Contents
The Greater Plan: Judgment day
Belief in the soul and the afterlife gives context to our present existence. Those who focus only on the immediate things of life miss the bigger picture. In fact, they become careless about their purpose in life. God reminds mankind: “The life of this world is but an amusement and a distraction; the true life is in the Hereafter, if only they knew” (Qur’an 29:64).
Islam teaches us that this life is only a test to determine our place in the eternal life after death. Those who understand the reality that is ahead of them are aware that their ultimate destiny after death is based on their actions in this life. Those people are thankful for all the blessings God has given them and humbly worship Him, promoting goodness in all aspects of their lives. When one embraces such a God-conscious way of life, one’s purpose goes beyond simply enjoying worldly pleasures.
Their life is one of submission to God and they try to make a positive contribution to the world around them. All their dealings with people, even with animals and the environment, are rooted in this motivation. They are guided by the certainty that they will one day return to their Creator and be held accountable for their actions. Although they have the freedom to live as they see fit, they limit their attachment to this short and imperfect life and seek an eternal paradise in the afterlife. (Read more: Chapter 75 of the Quran)
Why believe?
Believing in the soul and the afterlife is, first of all, having faith in the unseen. Just as our soul is an elusive being that gives life to our physical body, the world we see around us functions on the basis of an invisible system created by God, who is ever watchful and omniscient. Muslims believe that God is also just and that He keeps a meticulous record of our deeds. We will be rewarded for our earthly life in the afterlife, where ultimate justice will reign.
Humans naturally seek justice in all aspects of their lives. When a person works, he expects to receive a suitable wage. When an individual is harmed, they seek compensation. When someone helps another, he expects appreciation for his effort. Even though people do their best to bring about justice, the reality is that this world will never be perfectly just. Many criminals go unpunished, while the oppressed are denied basic rights. Will their lives just fall apart without being held accountable or treated fairly?
Allah (swt) states in the Qur’an: “Do those who commit evil deeds really think that We will treat them in the same way as those who believe and do good deeds, that they will be equal in life and in death? How bad they judge!” (45:21).
What will happen to the culprits?
In the afterlife, the evildoers will not be able to escape the clutches of justice, and the victims of worldly suffering will be rewarded for their pain. People who have spent their lives responsibly and avoided temptations to commit sins will also be rewarded. As stated in the Qur’an: “God created the heavens and the earth for a true purpose: to reward every soul according to its deeds. They shall not be wronged” (45:22).
According to Islam, one of the greatest injustices people can commit is to deny God’s existence, to associate partners to Him, or to worship worldly ideals or materialistic goals. Islam teaches that God is the Creator, Sustainer and Nurturer of every being in the heavens and on the earth. As His creation, it is His right that we worship and obey Him. He showers us every day with His blessings out of His love and mercy. Worshiping Him is an expression of gratitude to God, and ignoring Him or worshiping others is ingratitude and a denial of His blessings.
‘We will set up a scale of righteousness..’
If our man-made legal systems punish humans for committing injustice against other humans, it is even more understandable that God would punish those who deny Him His rights and wrong His creation. God says in the Qur’an: “We will set up a balance of justice on the Day of Judgment, so that no soul will be wronged, and if there is the weight of a mustard seed, We will call it (to account); and We are sufficient to reckon” (21:47).
The mercy of Allah (swt)
As imperfect beings, we often make mistakes and commit wrong actions. Although God does not expect perfection from us, He still calls us to strive to the utmost to worship Him and to live righteously. Out of mercy, God grants forgiveness in the hereafter to whom He wills. God promises us in the Qur’an: “And those who believe and do righteous deeds – We will surely remove from them their evil deeds and We will surely reward them according to the best of what they used to do” (29:7).
Muslims seek salvation in the afterlife by leading a God-conscious and virtuous life in this world. The fear of accountability in the afterlife, coupled with the hope of the promise of God’s ultimate justice, motivates them to orient their present lives around the all-encompassing worship of God, the true purpose of human existence. In this way they strive for eternal joy in this temporary life.
[It will be said to the righteous: “O soul at ease, return to your Lord, well pleased and well-accepted, and come among My servants and enter My Paradise.” (Quran, 89:27-30)