives in the spring indicate that we will be resurrected after death. We can “read” the same message in new flowers blooming, new leaves appearing on previously dry and dead branches, and seeds sending up new shoots through the ground after being buried and germinating all winter. Seeds, which contain the plant’s or tree’s “hidden” program, are endowed with the ability to survive until the appropriate conditions for germination arise. The resulting plant or tree is a clear challenge to gravity’s downward pull and to those forces that prevent the seed’s development.

In an analogous manner, we will be resurrected after our present bodies have died and been buried (planted) and decomposed into its constituent elements. These elements will serve as the seed from which our new and fresh bodies will be created during the resurrection. Given this, we can understand the value and importance of all life, especially of human life. 

Creating a Live Body from the “Lifeless” Molecules of Digested Food. This continuous process occurs every day of our lives. All of the food that we consume must be reduced to its constituent particles so that it may be absorbed directly into our bloodstream. From there, each particle is directed and distributed to cells according to their individual needs. Before we can eat any plant or animal, each one must be killed and then reduced to its lifeless constituents so that it may be promoted to a higher and more complex entity after it enters a person’s body. All non-living food molecules then are sent to and incorporated into the appropriate living cells, where they function in the best possible way to meet the body’s needs. Just as lifeless food molecules are promoted to a better existence in a person’s body, so will our death represent the beginning of a more worthy and complex life.

Other Signs

The Manifestation of Renewal. We see this clearly in the monthly destruction and re-construction of a woman’s womb (uterus) wall. Although clearly a biological event, it has a much higher message: Just as this wall must be renewed and prepared continuously so that a fertilized egg will be able to develop in the future, there must be a fresh preparation for each individual’s resurrection after his or her death.

The Manifestation of Utmost Care and Compassion. Giving endless value and importance to the existence and life of even the smallest entities, while ignoring humanity’s needs, violates wisdom and compassion. Even the smallest living organisms, such as bacteria, are designed with a most bewildering detail and intricacy and have their needs met with the utmost regard and care. This indicates that our needs, especially for continual security and happiness, cannot be left unfulfilled.

What could be a greater injustice than not meeting the needs of the most complex member of creation after meeting those of the most simple? We were not created to play and enjoy ourselves here, but to appreciate, know, understand, and respect that which makes us human. The Manifestation of Endless Wisdom, Power, and Justice in Meeting All Needs and Causing Things To Move from Simplicity to Complexity. Each entity and individual receives, in a just and equal distribution, exactly what it requires to survive. Manifestations of this universal wisdom can be seen everywhere. For example, mothers produce a warm, liquid milk that is the best possible food for their newborns. Even before the baby is born, the mother’s breast is prepared for milk production. In addition, this organ is located in the most convenient place for this very weak and fragile being who needs warmth and close protection. A mother’s arms and her warm breast, along with her sweet and warm milk, is the best way to welcome a new person to this world!

The tiniest life forms, such as bacteria, worms, ants, and flies, are the most blessed when it comes to being provided with the best and excessive bounties. Our material needs are met promptly and precisely. For example, electrical impulses transit our nerve cells so quickly that our intention to move, talk, or look sets all the necessary processes in motion instantly and simultaneously -without any conscious decision on our part. Such a miraculously appropriate response to the vast variety of needs found within each entity indicate that we will receive our just and equal provision as well. If all other entities are dealt with from a position of perfect justice and respect, excluding us from that provision would be a violation of that same justice and respect.

When we observe nature, we notice a continual progression and development from a condensed (simple) “hidden” program to a more intricate and complex one. For example, a fully grown oak tree will emerge, eventually, from the program lying within its respective seed. Likewise, a single fertilized egg cell will develop, eventually, into a deeply complex multi-organ body consisting of 100 trillion cells working in concert!3 Scientists have proven that all of our physical characteristics are encoded in a two meter-long DNA molecule that is fitted into a human cell whose nucleus has a diameter of 5 to 8 microns.4 Astronomers have proven that the universe has continued to expand since the Big Bang.5

All of these processes indicate that this expanding and developing complexity is caused by the same principle pervading the universe. Hence, if this is the case for the present universe, this life must be a condensed program or an index of another eternal and more complex life to come.

The Endless Benefits for Human Life

Attaining certainty in the afterlife enlightens us. Today, humanity needs such enlightenment, for this will give all people a real aim and purpose in life and assure them of eventual victory (in the afterlife) and eternal justice. By nature, we desire good and justice.

Once we realize that we will be treated with perfect justice after we die, we will strive to subjugate our ego through our God-given willpower so that we may benefit other people, our community, and life in general. In this way, our ego will be trained to do good while it is raised to higher levels of purity.

Understanding that the entire universe serves humanity and life, and that an eternally just life is waiting for us after death, we will direct our ego to engage in the same service. In short, everybody benefits from the realization that both life and existence have inherent value and meaning

Footnotes

1. www.angelfire.com/in3/creationvsevolution/
2. www.nur.org/treatise/collection/ (the Fourth Truth of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s Tenth Word).
3. www.mc.manicopa.edu/academic/psychology/dev/prenatal
4. B. Alberts et al., Essential Cell Biology (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998), p. 246.
5. infidel.org/library/modern/vicstenger.

A: After belief in God, this is the main way to secure a peaceful social order. If I don’t believe in personal accountability, why should I be honest and upright? The Qur’an declares: In whatever affair you may be, and whichever part of the Qur’an you recite, and whatever deed you do, We are witness over you when you are deeply engrossed therein. Not an atom’s weight in the Earth and in the heaven escapes your Lord, nor is there anything smaller or greater, but it is in a Manifest Book (10:61).

Angels record our actions, and God knows our thoughts and deeds. Those who live accordingly find true peace and happiness in both worlds. This belief prevents young people from wasting their lives, gives hope to the elderly, and helps children endure the death of loved ones. It is as necessary as air, water, and bread.

As this belief leads to a life of peace, intellectuals seeking public peace and security should emphasize it. Those who are convinced of: Whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it (99:7-8) live responsible lives. A community composed of such people finds true peace and happiness, and its people serve their nation and humanity.

Children are easily affected by events. Their world becomes dark when they see death or are orphaned, and they become depressed. When one of my sisters died during my childhood, I frequently went to her grave and prayed sincerely: O God, please bring her back to life and let me see her beautiful face once more, or let me die so as to be reunited with her. What other than this belief and reunion with loved ones can compensate us for such losses?

How can you compensate the elderly for what they have lost? How can you remove their fear of death and the grave or make them forget death? More and newer worldly pleasures cannot console them. Only convincing them that the grave is a door or a waiting room to a much better world can accomplish this.

The Qur’an voices such feelings through Prophet Zachariah: This is a mention of your Lord’s mercy unto His servant Zachariah; when he invoked Him with a secret, sincere call, saying: My Lord, my very bones have become rotten and my head is shining with gray hair. My Lord! I have never been disappointed in my prayer to You (19:2-5).

Fearing that his surviving kinsmen would not be loyal to his mission, Zachariah asked his Lord for a son to continue it. This is the cry of all elderly people. Belief in God and the Resurrection tells them: Death is only a change of worlds, a discharge from this life’s distressing duties, a passport to an eternal world where all kinds of beauty and blessing wait for you Only this console them and allows them to face death without fear.

Q: What about our free will?

A: Our free will, which directs our life and makes us unique, is the manifestation of Divine Mercy. If used properly, it will cause us to be rewarded with the fruits of Mercy. Belief in the Resurrection is a most important and compelling factor urging us to use our free will properly.

Sahl ibn Sa’d narrates that God’s Messenger was told of a young man who stayed at home for days. The Messenger went to visit him. When the young man saw him appear before him unexpectedly, he threw himself into the Messenger’s arms and died instantly. The Messenger said: Lay out your friend’s corpse. Fear of Hell frightened him deeply. I swear by Him in Whose hand my life is that God will protect him from Hell. The Qur’an declares: Those who fear to stand before their Lord and curb the desires of the carnal self, Paradise will be their dwelling place (79:40-1).

In a hadith qudsi, God says: I will not unite two securities or two fears. Thus, those who fear His punishment here will be protected from it in the other world, while those who do not fear it here will not be saved from it there.

Q: What impact did this belief have upon early Muslims?

A: Upon seeing a young man bravely protest and resist a wrong, Umar said: Any people deprived of its young are doomed to extinction. If young people waste their transforming energy, your nation’s future is undermined. Belief in the Resurrection directs them to lead a disciplined, useful, and virtuous life.

This belief consoles the sick. Secure in this knowledge, all beloved servants of God, Prophets and saints, welcome death with a smile. During his final minutes of life, Prophet Muhammad said: O God, I desire the eternal company in the eternal world. When Umar ruled over a vast area, he prostrated before God and sighed: I can no longer fulfill my responsibility. Let me die and take me to Your Presence.

Such a strong desire for the world of eternal beauty and being blessed with the vision of the Eternally Beautiful One caused the Prophet, Umar, and many others to prefer death to this world.

Q: Does it matter if I believe in the Resurrection?

A: The world is a mixture of opposites. Many instances of wrong (seem) go unnoticed, and many wronged people cannot recover their rights. Only belief in being resurrected in another world of absolute justice dissuades them from revenge. Similarly, the sick and unfortunate are consoled, for they believe that their suffering purifies them and that their loss will be restored in the Hereafter as a blessing, just as if they had been given as alms.

This belief changes a house into a garden of Paradise. A family without religion contains young people pursuing pleasure, children ignorant of religious sentiment and practices, and parents striving for the good life. Grandparents live in an old-folks or nursing home and console themselves with pets Life is a burden. Belief in the Resurrection reminds people of familial responsibilities. By undertaking their duties, an atmosphere of mutual love, affection, and respect begins to pervade the house.

Spouses deepen their mutual love and respect. Physical love is temporary, of little value, and usually disappears quickly. But if spouses believe that their marriage will continue in a world where they will be eternally young and beautiful, their mutual love will remain…

Such a belief-based family life makes its members feel that they are living in Paradise. If a country orders itself accordingly, its inhabitants would enjoy a life far better than that imagined by Plato in his Republic or by al-Farabi in his The Virtuous City. It would be like Madina under the Prophet, or the Muslim lands under Umar.

Q: How did the Prophet establish the ideal society in Madina?

A: To better understand this, we provide several of his sayings on the Resurrection and the afterlife:

O people! You will be resurrected barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised. Listen to me! The one who will be first clothed is Abraham. Heed what I say: That day some from my Umma will be seized on the left side and brought to me. I will say: O Lord! These are my Companions. I will be told: You do not know what disagreeable things they did after you. I will say as the righteous servant [Jesus] said: I was a witness over them while I continued to stay among them. When You took me, You became the watcher over them. You are Witness over all things. If You punish them, they are Your slaves; if You forgive them, surely You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

The most terrible event is death. However, death is easier than what will follow it. People will be so terrified that sweat will cover their bodies until it becomes like a bridle around their chins, until it grows into something like a sea on which, if desired, vessels could be sailed.

People will be resurrected in three groups: those who combined fear of God with expectation [fearing God’s punishment and hoping for His mercy and forgiveness], those who [frequently sinned and so] will try to go to Paradise mounted on a mule in twos, threes, fours … or tens. The rest will be resurrected into Fire [since they indulged in deeds deserving Hellfire]. If they sleep in the forenoon, Hell sleeps with them; when they reach night, Hell reaches night with them; when they reach morning, Hell reaches morning with them; and when they reach evening, Hell reaches evening with them.

God’s Messenger made sure his Companions understood exactly what Hell was, and roused in them a great desire for Paradise by conveying its good tidings. Thus they lived in great consciousness of Divine reward and punishment, as well as religious obligations and people’s rights.