Wednesday, March 5, 2025

The Qur'an's Mention of 'Barzakh' - A Barrier in the Afterlife & Dr. Omer Suleiman's Video on Afterlife

The Qur’an’s Mention of ‘Barzakh’ - A Barrier in the Afterlife

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Dr. Omer Suleiman’s Video Titled ‘The Dead are Alive in their Graves’, Ramadan Series - 2025 


Koran (23:100): “In front of them will now be a barrier until that Day when they will be raised.”

A mother of a young teenage girl from Montreal shared the subject cited video of esteemed Islamic Scholar Dr. Omer Suleiman and requested my comments.

Reference to the Context: The Qur’an tells us that it shall explain itself. This means that the Qur’an is not dependent on any source outside it. On the other hand, all other sources in matters of religion and morality depend on the Qur’an!

Koran (75:19): “Then upon Us is to explain it [for you wherever need be].”

This is why all scholars, past and present, agree that the Qur’an’s primary interpreter is the Qur’an itself.

Arguments:

Koran (36:51-53): “And [similarly, one day] the trumpet will be sounded; then suddenly they will come out of the graves one after the other and walk towards their Lord!

[At that time,] they will say: “Our wretchedness! Who raised us from our graves (our place of sleep)?” This is the same thing which your Lord had promised you and [see that] the messengers had stated the absolute truth. 

That too will only be a shout and suddenly all of them will be made to come to Our presence.”

Koran (54:6-8): “For this reason, turn away from them, and wait for the day in which a summoner will summon them to a thing very undesirable. Their eyes will be downcast on that day. They will come out of their graves running towards the summoner as if they are locusts scattered about. At that time, these disbelievers will cry out: “This is a very difficult day that has arrived!”

Comments: The Qur’an says people will be lying in their graves (sleeping) and shall be resurrected, and not alive as Dr. Omer Suleiman alludes in his video titled The Dead are Alive in their Graves (in Barzakh), Ramadan Series - 2025. It is at this time they will realize the Day of Judgement is going to be tough for them.

The Qur’an implies they will be sleeping, thus their statement, who raised them from their graves? Dr. Omer Suleiman narrates in the video that people will be just as alive as we are now, and some would be watching green birds that were once in bodies of martyrs soaring in the sky above them. And, that some would be enjoying and some having their heads devoured by beasts with many heads.

Metaphysical realm as the events after death of the life after death in the grave is known as much as Allah had intended to be known in the Qur’an. The Qur’an’s message is quite simple and serves as ‘reminder’ of the hereafter and presents its case through sound arguments and empirical evidence through the stories of the earlier messengers through whom God created a miniature Day of Judgment in this word for us to be ‘reminded’ of the actual Day of Judgment on our resurrection from our graves.

Surah Al-Qamar narrates this ‘reminder’ by mentioning the tales of four messengers one after the other followed by the same verse of the Koran to ‘remind’ us of the actual day of judgment to follow, Koran (54:17): “We have made this Qur’an very appropriate for reminding. So, is there anyone who shall take heed!?” This is the main focus and mainstay message of the Qur’an for humanity.

Koran (2:154): “And do not say that those slain in [this] cause of God are dead; they are not dead; in fact, they are alive, but you are not aware [of the manner in which they live].”

Comments: This is very important. Allah states in the Qur’an that we are unaware of the manner in which they live! The respected gentleman Dr. Omer Suleiman in the video states that one will have a full life in Barzakh. The Qur’an states we are unaware of that life. He states that there will be food, drink, and animals in the life of Barzakh. The Qur’an states they are alive but we are not aware of how they live.

With utmost respect to Dr. Omer Suleiman, he is a Scholar of Islam and worthy of genuine respect, God does not dispense with detailed accounts of the metaphysical world. That is why the message of the Qur’an makes a passing remark in such matters. Enough to make us know what to expect in the afterlife. Storytelling and presenting Hadith having the status of Hasan, can be eschewed from or presented as much as the Qur’an states or intends to state. Presenting actual visualization of what is happening in the after world called Barzakh, meaning a ‘Barrier’, actually means we do not have access to details. That is why it is called a Barzakh (Barrier)!

The Qur’an hints in the verse above, the ones who attained the highest degree of God’s pleasure are rewarded immediately and vice versa. In the case of Pharaoh (Musa’s enemy), he is shown his final abode, morning and evening, as we see in a nightmare, Koran (40:45-46): “Thus God saved him from the evil of his schemes but the people of the Pharaoh were surrounded by an evil torment [after this:] the fire of Hell before which they are brought day and night and the Day the Hereafter arrives, it will be ordered: “Admit the companions of the Pharaoh into the worst torment.””

The actual punishment cannot commence BEFORE the Day of Judgement. The Qur’an comments on extreme cases – the best of people and the wretched of people. It is silent on people who fall in the middle category. For them Allah gives them a lot of hope through forgiveness before death overtakes us and warns of repercussions in the hereafter if we do not turn to Him.

Koran (3:169-171): “[Do not pay heed to these things, O Prophet!] and whoever have been slain [during this war] for the cause of God, never regard them as dead. They are not dead; in fact, they are alive in the presence of God; they are being well provided for; pleased with what God has given them of His blessings, expressing joy about those they left behind who have not yet come to them that [in this eternal kingdom of God] neither is there any fear for them as well nor shall they ever be sorrowful, rejoicing in the favours and blessings of God and rejoicing that God shall never waste the reward of the believers.”

Comments: The Qur’an is consistent in its message! We are not aware of that life of bliss yet. The respected Dr. Omer Suleiman in the video narrates a Hasan Hadith of a man rising from his grave, dusting his clothes: This narration is recorded by Imam Waki’ ibn Jarrah in his “Kitab az-Zuhd” and by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his “Kitab az-Zuhd” on the authority of Sayyiduna Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him). The incident describes a group from the Banu Israel who visited a graveyard and proposed praying two rakaats and asking Allah to resurrect someone to inquire about death. After doing so, a man with a mark of prostration on his forehead was resurrected, who informed them that he had died a hundred years prior and had only just now been relieved of the pain of death.

[Al-Muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah has declared the chain of Imam Waki’ as sound (Hasan) – not authentic (Sahih).]

The Qur’an presents a different perspective. Such metaphysical occurrences are accorded to the prophets. When Jesus was given miracles, among one being raising the dead to life, he did so by saying each time that he is doing so with the directive of Allah. Prophets are given miracles. Not ordinary men. Koran (5:110): “When God will say: “O Jesus son of Mary! Recall the favour I bestowed on you and on your mother at the time when I helped you through the Holy Spirit; you would talk even in the cradle [as a prophet] and also when you were advanced in age. And, at the time, when I taught you the law and the wisdom which is the Torah and the Gospel. And, at the time, when at My directive, you would fashion from clay the model of a bird, then would breathe into it and it would become a living bird at My directive; and you would cure the born-blind and those inflicted with leprosy with My directive; and, at the time, when you would restore the dead to life with My directive. And, at the time, when I withheld the Israelites from harming you when you came to them with clear signs and their disbelievers said: Nothing! This is but plain sorcery.”

While mentioning Prophet Abraham, the Koran gives an interesting conversation between him and God. Koran (2:260): “And, [in this regard,] that incident should also be kept in consideration when Abraham had said: “Show me, Lord, how You will raise the dead?” He replied: “Do you not have faith?” “Yes I do have faith, but just want to fully reassure my heart,” said Abraham. God said: “Okay! Take four birds; then tame them with yourself; then [after slaughtering them] place each of them on every hill; then call them. They will [come back to life and] run swiftly towards you, and [for the future] fully understand that God is Mighty, very Wise.”

Koran (14:48): “On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth, and the heavens [as well], and they [all creatures] will come out before Allah, the One, the Prevailing.”

Comments: Respected Dr. Omer Suleiman states in the video that Barzakh is happening right now. That while Prophet Musa is praying in his grave, people were seeing Musa alone in the cradle in the Nile River. And as the Pharaoh (Firoun) is throwing people in ditches of fire here, Allah is throwing Firoun in ditches of fire in hell. 

The Qur’an (14:48) shows that both Paradise and Hell have not yet been created but will come into existence from the remnants of this universe after the cataclysmic upheaval of the Day of Judgment. The Qur’an refers to this event as ‘The News’, the title of Chapter 78.

Koran (4:75): “[Believers!] What has come over you that you fight not in the cause of God, and for those helpless men, women, and children who are crying out: “Lord! Rescue us from this city whose people are oppressors, and raise for us from Yourself one who will sympathize, and raise for us from Yourself one who will help.”

Comments: The respected Dr. Omer Suleiman mentions the aggressors of Gaza and implies in the video to exercise restraint against them: Koran (19:84): “So, do not show haste in the decision against them. We are only completing their count.” The Qur’an in Verse (4:75) invokes the believers to muster the courage and force to fight the oppressors and free the oppressed. The Qur’an does not ask to exercise restraint.

Apparently there seems a dichotomy in the Qur’an’s stance. At one point, it is stating to fight the oppressors, and on the other hand, it is asking to exercise restraint. How do we reconcile this dichotomy within the Qur’an?

Among the prophets God chooses some as His messengers. The messengers are under the direct protection of God, Koran (58:20-21): “[You should know that] those who show enmity to God and His Messenger, it is they who shall be humiliated the most. This is because God has decreed: “I and My Messengers are destined to be dominant.” In reality, God is extremely Powerful and very Mighty.” 

Once the messenger conveys the truth, that is the message of God conclusively, in that the truth is conveyed conclusively and with no excuse left for the addressees to accept the message of the messengers, God decimates the non-believers and saves the faithful. This way, God creates a miniature day of judgment through them on the face of the earth. 

This is empirical evidence the Koran presents in forwarding the Case of the Certainty of the Advent of the Hereafter. The ‘Reward and Punishment’ reserved for the Day of Judgement where the faithful have to be rewarded and willful rejectors have to be punished is created here on earth for all to be ‘reminded’ of the Day. 

The Koran verse stated by respected Dr. Omer Suleiman does not relate to us but to messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) where God takes charge of the fate of the direct addressee.

Koran (23:99-111): “[They will not desist from their pranks] until when the death of any of them hovers over, he will say: “Lord! You people send me back that I may earn good deeds in what I have left behind.” Certainly not! This is merely a statement that he is uttering. In front of them will now be a barrier until that Day when they will be raised.

Then when the trumpet is sounded, there will be no relationship between them on that Day nor will they be able to seek help from one another.

At that time, those whose scales are heavy shall only succeed and those whose scales are light, it is they who have put themselves in loss. They shall forever remain in Hell.

Fire shall burn down their faces and their faces shall be distorted in it were not My revelations read out to you; then you would deny them?

They will say: “Our Lord! Our misfortune had enveloped us and we really were those who had gone astray.

Our Lord! If you take us out [once], after that if we repeat what we did, we shall definitely be among the unjust.”

It shall be ordered: “Be off with you! Remain in it and do not talk to Me.”

There were also some among My servants who would pray: “Our Lord! We have professed faith; so, forgive us and have mercy on us and you are best of those who show mercy.”

So, you made fun of them until [it was as if] they made you forget Our remembrance also and you continued to ridicule them.

Today, I have rewarded them for their patience so that it is they only who have succeeded.”

Comments: The gentleman Dr. Omer Suleiman in the video is correct in stating a Hadith where it says the grave is the first station of the Hereafter. The moment angels come to take our souls; we have an idea of our fate. We are subsequently made to wait till the Day of Judgment.

The fire of hell or burning shall commence AFTER the events of the Day of Judgment. The willful rejectors. Who rejected and spurned the truth willfully, knowingly, and deliberately and persisted with their rebellious attitude in life. ESPECIALLY who did so in front of their prophet in person.

Koran (8:50): “Had you been able to see [you would have known what had happened at that time] when the angels were claiming the souls of these disbelievers whilst striking them on their faces and their backs and while saying: “Taste now the torment of the fire!”

Koran (47:27-28): “[If this is their attitude,] what will happen at the time when angels claim their souls while striking their faces and their backs? This is because they followed what angered God and did not like to please Him; so, God rendered their [apparent] good deeds useless as well.”

Comments: Both verses carry the same message for those people who were the immediate addressee of the prophet and rejected him knowingly. Where God states that they recognize the Qur’an (or you) as they recognize their sons, yet they wrong their souls! Koran (6:20): “Those to whom We have given the Book recognize this [Qur’ān] the way they recognize their own sons. However, those who have put themselves in loss do not believe in it[and insist on polytheism].”

Dr. Omer Suleiman rightly emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, urging us to continually assess our actions and consider the legacy we leave behind. When our time comes, which path will we have followed—the path of the righteous (shuhada) or that of the oppressors who brought suffering to others? The Quran serves as a powerful reminder of this truth. Koran (59:18-19): “O those who lay claim to faith! Fear God and let every soul [from among you] fully evaluate what he has done for tomorrow. [Evaluate it] and keep fearing God; God surely is aware of all your deeds. Be not like those who forgot God, and God made them forget themselves. In reality, it is they who are the disobedient.”

Dr. Omer Suleiman rightly mentions that it is the stage of our lives in the Barzakh where each soul shall be made clear about the outcome of the life spent on earth. Koran portrays a most apt reminder for us in this regard. Koran (63:9-11): “Believers! [Like these Hypocrites,] let neither your riches nor your children make you indifferent to remembering God, and [remember that] those who do this, it is they who will be the losers.

Spend [for the cause of God] from what We have blessed you before death befalls any of you, then he [longingly] says: “Lord! Why did you not give me some more respite that I would have spent for Your cause and if I had done so, today I would have been among the righteous?” 

Even though God will never give respite to a soul when its appointed time arrives, and whatever you do is fully in God’s knowledge.”

Narration of Dreams: The Qur’an makes it unequivocally clear that Allah commands Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to present His message through the Qur’an itself. It is this divine revelation that serves as the ultimate means of guidance, warning, and striving in the path of truth. Koran (50:45): “[Do not fret over them, O Prophet!] We know whatever they are saying, and [remember that] you have not been appointed to force them. So, remind through this Qur’an those who fear My warning.”

This verse affirms that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was instructed to use the Qur’an as the primary tool of delivering God’s message. The act of reminding, warning, and calling people to the truth was to be done through the words of the Qur’an itself.

Furthermore, God, Koran (25:52): “…and through this Qur’an keep waging a great jehad with them.”

God defines the greatest jehad as the one carried out through the Qur’an. The struggle against falsehood, ignorance, and deviation from the truth is to be undertaken using the power of divine revelation. The Qur’an is the weapon of truth, the guide for humanity, and the means through which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to fulfill his mission.

In the eyes of Allah, delivering His message through the Qur’an is the ultimate form of striving—a mighty jehad that upholds the truth and calls humanity to divine guidance. The Scholars should follow the same recommendation and the stressed upon way of presenting God’s word as instructed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Comments: The esteemed Dr. Omer Suleiman reminds the audience of the reality of our graves, sharing profound accounts that highlight the spiritual consequences of our actions. He recounts the story of Uthman ibn Sauda, whose mother, Raahiba, urged him to visit her grave. In a dream, he saw her in a state of goodness, receiving divine gifts. In another account, he narrates the story of Abdullah bin Ghalib, whose grave emitted an extraordinary fragrance, like a mist, after his burial. When seen in a dream and asked about it, he explained that it was the scent of his recitation and the thirst he endured in this world.

Islam places great emphasis on the reality of the hereafter, urging believers to reflect on their deeds and prepare for the inevitable journey to the grave. Dr. Omer Suleiman's narration of dreams involving the deceased, such as those of Raahiba and Abdullah bin Ghalib, serves as a reminder of the importance of righteous actions in this world. However, while such accounts can inspire and encourage piety, they must be approached with caution from a religious perspective.

Authentic dreams can serve as a source of guidance, but they are not equivalent to divine revelation (Wahy). The Prophet (peace be upon him) also advised that dreams should be interpreted wisely and not taken at face value without proper understanding.

While there have been historical instances where righteous people had dreams about the deceased in a positive light, such accounts must be carefully assessed. Dreams of the deceased can serve as a double-edged sword. Misuse of dream narratives can mislead the common people into false beliefs, exaggerations, or even innovations in religion.

Dreams can be a source of reflection and encouragement but should never be treated as doctrinal proof. While it is beneficial to share uplifting accounts, Muslims must remain grounded in the Quran and Sunnah, ensuring that their beliefs are based on authentic sources rather than unverifiable personal experiences.

There have been accounts where people claim to see deceased individuals in dreams, sometimes describing their conditions in the grave. While such dreams may provide comfort or serve as a reminder of the Hereafter, they should not be taken as definitive evidence of the unseen. Dreams about people speaking from the grave should be treated cautiously, as they may be personal experiences rather than divine revelations. The Quran and authentic Sunnah remain the primary sources of knowledge about the unseen, and Muslims should avoid making religious claims based solely on dreams.

Conclusion

The word Barzakh means a barrier. We have as much information as the Qur’an has given us. The message is clear. Those who achieve great pleasure of  God or the ultimate wrath of God shall be shown both abodes as a dream. The punishment of God CANNOT and WILL NOT start BEFORE the Day of judgement takes place where matters are decided in Allah’s court of justice.

That is why God declares the Qur’an as ‘Hakm’ which means it enjoys the status of giving the Final Verdict. God asks Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to wage a ‘jehad’ that is to strive a mighty effort (jehad) through this – the Koran. Koran (25:52): “…and through this Qur’ān keep waging a great jehad with them.” And, in Koran (50:45): “So, remind through this Qur’ān those who fear My warning.”

God declares the Qur’an as ‘Mohaimin’ which means it enjoys the status as a Protector and Guardian against all other Scriptures BEFORE the Qur’an like the Bible or post-Qur’an as the corpus of Hadith and stories etc. narrated to present God’s message. Koran (5:48): “Then [O Prophet!] We have revealed to you this Book with truth and in corroboration of the Book before it, and standing as a guardian over it…”

God declares the Qur’an as ‘Furqan’ which means it enjoys the status as a Criterion where falsehood and truth can be differentiated in absolute terms. No grey areas in Allah’s message! Koran (25:1): “Very exalted and benevolent is the being who has revealed this Furqan (Book which distinguishes between good and evil) to His servant so that it can warn the people of the world.” This is a Book which distinguishes between good and evil, is a barometer, and a conclusive argument. Koran (2:185): “It is the month of Ramaan in which the Qur’ān was revealed, as a book replete with guidance for mankind and in the form of extremely manifest arguments which [by their nature] are guidance and also a means of distinguishing right from wrong.”

At another instance, this feature of the Book is called ‘Meezan’, which means a scale in which every person can weigh and see what is good and what is evil. Koran (42:17): “It is God Who has revealed this Book of His with the decisive truth and [in this way in order to distinguish good and evil] sent down His scale. [If they want, they can benefit from it; otherwise,] what may you know that the Hour may be near”. Thus, it does not need any external evidence to prove its claims and the veracity of its presenter.

No divine revelation outside the Qur’an, not even from the Prophet (sws) to whom it was revealed, can specify or modify its general directives. The Qur’an alone serves as the ultimate criterion for accepting or rejecting anything as part of religion. Every religious belief and practice must be thoroughly examined in the light of this Divine Guidance, with all foundations of faith derived directly from it. Any revelation, inspiration, research, or opinion must remain subordinate to the Qur’an. Even the works of esteemed jurists, theologians must be evaluated against this standard, and nothing contrary to it can be accepted.

The Qur’an is the Book of God. It is an urgent need to develop a fine taste for associating ourselves with the Qur’an in presenting the corpus of religion. The reason Allah grants absolute status to the Qur’an (Hakm, Mohaimin, Furqan, Meezan) is because it is complete in matters of God’s Law and morality for humanity.

God comments in the Qur’an at the end of the mission of the Prophet: (5:3): “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.”

The Qur’an understanding remains independent of extraneous sources and remains shining like the warm sun on a cloudless day.

 

Aamir Yazdani

 

 

 


Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Alfred Hitchcock’s Movie ‘The Wrong Man’ and the Case of the Hereafter

 Alfred Hitchcock’s Movie ‘The Wrong Man’ and the Case of the Hereafter  

God declares His Scripture, the Koran, as a ‘reminder’ that there is life after death. This life is not the only life. It translates and transforms into another life. The Koran gives a detailed account of this. But the Koran does so by addressing our intellect through presenting signs and arguments. If we employ our intellect in reading the signs that abound us, we can raise probing questions and inferences.

One such situation is a case which I came across through the review of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie ‘The Wrong Man’. The movie is based on a true story.

Manny Balestrero was a Queens, New York, musician who was wrongfully accused of robbery in 1953. He worked as a bassist at the Stork Club and was arrested after being mistaken for a man who had robbed an insurance office. Witnesses identified him as the culprit, and he was charged with armed robbery.

His case fell apart when his lawyer, with the help of his family, found evidence proving his alibi. Eventually, the real criminal was caught, clearing Balestrero’s name. However, the ordeal deeply affected him and his family, particularly his wife, Rose, who suffered a mental breakdown due to the stress.

Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man is a faithful dramatization of his story, starring Henry Fonda as Balestrero. It’s one of the rare Hitchcock films based on a true story and focuses heavily on the psychological toll of wrongful accusations.

Manny Balestrero spent about three months in jail before being released on bail. He was arrested in January 1953, and his first trial ended in a hung jury in November 1953. Before a second trial could begin, the real robber was caught in early 1954, and Balestrero was fully exonerated.

Manny Balestrero’s wife, Rose, never fully recovered from the mental breakdown she suffered due to the stress of his wrongful accusation and trial. She was diagnosed with severe depression and had to be institutionalized for a period of time.

According to reports, she did improve enough to reunite with her family, but she was never quite the same after the ordeal. The emotional toll of the case was long-lasting for both of them.

In The Wrong Man (1956), this part of the story is portrayed with great emotional weight, showing how wrongful accusations don’t just affect the accused but also their loved ones.

The question is: Why did this happen? Ever could this couple be compensated? Is there a mechanism where Mrs. Rose would be (should be) brought back to her usual self?

The irony is atheists or agnostics, even skeptical believers, blame it on God, hence disproving the existence of God. Mr. Stephen Fry, an atheist, puts this question (to God): How dare you create a world where there is such misery that is not our fault? He says it is utterly evil, and why should he respect a capricious, mean-minded stupid god who creates such a world that is so full of injustice and pain?

Despite the remark by Mr. Stephen Fry, the question remains how will Mrs. Rose be ever compensated? The world is full of misery, evil, and pain, but what about Mrs. Rose? This question warrants the deepest mind-blowing intellectual argument. The mental faculties have to be reached to the maximum human limit through sheer rationale, rational strength, and the strength of sound arguments.

This exercise means the mind has to be employed to a degree where we have to see beyond. We have to grope and get hold of the arguments which thrive on the unseen realm through arguments. And NOT insist upon, ridiculing, rubbishing, rebuking the arguments claiming to be Divine.

In Mr. Stephen Fry’s opinion, people’s lives are wasted when they do not live a full life. It is ONLY religion which has the capability and capacity to counter this situation. It is ONLY religion that has the prowess to tackle Mrs. Rose’s predicament and restless soul. It is, therefore, ONLY GOD, who has the answer and panacea for Mrs. Rose.

Mind when employed to its full potential in seeing beyond rises to heights where the famous adage ‘seeing is believing’ is reversed to ‘believing is seeing’.

God pokes the intelligent mind to infer when it states in the Koran (51:49): “And We have created everything in pairs so that you may receive a reminder”. The word ‘reminded’ means reminded of the Hereafter. Pairs have a complementary ability. It complements each other. Day and night, husband and wife, the earth and the sky, so too, this world has a pair - the Hereafter, which complements life here in the world.

God ‘reminds’ and pokes the intelligent mind in the Koran (7:57): “It is He Who before [sending down] His mercy drives forth winds as glad tidings. Until when they lift clouds laden with water, We propel it to a barren piece of land and send down rain there; then bring into existence from it fruits of various kinds. In this manner, We shall raise up the dead as well; it may be that you are reminded.”

God’s full compensation to the aggrieved shall manifest in its full glory and majesty when He ‘reminds’ us in the Koran (30:50): “So, [you too rest assured and] observe these signs of God’s mercy how He brings to life the land after it dies. Indeed, it is He Who brings the dead back to life and He has power over all things.” The word ‘mercy’ in the verse implies that the (aggrieved) dead shall be shown mercy!

God presents the case of the ‘certainty’ of the advent of the Hereafter by mentioning the stories of the oft-repeated messengers of God in the Koran. These messengers are mentioned in the Bible and the Koran. The Koran mentions them in various chapters but does so succinctly in Chapter 54, Al-Qamar. While doing so, it mentions the story of Noah, Hud, Saleh, and Lot (peace be upon them all).

If we look closely at these stories in the Koran we see a common pattern among them. A commonality that is consistent with the tales of messengers. In Chapter 54, after mentioning the stories of the four messengers, God ends the paragraph with a verse mentioned four times. The verse is Koran (54:17): “We have made this Qur’an very appropriate for reminding. So, is there anyone who shall take heed!?” This verse is mentioned further in the same Chapter in Verse 22, 32, 40.

What is this verse telling? The people of the tribes of these messengers were decimated after a while. The faithful ones were saved and others perished. All four addressees of the messengers were meted out the same fate. The question is how and why? God sends His prophets to His people so that they are reminded of their existence and warned of the life to come. More often than not, the prophet is rejected, made fun of, ridiculed and at times killed.

Among the prophets God chooses some as His messengers. The messengers are under the direct protection of God, Koran (58:20-21): “[You should know that] those who show enmity to God and His Messenger, it is they who shall be humiliated the most. This is because God has decreed: “I and My Messengers are destined to be dominant.” In reality, God is extremely Powerful and very Mighty.”

Once the messenger conveys the truth that is the message of God conclusively, in that the truth is conveyed conclusively and with no excuse left for the addressees in accepting the message of the messengers, God decimates the non-believers and saves the faithful. This way God creates a miniature day of judgment through them on the face of the earth.

This is empirical evidence the Koran presents in forwarding the Case of the Certainty of the Advent of the Hereafter. The ‘Reward and Punishment’ reserved for the Day of Judgement where the faithful have to be rewarded and willful rejectors have to be punished is created here on earth for all to be ‘reminded’ of the Day.

It will be pertinent to mention here the Koran, therefore, is a narration of the warning of the Hereafter by Muhammad as the messenger of God. The whole corpus of the Koran revolves around the case of the advent of the Hereafter. All its reasoning and arguments point towards the biggest event the earth is to face.  

Rightly so, further in the same Chapter, Al-Qamar in the Koran (54:43) God is ‘reminding’ the addressees of Prophet Muhammad that the earlier people were stronger than you yet they perished. These were the tribal leaders of Makkah called the Quraysh: “[O People of the Quraysh!] Are these disbelievers among you any better than them or is there an acquittal written for you in the scriptures?” And then God mentions the reason the leaders of Quraysh were willfully rejecting the message of God, the Koran (54:46): “No! in fact, the actual time of fulfilment of the promise made to them is the Day of Judgement, and the Day of Judgement will be very stern and very bitter [for these disbelievers].”

Mrs. Rose's bereavement exemplifies the Case of the Hereafter. How so? God states in the Koran that the world is a testing place. It is based on the principle of tests and trials. God adumbrates this aspect in the Koran (67:1-2): “[He] Who created death and life to test you as to which of you does better deeds. And He is also Mighty and Forgiving.”

And in the Koran (18:7), in its Chapter Al-Kahf God ‘reminds’ us: “Whatever is on the earth, We have made it its adornment so that We test people that who among them does good deeds.”

Further, timely and poignant ‘reminder’ the Koran enlists in (29:2-3): “Have people thought that they will be left alone merely because of saying: “We believed,” and they will not be put through test? Indeed, We have tested all those before them. So, God shall surely know those who are truthful and shall also know the liars.”

Such Koranic verses, among others, clearly convey the idea, that life is a test, where people are tried through various challenges, blessings, and difficulties to determine their faith, patience, and righteousness. It is not a perfect place in its essence. There are glimpses of brilliance and of misery too. Despite all that this worldly life offers, no one wishes to leave it. Even terminally ill patients are placed on ventilators, relying on artificial breathing to sustain them.

It is a consequence of life being a test and trial that man has been granted a free will with a conscience. Free will entails it will be used and misused since there is an air of freedom to exercise one’s wishes to a great degree. The Koran states this clearly (76:3): “We showed him the good and the evil path. It is now up to him to be grateful or profess disbelief.”

God describes the Hereafter as an abode of eternity. Man will see an end to all tests and trials. It is a place of reward and eternal bliss. All the pains and sufferings of this world shall cease and be FULLY compensated with a life of grace and happiness with the same loved ones with whom one spent his life in the world. A place as described by God where they shall have nothing to fear nor shall they ever grieve.

Koran, Chapter Al-Baqara (2:62): “Those who have professed faith [in the unlettered Prophet] and those [before them] who became Jews and those who are called Naārā (Christians), and Sabaeans – whoever among them have believed in God and in the Last Day and have done righteous deeds – for them their reward lies with their Lord and [in His gracious presence] they shall have nothing to fear nor shall they ever grieve.”

Koran, Chapter Qa’af (50:31-35): “And Paradise will be brought close to those who fear God, and it will not be far away. This is what you would be promised with – for every person who was very repenting and protected the limits of his Lord, who would fear the Merciful without seeing Him, and who has come with a heart that used to be inclined [towards God]. Go, enter Our Paradise with peace. This is the day of eternal dwelling, and they will get there whatever they desire, and We have even more.“

Jesus in his beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3-12:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

When we look at the whole canvas of life as presented above, we see the greatest hope for Mrs. Rose to be fully compensated through the trial life had to offer her. The Divine faith has the mechanism to reward Mrs. Rose with the life of eternity with her husband who was wrongfully accused of robbing an insurance company. The unflinching faith in the unseen God (to be believed in through arguments) has the answers for a life of complete bliss in the life hereafter, thereby completing the pair-rule in its fullest manifestation.

 

Aamir Yazdani

 

Monday, March 3, 2025

Science and God

 Science Is True Whether We Believe Or Not – So Is The Unseen God’s Religion

Epigraph: “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it”. – Neil deGrasse Tyson. 


The same principle applies precisely to God and His divine scriptures, with the final revelation being the Holy Koran. God has spoken, and it is through the unique faculty that distinguishes us from all other species—our remarkable intellect—that we are able to comprehend His message. 

This extraordinary gift of reason allows us to perceive signs, deduce truths, infer meanings, and arrive at conclusions. Unlike a mind that demands physical proof to believe, the enlightened intellect finds strength in the principle that believing is seeing, guided by rational inquiry, sound argumentation, and logical reasoning.

God engages with us through our intellectual faculties, taking pride in addressing us through reason and understanding. In turn, we should honor this divine gift by employing our intellect not only to believe in what we see but to recognize truth through the compelling force of reasoned argument.

Koran (38:29): “It is a blessed book which We have revealed to you [O Prophet] so that people ponder on its verses and so that those endowed with intellect are reminded by it.”

 

Aamir Yazdani

 

 


Self Proclaimed Atheist Richard Dawkins and Data (not) Deleting Permanently from the Web

  Estimated Reading Time : 4 minutes ⸻ Epigraph “We record that which they send before and their footprints; and all things We have ke...