The Final Return

Every man knows with certainty that death is inevitable. But what is his fate after death? Will he be happy or miserable?

Many people and nations of the world believe that they will be resurrected after death and called to account for all their deeds; that they will earn good reward if they do good and punishment if they do evil. 

This issue – the Resurrection and accountability – are confirmed by sound reason and supported by Divine Laws. It is based on three fundamentals:

1. Confirmation of the perfect knowledge of the Lord, may He be glorified.

2. Confirmation of His perfect Omnipotence.

3. Confirmation of His perfect Wisdom.

There are many textual and logical evidences on the confirmation of the final return some of which are:

1. Drawing evidence on the resurrection of the dead through the creation of the heavens and the earth. Allah says,

“Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and was not wearied by their creation, is Able to give life to the dead? Yes, He is surely Able to do all things.”

He also says,

“Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, is Able to create the like of them? Yes, indeed. He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator.”

2. Drawing evidence of Allah’s ability to reproduce the creation once more from His ability to originate the creation without any previous example. So, He, Who is able to bring a thing into existence, should be able to reproduce it with greater reason. Allah the Exalted says,

“And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it (after it has been perished); and this is easier for Him. His is the Sublime Similitude.”

He also says,

“And he (man) puts forth for Us a parable, and has forgotten the facts of his own creation. He says: Who will give life to these bones after they are rotten and have become dust. Say (O Muhammad): He will give life to them Who created them at the first! And He is the All-Knower of every creation.”

3. He created man in the best shape and in this perfect and complete form. He endowed him with limbs, power and characteristics; with flesh, bones, veins and nerves; with outlets, tools, sciences, wishes and industries. There is in all this the greatest evidence of His ability to resurrect the dead.

4. Drawing the proof of His ability to resurrect the dead in the Hereafter, from His raising up of the dead in this worldly life. Stories have been narrated of this in the Divine Books which Allah revealed to his Messengers. Examples of this is raising up the dead by the permission of Allah at the hands of Prophets Ibrahim and 'Isa, may peace be on them – among many others.

5. Drawing evidence of His ability to resurrect the dead from His ability to bring about things that are similar to the scenes of the Day of Congregation and Resurrection like:

a. Allah created man from a drop of sperm that was scattered all over the body – that is why all parts of the body enjoy the intercourse – Allah collects this drop from all parts of the body, then makes it go to the womb and created therewith the man. If all these parts were scattered and He gathered them together and created from them that man, then if they become scattered once again after death, what can prevent Him from bringing them together once more. Allah says,

“Then tell Me about the semen that you emit. Is it you who create it (i.e., make this semen into a perfect human being)? Or are We the Creator?”

b. When the plant seeds – regardless of their shapes – fall into the fertile land and water and soil overwhelm them; the logical consequence is that they become rotten and decayed; for, any of the water and soil is enough to make the seed rotten and the combination of both will can it so with greater reason. But the fact is that, the seed will not decay but remains preserved. When the humidity increases, the seed breaks open and from it comes out a plant.

Does that not point to a perfect power and comprehensive wisdom? Will this All-Wise and All-Able Lord be incapable of collecting parts of man and reconstituting his limbs? Allah says,

“Then tell Me about the seed that you sow in the ground. Is it you that make it grow, or are We the Grower?”

A similar verse in meaning is Allah’s saying,

“And you see the earth barren, but when We sent down water (rain) on it, it is stirred (to life) and it swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth).”

6. The All-Able, All-Knowledgeable and All-Wise Creator is deemed far from producing the creation for fun and leaving them in vain. He says,

“We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the assumption of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve (in Islamic Monotheism) from the Fire.”

Allah created the creation for great wisdom and lofty purpose. He says,

“And I created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me.”

It is therefore not becoming of this All-Wise Lord to regard as equal those who obey Him and those who disobey. He says,

“Shall We treat those who believe and do righteous good deeds as those who associate partners with Allah and commit crimes on the earth? Or should We treat the pious ones as the criminals?”

Therefore, it is of His Perfect Wisdom and Great Power to raise up the creation on the Day of Resurrection in order to recompense every human being for his deed; and to reward the good-doer and punish the evil doer. Allah says,

 “To Him is the return of all of you. The promise of Allah is true. It is He Who produced the creation and then will reproduce it, that He may reward with justice those who believed and did righteous deeds. But those who disbelieved will have a drink of boiling fluids and painful torment because they used to disbelieve.”

Belief in the Last Day – the Day of Resurrection – has great impacts on individuals and the society. Among its impacts are:

1. It makes man endeavour to obey Allah seeking for reward of that Day and keeps him from disobeying Him out of fear of the punishment of that Day.

2. Belief in the Last Day consoles the believer on the bliss and pleasure of this world that he misses with the pleasure and reward of the Hereafter which he hopes for.

3. It is through the belief in the Last Day that man knows his fate after death and knows that he will get good reward for his deed if it is good, and get punished if it is evil. He knows that he will be made to stand for reckoning; that revenge will be taken on him for those he wronged in this world and the rights of those he wronged or oppressed would be taken back from him.

4. Belief in the Last Day actualises peace and security for mankind especially in this time that there is inadequate security and wars rage with no end – because, belief in Allah and the Last Day makes man abstain from doing evil to others privately and publicly. That belief even penetrates his heart and makes him dismiss evil intentions -if he has any.

5. Belief in the Last Day deters man from doing injustice to others and violating their rights. If people believe in the Last Day, they will be safe from wronging one another and their rights will be protected.

6. Belief in the Last Day makes man look at this worldly abode as just one of the stages of life and that it is not the real life in itself.

To conclude this section, let us quote the words of “Win Bet” the American Christian who used to work in one of the churches and then embraced Islam and found the fruit of belief in the Last Day. He says, “I now know answers to the questions that had very much occupied my life. The questions are: Who am I? What do I want? Why did I come to this world? And what is my destination?”