Bismillah: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful
The Islamic statement of belief ends with reference to “resurrection
after death”, a belief incorporated into the idea of the “Last Day”.
The Islamic concept of resurrection rests on the belief that God, Who created
us and gave us life, can also bring us back to life after death. Islam teaches that our bodies–being made from
the elements of nature–return to the earth after death. Yet our souls, separated from our bodies, continue to
exist in a realm outside of the material world.
This is not yet the permanent abode of the hereafter, but rather a spiritual
dimension that anticipates eternity. In simple terms, the soul is in a
spiritual “waiting room” with a window that opens onto the hereafter. The view through this window depends on
how well one has lived up to the trust given to each human being: this window may provide a blissful view of the afterlife,
or it may open onto a bleak horizon of discomfort and suffering.
The souls of the departed remain in this state until the Last Day draws
near and the Angel Israfil blows the heavenly trumpet. The first blast signals the demise of all living things: the second
blast brings creation back together in new, resurrected form. Each person’s physical body is reassembled, atom by atom,
and reunited with its soul. Then all human beings stand, resurrected before their Lord, conscious of their deeds, and hoping
in His Mercy.
As believers prepare for the Last Day, they strive to do good in the world,
and also to leave behind sources of blessing that will continue after death, such as righteous children, ongoing charities
and beneficial contributions to society. The sincere prayers of the living are also channels of benefit, reaching the souls
of the dead.
Despite the apparent finality of death, spiritual growth may continue, as
believers ascend through the realms of heaven, or become purged of vices accumulated during life on earth. Hence even the
abode of affliction may become an avenue for souls, purified through suffering, to enter heaven.
Contrary to pantheistic religions, based on the eternity of the universe
and the reincarnation of souls, the Islamic concepts of resurrection and the Last Day affirm that the universe came into existence
at a fixed point in time, and that it will come to an end at some point in the future.
Significantly, the Islamic view is compatible with current scientific explanations of the origins of the universe:
specifically the “Big Bang Theory”, which concludes that the universe came into existence at a precise point in
time and is expanding, hence will eventually cease to exist in its present form.
Scientists have explained that the “big bang”, far from being a random, cosmic explosion, was an event
so fine-tuned in its precision that according to Paul Davies, a renowned professor of theoretical physics, had the rate of
expansion after the explosion been minutely slower (even by the tiny ratio of one over a billion times a billion), the cosmos
would have collapsed in on itself; and conversely, had the rate of expansion been this miniscule amount greater, the cosmos
would have expanded too rapidly, dispersing completely.
Islam teaches that God brought the universe into existence in a single, creative act, cleaving the heavens and earth
apart, and setting them in perfect balance. Islam also teaches that the universe is expanding and will reach its end; and
on that Day, all human beings will stand resurrected before their Lord, conscious of their deeds, and hoping in His everlasting
Mercy.
Barbara (Masumah) Helms
(Courtesy of the Standard-Freeholder, November 25, 2006)
