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THE
QUR’AN’S ARGUMENTS FOR THE
RESURRECTION
Although
scientific findings like the
second law of thermo-dynamics
show that existence is on the
way to destruction, it is enough
for the destruction of the
universe that a planet collides
with another. If the beginning
of existence is a big bang, why
should its end not be another
big bang or collision?
Existence, with all its
divisions, is an extremely
delicately calculated organism,
a system with parts subtly
dependent upon each other. A
human body is made up of about
sixty million million cells. As
a single deformed, cancerous,
cell may cause the death of the
whole body, so any serious
deformation in any part of the
universe may lead to its death.
Or death sometimes comes
unexpectedly and without any
visible, diagnosed reason. So,
why is it not just as possible
for the universe to die all of a
sudden, unexpectedly, without a
visible reason or because of a
‘disease’ like ‘heart-attack’,
or who knows that our old world
is not suffering the terminal
phase of cancer because of our
misuse of it?
God’s
all-embracing acts in the
universe and the first
creation
The
Quran deals with the issue of
resurrection and argues for it.
One, it gives examples of God’s
comprehensive acts in the
macro-cosmos and at times it
presents to our consideration
God’s overall disposal of all
of the three cosmoses (macro-,
normo- and micro-cosmoses)
together. In order to prove the
Resurrection, the Quran also
presents to our consideration
the phenomenon of the creation
of the universe, which it
defines as the first origination
(56:62), while describing the
raising of the dead as the
second origination (53:47). Two,
it shows similar events in the
world and makes comparisons
between them and the
Resurrection.
For
example, in the following verse,
the Quran stresses God’s
Power and, by mentioning His
universal acts like raising the
firmaments without any pillars
and subjecting the sun and the
moon to His command, calls us to
have conviction in the meeting
with Him in the other world:
God
is He Who raised the
heavens without any
pillars that you can see,
then He established
Himself upon the Throne
(of authority; having
shaped the universe and
made it dependent upon
certain laws, He exercises
His absolute authority
over the whole of the
universe), and subjected
the sun and the moon (to
His command); each runs
(its course) for an
appointed term. He
regulates all affair,
expounding the signs, that
you may believe with
certainty in the meeting
with your Lord. (13:2)
The
universe is like a book
unfolded, and its
destruction will be like
rolling it up again
The
Quran likens the universe to
a book unfolded. At the end of
time, its destruction will be as
easy for God as to roll up a
book. As He unfolded it at the
beginning, He will roll it up
and, through the manifestation
of His absolute Power without
the part of any material causes,
re-create it in a much better
and different form:
On
that day We shall roll up
the heavens like a scroll
rolled up for books. As We
originated the first
creation, so We shall
bring it forth again. It
is a promise (binding)
upon Us. Truly We shall
fulfill it (as We promised
it). (21:104)
Bringing
the dead back to life again
is not more difficult for
God than creation of the
universe
Have
they not seen that God,
Who created the heavens
and the earth and was not
wearied by their creation,
is able to give life to
the dead? Surely He has
power over everything.
(46:33)
As
pointed out above, besides
presenting to people’s
consideration God’s absolute
Power and comprehensive acts in
the universe, in order to prove
the Resurrection, the Quran
also gives examples of
resurrection in the world and
mentions similar events in human
life.
Innumerable
examples of the Resurrection
in nature and man’s life
In
the verses below, the Quran
likens the Resurrection to the
rejuvenation or revival of earth
in spring-time following its
death in winter and mentions how
God disposes atoms and molecules
in the process of man’s
creation through stages. Nature
experiences death in winter but
when spring comes, earth rouses
to life again and dried out
pieces of wood come into leaf,
blossom and yield fruit, all of
which are similar but not
identical to all the previous
ones that came into being in
previous years. Innumerable
seeds of vegetation that fell
into earth in previous autumn
germinate under earth and grow
into very many different plants
without the least confusion. The
raising of all the dead on the
Day of Judgment will be like
this:
Among
His signs is that you see
the earth dry and barren;
and when We send down rain
on it, it stirs to life
and swells. Surely God Who
gives the dead earth life
will raise the dead also
to life. Indeed, He has
power over all things.
(41:39)
O
mankind! If you are in
doubt concerning the
Resurrection, (consider
that) We created you of
dust, then of semen, then
of a fertilized ovum
suspended on the wall of
the womb, then of a lump
of flesh shaped and
unshaped, so that We
demonstrate to you Our
power. And We keep in the
wombs what We please to an
appointed term, and
afterwards We bring you
forth as infants, then We
cause you to grow up, that
you reach your prime.
Among you some die (young)
and some are sent back to
the feeblest phase of age
so that they know nothing
after they had knowledge.
You sometimes see the
earth dry and barren. But
when We pour down rain on
it, it trembles, and
swells, and grows of every
pleasant pair. That is so
because God is the Truth,
and He it is Who gives
life to the dead, and He
is powerful over all
things. (22:5-6)
Does
man think that he will be
left to himself
uncontrolled (without
purpose)? Was he not a
drop of fluid which gushed
forth? Then he became a
clinging clot; then He
shaped and fashioned, and
made of him a pair, the
male and female. Is He
then not able to raise the
dead to life? (75:36-40)
Look
at the prints of God’s
Mercy: how He gives life
to the earth after its
death. Lo! He verily is
the Reviver of the dead
(in the same way), and He
is able to do all things.
(30:50)
God
has brought you forth from
the earth like a plant.
And to the earth He will
restore you. Then He will
bring you back fresh.
(71:17-8)
Two
mighty ‘streams’ flow in
creation opposite to each
other
A
close examination of what goes
on in the universe will make it
clear that within it are two
opposed elements that have
spread everywhere and become
rooted: with their results like
good and evil, benefit and harm,
perfection and defect, light and
darkness, guidance and
misguidance, belief and
unbelief, obedience and
rebellion, and fear and love,
the opposed elements clash with
one another in the universe. The
universe manifests, through such
continuous conflict of
opposites, incessant alterations
and transformations so as to
produce the elements of a new
world. These opposed elements
will eventually lead to eternity
in two different directions and
materialize as Paradise and
Hell. The eternal world will be
made up of the essential
elements of this transitory
world, and these elements will
then be given permanence.
Paradise and Hell are in fact
the two opposite fruits which
grow on the two branches of the
tree of creation; or they are
the two results of the chain of
creation. They are the two
cisterns which are being filled
by the two streams of things and
events, and the two poles to
which beings are flowing in
waves. They are the places where
Divine Grace and Divine Wrath
manifest themselves, and they
will be filled up with their
particular inhabitants when the
Divine Power shakes up the
universe with a violent motion.
In
this world, while oppressors
depart still possessed of their
oppressive power, and the
oppressed still subjected to
their humiliation. Such wrongs
are necessarily deferred for the
attention of a supreme tribunal;
essentially they are not
ignored. Indeed, punishment is
sometimes enacted even in this
world. The torments endured by
the disobedient and rebellious
peoples in past ages teach us
that man is not left
unanswerable but, rather, is
ever subject to such correction
as God Almighty’s Splendor and
Majesty may choose to apply to
him. So, as declared in the
verse, Keep apart on this day, O
you criminals (36:59), God will
separate the good from the
wicked in the Hereafter and
treat each group according to
how they lived in this world.
This is simply what His absolute
Justice requires.
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