Three Qur’anic Insights About the Hereafter — Essence of Islam Vol. 2
Introduction
In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 2), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Three Qur’anic Insights About the Hereafter, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.
Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 2)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 16: Resurrection
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Nature of the Hereafter | Next: In the Hereafter Spiritual Conditions Will Become Visible »
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In this very world, the effect of every person’s doings have We firmly fastened to his neck; and We shall display their hidden effects on the Day of Judgement and show them to him in the shape of an open book. The word bird has been here used metaphorically for deeds. For every deed, good or bad, flies away like a bird; its labour or its delight disappears and only its foulness or fineness remains in the hearts. It is a Qur’anic principle that every action has its hidden impress. Every action of a person attracts Divine action corresponding to it which preserves the quality of that action and does not let it disappear. Its impress is inscribed upon the heart and the countenance and the eyes and the hands and feet. This is the hidden record of actions which will be made manifest in the life to come. At another place it is said with regard to those who are admitted to paradise:
يَوۡمَ تَرَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ يَسۡعَىٰ نُورُهُم بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَبِأَيۡمَٰنِهِم ۖ بُشۡرَىٰكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ جَنَّـٰتٞ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ
“And think of the day when thou wilt see the believing men and the believing women, their light running before them and on their right hands, and it will be said to them, ‘Glad tidings for you this day! Gardens through which streams flow, wherein you will abide. That is the supreme triumph.’” (Surah Al-Hadid, 57:13)
That is to say: The light of faith which is bestowed in a
hidden manner upon the believers will on that day be seen openly running before them and on their right hands. At another place the wicked have been addressed: 184
The excessive desire of worldly possessions prevented you from seeking the hereafter till you reached the graves. Do not be enamoured of this world. You will soon come to know that it is wrong to fall in love with this world. I remind you that you will soon come to know that it is no use loving this world. If only you knew with certainty, you would surely see hell in this very life. Then in the world of Barzakh you will see it with the eyes of certainty. Then, at the time of resurrection, you will have to face full accountability, and that Divine chastisement will overtake you and you will come to know of the hell, not theoretically but practically.
[Islami Usul ki Philosophy, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 10, pp. 400-402]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 419]
The second insight which the Holy Qur’an has set forth with regard to the life after death is that in the hereafter all those matters that were spiritual in this world will be physically personified whether in the state of Barzakh or in the state of resurrection. One of the relevant verses is:
وَمَن كَانَ فِي هَٰذِهِۦٓ أَعۡمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلٗا
“But whoso is blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter, and even more astray from the way.” (Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:73)
He who is blind in this life shall be blind in the hereafter.
This means that the spiritual blindness of this world will be felt physically in the other world.
At another place it is said:خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ ثُمَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ ثُمَّ فِي سِلۡسِلَةٖ ذَرۡعُهَا سَبۡعُونَ ذِرَاعٗا فَٱسۡلُكُوهُ
“‘Seize him and fetter him, ‘Then cast him into Hell. ‘Then put him into a chain the length of which is seventy cubits;” (Surah Al-Haqqah, 69:31-33)
Seize this denizen of hell and fetter him and burn him in hell-fire and bind him with a chain the length of which is seventy yards. These verses show that the spiritual torment of this world will appear in physical form in the hereafter. The collar of worldly desires which had bent a person’s head towards the earth will appear manifestly in the second life. In the same way the chain of worldly desires will be seen around the feet. The burning sensation of worldly desires will be seen as a fiercely flaming fire.
A disobedient person has inside of him a hell of worldly desires and feels the burning of that hell in his failures. When he is cast away from his mortal desires and is confronted with eternal despair, God Almighty will cause this despair to appear to him as physical fire. As He has said:وَحِيلَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ وَبَيۡنَ مَا يَشۡتَهُونَ كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشۡيَاعِهِم مِّن قَبۡلُ ۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ فِي شَكّٖ مُّرِيبِۭ
“And a barrier will be placed between them and that which they long for, as was done with the likes of them before. They too were in disquieting doubt indeed.” (Surah Al-Saba’, 34:55)
A curtain will be drawn between them and that which they desire. This will be the root of the torment. The direction to bind him with a chain the length of which is seventy yards is an indication that a disobedient one often attains the age
of seventy years. Very often he is granted seventy years of active life leaving out of account his childhood and his extreme old age. The miserable one passes these seventy years caught in the desires of this world and does not wish to be free of this chain. Thus God Almighty says that the seventy years that he passed in his devotion to the world will be personified in the hereafter as a chain, the length of which will be seventy yards, each yard corresponding to a year. It should be remembered that God Almighty imposes no distress from Himself upon a person, but confronts him with his evil deeds. Referring to His eternal law, God Almighty says at another place:
ٱنطَلِقُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ ظِلّٖ ذِي ثَلَٰثِ شُعَبٖ لَّا ظَلِيلٖ وَلَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱللَّهَبِ
“‘Aye, move on towards a shadow which has three sections, ‘Neither affording shade, nor protecting from the flame.’” (Surah Al-Mursalat, 77:31-32)
Proceed, O evil doers and misguided ones, towards a shelter which has three sections, neither affording shade nor protecting from the blaze. In this verse by the three sections are meant the wild and the animal and the speculative faculties. These three faculties, of those who do not cast them into the moral mould and do not co-ordinate them, will be manifested on the Judgement Day as if they are three branches without leaves which can afford no protection from the blaze in which they will burn.
Again, referring to the same eternal way of His, Allah the Exalted, says in favour of the inmates of Paradise:يَوۡمَ تَرَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ يَسۡعَىٰ نُورُهُم بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَبِأَيۡمَٰنِهِم ۖ بُشۡرَىٰكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ جَنَّـٰتٞ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ
“And think of the day when thou wilt see the believing men and the believing women, their light running before them and on their right hands, and it will be said to them, ‘Glad tidings for you this day! Gardens through which streams flow, wherein you will abide. That is the supreme triumph.’” (Surah Al-Hadid, 57:13)
On that day, you will see that the light of the believing men and believing women that is hidden in this world,
will be manifested running ahead of them and on their right hands. In the Hereafter Spiritual Conditions will become Visible He says in another verse:
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 420]
Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 2)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 16: Resurrection
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Nature of the Hereafter | Next: In the Hereafter Spiritual Conditions Will Become Visible »