decayed and rotten, and sometimes it is burned and turned into ashes?
Hasan:The returning of the souls to their bodies is possible in itself; it is not impracticable. In other words, there is no form of hindrance preventing it from happening and it is not like it has no existence at all.
Anwar:The Hereafter is not impossible because it does not bring back something that is nonexistent, does it?
Hasan:Very good. It is true because what is nonexistent has to be something so it would be possible for it in order to be brought back.
Anwar:So, how do souls return to their decayed and rotten bodies?
Hasan:When parts of a corpse are dispersed, they are recollected as it is stated in the story of the Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH). Ali Bin Ibrahim reports from his father, from Bin Abu Omair, from Abu Ayyoub, from Abu Basir that Abu Abdullah (PBUH) said:“Ibrahim (PBUH) saw carrion on seashore being eaten by wild land and sea beasts, and then the beasts jumped over each other and started eating each other. He was wondered:
(My Lord! show me how Thou givest life to the dead)2;260.
The Almighty Allah replied:
(What! and do you not believe? He said: Yes, but that my heart may be at ease. He said: Then take four of the birds, then train them to follow you, then place on every mountain a part of them, then call them, they will come to you flying; and know that Allah is Mighty, Wise)
Thus, Ibrahim (PBUH) was asked to bring a peacock, a rooster, a pigeon and a crow, to chop them into pieces, mix them and spread them on ten mountains. Then, he was told to keep the beaks and call them; they will come flying to you. Ibrahim did so and spread them on ten mountains, and then called them: answer me, in the name of the Almighty Allah. The flesh and the bones of each bird gathered and flew towards Ibrahim. At that moment, Ibrahim said: Allah is Mighty and Wise”.
In addition to that, we can always use the respond the Most Exalted Allah gives to whoever denies the Hereafter and sees it difficult and impossible:
(And he strikes out a likeness for Us and forgets his own creation. Says he: Who will give life to the bones when they are rotten?۞Say: He will give life to them Who brought them into existence at first, and He is cognizant of all creation)36;78-79.
There are many other Hadith and Holy Verses to use in this regard.
Anwar:I believe those who deny the Hereafter know nothing about the Most Gracious Allah. Isn’t that right?
Hasan:Very true.
Anwar:You look tired!
Hasan:Let us stop for today. We will continue tomorrow, Inshallah.
Symposium 62
The Holy Verses and Hadith Indicative of the Purgatory (Al-Barzakh) and the Hereafter
Anwar:Salam ‘Alaykom!
Hasan:Alaykom As-Salam Wa Rahmatollah Wa Barakatoh!
Anwar:Through the Holy Verses, the Hereafter is proved to be inevitable. Now, will you remind me of those Holy Verses in this regard?
Hasan:I will mention a bundle of Holy Verses. The Almighty Allah says in the Noble Quran:
(Nay! I swear by the Day of resurrection۞Nay! I swear by the self-accusing soul۞Does man think that We shall not gather his bones?۞Yea! We are able to make complete his very fingertips۞Nay! Man desires to give
the lie to what is before him).75;1-5.
(Woe on that day to the rejecters۞Who give the lie to the Day of judgment۞And none gives the lie to it but every exceeder of limits, sinful one)83;10-12.
(And because the hour is coming, there is no doubt about it; and because Allah shall raise up those who are in the graves)22;7.
(Those who disbelieve think that they shall never be raised. Say: Aye! By my Lord! You shall most certainly be raised, then you shall most certainly be informed of what you did, and that is easy to Allah)64;7.
There are also many Hadith proving the Hereafter:
· The Hereafter is also used referred to as ‘the Day’, the Day of Judgment, promised by the Almighty Allah:
(Our Lord! Surely, Thou art the Gatherer of men on a day about which there is no doubt; surely, Allah will not fail His promise)3;9.
This is confirmed by this Hadith from Amir Al-Mu’menin (PBUH):“Fear God in the sense that when you hear, youshow reverence”, and he went on to say:“you have
your hearts purified, you build for the Hereafter and you take along provisions for your day of departure”.
· This supplication is another proof:“O Lord! May peace be upon Mohammad and his kinfolk, people of praise, who Thou ordered us to obey, to seek their affection, to sustain their rights and who Thou grant the Paradise to whoever follow their traces”.
· It is reported from Amir Al-Mu’menin (PBUH) that:“O people! We and you were created to stay alive and not to become extinct. You only move to another home, so be supplied as you are heading to where you will be eternally living. Wish you Peace”.
· Imam Al-Hasan (PBUH) was asked:“What is it about death that they do not know? He replied: ‘It is the greatest happiness for the believers as they are transported from an embittered life to eternal happiness; yet, it is the greatest affliction for the disbelievers as they are transported from their paradise to the eternal Fire’”.
Anwar:Excellent! Can you please offer us a rational proof to support these reported proofs?
Hasan:In fact, the reported proofs are the ones that support the rational proofs because reason produces these proofs even before law comes to existence.
Anwar:What do you mean?
Hasan:It is easy. Mind thinks and comes to conclusions, then law recognizes what mind concluded if it is compatible with its.
Anwar:It will be fine if you tell us what mind concludes in this regard.
Hasan:Of course. Pay attention. Here, we say:
· The Almighty Allah is Wise, and so, He is far above any absurd and irrational acts. Moreover, if there were no other life than this, there would be no purpose for the creation of mankind. Thus, because the Almighty Allah does not do any absurd and irrational acts, the Hereafter has to exist. This following Holy Verse is an obvious proof to the existence of Hereafter and that human beings are not creature in vain:
(What! did you then think that We had created you in vain and that you shall not be returned to Us?۞So Exalted be Allah, the True King; no god is there but He, the Lord of the honorable dominion)23;115-116.
· We can also say: The Almighty Allah is Just, and so, He is far above that to treat the oppressor and the oppressed equally. The oppressor has to be punished. Then, we say: if there were no Hereafter, the oppressor and the oppressed would be equal, and as far as the Almighty Allah does not treat the oppressor and the oppressed in the same way, we have this Holy Verse in the Noble Quran:
(Shall We treat those who believe and do good like the mischief-makers in the earth? Or shall We make those who guard (against evil) like the wicked?)38;28.
Al-Jathiya Chapter from the Noble Quran is also specified to talk about this matter.
· We say; The Almighty Allah promised to reward the obedient and to punish the disobedient; it is either heaven or hell.
As long as the Most Gracious Allah never breaks His promises, there must be the Hereafter where He fulfills His promises.
Anwar:I have more questions, but I will leave them for our next meeting.
Hasan:As you wish. I am at your service.