Hereafter In The Quran

The Hereafter

Many verses in the Qur’an affirms the Resurrection and about a Life After Life (The Hereafter). Most of these were revealed in the earliest period of Revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad (peace be upon Him) at Makkah, the final Prophet of God. Along with fundamental concepts of Islam and moral teachings, the people were presented quite convincingly and effectively in concise, brief and gripping manner about the Hereafter, to shake them up on their errors and deviations from the Truth.

Chapters, namely Al-Qiyamah (Chapter 75- The Resurrection), Ad-Dahr [Al-Insan, Chapter 76- Time/Man], Al-Mursalat (Chapter 77- Those Sent Forth), An-Naba (Chapter 78- The News) and An-Naziat (Chapter 79- The Extractors), were all Revelations of the same period, that deal with the same theme of Resurrection and Hereafter to warn people of the consequences that will ultimately follow; overwhelmed the people of Makkah then, and so to this day and the future.

When the Prophet (PBUH) first started to preach Islam in Makkah, his message consisted of three main Doctrines:

1. That none be held as an associate with God in Godhead (Tauheed);

2. That God had appointed him as His Final Messenger (Risaalah);

3. That this world will come to an end one day and then another world (Akhirah) will be established when all the former and the latter generations will be resurrected with the same bodies in which they lived and worked in the world; and will be called to account for their beliefs and deeds.

Those who emerge as believing and righteous in their accountability on the Day of Judgement, will ultimately go to Paradise and those who have by choice proved to be disbelieving and wicked will face the consequences in the Hell, that is eternal, with no end in either places.

Of these, although the first point was highly unpleasant for the people of Makkah, yet in any case they were not disbelievers in the existence of God. They believed in His Being the Supreme, the Sustainer, Creator and Provider and also admitted that all those beings whom they regarded as their deities, were themselves creations. Therefore, in this regard the only thing they disputed was whether they had any share in the attributes and powers of Divinity and in the Divine Being itself or not.

As for the second point, the people of Makkah were not prepared to accept it. However, what they could not possibly deny was that during the 40 years life before Prophethood, lived among them, had never found him to be a lying deceitful person or the one who would adopt unlawful methods for selfish ends. They themselves admitted that he was a man possessed of wisdom, righteousness and moral superiority. Therefore, in spite of charging him with a thousand false accusations, to say nothing of making others believe, they were finding it difficult even for themselves to believe that although he was an honest and upright man in every other affair and dealing of life, but a liar only in his claim to be a Prophet.

Thus, the first two points were not in fact so perplexing to the people of Makkah as of the third entity.

When this was presented before them, they mocked it most of all, expressed unusual wonder at it, and regarding it as remote from reason and impossible, started talking against it as incredible, even inconceivable in their assemblies.

But in order to bring them to the way of Islam it was absolutely essential that the doctrine of Hereafter be instilled into their minds, for without belief in this doctrine, it was not at all possible that they could adopt a serious attitude with regard to the truth and falsehood, thus deviate from the standard of values in respect of good and evil, decline to follow the way that Islam admonished them to follow. That is why in the earliest Surahs revealed at Makkah the doctrine of the Hereafter has been impressed and stressed more than anything else.

Allusions have been common in the common talk, in every street and assembly of the people of Makkah on hearing the news about Resurrection with doubts and objections being expressed fervently. Strong arguments were given through the Qur’an to prove the possibility, occurrence and necessity of the Resurrection and Hereafter.

It has also been pointed out clearly that the actual reason of people’s denial of the Hereafter is not that they disregard it as impossible rationally, but their selfish motives do not allow them to affirm it.

For example in Sura An-Naba (Chapter 78), the deniers have been asked:

“Don’t you see this earth which We have spread as a carpet for you? Don’t you see the high mountains which we have so firmly placed in the earth? Don’t you consider your own selves how We have created you as pairs of men and women? Don’t you consider your sleep by which We make you seek a few hours rest after every few hours labour and toil so as to keep you fit for work in the world? Don’t you see the alternation of the night and day which We are so regularly perpetuating precisely according to your needs and requirements? Don’t you see the strongly fortified system of the heavens above you? Don’t you see the sun by means of which you are receiving your light and heat? Don’t you see the rains which fall from the clouds and help produce corn and vegetables and luxuriant gardens?”….

Do these things only tell you that the power of the Almighty Being Who has created them, will be unable to bring about Resurrection and establish the Next World? Then, from the supreme wisdom, which is clearly working in this world around you, do you only understand this that although each part of it and each function of it is purposive, yet life is meaningless?

Nothing could be more absurd and meaningless that after appointing man to the office of foreman and granting him vast powers of appropriation, in this workhouse, when he leaves the world after fulfilling his role, he should be let off without any accountability. He should neither be rewarded and granted pension on satisfactory work, nor subjected to any accountability and punishment on unsatisfactory performance of duty.

Whether we believe in it today, or not, at Resurrection, we will come out in our multitudes from wherever we would be lying dead and buried to render our account. Our denial cannot in any way avert this inevitable event.

In verses 21-30; it has been stated that every single misdeed of those who do not expect any accountability to take place and have thus belied Our Revelations, lies reckoned and recorded with Us, and Hell is ever lying an ambush to punish them and punish them fully for all their doings.

Further in verses 31-36, the best rewards of those who lived as responsible people in the world and have provided for their Hereafter beforehand have been mentioned. They have been reassured that they will not only be rewarded richly for their services but in addition they will also be given sufficient gifts.

In conclusion, the Divine Court in the Hereafter has been depicted, making it plain that there will be no intercession for anyone except for the one to whom leave of intercession will have been given, and the intercessor will say only what is right. Moreover, the leave for intercession will be given only for those who had acknowledged the Truth in this world and the sinners or rebels of God and rejecters of the Truth will deserve no intercession at all.

The discourse has been concluded with this warning: The Day, the coming of which is being foretold, shall certainly come to pass. Do not think it is yet far off, it is close at hand.

Now, whoever by choice disbelieves in spite of the warning; will have all his deeds placed before him: and he will exclaim then regretfully: “Oh, wish that I were dust (not born)!”

At that time, his regrets will be about the same world of which he is so infatuated today!