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What are the Stages of Life in the Hereafter?
There fourteen stages in the life in the hereafter:
1-Life in the grave
2-Blowing of the trumpet
3-Qiyama (Apocalypse)
4-Resurrection
5-Gathering
6-Delivering the book of deeds
7-Reckoning
8-Scale
9-Kawthar Pool
10-Sirat
11-Shafaat
12-Purgatory (Araf)
13-Hell
14-Paradise
1- Grave / Barzakh Life
A verse:
“Then, He causeth him to die, and putteth him in his Grave; Then, when it is His will, He will raise him up (again).” (Abasa, 21-22).
The stage from the death of men in the world till they are resurrected after the apocalypse is called the life of grave. This life is also called “barzakh life or barzakh world”because it expresses the transitional period between the world and the hereafter. Barzakh means a drawback, barrier, or curtain between two things.
It is not necessary to put the body of a man in the grave for him to live the life in the grave. Whether the dead person is put into the grave or his body is eaten by wild animals or it is eaten by the fish in the sea or it is burnt to ashes, his life in the grave starts. It would be better to use the term barzakh life in order to prevent misunderstanding because grave means a place dug in the ground.
Our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) describes life in the grave as “the first stop of the hereafter” in a hadith . (Tirmizi, Zuhd, 5). In another hadith, our prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) says: “Grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a hole from the holes of Hell” , (Tirmizi, Qiyama, 26). stating that there will be torture or reward in the life in the grave.
In yet another hadith he says;
“After man dies and is put into the grave two angels called Munkar and Nakir will come and ask him questions like “Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What is your religion?.... The believer answers these questions easily. As for the unbeliever, he cannot answer them and suffers grave torture”, (Tirmizi, Janaiz, 70). informing us about the life that will last till the day of resurrection.
2- Soor (Trumpet) and Blowing of the Trumpet
The trumpet is an instrument blown by the angel Hazrat Israfel to start the apocalypse and after the apocalypse to resurrect people and to gather them in the gathering place. According to what the Quranic verses tell us Hazrat Israfel will blow the trumpet twice. During the first blowing everything on the earth and in the heavens, except what Allah wishes, will be shaken fearing it and die and the apocalypse will take place. With the second blowing, everything will be resurrected and will run towards their Lord in order to gather in the gathering place. Let’s give one of these verses as an example:
“The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! from the sepulchers (men) will rush forth to their Lord!” . (Ya Seen, 51.)
A verse:
“The Trumpet will (just) be sounded, when all that are in the heavens and on earth will swoon, except such as it will please Allah (to exempt). Then will a second one be sounded, when, behold they will be standing and looking on!” (Zumar, 68).
3- Qiyama (Apocalypse)
Verses:
“He (man) questions: "When is the Day of Resurrection?" At length, when the Sight is dazed, And the moon is buried in darkness. And the sun and moon are joined together―That Day will Man say "Where is the refuge?" By no means! no place of safety! Before thy Lord (alone), that Day will be the place of rest” (al-Qiyama, 6-12).
Qiyama has two meanings: the first one is the break down of the order in the universe, everything turning upside down, destruction of everything and the end of the world.
The second is the resurrection of dead people and their walk towards the gathering place. Qiyama in the first sense will start with the first blowing of the trumpet by Hazrat Israfel, in the second sense with the second blowing. So qiyama is a very important event that involves the death of all men and their resurrection.
The Quranic verses inform us about it. Allah states the following in one of the verses about qiyama:
“O mankind! fear your Lord! For the convulsion of the Hour (of Judgment) will be a thing terrible! The Day ye shall see it, every mother giving suck shall forget her suckling-babe, and every pregnant female shall drop her load (unformed): thou shalt see mankind as in a drunken riot, yet not drunk: but dreadful will be the Wrath of Allah.”. (Al-Hajj, 1-2.)
Although the Quran mentions qiyama often, it does not answer the questions about the time of it and emphasizes that no one except Allah has any knowledge about it. Our Prophet (PBUH) gives some information in his hadiths that there will be some signs of the qiyama when it approaches.
4- Resurrection after death
During the history of mankind, the question of “death” occupied people’s minds in the past, it is occupying today and it seems that it will occupy in the future too. Man has the desire to live forever and does not want to die. However, no one can resist death and everybody becomes helpless against death.
The Quran informs us that resurrection is possible by reason and that it will definitely take place in various ways:
a. A being that creates something out of nothing can create it again a second time. The Quran proves this creation by the following verses:
“And he(man) makes comparisons for us, and forgets his own (Origin and) Creation: He says "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?" Say "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! For He is well-versed in every kind of creation!” . (Ya Seen, 78-79.)
In another verse Allah states the following:
“O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm then out of a leech-like clot, then out a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (Our Power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much)” . (Al-Hajj, 5.)
In this verse, Allah first mentions the course of man’s first creation concisely for the people who deny resurrection after death. Then He explains the stages of his first creation beginning from the stage of sperm to his coming to the world. Then with these statements He reminds man his miraculous creation out of nothing and makes man think logically about his second creation in the hereafter following his death. In addition He emphasizes that it should not be seen as far from being rational.
b. A being that creates something difficult can definitely create something easy. The creation of the earth and heavens is more difficult than the creation of man. Allah, who created the earth and heavens and holds them in the spaces without any support, is definitely capable of creating man again after his death. Furthermore, the first creation of man is more difficult than his second creation. Allah, who is capable of creating man for the first time, is more capable of creating him for the second time. This meaning is stated in the Quran through the following verses:
“See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and never wearied with their creation is able to give life to the dead?” (Al-Ahqaf, 33.)
“It is He Who begins (the process of) creation; then repeats it; and for Him it is most easy.” (Ar,Room, 27.)
“Were We then weary with the first Creation, that they should be in confused doubt about a new Creation?” . (Qaf, 15.)
A verse:
“(O ye people!) And your creation or your resurrection is in no wise but as an individual soul: for Allah is He Who hears and sees (all things).” (Luqman, 28).
It is explained in these verses that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth can create man more easily. It is also stated that since He was not incapable in the first creation, He will definitely not be incapable in the second creation, which is easier then the first one. Attention is attracted to the fact that men will be resurrected and come out of their graves. It is also emphasized that the creation of men out of nothing and their resurrection after death is as easy as the creation and resurrection of one man.
Difficulty and easiness depend on men
As a matter of fact concepts like difficulty and easiness are relative concepts. They are difficult or easy for us, for Allah there is nothing like difficult or easy. Everything is easy for him. We are weak beings created with a limited power, knowledge, will and all other things. Allah is eternal in all aspects and He is the supreme creator, who is omnipotent over all things. Since Allah’s power, knowledge, will, all of his attributes and names are endless, there is no difference for Him between few and many, big and small in creation. Therefore there is no difference for Him between the creation of an atom and the sun, creation of billions of men and one man. Nothing is difficult for Him. For Him to create a spring is as easy as to create a flower.
Allah addresses us in the Quran so that we can understand; therefore He uses those statements. As a matter of fact there is no difference for Him between the creation of an atom or the whole universe.
c. Allah, who revives the earth that is dead, can revive man too.
Verses:
“And We send down from the sky Rain charged with blessing, and We produce therewith Gardens and Grain for harvests; And tall (and stately) palm-trees, with shoots of fruit-stalks piled one over another― As sustenance for (Allah's) Servants;― and We give (new) life therewith to land that is dead: Thus will be the Resurrection” . (Qaf, 9-11.)
The sultans that have the power of state and other groups that have the power reward people who obey the laws that they made and punish people who disobey them. Similarly, Allah, who has a magnificent sultanate of divinity, will reward those who obey Him and punish those who disobey Him. However, the rewards and punishments in this world are not applied sufficiently. So, there is another world where they will be applied completely. That world is the hereafter. Therefore everybody will be sent there willy-nilly.
The names of Allah necessitates the existence of the hereafter
The names of Allah show and want the hereafter and the resurrection there. Allah is eternal. Therefore His names and the manifestations of these names will be eternal. For instance the manifestations of Allah’s names, the Generous and the All Compassionate, are seen in the universe in the maximum way.
Allah is generous. That is, He has endless generosity. We see it in his granting various fruit and vegetables in the universe. He fills the laps of the trees with fruit and sends presents to the heads of plants. The world of plants seems to be servants. They carry Allah’s grants in convoys to men. The world of animals becomes another convoy. They bring grants like milk and meat. They are all evidences for an endless generosity and the owner of that generosity. However, the fact that man’s life is short shows that man could not and will not obtain the endless generosity in a short time. However, endless generosity wants to grant endlessly. Since the world is mortal, the manifestation of this name of Allah’s necessitates the existence of an eternal world where men will receive endless grants.
Similarly, Allah is All Compassionate. That is, He has endless compassion. One of its evidences is that He put compassion in the hearts of all mothers and ensured the protection of babies through compassion. For instance; a hen feeds its chick when it is young but takes its grain from it by hitting it when it gets old. This shows that it is not the mother that is compassionate towards the chick. It is Allah, who gives the mother the feeling of compassion and takes it back when its function ends. The protection of all young animals and babies through the compassion that is given to all mothers in the universe is the evidence for an endless compassion.
Through this compassion, mothers take pleasure in looking after their babies. A mother even sacrifices her life for her baby. However, the thought of parting from her baby without returning again makes the mother think of parting from her baby eternally; so this time compassion torments the mother. The owner of an endless compassion does not allow this eternal parting; because it is contrary to real compassion. So the evidences of the endless compassion seen in the universe want an eternal togetherness. He does not allow eternal disappearance. This shows the existence of life in the hereafter and that it is eternal.
Allah is also perfectly wise. That is, He has endless wisdom. We understand this wisdom by seeing that everything in the universe is created in accordance with a wisdom and purpose. For instance, when we are asked “Why are our ears like bowls?”, we say “so that they will collect the sounds”. When we ask “Why are leaves green?” a purpose or a benefit is stated. All sciences examine the universe. They discover wisdom, purpose or a benefit in everything and tell us about it. That is, they prove that the administrator of the universe operates with endless wisdom. Wise creation is opposite to unnecessariness, purposelessness, immoderation and planlessness. That is, a Wise being does not waste a being that operates wisely. So, the maker of the universe, who makes the whole universe a servant for man, does not put man into the ground so that he will not resurrect again, wasting all of the outcomes of the universe. So the wisdoms in the universe prove the existence of an eternal world.
We see that Allah gives each being the most suitable food and drink and that He feeds each being in the nicest and most affectionate way as a necessity of his name, the Sustainer. Since this world is mortal and transitory, His names are not manifested fully here. The manifestation of these names completely, fully and eternally necessitates the existence of the hereafter world and the resurrection of those who die here. Therefore Allah will bring the hereafter and revive us there again.
It should not be forgotten that when we, men, came to this world found everything at our disposal, like a newborn baby. A newborn baby does not prepare its cradle and the living environment that is necessary for it; similarly man did not prepare the living environment necessary for him when he came to this world. He found everything at his disposal when he came to this world. The Being that brought us here did not ask us before we came to this world whether we wanted to come here or not and did not consult us.
That Supreme Creator does not ask us when he takes us from childhood to youth, from youth to the old age and from old age to death whether we want them to happen or not. That is, he did not ask or consult us when He created us out of nothing and brought to this world; He does not ask or consult us when he takes us from this world; nor will he ask us when resurrecting us and gathering us.
The fact that a baby in the uterus denies the other world because it cannot perceive the world does not negate the world; similarly the fact that we cannot see the hereafter and that we deny it because we do not know its true nature does not negate the hereafter world, Paradise and Hell. To deny the hereafter does not prevent its existence. It prevents us from entering Paradise. What we should do is not to deny the hereafter but to believe that after death the gathering morning will come and the resurrection will take place as definitely as we believe that winter comes after autumn and morning comes after night and prepare ourselves for the hereafter with belief and good deeds.
With our denial we will be deprived of the happiness of the eternal Paradise life and will suffer from a great and irreparable harm. We will not revive by our own will and power in the hereafter. Allah will revive us just as we did not come to this world by our own will and power and Allah brought us by His power. Creation and resurrection are Allah’s deeds, not ours. What is impossible in terms our limited power is very easy for Allah’s power, and He will do it when it is due.
On the other hand, when we have a look at the baby in the uterus, we see that organs like hands, feet, eyes and ears are not necessary for the baby there and that it does not use them there. We understand by reason that the creator that gave it these organs gave them to the baby to use them in the world outside the uterus and that He created it for the outside world. Similarly, we cannot use some of the feelings that were given to us in this world sufficiently here. What is more, our feelings like living eternally and the desire of immortality have no corresponding feelings in this world. So the place to satisfy these desires is not here but the hereafter. This world is transitory for man like the uterus, as for the hereafter, it is the place to live eternally. The feelings of man and the spiritual and material instruments given to him do not fit in this world, and they want the hereafter.
Resurrection after death will take place both bodily and spiritually. This is very easy for Allah. As it is possible to give light to all of the lamps in the world from one center, the dead bodies will be given life in an instant. Just as the members of an army that take a rest come together at once, so will the souls come to the bodies and man will be resurrected in the twinkling of an eye.
“Thus in the gathering and dispersal that takes place every spring we see that in a very short time Allah gathers and then disperses millions of different kinds of animals and plants. He revives and restores the roots of all the trees and plants, as well as some animals. He recreates others in a form so similar as to be almost identical. The seeds which appear, in their outward form, to be so close to each other, nonetheless, in the course of six days or six weeks, become distinct and differentiated from each other, and then with extreme speed, ease and facility, are brought to life in the utmost order and equilibrium. Is it at all possible that for the One Who does all of this anything should be difficult; that He should be unable to create the heavens and the earth in six days; that He should be unable to resurrect men with a single blast? No, by no means is it possible!”
Words (Sözler)
5- Gathering after Resurrection and Gathering Place
Verses:
“They will come forth― their eyes humbled― from (their) graves, (torpid) like locusts scattered abroad, Hastening, with eyes transfixed, towards the Caller!― "Hard is this Day!" the Unbelievers will say. ”(al-Qamar, 7-8).
Gathering is Allah’s sending men to the gathering place after the resurrection for reckoning and bringing them together. The place where men gather is called the Gathering Place. There are a lot of verses in the Quran about gathering. We can give the following verse as an example.
“One Day He will gather them all together, and say to the angels "Was it you that these men used to worship?" (Saba, 40.)
It is stated in a hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) that the gathering place will be a smooth flat place, men will be sent to the gathering place as naked, barefoot, uncircumcised and faultless; while men wait in the gathering place, the sun will approach and they will sweat, that day men will be sent to the gathering place in three groups; on foot, riding and crawling face downwards. (Bukhari, Riqaq, 44-45.)
6- Receiving Book of Deeds
Verses:
“Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open. (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee." (al-Isra, 13-14)
The Books of Deeds, in which the good and bad deeds men did in the world were recorded, will be given to men in the gathering place for reckoning. We do not know the true nature of these books.
Without doubt, they do not resemble the books we have in the world. If we use the jargon of today’s technology, we can liken them to candid cameras that record the vision and sound and then show these recordings to viewers.
An owner of knowledge and power, who can save plants in tiny seeds, big trees in small pips, men and animals in a drop of water and maintain their species, can record the deeds of men in a book; just as we save hundreds of pages of information and documents in a small CD. This issue is stated in the Quran as follows:
“And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say "Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: and not one will thy Lord treat with injustice” . (Al-Kahf, 49.)
The Books of Deeds will be given to the people of Paradise from the right side and the people of hell from the left side or from the back. Receiving the Book from the right side indicates good news that reckoning will be easy and receiving it from the left side indicates a hard reckoning.
7- Reckoning
Verse:
“"O our Lord! cover (us) with Thy Forgiveness― me, my parents, and (all) Believers, on the Day that the Reckoning will be established!" (Ibrahim, 41).
After men receive their books in the hereafter Allah will start reckoning in accordance with the records in those books, nobody will be treated with injustice. There are a lot of verses in the Quran related to this issue. Some of them are as follows:
“That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no injustice will there be that Day, for Allah is Swift in taking account” . (al-Mumin, 17.)
“(It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee.". (al-Isra, 14.)
The Prophet (PBUH) informed us that men will definitely be questioned of the following five things on the Day of Judgment:
1. Where they spent their life,
2. Where they spent their youth,
3. Where they earned their property,
4. Where they spent their property,
5. Whether they applied what they knew or not.
8- Mizan (Scale)
A verse:
“We shall set up scales of justice for the day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. And if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account”
(al-Anbiya, 47).
Mizan, which means scale and balance, is the measurement of the divine justice that weighs the deeds of everybody in the hereafter following the reckoning. However, its true nature and the inside cannot be known by men. It does not resemble the scales or any other measuring or weighing devices in the world. After the weighing of the deeds, those whose good deeds are heavier than their bad deeds will reach salvation and those whose good deeds are lighter will go to Hell and suffer punishment there. The believers who go to Hell will be taken out of Hell and sent to Paradise after they suffer the punishment accounting for their faults. It is stated in the Quran that those whose good deeds are heavy will be in a pleasant life as follows:
“Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy Will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light― Will have his home in a (bottomless) pit. ” (al-Qaria, 6-10.)
“Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy - they will attain salvation: But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls; in Hell will they abide.” (Mumenoon, 102-103).
9- River and Pool of Kawthar
A verse:
“(O Muhammad!) To thee have We granted the Fount (Of Abundance).” (al-Kawthar, 1)
Kawthar is one of the rivers of Paradise and it is also the name of the pool into which the waters of this river flow. The waters flowing from the river Kawthar gather in this pool in the Day of Judgment. When men are resurrected and gathered in the gathering place, our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) will be given the Kawthar pool. The first person to reach this pool will be our Prophet. Those who reach it and drink from it will never get thirsty again. As it is stated in hadiths, one side of this pool is so long that it takes a month to walk it; its water is whiter than milk, its scent is sharper than musk, its glasses are more than the stars in the sky . (Bukhari, Riqaq, 53.)
10- Sirat
Sirat is used to mean a bridge or road laid across Hell. Everybody, whether a believer or an unbeliever, will cross this bridge.
It is stated in the hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) that in accordance with their deeds some of the believers will cross it like lightning, some like wind, and some creeping, that all of the unbelievers and some of the believers whose sins are not forgiven will be thrown into Hell. Those crossing Sirat will enter Paradise. (Bukhari, Riqaq, 52.)
It is stated in the Quran that everybody will come round to Hell:
“Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrongdoers therein, (humbled) to their knees.” . (Maryam, 71-72.)
Sirat will definitely be in the form that Allah and His Messenger informed us and in the state that Allah knows and wishes. This bridge stretching across Hell to Paradise is in fact a bridge that man constructs during his life in the world with belief and good deeds. The deeds of man in this world come as a bridge in front of him in the hereafter. As a matter of fact we cross Sirat in this world. That is, we deserve to cross Sirat in this world by believing in the fundamentals of belief and by doing good deeds. Those who believe and do good deeds in the world will be able to cross it and those who do not believe and do not do good deeds will not be able to cross it.
As a matter of fact, since the hereafter world is a world of ghaib (unknown unseen, unfelt), we cannot understand the happenings there while we are in this world with our limited mind and organs. As the world and everything in it is ghaib for an unborn baby in the uterus the hereafter world is ghaib for us. Therefore we can only know the existence of Sirat bridge through the revelation Allah sends to His Messenger. However, we cannot understand its true nature.
Allah addresses us, men, in a style we can understand. He tells us about the unknown concepts related to life in the hereafter like Trumpet, Book of Deeds, Pool, Sirat, Scale, etc using the names of the objects we know in the world. Actually there are no relations or similarities between the beings there and those here. For instance, there are no similarities but similarities of name between Sirat bridge and the bridges in the world, the scale there and the scales here, the trumpet there and the trumpets and bugles here, the books there and the books here. Allah knows the true nature of them.
A verse:
“No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave (hath been obtained).”(Yunus, 3).
11- Intercession (Shafaat):
It means for the believers who have sins to ask prophets, ulama (scholars) and martyrs, whom Allah allowed to intercede, to pray and beg Allah for their forgiveness and for those who do not have any sins to ask for ascension to higher degrees.
The Quran gives special significance to intercession and connects it with the issue of oneness. Some of the Quranic verses related to this issue are as follows:
“O Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth?”. (al-Baqara, 255.)
“ they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable” (al-Anbiya, 28).
Allah can consent to the intercession of only His slaves who deserve to be forgiven as a necessity of His divine justice. The Prophet said the following in a hadith:
“Every prophet has a prayer peculiar to him that is accepted, and they have always prayed. However, I keep my prayer for the intercession for my umma in the hereafter.” (Bukhari, Daawat, 1.)
However, Muslims should not rely on the intercession and show laziness in applying the orders and the prohibitions of the religion, and they should never leave them. On the contrary, they should make a greater effort to act in accordance with those orders and prohibitions in order to deserve intercession. Or else, they may be deprived of intercession.
12- Purgatory (Araf)
Araf is the name given to the high castle and tower separating Paradise and Hell. In other words, Araf is a buffer zone between Paradise and Hell, separating them. There are some disputes over who will be the people of Araf; there are two views that became prominent.
1. People who were not informed about the call of any prophets and children of polytheists who died very young.
2. Believers whose good deeds and bad deeds are equal. They will have to wait between Paradise and Hell before they enter Paradise.
The followings is stated in the Quranic verse about the people of Araf::
“Between them shall be a veil, and on the Heights will be men who would know everyone by his marks: they will call out to the companions of the Garden "peace on you" they will not have entered, but they will have an assurance (thereof.) When their eyes shall be turned towards the companions of the Fire, they will say: "Our Lord! Send us not to the company of the wrong- doers." (al-Araf 46-47.)
However, Araf is not a place of permanent resident. After making the people of Araf wait there for a while temporarily, Allah will make a decision for them and send them to Paradise with his blessing.
13- Hell
A verse:
“Say "The Truth is from your Lord": let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrongdoers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces. How dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!” (al-Kahf, 29).
A verse:
“Indeed it throws about sparks (huge) as Forts, As if there were (a string of) yellow camels (marching swiftly)." (al-Murseaât, 32-33).
A verse:
“When it sees them from a place far off, they will hear its fury and its raging sigh.” (al-Furqan, 12).
Hell is a place of torture where unbelievers will stay continuously and where sinful believers will be punished and stay temporarily in accordance with their sins.
When we have a look at all of the verses about Hell in the Quran, we understand the following from their meanings concisely: Although fire punishment forms the main punishment in hell, it is a vast place of punishment where, spiritual and material, what we can think of and what we cannot think of, all kinds of anguish, pain, torture that influence all of the feelings of man are present.
Unbelievers will stay in Hell eternally and they will never be able to leave Hell. As for sinful believers, they will suffer punishment in accordance with their sins and then they will be taken out of Hell and sent to Paradise.
As it happens in all stages of life in the hereafter, the spirit and the body together will suffer Hell torture. However, the pain, anguish, agony, torture, fire, etc cannot be likened to those in this world. Only Allah knows their true nature and inside; it is impossible for men to know them in this world.
14- Paradise
A verse:
“But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that their portion is Gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom they say: "Why this is what we were fed with before" for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure (and holy); and they abide therein (forever).” (al-Baqara, 25).
Paradise is a place in the hereafter which is adorned with various blessings and which believers will live eternally.
When we examine the Quran, we see that the Quran describes Paradise and the people of Paradise as follows:
Paradise is a place whose width is that of the heavens and of the earth; and a place where neither excessive heat nor excessive cold is present. There are rivers of clean water, rivers of incorruptible milk and pure honey, a fresh water spring with a scent of ginger and a drink that leaves the scent of musk after drinking. Paradise wine is a kind of drink that does not give headache nor makes drunk; it gives joy to drinkers and it comes out of a snow-white spring. It does not make drunk or give headache, it does not tempt people to commit sins, or make people do nonsense things. There are various fruits, dates, pomegranates, grapevines, cedar trees without thorns, banana-trees with fruits piled one above another and various bird flesh. (Aal-e-Imran, 3/133; al-Insan, 76/13, 18; Muhammad, 47/15; al-Mutaffifin, 83/25-26; as-Saaffat, 37/45-47; al-Waqia, 56/21, 28-29; at-Tur, 52/23; ar-Rahman, 55/68; an-Naba, 78/32.)
The clothes of the people of Paradise are of fine silk and heavy brocade; their adornments are of gold, their houses are beautiful, immortal youths walk around them to serve them, these youths are thought to be scattered pearls because of their beauties; they will pass round dishes and goblets of gold. There will be there all that the souls could desire all that the eyes could delight in. there are mansions built one above another beneath which flow rivers. There are pure companions with special creation. They and their associates will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. The people of Paradise whose spite in their hearts were taken away by Allah sit facing each other on thrones as brothers. There is no tiredness or inconvenience here for them. They will not hear any vanity or untruth. (Ak-Kahf, 21, 31; al-Insan, 19, 21; al-Hajj, 23; al-Fatır, 33; at-Tauba, 72; az-Zukhruf, 71; az-Zumar, 20; al-Baqara, 25; al-Waqia, 35-38; as-Saaffat, 48-49; an-Naba, 33, 35; Ya Seen, 56; al-Hijr, 47.)
Paradise blessings are so beautiful that man’s mind and imagination cannot envisage them. There are all kinds of immaterial and material, bodily and spiritual tastes and joys with all details there. When Allah mentions the blessings there, He explains them by likening them to the worldly blessings so that we can understand them. As a matter of fact, only their names resemble the blessings here, not any other qualities. They are unique blessings prepared in accordance with the conditions of Paradise not the conditions of the world. The Prophet explains the blessings of Paradise in a divine hadith as follows:
“"Allah said, "I have prepared for My righteous slaves such excellent things as no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard nor a human heart can ever think of. "” (Bukhari, “Tafseer”, sura 32; Tawheed, 35; Muslim, Jannah, 1; Tirmizi, “Tafseer”, sura 32.)
No doubt, the greatest blessing in Paradise is to receive the consent of Allah and to see Allah. The following is stated in the Quran related to this issue:
“…the greatest bliss is in the Good Pleasure of Allah: that is the Supreme Felicity.” (At-Tauba, 72. )
On the other hand, believers in the hereafter will see Allah after they enter Paradise. There is no definite information about the true nature and quality of this sight.
The following is stated in a verse in the Quran: “Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty)― Looking towards their Lord.” . (Al-Qiyama, 22-23.)
Our Prophet (PBUH) says the following when talking about how believers will see Allah:
“Certainly you will see your Lord as you see this moon.” (Bukhari, Mawakit, 16; Tawheed, 24; Muslim, Eeman, 81; Tirmizi, Jannah, 15.)
Paradise and the life there is eternal and the people of Paradise will live there eternally. What makes Paradise Paradise and what makes the life there valuable is the fact that it is eternal and immortal. If Paradise were temporary and mortal like this world and if there were death there, it would not have any value in spite of all of its beauties and advantageous blessings. So, eternity and immortality alone are great blessings in Paradise; and what makes Paradise valuable is this property.
We should not forget that Paradise is obtained in this world. To obtain Paradise it is necessary to believe in the existence and oneness of Allah, His angels, His books, His prophets, Day of Judgment, decree and destiny; to do good deeds in accordance with the Quran and the sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) encompassed by the consent of Allah and to live in accordance with Islamic ethic. There is no other way of salvation. Therefore we should all make a great effort in this world to obtain Paradise. May Allah let all of us enter Paradise and live there eternally reaching His consent. Amen.
2-)
What does Amantu mean? What are the fundamentals of belief included in Amantu?
Amantu is a term that expresses the fundamentals of belief of the religion of Islam generally. Amantu, which is the first person singular form of the verb amana and which means "I believed", is used in three places in the Quran when Allah explains belief. (see Yunus, 190; Yasin, 36-25; ash-Shura, 42/15)
In the chapter of ash-Shura, Hz. Prophet (pbuh) is directly ordered to say "amantu". Based on this, it is possible to say amantu is a term that exists in the Quran.
Amantu comprises of the fundamentals of belief that every Muslim must believe, accept and approve.
There are 6 fundamentals of belief in Amantu; they are as follows:
1. To believe in Allah,
2. To believe in His angels,
3. To believe in His books,
4. To believe in His prophets,
5. To believe in the Day of Judgment (life after death),
6. To believe in predestination (qadar), that the good and the evil are from Allah.
Amantu is uttered as follows:
Amantu billahi wa malaikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi wal-yawmil-akhiri wa bil-qadari khayrihi wa sharrihi minallahi taala wal-ba’thu ba’dal-mawti haqqun ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.
Its meaning is as follows:
Amantu billahi: I believed in the existence and oneness of Allah, that He has no partners or counterparts, that He has all kinds of loftiness and that He is free of all kinds of deficiency.
Wa malaikatihi: I also believed in the angels of Allah.
Wa kutubihi: I also believed in the books of Allah.
Wa rusulihi: I also believed in the prophets of Allah.
Wal-yawmil-akhiri: I also believed in the Day of Judgment.
Wa bil-qadari khayrihi wa sharrihi minallahi taala: I also believed in the predestination, that everything that seems as good or evil to us take place through the knowledge, law and creation of Allah.
Wal-ba’thu ba’dal-mawti haqqun: I also heartily believed in life after death (and resurrection). All of them are true and right.
Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh: I witness that there is no god but Allah and I witness that Hazrat Muhammad is his slave and messenger.
The last sentence is called the word of Shahadah, that is, the sentence of witnessing.
3-)
Is it possible to see signs related to the existence of Allah by looking at the universe?
It is interesting that Allah calls both His sentences (verses) in the Quran and His works in the book of the universe as "ayahs" (signs). In the Quran, one of the most frequently mentioned signs of the universe is the sky. Allah often attracts attention to the sky that everybody sees all the time and usually admires:
“Do they not look at the sky above them?― How We have made it and adorned?...” (Qaf, 50/6)
The following is stated in another verse:
“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs for those who know.” (ar-Rum, 30/22)
The first verse orders us to look at the universe and to meditate. The second verse states that those who obtain knowledge on the creation of the skies and the earth and who meditate by using this knowledge will see evidences regarding the existence of Allah. These verses were sent down more than fourteen centuries ago. There has been a great progress regarding man's knowledge on space since then. A new branch called astronomy has developed. We cannot give all this information here. We will try to understand how to read the signs of Allah by using the new information we have obtained about space through one example.
Evidences from Space for the Existence of Allah
When we look at the sky, it looks like a magnificent dome; it is like the gilded dome of this world palace. From another viewpoint, it looks like a space sea in which millions of spaceships travel very fast. From yet another viewpoint, it looks like a magnificent fleet of planes that are billions of times bigger than man-made planes and that are much faster than them.
Have you ever thought how many stars there are in the sky? There have been many attempts to answer this question but no one has been able to find a definite answer. In 2003, a group of researchers from Australia National University made an estimation using the latest technological devices. The figure they found was 70.000.000.000.000.000.000.000 (seventy sextillion).(1)
According to the same scientists, the number of the stars in the sky is ten times more than the number of the grains of sand on earth. When we think of it on the scale of space, the fight of domination in the world is like the fight of children for one grain of sand. In the end, even if we dominate the whole world, what we will own is not even one tenth of a sand grain on the scale of space.
What do so many stars and planets whose number we do not know tell us? Allah wants us to think about how they came into being and how they move within a magnificent system by directing our attention to them. We can place this innumerable number of stars into a perspective under the light of the talents, knowledge and experience we have. We can understand how these celestial bodies came into being by comparing them with something made by humans.
Man has not been able to make a star yet; however, all countries are trying to make a miniature planet called International Space Station by combining their forces. Then, we can understand, to a certain extent, how stars and planets came into being by looking at the man-made miniature planet. When I use the word miniature, do not think that I despise one of the magnificent works of man. Frankly, I feel honored in the name of humanity by this masterpiece, which I will not be able to understand even if I spend all my life. I want to say that it is "miniature" when it is compared to the world and the other planets. If people here try to make another space station, they will not be able to do it because we do not have hundreds, thousands of scientists and engineers necessary to do it. We do not have factories to produce the necessary equipment. That is, it is necessary to have advanced knowledge in many branches of science like physics, engineering, biology and mathematics in order to make the miniature planet. Muscular power and machinery are also necessary in order to apply this knowledge. In short, the miniature planet is a work of high level of knowledge and a great power. Then, trillions of stars and planets, which are much bigger and more magnificent than the International Space Station, is the work of a Being who has endless knowledge and power.(2)
A person who looks at the sky carefully sees that it shows Allah in a brighter way than the Arabic phrase “Lailahaillallah”(There is no god but Allah). For, if the world is likened to a palace, the moon is our night lamp, the sun is our stove and very bright lamp, and the other stars are gilded and decorated small lamps. Then, who created these stars, the sun and the moon? The Quran answers this question as follows:
“He has created the heavens and the earth for just ends: far is He above having the partners they ascribe to Him” (an-Nahl, 16/3).
“He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the Sun and the Moon; and the Stars are in subjection by His Command: verily in this are Signs for men who are wise.” (an-Nahl, 16/12).
“It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law).” (Yasin, 36/40).
“And the Sun runs his course for a period determined for him: that is the decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing.” (Yasin, 36/38).
The last two verses indicate the rotation of the sun. The science of astronomy discovered that the sun was rotating only in the 20th century but the fact that Hz. Muhammad (pbuh), who could not read or write, informed us about it fourteen centuries ago is an evidence for his prophethood.
According to modern astronomy, the sun moves 225 km per second, 13.500 km per hour and 810.000 km per hour. If we think how fast the fastest planes move, we can understand that the sun moves hundreds of times faster than the fastest plane.
On a Greek plane in 2005, two pilots died of cold because the cool air system got out of order and the plane crashed a mountain in a few minutes. Then, how can the trillions of planes of the sky (stars and planets) that are billions of times bigger and thousands of times faster than our planes move without colliding and falling though they have no pilots? When we compare stars and planets with man-made planes and spaceships, we will see that the Being with endless knowledge, power and wisdom created the stars and that He constantly maintains and controls them. That is why the following is stated in the Quran:
“It is Allah Who sustains the heavens and the earth, lest they cease (to function): and if they should fail, there is none not one can sustain them thereafter.” (Fatir, 35/41)
Although we developed a defense system against man-made missiles, we can do nothing but watch the "heavenly missiles" that can fall on us from the sky.
Evidences for the Existence of Allah from the Plant Kingdom
Not only the stars but also everything we see around us inform us about our Lord through different tongues. The most magnificent signs that that tell us about Allah in the blue planet we live in are plants, animals and humans. "Life", which is the common divine seal in all of them, shows us Allah in every aspect. It is Allah, who is al-Hayy (the Ever Living One) and al-Qayyum (the Self-Subsisting), who gives life and maintains it. The Quran explains this fact as follows:
“With it (water) He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes, and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought” (an-Nahl, 16/11).
This verse clearly states that plants were created out of water by Allah and that there are great lessons in it for those who meditate. Science agrees that the origin of life today is water but it has not been able to understand fully what life is. However, there are living animals and plants in every inch of our planet.
As of 2004, the botanists determined about 350 thousand plant species. All of these plants are similar and different. Since they are all made of similar atoms, elements, molecules and cells, they are similar; since they have different shapes and relatively different DNA codes, they are different.
Do not underrate plants. No man can do what a plant does. If we are to name according to what a green leaf does, it will be appropriate to call each green leaf "a factory of oxygen and food". Man learned a bit of what a green leaf has been doing for millions of years only in the middle of the last century. Dr. Calvin received a Nobel Prize because he explained one of the skills of a green leaf. (3) In other words, after making efforts for centuries, only some intelligent humans have found out a bit of what green plants have been doing. However, no scientist can do what a plant does. Therefore, when we say to a person you are like grass, we actually compliment that person and insult grass. Maybe, it is more appropriate to call a person who is so intelligent as to get a Nobel Prize grass.
The plants that we despise by calling grass are our servants, which sacrifice themselves for us. They produce oxygen, which is our vital need, by working constantly and producing the necessary vitamins and proteins for our body; they sacrifice their lives for the continuation of our lives. Humans use more than forty thousand species of plants and animals as food. Trees work like tremendous factories and prepare food for us. We do not appreciate fully the service the plants render to us because we do not think about it. Due to the veil of causes, we attribute fruits to trees and vegetables to gardens; we do not appreciate their real value. If we tried to produce a fruit in a factory, we could not buy one fruit for a million dollars. The abundance of food does not show that they are worthless; it shows the abundance of mercy. As a matter of fact, oxygen, which is the most valuable nutrition for us, is free but it is not worthless. (4)
Every plant, every fruit and every vegetable is an extraordinary divine grant and a magnificent present from Lord. Suppose that a company produced biscuits having seeds and when you sowed the seeds of the biscuits, you obtained biscuit trees; you would be astonished. It would hit the headlines and all televisions would mention this tree. In fact, it is necessary to be astonished by the person who is astonished by biscuits having seeds but regards thousands of fruits and vegetables having seeds as ordinary.
Secular science and irreligious philosophy hide divine works that are miracles from all aspects behind the veil of nature and causes, making them seem ordinary. They make the works of human beings who transform existing things into different forms seem extraordinary. In his latest book He sent to us, Allah asks us thirty-one times:
“Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?”(ar-Rahman, 55/13,..) If we come to our senses and appreciate the value of each bounty, we cannot deny any of them. However, if we attribute these bounties to nature and coincidence, we deny all of them. Hundreds of thousands of species that contain the vitamins and proteins that animals and humans need, and that are suitable for their taste, mouth, teeth and stomach are the most explicit evidences of Allah’s mercy. A sane person can find his Lord even through a single apple. The extraordinary structure of an apple, which was built nanotechnologically (5) at the level of atoms, molecules and cells, shows the endless knowledge, power and wisdom of its owner; its relationship and agreement with man's eye, tooth, taste and stomach shows His endless mercy, compassion and help.
A person who uses his mind properly can find his Lord by acting upon a single apple. Yes, a person who can understand only one apple can also understand the existence of His Lord. As I have mentioned earlier, do not underrate an apple. It is necessary to set up a factory as big as the world and plant a tree that contains live cells in it in order to produce an apple. A person that cannot produce a single cell cannot produce a tree containing billions of cells by any means. Supposing he did it, he could not have influence on the sun and could not arrange its heat to ripen the apple. We can list thousands of conditions like this one necessary to produce an apple.
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi expresses concisely what we mean above as follows:
“The one who creates an apple must of a certainty be able to create all the apples in the world and to bring the vast spring into being. Conversely, the one who cannot create a spring cannot create a single apple either, for the apple is made at the same workbench. But the one who makes an apple can make the spring. Each apple is an example in miniature of a tree, even of a garden or a cosmos. The apple seed that carries within itself the life-story of the huge tree is, from the point of view of artistry, such a miracle that the one who creates it thus is incapable of nothing.”(6)
Therefore, the Quran wants us to eat by thinking how the food we eat forms instead of eating with the purpose of filling our stomachs only:
“Then let man look at his Food, (and how We provide it): For that We pour forth water in abundance, And We split the earth in fragments, And produce therein Corn, And Grapes and nutritious Plants, And Olives and Dates, And enclosed Gardens, dense with lofty trees, And Fruits and Fodder― For use and convenience to you and your cattle.” (Abasa, 80/24-32).
Evidences for the Existence of Allah from the Animal Kingdom
When we look at animals by using our mind and knowledge, we can say that each one is a "machine" or "walking factory". Man has made great progress in producing technological devices since the industrial revolution. Devices that could not be imagined a century ago like televisions, mobile phones and computers have become a part of our daily life. We are living in the age of "technological wonders" and see new ones every day. Even secular science regards man's ability to produce complicated devices in order to meet his needs and desires as the basic element distinguishing him from animals. Planes, cars, fast trains, skyscrapers are the fruits of this ability. Everybody knows from his own experience that even the simplest tool made by man is the work of science and power. As tools get more complicated, more knowledge and science become necessary. For instance, a child who has a little knowledge and power can make a wooden car. However, even if thousands of children come together, they cannot produce a simple motor car. Then, compare animals with the "technological wonders" that are our works.
It may be easier for us to find our Lord by meditating on the creation and skills of animals that we always see in our lives, zoos and television documentaries. The Quran informs us through the following verse that there are exemplary signs in animals:
“Verily in the heavens and the earth, are Signs for those who believe. And in the creation of yourselves and the fact that animals are scattered (through the earth), are Signs for those of assured Faith.” (al-Jathiya, 45/3-4).
In fact, it is not at all difficult to see the exemplary signs in animals that tell us about Allah by looking at them carefully. The Quran describes those who do not believe as blind and states that they will not be able to see these signs unless they believe and open their eyes to see the truth. Let us try to read some signs in animals by using our mind.
The scientists that searched animals have determined about 2 million different species of animals so far. According to estimations, this figure is only 20 percent of all of the animals. It is estimated that there are about 10 million different species of animals.(7)
According to what the scientists that search animals tell us, even a very small animal is more wonderful than our greatest technological product in terms of its operation. In other words, when we compare "man-made technological devices" with "divine technological devices", we see big differences between them. In the book that He sent down, Allah challenges man, who feels proud of his "high technology devices", as follows:
“O men! Here is a parable set forth! Listen to it! Those on whom besides Allah, ye call cannot create (even) a fly, if they all meet together for the purpose! And if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly: feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition!” (al-Hajj, 22/73)
Let alone producing a fly, it has not been possible to produce even a small cell of a fly up to now. Then, let us ask with the expression of the Quran:
“Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators?” (at-Tur, 52/35).
The wonderful body system of animals indicate the existence of Allah as many times as the number of their species and maybe the number of all animals; the benefits and effects of animals witness the wisdom and mercy of Allah . The Quran expresses this fact as follows:
“And verily in cattle (too) will ye find an instructive Sign. From what is within their bodies, between excretions and blood, We produce for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who drink it.” (an-Nahl, 16/66).
That is, we should not underrate animals. We should not call the people we are angry with "animals" and despise animals. It is more appropriate to give animals names according to what they do as follows: "milk and meat factory" for cows, sheep and goats, "egg and white meat factory" for chickens, "silk factory" for silkworms and "bee factory" for bees. In fact, when we think of the other benefits of these animals, even such names will be insufficient.
In the verse above, Allah states that there are lessons in domestic animals including the cow. A separate branch of science called veterinary medicine was established in order to understand those wisdoms. Thousands of scientists have been trying to understand them but they have not been able to finish yet.
For instance, Dr. Virtanen, who had been trying to understand how a cow produces milk, could not produce milk but he discovered how to get more milk from the cow. He was given a Nobel Prize because of it. (8) Now, I am asking you this question: If a Nobel Prize is given to a person who understood what the cow did to some extent but who could not produce milk, what kind of prize should we give the cow?
I think everybody who understands what cows do to a certain extent needs to show respect to them. In fact, I can understand why Hindus worship cows though what they do is unbelief. I think to deem a cow as an ordinary being is as much surprising as to worship a cow.
The following concise statement of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi summarizes what we have mentioned so far:
“To place in the nipples of cows, camels, goats and sheep, as well as human mothers, in the midst of blood and excrement but without being polluted by them, a substance the exact opposite, pure, clean, pleasant, nutritive and white milk, and to inspire in their hearts tenderness toward their young that is still more pleasant, sweeter and more valuable than milk — this requires such a degree of mercy, wisdom, knowledge, power, will and care that it cannot in any way be the work of turbulent chance, of the tangled elements, or of blind forces.”(9)
Evidences for the Existence of Allah from “Man”
Another evidence, maybe the most important one, for the existence of Allah takes place in our inner world. Everybody can find his Lord by thinking about his own creation and the bounties he is given every day. The evidences that man sees in everything in the universe are called "objective", that is, "external" evidences and the evidences that he sees and feels in him are called "subjective", that is, "internal" evidences. It is easier to understand internal evidences because they are based on personal experience. Unfortunately, many people have difficulty in seeing those evidences because they do not think about their own bodies. However, the Quran attracts our attention to the lessons in the creation of man:
“And in the creation of yourselves and the fact that animals are scattered (through the earth), are Signs for those of assured Faith.” (al-Jathiya, 45/4).
In a period when there was no technology at all, the creation of man is described in the Quran as if it was observed through "divine ultrasound":
“Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature: so blessed be Allah, the Best to create.” (al-Muminun, 23/14).
The scientist who observed the creation of man from a drop of water in the human uterus for the first time, he described what he saw as a "miracle". Interestingly enough, even the documentaries prepared with a secular understanding had to call it a "miracle of life". (10)
Most people forget this miracle, which they experience in their journey of life, and live heedlessly and ungratefully as if they were sent down from the sky. The following verse of the Quran urge sane people to wake up from heedlessness and to see their miracle of creation:
“Doth not man see that it is We Who created Him from sperm? Yet behold! He (stands forth) as an open adversary?” (Yasin, 36/77).
The creation of man out of a drop of water can only be the work of a being that has endless knowledge, power and wisdom. If anyone claims the opposite, he can prove his claim by making a human or only one cell of a human out of a drop of water. The Quran has challenged unbelievers regarding the issue for fourteen centuries. (11) Nobody has been able to answer this challenge up to now; nobody says that they can despite latest technology. This proves that the Quran is a divine book and the Allah is the creator of all living beings.
The creation of man is a miracle; similarly, the treat of breast milk from his mother is a different "miracle of mercy". Most of us see it as an ordinary incident. Suppose that orange juice instead of milk came out of the breasts of our mothers; what would we do? We would be astonished and would tell about it to everybody. It would definitely be the first news item on television. However, "orange juice" coming out of the breasts of our mothers instead of "milk" is something that is one thousand times more astonishing and that needs to be wondered more. Scientists advise women to breastfeed their babies since they have not been able to find something to replace breast milk fully. As it is seen in the example of breast milk, everything is extraordinary and miraculous but they seem ordinary to us because we always see them. Those who open the "eye of the mind" carefully can see the miraculous deeds and their doer behind the "veil of ordinariness".
I want to give another example related to inner evidences. When a person thinks of his own body, he can see the signs indicating his Lord. Every organ of our body, their magnificent arrangement and operation, their order and innumerable wisdoms and benefits show us the Being that has endless knowledge, wisdom, mercy and power. I want to tell you about something that I have recently experienced and make it clear what I want to mean. I have man-made teeth and natural teeth in my mouth. I did not get an ordinary man to make my teeth. I went to a very experienced dentist who had graduated from the faculty of dentistry. Why did I go to a dentist but not an ordinary man? The answer is simple: Because it is not something very easy to find the best material for the teeth, to mold them harmoniously with my other teeth and to place them in my mouth. Not everybody can do it. A person who does not have sufficient knowledge in dentistry and who does not have the necessary tools cannot do it.
Now, let us compare the "man-made teeth" with the "other teeth". Which ones are better? Which ones are sounder? Which ones are perfect? Of course, the other ones. The clearest example of it is that no dentist says let me remove your teeth and implant technologically wonderful teeth instead if your teeth are healthy.
Now, let us think of it carefully: “Man-made” teeth can be produced through high technology and power; then, can the other "teeth", which are much better than man-made teeth in every aspect can form on their own or by coincidence? Can they be the work of natural forces that are deprived of knowledge and consciousness and that are ignorant and mindless? Then, each tooth of us that is not man-made informs us about Allah. Since teeth, which are among the simplest parts of our body, inform us about our Lord like that, I refer it to your intelligence to think about how the other hundreds of organs like the eye, nose and brain tell us about Allah.
We can summarize what we have written so far as follows:
Our Lord has made the universe a magnificent book and informs us about Himself through the words (signs) of the innumerable living and non-living beings He wrote in it. He translated this book through the Quran and taught us how to read that book through Hz.Muhammad (pbuh), who is a great teacher. When we take off the black glasses of coincidence and nature and read the book of the universe through the transparent glasses the Quran gives us, we can see our Lord, observe His activities and meditate on His wisdom in everything that we read. We can know Him through his innumerable perfect works and love Him through His endless bounties.
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(2) The following is stated in a verse of the Quran: “If thou ask them who it is that created the heavens and the earth They will certainly say "Allah."”(Luqman, 25) The word “them” is used for unbelievers in this verse. This verse attracts attention to two important points: Firstly, it is more appropriate to start from the creation of the skies and the earth, which are the greatest signs, when you tell unbelievers about Allah. Secondly, even unbelievers cannot explain the magnificent and glorious creation of the skies and the earth; when they think about it thoroughly, they will have to say “Allah”.
(4)In the free market system, prices are determined based on supply and demand, not on the value of the goods and services. The reason why oxygen, which is vital for man, is free does not show that it is worthless but that it is abundant; so, nobody charges money for it. It is a mistake that people evaluate goods and services based on the market price. In fact, many things that are not sold and bought in the market are very valuable.
(5)Examining matter in the atomic or molecular dimension and revealing its new properties.
(6) “You met your needs of food, drinks and clothes in the shop of the earth. If you paid money for these free goods from the divine treasury, you could buy a single pomegranate for a lot of money and by spending a lot of time. For, that pomegranate is related to all things. It is understood from the fine things like embroidery, order, art, aroma, taste and scent that the pomegranate is the work of such a Maker that creates with ease, and does not require physical contact
with it.” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Hubab Risalesi, Mesnevi-i Nuriye).
(8)Dr. Virtanen received Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1945 for his works related to increasing the milk productivity of cows.
(9)Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, 7. Şua (7th Ray), Ayetü’l-Kübra Risalesi.
(10)The documentary called “the Miracle of Life” produced by NOVA, one of the most prestigious documentary producers, is a distinct example of it.
(11) You can read how Thomas, the atheist, is silenced by the challenge of the Quran in the book called Rabbini Arayan Thomas (Thomas looking for his Lord) by the writer published by Nesil Yayınları (Publications).
4-)
What is the importance of Belief in Allah?
The principle of belief in Allah is like the foundation of a building or the roots of a tree.A building does not exist without a foundation and a tree does not exist without roots; similarly, the other principles of belief cannot exist without belief in Allah. For, all of the branches of belief form and grow based on the principle of belief in Allah.
For instance, a person who does not believe in Allah will never believe in qadar (destiny), which is a title of Allah’s knowledge. It is not possible to believe in the hereafter directly without believing in Allah, who will create the hereafter. It is possible to give more examples. All of the branches of belief are based on the principle of belief in Allah.
Belief and guidance (hidayah) is a light sent down to the heart by Allah after a person accepts belief and guidance through his will. Thanks to this luminous light, man reads all of the decorations of Allah's names and attributes manifest on all realms. Thanks to this light, he discovers the secrets of the universe. In a dark cellar, darkness disappears and things become visible when the lights are turned off; similarly, this light of belief and guidance emerging after man uses his will when he is in the darkness of unbelief and deviation illuminates the whole realm and the universe. What illuminates the realms, enlightens the universe and decodes the secret of everything is belief and guidance; the real doer that makes belief and guidance reach the heart is Allah.
What is meant by the statement 'belief is luminous light' is to be able to see Allah's names and attributes behind every incident and to be able to read the real and divine aspect of every incident.
For instance, death is a great incident for man. If we view death as the luminous light of belief, death will be the beginning of an eternal realm and a transition point, not non-existence. If we view it through the dark glasses of unbelief, death is a terrible and painful incident that separates man from his beloved ones eternally and that throws him into the pitch of non-existence. This luminous viewing of belief shows the real and bright face of all incidents. This is what is meant by the statement 'belief is luminous light' and that it is meaningful. There are so many incidents like death that man cannot understand through his mind.
5-)
What are Allah's attributes? How many groups are they divided into?
Divine attributes are divided into two as sifat dhatiyah (essential attributes) and sifat subutiyah (positive attributes).
Sifat Dhatiyah (Essential Attributes):
1- Wujud (Existence) 2- Qidam (Pre-eternity), 3- Baqa (Everlastingness), 4- Wahdaniyyah (Oneness, having no partners), 5- Qiyam bi Nafsihi (Self-existence), 6- Mukhalafa lil-Hawadith (Non-resemblance to the creatures)
Allah's essential attributes belong to Allah only; they are not owned by any other being. For instance, the attribute qidam is not in question for any other being.The essential attributes have no relation with other beings.
Existence (Wujud):
That attribute expresses that Allah exists. The existence of Allah does not depend on any other being; it is His necessary attribute. That is, His existence is based on His own being and is an obligatory attribute of His being. Therefore, the attribute of “Necessary Being” is used for Allah. Some Kalam scholars call the attribute of wujud the personal attribute.
The opposite ofexistence, that is, non-existence (adam), cannot be considered about Allah.
To claim the non-existence of Allah necessitates denying the universe and the beings in the universe because it is He who creates everything.
Qidam (Pre-eternity):
It means Allah, the Exalted, has no beginning. Allah, the Exalted, is pre-eternal. He has always existed. He was not created afterwards.
It is impossible to imagine a moment that Allah did not exist. In fact, it is He who created time and place. Allah is free from the conditions of time and place. He is the pre-eternal Lord of Majesty.
Huduth (origination in time) which is the opposite of pre-eternity is not in question for Allah, the Exalted.
Baqa (Everlastingness):
Allah’s existence is without ending; He is always present.
As Allah’s existence has no beginning, it has no ending. He is both pre-eternal and everlasting. In fact, a being that is definite to be pre-eternal has to be everlasting.
The opposite ofbaqa,that is, fana, means to have an ending. It is out of question for Allah.
Mukhalafa lil-Hawadith (Non-resemblance to the creatures):
It means Allah’s non-resemblance to the creatures that were created later.
Allah does not resemble any of His creatures in person or in terms of His attributes.
No matter what we think of Allah, He is different from whatever we can imagine. For, what we can imagine are things that were created later out of nothing. Allah is a divine and blessed being whose existence is obligatory, pre-eternal and everlasting, who does not need anything or anybody, who is free from all deficiencies and who has all attributes of perfection.
Doubtlessly, such a lofty being does not resemble the beings that had been non-existent but were created later and that will disappear again.
As a matter of fact, Allah defines His personality as follows in the Quran:
“There is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees (all things).” (ash-Shura 11)
Our Prophet states the following confirming that meaning:
“Allah is other than what comes to your mind.”
Qiyam bi Nafsihi (Self-existence):
It means Allah continues to exist without needing any other beings or places.
All of the beings originated afterwards. Therefore, they need a Creator and a place. However, the existence of Allah, who is the Creator of everything, is a necessity of His personality; He is not dependent on anything.
If Allah had needed another being in order to exist, then, he would have been a creature and would not have been the Creator of everything.
However, He is the Creator of everything. Everything other than Him is a creature. The Creator never needs His creatures.
Wahdaniyyah (Oneness):
It means the oneness of Allah.
Oneness is the most important one of Allah's attributes of perfection. For, this attribute expresses that Allah is one in his personality, attributes and actions and that He has no partners in His sovereignty and activities.
The opposite of that attribute, taaddud (being more than one) and tasharruk (having a partner) cannot be thought about Allah.
In Islam, even in all of the true religions, the belief of oneness of Allah (tawhid) forms the base of all of the religious beliefs. No belief or deed is valid unless one has the belief of oneness in his heart. Therefore, first of all, Islam presents the mankind with the belief of oneness and calls the mankind to accept that Allah is one and to make Him free from any associates. The most important point that true religions differ from wrong religions is this point because wrong religions also accept the existence of Allah but they go wrong regarding divine attributes, especially the attribute of oneness; they associate partners with Allah.
In this context, the most important truth after accepting the existence of Allah is the belief of oneness. Belief in Allah has no significance and value without the belief of oneness.
Some of the verses that mention the oneness of Allah and the belief of tawhid in the Quran are as follows:
“Say: He is Allah the One and Only.” (al-Ikhlas, 1).
“Is there a Creator, other than Allah, to give you Sustenance from heaven or earth?” (Fatir, 3).
“Nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others.” (al-Mu’minun, 91)
“If there were in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been ruin in both!” (al-Anbiya, 22)
Sifat Subutiyah (Positive Attributes):
1- Hayah (Allah is alive.) 2- Ilm (Allah knows everything pre-eternally.) 3- Irada (Allah is free to do anything He wishes.) 4- Qudrah (Allah has power over everything.) 5- Sam' (hearing) (Allah hears everything.) 6- Basar (seeing) (Allah sees everything.) 7- Kalam (Allah speaks without needing any organs or voice.) 8- Takwin (creating) (Allah creates out of nothing.)
Unlike His essential attributes, Allah’s positive attributes are not completely different from the other beings and beyond the beings in the realm of visibility. For instance, the attribute of hayah is also present in human beings though it is different in terms of its content and nature. Allah has will; man has will, too. However, there are differences between these two wills. Allah's will is unlimited and absolute; man's will is limited. Men's will came into being as a result of Allah's will. All of the other positive attributes are shared by angels, jinn and human beings.
Hayah (Life):
It means Allah Almighty has life and is qualified with the attribute of life.
That attribute, which is obligatory for Allah Almighty, is not like the one that originates from the combination of matter and spirit seen in the creatures and it is pre-eternal and post-eternal. It is the real life that is the origin of all lives.
The attribute of life is closely connected with the attributes of perfection like Knowledge, Will and Power. The being that has those attributes must have life because a dead being cannot have attributes like knowledge, will and power.
Therefore, the attribute of life is defined as a pre-eternal attribute that enables Allah Almighty to be qualified with attributes like knowledge, will and power.
The opposite of the attribute of life is death. It is impossible for Allah.
Ilm (Knowledge):
It means Allah knows everything, and His knowledge surrounds everything.
The Creator that created this world in the best way and perfect order and that rules it must know the things that He created including the finest details. How can something whose benefit, necessity and wisdom are not known be created? Then, it is necessary for the Creator first to know something then to create it in accordance with the necessities of knowledge in order to create it. In addition, to reward people with belief and good deeds and punish people who disobey and go astray is only possible through knowing the details of what those people do.
The opposite of knowledge is ignorance, heedlessness and forgetfulness. They cannot be thought about Allah.
Iradah (Will):
It means Allah wishes something to happen like that and not happen like this; it means He determines everything as He wishes.
Allah has a perfect will. He created this universe in accordance with His pre-eternal will.
Everything that happened and will happen in the universe happened or will happen through the wish or will of Allah. Whatever he wishes takes place; whatever he does not wish never takes place. The following is stated in the Quran regarding the issue:
“Allah createth what He willeth; when He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it `Be', and it is!” (Aal-i-Imran, 47) In a hadith, the following is stated: “Whatever Allah willed took place; whatever He did not will did not take place.”
There is no other independent attribute than will called desire.
For, will is synonymous with desire. As a matter of fact, desire is used synonymously with will in the Quran and hadiths.
Qudrah (Power):
Power means that Allah Almighty does things on beings in accordance with His will and knowledge; it means He has the power to do and to create everything.
The universe that we see and the beauties and the unerring order it has is the greatest proof that Allah has endless power and He has power over all things.
Takwin (Creating):
Takwin means inventing and creating. Takwin is defined as creating something out of nothing, bringing into existence.
Sam’ (Hearing) and Basar (Sight):
They mean that Allah hears everything and sees everything.
The concepts like distance – nearness, secrecy – openness, darkness – light do not act as barriers for the hearing and sight of Allah.
He hears the whispers in us and the prayers that we say in our hearts. He answers them in accordance with His wisdom.
It is mentioned many times in the Quran that Allah Almighty is Sami’ (the All-Hearing) and Basir (the All-Seeing).
The opposites of the attributes of hearing and sight are blindness and deafness, which are impossible for Allah.
Kalam (Speech):
It means Allah, the Exalted, speaks without needing letters and voice.
Allah has the attribute of kalam, that is, saying, speaking. That attribute is pre-eternal and post-eternal. Therefore, Allah is also called al-Mutakallim (the Speaker). The Quran is called Kalamullah, meaning the word of Allah.
The revelations that Allah sent to His prophets, the divine books He sent to them and the inspirations He sends to His creatures are all the manifestations of His attribute of kalam.
6-)
Will you give information about Allah's names?
Allah is one but He has a lot of beautiful names.
Allah has many beautiful names mentioned both in the Quran and in hadiths.
In fact, it is possible to deal with these names in two groups:
a) The name Allah, which is a name peculiar to Allah Almighty only; it has not been used for any being other than Him. It is not permissible to use it for any being other than Him. This name has no dual or plural form. It cannot be translated into any other language; no word can replace it.
b) Allah's names that are considered to be in the second group are the names derived from His attributes. Many beautiful names of Allah Almighty are mentioned in verses and hadiths. Ninety-nine names are listed one by one in one hadith reported by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah. Those names are as follows:
It is the special name of God Almighty. Therefore, it includes all of the beautiful qualities and divine attributes that the other names express. The other names express only their own meanings. Therefore, no other name can replace the name Allah.
That name cannot be given to anybody except Allah. There is no drawback to giving other names to beings other than Allah; like giving the names Qadir, Jalal to people. However, it is better to add the word “abd”, which means slave, before those names when they are given to people; like Abdulqadir, Abdulkarim...
ar-RAHMAN (the All Merciful)
He Who wills goodness and mercy for all His creatures in the pre-eternity;
He Who gives innumerable bounties to all creatures that He created without making any discrimination between the ones He likes and those that He does not;
He Who gives them all of the sustenance necessary for their lives…
ar-RAHIM (The All Compassionate)
He Who shows excessive mercy;
He Who rewards those who use the bounties He gives in a good way by giving them greater and endless bounties...
It is understood from the name ar-Rahman that Allah wanted goodness and mercy in the pre-eternity for all of the creatures that He created. As for the name ar-Rahim, it expresses the manifestation of a special mercy for His creatures that have a will, especially for believers.
al-MALIK (the Absolute Ruler)
The real owner and absolute ruler of all of the creatures...
al-QUDDUS (the Pure One)
He Who is free from all errors, ignorance, weaknesses, all kinds of imperfection and Who is very pure...
Allah is free and away from all kinds of qualities that senses can understand and imagination can design. He deserves all kinds of blessing.
The reality of cleanness that is present naturally in the universe is the manifestation of the name al-QUDDUS of God Almighty.
as-SALAM (the Source of Peace)
He Who is free from all kinds of faults, wear and tear:
He Who frees His servants from all danger;
He Who greets His lucky servants in Paradise...
al-MU’MIN (the Inspirer of Faith)
He Who awakes the light of faith and awakens the seed of guidance in hearts;
He Who protects and comforts those who take refuge in Him...
al-MUHAYMIN (the Guardian)
He Who watches over and protects...
Allah knows the deeds, sustenance and the times of death of the creatures He created and holds their lives under His control. It is only He Who watches over and guards all of the creatures and takes them to the point that they are supposed to reach.
al-AZIZ (the Mighty and Strong)
The winner Who is impossible to defeat.
Allah, the Exalted, is absolutely strong and triumphant. Being defeated is out of question for Him.
The power of Allah, the Exalted, is triumphant but He does not punish the evil people at once; He may defer their punishment for a certain reason; He does not hurry to punish the people who keep committing bad deeds; He gives them a chance.
al-JABBAR (the COMPELLING)
He Who repairs all broken things, and completes what is incomplete;
He Who has the power and authority to force things and people to do what He wants...
al-MUTAKABBIR (the MAJESTIC)
He Who demonstrates His greatness in all things and in all ways...
Greatness and majesty belong to Allah only; no being in the universe, whose existence and non-existence depend on only a single command and will of Allah, deserves that attribute in its real sense.
al-KHALIQ (the CREATOR)
He Who brings from non-existence into existence, creating all things in such a way that He determines their existence and the conditions and events they are to experience...
There are two issues in the meaning of that name:
1. To determine and ordain how one thing will be,
2. To bring that thing into existence in accordance with that ordaining.
al-BARI’ (the MAKER of ORDER)
He Who creates everything so that each whole and its parts are in perfect conformity and harmony....
The organs, vital equipment and essential elements of everything were created in harmony in terms of quality and quantity; in addition, their service and use were created in compliance with general harmony.
al-MUSAWWIR (the SHAPER of BEAUTY)
He Who designs all things, giving each one its particular form and character...
Allah, the Exalted, gave everything a form and character. Everything has its own shape and outward appearance so that it will not resemble others.
For instance; there are no two human beings that are exactly identical.
al-GHAFFAR (the FORGIVING)
He Who forgives a lot...
Allah covers the sins of believers. He protects whomever He wills among His servants from sins. It is a great bounty for them.
al-QAHHAR (the SUBDUER)
He Who dominates all things, and prevails upon them to do whatever He wills; Dominant...
Allah, the Exalted, is the Subduer; He is superior and dominant in every aspect. He has surrounded everything from inside and outside with His might and power. Nothing can be excluded from that surrounding. Everything is subdued before Him. The earth and the skies cannot stand against Him. He destroyed and annihilated so many nations that had gone astray with His subduing.
al-WAHHAB (the GIVER of ALL)
He Who constantly bestows all kinds of blessings...
He always gives everything everywhere abundantly without expecting any return.
ar-RAZZAQ (the SUSTAINER)
He Who provides all things that His creatures need and that are usel for them...
Sustenance is everything that Allah, the Exalted, gives to especially His living creatures to use. Sustenance does not consist of food and drink only. Everything that can be used or benefited from is called sustenance.
Material sustenanceis all kinds of food, drinks, clothes, things, money, jewelry, children and family, the power of the body, information, movable-immovable property, wealth, etc.
Spiritual sustenance is the food of the spirit and heart. All of the feelings related to the spiritual life of man, especially belief, and what those feelings need are all spiritual sustenance.
al-FATTAH (the OPENER)
He Who opens all kinds of closed and locked things; He Who eliminates the difficulties and makes things easy...
The blossoming of the flowers, the sprouting of the seeds, the opening of the doors of sustenance and mercy are all the manifestations of the name al-Fattah.
al-ALIM (the KNOWER of ALL)
He Who has full knowledge of all things...
Allah knows everything fully. He is the one Who knows the inside, the outside, the fineness, the openness, the future, the past, the beginning, the end of everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen. It does not matter whether something has happened or will happen, secret or open for Him.
al-QABID (the CONSTRICTOR)
He Who constricts and restricts...
al-BASIT (the RELIEVER)
He Who releases, letting things expand...
All of the beings are in Allah’s hands of power. He removes the wealth, property, children, family, pleasure and tranquility He has given from any of His servants He wishes. That person turns out to be poor after his richness; he suffers the pain of losing his child; he falls into distress, agony and restlessness.
Those states are the manifestations of the name al-Qabid.
Allah gives a new life, joy, plenty of sustenance to whomever He wills among His servants; this is the manifestation of the name al-Basit.
al-KHAFID (the ABASER)
He Who brings down, abases...
Allah, the exalter, throws whomever He wills among His servants down. He makes him/her disgraceful and despicable after being honorable.
ar-RAFI’ (the EXALTER)
He Who raises up, elevates...
Allah raises or exalts whomever He wills among His servants. He gives them honor and glory. He brightens some hearts with the light of belief and wisdom; He informs them about high truths.
The people that Allah exalts are usually like angels with sweet tongues; they cover the faults and mistakes of others, completing their imperfection; they are kind people who help others with their wealth, bodies, knowledge and advice. Allah will not remove the bounties He has given them unless they deviate from being straight.
al-MU’IZZ (the BESTOWER of HONORS)
He Who confers honor and dignity.
al-MUDHILL (the HUMILIATOR)
He Who degrades, humiliates and abases...
as-SAMI’ (the HEARER of ALL)
He Who hears very well...
Allah hears. He hears the words in our hearts and everything that can be heard. Distance cannot prevent Him from hearing. The fact that he hears one person does not prevent Him from hearing others. He hears everything as clearly.
al-BASIR (the ALL-SEEING)
He Who sees very well...
Allah, the Exalted, sees whatever everybody does and will do secretly or openly. Darkness cannot prevent Him from seeing. Things like distance-nearness, greatness-smallness that prevent man from seeing cannot prevent His sight.
al-HAKAM (the JUDGE)
He Who judges, He Who realizes the truth...
Allah, the Exalted, is the judge. He makes decisions about everything; He carries out His decisions fully. He decides about the judging of the judges and the rule of the rulers. Nothing can happen without His decision; there is no power, government or position that can annul or delay His judgment.
al-ADL (the JUST)
He is absolutely just...
Justice is the opposite of oppression. The word oppression includes hurting, inflicting pain. Allah, the Exalted, is Just. He does not like oppressors. He does not like those who are friends with them, even those who desire to be like them and who take a fancy to them.
al-LATIF (the SUBTLE ONE)
He Who knows the minutest subtleties of all things and Who does the subtleties that others cannot perceive how they are done...
He Who sends His slaves various benefits through fine and subtle ways...
Allah, the Exalted, is Latif. He knows the subtlest things because he has created them. He does the subtlest secret things that cannot be known how to do.
al-KHABIR (the ALL-AWARE)
He Who has the knowledge of inner and most secret aspects of all things...
Allah is aware of all of the things and events from the smallest to the biggest. Nothing can take place without His knowledge.
al-HALIM (the FORBEARING)
Hilm means to delay the punishment for the crime although one has the power to do it; it means to act leniently towards the criminals and to delay their punishment. Allah, the Exalted, is Halim. He does not punish one who commits a sin at once. He does not hurry to punish and torture people; He gives some time to those whom He is angry with. If they regret and repent during that time, Allah forgives them. He will do whatever He does to those who insist on committing sins.
al-AZIM (the MAGNIFICENT)
He Who has all of the greatness...
Azamah means greatness. The real greatness belongs to Allah. The absolute and perfect greatness on the earth and in the sky belong to Him; everything witnesses His greatness. It is impossible for anyone to be equal to Allah in terms of that attribute.
al-GHAFUR (the FORGIVER)
He Who has plenty of forgiveness...
Allah, the Exalted, has a lot of mercy. No matter how big or how much is the fault of a slave, His forgiveness covers them all; He will not humiliate his honor.
The inhabitants of the heavens see some things that other people do not. The name, Ghafur also expresses the meaning that mistakes will be concealed from them.
ash-SHAKUR (the REWARDER OF THANKFULLNESS)
He who gratefully rewards good deeds that are carried out for His pleasure...
Thanking means to return a good deed with a good deed. Thanking is the duty of a slave towards Allah, the Exalted.
Shakurmeans the being who grants high degrees in return for very little worshipping, who grants endless bounties in the hereafter in return for deeds done in the limited number of days. There is no one except Allah who has those characteristics.
al-ALIYY (the EXALTED)
He Who is exalted in every issue...
Allah is grand and exalted.
The real meaning of being exalted is as follows:
1. It is impossible to think of a being more exalted than Allah.
2. There is no being similar to Him; He has no partner or helper.
3. He is free from anything that is not compatible with His glory.
4. He is superior in information, judgment, will and all other perfection attributes.
al-KABIR (the GREATEST)
Nobody can be thought to be greater than Him...
Allah, the Exalted, has greatness. He Who is great in all aspects; there is no limit to the perfection of His existence. All of the greatness belongs to Him.
al-HAFIZ (the PRESERVER)
He Who records everything in every detail; He Who guards and protects everything from disasters and calamities until a certain time....
Allah has inspired to every creature so that they will know what is harmful for them. It is the manifestation of His name al-Hafiz. An animal knows the harmful plants for it and does not eat them without needing any chemical analysis report.
The fact that the deeds of His slaves are recorded and protected from being lost is one of the manifestations of the name al-Hafiz. Therefore, the resurrection in the hereafter and being reckoned is closely related to the name al-Hafiz.
al-MUQIT (the NOURISHER)
He Who determines every creature’s food and drink and who sends their sustenance to the bodies and hearts...
In this sense, al-Muqit means ar-Razzaq. However, al-Muqit has a more specific meaning. Ar-Razzaq also includes what is not eaten or drunk.
al-HASIB (the ACCOUNTER)
He Who keeps the record of what everybody does throughout their lives in every detail;
He Who is enough for everybody for all of their needs...
Allah, the Exalted, knows whatever can be known as amounts and quantities through accounting without needing any mathematical operations directly and clearly.
Allah, the Exalted, is enough for everybody for every need.
al-JALIL (the GLORIOUS)
He Who is Lord of Majesty and Grandeur; He Who is qualified with the attributes of glory...
Majesty and grandeur belong to Allah. His personality is grand; so are His attributes. However, that grandeur is not in the sense of size or age as it is the case with things. It cannot be measured in time; it cannot be put in places.
al-KARIM (the GENEROUS)
He Whose generosity, favor and grant are most abundant...
When Allah makes a promise, He keeps it; when He gives, He gives abundantly; He forgives when He has the authority to punish.
ar-RAQIB (the WATCHFUL ONE)
He Who watches over all of the beings, Who holds everything under His control...
Allah, the Exalted, is a witness Who watches over all of the beings every moment. He never misses anything. He sees everything and gives everyone their due in accordance with what they do.
al-MUJIB (the RESPONDER to PRAYER) .
He Who hears the wishes of those who appeal to Him and grants them their wishes...
It is promised in a verse that Allah will answer every prayer. However, it is not promised that every prayer will be accepted. It depends on the wisdom of God Almighty whether to accept a prayer or not. If His wisdom sees it as necessary, He accepts what is asked exactly, at the same time. If He wishes, He will give a better one. If He wishes, He accepts that prayer for the hereafter; He does not give it in the world. If He wishes, He does not accept it at all because it is not useful for His slave.
al-WASI’(the ALL EMBRACING)
Wide and tolerant...
The knowledge, mercy, power, pardoning and forgiveness of Allah are large and have encompassed everything. Nothing can be concealed from His knowledge; there is no limit to His generosity and grants.
al-HAKIM (the PERFECTLY WISE)
He Whose every action is pure wisdom...
Allah is perfectly wise. He has no useless, meaningless and coincidental actions. Every command and judgment of His has endless uses and benefits in all aspects. Every creature that He created and every deed that He does are related to the order of the universe. There is no incidence or action that contradicts the general order of the universe.
al-WADUD (the LOVING ONE)
He Who loves His good servants, and bestows His compassion and content upon them, Who is the only being worthy of being loved...
al-MAJID (the GLORIOUS)
He Whose personality is honorable, Whose deeds are nice, Who is worthy of all kinds of praise...
There are two important elements in the meaning of that name:
The First:He is inapproachable due to His greatness and power.
The Second: He is praised and loved due to His lofty characters and nice deeds…
al-BAITH (the RESURRECTOR)
He Who brings the dead to life, and raises them from their tombs; He Who brings out what is hidden in the hearts...
In the hereafter, Allah, the Exalted, will resurrect people and raise them from their tombs after they die and become soil; He will call them to account together with their spirits and bodies; then He will reward or punish them together with their spirits and bodies.
ash-SHAHID (the WITNESS)
He Who knows the outward aspects of events and Who is present everywhere and observes all things...
Allah is Alim since He knows everything absolutely. He is Khabir since He knows the mysteries and inward aspects of events. He is Şhahid since He knows the outward aspects of events.
al-HAQQ (the TRUTH)
He Whose existence remains unchanged...
The personality of Allah does not accept non-existence; it does not accept any changes, either. It is only Allah Who exists really.
Al-WAKIL (the TRUSTEE)
He Who manages the affairs of those who duly commit them to His charge, and Who completes them in the best way...
A person who is asked to do something is called a trustee. Allah is the best and perfect trustee. It is He who takes care of, directs and manages affairs. He does not need any trustees in any of His affairs. Allah, the Exalted, completes the affairs of those who trust Him.
al-QAWIYY (the STRONGEST)
Very strong. Very powerful...
al-MATIN (the FIRM)
Very steadfast. Having intense power...
Allah is Qawiyy since He is the owner of a full power; He is Matin since His Power is very intense.
al-WALIYY (the GOVERNOR)
He Who is the friend of His good slaves and Who helps them...
Allah is the friend of His beloved slaves. He helps them. He relieves them of their troubles and hardships, and gives them ease. He makes them successful in their good works. He takes them out of all kinds of darkness and takes them to light. There is no fear and sorrow for those who are Allah’s friends. They never fear when everybody else fears.
al-HAMID (the PRAISEWORTHY)
He Whom all praise belongs to and whom alone the tongues of all creation laud...
Hamd is lauding the great being who owns goodness and praising him through respect and thanks.
Every being glorifies Allah either through their states or tongues. All praising belongs to Him. It is only He Who is worthy of respect through praising and thanking, Who owns the bounties and Who is worthy of worshipping.
al-MUHSI (the APPRAISER)
He Who knows the number of every single thing...
It is Allah Who surrounds everything with His knowledge and knows the number of everything and counts all of them fully.
al-MUBDI’ (the ORIGINATOR)
He Who creates all creatures initially without matter or model...
Mubdi means invention in a sense. The name Muid also means invention. If something similar to an invention was created before, the word iada is used; if the invention is something that has no similarity or model, the word ibda is used.
al-MUID (the RESTORER)
He Who recreates His creatures after He has annihilated them...
When everything completes the lifespan ordained for it and dies, nobody else but Allah remains; however, in the hereafter, Allah revives the people who disappeared although they had existed; He creates them again. Then, He calls them to account.
al-MUHYI (the GIVER of LIFE)
He Who confers life, gives vitality and health....
Millions of beings are given life and born every day, every hour and every second. They take place through the command, creation and permission of Allah. Allah gives life out of nothing, or, He can revive the dead. It is called ihya, that is, reviving. It is very easy for Allah, Who can create things out of nothing, to revive the dead.
al-MUMIT (the TAKER of LIFE)
He Who creates the death of a living creature...
Allah determines a certain lifespan for every living being that He created. Death is certain for living beings. It is Allah Who creates life and death. .
However, death does not mean disappearing and going towards nihility; it is transition from the ephemeral and transient life to the permanent and endless life.
al-HAYY (the EVER-LIVING ONE)
The living one Who knows everything and whose strength is sufficient for everything...
Allah, the Exalted, will not die; He is always alive. It is He Who gives life to living beings. But for Him, there would be no life. He is free from all kinds of temporariness, declining and mistakes.
al-QAYYUM (the SELF-EXISTING ONE)
He Who maintains the heavens, the earth, and everything....
Allah, the Exalted, created causes for everything to stand until their ordained time. Therefore, everything stands thanks to Allah.
al-WAJID (the FINDER)
He Who needs nothing; He ho finds whatever He wishes whenever He wishes; He Who is never deprived of the things that are necessary for Him...
al-MAJID (the GLORIOUS)
He, Whose dignity and glory are great, and Whose generosity and munificence are bountiful...
The generosity and favors of Allah towards His slaves that are familiar to Him are too much to express or measure. For instance, He makes them have high ethics and do good deeds and then He praises them due to those good deeds and the distinguished characters they have. He forgives their mistakes and eliminates their bad deeds.
al-WAHID (the UNIQUE)
He Who is Single…
Absolutely without partner or equivalent in His essence, attributes, actions, names and decrees...
as-SAMAD (the ETERNAL)
He Who is the only recourse for the ending of need and the removal of affliction; the one Who is applied to for needs and requests; the one to Whom all desires and requests are presented...
Allah is the unique recourse for every requester. All of the needy people in the world and in the sky turn to Him, give their hearts to Him, open their hands and beg Him. He is the only being Who deserves this.
al-QADIR (the ALL-POWERFUL)
He Who is able to do what He wills as He wills...
al-MUQTADIR (the CREATOR OF ALL POWER)
He Who disposes at His will even of the strongest and mightiest of His creatures...
Allah has absolute and limitless power over everything. Since He has power over everything, He creates whatever He wants and He creates as much power and strength as He wants in it.
al-MUQADDIM (the EXPEDITER)
He Who brings forward whatever He wills...
Allah created all of the beings. However, He brought forward only those that He selected. He elevated some people over some people by degrees in terms of religion or the world. However, that elevation and selection took place because the slaves deserved it due to their deeds.
al-MUAKHKHIR (the DELAYER)
He Who sets back or delays whatever He wills...
Allah brings forward or delays whatever He wills; He sometimes does not complete the attempts of His slaves when they want and delays them. There are many reasons and wisdoms of it. One should search and try to understand those wisdoms.
al-AWWAL (the FIRST)
He Who comes before every being, He Who does not have a beginning...
Allah is before all of the beings; there is no precedence before His existence. No beginning is ever in question for Him.
al-AKHIR (the LAST)
He Who has no end...
Everything comes to an end and goes towards annihilation; Only He remains. There is no end to His existence. There is no beginning or end for Him.
az-ZAHIR (the MANIFEST ONE)
He Who is Evident; He Who is known by definite evidence...
The existence of Allah is more obvious than everything. Every view that we see, every song that we hear, everything that we hold, everything that our tongue tastes, every meaning that we study on, in short, everything that we have perceived up to now whether inside us or outside witness His existence, oneness and the attributes of perfection.
al-BATIN (the HIDDEN ONE)
He Who is hidden, concealed; He Who cannot be comprehended through sense organs...
The existence of Allah is both evident and hidden. .
It is evident because even those without eyes have seen the evidence and signs that inform us about His existence and even the deaf have heard the general witnessing of things about the reality of that high being.
It is hidden because we cannot comprehend His essence. However, we know His existence definitely.
al-WALI (the GOVERNOR)
He Who arranges the affairs of the beings.
He Who administers this vast universe and all its passing phenomena all alone...
Allah is the only and greatest governor that manages all of the beings. The administration of other governors and sovereigns is through His permission. And their governance and administration are incomplete.
Allah’s governance and measures are unlimited, real and genuine. Everything is under His command and will. Nothing happens in His property without His knowledge.
al-MUTAALI (the SUPREME ONE)
He is exalted in every respect, far beyond anything the mind could possibly attribute to His creatures...
For instance, the following is said about a rich man, “This man may turn out to be poor tomorrow” and the man can be poor though he was rich. However, it is impossible to think about such possibilities for Allah. He is free from all kinds of incompleteness, weakness, mistakes and faults.
al-BARR (SOURCE of ALL GOODNESS)
He Who treats His servants tolerantly, and Whose goodness and kindness are very great indeed...
Allah always wants ease and comfort for His slaves; He does not want hardship for them, and He does not like those who cause hardship. He forgives the bad deeds that are committed and covers them. He gives at east 10 rewards for one good deed. If the slave intends to do a good deed but does not do it, He regards it to have been done and gives reward for it. He does not punish bad deeds unless they are committed.
at-TAWWAB (the ACCEPTOR to REPENTANCE)
He Who accepts repentance and forgives sins...
al-MUNTAQIM (the AVENGER)
He Who justly inflicts upon wrongdoers the punishment they deserve...
Allah has avenge. It is He who breaks the back of rebels, overcomes the murderers and cuts the transgressors down to size.
al-AFUWW (the PARDONER)
He Who pardons a lot...
Allah annihilates sins; he regards them as they have not been committed.
That name is similar to the name al-Ghafur. However, there is a slight difference. Ghufran means to cover the sins. Afw means to eradicate them. To eradicate something is better than to cover it.
ar-RAUF (the KIND)
He Who is very compassionate...
The favors, generosity and compassion of Allah to beings especially human beings are too vast and great to express or measure.
MALIKU’L-MULK (the OWNER of ALL PROPERTY)
Allah is both the owner and the king of all property. He manages His property as He wishes. Nobody has the right to oppose and criticize His management. He gives to whomever He wishes and He takes from whomever He wishes. He needs no partners of helpers in His property.
DHU’L-JALALI wa’l-IKRAM (the LORD of MAJESTY and BOUNTY)
He Who possesses both greatness and gracious magnanimity...
Jalal means greatness and loftiness. All of the superiority that indicates greatness belongs to Allah.
Allah is also the owner of great goodness and generosity. The numerous and unlimited bounties that are continuously flow towards the creatures are the grace and grant of Allah. No one has any rights on even the slightest amount of those bounties.
al-MUQSIT (the EQUITABLE ONE)
He Who does everything with proper balance and harmony.
He Who has mercy on the oppressed person and protects him from the oppressor.
al-JAMI’ (the GATHERER)
He Who brings together what He wills, when He wills, where He wills.
He Who brings and holds together the things that resemble or do not resemble to one another and the things that are opposite to one another...
Allah is going to bring together again the atoms of our bodies that decayed and dispersed into water, air and soil; He is going to rebuild our bodies.
Allah brings together both the things that resemble one another and the beings that are different from one another. He makes them live together. That Allah holds together the opposite things like heat and cold, dryness and humidity is the manifestations of Allah’s name, al-Jami’.
al-GHANIYY (the RICH ONE)
He Who is infinitely rich and completely independent.
He Who does not need anything; He Who does not have to apply to anyone by any means since He has everything with Him.
al-MUGHNI (the ENRICHER)
He Who enriches anyone He likes...
Allah, the Exalted, makes anyone He likes rich, makes him live as a rich person all his life. He makes anyone He likes live as a poor person all his life.
He makes some of His rich slaves poor and some of His poor slaves rich.
“On the day of Judgment, poverty and wealth will not be accounted for; the patience shown against poverty and the gratitude shown for wealth will be accounted.
The question is not to be very poor or very rich; it is to show patience a lot or to thank a lot.” (Yahya bin Muadh)
al-MANI’ (the PREVENTER)
He Who does not allow something to happen...
We have many desires and wishes, some of which are good and some are bad; they appear one after another. They will not end before we die... We keep on working in order to obtain those desires and wishes. Each desire or wish depends on some causes and those causes depend on the command of Allah, who is al-Mani’ and al-Mu’ti. Allah, the Exalted, gives those who wish things if He wants; then, the causes that the person wishes happen at once. That is the meaning of His name, al-Mu’ti. Allah does not allow some wishes. Then, the causes that the person wishes do not take place no matter how hard he tries. That is the manifestation of His name al-Mani’.
To prevent the disasters and misfortunes that will affect His slaves and to return them are the manifestations of His name, al-Mani’.
ad-DARR (the DISTRESSER)
He Who creates things that cause pain and injury...
an-NAFI’ (the CREATOR of GOOD)
He Who creates things that yield advantages and benefit...
It is Allah Who creates useful and harmful things, Who creates the good and evil. Man receives good things and bad things based on some causes but those causes are not the owners and makers of those advantages and harms but veils.
an-NUR (the LIGHT)
He Who gives light to all the worlds, Who illuminates the faces, minds and hearts of His servants...
The light that illuminates all of the things originates from the light of the personality of Allah because He is the light of the skies and the earth.
Every particle that the sun illuminates is the proof of the existence of the sun; similarly, the illumination seen in every particle of the universe is the proof of the existence of the Creator of that illumination.
al-HADI (the GUIDE)
He Who creates guidance.
He Who enables the ones that He likes among His slaves to follow good and profitable ways to be successful and to attain what they want.
He Who teaches each creature what they need and what they need to do...
Guidance is Allah’s showing the ways of goodness and happiness to His slaves to attain their goals through His blessing and generosity and taking them to those ways. Only showing the ways and causes of the way of goodness is called irshad (guidance) and making them walk on that way till they attain their goals is called tawfiq (success).
al-BADI’ (the INCOMPRABLE)
He Who is without model or match, and Who brings into being realms of amazing wonder...
He Who is matchless in terms of His personality and attributes...
Badi’ means mubdi, that is, one who invents something that has no model or match.
al-BAQI (the EVERLASTING ONE)
He Whose existence has no end...
That name denotes the “maintenance of existence”. The maintenance of existence means not having a beginning or an end. Allah, the Exalted, is called al-Qadim because He has no beginning and He is called al-Baqi because He has no end. The names al-Azali and al-Abadi are similar in meaning.
The existence of Allah is not included in the notion of time in terms of maintenance because time is a notion that shows the degrees of the flow towards eternity beginning from the moment when the universe was created. When there was no universe, there was no time, either, but Allah existed. The universe will end; time will end; but, Allah is al-BAQI.
al-WARITH (the INHERITOR of ALL)
He Who is the Real Owner of all riches when the permanent owners of the riches disappear empty-handed...
Allah, the Exalted, is both the real owner and the real inheritor of all property. Both the ownership and inheritance of people are temporary and have a period. The real inheritor of the property is Allah, Who is the owner of all property. On the Day of Judgment, all living beings will die and all of the property will be left to Him.
ar-RASHID (the RIGHTEOUS TEACHER)
He Who runs all things in accordance with His eternal plan, bringing them with order and wisdom to their ultimate destiny;
He Who puts everything in its place; He Who puts everything in order in the perfect way...
The name ar-Rashid has two meanings:
1. He Who shows the right and safe path. In this sense, it has the same meaning as al-Hadi.
2. He none of Whose works is vain and useless; He Who is never mistaken in any of His measures; He none of Whose appreciation is reasonless.
as-SABUR (the PATIENT ONE)
Allah never hurries to do something before its due time. He ordains some time for the things He will do and apply them based on the laws He has imposed when they are due. He does not delay the time He has ordained like a lazy person does. He does not try to do something before its due time like a hasty person does. On the contrary, He does things when they are due.
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Can you prove the existence of Allah through logical proofs?
The proof of something existent is always easier than the proof of something non-existent. We can prove that the species of apple exists by showing only one apple. However, a person who claims that the species of apple does not exist can prove it only by traveling all over the world and even the universe. This is very, very difficult, almost impossible. Then, we can say something nonexistent cannot be proved...
Two proving things are preferred to thousands of negating and denying things. If two people agree on the same fact, the denial of it by the view of thousands of people through their own narrow windows has no significance.
If 999 gates of a palace are open and one of them is closed, nobody can claim that it is impossible to enter that palace. The denier always wants to show that closed gate. In fact, even that gate is closed for the spiritual world of him and those who are like him due to the veil in front of their eyes. There is no closed gate for a believer unless he closes his eyes... Besides, 999 gates are wide open for everybody. Here is that gate and some of the proofs:
1. The Proof of Possibility
The realm is regarded to be possible. That is its existence and nonexistence is equal. It might exist or it might not exist. When it exists, it is possible for it to exist in the form of one of the unlimited possibilities of existence. That is, the non-existent has the possibility to exist as much as the existent. Every possible thing is dependent on a cause outside it. Thus, there is a being that chooses the things to exist, then prefers the form and state of existence to non-existence and to the other possible forms and states. And that being is Allah.
2. The Proof of Huduth (Being Created Later)
The realm is changeable. It is continuously changing. Everything that is changeable was created later. Therefore, matter cannot be pre-eternal. Yes, the incidents like the continuous movement of matter toward non-existence in accordance with the law of thermodynamics, the continuous expansion of the universe, and the continuous movement of the sun toward elimination show that existence has a beginning. Every being that is created later has a creator; there is no effect without a cause and no art without an artist. Causes cannot go on uninterruptedly forever. Then, this material realm, which is continuously changing, which is not pre-eternal, which is created later and which needs a first cause, needs a creator. And that Creator is Allah.
3. The Proof of Life
Life is a transparent enigma. Yes, it is too thought-provoking to be explained through visible causes; and it is transparent since it indicates the Creative Power. Yes, it directly shows and declares its Creator. It is a magical case that fascinates scientists with its enigma and ordinary people with its transparency. Life virtually states the following with its tongue of disposition: "It is only Allah that creates me and lets me exist."
4. The Proof of Order
Every being is harmonious with its own parts; similarly, the whole universe is harmonious with all of the beings that form the universe. This is an unerring proof that informs us about the existence of an order and system and indicates an arranger; and that arranger is Allah
5. The Proof of Art
A fine and stunning art attracts attention in the whole universe, from an atom to man and from a cell to a galaxy. Yes, every art all over the universe has the following properties:
It has a great value of art;
it is very valuable;
it is created in a very short time and very easily;
it is in abundance;
it has a lot of kinds;
it is continuous.
However, things that are seemingly produced in a very short time, in abundance, easily and in a lot of kinds should not be artistic and valuable. However, if the one that produces them is Allah, things change and opposites come together.
6. The Proof of Wisdom and Purpose
Every being has a purpose, aim, benefit and result peculiar to itself; nothing that can be regarded as nonsensical, purposeless, meaningless and extravagant is observed even in a particle. However, the material world, the realm of plants and animals, and things have no consciousness and cognition; they cannot pursue this chain of purposes. Then, we can be regarded as reasonable only if we attribute this conscious operation, this wisdom and these purposes to Allah.
7. The Proof of Compassion and Mercy
The needs of all creatures, especially human beings, are unlimited and their will is almost non-existent. The needs of all needy people are met from unexpected places and unexpectedly; the needs of all creatures are met to the extent that they need, in due quality and amounts. Sending of help and the help that is sent meeting the needs exactly clearly prove that these needs are met by a compassionate being who is closer to man than himself. This systematic compassion, mercy and sustenance, which operates all over the universe and which will operate forever, informs us about and proves the existence of a holy being, who is equipped with the attributes that can do all of these jobs and that is free from incomplete attributes.
8. The Proof of Helping One Another
All of the creatures, from the ones that are very close to one another to those who are very far away from one another help one another. Two different species that have no relation with each other come together as if they are the parts of a whole and complement each other. We should think that bacteria, worms and the soil come together for the same aim and help plants; and this help takes place repeatedly. These activities of these creatures which lack intelligence and consciousness and which astonish the intelligence and consciousness show the wise activities of the Necessary Existence behind the veil. That is, the whole universe says "Allah" with the tongue of helping one another.
9. The Proof of Cleanliness
The cleanliness in the whole universe from the earth to the depths of the sky informs us about the Being with His name al-Quddus, true to His name.
Yes, the bacteria that clean the soil, insects, ants, so many birds of prey, wind, rain, snow, icebergs in the sea and fish, atmosphere in space, black holes in the sky, oxygen cleaning the blood in our body, spiritual breezes that free our spirit from troubles inform us about the name al-Quddus and the Holy Being behind that name.
10. The Proof of Faces
Let us start the issue by dealing with man's face only, which is his most distinctive feature that discriminates an individual from other humans, to make the issue concrete though it is possible to generalize it for all creatures:
The face of a man does not resemble fully the face of any of the billions of people that lived before him by any means. This rule is also valid for the people to come in the future. Drawing billions of pictures which are similar in one aspect but different in another aspect on a very small area and discriminating each one of them from billions of pictures that are impossible to be like it and putting everything in a form within endless ways of possibility is a strong declaration of Allah Almighty, who knows in detail every being that He creates, whose power and knowledge is enough to shape that being in any way that He wishes, even to the people who are deaf. Yes, creating the organs on the face differently from the organs on the other faces, equipping each eye with a feature distinguishing it from the other eyes will show everybody who has conscience the Being who created them and equipped them with endless wisdom.
11. The Proof of Divine Incentive
When a duckling hatches, it can swim. The ants that come out of the cocoon start to dig tunnels immediately. A bee can produce honeycomb, which is a wonder of art, very quickly; a spider can spin a very fine web. We understand from the examples above that they and other animals do things thanks to what is taught to them in another realm and with their inborn abilities. However, man has to learn everything in this world though he is the most talented and perfect creature. That is, the Being that gives the other creatures these properties is not themselves but the Wise Being, who grants them these talents.
The young of the eel whose mother lays eggs so many kilometers away set off as soon as they hatch and find their mothers very easily. How can we explain it but through divine incentive? If this extraordinary state that we see in animals is explained as Allah's gift, only then can it be regarded as a reasonable and logical explanation. Otherwise, any other interpretation is regarded as nonsense.
12. The Proof of Spirit and Conscience
The way how our spirit, whose existence nobody doubts though its real nature is not known, and its functions control our body, is among the evidences that tell us about Allah Almighty. The essence that represents the realm of order in the world is the spirit and it came to this world for progress and improvement. The effect of wisdom on the result is not our topic; so, we find it sufficient to mention only the point that it indicates. The fact that the spirit, which has no connection with the material realm in terms of its nature, was sent to this world from a realm peculiar to it, that it is matured here and that it is carried out through a program is one of the most important evidences that declare the existence of Allah Almighty.
On the other hand, the extra sensory perception in man, turning toward the Lord when there is no apparent reason, and the repetition of similar events millions of times prove clearly that the conscience, which is inherent in man and which is one of the means of finding Allah, is adoringly in love with its Creator and is fully in contact with Him. Besides, is the conscience not one of the unerring witnesses of the Day of Alastu? The conscience says "Allah" due to the necessity of the right of this witnessing.
13. The Proof of Nature and History
The existence of love in every person toward the good and the nice and the existence of the feeling of hatred against the bad and the ugly is a fact that nobody can deny. With their tendency to act ethically and to do good deeds and their nature to avoid immorality and bad deeds, these feelings show that the being that orders man to do good and nice things and that orders him to avoid the bad and ugly deeds is the same being that gives him these feelings. This being is definitely Allah.
The history of religions witnesses that the humanity never had a period without religion. They always believed in a religion even though it was a ridiculous one and followed a spiritual system. Besides, belief is a necessity because it exists in the nature of man. The being that placed this need in the nature of man is the same being that orders us to believe. This being is Allah.
14. The Proof of Feelings
Man is equipped with thousands of feelings. Each feeling has a nature of carrying a message from a realm beyond matter. However, man has another feeling that informs him about Allah Almighty directly. This feeling is the feeling of eternity and infinity. Due to this feeling, man always works hard and struggles for eternity. Nothing that is finite can satisfy him fully. And this feeling cannot have been given to man through the influence of another mortal being. None of the mortal causes can present the drink of eternity. However, its existence is a fact; it is not possible to deny it. Then, this feeling was given to us by the being that created us with that feeling. The being that will give us the eternal life is also that being.
15. The Proof of Agreement
If ten liars came to us and said that our house was on fire, we would believe them saying "perhaps" though we had never heard them telling the truth. For, there is a case of agreement. However, the agreement that we mention is an agreement formed by thousands of prophets, hundreds of thousands of saints, and millions of believers. The first point that these people who lived at different times and in different places agree on is the reality, “Allah exists”. How can a person who believes the lie that ten liars agree on but does not believe the agreement of the prophets, who never told lies, and millions of saints be called a human? How can he be called sane?
16. The Proof of the Quran
All of the evidences proving that the Quran is the word of Allah also prove the existence of Allah Almighty. There are hundreds of evidences proving that the Quran is the word of Allah and they are explained in detail in the resources of the Quran regarding the issue. We refer the proof of the issue to those works. Yes, all of the evidences say with the tongues peculiar to them, “Allah exists”.
17. The Proof of Prophets
All of the evidences proving the prophethood of the prophets and especially the prophethood of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) should also be included among the evidences indicating Allah Almighty. For, the purpose of the existence of prophets is oneness, that is, declaring the existence and oneness of Allah. Then, the evidences proving the prophethood of each prophet also prove the existence of Allah Almighty. However, listing the evidences proving their prophethood is out of question now; we will not mention them one by one. We find it sufficient to state for the time being that all of the evidences declaring that a prophet is a true prophet utter it more strongly that Allah exists and is one.
Logical Proofs Concerning the Existence of Allah
1. If a carriage is drawn by another carriage, who is drawing the first one? Then, there should be a creator for this universe.
2. Even a letter cannot exist without a writer; how can we imagine humans and universe to be without an owner? In addition, any master of anything is not the same kind of the thing that he makes. For example, the master of a watch does not resemble the watch, and the writer is not like the letter. Thus, the Creator who creates us and the universe should not resemble us and the universe.
3. Will negating the existence of Allah relieve us? On the contrary, this understanding will send us down to a deep abyss. Why, for what, how, and for whom do we live? What happens to us after our death? If there is not another life, where can we find the correspondence of the sense of infinity and desire for living forever? In that case, why have these senses been given to us?
How do sciences mention Allah?
Islam never contradicts science in any issue; on the contrary, it encourages science. The religious sources are replete with the examples of this. There are two books of Allah Almighty; one of them is the Quran, which comes from His Attribute of Speech, the other one is the universe, which comes from His Attribute of Power.
Scientists, whether they believe in Allah or not, read the book of universe and interpret the Creator’s artifacts like the laborers who work without recognizing the owner of the plant! Every branch of science, with a unique tongue of its own, always mentions Allah. For instance, botanical science describes us the traits of trees. It shows how the tree does receive the nutrients from the soil, how it carries them to the leaves, and how the fruits can be formed, and how growth takes place. In this way, we can observe an excellent machine which consists of cells, roots, stem, branches, leaves, flowers and fruit. Besides, it is a living thing.
Now, let us ponder conscientiously: how can the simple soil which is mindless, unconscious, and devoid of knowledge, will and power create this excellent machine? While botanists cannot make only one leaf of a tree even in the huge laboratories, how can a tree, in other words a wood, make these extraordinary flowers and fruits? Does each tree, with its miraculous creation, not demonstrate the One Who is infinite with His Holy Names and Attributes?
Likewise, zoology has opened to our reasons the gates of inner realms of an animal. We have understood that every animal is an extraordinary plant. A poisonous insect produces honey. An insect without hands weaves silk; a sheep without a tongue produces milk. Science has shown us that it is not a mindless sheep’s work to produce a delightful food; namely, milk from simple forage and water. Sheep, bees, silkworms, and all the animals like them are but tools like the brush of a painter, the pen of an author, the hammer of a carpenter. Undoubtedly, the doer of the deed of creating is our Lord, the master of this universe.
By looking through the window of astronomical science,we have observed the position of the earth in the outer space: a huge plane flying around the Sun with projectile speed. It is wingless, motorless, and enormous, and although it flies without a pilot, it turns around smoothly and without noise. Yet, on this planet, the passengers travel peacefully and without being disturbed. Most of the time, they are not aware that they are flying. On the other hand, the earth rotates on its axis. Nights and days, and seasons are the products of this rotation and revolution. It is dangerous if we approach to the sun or we move away from it. It is not only the earth that turns around the sun; the other planets also do the same revolution. It is a simple matter for the earth to collide with one of them. However, we do not observe any fault, and everything is fine. This system has never gone out of order for millions of years.
Is it not necessary for any astronomy student to ponder on this and seek the answers to the following questions?
Who has established this delicate balance? Who made the earth a livable place? While some planes can collide with each other even though they have pilots, which knowledge and power can make these enormous objects rotate and fly without colliding?
Above all, there is a creature among beings, it is a miracle per se; we call him man.
He thinks, imagines, searches, understands, loves, sympathizes and hates.... He has been equipped with thousands of abilities. More importantly, he is conscious of his own being. The universe gets illuminated by his cognizance. Apart from his soul, heart, intellect and imagination, this magnificent living’s material structure is also a masterpiece of art; the best eye, the most convenient hands, the most elegant hair, the most balanced figure, the most moderate height, let us make the long story short, he has been bestowed the best kind of everything..
It has been understood by the medical science that the inner parts of the human body as well as the outer parts of it are extraordinary. It is a genuine masterpiece with its heart pumping tons of blood, with its stomach digesting the food easily, with its lungs that are machines of blood cleaning, with its vessels that are measured by kilometers, and so forth... While a statue shows its sculptor, is it possible for the human body whose beauty has been understood by medical science not to demonstrate its master?
Thus, even though the scientists do not attribute the sources of these sciences to a Creator, each branch of science, with its unique tongue, always mentions Allah. In that case, it is necessary to listen to these branches of science.
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What is the Importance of Holy Books?
We can list the importance of holy books as follows:
1-Allah has endless generosity. He offers abundant gifts and grants. He has endless blessings and numerous dinner tables; He granted men a lot of organs and feelings, He laid blessings for each organ and laid tables for each feeling. For instance, He created the sun for the eyes, the air for the lungs, and food for the stomach. Like man’s material organs, his mind, heart and conscience need tables, spiritual food and remedies. Because of this secret, the Generous Lord, who meets all of the needs of human beings, did not leave their minds and brains, hearts and conscience, spirit and feelings without tables, food or remedies. He sent heavenly books that are like remedies and spiritual tables for them. He sent heavenly books that develop and improve spirits, give light and direction to minds and give happiness to life.
2-One of the attributes of Allah is the attribute of speech. Allah is the Eternal Speaker. The blessing of understanding and the faculty of speaking were given to human beings among the creatures. Man received the manifestation of the attribute of speech.
Where there is mind, there are also “duties” and “responsibilities”. Where there is speaking and speech, an interlocutor is sought. Since man is given them the mind, he will be informed of his responsibility, his duty will be reminded. Since man is given the blessing of speaking, he will be spoken to and he will be told why he was born and to whom he is responsible to. So, the fact that man was given the mind and the faculty of speech makes it necessary for heavenly books to be sent.
3-All of the feelings of man are conditional and limited. He cannot see kilometers away with naked eye. He cannot hear the sounds or smell the scents far away. Like these senses, man’s mind and perception faculties are also conditional and limited. That is, the mind cannot know ghaib things. He cannot decode spiritual secrets and realities on his own. In other words, the orders and prohibitions of Allah are not understood by reasoning or by abstract mind. The mind can find its Lord by judgment or reasoning. However, it cannot understand why its Lord created it. Man needs to know a lot of ghaib knowledge and realities like the fundamentals of belief, the way of slavery, the qualities and properties of worshipping, the eternal life, the existence of Paradise and Hell, the names and attributes of Allah. Humanity needs prophets and heavenly books in order to learn them and carry out their duties and responsibilities. Therefore Allah sent prophets as guides and teachers to mankind and sent heavenly books.
4-Man has a nafs (soul). It has desires and lust. Man has endless goals, ambitions and pride, anger and fury, indignation and reactions.
Man is open to inculcations of the devil. Nafs may continuously tempt him to do bad deeds. The devil tempts him to do bad deeds. If man headed towards evil and destruction, his destruction would become terrible and his harm would be terrifying, he could ruin or destroy a country.
For these reasons, there is a need for prophets to show the right path and heavenly books to teach men the truth and the reality. Allah sent books to balance the falls and rises and the declines and downfalls and also to guide men to the right path and the line of true direction.
5- Man’s disposition and conscience seek their Lord and want to know their owner and Master. They want to find answers the questions like “Where did I come from, why was I created, what are my tasks and duties in this world?”
It is the prophets that can give answers to these questions. It is the prophets that settle and discover the secret of the creation of the universe and the enigma of the creation of man. The guides of these prophets are the heavenly books. Allah gave the books to the prophets and explained people the mystery of this world through the prophets and answered the questions of the creation.
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What is belief in the angels?
The second principle of belief is to believe in the angels.It is fard for every Muslim to believe in the angels.
Allah Almighty states the following in the Quran regarding the angels:
"The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His Messenger... " (al-Baqara, 285)
To believe in the angels whose properties and duties are explained in detail in the Quran is one of the principles of belief in Islam. This belief has a very important place in the belief system of the religion of Islam. For, the angels are "Allah's divine messengers", who convey Allah's "divine revelation", which is the foundation of the institution of prophethood, which is regarded as a grant and grace of Allah Almighty to human beings, from the realm of the unknown to human beings and to the prophets selected among them.
The angels are Allah's spiritual beings that arrange the system and order in the skies and on the earth; they are the honorable scribes and luminous beings that protect human beings, that inspire them good deeds and charities and that write down what they do.
According to this principle, belief in the divine revelation and prophethood, even the hereafter and "the affairs of the hereafter", Paradise and Hell can only be possible through belief in the angels. Then, before believing in the prophets and the heavenly books sent down to them, it is necessary to believe definitely in the existence of the angels that bring them the prophethood, revelation and books. Therefore, "belief in the angels" means "belief in the prophets". Denial of the angels means denial of the prophethood. That is why, belief in the angels is in the second place among the principles of belief, after belief in Allah.
As a matter of fact, after belief in Allah, we are ordered to believe in His angels, then to His books and then to His prophets in the Quran. The following is stated in the chapter of al-Baqara: "The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His Messenger..." (2/285)
In fact, to believe in the other principles of belief (the hereafter, qada (destiny) and qadar (decree)) becomes possible by believing in Allah first and in His angels. Therefore, belief in the angels is mentioned immediately after belief in Allah in the Quran. In the famous hadith reported by Hz. Umar from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), when the Prophet (pbuh) talked to Jibril, the angel of revelation, and was asked "what is belief", he answered as follows:
"Belief is to believe in Allah, His angels, books, prophets, the hereafter and qadar." (Muslim, Iman 1; Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasai also reported some similar hadiths.)
A person who denies the existence of the angels, whose existence is definite by the verse and hadith above and similar ones, is regarded to be an unbeliever by the Quran, the Sunnah and the consensus of the ummah. For, Allah Almighty states the following: "And who denieth Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray." (an-Nisa 4/136) Therefore, denying the angels is regarded as denying both the Quran and prophethood.
Then, the reality is as follows: The existence of the angels is definite by verses and hadiths and it is possible in terms of the mind. For, all of the prophets informed us that angels existed. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) also saw them and informed us that they existed.
In the Quran, there are many verses mentioning the angels, their attributes, various duties they fulfill and their high ranks in the eye of Allah. Everything informed by the Quran, which is the word of Allah, is true and definite. Prophets are innocent. They are equipped with the attributes of ismah (innocence), sidq (loyalty), tabligh (conveying) and amanah (trust); so, they never tell lies.
Then, Muslims have to believe in the angels, whose existence is definite by the verses of the Quran and sound hadiths, and on whose existence all prophets and heavenly religions agree. Therefore, to deny the existence of the angels, whose existence is definite, makes a person an unbeliever. It is by no means permissible to try to interpret the clear verses and religious evidences regarding the issue.
Every Muslim has to believe in the properties of the angels listed below:
1. Angels are the slaves of Allah created by Him. Then, they are not the daughters or sons - God forbid - of Allah; they are not His enemies, either. (The wrong beliefs of the idolatrous Arabs and the members of previous religions about angels are imaginary and superstitious.)
2. Angels follow Allah's orders exactly. They never oppose him or rebel against Him; they never violate any of His prohibitions; they never commit sins, either. For, they have the attributes of "ismah" and "amanah". The common properties of all angels are to praise Allah and to glorify Him by obeying and worshipping Him. (al-Anbiya, 21/26-27; al-Mumin, 40/7)
3. Angels have two, three or four wings based on their luminous nature (the tasks and duties they do). This is definite by the verses of the Quran, which is the word of Allah. However, it is a wrong understanding to imagine angels, who are from the unseen realm, who are isolated from material density and whose real nature is not known, as material beings. For, they were not created in a way that can be seen by our eyes due to the will and decree of Allah; there is no clear information about the issue in the Quran. The wing mentioned in the Quran is a spiritual wing indicating that they fulfill their duties very fast and a symbol of force and power, which is in accordance with the purpose of the creation of the angels and their luminous nature. This word is a symbolic and figurative expression. As a matter of fact, a person who is good at religious and worldly sciences is figuratively called "dhul-janahayn (having two wings)"; it is stated that mothers have wings of compassion and mercy for their children. Christians regard and describe angels as beings with wings like birds. They differ from the Islamic creed in this regard.
4. According to the Quran and the Sunnah, angels were created out of invisible light, but Allah Almighty granted them the power of assuming the form of dense things and human beings when it is necessary. (M. Said Ramazan al-Buti, Kubral-Yaqiniyyat al-Kawniyya, p. 271-278; A. A. Aydın İslâm İnançları, I, 402-403)
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Were the books that were sent before the Quran (the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel) distorted and changed?
None of the divine books that had been revealed before the Qur’an and that are present today are the original copies that Allah revealed to His prophets. The original copies of those books had been lost in the course of time and had been rewritten by people. For this reason, some superstitions and wrong beliefs had been added to them.
For example, it is among the historical facts that, the Torah, could not be protected by Jews, who had a captivity life along the centuries, and who also had fallen into idolatry by losing their faith after Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him); and the copy that is present today had been written by some clergymen long after Hazrat Moses; yet, it was accepted as a book of religion again as if it was the original copy of the Torah. It is apparent that a book which appeared after such a long and complex era cannot be the original copy that had been revealed to Hazrat Moses. Therefore, the present copy includes some accusations and slanders that do not befit prophets and judgments that are contrary to the spirit of the religion of oneness (tawhid).
The Psalms (Zabur),which had been revealed to Hazrath Davud (peace be upon him), underwent the same process as the Torah.
As for the Gospel,Hazrat Eesa (Jesus) (peace be upon him) had not dictated the verses that had been revealed to him because he became a prophet when he was 30 years old, and his task of prophethood ended when he was 33. During that short period of time, he tried to guide the people by wandering from one village to another and from one city to another. And during his last days, he was constantly being followed by Roman rulers because of the provocations of the Jews. Under those circumstances, he could find neither enough time to dictate the Gospel, nor a possibility for it. Thus, the Gospels which are present today are called by their writers’ names (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and they look like siyar (a book in which the lives of prophets are told) books which include sermons and talks that Hazrat Eesa had given his apostles. Besides, those who had written them were not the first believers who were the apostles of Hazrat Eesa, but they were those who had seen the apostles and listened from them to the divine words that had been revealed to Hazrat Eesa.
There are some differences in terms of content and narration in the present Gospels.As a matter of fact, those Gospels had been accepted by a clerical council, consisting of one thousand people, which had gathered in Iznik (Nicaea) in 325 B.C. That council had searched hundreds of Bibles, and with the agreement of 318 members, they accepted the 4 Gospels in which it is claimed that Hazrat Eesa has the aspect of godhead. And they annihilated others by burning them.
As it is seen, the principle that Hazrat Eesa was the son of God (God forbid) was accepted by a council decision years after Hazrat Eesa died. Some Christian churches did not even obey that decision. So, from this point of view, it is not possible to say that the present 4 Gospels are in accordance with the original Gospel which was revealed to Hazrat Eesa.
The divine books which are divine verses are far away from any kind of contradiction and controversy.And the books which had been given to the messengers who had been sent are the words of God. The fact that the original Gospel had been distorted is understood clearly from the contradictions and different information given in the 4 Gospels.
The aim of the Gospel of Matthewis about the life, death and resurrection of Hazrat Eesa. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest one and he mentions about the interests that people had shown to Hazrat Eesa and mentions a lot about his life. And Luke sets forward his aim clearly at the beginning that he will narrate the life of Eesa (peace be upon him) truly and comprehensively. The fact that Luke expresses that he wrote his book addressing Theophilus (Luke: 1/3) shows that this book does not belong to Hazrat Eesa. And John says that he has written that Gospel himself by stating, “You will attain life with his name.” (20/30-31).
The divine revelation is nothing but the remark, word and the declaration of Allah.It includes the laws, commands and the prohibitions that God arranged for the prophets and their communities. It informs about previous prophets and the hereafter.
As it is seen, those Gospels mentioned above were written after Hazrat Eesa died and they are about his life. The divine copies were mixed, and the original Gospel that had been revealed to Hazrat Eesa was distorted. When it is searched and when one thinks with good sense, that truth can be seen clearly.
The Quran states as follows that the Gospel was distorted:
There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues; (as they read) so that you would think it is a part of the Book but it is no part of the Book; and they say "That is from Allah" but it is not from Allah: it is they who tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it! (Aal-i Imran, 3/78)
We can list some distortions and contradictions that are present in the four Gospels as follows:
1. According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the prophethood of Jesus lasted one year but according to John, it lasted more than two years.
2. According to Matthew, the number of the generations that passed between David and Jesus is twenty-six but according to Luke, it is forty.
3. In some parts of the Gospels, Jesus is described as a deity and in some places as a human being. There is an obvious contradiction between them
4. According to Christianity, when Jesus was about to be crucified, he begged God: "O God! O God! Why did you leave me?" If this word belongs to Jesus who is God, it means he cannot protect himself though he is God. If this word belongs to Jesus who is a prophet, it means he does not know God well. For, a prophet would never say, "O God! Why did you leave me?" According to our belief, Jesus was not crucified; he did not beg God like that, either.
5. Matthew says the there were forty people in the pedigree of Jesus up to Abraham but Luke says fifty-five people.
6. In Gospels, phrases like "son of God", "son of Joseph", "son of David" and "son of Adam" are often used. There is an obvious contradiction among them.
7. In the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel is attributed to God but in the Epistle to the Romans, it is attributed to Jesus.
8. In the Gospel of Luke, God is mentioned as the savior in a place and Jesus is mentioned as the savior in another place.
9. There is contradictory information whether God can be seen or not in the Gospels.
10.These Gospels can be attributed neither to God nor to Jesus. We understand that the Gospel cannot be attributed to God because its original form was not maintained, it was not written down, there is not a common text that is agreed on, etc. We understand that it cannot be attributed to Jesus because he did not dictate the Gospel, those who listened to him or those who listened to those listeners wrote the Gospels and there are incoherency, mistakes and contradictions in them. Another reason why those Gospels cannot be the Gospel of Jesus is that the crucifixion of Jesus is mentioned in the texts of the Gospel. That the crucifixion is mentioned in the Gospel shows that these Gospels were written afterwards.
Since the contradictions and incoherency mentioned above cannot exist in a book attributed to God and since a prophet cannot deify himself and cannot humanize God, it becomes apparent that the holy book of Christians was written afterwards by humans and that it was distorted.
Consequently, the different Gospel texts that Christians have today are not the original revelations sent down by Allah. For, Jesus neither wrote nor dictated anything during his prophethood. After he was raised to the sky, some of his students wrote what they heard from him and their students wrote what they heard from the students of Jesus based on their own methods. Thus, hundreds of Gospels - it is no exaggeration - emerged. The council of Nicaea, which convened to settle the problem, examined three hundred and twenty-five Gospels and declared four of them to be sound and the rest to be fake. However, the arguments did not end. For instance, the Gospel of Barnabas and Ebionites were included among the fake Gospels. However, it was written in those Gospels that Jesus is not God, that it was not Jesus who was crucified, that he was a slave and messenger of Allah, that another prophet would come after him and that Allah was one.
The Gospels that are present today are far from guiding the members of Christianity. It is remarkable that both in the past and present, most of the members of the other religions that embraced Islam are Christians. Christians have difficulty in accepting the creed of trinity, the creed that God consists of God, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They cannot explain it rationally. For, the creed of the oneness of Allah was not even discussed by any of the prophets sent since the time of Adam; the doctrine of three gods, which emerged through a terrible deviation, cannot convince people.
Today the only source that will meet all of the religious needs of man in the world along with his worldly, otherworldly and spiritual needs is the Quran. For, Allah sent the religion of Islam to make it superior to all religions and to spread His light all over the world. The road map of this religion is determined by the Quran.
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What is tawakkul? What should it be like?
One of the issues related to qadar (destiny) is the issue of "tawakkul". Tawakkul (reliance on Allah) originates from Muslims' belief in qadar.
The word tawakkul lexically means to appoint someone as a deputy. The person who will appoint a deputy wants to rely on a person who is stronger, more compassionate, more knowledgeable and wiser than him and appoint him as a deputy.
Tawakkul means to fulfill all of one's duties and then to leave the result to Allah and to accept the result with reliance and consent. In short, it means to trust in Allah and not to worry about one's end.
A Muslim who relies on Allah thinks as follows;“Only He can give us the good things that can come to us and only He can prevent all of the evils and harms that can come to us.”
Allah created everything by attributing them to causes and He wants us to act in accordance with those causes. For instance, if we want to earn more money in our business, we should act accordingly. To say, "I trust in Allah and rely on Allah; He will give me whatever I will be given" does not mean tawakkul but to act lazily and not to know Allah.
A Muslim knows that he cannot earn money without working and he takes necessary measures for worldly affairs; similarly, he knows that one cannot enter Paradise without worshipping Allah, fulfilling His orders and avoiding His prohibitions; so, he fulfills his duties and relies on Allah.
Tawakkul means to show consent to the decision that Allah Almighty makes after acting in accordance with the causes and taking necessary measures. Such a person lives in peace and does not give pain to his spirit by worrying about his livelihood; the following hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) becomes a great source of hope for him:
“If you rely on Allah as it is necessary, He will give you sustenance just as He gives sustenance to birds.”
Tawakkul never prevents man from working and acting in accordance with causes. Allah Almighty states the following in the Quran:
“That man can have nothing but what he strives for.”(an-Najm, 53/39)
Once a man came to the Prophet and asked him, “Shall I rely on Allah by releasing my camel or by tying it?” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “First tie your camel, then rely on Allah.” (Tirmidhi, Qiyamah, 60) Thus, he expressed the criterion for tawakkul in the best way.
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Will you explain through examples the positive effects of belief in Allah on man's life?
The century in which we live promises humanity happiness with all of its material and spiritual opportunities it presents. However, it cannot be said that the people of this century are happy and that matter makes people happy despite the things presented as a solution to the quest of happiness and despite all of the opportunities they have. The most important indication of this is the frequent spiritual crises and suicide incidents. Interestingly enough, they are seen more in the countries that are called developed countries and that have a high level of material welfare.
There are some elements that threaten the regular flow of human life.They originate either from the people themselves/their inner world or others/the outside world. The deterioration of the spiritual and bodily health, the depression caused by being unable to satisfy one's desires, being vulnerable to the effect of deviated beliefs and ideals are among the causes of crises that originate from the inner world.
To believe in Allah, to rely on and trust in Him, to fear Him are the strongest dynamics that affect man's life positively. In addition, belief in the fact that angels record all of the deeds that we do, that they will be revealed in the hereafter and that we will be rewarded or punished based on them serves as the most important factor to prevent us from falling into unwanted situations and from bad deeds.
Belief brings about love of life, the feeling of affiliation to life in man. A believing person views life and beings nicely; he believes that life is a grace of Allah; what is more, he sees his social and natural environment as Allah's works of art and himself as a complementary part of them. Therefore, he regards it his duty to continue his life until he dies and struggles to survive.
One of the most important spiritual foundations that regulate life in an Islamic community is belief. Allah's orders and prohibitions are heeded by a believing person.
A person who believes in Allah gets rid of loneliness; he knows that he is always under His endless mercy, knowledge, wisdom, protection and observation. He always takes refuge in Him, asks help from Him and is helped by Him. He keeps his acts under control, turns toward good and perfect deeds, and keeps away from bad deeds.
A person who believes in Allah knows that the reigns of everything are in His hands, that the treasures of everything are with Him and that everything is settled by His order and permission.He trusts only in Him and adheres only to Him. He expects help from Him. He is not afraid of any beings; he does not surrender to anyone; he does not ask favors from anyone. Thus, belief frees man from being a slave of material things. It makes man gain honor.
Man is a weak being with endless needs. He wants to live forever. He has to believe in a being with limited power and generosity that will meet these needs and fulfill these desires. Otherwise, he cannot get rid of troubles and rampage.
A person who believes in Allah is regarded to have believed in all of His attributes. Each attribute of Allah has some aspects that are related to our life. Therefore, to believe in every attribute and name of Allah gives a believer different happiness and peace.
For instance, a person who believes in the attribute of "baqa" (everlastingness) will think that he will be baqi (everlasting) and eternal, he will not be afraid of death and he will not have any worries that he will be eliminated.
A person who is oppressed adheres to Allah's name "Adil" (Just) and he knows that he will be rewarded in return for the oppression he has suffered and that the oppressor will be punished.
Similarly, it is possible to see the effects of Allah's names and attributes in each phase of our lives.
As a matter of fact, the spiritual horizon of man who believes in Allah and who adheres to Him with love is as wide as the universe; his peace and joy is always as fresh and immortal as Paradise. The light of belief shines in his eyes; truth, love and joy come out of his words. High ethics, solemnity and correctness in decisions are seen in his acts and movements. He regards all men as brothers in terms of creation and views them through the eyes of grace and mercy. He is compassionate and helps others without expecting any rewards from them. He appeases the sad and embraces the orphans. He is in good terms with the universe and what is in it. He looks like an acquaintance. No incident can scare or terrify him. He can challenge the universe with the power of belief in his heart. He makes use of and tastes the bounties granted by Allah to him in accordance with His will.
A person who believes in Allah is not afraid of death. For, he does not regard death as a pit of nonexistence but as the entrance to the real life and endless bliss. He sees himself as a guest in this world. He eats, drinks and lives peacefully in accordance with the permission of Allah, who is the owner of this guesthouse. When his visit ends, he leaves this guesthouse peacefully and goes to his eternal place. A person who believes in Allah and adheres to Him with love gets rid of the terrible agonies and pains caused by lack of belief.
A person who believes in Allah does not harm himself and anybody else.The belief that Allah always sees him even in places where there is no law and the fear that bad deeds will not go unpunished prevents him from doing bad deeds. Let alone doing bad deeds, he tries to do everyone favors as much as he can. He fills his spirit with good thoughts, attains high ethics and dismisses the evil feelings in him. To believe in Allah and to adhere to Him makes man attain real freedom. For, man who knows that everything was created by Allah becomes a slave to Allah, not to other creatures. He fears the Creator, not the creatures. He trusts in and relies on only Allah; he asks help from Him and takes refuge in Him. He does not become a slave to another slave. He does not beg anything from anybody and does not flatter anybody.
A person who believes in Allah believes that life is a test and that the troubles he encounters are parts of this test; he makes it part of his character to face the troubles, to show patience when he suffers from painful situations and to struggle against the difficulties of life. For, they are the most important signs of believing and trusting in Allah fully.
In addition, belief gives man a very important feeling of contentment and enables him to establish a frosty relationship with worldly goods. By developing the feeling of being content with few things, belief motivates man to feel contented when his needs are met at minimum level if they are not met at maximum level. Thus, it prevents man from going into depression.
If we know and love Allah, we will be happy and peaceful, which will make Allah love us. Thus, we will be relaxed and feel peaceful. Allah states the following in the Quran:
“For, without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (ar-Rad, 13/28)
We love all people and creatures created by Allah due to our love of Him. In return, people will love and respect us.
Love of Allah that fills our hearts always leads us to do good deeds. A person who believes in Allah thinks that there is a Being that always guards and protects him. He thinks that he will be held responsible for what he does and that he will be reckoned one day. This thought will keep him away from bad deeds. He will not break anybody's heart. He will approach everybody with love. He wants for himself what he wants for others. He becomes a benevolent, honest, tolerant and merciful person. He knows his responsibilities and acts accordingly. Everybody loves a person who has such feelings and thoughts. This love makes them peaceful and happy.
There are both happy, joyful, merry moments and uneasy moments in man's life. It is Allah who gives man happiness; it is also Allah who will free him from troubles and worries. A person who believes in Allah knows that it is Allah who will free him from the troubles he suffers and feels peaceful. He does not feel lonely. He lives in security. Allah states the following in the Quran:
“And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out - And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.”(at-Talaq, 65/2-3)
Belief also has an aspect that eliminates the feeling of loneliness in man. A person who makes friends with Allah thanks to belief applies him by taking refuge in him when he is in trouble. In fact, is Allah not the only powerful being that will help man and that is dominant over everything, and is His lodge not the only place of shelter where one can take refuge? By eliminatingthe feeling of loneliness, belief protects man against stress, depression and committing suicide.
Righteous deeds and worship are a movement that starts when belief settles in the heart and a fruit of belief; they nurture the belief in the heart. Doing favors and worshipping makes man peaceful and relaxed; they eliminate the troubles in his inner world and prevent him from falling into depression. In addition, righteous goods prevent man from doing bad deeds and falling into evil. As a matter of fact, Allah states the following in the Quran:
“For, Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds.”(al-Ankabut, 29/45)
Therefore, righteous deeds strengthen belief on the one hand; they give man peace by preventing him from falling into evil on the other hand. Thus, they exert a double sided influence.
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What is Belief?
BELIEF means trusting, heartily believing some news given to one, approving the one that brings the new, believing in something without any hesitation.
As an Islamic term, "BELIEF" meansto believe in Allah,that there is no god except Him, that Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) is Allah's slave and Messenger, in Allah's angels, books, Day of Judgment, qadar (predestination) and that the good and the bad are created by Allah. (Bukhari, Iman, 37; Muslim, Iman, 1, 5, 7; Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 15) They are fundamentals of belief.
According to the tafsir of Sa'd Taftazani, belief is "the luminous light placed in the heart of a slave that Allah Almighty wishes after this slave uses his partial free will."
According to Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, belief is
"a luminous light granted by the Eternal Sun (Allah Almighty) and a gleam from the endless bliss."(İşaratü'l-îcâz, p. 44.)
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Why cannot we see Angels?
Since angels are spiritual beings created out of light, they are not visible to humans in their original form and real appearance. Our eyes were not created with the ability to perceive angels. However, prophets could see angels in their real appearance because Allah gave them the ability to see angels.
That we cannot see angels in their real form and that we cannot perceive them with 5 senses do not mean that they do not exist. There are many things that our sense organs cannot perceive in the material world. Our ears cannot hear the sounds that are too low or too high. If we could see the light waves that are determined by special devices and see especially x rays and ultraviolet rays, we would know the world in a very different form than we do.
How can we deny the existence of numerous events in the endless realms that Allah Almighty created though we cannot perceive the reality of the things that we see in our own realm?
Thus, that we cannot see something with our eyes cannot be the proof for the non-existence of that thing. There are so many things that cannot be seen by our eyes that we accept their existence with our mind, science, experience and experiment. Angels are among the things whose existence we accept though we cannot see them with our eyes.
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What does the Hereafter mean?
The hereafter is the time that starts with the end of this world and that goes on forever. The beginning of the hereafter is the Doomsday, that is, the end of this world.
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What are the positive effects of belief in Qada and Qadar (destiny) on the life of man?
Belief in qada and qadar is the greatest remedy for man’s desperation, hopelessness and grief. Thanks to his belief in qadar, man sees the troubles and misfortunes he faces as the preordainment of Allah and consoles himself. Man consents to His preordainment. He feels that he is under the control of the Almighty Lord. Since he knows that troubles and misfortunes come from Allah, he takes shelter only with Him and prays only Him in order to be saved. He thinks that the trouble he is suffering will be kaffarah and a reason for forgiveness for him, and shows patience and endurance.
Therefore, the following adage is well-known. “He who believes in qadar becomes free of grief.”
Belief in qadar relieves the soul of man of burdens as heavy as the world because man is in relation with the whole universe. His aims and desires, his ideals and targets are endless. However, his power, will and freedom are limited and constricted. Sometimes, he cannot afford to realize even one in one thousand of his aims, desires, thoughts and ideas. In this case, the unrealized desires, ideals and thoughts of man keep him under pressure, crush his soul, and wring his heart and conscience. They make him hopeless. For such a man, belief in qadar is the greatest source of consolation, enthusiasm and effort, and a gleam of light; it is also a strong ground that can carry the heavy burden on him.
Qadar saves man from proud and conceit. It prevents the soul and ego from making man conceited and deviate from the right path, and making him like a Pharaoh. It makes man modest and humble.
17-)
How many parts is Belief divided into?
Belief is divided into two:
1. Implicit (ijmal) belief,
2. Detailed (tafseel) belief.
What does implicit belief mean?
It means believing wholly in the things that our Prophet conveyed to us from Allah.
If a person says:
“La ilaha illallah muhammadun rasulullah” by knowing the meaning and approving, he believes wholly.
That sentence is called tawhid. The meaning of it is as follows:
La ilaha illallah: There is no god but Allah.
Muhammadun rasulullah: Muhammad is His messenger.
What does detailed belief mean?
It is to know in detail and with evidence what our Prophet informed us from Allah. In other words, it is to learn and approve the necessary knowledge about the religion in detail.
What is the necessary knowledge of the religion that needs to be absolutely learned?
The necessary knowledge that needs to be learned is the 6 fundamentals of belief included in Amantu, the obligatory worshipping like daily prayers, fasting, hajj (pilgrimage), zakat (almsgiving) and the actions like killing a person, having alcohol, and fornicating that are regarded haram by the religion.
It is necessary for every Muslim to know them in detail and to believe them.
18-)
What are the evidences for Allah's oneness (Tawhid)?
• The claim that there is more than one god is logically invalid
Islamic theology scholars mentioned various evidence in order to prove the oneness of Allah. The most important of them is the evidence called reductio ad impossible that refutes the claim that there is more than one god.
When we assume that there are two equal gods in the universe, it is definite that there will be discussions between them and conflicts between their wishes.
In the end of such a conflict, for instance, when one god wanted something to happen and the other wanted it not to happen, one of the following three possibilities would happen.
1. Both of the gods’ wishes would take place.
2. Neither of the gods’ wishes would take place.
3. One of the gods’ wish would take place and the other’s wish would not.
All of those possibilities are rationally invalid and impossible.
If the wishes of both of them took place,a state in which something would happen and would not happen at the same time would take place, that is, two opposites like existence and non-existence would come together, which is logically impossible.
If neither of the gods’ wishes would take place, it would mean something would be deprived of existence and non-existence, that is, the opposites would disappear, which is also rationally and logically impossible.
In addition, the gods would suffer weakness when their wishes were not realized. Weak beings cannot be divine beings; they cannot create anything.
In the third possibility, the wish of one of the gods would take place and the other would be prevented; then the god whose wish did not take place would become weak. A weak being cannot be a god.
Moreover, we mentioned that the gods would be equal; when one of them turned out to be weak, the other would be weak too because they were equal. Then, both of them would be weak. Weak beings cannot be gods.
Thus, all of the possibilities turned out to be invalid; and the theory that there are two or more gods is proved to be invalid spontaneously.
Then, the divine being that created the world is one. And that being is Allah, the Exalted, who has absolute perfection, power and greatness as a necessity of the existence of His pre-eternal and post-eternal personality.
There is other evidence that proves the belief of oneness. Let us mention some of them that we regard as important:
• Evidence that“His sovereignty does not accept any partners”:
The most important and indispensable law of the truth of sovereignty is independence and freedom. That is, rejection of others’ intervention and partnership in sovereignty.
It is obvious that even weak men who have a slight shadow or part of sovereignty reject the outer interventions in order to protect their independence and they act aggressively when others interfere in their business. In history, kings who were full of love and compassion killed their innocent children and beloved brothers lest they should intervene in their sovereignty. It clearly shows that the truth that no intervention is in question in sovereignty is dominant so absolutely and essentially.
Since the shadow of the feeling of sovereignty in weak and needy men rejects intervention so much and does not accept partnership in their sovereignty and try to protect their independence by all means, it will be understood that God Almighty, ‘who has absolute sovereignty in the form of being the Lord of the worlds, absolute dominance in the form of divinity and absolute independence in the form of oneness’ is free from having a partner, counterpart and rival.
Therefore, independence and uniqueness is an indispensable principle of the absolute sovereignty of Allah.
• Evidence of order:
The perfect order and unerring system seen in the beings on the earth from atoms to stars in individuals and in all of them is the greatest proof and the brightest evidence of oneness. If anybody other than the Maker intervened in the divine activities and creation in the universe, that highly delicate order and balance would be spoiled and the marks of disorder would be seen everywhere.
• Evidence of“ease at oneness and difficulty in plenitude”:
If the creation of things is attributed to only one Maker and Creator, it will be easy like the creation of one thing. If it is attributed to the nature, a fly will be as difficult as the skies, a flower as difficult as a spring and a fruit as difficult as an orchard.
Since an eternal ease is seen in the creation of things in the universe, it is understood that the Creator is one and single...
19-)
Why is a person who dies as an unbeliever (kafir) punished by staying in Hell eternally? Is it a just punishment?
One of the explanations of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi related to the issue of why a person who dies as an unbeliever needs to stay in Hell eternally is as follows:
"Question: The sin of unbelief persists a short time but its punishment is eternal and unending; how is this conformable with divine justice? And if one does accept this, how is it consistent with pre-eternal wisdom? And if one accepts this even, how does dominical compassion permit it?
Answer: If one accepts that the penalty is infinite, it is established that unbelief perpetrated in finite time is, in six respects, a crime of infinite proportions:
Firstly: The person who dies an unbeliever will remain as such even if he lives to all eternity, for he has corrupted the very substance of his spirit. And his corrupted heart has the propensity to commit infinite crimes. Therefore, his punishment is not contrary to justice.
Secondly: Even if unbelief occurs in finite time, it is an infinite crime and gives the lie to infinity; it denies the whole universe, which testifies to divine unity.
Thirdly: Since unbelief is ingratitude for infinite bounties, it is an infinite murder.
Fourthly: Unbelief is a crime against infinity; that is, the divine essence and attributes.
Fifthly: The human conscience is, in regard to its outer face, limited and finite, but by virtue of its reality, the roots of its inner face spread and extend to eternity. In this respect, therefore, it is infinite. Unbelief, however, sullies it and it dwindles away.
Sixthly: Although opposites stubbornly resist each other, they are similar in many instances. Thus, on the one hand, belief yields the fruits of the delights of Paradise, and on the other, unbelief produces everlasting suffering and pain. It may be concluded therefore if one puts these six aspects together that infinite punishment fits the infinite crime and is pure justice." (see Nursi, İşaratü'l-İcaz)
20-)
What is the reality of Belief?
Belief is the greatest blessing and grant of Allah to humans. Allah gives it to His slaves that He wishes. However, it cannot be claimed that the slave has no role in receiving it.
On the contrary, the slave should use his preference and will first and be willing for belief and guidance. Allah will give him belief and guidance upon his demand and request. Therefore, some Islamic scholars and saints described belief as, “It is a light that Allah Almighty puts into the heart of a person He wishes after that person uses his partial will and preference in that way.”
21-)
How many groups are angels divided into? What are their duties?
Angels are divided into mainly 3 groups:
1. Angels that worship; they are called Illiyyun - Muqarrabun,
2. Angels related to nature; they are called mudabbirat,
3. Angels related to human beings...
* Angels that worship: Muqarrabun:
They are always engaged in mentioning the names of Allah Almighty, glorifying Him by saying that He is free from all imperfection and blessing Him with all of His perfect attributes. They are overwhelmed by the knowledge, love and worshipping of Allah. (See: an-Nisa 4/172) Angels in charge of carrying out the tasks in Paradise and Hell are in this group. (ar-Ra’d 13/23-24; at-Tahrim 66/6; al-Muddaththir 74/29-31)
* Angels related to nature: Mudabbirat:
They are angles in charge of managing the universe, applying the divine laws that maintain the order in nature. They supervise and observe the manifestations of the will and power of Allah in nature.
* Angels related to human beings:
The most important one of them is Gabriel (pbuh). His duty is to convey the divine revelation to prophets. Therefore, he is also called the angel of revelation. Gabriel is also called ruhu’l-amin (reliable Spirit). (ash-Shuara 26/193-194) In another verse, he is called Ruhu’l-Qudus (Holy Spirit). (an-Nahl 16/102) he is also called Sayyidu’l-malaike (Lord of the Angels).
Another duty of the angels related to man is to strengthen the messengers of Allah and good slaves and to console them when they are in trouble or when they are sad, to elevate their spirituality and to help them actually if it is necessary. The Quran tells us that the angels helped believers actually in the battles of Badr, Uhud and Hunayn that took place in the Era of Bliss.
Another duty of the angels related to man is to inspire people good things and enable them to follow the right path and elevate them spiritually.
Some of those angels have some special duties:
• Angels in charge of inspiring the truth and good things into man’s heart. (Tirmidhi/ Tafsir 3);
• Angels in charge of saying amen at the end of the chapter al-Baqara... (Bukhari, Adhan 111, 112)
• Angels that are together with believers every day during the morning and afternoon prayers. (Bukhari, Mawaqit 16; Muslim Masajid 37)
• Angels that come down to the earth when the Quran is recited. (Bukhari, Fadailu’l-Qur’an 15; Muslim, Musafirun 36).
• Angels that look for places where the names of Allah are mentioned (dhikr), the Quran is recited and useful knowledge is taught (Bukhari, Daawat 66; Muslim, Dhikr 8)...
• Angels that ask for mercy for believers (al-Ahzab 33/43)
• Angels that ask for mercy for scholars (Tirmidhi, Ilm 19)
Recording Angels:
There are two recording angels with each person. They write down and record all kinds of acts, words and behavior of each person, whether they are good or bad. They are called Kiraman Katibin: Honorable Recorders in the Quran. (See Qaf 50/17-18; al-Infitar 82/10-12; az-Zukhruf 43/86)
Munkar - Nakir Angels:
They are the angels that question man after he dies in the grave and asks questions like, “Who is your Lord? What is your religion, Who is your prophet?
Azrael (pbuh):
He is in charge of removing souls from people’s bodies. He is also called the Angel of Death. (as-Sajda 32/11)
Mikail (pbuh):
He is the angel in charge of delivering the sustenance to their owners and arranging natural events like wind and rain in accordance with Allah’s will.
Israfel (pbuh):
He is the angel in charge of blowing Soor (the trumpet) and announcing the time of the Doomsday. After the Doomsday strikes and all living beings die, Israfel will blow the trumpet again and people will come out of their graves and go to the Gathering Place.
22-)
What does belief in the hereafter (al-yawm al-akhir) mean?
Since the time that will start after the Doomsday strikes is called the hereafter,belief in the hereafter means to believe that the life of the world will end like everything else, that it will assume a different form, that people will be resurrected and come out of their graves, that they will be accounted for what they did in the world, that their deeds will be weighed and their books of deeds will be delivered to them, that people will cross the bridge of Sirat and that the good people will go to Paradise while the bad people go to Hell.
23-)
What does Tawhid (Oneness of God) mean?
Oneness of God means "believing in the non-existence of any god except Allah;""reciting the statement La ilaha illallah-There is no god but Allah."
Oneness immediately reminds us of the statement "la ilaha illallah." This is called the statement of oneness and means that there is no real god to worship except Allah.
Various comparisons have been made for this world of existence. One of them is "the palace of the universe." Therefore, oneness is to know the sultan of this palace as only one and not attributing any partners to Him.
The roof and floor of the palace of the universe cannot belong to different beings. The rugs, lamps, and other furniture of this palace cannot have been brought from another world and then assembled here. Everything in the palace, and the most important of all, every guest, is born in this palace. Let us look at a flower: From the earth to the sun, everything has a share in it. And let us examine the human body: Elements, which are the basic stones of this palace, are present in it, too.
Mountains are established over plains like armchairs, by not being brought from another place, but rising within the plain. Fruits are attached to branches, by not being imported from another land, but coming out of the tree.
The young is on the lap of its mother; it has not been brought from another land; it grows up in her womb. The sun is a lamp of this palace; it has not been purchased from another place but created together with the heavens.
In this world, innumerable beings are united and between them bounds are set and this world of creatures is given the shape of a palace. People reflecting this way recite the word of oneness and know this palace to be the property and creature of God only.
While the statement of oneness means there is no real god to worship except Allah, the name Allah encompasses all of the divine names; so, it also bears such meanings as "There is no Giver of life except Allah; there is no Creator except Allah; there is no Possessor except Allah." Thus in this oneness are hidden onenesses as many as divine names.
Some scholars divide oneness into two as oneness based on knowledge and oneness based on deeds. According to this classification, to know that Allah is one and that all of the onenesses in the universe show His oneness is oneness based on knowledge. Oneness based on deeds is the domination of this belief of oneness fully in man's realm of deeds.
The verse,“Iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nastain” (Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek) of the chapter of al-Fatiha teaches us oneness based on deeds. We turn only to the direction that You want; we stand in respect only in Your presence; we bow down and prostrate only before You. We think about only the things that You consent to and we love only those that You consent to.
A person who worships Allah only is freed from the abasement of worshipping wrong deities; a person who seeks Allah's help only is freed from pursuing causes and from being the slave of events. He takes refuge in his Lord with full reliance. This is both a lofty joy and a superior power.
Besides, the way to become a perfect believer is through perfection in both oneness based on knowledge and oneness based on deeds.
Oneness is not limited to them only. Oneness of attributes, names and deeds is also in question. They can be summarized as follows:
The oneness of deeds: "To know that causes have no effects on the creation of things and their management", "to believe that the sole creator is Allah alone."
The oneness of attributes: "to know that such qualities as knowledge, power, will that are attached to the creatures are also the creatures of Allah and not to attribute them independent entity.
The oneness of Being: "To know all the creatures as non-existent in comparison to His Being and Presence."
Giving life and death, bestowing remedy, leading to the right path, providing food are each separate deeds. These nearly infinite deeds depend on the same attributes. These attributes are "life, knowledge, power, hearing, sight, will, speech and creation." So the oneness of deeds is to know that all the eternal deeds that function in the world of creation come from these divine attributes. And to ascribe these attributes to just one Entity is the oneness of being.
24-)
What is belief in Qada and Qadar (destiny)?
Qadar is Allah’s knowing of everything in pre-eternity, what happened and what will happen whether good or bad from pre-eternity to past eternity, their time, place and characteristics, and His ordaining and determining them.
Qada is His creation of things and events when their time is due based on His pre-eternal knowledge and ordaining.
Allah created the whole universe and everything in it – whether living or non-living – based on a program. Allah knows everything that will happen in the universe, He also knows the actions of the tiniest particle in detail. His knowledge covers everything.
The unique system and wonderful order seen in the universe shows that Allah planned it knowingly and that he creates everything based on that plan when their time is due.
The program that Allah made before He created the universe in pre-eternity is called qadar. His application of that program when its time is due is called qada.
Then, belief in qada and qadar means to believe without doubt that Allah knows everything, that He programmed everything in pre-eternity and that He creates things and events based on that knowledge and program when their time is due.
25-)
How can we strengthen our faith?
Faith is a light, a blessing from Allah. However, faith is knowledge at the same time, which must be necessarily learnt. There are two ways to strengthen our faith:
The first and the primary one is to learn the rules of the sunnah and to investigate it in accordance with the Quran and the sunnah, as required by our time.
The second one is to advance in spirituality through performing good deeds, purifying the heart and soul by avoiding sins.
However, the course of this century makes the second way really difficult to take. For this reason, it is very important to read books which teach investigative faith. It has also become essential to study science as a feature of our century, besides studying religious knowledge. This is because the light of the mind is science as the light of the heart is religious knowledge. We can state that one of the most important books which teach both of them together is Risale-i Nur Collection. In addition, one can benefit very well from books of significant people such as Imam Ghazali, Imam Rabbani, Imam Mawardi and Imam Qushairi.
Protecting and strengthening faith is a Muslim’s most important issue. It is necessary to attach importance to taqwa (God-Consciousness) in order to protect faith. Faith can only be protected within the castle of taqwa. Without taqwa, faith tends to deteriorate. It is necessary to read and make research on books about faith a lot in order to strengthen faith. Issues about faith which result from knowledge do not have effect on one’s feelings unless it is filtered through reasoning. Firstly, mind must be satisfied.
Contemplation is very important. The fact that Prophet Abraham found his Lord by watching the moon and stars and contemplating is narrated in the Quran. Faith improves with thinking. For this reason, it is stated in hadith that “One hour of contemplation is superior to one year of nafilah (supererogatory) prayer.”
Environment has a great influence on human beings. Sins suggest people infidelity. Suggestion has a great influence on human beings. It infuses infidelity into one’s sub-conscious while people are unaware of it. For this reason, one must keep away from sinful places as much as possible. Sins committed outside carelessly suggest people that there are not hereafter and punishment. To be protected from the negative effects of such suggestions, one must keep away from sinful places as much as possible and try to suggest people goodness and prevent them from evil as much as s/he can. One needs to study issues about faith a lot and pay attention to delivered messages in order to compensate for the damages of the negative suggestions which s/he has been imposed to. It is necessary to meet often with people who care about good deeds and live in accordance with taqwa. In this sense, the importance of a community (jama’ah) becomes more obvious. Just like sins suggest infidelity, good deeds suggest faith.
26-)
Will you give information about the miracles of prophets being pioneers of the wonders of civilization?
One of reasons why the miracles of prophets are mentioned in the Quran is that it shows humanity the examples that are necessary for material development, encouraging people to make similar things to the miracles.
It is as though the Quran is pointing out the principles and foundations of the material advancement with the stories of prophets. The Quran warns people as follows:
“O people! The miracles that you see are some samples and examples. Exert yourselves to the utmost and discover the means to achieve things similar to them."
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi who is one of the greatest scholars and thinkers of our time said the following in his work titled The Damascus Sermon;
"We understand from the Qur'an's teaching and instruction and what these indicate that through mentioning the prophets' miracles, the Qur'an is informing mankind that events similar to those miracles will come into existence in the future through progress, and is urging them to achieve them, saying:"
"Come on work! Show examples of these miracles! Like the Prophet Solomon (UWP), cover a journey of two months in a day! Like the Prophet Jesus (UWP), work to discover the cure of the most frightful diseases! Like the Prophet Moses (UWP), extract the water of life from stone and deliver mankind from thirst! Like the Prophet Abraham (UWP), find materials and dress in them so that fire will not burn you!"
"Like some of the prophets, listen to distant voices and see distant images in east and west! Like the Prophet David (UWP), soften iron like dough and make it like wax to meet the needs of mankind! How greatly you benefit from the clock and the ship, the miracles of the Prophet Joseph (UWP) and the Prophet Noah (UWP) respectively. Benefit in the same way from the miracles the other prophets taught you, and imitate them."
"By analogy with the above, the Qur'an instructs mankind in every respect, urges them to material, moral and spiritual progress, and proves that it is the universal teacher and master."
Yes, the past is the mirror of the future. The inventions in the future are built on the foundations of the past. The advancement in this age took place completely based on the signs and inspirations indicated by religions. For example:
a) The first clock was given to humans through Hz. Yusuf (Joseph) (pbuh) and the firstship through Hz. Nuh (Noah) (pbuh).
b)With so much advancement invented thanks to the softening of iron, which is the foundation of many arts and professions, the mankind was helped by the miracle of Hazrat Dawud (PBUH) (David):“the miracle of softening the iron in his hand”.
c)With the advancement made possible by the invention of airplanes, rockets, etc, the mankind approached the miracle of Hazrat Sulayman (PBUH) (Solomon): “the wind (air) becoming under his command”.
d)The centrifuge device drawing water from barren and sandy places is similar to the miracle of Moses (PBUH) “water springing from the place where he struck his rod”.
e)The advancement in medicine brought about by man’s experiments and sharing the ideas is similar to the miracles of Jesus in the field of medicine. Jesus (PBUH) cured many patients that the science of medicine of that time could not cure and he even revived the death. Today’s medicine can prevent death temporarily through medical interventions like heart transplant and artificial heart, thus doing something similar to the miracle of Jesus: “reviving the dead”.
f)The miracle of Abraham (PBUH): “not burning in the fire” is encouragement for the invention of non-flammable things like amianthus.
g)The miracle of Hazrat Yusuf (PBUH) (Joseph) seeing his father Hazrat Yaqub (Jacob), who was in Kanan, and retreating from Zulaykha. The miracle of Jacob smelling the scent of Joseph’s shirt from the caravan that set off from Egypt. The miracle of the throne of Balqis being brought to the presence of Sulayman... All of those miracles indicate that it will be possible to transport things, sounds and smells from long distances and encourage people to work on them. As a matter of fact, through devices like radio, television and telephone, things similar to those miracles were partly realized.
h)The miracle of teaching the speech of birds toSolomon indicates that people can learn what the sounds of birds mean and encourages people to discover the characteristics of those sounds and make use of those animals. As a matter of fact, the studies on bird speech have reached a very high level today.
There are so many similar miracles that man has not been able to do things similar to them; man has been trying to invent and discover them with the advancement of civilization.(İşâratü’l-İ’câz, 215-216; Sözler, 262 ff.; Hutbe-i Şamiye, 28)
27-)
Will you please give detailed information about the existence of Allah?
Hundreds of evidences stating the existence and oneness of Allah are mentioned in the Quran.
For instance, “Do they not look at the Camels, how they are made? And at the Sky, how it is raised high? And at the Mountains how they are fixed firm? And at the Earth, how it is spread out? (al-Ghashiya, 17-20)
Man is asked to look at the beings around him carefully and to know and find the Creator of them by looking at them. In some verses it is stated that it is impossible for people who see the beings to deny the existence of Allah:
A Verse and its Meaning:
“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the Night and the Day; in the sailing of the ships through the Ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;― (here) indeed are signs for a people that are wise.” (al-Baqara, 164).
In another verse, a similar meaning is pointed out:
“If indeed thou ask them who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon (to His Law); they will certainly reply "Allah." How are they then deluded away (from the truth)?” (Al-Ankaboot, 61).
A Verse: If thou ask them, Who Created them, they will certainly say Allah” (az-Zukhruf, 87).
Since things exist and they are full of art, they surely have a creator and a maker. The universe can be likened to a very meaningful book from this aspect and to a perfect and magnificent city from another aspect and to a wonderful work of art from yet another aspect. Just as a book has a writer, so does this book of the universe have a writer. Whoever is the writer of the book is also the writer of each letter. Whoever is the creator of the universe is also the creator of all of the beings, from atoms to planets of the book of the universe. Therefore the owner of the universe is the owner of all of the beings in it. Whoever owns the field owns the crops too. Whoever is the maker and the creator of the tree owns its fruit too. If the universe is a tree, then man, who is the fruit of this tree is His work. A being that cannot create the tree, cannot create its fruit, either. Therefore whoever is the creator of the universe is the creator of man too.
Allah, who created the eye of man and gave the eye the ability to see,created the sun, too. The eye could not see if the sun did not exist. Therefore, the being that placed the eye in the face of man is the same person as the being that placed the sun, which is the eye of the sky, in its place.
As there is a maker of a pinso will there be a maker and an artist of all beings, each of which is a wonderful work of art, in the universe.
If the universe is likened to a magnificent city, there is a governor of each city; so, there will be a governor of this city of the universe, which acts in a system and order, which is kept clean and which is under observation. And that can only be Allah.
The mind and the conscience of man accept the existence of a creator, and science proves it. When we take a living thing into account;
a- Causes may have made it.
b- This being may have come into being by itself.
c- Nature may have made it.
d- Or an almighty being may have created this thing.
There is no other way for a being to come into being than the alternatives mentioned above. It can be explained by the example of a pharmacy that the first three ways are impossible in terms of mind and science and that the last one necessitates the existence of Allah:
“Imagine there is a pharmacy in which there are hundreds of jars and phials filled with quite different substances. A living potion and a living remedy are required from those medicaments. So we go to the pharmacy and see that they are to be found there in abundance, yet in great variety. We examine each of the potions and see that the ingredients have been taken in varying but precise amounts from each of the jars and phials, one ounce from this, three from that, seven from the next, and so on. If one ounce too much or too little had been taken, the potion would not have been living and would not have displayed its special quality. Next, we study the living remedy. Again, the ingredients have been taken from the jars in a particular measure so that if even the minutest amount too much or too little had been taken, the remedy would have lost its special property. Now, although the jars number more than fifty, the ingredients have been taken from each according to measures and amounts that are all different. Is it in any way possible or probable that the phials and jars should have been knocked over by a strange coincidence or sudden gust of wind and that only the precise, though different, amounts that had been taken from each of them should have been spilt, and then arranged themselves and come together to form the remedy? Is there anything more superstitious, impossible and absurd than this?
Similarly, each living being may be likened to the living potion in the comparison, and each plant to a living remedy; they are composed of matter that has been taken in most precise measure from truly numerous and truly various substances. If these are attributed to causes and the elements and it is claimed, “Causes created these,” it is unreasonable, impossible and absurd a hundred times over, just as it was to claim that the potion in the pharmacy came into existence through the phials being knocked over; by accident.” (Nursi, B. Said. (Lem’alar) Flashes. Rnk Neşriyat. Istanbul, 2006, p.2002 etc.)
Now let us use this example for a man, animal or plant. The building blocks of this living thing are the cells. These cells come together in precise amounts and constitute different tissues, and the tissues constitute organs, systems and finally the living organism come into being. There are thousands of different molecules even in the cell of the simplest structure. Each of these molecules does a different task. Fundamental elements are common in all of them; however, different cells, different individuals and finally even different species emerge with the different arrangements of different amounts of these elements. For instance, the formation of beings like bees and ants is impossible out of these elements, which are mindless, unconscious, blind, deaf and ignorant, on their own or by the cooperation of causes like wind or storm; because these elements and causes themselves need to be formed.
The remedies prepared in the pharmacy in precise amounts show an expert chemist or pharmacist that makes them. Similarly, the creation of each living thing shows the existence of a wonderful creator, who knows, sees and has consciousness and wisdom.
28-)
What is belief in the books?
One of the principles of belief is belief in the heavenly books. Even if man knows the existence and oneness of Allah through his mind, he cannot know what His orders and prohibitions are, how to worship Him, in short, what He will be pleased with and what He will not. Therefore, Allah sent the heavenly books.
These books are called the divine books, which mean Allah's books. They are also called holy books.
The religion of Islam orders us to believe in all of the divine books sent down by Allah. Every Muslim has to believe in both the Quran and the heavenly books informed by the Quran. Belief in the books has an important place in Islam's principles of belief.
The essence of this principle of belief is to believe that Allah sent down books to some prophets and that they are all true and real.
We do not know the exact number of the heavenly books.
According to a narration reported by Abu Idris al-Khawlani from Abu Dharr, the Prophet said Allah sent down 10 pages to Hz. Adam, 50 pages to Hz. Shet, 30 pages to Hz. Idris (Eunuch) and 10 pages to Hz. Ibrahim (Abraham). It is stated in the Quran that some pages were sent down to Hz. Ibrahim and to Hz. Musa (Moses) before the Torah was sent down. (an-Najm, 53/37-54; al-A'la, 87/19) It is also stated in the Quran that the Torah was sent down to Hz. Musa (al-Isra, 17/2; al-Maida, 5/44), the Psalms to Hz. Dawud (David) (an-Nisa, 4/163) and the Gospel to Hz. Isa (Jesus) (al-Maida, 5/46, 110).
The Quran was sent down to Hz. Muhammad (pbuh), the Seal of the Prophets.
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What does Allah's being free and away from time and space mean? Will you explain it through examples?
Allah's personality and attributes are pre-eternal... Our personality and attributes were created later.... No doubt, we can know neither His personality nor His attributes adequately; we cannot comprehend His being pre-eternal and freed from time....How can we comprehend it? We do not even comprehend what time is!..
What is time? What kind of a thing is it? Something flows in the same river at the same time, but why does it affect things differently?.. It makes children climb up to youth, the middle-aged climb down to old age and the old climb down to death. Does this river flow downwards or upwards?
The poet asks justifiably:
What is time, what?
A water or a bird?
What is time, what?
Downhill or uphill?
We are limited by time. We have yesterday and tomorrow. They are the phases of the lifetime... However, all of those phases are relative; they are given names relatively Today was called "tomorrow" twenty or thirty hours ago. In the morning, we will call it "yesterday". The past and the future are not different from yesterday and tomorrow. Every day, every hour, even every moment is a world of its own... All of the happenings in the universe at a certain moment bring about different paintings in comparison to one moment earlier or one moment later. Then, a different painting is being exhibited in this world every moment...
Time is read through those paintings arranged in lines, or those paintings are drawn inside time. Many words were uttered about time. No matter what its true nature is, time, which is a concept related to the actions, movements, settling and leaving of the beings, cannot be valid for the Lord and Creator of all of the worlds. He knows everything that was created and that will be created through His pre-eternal knowledge.
The following verse expresses it so nicely:
Should He not know― He that created? And He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them). (al-Mulk, 14)
A person who looks at a book should think that every word, line and letter in this book was written. Then, the one that wrote them should be unlike writings and be freed from resembling letters and words!..
The world, all human beings, animals, plants are flowing in the river of time continuously... They are heading towards death and the hereafter. The one making that river flow is definitely freed from time. That is, He is not bound by or limited to time. And none of those flowing in that river can comprehend being freed from time adequately.
Allah Almighty is free and away from space, too. We can give the sun light as an example: it is present in all bright things in the world through its seven colors; it exists and is seen in everything in the form of light, heat and seven colors, which are like its attributes; however, it does not exist bodily in anything that it shines on and illuminates. That is, the sun is present in all bright things in the world through its attributes but it does not exist in anything in terms of its mass and body. The attributes and nature of Allah, who gives sun this property, are too perfect four our minds to understand. Allah has encompassed everything through His attributes, that is, through His power, knowledge and will. However, He is not in anything in person. That is, He is present everywhere through His attributes. That He is not in any place is in person. For, He is the one that creates space; He does not need space.
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What kind of a thing is Belief?
Belief is a something involving the heart and the conscience. A person who heartily believes in and adheres to the fundamentals of belief is regarded a believer. What is important in belief is the approval of the heart.
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Who are the prophets mentioned in the Quran?
They are as follows:
Adam, Idris (Enoch), Nooh (Noah), Hood, Saleh, Loot, Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqoob (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Shuaib (Jethro), Musa (Moses), Haroon (Aaron), Dawud (David), Sulayman (Solomon), Ayyub (Job), Dhul kifl (Ezekiel), Yunus (Jonah), Elias (Elijah), Alyasa (Elisha), , Zakaria (Zacharias), Yahya (John), Eesa (Jesus Christ), Muhammad (peace be upon them).
In addition, there are three more people called Uzair (Ezra), Luqman and Dhul-qarnain mentioned in the Quran; it is disputable whether they are prophets or saints.
There are also some famous prophets that are not mentioned in the Quran: Seth (Sheeth), Yusha (Joshua), Jercis (Georges), Danyal (Daniel) (peace be upon them)…
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What are the duties of prophets?
The duties of prophets are:
– to acquaint people with Allah,
– to teach people the principles of belief and forms of worshipping that they received from Allah,
– to inculcate people with moral virtues and nice habits,
– to arrange the relationships among the individuals and between the individuals and the society, and to strengthen the social connections among them.
In short, to be a perfect guide for people both in material and spiritual fields.
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What should a person who commits sins do not to lose his belief?
He should always remember that not carrying out the duties that his belief necessitates is a fault and sin and he should feel sorry. He should ask for patience and help from Allah in order to fulfill the orders of the religion and to practice what his belief necessitates; he should repent and vow not to commit sins again.
Only then can a person protect his belief from the negative effects of the sins. Thus, he can get rid of the danger of losing his belief.
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What are the benefits of believing in angels for man’s life?
Belief in angels has positive effects on human psychology.
We can list some of them as follows:
1. If a person has a valuable word or work or a talent, he tries to make it eternal in order to prevent it from being forgotten and for its appreciation by writing poems, a book or producing something in other branches of art. That feeling is present in the nature of man.
It is an apparent reality that if a person with such characteristics knows that all of the things and deeds he does and all of his words and tendencies are written by “Kiraman Katibin” and that they record them in order to show them to him and others in the eternal realm, he will be very joyful and peaceful, his spirit will be freshened and his heart will be relieved.
2. The most important possession of man is his spirit. It is definitely the greatest torture and the most terrible pain for man that his spirit, his most valuable possession, will be destroyed and will go to non-existence when he dies.
Man can be relieved from that great pain and terrible anxiety by belief in angels because belief informs him that when he dies, his most valuable possession is entrusted to Azrael (pbuh), an appointed official, and that it never disappears.
3. Only the company of Munkar – Nakir can save man from the loneliness, darkness, cold, imprisonment and hopelessness of the grave that everybody without exception will enter. He talks to them. Thus, his heart and grave expand, get warm, become illuminated and windows open to the realm of spirits.
4. Man is sometimes left alone; he stays away from his beloved people and friends. He may be alone materially or spiritually. If a person cannot find anyone to share his belief and ideas and if he lives in a place where everybody opposes him and is hostile to him, he is regarded to be lonely. That person feels as if the world will collapse down on him amongst all those troubles and loneliness.
The consciousness of belief in angels helps him in that situation. It illuminates the universe and the crowded world of that person, enlivens him and it fills his world with angels and spiritual beings. It makes his world joyful. It saves him from loneliness, wildness, destitution, violence and the agony of not being accompanied.
It consoles him by saying, “Do not worry if nobody listens to and accepts your positive ideas and beliefs in the society! Angels and spiritual beings will listen to you. They will make you earn the fruit of thawab.”
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What is Revelation?
Revelation is the words of Allah told to the prophets chosen by Him among human beings to convey those words to human beings. (Cerrahoğlu Prof.Dr. İsmail, Tefsir Usûlü p.39, Ankara 1979.)
Revelation is the knowledge and information that prophets find in their spirits (hearts) directly or indirectly.
It is not appropriate to try to explain revelation through material things. It is something peculiar to prophets. A being that is not an angel does not know what it is like to be an angel. A person who is not a prophet cannot experience and know prophethood truly. However, the existence of revelation is definite.
"The Owner and Master of this universe does everything with knowledge, disposes every affair with wisdom, directs everything all-seeingly, treats everything all-knowingly, and arranges in everything with His will and wisdom such causes, purposes and uses that are apparent to us. Since the One who creates knows, surely the One who knows will speak, since He will speak, surely He will speak to those who have consciousness, thought, and speech. Since He will speak to those who have thought, surely He will speak to humankind, whose make-up and awareness are more comprehensive of all conscious beings. Since He will speak to humankind, surely He will speak to the most perfect of mankind and those most worthy of address …"(Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Mektubat (Letters), p. 89)
Prophets receive the decrees and truths from Allah through revelation. All of the prophets received revelation from Allah.
The following verse shows that revelation is something common and valid for all prophets:
"We have sent thee inspiration as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him; We sent inspiration to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David, We gave the Psalms"(an-Nisa, 4/163)
There are many kinds and degrees of revelation:
The most common kind of revelation is the conveyance of the divine decrees to prophets through Gabriel, the angel of revelation. The Quran was sent down like that. Gabriel conveyed the revelation in different forms. He sometimes brought revelation as he was, that is, as an angel; he sometimes brought revelation disguised as a man. Sometimes, he came without being seen, with the sound of a bell or buzz and placed the revelation into the heart of prophets.
Sometimes, Allah makes His prophets hear the commands and decrees directly. For instance, Moses received revelation directly from Allah in the Mount Sinai and Hazrat Prophet received revelation directly from Allah during the Ascension (Miraj).
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How is belief in the hereafter in Judaism and Christianity dealt with?
A- Belief in the hereafter in Christianity
According to what is stated in the Quran, when Hz. Isa was a only a baby in the cradle, he talked about resurrection: "So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)" (Maryam, 33).
The fact that resurrection after death was informed by Hz. Isa when he was a baby in the cradle shows the importance of this belief and that it would have an important place in Hz. Isa's conveying the message of Christianity. Besides, that this issue is indicated by him in the cradle implies that the idea of the denial of the hereafter was widespread among the people in that era and that Hz. Isa would struggle against these deniers. As a matter of fact, that Hz. Isa was given the miracle of reviving the dead, that he struggled against the group of Jewish Sadducees, who denied the hereafter, and that he answered their claims show that denying the hereafter was widespread in that period; they also show that conveying this issue had an important place in the life of Hz. Isa. "Those who believe (in the Qur'an) and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures) and the Christians and the Sabians, any who believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord..." (al-Baqara, 62) [1] In verses like the one above, it is stated that some of the Christians living in the Era of Bliss believed in the hereafter. Furthermore, it is reported that this verse was sent down about Salman al-Farisi and his friends. His friends told him that the time for the Prophet (pbuh) to be sent was near and that they would believe in him if they saw him [2].
Some narrations show that this belief existed among the Christians of that period: Jabir (r.a.) said: "When those who had migrated to Abyssinia returned, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Will you tell me about the strangest thing you have seen in Abyssinia? " One of them said ,"O Messenger of Allah! While we were sitting there, and old nun of the Christians walked past us. She was carrying a pitcher full of water on her head. A young man pushed her by putting his hand between her shoulders. She had to kneel down and her pitcher broke. After she stood up, she turned to the young man and said, "O oppressor! When Allah establishes the Chair for the final court and gathers the people who lived in the past and who will live in the future, and when hands and feet tell about what they did, you will see the situation between you and me."
Jabir (r.a) said, "When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was informed about this incident, he said, 'The woman told the truth. How can Allah give importance to a nation that does not take the rights of the weak from the strong ones?'" [3]
This incident is important in that it shows the existence of belief in bodily resurrection in real Christianity and shows that divine justice will definitely take the right of the oppressed people from the oppressor; it also shows that belief in the hereafter is a very important consolation and source of power for man.
That Negus said, "this word definitely comes from the same source of knowledge as Jesus" [4] by crying when the Muslims who migrated to Abyssinia recited the first verses of the chapter of Maryam and that he confirmed what the Quran stated about Jesus shows how close to the Quran the realities declared by Christianity before it was distorted were.
The strangest thing in Judaism regarding the issue is the view that belief in the hereafter does not exist in the Torah; the strangest thing in Christianity is the view that the being that will call people to account is not Allah, who is their Creator, but Jesus, who was created by Allah like the other people. This strange situation is definitely the result of distortion [5].
According to the Gospels, Hell torture is eternal [6]; however, some Christian sects claim that Allah will not break his promise but that He can give up his threat and put everybody in Paradise and that eternal torture does not befit Allah [7]. According to some religious scholars, those who are deprived of Paradise without a reason based on themselves will go to Paradise in the end [8]. Although the resurrection of the body together with the spirit and the material aspects of Paradise and Hell are mentioned in the Gospels [9], the widespread view among Christians is that there are no bodily pleasures like eating, drinking and marriage in Paradise [10]. For, the interpreters of the Gospel interpret the expressions that indicate bodily pleasures in Paradise as spiritual things like happiness and distort the meaning [11]. Furthermore, since the Era of Bliss [12], Christians have founded the issues like eating, drinking, having intercourse [13], houris, pavilions and palaces, rivers, rubies, pearls, etc in Paradise as odd; they have trifled with them and used them as a means of attacking Islam [14]. We can say that one of the reasons why Christians had such faith is the fact that they believed that the bodies would be different when they were resurrected, that man would attain a superhuman state in this body and that he would virtually become like an angel [15].
Although there exists the belief of a realm of barzakh in Christianity, not all sects unanimously agree on them. In Catholics, there is a belief of mathar (purgatory) [16], which can be likened to the torture of grave. According to this belief, those who die before having been purified of their sins will stay in Hell until they are purified; then they will ascend to the sky. However, there is no questioning by angels in mathar. The issue of the questioning of the spirit is not mentioned clearly. As for Orthodoxy and Protestantism, they do not have torture and bounties of grave [17].
It is also strange that Christians attribute deity to Jesus but they say he does not know the time of the Doomsday. Furthermore, according to what an interpreter of the Gospel says, Jesus determined the time of the Doomsday as a deity but he does not know its time as a human being(!) [18].
According to Christians, intercession (shafa'ah) takes place in this world. This belief gives great domination to the Christian clergy. According to them, Allah is subject to the deeds of the clergy; the decisions the clergy makes in the world are accepted and are valid in heaven, too [19].
In return for Allah's orders and prohibitions, the place where divine sanctions, rewards and penalties that will happen is described as the world in the Torah and as the hereafter in the Gospels. Thus, the Torah makes man turn toward the world life and the Gospels toward the otherworldly life. The Quran, which always shows the straight path, compromise and combine both ends in a happy synthesis, keeping away from extremism [20].
Now, let us give some examples related to the otherworldly issues form the Gospels that exist today:
The strike of the Doomsday is described in a way similar to that of the Quran: "... The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light."
In the Gospels, we see the examples of the incidents in which Jesus revive the dead with the permission of Allah: "... Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother" [21].
Jesus calling people to account on the Day of Judgment is narrated as follows: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." [22].
In the Gospel of Barnabas, which defends the creed of oneness, it is possible to see statements that are similar to the Quran regarding the issues like the hereafter, Paradise and Hell as it is the case with the other issues of creed. In this Gospel, there are detailed issues related to the hereafter. The answer give to the question whether there are different ranks in Paradise is an example of it: Said Bartholomew, 'O master, shall the glory of paradise be equal for every man? If it be equal, it shall not be just, and if it be not equal the lesser will envy the greater.' Jesus answered: 'It will not be equal, for that God is just; and everyone shall be content, because there is no envy there. Tell me, Bartholomew;: there is a master who has many servants, and he clothes all of those his servants in the same cloth. Do then the boys, who are clothed in the garments of boys, mourn because they have not the apparel of grown men? " [23].
Footnotes
[1]. See also al-Maida, 69; al-Hajj, 17.
[2]. Mawardi, I, 133.
[3]. Abu Abdillah Muhammad b. Yazid b. Majah al-Qazwini.as-Sunan, expl., Muhammad Fuad Abdulbaqi, Daru'l-Kutubi'l-Ilmiyya, Beirut, n.d., Fitan, 20, II, 1329.
[4]. See Muhammad b. Ishaq b Yasar, Siratu Ibn Ishaq, expl., M. Hamidullah, Konya, 1981, p. 196; Ibn Hisham, as-Siratu'n-Nabawiyya, expl., M. as-Saqa et al, Beirut, n.d. I, 336-337.
[5]. Although Christians believe in being reckoned after death, the belief that Jesus sacrificed himself relieved them. This belief implies that man will not be held responsible for what he does and that he will not be called to account (Ataurrahim, p. 174).
[6]. See Mark, III, 29.
[7]. Shahristani, p. 251.
[8]. Yıldırım, Mevcut Kaynaklara Göre Hıristiyanlık, Işık Publ., İzmir, 1996, p. 217.
[9]. See Matthew, X, 28; XIII, 43; Mark, IX, 43-48; Luke, XVI, 24; John, Revelation, XXI, 8.
Despite these verses, it is an example of the contradiction in the Gospels (even in the same Gospel) that Sadducees asked Jesus whom a woman who had married more than one man because her husband died would marry in Paradise, he said, "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven" (See Matthew, XXII, 23-30).
[10]. See Abu Ataillah, p. 376 (al-Kanzu'l-Jalil fi Tafsiri Injil, I, from 464); Addison, p. 172.
[11]. Abu Ataillah, p. 376.
[12]. Somebody from the People of the Book asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), "Do you claim that the people of Paradise will eat and drink?The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Yes, I swear by Allah in whose hand my soul is that a person is given the power of one hundred people in eating, drinking, having intercourse and lust. " The man said, "When a person eats and drinks, he will have to go to the toilet but there are no pain giving things in Paradise." The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "What needs to come out of the body comes out in the form of sweat drops giving off odor of musk. " (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, Daru'l-Fikr, Beirut, n.d., I, 63).
[13]. Christians claim that the existence of such things in Paradise is against its holiness. However, as it is stated in the hadith above, they will be transformed into a form that will befit Paradise. For, everything in Paradise will be suitable for that realm.
[14]. Abdullah at-Tarjuman al-Andalusi,Tuhfatu'l-Arib fi'r-Raddi ala Ahli's-Salib, Hakikat Kitabevi, İstanbul, 1983, p. 53; Rahmatullah al-Hindi, Izharu'l Haqq, Daru'l-Kutubi'l-Ilmiyya, Beirut, 1993, p. 330; Abu Ataillah, p. 377.
In fact, in Islam, there is no claim stating that the bounties in Paradise are only material. Spiritual bounties are also mentioned and it is stated that they are superior. Besides, material bounties do not hinder spiritual bounties. In the following verse, it is clearly stated that attaining the pleasure of Allah, which is a spiritual pleasure, is superior to material bounties: "Allah hath promised to Believers men and women Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of everlasting stay. but the greatest bliss in the Good Pleasure of Allah: that is the Supreme Felicity" (at-Tawba, 72).
[15]. Louis Figuer. Le Lendemain De La Mort, Libraire Hachette, Paris, 1881, p. 60; Addison, s. 172.
[16]. Purgatory lexically means the place where the souls of believing Christians stay for a while, araf, a place and period of suffering so that they will be purified (Saraç, p. 1134-1135). It is translated into Arabic as (place of cleaning) (see Jabbur Abdunnur, Suhayl Idris. al-Manhalu'l-Qarib, 4th impr., Daru'l-Adab, Beirut, 1983, p. 278.
[17]. Abu Ataillah, p. 95; Yıldırım, p. 217.
[18]. Abu Ataillah, p. 117.
[19]. ibid, 221.
[20]. see Draz, p. 154, 182.
[21]. Luke, VII, 14-15.
[22]. Paul, Corinthians 2, V, 10.
[23]. Barnabas İncili, transl by Mehmet Yıldız, Kültür Basın Yayın Birliği, İstanbul, n.d., p. 308.
Veysel Güllüce (Prof.Dr.)
B- Belief in the hereafter in Judaism
There are some traces of belief in the hereafter, whether weak or strong, in all of the religions that died in the past or that still exist. Doubtlessly, belief in the hereafter should be more deep-rooted and detailed in divine religions. However, when Judaism is considered, it will be seen in astonishment that the situation is not like that.
Indeed, Judaism is based on the messages of Hz. Musa (Moses) and a great divine book like the Torah but, it gives very little place to life in the hereafter; furthermore, this situation made some scholars think that there is no belief in the hereafter in Judaism.
Some contemporary writers state that the fact that the Old Testament, which is also called the Torah, whose original form was sent down by Allah, was completely isolated from the otherworldly life, resurrection and punishment, from encouragement to the hereafter is something that astounds man. (1)
Addison says that religious traditions and customs based on a national principle played an important role in this state and adds that this state leads them to think about the future of Israel not what waits for each of them in the future and makes them ignore the hereafter. (2)
However, comprehensive and detailed research made about Judaism shows that what is stated above can be valid only for the first five books of the Torah[3], attributed to Moses, that resurrection and the hereafter are mentioned in the other books of the Torah, though not very much, and that indications about belief in the hereafter are present in the other religious references of Judaism like the Talmud [4]. We should state that Jews name only the first five books as the Torah. According to them, the Talmud is oral, in other words, reported Torah. (5) It is also stated that they learn the issues related to the hereafter orally from one another. (6)
Some Jewish scholars and people of literature mention belief in the hereafter in their books. One of them Sa'diya al-Fayumi, says, "The resurrection of the dead in the hereafter for punishment and reward is something that our Lord taught us." (7) Musa b. Maymun, a famous Jewish scholar says, "I definitely believe that the dead will be resurrected when Allah's will takes place and they will live forever." (8)
It is necessary to state that Jews were divided into two groups as Samiriyya and Ibraniyya after they returned from Babylonia; each tribe believed in a different Torah; each of them described the Torah that the other tribe had as distorted. The Torah that the group of Samiriyya had mentioned the hereafter more than the other, though briefly. (9)
Some Jewish scholars state that the reason why the first five books of the Torah did not include resurrection and belief in the hereafter was due to the fact that belief in the hereafter was sound in the era of Moses hence it was not necessary to mention the hereafter and that the issues that were necessary like the oneness of Allah were mentioned more because the Jews of that period had a polytheistic belief. Ibn Kamuna, another Jewish scholar says, "That there is no explanation regarding the issue does not prevent Children of Israel from being informed about the facts. Then, if it is asked why it is not mentioned in the Torah, it can be answered as follows:
"It is not permissible to debate and ask questions regarding divine issues. There may be a reason that we do not know behind it." Then, he explains why resurrection and punishment and reward in the hereafter are not mentioned in the Torah as follows: "Prophets are the doctors of the spirits with the guidance of Allah. A doctor tries to treat people with whatever he can find in his period; similarly, people in the era of Moses did not deny the reward and punishment in the hereafter. on the contrary, their problem was worshipping idols, stars and other things. That is, they worshipped beings other than Allah." Thus, Ibn Kamuna attributes the fact that the Torah does not include the issue of the reward and punishment in the hereafter to the fact that the Children of Israel knew this creed. He continues as follows: "If the problem of the Children of Israel had been the denial of the reward and punishment in the hereafter, they would have been mentioned a lot in the Torah. Since it was not the case, it was found sufficient to spread among the ummah and to imply the hereafter. Therefore, the Jews believed in the resurrection of the dead and the eternality of the spirit after death. They maintained this belief by transferring it the generations that came after them. They prayed for the dead and they repented when they felt that the time to die was near." (10)
However, it is very difficult to agree with these claims and explanations because the main purpose why a religion is sent after belief in the oneness of Allah is belief in the hereafter. It is necessary to warn man frequently, who constantly turns to the world due to the encouragement of his soul and desires, about the existence of the hereafter, Paradise and Hell. Especially if this nation is the nation of Jews, who are famous for its stinginess, they need more warning. Therefore, the life of the hereafter, Paradise and Hell are often mentioned in the Quran; it is also stated that the life of this world is transient. It is possible to see concise or detailed information in almost all chapters. Contrary to the claims of the Jewish scholars, it is clear evidence for the distortion of the Torah that reward and punishment in the hereafter, which are among the essentials of the divine message, are not mentioned in a book sent down by Allah. However, these explanations can be regarded to be important since they show that Jews believe in the hereafter.
There are almost no signs related to the hereafter in the first five books of the Torah today; the fact that life in the hereafter, Paradise and Hell are mentioned, though concisely, in the other books attributed to the other prophets is interpreted differently.
According to some scholars who made research regarding the issue, the reason for this change is not known. (11) Acting upon the similarities between the belief in the hereafter in Zoroastrianism and Judaism, some Holy Book theologians say that this belief entered Judaism toward the end of the slavery in Babylonia and developed gradually. (12) According to others, there are three probable external causes regarding the issue geographically and culturally: Mesopotamia, Kan'an and Iran [13].
Will Durant says, "The idea of resurrection in Jews settled after they lost the hope of dominating the earth. They probably received this idea from Persians. or, they received something from Egyptians. Messianism originated from this spiritual effect. (14) "Zaza, who wrote books on Judaism, agrees with this view and says, "Jews started to think about unseen and unknown issues after they lived in slavery in Babylonia and were dispersed by the Romans." (15)
In the statements above, it is claimed that belief in the hereafter in Jews originated due to the effect of some spiritual causes, as a result of the forcing of some conditions, with the purpose of consoling themselves and as a result of seeking happiness in another realm because they could not attain sovereignty in this world; such a claim is the claim of those who base the source of the religion on some worldly causes not on revelation.
Such an understanding means evaluating the source of religions with an evolutionistic viewpoint , which is contrary to the fact stated by the Quran: human beings were one single nation first; then they disputed. (16) Human beings physically originated from a single source; similarly, they were spiritually fed from the same source. When fluctuations and disputes occurred in the nature of human beings, they were improved and corrected by prophets again... (17)
It is controversial whether various expressions meaning akhiru'l-ayyam (last days) are used for the day when people will be resurrected for penalty or reward or for the day when Jews will get rid of their troubles, will relax after wars and defeat their enemies. (19)
Some researchers agree that there is a kind of belief in the hereafter in Judaism but they say that this belief is not in the sense that Islam teaches, (20) that in the books of the Old Testament, Paradise and Hell are mentioned superficially and it was not enough to keep Jews away from the greed for the world [21]. Furthermore, according to some of them, this belief is completely different. According to those who make research on Judaism, Jewish people are divided into two. One group lived in the world freely and happily. They attained material wealth along with the consent of Allah. The second group lived in slavery and exile contrary to the first group. According to the Jewish thought, they will return to the world and benefit from the world bounties by receiving their shares. (22)
As it is the case with the term hereafter, it is controversial whether the term resurrection mentioned in the Old Testament means resurrection after death or the revival of the Jewish nation to attain worldly and political stability. For example, the statement, "Your dead people will revive, the dead bodies will stand up; O people of the ground! Wake up! " (23) is interpreted as follows by some interpreters of the Old Testament: It indicates the worldly revival of the Jews after their slavery. It is a kind of distortion to interpret these statements that indicate resurrection in the hereafter differently.
However, it is true that there are some verses indicating tribal revival in the Old Testament. (24) For example, it can be said that what is meant in the following verse is not otherworldly resurrection but the revival of the Jews as it is also stated by Christian scholars: "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." (25) For, the awakening of the multitudes, not all, of those who sleep is mentioned in the verse. The otherworldly resurrection will take place with the revival of everybody. (26) However, the phrases like "who sleep in the dust of the earth ", "everlasting life, shame and everlasting contempt " support the view of those who claim the opposite. As a matter of fact, according to some scholars, this verse clearly expresses the idea of the hereafter. (27)
It is understood that the Jews living in the Era of Bliss believed in torture in the grave. A Jewish rabbi came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and said, "We learn that Allah will put all the heavens on one finger, and the earths on one finger, and the trees on one finger, and the water and the dust on one finger, and all the other created beings on one finger. Then He will say, 'I am the King.' Thereupon the Prophet (pbuh) was surprised and confirmed what he said by smiling. Then, he recited the following verse:[28] "No just estimate have they made of Allah, such as is due to Him: on the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand..." (az-Zumar, 67).
It is understood from some narrations that the Jews living in the Era of Bliss believed in torture in the grave. According to a narration, a Jewish woman came to Hz. Aisha and prayed as follows: "May Allah protect you from the torture of grave!" [29].
As a matter of fact, in the Old Testament in the first periods, it is mentioned that only a kind of shade of man remains after death; it is called sheol in Hebrew and translated into Arabic as maqarru'l-mawta; it is stated that everybody, whether they are just or not, goes down into a hole under the ground and gathers there; (30) it is possible that this hole is the realm of the grave. However, acting upon what we have mentioned above, we can say that there is a realm of grave in Judaism but such a realm of grave looking like one in the primitive religions is different from the one in Islam. (31) In Judaism, the bounties and punishment in the grave are only for the spirit; angels that ask questions are not mentioned. (32)
In today's Jewish resources, it is stated that there are no material things, eating, drinking, marriage, sexual intercourse, mountains, gardens and rivers in Paradise. (33) However, according to what is understood from the narrations, unlike the Jews living today, the Jews living in the Era of Bliss believed that there were material things and pleasures in Paradise. A Jewish scholar asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) what believers first ate in Paradise and what they will eat and drink afterwards, when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) answered, he confirmed him by saying, "You told the truth." (34) This is one of the evidences showing that distortion in Judaism has continued throughout history.
The books of the Old Testament describe Hell as a horrible place where people will gather in the presence of Allah and that cannot be returned from [35]. According to Jews, staying in Hell is for a short period as it is also stated in the Quran through the tongue of Jews. (36) The good and the bad will receive eternal bounties in the end. Nobody will stay in Hell eternally except for those who committed suicide and led people astray. (37)
In Judaism, there is nothing about the signs of the Doomsday in the Old Testament. However, such a sign can be deduced from the words of the Jewish scholar Sa'diya al-Fayumi. He says, "Do we, believers in the oneness of Allah, not believe that the Sublime Creator will revive all of the dead in the land of the hereafter to reward or punish them? Then, can it be denied that our dead are granted bounties by being given extra time, being resurrected and that these lives of theirs will added to the life of the hereafter? Is it not justice for those who were exposed to misfortunes and troubles? As a matter of fact, our ummah was tested by big things. Therefore, we deserve to be given such extra time. Thus, they will be the best ummah in terms of grant as they are in terms of patience and suffering." (38)
We see that different sects of Jews have different understandings of the hereafter. For instance, one of the late sects, Kostanis, accept the hereafter, reward and punishment but Dustanis belive that reward and punishment will take place in this world. Essenes, one of the oldest Jewish sects, believe in the eternality of the spirits. (39) Sadducees deny the hereafter completely. (40)
We can list the outlines of life in the hereafter in Judaism in three items:
1. The Torah today, that is, the first five books of the Old Testament attributed to Moses, does not include life in the hereafter, resurrection, reward and punishment.
2. The books of the Old Testament attributed to the other prophets have some signs regarding the issue.
3. The interpreters of Talmud Jewish creed mention life in the hereafter. (41)
We find it appropriate to mention the statements regarding resurrection and life in the hereafter as a result of scanning the Old Testament. Thus, it will be seen more clearly how much the issue is mentioned in the books of the Old Testament attributed to Moses and those attributed to the other prophets.
The statements in the Old Testament regarding resurrection and life in the hereafter:
"So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken." [42]
"I put to death and I bring to life." (43)
"So they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet." (44)
"He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.", "And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.", "That the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, that he is delivered from the day of wrath." (45)
"Because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (46)
"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.", "Always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. " [47]
"But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. …the earth will give birth to her dead." (48)
"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge. " (49)
Similarly, the story of the Children of Israel who were dead in a plain and who were then revived is narrated; (50) this story reminds us the story of those who abandoned their country due to the fear of death and Hz. Uzayr in the Quran.
That statements regarding the hereafter in the Old Testament are so few is the biggest evidence that it was distorted. It is not impossible for a divine book not to mention anything about the hereafter in the first five books as many researchers say. Despite this, some Christian interpreters of the Old Testament distorted those verses again and interpreted the statements indicating the otherworldly resurrection as the resurrection of the Jews in the world; so, they isolated the Old Testament from the hereafter completely and transformed it into a secular book. Thus, Jews, who admire and love worldly life very much, as the Quran puts it, (51) became more associated with the world. For, man could protect his soul from the love of the world and the soul with great difficulty despite the frequent warnings about the otherworldly punishment and reward; that the Old Testament hardly had any warnings regarding the issue made Jews people who think only about the world, do not think about the hereafter and who feared death.
So far, we have explained the views and evaluations of the scholars who described Judaism based on Jews, their supporters and Jewish resources. Now, let us deal with Judaism and the Torah from the viewpoint of the Quran:
According to the Quran the Torah is a book that was sent to Moses by Allah and that contains guidance and light.
When we refer to the verses mentioning the content of the Torah, we see that the Torahs is described as a bookexplaining all things in detail: "Moreover, We gave Moses the Book, completing (Our favour) to those who would do right, and explaining all things in detail,― and a guide and a mercy, that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord"(al-An'am,154), "And We ordained laws for him in the Tablets in all matters, both commanding and explaining all things, (and said): "Take and hold these with firmness, and enjoin thy people to hold fast by the best in the precepts: soon shall I show you the homes of the wicked― (how they lie desolate)." (al-Araf,145).
Doubtlessly, one of the primary things explained in detail is the issues regarding the hereafter. As a matter of fact, it is stated through the following statement at the end of the first verse that the most important reason why Moses was given the Torah is belief in the hereafter: "…that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord." The following statement at the end of the second verse states that the place the unbelievers will go in the end is Hell: "…soon shall I show you the homes of the wicked."(52) In other verses, we see that the issues related to the Doomsday and the hereafter are among the things revealed to Moses. In a verse, Moses is addressed as follows: "Verily the Hour is coming― My design is to keep it hidden― for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its Endeavour." (Taha, 15) In Another verse, Moses and Aaron say,"Verily it has been revealed to us that the Penalty (awaits) those who reject and turn away." (Taha, 48)
In the chapter of al-A'la, after it is mentioned that the evil ones will be thrown into a big fire, that those who purify their souls will attain salvation and that the otherworldly life is better than the worldly life, it is stated that this information exists in the first pages (books) of Abraham and Moses:"And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelations)― The Books of Abraham and Moses" (al-A'la, 18-19).
We see that this belief settled in the people who believed in Moses. What the magicians who believed in Moses says is the best example of it. After the magicians believed, they did not heed the threat of the Pharaoh that he would kill them in a horrible way; they said, "Never shall we regard thee as more than the Clear Signs that have come to us or than Him Who created us! So decree whatever thou desirest to decree: for thou canst only decree (touching) the life of this world. For us we have believed in our Lord: may He forgive us our faults, and the magic to which thou didst compel us: for Allah is Best and Most Abiding. Verily he who comes to his Lord as a sinner (at judgment)― for him is Hell: therein shall he neither die nor live. But such as comes to Him as Believers who have worked righteous deeds--for them are ranks exalted. Gardens of Eternity, beneath which flow rivers: they will dwell therein for aye: such is the reward of those who purify themselves (from evil)." (Taha, 72-76) (53)
It is clearly seen that in the verses above magicians who believed in Moses had a strong and steadfast belief and that Moses explained his nation the issues related to the hereafter in detail.
It is stated in several verses that the Torah was distorted in the periods that followed: "Of the Jews there are those who displace words from their (right) places..." (an-Nisa, 46) (54)"Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say: "This is from Allah" to traffic with it for a miserable price! Woe to them for what their hands do write and for the gain they make thereby." (al-Baqara, 79) The truth is expressed clearly and those who distort the book of Allah are condemned severely in the verses above and similar ones.
Doubtlessly, the statements about the hereafter, Paradise and Hell were also influenced by this distortion. The Old Testament today is a clear witness of it. However, it is understood from the verses reporting the statements of the Jews living during the Era of Bliss about Paradise and Hell that the Jews living at that time had belief in the hereafter though they had some wrong ideas. It is also seen in the hadiths.
"The fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days" (al-Baqara, 80),"None shall enter paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian" (al-Baqara, 111), "Say: "If the last Home with, Allah, be for you specially, and not for anyone else, then seek ye for death, if ye are sincere." (al-Baqara, 94) The verses above and similar ones show that they believed in the hereafter, Paradise and Hell but that there were some mistakes and distortions in this belief.
The fact that their greed, ambition and love of the worldly life is mentioned in some verses indicates that their belief in the hereafter was weak: "Thou wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life-even more than the idolaters..." (al-Baqara, 96)
Through the explanations above, we see that the Quran emphasized various points while dealing with the Torah and Judaism:
1. In the Torah, life in the hereafter is mentioned briefly, not as detailed as in the Quran; Moses conveyed this belief to his nation; the believers who heartily believed in Moses at that time definitely believed in the existence of the hereafter, Paradise, and Hell.
2. The Jews living in the Era of Bliss believed in the hereafter, Paradise and Hell but this belief was weak due to the distortions in the Torah and their love of the world and it was filled with wrong ideas.
3. In the Quran, the attributes of Jews like the excessive love of the world and adherence to it and fear of death are mentioned; thus, it is implied that they will be a nation that will give importance only to the world in every era and that will not think of the hereafter, Paradise and Hell.
As it is seen, the most correct information, away from extremism, about Jews is given by the glorious Quran, as it is the case with all issues.
Footnotes
[1]. M.A. Draz, Kur'ân Ahlakı, trnsl by, Emrullah Yüksel, Ünver Günay, İz Publ., İstanbul, 1993, p. 153; Muhammad Ghazali, al-Mahawiru'l-Khamsa li'l-Qur'an'il-Karim, Cairo, 1989, p. 149; Abu'l-Hasan Ali an-Nadwi. as-Sirau bayna'l-Iman wa'l-Maddiyya, Daru'l-Qalam, Kuwait, 1981, p. 17.
We felt the need to deal with and search the issue more due to these claims about the Torah and Judaism.
[2]. See Addison, p. 158.
[3]. The first five books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus,Leviticus, Numbers andDeuteronomy
[4]. Fawi, p. 146; Abu Ataillah, p. 147; see also Francine Kaufmann- Josy Eisenberg,Yahudi Kaynaklarına Göre Yahudilik, (Mehmet Aydın, Din Fenomeni içinde, Konya, 1995, p. 99-100)
[5]. Abu Ataillah, p. 140. (Ibn Kamuna. Tanqihu'l-Abhath fi'l-Milali'th-Thalath, quoted from p. 40).
Talmud is a legal, ethical and religious law surrounding every moment of the lives of Jews. According to Talmud, the Torah has seventy aspects. According to Cabbala, the traditional reading of the Torah is esoteric. (Kaufmann- Eisenberg, p. 102-103, 111)
[6]. ibid, 144.
[7]. ibid, p. 55 ( Sa'diya al-Fayumi, al-Amanat wa'l-I'tiqadat, London, quoted from p. 211). The death year of Sa'diya al-Fayumi is 942 and of Musa b. Maymun is1205.
[8]. ibid, p. 55 (al-Fikru'd-Diniyyu'l-Israiliyyu Atwaruhu wa Madhahibuh, quoted from p.159).
[9]. ibid, p. 144-145. The famous sects of Jews are as follows: Essenes, Zealots, Sadducees, Pharisees (Kaufmman- Eisenberg, p. 101)
[10]. ibid p. 140-142 (Ibn Kamuna, quoted from p. 40).
[11]. Randles- Hough, p. 18.
[12]. Addison, p. 157; Mehmet Paçacı.Kur'ân'da ve Kitab-ı Mukaddeste Ahiret İnancı, Nun Publ. İstanbul, 1994, p. 72. Jacob rejects such a claim and states that this belief is related to a more general desire. (see Edmond Jacob, Theologie de L'Ancien Testament, Neuchatel (Switzerland), 1968, p. 253).
[13]. Mahmûd Es'ad, İslam Tarihi, Marifet Publ. İstanbul, 1983, p. 316.
[14]. Abu Ataillah, p. 153 ( Will Durant. Qissatu'l-Hadara, II, quoted from p 345).
[15]. ibid, p. 54 al-Fikru'd-Diniyyu'l-Israiliyyu Atwaruhu wa Madhahibuh, quoted from p.109).
[16]. see al-Baqara, 213; Yunus, 19.
[17]. see Kılıç, "Kur'ân'a Göre Fıtrî Safvet Dönemi ve Tevhid'in Yozlaşması", Mitoloji Kitab-ı Mukaddes ve Kur'ân-ı Kerîm, p. 209-210.
It is strange that some Muslim thinkers like Ibn Rushd said, "Those who mentioned for the first time about the resurrection of the bodies (hashru'l-ajsad) are the prophets of the Children of Israel that came after Moses." (Abu'l-Walid Muhammad b. Ahmad Ibn Rushd. Takhafutu't-Takhafut, expl. S.J. Maurice Bouyges, 2nd impr., Daru'l-Mashriq, Beirut, n.d., p. 580) For, it is not right to reach such a conclusion acting upon a distorted book. What is right is to make a judgment based on the Quran. As it will be seen in the verses to come, the verses of the Quran support the opposite of it.
[18]. "That day", "at the end of days", "days that come", etc (see Jacob, p. 257-258).
[19]. Abu Ataillah, p. 54.
[20]. ibid, p.16.
[21]. Ghazali, Muhammad, al-Mahawiru'l-Khamsa, p.149-150.
[22]. Çelebi,al-Yahudiyya, Maktabatu'n-Nahdati'l-Misriyya, Cairo, 1978, p. 202-204
[23]. Isaiah, XIX, 26.
[24]. see Jacob, p. 250.
[25]. Daniel, XII, 2.
[26]. Abu Ataillah, pp.132-133
[27]. Randles- Hough, p. 18; Addison, p. 163.
[28]. Muhammad b. Ismail Bukhari, as-Sahih, al-Maktabatu'l-Islamiyya, İstanbul, n.d., Tawhid, 19, VIII, 184; Muslim b. Hajjaj al-Qurashi.as-Sahih, Munafiqun, 19, 21, (IV, 2147-2148)
[29]. Bukhari, Janaiz, 87, I, 102; for a similar narration, see Muhammad al-Manbaji al-Hanbali, Tasliyatu Ahli'l-Masaib, expl. M. Hasan al-Khumsi, Daru'r-Rashid, Beirut, 1988, s. 284
[30]. Randles- Hough, p. 18; Jacob, p. 243; Addison, p. 158, 227; Abu Ataillah, p. 98.
[31]. see Addison, p. 158.
[32]. Abu Ataillah, p. 100.
[33]. ibid, p. 285 (Zafaru'l-Islam Han.Talmud Tarikhuhu wa Taalimuh, p.78; Fayumi, al-Amanat wa'l-I'tiqadat, quoted from p. 263).
[34]. see Muslim, Hayd, 34, I, 252.
[35]. Abu Ataillah, p. 99, 286.
[36]."And Jews say: 'The fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days'..." (al-Baqara, 80).
[37]. Abu Ataillah, p. 287 (S. Y. Muyal. Talmud Asluhu wa Tasalsuluhu wa Adabuh, from ps. 143).
[38]. ibid, p.118-119 (Fayumi, al-Amanat wa'l-I'tiqadat, quoted from p. 226).
[39]. Muhammed Ataurrahim, Bir İslâm Peygamberi Hz. İsâ, İnsan Publ., İstanbul, 1985, p. 30. For detailed information about Essenes, see ibid. p. 27-35.
[40]. Abu Ataillah, p. 156-157.
[41]. ibid, p. 139.
[42]. Genesis, III, 23.
[43]. Deuteronomy, XXXII, 39.
[44]. Kings, XIII, 21.
[45]. Job, XII, 22; XIX, 26; XXI, 30.
[46]. Psalms, 16. Psalm, David's Psalm, 10-11.
[47]. Proverbs, XXIII, 13-14, 17-18; XXIV, 14.
[48]. Isaiah, XXVI, 19.
[49]. Daniel, XII, 1-4.
[50]. see Ezekiel, XXXVII, 1-14.
[51]. "Thou wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life…" (al-Baqara, 96).
[52]. This view is the view of Hasan Basri and Mujahid; Mawardi mentioned this view first when he dealt with the meaning of this expression. Mawardi mentions three more views that the land of the destroyed ummahs in the past are indicated with this expression. (see Ali b. Muhammad b. Habib al-Mawardi, an-Nukatu wa'l-Uyun (Tafsiru'l-Mawardi), Daru'l-Kutubi'l-Ilmiyya, Beirut, 1992, II, 261).
[53]. These verses and the statements in verse 74, 75 and 76 can be the reported form of what the magicians said or information given by Allah about the people of Paradise and Hell (see Jarullah Mahmud b. Umar az-Zamakhshari, al-Kashshaf an Haqaiqi't-Tanzil wa Uyuni'l-Akawil, Daru'l-Ma'rifa, Beirut, II, 546).
[54]. See also al-Maida, 13, 41.
37-)
Who is an Unbeliever? What are the Causes that Lead one to Unbelief?
The word kafir (unbeliever) is used for a person who denies Islam, shows ingratitude to bounties, keeps away, avoids and covers. As a term, it means a person who has no belief.
A person who denies the Quran, Islam and Hz. Muhammad is called an unbeliever. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a verse where Jews are invited to Islam: "And believe in what I reveal, confirming the revelation which is with you, and be not the first to reject faith therein..." (al-Baqara, 2/41)
As a matter of fact, in the verses denying Allah is regarded as unbelief along with associating partners with Him, believing that Allah has a son and denying one of His attributes deliberately.
The following is stated about Jews and Christians falling into the state of unbelief due to their wrong faiths:
"In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ, the son of Mary. Say: "Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His Will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all― everyone that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things." (al-Maida, 5/17)
"They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Mary." But said Christ: "O children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord, and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah―Allah will forbid him the Garden and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help" (al-Maida, 5/72).
"They disbelieve who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One God."(al-Maida, 5/73).
That the divinity belief of Jews and Christians consists of imitating deniers is stated as follows:
"The Jews call Uzayr a son of Allah and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouths; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say." (at-Tawba, 9/ 30).
In the verses above, the states of wrong creed or denial that necessitate unbelief regarding Allah are determined. Accordingly, to deny Allah, to associate partners with Him, to believe that Allah has a son, to deny one of His attributes deliberately lead a person unbelief. Associating partners is the greatest unbelief. For, Allah has no partners. Allah defines Himself as follows: in the chapter of al-Ikhlas: "Say: He is Allah the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth, not nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him." (al-Ikhlas, 112/1-4) That associating partners with Allah is excluded from pardoning is stated as follows: "Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with him; but He forgiveth anything, else to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed." (an-Nisa, 4/48). On the other hand, there is no doubt that a person who abandons polytheism, repents, asks forgiveness and strengthens his creed can be forgiven. For, such a person is freed from the attribute of a polytheist and is regarded a believer.
To define Allah in a way that is not suitable for His loftiness, to make fun of or ridicule one of His names or orders, to attribute deficiency to Him make a person exit the religion of Islam. (al-Fatawa'l-Hindiyya, Bulaq 1310, II, 258).
According to Abu Hanifa (d. 150/767), Allah's attributes are qadim (no precedence); they were not created afterwards. Therefore, to say that His attributes were created afterwards and to have doubts about the issue makes a man exit the religion of Islam (Ali al-Kari, Sharhu'l-Fikhi'l- Akbar, Egypt 1323 h. p. 22). According to Imam Shafii, Malik and Ahmad b. Hanbal, a person who denies Allah's knowledge becomes an unbeliever. (Ibn Taymiyya, Majmau'l Fatawa, Riyad 1381-1386 h. XXIII, p. 349) On the other hand, a person who despairs of Allah's mercy and a person who believes that he will definitely not be punished by Allah become unbelievers. God Almighty states the following in the Quran "Truly no one despairs of Allah's Soothing Mercy, except those who have no faith" (Yusuf, 12/87), "Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (az-Zumar, 39/53). "Did they then feel secure against the plan of Allah? But no one can feel secure from the plan of Allah, except those (doomed) to ruin!" (al-A'raf, 7/99).
A person who has a wrong creed like that becomes a Muslim when he utters kalima at-tawhid or kalima ash-shahada. Hz. Prophet stated the following in a hadith: "I was ordered to fight people until they say La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah). When they utter it, they protect their blood and property from me except for just cases. It is up to Allah what to do with them after that." (ash-Shawkani, Naylu'l-Awtar, VII, 197,ffd.; Zaylai, Nasbu'r-Raya, III, 379).
It is unbelief not to accept the institution of prophethood or to deny the prophethood of even one prophet.Therefore, Jews, who accept the other prophets as messengers of Allah but not Hz. Isa (Jesus) and Hz. Muhammad, and Christians, who do not accept the prophethood Hz. Muhammad, are unbelievers. (Ali al-Kari, ibid, p. 50; al-Fatawa'l Hindiyya, II, 263; al-Ghazzali, al Iqtisad, Egypt, nd. p. 112).
Those who denythe institution of prophethood do not become Muslims only by uttering kalima at-tawhid, that is, by saying, "There is no god but Allah". They need to add kalima ash-shahada (I witness thatHz. Muhammad (pbuh) is Allah's slave and messenger). For the members of other religions like Jews and Christians, in addition to uttering kalima ash-shahada by believeing, it is necessary to say that they have no connection with their previous religions. It is not enough for those people only to say, "I am a believer; I am a Muslim; I believed; I became a Muslim."
For, they may utter theses words while they still continue to remain in their own religions. In that case, a type of a person who is both a Jew and a Muslim or a person who is both a Christian and a Muslim emerges, which is not compatible with the essence of Islam. (azl-Zuhayli, al-Fiqhu'l-Islami wa Adillatuhu, Damascus, 1404/1984, VI, 427).
It is also unbelief to attribute deity to a prophet. As a matter of fact, Christians are regarded as unbelievers because they say Hz. Isa is Allah's son. (see al-Maida 5/17, 72).
It is unbelief to deny the whole Quran, one chapter of it, one verse of it or one decree, order and prohibition of it. It is also unbelief to deny a word which is unanimously agreed to be in the Quran, and a reciting form which is unanimously definite; it is unbelief to add something to the Quran, too. It is also among the things that make a person exit Islam to make fun of, despise and trifle with the Quran, a chapter or verse of the Quran. (Ali al-Kari, ibid, p. 151; al-Fatawa'l Hindiyya, II, 266; A.Saim Kılavuz, İman Küfür Sınırı, İstanbul 1982, p. 114-115).
In Islam, the issues of belief are regarded as a whole. To deny one of the principles that are necessary to be believed means to deny the whole. It is not possible to remain a Muslim by separating Allah form His messenger and by believing one part of the Quran and denying the other parts. (al-Baqara, 2/85) The following is stated in the Quran: "Those who deny Allah and His Messengers, and (those who) wish to separate Allah and His Messengers, saying: "We believe in some but reject others": and (those who) wish to take a course midway.― They are in truth (equally) Unbelievers; and We have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment " (an-Nisa, 4/150 151). With the verses above, Allah threatens the Jews and Christians who deny Him and His prophets. For, they separate Allah and His prophets regarding belief. They believe in some prophets but deny others. It consists of their groundless views which originate from their delusions and finding their fathers with this belief, and their emotional feelings. Consequently, Jews did not believe in Hz. Isa and Hz. Muhammad. Christians did not accept Hz. Muhammad, who came after them. However, belief in the institution of prophethood necessitates believing in all of the prophets sent to the world by Allah. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, İstanbul 1985, II, 396-397). The Jews who lived in Hejaz during the advent of Islam were jealous of the fact that Hz. Muhammad was sent as a great prophet; therefore, they opposed him, denied him and fought him during the Period of Madinah. However, they were defeated and were driven away from Hejaz region afterwards. Their tortures, oppression and even murders of the previous prophets are narrated as follows in the Quran:
"And remember ye said: "O Moses! we cannot endure one kind of food (always); so beseech thy Lord for us to produce for us of what the earth groweth-its pot-herbs and cucumbers its garlic lentils and onions." He said: "will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye down to any town and ye shall find what ye want!" They were covered with humiliation and misery; they drew on themselves the wrath of Allah. This is because they went on rejecting the signs of Allah and slaying His messengers without just cause. This is because They rebelled and went on transgressing." (al- Baqara, 2/61).
The ummah of Islam believes in all of the prophets sent to the earth by God Almighty, whether their names are mentioned in the Quran or not. Therefore, it is the necessity of belief in Islam to believe in Hz. Dawud, Hz. Musa and Hz. Isa, who are the prophets of the heavenly religions before Islam, and that the originals of their books, which were not distorted, are books revealed by God. A Muslim who denies one of them, for instance, the prophethood of Hz. Isa or the Gospel, which was sent down to him, exits Islam. It means Islamic faith has universal characteristics. It contains the undistorted original forms of Judaism and Christianity, too. Besides, many verses of the Quran inform us about the changes made in the Gospel and the Torah afterwards and the superstitions and the wrong beliefs added to these religions. We can give the following verse as an example to clarify the issue: "They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Mary." But said Christ: "O children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord, and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah―Allah will forbid him the Garden and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help." (al-Maida, 5/72).
It is unbelief to deny of the orders and prohibitions that are stated by the Quran or sound hadiths and that there are no conflicts about. To regard prohibitions like alcohol, gambling and fornication as halal (permissible) is an example of unbelief. However, whether committing harams called "major sins" (al-kabair) makes a person exit Islam or not is something that was debated by the scholars of the first ages of Islam. It is reported from Ibn Umar (r.a) that there are nine major sins. They are as follows: To associate partners with Allah, to kill a person unjustly, to slander a chaste woman stating that she fornicated, to escape from war, to commit magic, to grab the property or money of an orphan, to disobey one's Muslim parents, to insist on committing harams (forbidden deeds). Abu Hurayra added devouring interest and Hz. Ali added drinking alcohol to them. Meanwhile, there are some scholars who accept every sin that is as harmful as or more harmful than the ones listed above as a major sin; some scholars accept every sin for which Allah and His Messenger imposed a penalty as a major sin. Regarding the issue, adh-Dhahabi (d. 748/1437) wrote a special book and explained seventy major sins. (adh-Dhahabi, Kitabu'l-Kabair, Beirut, 1355/1933).
The group of Kharijites, which emerged during the caliphate of Hz. Ali, accepts deeds as part of belief and says that those who commit major sins exit Islam. The group of Mu'tazila also accepts deeds as part of belief and therefore says that committing major sins makes a person cease to be a believer but does not say that it makes him an unbeliever, unlike what Kharijites say. According to them, such a person is called a "fasiq" and remains at a stage between belief and unbelief until he repents. If he repents before he dies, he dies as Muslim; if he does not repent before he dies, he dies as an unbeliever. (Taftazani, Sharhu'l-Aqaid, trnsl by Süleyman Uludağ, İstanbul 1980, p. 262 ff)
According to Ahl as-Sunnah scholars, committing major sins does not make a person exit the religion of Islam unless the person denies that it is a sin. Their evidence is as follows: Belief is the approval by the heart. As long as this attribute exists, a major sin committed under the influence of things like lust, desires, jealousy and laziness is not contrary to the approval in the heart. However, if it is committed with the belief and feeling of "regarding haram as halal and trifling with halal", it is regarded as unbelief. On the other hand, verses and hadiths name rebellious and sinning Muslims as "believers". We can give the following verses as examples:
"O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance" (at-Tahrim, 66/8). "O ye who believe! The law of equality is prescribed to you" (al-Baqara, 2/178)."If two parties among the Believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them" (al-Hujurat, 49/9). The deeds mentioned in the verses above are major sins. However, God Almighty addresses those who commit those deeds as "believers".
It is something unanimously agreed since the time of Hz. Prophet that the janazah prayers of Ahl al-Qiblah who are definitely known to have committed major sins are performed and that it is permissible to ask forgiveness for them from Allah.
Believers are warned against major sins as follows in the Quran: "If ye (but) eschew the most heinous of the things which ye are forbidden to do, We shall expel out of you all the evil in you and admit you to a Gate of great honour" (an-Nisa 4/31; see also ash-Shura, 42/37; an-Najm, 53/32). In this verse, major sins are kept outside the content of forgiveness because there are some worldly penalties for them and in addition, special repentance is necessary for their otherworldly sins. It is possible for most of the minor sins to be forgiven through prayers, fasting, hajj, zakah, favors and charities without the need for repentance (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, II, 229). What is more, hajj becomes a means for the forgiveness of some major sins. For, there are hadiths stating that hajj performed fully will forgive all of the previous sins of a person as if he has just been born. (Bukhari, Muhsar, 9, 10; Nasai, Hajj, 4; Ibn Majah, Manasik, 3; Darimi, Manasik, 7; Ahmad b. Hanbal, II, 229, 410, 483, 494).
To sum up, it is the necessity of belief to accept all of Allah's orders and prohibitions and all of the Islamic decrees and to regard Islam as a system. Those who reject some of them or who claim that it is not possible to apply Islam in this century and deny even only one decree of Islam become unbelievers.
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What is unbelief (kufr)?
It means to cover, to cover the bounties that one attains by not thanking for it, to show ingratitude. Therefore, night is called kafir (coverer) in Arabic because it covers everything with its darkness. As a term, unbelief is the opposite of belief; that is, it means faithlessness. In other words, it means to deny the existence and oneness of Allah, prophethood and the things that Hz. Muhammad definitely brought from Allah. A person who does not believe in the things that are necessary to be believed in Islam is called a kafir (unbeliever) because he covers and hides the truth. It is not necessary to disbelieve all of the things that are necessary to be believed in order to be an unbeliever. It is unbelief not to believe in one or some of them.
Unbelief can take place through the heart, words and deeds. A person who utters something that makes him an unbeliever though there is no necessity to utter it, a person who despises or makes fun of the things that are necessary to be believed or a person who does things that are not compatible with belief becomes an unbeliever.
However, if a person who is threatened to be killed utters something that makes him an unbeliever though his heart is full of belief in order to save his life does not exit Islam. (Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur'an Dili, İstanbul 1960, Vol. 1, p. 207-208; Asım Efendi Kamus Tercümesi, Vol. 2, p. 662).
The following is stated in the Quran for the permission given to those who are forced to abandon Islam:
"Anyone who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters unbelief― except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith― but such as open their breast to unbelief― on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty." (an-Nahl, 16/106).
The reason why this verse was sent down is as follows: In Makkah, Qurayshi polytheists were forcing three Companions, Ammar, his father Yasir and his mother Sumayya (may Allah be pleased with them) to abandon Islam. They tied Sumayya between two camels, dragged the camels toward opposite directions and broke her body into pieces because she did not abandon Islam. They martyred Yasir, inflicting various tortures upon him. They were the first martyrs of Islam. They threw Ammar into a well. When he was about to drown, he had to accept what the polytheists wanted. Thus, he saved his life. When somebody went to the Prophet (pbuh) and said that Ammar had exited the religion of Islam, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "No, Ammar is a believer from head to foot. Belief has penetrated into his flesh and bone." Meanwhile, Ammar arrived, crying. Hz. Prophet wiped his tears and said, "Do not worry! If they force you again, pretend to accept what they say through your tongue." (Ibn Kathir, Tafsiru'l-Qur'ani'l Azim, Istanbul 1985, IV, 524 ff.; Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, ibid, İstanbul 1936, IV, 3130, 3131).
Man was created to know and worship his creator; therefore, it is unlucky for him to be alienated from this purpose, to be deprived of belief and to fall into the swamp of unbelief. When he sees the harsh truth during death, in the grave and in the hereafter, he will want to be sent back to the earth; however, this request will be rejected since the world life is given to a person only once.
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What are the common characteristics of prophets?
Common characteristics and qualities of prophets are as follows:
1. Sidq (Loyalty): Being truthful is one of the main attributes of prophets.All prophets tell the truth about the news that they receive from Allah. Telling lies is impossible for them.
Prophets are free from acting contrary to the truth and uttering unnecessary words whether when they are furious or happy. It is permissible for them to make jokes but the jokes must be based on a truth and be free from lies. The jokes they make are based on a truth. (Muhâkemât, 54; For the jokes the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) made to his companions, see: Ghazali, Ihya trns., III, 287-293)
2. Amanah (Trust): Prophets are AMIN (reliable) personalities.Prophets are reliable and trustworthy people regarding fulfilling the duties that Allah gave them. Breach of trust is impossible for them.
All of the prophets are the most reliable and trustworthy people of their age. Everybody accepted that they were reliable people both before and after the prophethood. It is the greatest evidence showing that prophets are right and tell the truth regarding their causes. They asked their nations to accept the truth by reminding their tribes their attribute of reliability.(See: al-A’raf, 68; ash-Shuara, 107, 128, 162, 178; ad-Duhan, 18)
Is it possible for a person who is reliable before prophethood and who has never told a lie or deceived anybody to say, “I am the messenger of Allah” and slander and betray Allah although he is not a messenger? It is impossible. Right-minded and fair people will notice it.
As a matter of fact, that attribute was among the issues that Heraclius, the Emperor of Byzantium, asked the delegation from Quraish in order to investigate the truth of the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah. He asked the Quraishi people whether they had heard any lies from him before his prophethood. When he heard the answer, “No”, he said, “A person who has never told a lie to people cannot dare to slander Allah. He is right in his cause.”(H. Jisri, ibid, 547)
3. Tabligh (Conveying): Prophets convey the orders that are revealed to them by Allah to their nations exactly, without missing or adding anything. It is not in question for them to hide the news or to change it. Kitman, that is, the property of hiding the news is not present in prophets.
4. Fatanah (Intelligence): Prophets have a superior mind and intelligence, a strong memory, a superior logic and ability of persuasion.
Prophets have nothing to do with qualities like madness, heedlessness and ignorance.
5. Ismah (Innocence): Prophets are free from all kinds of sins, whether secret or open, faults, bad deeds, and acts that are not suitable for prophets. People should not even think that prophets could commit sins.
6. Mu’jiza (miracle): Allah gave all of His prophets the quality to produce some extraordinary things or events in order to enable them to prove that they are right and to cope with the objections and the obstinacy of the deniers. They are called miracles. Miracles are supernatural events. They are supernatural events that take place based on the power of Allah not prophets; for instance, the parting of the Red Sea by Hazrat Musa (Moses)...
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What are the differences between the belief of "God" of different religions and the belief of "Allah" described by the Quran; and what are the characteristics of the Creator according to Islam?”
The Quran answers this question concisely with a short chapter that has deep meanings. With this chapter, Allah wants to correct a widespread mistake among humans; He also saves Muslims from the mistake that Christians made. Allah answers the question above in the chapter of al-Ikhlas as follows:
“Say: He is Allah the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth, not nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.”(al-Ikhlas, 112/1-4)
The first verse rejects all kinds of polytheism by stating that Allah is one and not more than one.The second verse states that He does not need anything but that everything needs Him all the tiem. The third verse states that the belief of trinity is wrong and that something that is born and that bears a child cannot be a deity.(1)The fourth verse states that, He is different from all creatures as a creator and that it is not appropriate to liken Him to anything.
The Quran mentions an active creator who is creating all the tiem and who maintains the realm of existence constantly with the manifestation of His name al-Qayyum (the Self Existing, the Self Subsisting). The Quran answers the deists who claim that God created the universe as if He wound a clock and left it on its own as follows:
“Of Him seeks (its needs) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendor doth He (shine).” (ar-Rahman, 55/29)
The verse states interestingly that all creatures ask Allah to meet their needs at any moment and that Allah answers this request. When we read the verse reversely, we deduce the meaning that if there was not constant creation, the prayer of the creatures would be meaningless. The following verses inform us that the universe is maintained by the Creator constantly with His name al-Qayyum:
“Allah! there is no Allah but He―the living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal.”(al-Baqara, 2/255 and Aal-i Imran, 3/2).
(1) To liken Allah to a human being is a basic mistake that many religions make. Christianity and Judaism attribute a son to Allah while it is believed in many polytheistic religions that God was born. I was surprised by the statement of a Hindu speaker in the organization called World Prayer Day held by the Unity Church in the second week of September when he said, “Today is a very important day for us because today is the birthday of the greatest God that Hindus believe in.”
“The text above was summarized from Dr. Furkan Aydıner’s book in which he included the notes he made while he talked with some atheist groups.”
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How do a believer and an unbeliever see the world?
The world is viewed through two glasses. One is the glasses of belief and the other is the glasses of denial.
A person who looks at the universethrough the glasses of denial, that is, throughthe glasses of unbelief, which does not accept the existence of a Creator sees everything in the universe as unattended, unplanned, ownerless and purposeless. He does not and cannot know why the beings were created and what their duties are just like a person who is left on a mountain in the darkness at night who mistakes whatever he sees for a snake or a monster and who does not understand what the duties of these beings are and what they are really like.
All of his aim and purpose is the world life. He does not know any other life than life in this world. Therefore, he wants to satisfy all of his feelings in this world.
However, the feelings in man were given to him according to the realm in the hereafter. Each feeling is infinite. It is not possible to satisfy these feelings in this world. For instance, the desire to live eternally and the desire to have a lot of property are infinite. The feelings like love and compassion are infinite. We do not say, “I love this amount of people. There is no place to love anybody else in my heart.” Even if we love everybody, the capacity of this feeling does not fill.
Even if a person who looks at the world through the glasses of unbelief sees so many creatures with meaning, wisdom and purpose, he cannot understand them. For such a person, the people in the past passed away and disappeared. The people in the future will also disappear and decay. Therefore, he sees himself between two graves and as a being that will decay and disappear soon. Such a person cannot receive any pleasure and taste from the world due to fear of death just like a person sentenced to death waiting to be executed.
A person who looks at the universe through the glasses of denial relies on his own mind and compares everything to his own self as if his mind was appointed as the engineer of the universe; he objects to the richness of the rich and the poverty of the poor. He opposes when he is not given the best opportunities and facilities.
In the Quran, the richness of Qarun (Croesus) is narrated, which will shed light on the issue. Qarun is so rich that he cannot carry the keys to his treasures on his own. The people around him look at his wealth and say, “We wish we had such wealth.” However, Qarun does not fulfill his responsibility of being rich and does not pay zakah, which is the right of the poor, and does not pay the wages of his workers fully. He claims that he has earned his wealth through his knowledge.
When Allah buried him under the ground together with his wealth, the people who had wanted to be like him said, “Thanks Allah that He has not given us such wealth. We do not want to be in place of Qarun.”
A person who regards his mind as the engineer who to determine the shape of the universe and who feels enmity against Allah because he has not been given certain things should not overlook these stories narrated in the Quran. He should be happy not sorry because he has not been given the things whose responsibilities he will not be able to fulfill. For, Allah tells us that everybody will be accounted for every bounty that he has, even the water one drinks and the air he breathes in.
A person who looks at the universe through the glasses of belief sees this realm as a great guesthouse and palace decorated with roses and basils where all kinds of bounties and food are granted. He feels great gratitude toward his Creator, who transformed him from shape to shape beginning from the time he was in the uterus, who created him as a human being not as a stone, plant or animal, who equipped him with faculties like mind, imagination and memory and who presented all of the living and non-living beings in the universe to him.
When he looks at the past, he understands that the journey that started with his ancestors Hz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa (Eve) will end in Paradise, that he will be together with all of his beloved people and relatives there eternally and that he will be treated all kinds of bounties by his Creator endlessly. He understands that the world is not the main destination but that it is a waiting room and a test center on the way to the hereafter.
He knows that the misfortunes like diseases and earthquakes are a necessity of testing and thanks by showing patience and thinking that the troubles and problems he suffers here will gain him rewards in the hereafter.
When he is faced with events whose real meaning he cannot understands he speaks like Ibrahim Haqqi who says,
"God transforms evil to good, (That is, there is definitely something good behind everything that we see as bad or evil. Allah makes what seems evil good for us.)
Do not think He does something else, (That is, there is goodness and beauty in everything that Allah creates. What is created is nothing but goodness.)
The clever person watches it, (The clever person, that is, the person who has knowledge only watches it. He does not try to object to things whose reasons and meanings he does not understand.)
Let us see what God will do,
Whatever He does, He does well.
Do not say why is this so,
It is as it should be,
Show patience and watch the end,
Let us see what God will do,
Whatever He does, He does well.”
Even if his mind cannot comprehend, he knows that Allah does everything in the best way.
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Is it in man's power to believe?
It is Allah who grants people belief. However, He gives it to His slaves who want it. A slave wants guidance from Allah and Allah gives it to him.
According to the tafsir of Sa'd Taftazani, belief is"a luminous light granted by the Eternal Sun (God Almighty) and a gleam from the endless bliss."(Said Nursi, İşârâtü'l-İ'câz)
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What does universal will mean?
Universal will means the divine will that can wish endless things at the same time. Partial free will is the human will that can wish only one thing at a time and that cannot deal with two things at the same time.
It is said that there are about one hundred trillion cells in the human body. Each cell has so many functions. How can man explain these endless activities in his body though he cannot wish two things at the same time? That is, man cannot own himself. He is a slave. His body is arranged and controlled by a universal will.
The slaves who get rid of heedlessness and find the truth think as follows: “Since no organ and no cell of mine are free and unattended, I cannot be free and unattended either! All of the things that occur in my inner world are wise and useful. Then, I should use my will properly and I should not do unnecessary things that are not useful for me in the world and hereafter. Since every cell in my body, every star in the sky and every system in the universe act based on a universal will, I should use my partial free will in accordance with that universal will. I should not delay my duty of servitude and I should perform worshipping fully.”
Then, he generalizes his thought. I cannot intervene in my inner world; similarly, the tree is not the real owner of the factory that operates in it. That factory does not operate on its own. There is some wisdom, power and knowledge that program this tree so that it will yield apples and that tree so that it will yield pears. I am unaware of the red and white blood cells that flow in the river of my blood; similarly, the sea is unaware of the fish in it. The sky does not know the stars in it. I have not created my hair; the tree does not attach the leaves themselves. The forests are not created by the mountain. The sun cannot own the planets.
When these endless things occurring in the universe are taken into consideration as a whole, they clearly show a universal and absolute will.
Let us think: So many different deeds are performed at the same time in this realm! Every moment, so many living beings, from the microbes and bacteria, from the red and white blood cells and insects to birds and human beings, are dying. Their places are not left empty. Equal amounts of beings and even more beings come to the world.
While so many beings are getting ill, many others are getting better. So many beings climb up to lofty ranks but so many beings go down to humiliation.
While some people eat, others approach starving. To do so many deeds that are different from one another and that are often opposite to one another, each of which shows the manifestation of a divine name, together at the same time is the work of a universal being.
Comparing them to his partial free will, man looks at his weakness and incompleteness, thinks about these endless deeds amazedly and admiringly; then, his belief becomes perfect.
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What is Prophethood?
Prophets are distinguished people that Allah chooses among people. They inform people about His religion, that is, His commands and prohibitions. They give the glad tidings of reward both in the world and hereafter to those who believe and do good deeds; they warn unbelievers who do bad deeds of torture of hell…
The following is stated in the Quran:
“We send the Messengers only to give good news and to warn: so those who believe and mend (their lives)”. (al-An’am, 48)
Prophets are distinguished slaves of Allah. A person cannot be a prophet by working, trying hard and asking. Prophethood is an endowment of Allah.
Prophets are the leaders of the humankind. We are ordered in the Quran to accept them as models, to tread in their footsteps and to resemble them since they are in the highest level of servitude to Allah, away from acting in accordance with the desires of their souls and from committing sins:
“Those were the (prophets) who received Allah's guidance: Follow the guidance they received.” (al-An’am, 90)
“Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah.” (al-Ahzab, 21)
In this dua (prayer), which Muslims recite in every salah (prayer),
“Show us the straight way. The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace”, ‘prophets’ are in the first place among those that have been bestowed grace. Muslims accept prophets as models and follow their guidance.
Prophets were chosen among human beings not among other beings because of being accepted as models.
It is clear that the one that can serve as the best model for human beings can only be a human being.
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What are the evidences related to the existence of the hereafter?
There are a lot of evidences related to the existence of the hereafter. The earth is one of them.
“Then contemplate (O man!) the tokens of Allah's Mercy! How He gives life to the earth after its death: verily the Same will give life to the men who are dead: for He has power over all things.”(ar-Rum, 30/50)
With the verse above, we are given examples from the incidents that we see with our own eyes and the issue is made easier for us to understand.
Spring comes after very winter. Are billions of plants and animals that die in fall and remain still in winter and that are resurrected in spring not the best examples of life after death? The number of living beings resurrected in spring in one year is thousands of times bigger than all of the human beings that lived beginning from the time of Hz. Adam, the first man, to the Doomsday. The number of all human beings is not equal to the number of flies created in spring in one year.
Every year, three hundred thousand species of plants and animals are resurrected. Each species has billions of individuals. The fly is only one species out of three hundred thousand species. Then, three hundred times as much living beings as all human beings are resurrected in spring in one year. They all take place before our eyes.
The spirit programs of the plants that die in fall every year are placed into their seeds and kept there every year. In spring, the plants wake as they are released to the soil. Allah, who keeps the spirit program of a simple creature in its seeds, definitely keeps the spirit of man, who is His most valuable creature, and resurrects him in the ground of the Gathering Place.
The seed that goes into the ground decays and is broken into parts but it forms the first step of a new life, of resurrection. Similarly, when the human body that is put into the ground when he dies, the beginning of a new life starts as it decays. Allah, who has the power to do anything, who resurrects billions of living beings in spring as easily as awakening people who are asleep, will definitely awaken all people in the Day of Resurrection. Since He promised to do it, he is able to keep His promise.
Then, the existence of the hereafter and resurrection is more definite than the advent of the next spring and tomorrow morning. The Being that is able to create today is definitely able to create tomorrow. The Being that creates the plants and animals that we see this year is definitely able to resurrect them in another spring. Though the cells of human body are transferred to other beings and function there, the cells of all human beings will be created again on the Day of Resurrection.
The wish of existing eternally that we inherently have and the wish of never being non-existent are evidences of the existence of the hereafter.Allah gave us water to meet the need of the feeling of thirst that He gave us; He created the sustenance that we can eat since he created the feeling of hunger inherent in us. It is Allah who created the feeling of not being satisfied with this life and the wish of living eternally, that is, being in need of the hereafter in man. Allah, who gives us water to meet the feeling of thirst and food to meet the need of hunger, will definitely create the hereafter to meet our feeling of living eternally. If Allah had not wanted to give them to us, He would not have given us the feeling of wanting. Since Allah makes us want the hereafter, He will definitely give it to us.
Man, who experiences sleep, which is the younger brother of death, every night and who wakes up every morning as if he is resurrected, virtually watches the signs of the Day of Judgment and Resurrection.
“However reasonable and necessary and certain the morning of this night is, the Morning of the Resurrection and the spring following the Intermediate Realm are that certain.” (Sözler (Words))
The rays of that life always signal to us. However, what matters is to accept it before going there and to watch the sun before it starts to rise. Is it of any significance to accept the existence of the sun after it rises? One light of that sun is in the world of our spirit: the wish to live eternally. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi expresses that this wish is an evidence for the existence of the hereafter as follows:
“(If He had not wanted to give, He would not have given us the feeling of wanting.)Yes, if the Being that created us had not wanted us to watch this world, would He have equipped us with eyes in the uterus? Would He have given us ears if He had not wanted us to hear these wonderful sounds? Yes, the biggest evidence for the existence of the hereafter if the wish of "living eternally" placed in the spirit of man."
“But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget thy portion in this world...” (al-Qasas, 28/77)
A person who wants what is low and mean throughout his life, who gets used to low and mean things and who pursues mean things will not be able to look for the hereafter. Lofty ideals, supreme attributes and high ethics are gradually deleted from his spirit. There is also a state that is opposite. As a person makes progress in belief, he wants to meet his Lord more. As he sends more capital to the hereafter, he starts to want to reach there more. A student who thinks of his future and the ranks he will attain does not pay much attention to the yard, classrooms, café and desks of the school very much; similarly, such a person's love of this world gradually decreases in his heart. No sane person regards it possible that life starts and ends in this world.
“Do they not reflect in their own minds? Not but for just ends and for a term appointed, did Allah create the heavens and the earth, and all between them: yet are there truly many among men who deny the meeting with their Lord (at the Resurrection).”(ar-Rum, 30/8)
After the Ascension (Miraj), the Prophet (pbuh) described the realm of the hereafter to his Companions as follows:
“No eyes have seen anything like that; no ears have heard anything like that; nobody has ever imagined anything like that.”
Paradise cannot be described better than this statement. For, this description is the description of a person who saw Paradise.
“Show us the source and origin of these examples and shadows you have shown us.”
Is it not possible to understand Badiuzzaman Said Nursi's prayer above as follows? The world is a place of examples and shadows. A man's photograph is much less than his own body; similarly, his state in Paradise is much better than his state in this world. It is felt how much better Paradise, where trees obey rules, is than this world, where humans do not obey rules. Besides, the mind says, "It has to be so."
Allah's promise regarding the issue, which is the most important evidence and which is sufficient alone for it, and the miracles of the Quran are also evidences for the existence of the hereafter.
Is it possible that Allah will disappoint His slaves who believe in His promise, who believe that it is very easy for Allah to create, who turn to Him and who want the hereafter from Him? Is it possible that He will confirm those who do not believe in His promise, who do not regard it possible that Allah will create the hereafter, who do not heed Allah, who deny Him and who make fun of those who turn to Allah? It is definitely impossible! Everything that is seen shows that Allah is trustworthy and that He will never break His promise. Telling lies originates from being incomplete and weak. It is impossible to regard Allah as incomplete and weak.
The basis of the doubts regarding the existence of the hereafter during the period of the Prophet (pbuh) and in the periods after him was formed by the question "Can Allah create the hereafter?" This is the question that forms the knot about the existence of the hereafter. The Quran answers this question concisely, clearly and in a very convincing way as follows:
"Doth not man see that it is We Who created Him from sperm? Yet behold! He (stands forth) as an open adversary! And he makes comparisons for us, and forgets his own (Origin and) Creation: He says "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?" Say "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! For He is well-versed in every kind of creation."(Yasin, 36/77-79)
The One Who created them for the first time! To know that Allah created us is sufficient evidence to understand the existence of the hereafter and how easy it is for Allah to create the hereafter. It will be sufficient for us to examine the universe and to understand how perfectly, finely and deliberately Allah created the universe in order to understand how easily Allah will create the hereafter.
"They say: "What! When we are reduced to bones and dust, should we really be raised up (to be) a new creation?" Say: "(Nay!) be ye stones or iron, Or created matter which, in your minds, is hardest (to be raised up)--(yet shall ye be raised up)!" Then will they say: "Who will cause us to return?" Say: "He Who created you first! …" (al-Isra, 17/49-51)
It is very easy for Allah to create the universe. It is a promise of Allah; besides, it is our greatest need; furthermore, hundreds of verses of the Quran insistently give use the glad tidings about the hereafter. Since it is obvious how easy it is for Allah to create the universe, to deny is an astounding thing. Allah is the creator of man and He knows how the soil decays the human body. Allah does not forget the first creation of man since the soil decomposes the human body.
"'What! When we die and become dust, (shall we live again?).' That is a (sort of) Return far (from our understanding). We already know how much of them the earth takes away: with Us is a Record guarding (the full account)."(Qaf, 50/ 3-4)
Allah stores all of the knowledge about the human body in a single DNA cell. When the Quran tells us that we can understand the existence of the hereafter by looking at our own creation, it attracts our attention to how Allah creates in many verses. In the chapters where we examine the miracles of the Quran, most of these miracles show the perfection of the creation of Allah in the universe. The cells of our body constantly die and new ones are created. Not even one cell of our body today is the same as the cells on the day we were born. The foods we eat become a part of our body and replace the parts that die. Atoms like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur, which are the building blocks of our body, always go in and come out of our body as long as we live and pass to the soil. However, our essential, spiritual self, which we call "soul, spirit", does not change and remain the same. Allah creates our material body by continuously renewing it even when we are alive. Allah, who knows how the soil destroys our body and what the origin of our body is like, has promised us to create us again. Since this is an easy promise and since it is Allah's promise, it will take place. Many verses of the Quran attract our attention to the creation of the universe and the earth and show them as evidence for the creation of the hereafter and the resurrection of the death.
"See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and never wearied with their creation is able to give life to the dead? Yea, verily He has power over all things." (al-Ahqaf, 46/33)
The long range creations in the universe, the big numbers of the individuals of the living beings and the species of the living beings show us that it is as easy for Allah to create living beings in big numbers as creating one individual.
"And your creation or your resurrection is in no wise but as an individual soul: for Allah is He Who hears and sees (all things)."(Luqman, 31/28)
46-)
What is the benefit of believing? Why should man believe?
- “Believing” means to be convinced for sure of something’s trueness. A person who believes in something which is proved by certain proofs cannot have a luxury of preferring to believe or not. For example, it is impossible for a person to overlook the sun he sees in an unclouded midday; He cannot have a hesitation such as, “Should I believe it or not?” Like this, hesitating to believe in an illuminating truth like the sun which is also seen by the eye of reasoning is a sign of ignorance.
The belief of Islam is based on believing in Allah and the hereafter. Truly believing in them only comes to fruition by believing that the Prophet Muhammad is the apostle of Allah and the Qur’an is the true word of Allah. According to this, the primary resource is the Qur’an because’ the Qur’an is both a book that we can touch and see with our bodily eyes and also a treasure of miracles that we perceive His heavenly, divine identity with the eye of reasoning and heart. In that case, believing in Islam means believing in what the Qur’an says.
- When a student who ignores the importance of studying and the bitter consequences of failing the class, he spends his days with his friends by amusement and entertainment.
Overlooking the truths and forgetting the phases of accounting and torture starting after by death may give temporary pleasures in this transient world. They are like “poisonous honey”.
-The Qur’an informs us the following many times in its hundreds of verses with certainty and clearly: if a person who believes in the religion of Islam acts according to his/her belief, he/she will have an immortal happy life in Paradise, which is a realm of the hereafter, and will never die again and have any sorrow. On the other hand, he who does not believe in the truths that Islam puts forth will be imprisoned in Hell forever.
Is it possible for a really believing person to overlook these two truths: that is, the result of believing is going to Paradise and the result of disbelief is eternal torture and to say, “I do not care, never mind; these things do not interest me; I enjoy my life; I do not want myself to be disturbed by thinking of these things”?
Is it not incredible of a person to fear from a two-day imprisonment and finding it necessary to leave the important pleasures and joys of his soul aside but to remain insensitive in the face of the imprisonment of Hell? Whose reasoning makes it possible for a person to work for this very short life by day and night and meet challenges but not to walk on the way that gains an eternal realm like Paradise?
It is an unchanging principle of human nature to evaluate and perceive events according to the judgment that rules in his heart and mind. For example, a pessimistic individual evaluates and perceives everything from a pessimistic point of view and his life is shaped according to it. On the other hand, an optimistic individual looks at everything from an optimistic point of view and evaluates the life according to it. Red glasses let us see the environment as red; similarly, black glasses also let us see the environment as black.
Since an unbeliever sees the universe as meaningless, null and as a game of coincidence, everything seems gloomy and painful to him. And since a believer knows that everything is meaningful, beneficial and under the control of Allah’s care and command, everything seems lovable and peaceful to him.
If there had not been the light of belief brought by Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) and Islam, humanity would not have been able to analyze and understand the events take place in the universe. Thus, humanity would have been in extreme darkness and despair.
For example, an individual who has no belief in the hereafter sees death as nullity and nonexistence. He also sees the grave as a pit of nonexistence. On the other hand, an individual who has the light of belief sees death as a beginning of an eternal realm and the grave as an entrance of an eternal happiness. He does not see death as a terrific source of separation but as a means of rejoining friends and relatives.
An unbeliever sees unpleasant things and poverty, which is valid in the entire universe, like a funeral house where there is mourning and grieving. He perceives everything and every being as a hostile person and a stranger. The eye of the heart which is illuminated with the light of belief sees the universe not as a grieving and mourning funeral house but a happy soldier of a military post who has completed its duty and returning to his native land. He sees every creation as a soldier of Allah and an official servant but not as a stranger or a hostile person.
Besides, human is selfless by his nature. That is, human is a social creature who becomes happy with other’s pleasures and suffers with other’s torture. While everyone is in torture, it is impossible for him/her to get pleasure from life.
However, a faithless person sees everything as meaningless and poor things that are doomed to nonexistence; therefore, from his point of view, the universe is like a house of mourning. He sees everybody as crying orphans. In order to be happy in such a psychological mood, it is necessary to silence the mind and the feelings like an animal or to have a cold heart that does not heed the painful people around. Since both cases are impossible, it is not possible to reach real happiness through denial and faithlessness.
A person who feels disturbed by the sparkling lights and colors of the sun and closes his eyes, causes it to be a night only for himself...
47-)
What is pre-eternity? Will you please explain the concepts of time and pre-eternity through examples?
Pre-eternity
What is pre-eternity?
What is time and pre-eternity?
The most important cause for misunderstanding the issue of qadar (destiny) is confusion about the concepts of "time" and "pre-eternity" and misinterpreting them.
People live in time and place and so they evaluate every event according to time and they make a mistake by assuming "pre-eternity" as the beginning of "time". Misunderstanding qadar is the result of this wrong comparison.
Time is an abstract concept. It starts with the creation of the universe and many events happen in it. Time is divided into three parts: Past, present and future. This division is for creatures. Namely, the concepts such as century, year, month, day, yesterday, today, tomorrow are in question for creatures.
Pre-eternity does not mean before the beginning of the time. In pre-eternity, there is no past, present and future. Pre-eternity is a station where all times are seen and known at the same moment. Now, we will try to understand Allah’s attribute of pre-eternity through some examples:
Example-1:
(Think of a straight line; let us call it the timeline.)
Suppose that this line is the timeline. The middle of the line is the present, that is, the time we are living in. The left point of the line is the past. At this point, the universe was created and then the first man, Adam, was created. And everything that was created from that time to the present existed between these two points which symbolize the past and the present.
The point at the right side of the line is the future. This point is the eternal life that include life in Paradise and Hell beyond the Day of Judgment. Between the present point and the future point, there are our grandchildren, their grandchildren and everything that will be created until the Day of Judgment; and even are revival after death, reckoning, the weighing of the deeds and passing the Sirat bridge.
Eternity is not the left side of the point of past in the timeline. The main cause of not being able to understand qadar is thinking that pre-eternity is at this point and placing pre-eternity in a place on the timeline. For, when we assume pre-eternity to be at this point, Allah will know tomorrow only when tomorrow comes according to this assumption. This assumption and misunderstanding the concept of pre-eternity will cause us to ask this question: “If Allah wrote that I was going to be a sinner in my qadar, what is my fault?”
When we show the concept of pre-eternity on our timeline, it will be understood how nonsensical this question is. Here is pre-eternity.
It is not the left side of the past. It is timelessness. It is a station that holds and sees the present, the past and the future at the same moment.
Therefore, Allah sees and knows today. Likewise, Allah sees tomorrow, the other day and everything until eternal life that includes Paradise and Hell along with today.
For Allah, there are no concepts such as present, past and future. These concepts are for people as they are dependent on time. Now, we will examine this issue through another example:
Example-2:
Suppose that this picture is our timeline. The middle is the present, that is, now; the left side is the past and the right side is the future. Now, we are holding a mirror on the time scheme. The mirror is close to the floor; so, only the present time is reflected on the mirror. The past and the future are not included. Now, we will lift the mirror a bit and in this position, the present time and a part of the past and the future are reflected on the mirror. When we lift the mirror a little more, the remaining part of the past and the future that are not seen in the previous position are also reflected on the mirror. That is, as we lift the mirror, the time period which appears on the mirror expands. Now, we will lift the mirror to the highest point.
At this point, the mirror encompasses the present, past and future as a whole. This point is called the point of pre-eternity, which sees all of the three times as a whole at the same moment. When we say, "Allah is pre-eternal", we mean that Allah sees and knows all times and places at the same moment and that He is timeless.
Example-3:
Now, we will see the concept of pre-eternity in another example: We assume that three vehicles set out from Erzurum toward Istanbul. The first one is in Izmit. The second one is behind the first one in Eskisehir and the third one is behind them in Ankara.
Now, when we pay attention to these three vehicles, we see these: The vehicle which is in Izmit is at the front when it is compared to other vehicles. Namely, it is in the future because it passed the roads that other ones did not reach yet.
The vehicle in Eskisehir is in the past when it is compared to the vehicle in Izmit because the vehicle in Izmit already passed Eskisehir. However, it is in the future when it is compared to the vehicle in Ankara because this vehicle did not reach the other vehicle's place yet.
The vehicle in Ankara is in the past when it is compared to the other two vehicles because these two vehicles already passed Ankara.
The words such as the past and the future are used about the vehicles, but these words that express time are not used for the sun which is on the top of them and enlightens three vehicles at the same moment. That is, we cannot say that the sun is in the past compared to this vehicle, or the sun is in the future compared to that vehicle because the sun enlightens these three vehicles and encompasses all of them with its light at the same moment. This state of the sun, that is, being independent of time, which is valid for the vehicles on the earth, and encompassing the three time periods at the same moment is an example of pre-eternity.
Likewise, we are in a point of the timeline that started with the creation of the universe. Everything that passed before us is in the past compared to the present time. The times after today and this moment and the creatures that will be created at those times are in the future compared to the present time. Now, our grandfathers became a thing of the past. However, before that, their grandfathers were also waiting for their grandchildren who would come in the future. Our grandfathers, who were in the future compared to their grandfathers' time, came to this world, lived here and became a thing of the past. Similarly, we are in the future compared to our grandfathers' time and we will also become a thing of the past. And our grandchildren, who are in the future compared to our time, will be in their present day.
As it can be seen, the concepts such as the past, the future and the present are used for us. However, there are no such concepts for Allah, who creates everything and time. Allah encompasses all these times at the same moment like the sun in the example with the light of His knowledge. Then, we cannot say, "Allah wrote it; so we are doing it" because Allah encompasses all times at the same moment with His pre-eternity; so, Allah knows all our deeds that we will do with our free will and so Allah wrote whatever we will do during our life time in our qadar book. We do not do deeds because Allah wrote them. On the contrary, Allah wrote them because Allah knows that we are going to do them.
To be able to understand this issue better, we will give a final example because understanding pre-eternity is a key to understanding the issue of qadar. The first cause of misunderstanding the issue of qadar is being unable to understand Allah's attribute of pre-eternity of and supposing that Allah is dependent on time.
Example-4:
If you know a poem as a whole, the relation of your knowledge to all lines of the poem is same. That is, as we have mentioned before, the sun encompasses the three vehicles at the same moment. Likewise, your knowledge about the poem encompasses all lines at the same moment. However, sequence is important for the lines of the poem. For example, the sixth line is after the fourth line and before the tenth line. When you finish writing the fifth line and start to write the sixth line, the fifth line becomes a thing of the past. The sixth line is at the present time. The tenth line is in the future. Namely, it has not come into being yet and it has not been written yet. However, this tenth line, which has not come to being yet, is available in your knowledge. Then, sequence is not in question for your knowledge.
Likewise, the nineteenth century and the people living in this century are in the future compared to the eighteenth century and the people living in this century and they are in the past compared to the twentieth century. However, for the pre-eternal knowledge of Allah, who is independent of time, all these centuries, the past, the present, the future are within the scope of His observation at the same moment.
That is, qadar, which we name as "pre-eternal knowledge of Allah", is not a plan made in the past; it is a time out of plan. It is knowledge encompassing all past and future times at the same moment.
Then, saying, "Allah wrote my qadar; I cannot change it by any means" is an extremely wrong statementbecause Allah did not write in the book of qadar without knowing what we were going to do; and He did not force us to act according to this writing. On the contrary, Allah knows with His pre-eternal knowledge what we will choose with our partial free will and what deed we will do; so, Allah wrote them in the book of qadar.
The saying, "Allah wrote my qadar; I cannot change it by any means", which is uttered as an excuse is basically wrong because the book of qadar is a manifestation of the knowledge of Allah. His knowledge is not an attribute of forcing. The writing is only a declaration. For example, if I write a sentence like this, "You are going to turn off your television in fifteen minutes." And if you turn off your television in fifteen minutes, can you say, "If there had not been that sentence, I would have not turned off my television"? You definitely cannot say that because it is only a sentence. It is a message. It is not enforcement.
Likewise, "Allah wrote my qadar; I cannot change it by any means " is extremely wrong. Our acts are not created by the knowledge of Allah; so, we cannot blame the book of qadar, which is the title of the knowledge of Allah.
Our acts are created by the power of Allah. The knowledge has no effect on this creation. Then, how can we hold the book of qadar, which has no effect on the creation of our acts, responsible? The person who asks such a wrong question only cheats himself.
For, if you say to this person, "Why are you going to school? You cannot change your qadar. If being a doctor is in your qadar, you will be a doctor in any case. You cannot prevent it. Even if you do not study, you will be a doctor. If it is not in your qadar, you can never be a doctor even if you study." Or, if you say, "Why are you opening your shop? If earning much money today is in your destiny, you will earn in any case so there is no a necessity to open the shop. Earning much money today is not in your destiny; you will not earn even if you open your shop. You can never change your destiny." If we say these sayings, if we say that he can never change his destiny so there is no a necessity for him to go to school, to open his shop, this person defends himself and says: "You will work so that Allah will give you something." However, when the issue becomes related to doing religious duties and avoiding sins, this person uses destiny as an excuse, becomes submissive and blames qadar. This is nothing but cheating oneself.
However, as we have covered in the pre-eternity issue, Allah does not force us to commit any sin. Allah knows what we are going to do with His knowledge that encompasses all times and places and Allah wrote them in the book of qadar. Is the reason why we blame qadar due to our sins and the reason why we say, "Allah wrote my qadar; I cannot change it by any means" the pre-eternal knowledge of Allah what we are going to do?
That is, if Allah had not known what we were going to do, we would have become responsible. Then, will we not become responsible because of He knows them? The person who blames qadar due to his or her sins must check what he wants and he or she must feel ashamed.
With the examples given above, we tried to understand the pre-eternity of Allah. However, it must not be forgotten that all these examples are only small binoculars to zoom in on the fact that minds are too weak to understand. The minds are too weak to understand the greatness of the power and the majesty of Allah fully. Likewise, the minds cannot fully understand the pre-eternity of Allah and the knowledge of Allah, which encompasses all times and places at the same time. However, even these weak binoculars declare that the statement "Allah wrote my qadar; I cannot change it by any means" is an extremely wrong saying and they clarify the issue is completely.
Along with the pre-eternity of Allah, when the rule, "knowledge is dependent on the known" is understood, you will see that all questions about qadar that are assumed to be unanswered will be answered suddenly.
48-)
What are the advantages of belief in the Hereafter for the society and individuals?
Belief in the Hereafter is one of the essentials of Islamic creed. According to Islam, there is a Day of Judgment when everyone is going to be called to account for their good deeds and evil deeds in a divine court where they are going to be either punished or rewarded. The twenty-eighth verse of surah al-Baqarah says:
“How can ye reject the faith in Allah?- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.”
Belief in the Hereafter is the first condition of living a peaceful and happy life in worldly life. Those who do not believe in the Hereafter are poor people who do not recognize any moral values and disturb individuals’ and society’s peace and safety. In societies in which people do not have faith or have weak faith, all kinds of evil works such as lying, theft, fornication, murder and immorality can be performed freely; and eventually these societies collapse.
Humankind desires immortality and wants reach eternity with their beloved ones, beauties and good deeds. We see that spirit seeks eternality and can satisfy its thoughts and imagination only with it. It provides joy of life for a person who lost a beloved one to think and believe that he is going to live with him eternally one day. One can find strength to endure the pains of all negative incidents, unfairness, cruelties and injustice, incurable illnesses and disorders he comes across in worldly life only by believing in the Hereafter. When a person is wronged, it is the biggest consolation for him to think that everyone is going to be punished for what they have done. It is a great haven for those who are disabled from birth to think that enduring it with the help of belief in the Hereafter is going to be rewarded.
Yes, one who believes in the Hereafterknows that he is going to be called to account for his deeds whether big or small, and he is going to be either punished or rewarded in the end. And thus, he leads his life in accordance with this.
In Risale-i Nur Collection,only four of the hundreds of proofs that belief in the Hereafter is the most important essential of social life and individual life and the basis of happiness and perfection are stated as follows:
The First Proof:It is only with the thought of Paradise that children, who form almost half of the mankind, can endure all the deaths around them, which appear to them to be grievous and frightening, and strengthen the morale of their weak and delicate beings. With the thought of Paradise, they find hope in their vulnerable spirits, prone to weeping, and may live happily.
For example, thinking of Paradise, a child may say: “My little brother or friend has died and become a bird in Paradise. He is flying around Paradise and living more happily than us.” The frequent deaths before their unhappy eyes of other children like themselves or of grown-ups will otherwise destroy all their resistance and morale, making their subtle faculties, such as their spirits, hearts, and minds, weep together with their eyes; they will either decline utterly or become crazy, wretched animals.
Second Proof:It is only through the life of the hereafter that the elderly, who form half of mankind, can endure the proximity of the grave, and be consoled at the thought that their lives, to which they are firmly attached, will soon be extinguished and their fine worlds come to an end. It is only with the hope of eternal life that they can respond to the grievous despair they feel in their emotional child-like spirits at the thought of death. Those worthy, anxious fathers and mothers, so deserving of compassion and in need of tranquility and peace of mind, will otherwise feel a terrible spiritual turmoil and distress in their hearts, and this world will become a dark prison for them, and life even, grievous torment.
Third Proof:It is only the thought of Hell-fire that checks the turbulent emotions of youths, the most vigorous element in the life of society, and their violent excesses, restraining them from aggression, oppression, and destruction, and ensuring that the life of society continues tranquilly. If not for fear of Hell, in accordance with the rule ‘Might is right,’ in pursuing their desires, those drunken youths would turn the worlds of the wretched weak and powerless into Hell, and elevated humanity into base animality.
If we have a look at the world today, how can we explain the terrible and formidable situation humanity has fallen into?Will the world not be a more livable place if people think that they will be accounted for what they do while there are wars, wrongdoings and injustice everywhere and if belief in the hereafter helps them? Then, the communities that want security, peace and clam should make belief in the hereafter dominant in the community.
Fourth Proof:The most comprehensive centre of man’s worldly life, and its mainspring, and a paradise, refuge, and fortress of worldly happiness, is the life of the family. Everyone’s home is a small world for him. And the life and happiness of his home and of family are possible through genuine, earnest, and loyal respect and true, tender, and self-sacrificing compassion. This true respect and genuine kindness may be felt due to the idea of the members of the family having an everlasting companionship and friendship and togetherness, and their parental, filial, brotherly, and friendly relations continuing for all eternity in a limitless life, and their believing this.
One says, for example: “My wife will be my constant companion in an everlasting world and eternal life. It does not matter if she is now old and ugly, for she will have an immortal beauty.” He will tell himself that he will be as kind and devoted as he can for the sake of that permanent companionship, and treat his elderly wife lovingly and kindly as though she was a beautiful houri. The wife will think about the same things for her old husband and shows him respect sincerely and loyally.
A companionship that was to end in eternal separation after an hour or two of brief, apparent friendship would otherwise afford only superficial, temporary, feigned, animal-like feelings, and false compassion and artificial respect. As with animals, self-interest and other overpowering emotions would prevail over the respect and compassion, transforming that worldly paradise into Hell.
We cannot appoint a guard for everyone but we can place guards of consciousness full of belief in the Hereafter in people’s hearts. Then instead of anarchy, despotism and cruelty, obedience, respect and justice will rule in the society. Individuals, families, constitutions, communities and even the whole world will live in peace.
(see Abdulkadir IŞIK, Ahirete İmanın Toplumsal Faydaları, Tefekkür Dergisi, June 2007, Issue:16)
After this short explanation, we can enlarge upon this subject a little more:
What belief in the Hereafter, in the Day of Judgment when everyone is going to be punished or rewarded, and in the eternal life earns individuals and society:
After belief in Allah, organizing life and providing peace for the whole society depends on belief in life after death.
The life of a person who does not believe that he is going to be called to account for what he has done cannot be thought to be straightforward. On the other hand, one who keeps in mind that he is going to be called by Allah in the otherworld to account for every step he takes, one whose each behavior is an expression of an account, one who treats his each word, each listening and each inclination in his heart with sensitivity of accounting to Allah will have a highly organized life.
“In whatever business thou mayest be, and whatever portion thou mayest be reciting from the Qur'an,- and whatever deed ye (mankind) may be doing,- We are witnesses thereof when ye are deeply engrossed therein. Nor is hidden from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these things but are recorded in a clear record.” (Yunus, 10:61)
That is to say; all behaviors and actions are being recorded by angels. Everything we do, big or small, hidden or obvious, anything that we consider small but considered big by Allah or anything we consider big but considered small by Allah, are recorded. Observers watch and record all we do and Allah who is “DAYYAN” (the One who judges people based on their deeds) is present everywhere, waiting for the Day of Judgment.
A life that is led with this spirit and consciousness becomes straightforward; a society that consists of individuals who live with this spirit and consciousness becomes peaceful and a family having this spirit and consciousness turns their home into a garden of Paradise.
Yes, there is only one way through which humankind can quit their craziness; it is belief in the resurrection after death and reckoning.And it is only the belief in resurrection that can stop the craziness of youth, and that can light up the flames of happiness in the vulnerable hearts of children.
Everyone, from young ones to old ones, from women to men and from just ones to unjust ones, needs to believe in the resurrection as they need water they drink and air they breathe in.
Drinking this sherbet called belief in the resurrection meansalso drinking peace slowly. For this reason, all intellectuals who work for the peace and safety of the humankind and aim to provide peace for them should evaluate this issue from this point of view.
Establishing true peace, happiness and comfort for individuals, families, society and the humankind altogether depends only on believing in the afterworld where all deeds – significant or insignificant - are going to accounted.
The Quran says:
“Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.” (az-Zalzalah, 99:7-8).
This verse declares that even a good deed of an atom’s weight will have its reward and that even an evil deed of an atom’s weight will have its punishment and it infuses into people this feeling of responsibility. When people have got this belief, we can tell them, “Do whatever you want”. Actually, practices and realities express that what goes around comes around. One who adopts this understanding feels the need for doing things which will not make him ashamed in the otherworld.
A child,with his weak, vulnerable soul, can find a peaceful life only by believing in the resurrection. Anyone who evaluates his childhood from this point of view and who remembers his childhood years will admit this conclusion.
Yes, a child has got a vulnerable heart. And a child is incapable of evaluating incidents happening around him and coming to a conclusion. And he cannot lose himself in entertainment. For this reason, he feels anxiety of death more than adults. The world of a child whose parents have died is destroyed. All the stars lighting up his inner world fade away and the sky of his heart sinks into darkness. Everyone who has got a heart can feel this.
One of my siblings died in my childhood.Every time I visited his grave, I would open my eyes and beg Allah saying “O Allah, please bring him back to life so that I can see his beautiful face once again!” Now, if you take away this belief in the resurrection after death from thousands of people like me having this psychological mood, with what will you heal this painful heart and how will you extinguish this fire? No, no way… Nothing can heal it and it will be impossible for you to extinguish that fire. It is only belief in the resurrection that can console this child writhing in pain and sorrow.
When his beloved ones depart this world one by one, it is only the belief that they have gone to Heaven that can console this little one and saves him from this unbearable sorrow.
Pass-away of a beloved elderly one, or even of a younger one, whom he is accustomed to and without whom he thought he could not do, leaves an incurable wound in his vulnerable heart. It is such an incurable wound that only one thought can ease it:
“He is gone, or taken away; but, Allah opened the doors of Heaven for him. Now, he is flying like birds in the gardens of paradise. When I die, I am going to fly like him, too.”
If the one who died is an elderly person, he will think as follows: “He is dead. But, he is going to take me into his arms and caress me there.” And they are these thoughts that will fill the gap of separation and longing opened by death and will be the cure for his bleeding wound.
Do you long for peace?You can find it neither with factory chimneys fuming all around the world, nor by organizing journeys from stars to stars. The true peace is the peace that depends on this belief and faith. Yes, this peace, which is based on the principles of resurrection after death, is the true peace.
Aged people…Aged people who are approaching death with every step they take… While grave is waiting for them with its door open, and while they are running towards it at the highest speed, with what can they find consolation? What can console them? With what can they get over the sorrow caused by seeing the white hairs amongst their hair that they see in the mirror every day? How can they compensate for the spiritual gap caused by this situation? How can they eradicate the scars left in their heart by people – their children, their grandchildren, their friends and relatives – whom they saw off for the otherworld throughout all this time until they reached this age?
How can you console them when youth, health, career and position left them with a terrible scar in their souls? Every material thing which you present to them as a consolation will leave another terrible scar in their souls when they lose them and this will always go on like this. Therefore, there is only one cure with which all people including the aged ones can find peace: Believing in the resurrection after death!...
Persuading people that grave, which awaits them to swallow them like a monster with its terrible mouth open, is indeed the door of the corridor leading to the gardens of Paradise in the otherworld!... Presenting it as a departure lounge in order to get into those gardens of Paradise!... Describing it as a place where mercy and salvation roam!... And all of these will be a source of consolation for them.
The Quran reports prophet Zachariah (A.S) saying:
“O my Lord! Infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head doth glisten with grey: but never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer to Thee!” (Maryam, 19:4).
And then, it narrates his asking Allah for giving him a good child, and describes the outcry of a person who is ready to depart this world in a poetic harmony. It is one of the miraculous aspects of the Quran that it describes this outcry in a nice way. Anyone who is conscious will feel such an awesome outcry in his conscience when he listens to his heart and sees a bitter smile on his heart’s lips. And the only cure to console him in this situation and to ease this outcry in his spirit will be belief in the Hereafter. This belief and faith whispers to his ear the following words, with its life-giving breath:
“You have completed your lifespan. You have fulfilled your duty. The Infinite Mercy who sent you down onto this world is not going to waste you anymore in these deserts and is going to endow the boons, which He prepared for you, upon you by taking you to His presence.”
Yes, this news and others bearing the same meaning will enable those aged people to taste peace and happiness because they are getting ready for leaving for the otherworld, which is the true homeland.
A large part of the social life consists of young people.These aggressive young people whose lives are full of nonsense turn life into a hellish state. On the other hand, young people from whose lives gush out light like the Companions, whose faces show happiness, all of whose actions remind Allah and in whose eyes Paradise shines turn this life into Paradise.
Yes, young people will find their true personalities by believing in the resurrection. When belief in the resurrection and the feeling of resurrection are taken away from their hearts and minds, they will become the source of unrest for the humankind. If the humankind is restless today, it is because of the youth whose each stage of life is full of craziness and nonsense. While pedagogues and educators were trying to find solution for it, they deepened and deteriorated the wound and made it incurable due to their treatments. However, the cure of this wound is belief in the resurrection after death.
Actually, the real solution is possible by enabling those young people to take their every step with the belief that they are going to account for each of their steps in the presence of Allah and by bringing them up with this consciousness.
Hazrat Umar was going to mosque. In front of him, was a child running to mosque very fast. He accelerated his steps, approached the child and asked him:
- O Child! Prayer is not an obligation for you. Why are hurrying to mosque so excitedly?
The child answered:
“-O leader of the believers! A child died in our neighborhood yesterday!...
For, the source and the assurance of the right way is only arranging life in accordance with a day when everything is seen, determined and prepared for reckoning.
Although all occurrences and actions happening in the universe are organized by a collective power, human beings are responsible for arranging their lives with their own wills. If one uses this will properly, Allah will respond to all of his/her bodily desires with His mercy and provide him/her with gardens of paradise adorned with houris, ghilmans and servants.
As a matter of fact, will is the manifestation of Allah’s mercy and compassion. Heaven is the manifestation of His mercy and compassion as well. In this sense, when one uses will, which is a requirement of Allah’s mercy and compassion, properly, he will see the reward of this in the form of a manifestation of Allah’s mercy and compassion again.
Yes, organizing life in accordance with the Hereafter and always remembering the day when all that is hidden will come into light will give individuals, families and societies peace and enable especially young people to find the right way; they will live an organized and disciplined life and they will not spoil the peace of others.
Sahl bin Sa’d reports: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was told that a young person confined himself to his house and kept crying. The Messenger went to his house. When he entered the house, the young man jumped up with joy and hugged the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). However, he fell down by his feet after a short time. The young man was dead. The Messenger’s eyes filled with tears and uttered the following words:
“Prepare your friend for burial. Fear of Hell frightened him to death. I swear upon Allah, in whose hands is my soul, Allah will protect him from Hell.”
“And for such as had entertained the fear of standing before their Lord's (tribunal) and had restrained (their) soul from lower desires. Their abode will be the Garden.” (an-Nazi’at, 79:40-41).
One who is anxious about accounting in the presence of the Lord and organizes his life in accordance with this anxiety is safe in the presence of his Lord. The Owner of the Infinite Mercy harbingers the following in a hadith:
“I do not give two securities and two fears at a time.”
Who is anxious here finds salvation there. Do you know anything else other than this principle that can stop the craziness of the youth? Do you know a circle or frame that can protect people? If your answer is negative, you should be in a positive stage. All educators and pedagogues should listen to this principle and put it into practice in life.
Young people mean everything. If we evaluate the issue from Hazrat Umar’s point of view, who said “A nation without young people is ruined.”, when he saw a young man who severely objected to injustice, we conclude that the existence of young people who are adorned with sublime feelings is the source of life for social life. Such a nation is capable of building new civilizations. Otherwise, it will be vice versa. In this sense, the most important factor in the development of a nation is the youth, but a youth full of belief in the Hereafter. In short, believing people will be able to build a peaceful world and only believing people will have the right of leading a peaceful life on the earth… the youth either ruins or builds a nation. A nation either dies or comes into life with its youth. A nation is destroyed or survives through its youth.
A large part of the humankind is made up of patients, downtrodden people and sufferers. Belief in the resurrection has got a significant effect on their souls, too.
A sick person approaching death every day and running towards grave can find hope only in seeing that grave as a corridor opening to the otherworld. If he does not consider grave a road leading to happiness and a means of reaching infinity, he will never be happy. He consoles himself with this against headaches, backaches, cancer and gangrene and he can protect himself against the pain caused by Hazrat Azrael’s hands, which he feels on his neck from time to time, only with the help of this belief.
Yes, he will be consoled and forget his illness by saying “Yes, I am going; nobody will be able to stop me here… But, I will regain my health and immortal youth and I am going to the land of Allah, where everybody will return to some day.” For this reason, when believers submit their spirits to Allah, they have a smile resembling rose bud on their lips, for they reunite with their Beloved One; and they submit their souls to Him like this.
When the time of death came for him, the Prophet (pbuh), took his hands off Hazrat Aisha’s hands and said: “O my Allah, now I desire the other world.”
And, one day before it, he said:
“Allah presented two options to a servant; worldly boons as many as he wants and the boons with Him. The servant chose the ones with Allah.”
The servant who was supposed to choose between the worldly boons and the boons with Him was himself. He took his hands off Hazrat Aisha’s hands and desired to be with the Sublime Companion.
Similarly, a well-built person like Hazrat Umar put his head on the ground in the ruins and expressed his longing for the far away (otherworld) by saying “O Allah, take this responsibility off my shoulders, I cannot carry it anymore.”
Belief in the Hereafter meant an otherworld where thousands of beauties would be manifest and longing to see the Infinite Face beyond them, which made them speak these words and evoked this desire in their hearts.
As for the downtrodden people who could not save their honor from cruel and unfair people and who were eager to take revenge, they can be consoled only by thinking of the day when they will submit those who wronged them to Allah and by thinking of the rewards that will be endowed upon them.
Actually, the downtrodden people know it for sure that the oppression committed here will not be left without punishment… A major court will be set up and everything will be accounted with all details. Wrongdoers will have their punishment and wronged ones will have their rewards.
“Such is the chastisement of thy Lord when He chastises communities in the midst of their wrong: grievous, indeed, and severe is His chastisement.” (Hud, 11:102)
That is to say, once Allah catches a town of oppressors, He catches it severely and grievously. Then, that town is finished. Yes, downtrodden people can take their revenge on wrongdoers and oppressors only like this and only then can they be consoled.
As for the sufferers and troubled ones…All sufferers and troubled ones, who have been exposed to celestial calamities or earthly calamities, whose fields and gardens have been destroyed by floods or hails, whose houses have been destroyed by earthquakes, whose prosperity has been ruined together with their families and house and the likes, can only be consoled by thinking of the resurrection after death.
Actually, according to this belief, all belongings which have gone with calamities are regarded as given charities and the ones who have died are elevated to the degree of martyrdom. They find peace and consolation in this very belief.
While their homes turn into mansions in Paradise with belief in the hereafter, when this belief is taken away from their hearts, they turn into pits in Hell. A house in which a child is deprived of religious feelings and life, in which a youth is addicted to his desires and worldly delights, and in which a sick person, who is expected to die, is writhing in pain is not any different than a ruin for which the owls starts to hoot while people are still in. Their eyebrows are frowned, faces are as dull as walls and the worse, while trying to escape them, the misery of alienating from one’s own self and forgetting oneself in joy and entertainment… So it is possible for the sunlight to shine into this house only through the belief in the hereafter and the resurrection after death.
If you are thinking of making everyone, from children to the aged ones,happy, try to place belief in the resurrection into their hearts… For, young people will be organized and disciplined then, children will quit misbehaving and the aged ones will live happily as passengers to Heaven, and the lightning of happiness will start to flash in that house and songs of the hereafter will be sung there even before going to the hereafter and eventually, they will start living on the earth as if they were in Heaven while they are still on the earth.
Countries and towns are also people’s large house. Peace cannot be found in a world where young people are servants of their lower-self, where the aged people are pessimistic and hopeless, and where cruel people listen to the outcries of downtrodden people as if they listen to music. In such a world, towns, countries and nations are restless; because the necessities which would bring on peace have not been met.
A prayer has got certain parts which validate it and by accomplishing these parts, prayer is completed and one feels the sweet smile of ascension with his prayer. Sometimes, a moment of prayer feels like equal to a life of thousands of years. Similarly, for countries and nations to be peaceful, parts that constitute them should be in accordance with those necessities of peace altogether. An ideal city or site can be established only with an ideal system. Let Plato live his dream in his “Republic”!... Let the daydreamer Farabi try to frame it in his “al-Madinatu’l-Fadila.” They will never be able to build their ideal states because they are deprived of parts which constitute it. Yes, the primary necessity to constitute this peace in life is belief in the resurrection, humiliating the worldly life and waiting for the otherworld.
One of the greatest works of the Prophet (pbuh), person of a great sense of balance, is establishing his world system based on the belief of “accounting in the hereafter.” This worldly life is the introduction to the otherworldly life in a sense, a field of preparation for the Hereafter and an opportunity given to the humankind in order to light the flames of hereafter in their hearts. For this reason, this world is called “yawm ad-dunya” (the day of the world) and the otherworld is called “yawm al-akhir” (the last day). Anything performed in this world will have been performed for the otherworld to come.
The Messenger of Allah taught this lesson to everyone in a way that would light up the flames of comprehension and that would satisfy all hearts.
Hearts were so full of belief in the hereafter that the Companions looked down on this world and their eyes did not see almost any worldly materials. Here is an example:
“Two companions came to the presence of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) because of something which needed to be shared between them. Both of them claimed to have more of it for themselves. Having listened to them, the Prophet said:
-Now, if one of you tells his problem better that the other one and convinces me, he can make me judge on his behalf. I am just a human being like you; I will judge in favor of the one whose evidence is more convincing. However, the judgment in the hereafter will be done according to the truth. The wrongdoer will have his punishment and the wronged one will have its reward totally there.” Upon hearing this, both of them said:
-O Messenger of Allah! Give my share to him, too; I do not claim it anymore!”
Later, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) suggested them doing as follows:
-Go and share the property justly; then draw lots to decide who will take which part. And comply with the result of the lots. And renounce your rights for each other.”
As it is seen, life was arranged like that with the help of belief in the hereafter. It was such an arrangement that when one committed a sin, he fastened himself on a post and punished himself in this way until he was told that he was forgiven. It was taken so seriously that Companions who believed that a sin committed could be washed away only by the blood of martyrdom sacrificed their lives on the way of Allah, without any hesitation and tried to pass away to the hereafter totally pure, with the blood they shed in order to drink the sherbet of martyrdom.
Sa’d bin Rabi heard the whisperings of Muhammad bin Maslamah who said that he brought salutations to him from the Messenger of Allah, when he was about to submit his soul at the foot of Mount Uhud. In response to this, Sa’d bin Rabi said: “Give my salutations to the Messenger of Allah. I swear that I am feeling the smell of Heaven beyond Uhud!...”
Yes, what can it be other than belief in the hereafter that can make one taste this happiness even at the time of death? What mortal opportunity can provide an individual, a family or a society with that happiness?
Now, let us report some examples from the Sublime Prophet’s statements in order to be able to comprehend how he, the source of pride for universe, educated his followers about belief in the resurrection:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated:
“O people! You will be resurrected barefooted, naked and uncircumcised.” You will come into life again with your all cells, souls and bodies. You will have a resurrection that is both spiritual and physical. You will be resurrected so that you will see Paradise, which you feel in your conscience but you have not been able to see, and your Lord, whose manifestations you have seen but whose reality you have not been able to understand.
The Messenger of Allah continued:
“Beware! The first one to be dressed up in the hereafter is Hazrat Abraham. Beware! On that day, some people from my ummah will be brought as caught from their left sides. I will say: “O Lord! These are my ummah!...” Allah will say to me: “O Muhammad! You do not know what they did after you!.” And then I say, like Hazrat Jesus, the Righteous Servant,: “I witnessed them as long as I was with them. When You took me away, You witnessed them. You are the witness of everything. If You punish them, they are your servants actually. If You forgive them, You are the only One who is Mighty and Wise!”
In a hadith that Ahmad bin Hanbal reported from Hazrat Anas, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Man has not witnessed a more violent incident than death since Allah created them. Then, death seems easier than what will happen after death. On that day, they will witness such violence that they will sweat up to their chins. Their chins will almost turn into a bridle because of sweat; such sweat that even ships can float in those seas of sweat, if desired.”
The following hadith reported by Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurairah gives the details of the hadith above. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) says:
“On the Day of Judgment, people will be resurrected in three categories. The first one of them is the people who established the balance of fear and hope in the world life. They are the ones who were full of love for Allah all the time and who arranged their works in accordance with the consciousness and comprehension that they will be called to account for them in the hereafter. They are the ones who are hopeful for Allah’s mercy even in hopeless situations. They are the ones who do not fall into sorrow and hopelessness, which are signs of blasphemy, although they fear Allah to the utmost degree. And they are the ones who lead their lives in fear and hope.
The second one of them is the people who ride an animal in twos, threes, fours… and tens in order to be able to get into Heaven.” They are trying to arrive in the presence of Allah, with so many people on an animal, with great difficulty. They will go in fits and starts, like they fell down with sins and rebellion in the world life in fits and starts.
“As for the third category; they will be sent to Hell. (They will follow the compulsory direction following flames coming from Hell.) If they want to have a nap in the afternoon, Hell will have a nap with them. If they want to sleep at night, Hell will sleeps at night with them. If they want to stay awake till morning, Hell will stay with them till morning as well. And whenever they reach the evening, Hell will reach the evening with them, too…”
This is because they carried the seed of Hell in their hearts and souls. They slept with the seed of Hell at night and woke up with it in the morning. Therefore, they will be treated in accordance with the way they have lived. That seed will grow into a tree and will not leave them alone.
So, the Messenger of Allah educated his followers seriously with this lesson and the likes in consciousness for the hereafter and especially the Companions behaved in an atmosphere as if they witnessed Hell with all its awe and violence and Heaven with all its beauties beyond the curtains at the Prophet’s time.
Yes; the only way to live this worldly life on the right way and virtuously is receiving this education and putting otherworldly moral values into practice in this worldly life. Otherwise, virtuousness and righteousness cannot be imagined in societies made up of individuals who do not believe in the hereafter. If any trace of virtues are manifested in them, it is nothing but a virtue placed by Allah in their disposition and seed. And it is impossible for them to do otherwise, as it is placed in their dispositions. This impossibility forces them to do such virtuous works. And this is not as precious as the virtues that are gained by striving for them.
49-)
Is imitative belief sufficient today?
As we have mentioned above, today, imitative belief faces many delusions and doubts and they are exposed to be shattered and break down. Ali Fuad Başgil explains the reasons why imitative belief was sufficient in the past but not sufficient today as follows:
“People needed the strength of religion and spirituality in every period. However, that need became an obligation today. In the past, our ancestors lived comfortably with quite simple knowledge of religion and imitative belief in the form of tradition because the whole environment presented them with spirituality. Today, the situation has changed completely. The feeling of religion has weakened; the former religious respect has been replaced by an arrogant disrespect. The family has diminished and the family ties have loosened. The burden of the family has been placed on the shoulders of the father and mother; they have not been able to take care of the religious education of their children due to the economical needs. On the other hand, schools and universities have become centers of anti-religious propaganda. In an environment that has become more blurred with the derisions and obstinacy of the stubborn deniers, simple knowledge of religion is not enough today.
Questions like “What is religion? What is its relation with science? What should religion do in the presence of science and what kind of attitude should it assume?” have been occupying minds more than ever. Especially the intellectual young people should know the answers to those questions.” (Din ve Lâiklik: Religion and Laicism)
Indeed, the religious knowledge and the belief lesson to be given today should have an investigative content that will make the mind and logic accept the issues about belief. Otherwise, a simple lesson of religion, some knowledge about belief in the form of tradition will not be satisfactory for the people, especially the youth of today.
50-)
What is partial free will?
We can divide the deeds of human beings into two parts.
Some of them are the deeds that occur completely out of human free will. The beating of the heart, the circulation of blood, breathing in and out, opening and closing our eyelids are examples of such deeds. These types of deeds are named as "involuntary acts" Human free will cannot interfere with these types of deeds; therefore, there is no responsibility or reward for these deeds.
The other deeds are the deeds that we do through our free will. The deeds such as eating, drinking, looking, talking, walking are included in this part. In this part, we have the right to choose. We can look at permissible things but we can also look at sinful things. We can eat permissible foods or we can eat forbidden foods. We can talk about good things but we can also lie and gossip. These types of deeds are named as "voluntary acts"
Partial free will is our ability to choose among those deeds. In terms of creation, both involuntary and voluntary deeds are created by Allah. However, our demand is in question regarding voluntary acts and deeds. This demand is called partial free will.
That is, in voluntary acts, man is the one that demands and Allah is the one that creates the deed. Because of this demand, man becomes obedient or rebellious. In other words, human free will relates to the attribute of the deed and the power of Allah relates to the essence of the deed.
For example, Allah creates the essence of the deed of writing. The writings can include good deeds or sins. In the first situation, writing is beneficial but in the second situation, it is harmful. Here, whether the deed of writing is beneficial or harmful is decided by man. Man decides and Allah creates the writing according to man's decision. Man becomes responsible because of this choice and decision. Now, we will try to understand the nature of the partial free will through three different examples:
Example 1:
Suppose that we are in the guesthouse of a king. On each floor of the guesthouse, different bounties and benefactions are exhibited. As we come up, we see that these bounties and benefactions increase. Suppose that there is punishment instead of bounties and pains instead of benefactions on the ground floor of the guest house. There is only one way to go up and down: to enter the elevator and push the button of the floor that we want to reach.
Now we are in the elevator and we push a button that hoists us up and the elevator hoisted us up. Or, we pushed a button to go down and the elevator took us down. Moreover, we should not forget that a person can push the button to go up but then can change the decision and can push the button that will take him or her down and he or she starts to go down. Or, a person can push the button to go down but if he or she wants to go up and if his elevator journey has not finished yet, the person can push the button that hoists him or her up and he or she can reach the upper floor.
Now let us analyze our situation: We did not make the elevator and we cannot carry it by our force. However, the elevator does not act on its own. We push a button by using our free will and the elevator takes us to that floor.
Therefore, we cannot say, "I move the elevator and it works by my force"; similarly, we cannot say, "This elevator acts on its own; if it wants, it carries me up, or carries me down; I can do nothing about it; I have no free will." We cannot claim that we move the elevator by our force because we do not have even a little bit of force to move the elevator and to invent it. Let alone claiming to move the elevator by our own force, we probably do not even get in the elevator by our own force. The merciful king of this guesthouse makes us get into the elevator without our force and intervention.
So, we cannot say that we carry the elevator on our own and the elevator works based on my force. Likewise, we cannot claim that we have no intervention in the movement of the elevator and that it carries us based on its desire and free will. For, the elevator carries us to the floor that we want to go by pushing the button. It does not carry us to the floor that we do not want to go.
Then, the best statement is this: “We do not make the elevator move and the elevator does not work with our force. However, we determine the floor that the elevator goes up or down because of our free will by pushing buttons." Therefore, we determine the floor that we will go to. The elevator acts based on our determination and demand.
Now, we will explain the facts in the example: In this example, the guesthouse is this world and this beautiful realm.
The owner of the guesthouse is Allah, the sultan of pre-eternity and post-eternity.
The top floors of the guesthouse are the deeds that help us reach Paradise; the ground floor of the guesthouse is the sins that cause us to go to Hell.
The elevator is Allah's will and power. Pushing the button of the elevator is our demand from Allah to create that deed. This is partial free will.
When we decide to read the Holy Quran with our partial free will and when we demand to read the Holy Quran, Allah creates with His power the deed of "reading the Holy Quran". That is, when we are in this situation, we push the upper button of the elevator and the elevator carries us to that floor. Everything, from our mouth's movement to the Holy Quran that we read, belongs to Allah. Everything happens with His creation. We only prefer and demand this condition to be created by Allah. This preference and demand is called partial free will.
If we wanted to read a book that included sins instead of reading the Quran, we would demand this deed to be created by Allah with our partial free will just like pushing a button that took us downstairs and Allah would creates this deed because this life is a test.
Allah's creation is dependent on our desire, namely, our free will; so we are held responsible for our deeds. However, Allah does not create that sin due to His mercy in many cases and Allah intervenes between us and that sin.
Example 2:
Suppose that the sultan's ships are arranged on a dock in an order and there are two islands in front of the dock. The sultan commands the captains to go to the island on the right and prohibits them from going to the island on the left. The sultan tests the captains about their obedience to him and he does not interfere in the captains who go to the island on the left due to the test.
Suppose that the ships are equipped with the same devices and the routes to both islands are kept open. On the other hand, all needs and fuels of the ships are provided by the sultan. What the captain needs to do here is to turn the rudder only and to choose the island that he decides to go. The ship and the movement of the ship belong to the sultan.
If this captain goes to the island on the right by obeying the command of the sultan, he will meet various bounties. If he goes to the island on the left, he will be a target for the attacks of wild animals and he will be punished by the sultan's officers in various ways. Each captain can direct the ship and go to the island that he decides to go as a cox of the sultan. When a captain decides to go to an island, the ship will follow the route that the captain will give and the sea will carry the ship until it reaches this island.
We also must add that the captain has the right, at any moment of the travel, to change the route. For example, when he is travelling toward the island on the left, he can turn the direction toward the right side or when he is travelling toward the island on the right, he can turn the direction toward the left side.
Now let us analyze it: The captain does not cause the ship to move on the water with his own power because he does not have the necessary power for it. Likewise, he cannot fulfill the needs of the ship on his own. Neither did he make this ship, nor is he the owner of the sea and the other devices in the ship; all of them belong to the sultan.
However, the ship does not move on its own, without the will of the captain. The preference of the captain steers the ship. The captain cannot say this: "I am directing and moving this ship with my own power"; because he does not have such a power. He cannot say this, either: "The ship is floating out of my will. It is carrying me to the island that it wants by force. I am not responsible for the movement of the ship." He cannot say so because the ship travels based on his preference. Then, the best statement is this: "I am not the owner of the ship and its devices. They belong to my sultan. I am only a cox of the ship and I determine a route for the ship but I am such a cox that I will be accounted for every movement of the ship because my will and desire cause the movements of the ship."
Now, let us explain the facts in the example:
The dock in example is this world.
The sultan is Allah, who is owner of the universe.
Each ship is a man. The devices in the ship are the senses and organs given to man by Allah.
As for those two islands, the island on the right is Paradise and the deeds that cause man to go to Paradise; the island on the left is Hell and the deeds that cause man to go Hell.
The captain’s deciding the route of the ship and turning the rudder is partial free will. Every organ and cell in the human body, each system in the universe and sphere serve and move thanks to the will and the power of Allah. However, in voluntary deeds, man is not plunged into the sea of events like a captain whose hand and arms are tied. Man prefers and determines his ship's (body) island (movement) thanks to his partial free will. So he decides the destination which he will go on his own. The ability of this decision-making is named as partial free will.
Example 3:
Suppose that a child is sitting on the back of a wrestler. There are two mountains in front of them. On the mountain on the right, delicious foods and many bounties are available. On the mountain on the left, only thorny plants and wild animals are available.
The child will climb up one of these mountains but his own force is not enough to climb the mountains; so, a wrestler takes him or her on his back and he will carry the child by obeying the child's desire and decision. Suppose that this child wants to climb the mountain on the left instead of the mountain on the right, which includes many beautiful bounties and the child wants the wrestler to climb the mountain on the left. The wrestler carries him to that mountain. As a result of his desire, after climbing that mountain, he encounters hundreds of pains and fears.
Now, let us analyze the situation: The child did not climb that mountain with his own force. Besides, his force is not enough to climb that mountain on his own. However, the wrestler did not carry him to the mountain on the left by force. If the child had wanted to climb the mountain on the right, the wrestler would have carried him to the mountain on the right. As a matter of fact, he carried many people to the mountain on the right. Then, the child cannot claim that he climbed the mountain with his own force. He cannot claim that the wrestler carried him to the mountain on the left by force, either.
The best statement that the child can make is this: "I did not climb the mountain with my own force. The wrestler carried me to this mountain. However, the wrestler did not do it by disregarding my desire and decision. On the contrary, he obeyed my demand. I wanted him to carry me to the mountain on the left and he did it. The responsibility in climbing that mountain lies with me."
Now we will explain the facts in the example:
The mountain on the right in the example is Paradise and the deeds that cause us to go to Paradise.
The mountain on the left is Hell and the bad deeds that cause us to go to Hell.
That child is us, that is, human beings.
The wrestler is the power of Allah.
Yes, we do deeds thanks to the power of Allah. In the example, the child sits on the back of the wrestler. Likewise, we act with the power of Allah. We want Allah to carry us to the mountain that we want to climb and to create the act that we want to make. Our demand is the partial free will. Allah creates our demands even if He does not approve them because life is a test. Here; we want the act to be created by Allah. Allah is creator of the act. We become responsible for this demand because our demand and desire caused the creation of the act.
Then, our task is using our partial free will for the demand of good deeds and asking Allah to create the deeds that cause us to go to Paradise. When this desire combines with a good intention, it will make us deserve Paradise.
Happy is the man who uses the partial free will given to him in the creation of good deeds and who does the deeds that cause him to go to Paradise. Shame on the man who uses his partial free will, which was given to him to demand good acts, in the way of sins and misappropriation.
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Why were different prophets sent to different people and why were there differences among the religions that prophets brought?
According to Islamic belief, all prophets worked for the same belief and they conveyed people the same principles of belief and worshipping. However, it is true that there are some differences among the religions that the prophets brought. The most important reason for it is that the needs and perception levels of different centuries and communities were different. The prophets talked to people in accordance with their levels of perception and acted based on the needs of people. It is quite natural that there were some differences in the application of the religion in terms of words and forms. It is also a necessity of the law of the evolution in the universe. Those differences do not change the truth that the heavenly religions are the same in essence and purpose.
Although the prophets were sent at certain intervals and in different centuries, the prophet that came later resumed the message of the previous prophet. If there were deviations from the true belief during the period between the two prophets, the new prophet corrected the wrong belief and improved the ideas and ethics of people by guiding them.
When the religion of Islam emerged eventually, the evolution of the religions reached the last stage in parallel with the evolution of people; Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet for all people and for all the centuries until the Doomsday unlike the other prophets.
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Is man doomed to his destiny?
Man was sent to this world for a test. Man will receive either award or punishment in return for his deeds. Such award or punishment definitely necessitates man to be free to do deeds. Our fair Lord shows man the way of goodness and evil but He lets man choose one of these ways. We will affirm our statement with two verses from the Holy Quran:
"Say: "O ye men! Now Truth hath reached you from your Lord! Those who receive Guidance, do so for the good of their own souls; those who stray, do so to their own loss." (Yunus: 108)
"And say: The Truth is from your Lord so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve." (al-Kahf:29)
As it can be seen, man is not forced by Allah Almighty to go to one of the good or bad ways. Allah showed the two ways to man; and man became free to go to either of the ways. Besides, everybody knows by conscience that they are free in their actions. Man himself is a witness that he can do anything he wants without being under pressure and influence. For example, when man wants to lift up his hand, he can lift up his hand. When he wants to walk, he can walk. A person who wants to go to mosque can go to mosque; a person who wants to go to a casino can go to the casino. Neither the feet of the man going to mosque, nor the feet of the man going to the casino says, “I do not want to go there". Therefore, a person who is asked earnestly to use his body legitimately but uses the bounty of the body entrusted to him in order to commit sins has no excuse. He will be held responsible because he uses his free will in a bad way.
Does a person claiming that he sins because of being a prisoner of fate call it destiny when another man sins?
For example, a man says he steals due to being a prisoner of fate. Another thief enters this man's house and that thief starts to collect the valuable things; the owner of the house asks the thief what he is doing, the thief says: "I am a prisoner of fate. In my fate, theft is written. I will do it willy-nilly". Does the owner of the house allow the thief to steal his valuable things?
Suppose that a man claims that he is a murderer because of being a prisoner of fate. If his child is killed by another man and if the killer says: "I did it because this is written in my fate." How will the man whose child was killed react to the murderer?
Moreover, thinking that man is a prisoner of fate leads us to many dilemmas. In other words, if man was a prisoner of fate, the thief would steal because of destiny and the murderer would kill for the same reason. However, it would remove responsibility; so, Allah would act unjustly toward His servants. However, man is not a being whose feet are tied with a stone and who is thrown into the sea and then who is addressed, "get rid of this bad situation." By saying: "I am prisoner of fate", man blames destiny because of his sin. In fact, by saying so, man commits a major crime because he blames Allah and attributes oppression to Allah, who has endless justice. However, Allah is absolutely fair and is free from being unfair.
In addition, if man was a prisoner of fate, to command goodness, to ban evil, to reward people who obey Allah and to punish people who disobey Allah would be meaningless.Everyone would live in the way that had been written in destiny. For example, a person praying Allah would pray because praying had been written in the destiny. Similarly, a person who sins would sin because, according to this understanding, to sin had been written in the destiny of him. Therefore, sending prophets holy books to guide people would become meaningless because the advice to the people who were prisoners of their fate would not affect them.
Furthermore, in many verses in the Holy Quran, Allah calls the servants to repent. If man sinned because of being a prisoner of fate, would the call to repent be meaningful?
Another explanation showing why man is not a prisoner of fate is the fact that he is not asked to perform some kind of worship that he cannot fulfill and he is not held responsible for the things that he cannot do. If man were a prisoner of fate, such a distinction would not be made and everyone would become responsible under every condition. Regarding the rights belonging to Allah, the conditions abrogating the responsibility of people are as follows: Madness, dementia, forgetfulness, coercion and mistakes.
As a result, the deeds that are done in those cases are not voluntary deeds. Therefore, in this case, man does not become responsible. If man were a prisoner of fate, these cases would not be excluded from responsibility. Everyone, without excluding clever, forgetful, sleeping, mistaken people, would become responsible.
Allah Almighty forgives the servant who sins because of others' threats and coercions. However, when man is forgiven by such a merciful being, is it not something that deprives him of mercy to indict the mercy of Allah by saying: "You determined my fate; then, why do you punish me?"
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Why are Miracles Shown?
All prophets were given some extraordinary states by Allah against the people who denied their prophethood; they occasionally showed some miracles when it was necessary. As a matter of fact, miracles are shown to make people accept prophethood. Thanks to the miracles shown by prophets, people accepted and approved their prophethood. However, prophets never showed obvious miracles that everybody would have to accept willy nilly because it is against the issue of trial, which is the reason why man was created. It is necessary for trial to leave the door open for the mind but not to deprive the mind of will and the right of choice. The mind is given the right to prefer between belief and unbelief freely. If the miracles had been so obvious as impossible to deny, the mind would not have had any right to choose. Like Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), Abu Jahl would have had to believe and approve prophethood; then, the meaning of trial and the wisdom behind testing would have disappeared. The spirit of Hazrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, who was at the highest level, and the spirit of Abu Jahl al-Lain, who was at the lowest level, would have become at equal levels.
Therefore, some people did not believe miracles by saying they were “magic” and “prophecy” even when they were shown obvious miracles. If there had not been such concepts that people could use as excuses and pretexts, that is, if miracles had taken place so obviously that people would not have denied, it would have been compulsory to believe and belief would not have been a virtue or merit. It would have been contrary to the issue of trial and the divine wisdom. (ibid.)
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Is it possible for us to see Allah and to comprehend His true nature?
It is impossible for man to see Allah in person in this world and to understand His real nature.
It is because the mind and the feelings of man are limited. They are not enough to comprehend the true nature of Allah. However, man can afford to understand His existence and oneness by looking at the creatures and to know His endless power, and His other attributes and names.
Therefore, Allah prohibited us from thinking about His personality and His true nature; He ordered us to know His existence and oneness and to know His attributes and names.
The following is stated in a hadith:
“Look at the skies and the earth and look at yourselves in order to understand the existence and oneness of Allah; and think about the fineness in their creation that fascinates the mind and that they cannot occur alone. Because, they are the signs that show the existence and oneness of Allah.
However, do not think about the personality and the true nature of Allah. Do not start to think, ‘Is Allah like this or like that?’, How does He see and hear?’ Your strength will not be enough for it. No matter how hard you try, you cannot know or realize it well. You will be confused. Your criteria of knowledge and experience will not suffice.”
If we think of it a bit, we can understand through our minds that it is impossible to comprehend the true nature of Allah. The chick in the egg is certainly not expected to know the world outside the egg. The human mind is no different from the chick in the egg in terms of knowing the magnificent universe and the realms in the universe that Allah created. Therefore, it is not possible for the mind with its extremely limited comprehension capacity to comprehend the true nature of the being that created the universe when one thinks about it through his mind.
Mehmed Kırkıncı explains the issue as follows:
“Suppose that a man lived in a cave and did not see any light and that he was taken out of the cave very early in the morning before the sun rose. When the man who was dazzled by the light that came from everywhere was told that the light came from the sun, he would wonder about the sun and would try to know about it.
It is obvious that, no matter how he visualized the sun in his imagination, he would not be able to understand the sun and he would imagine different things each time he imagined the sun. He would liken the sun to the things he saw around him; each likening would be wrong.
If to believe in the sun were a fundamental of belief for that man, no matter how he imagined the sun, he would commit polytheism. The only thing he could do would be to realize that the light came from a sun but he would not be able to know the true nature of that sun. As a matter of fact, the belief that is expected from him is just that.
As the man in the example cannot understand the sun, man cannot know the real nature of the sultan called spirit that rules the country of his body. Although we know that our body stands with the spirit, that the body will collapse when the spirit leaves it, that the sultan watches this world through the window of the eye, observes the world of sounds through the instrument of ear and tastes everything through the scale of tongue, we do not know the real nature of the spirit. No matter what we say about its true nature, it will be contrary to the truth; no matter how we imagine the entity of the spirit, we will make mistakes about it.
Man, who is too weak to understand the entity of the sun, which he has not seen before and who is too ignorant to know the true nature of his own spirit, cannot understand, by any means, the Majestic Creator and the Perfect Owner of the whole realms, who is free from time and space; it will be a great error and madness to try to understand His entity and it is an aberrant thought that will make man fall into polytheism.” (Hikmet Pırıltıları: Glitters of Wisdom)
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What is the importance of the Quran; how can you describe the Quran?
The Quran is the last holy book that Allah sent down to people. The Quran was sent down to the Prophet Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) through Gabriel (Jibril) and then it reached today through being written down and reported.
The Quran is a material and spiritual guide for individuals and the community, all classes of people living in any place or time and for the whole life of man. Everybody, from the president to the man in the street, finds the things that are about them in the Quran. They take the knowledge and lessons that are necessary for peace and tranquility both in the world and the hereafter.
The virtues and characteristics of the Quran are stated as follows in verses and hadiths:
* "And this is a Book which We have revealed as a blessing: so follow it and be righteous, that ye may receive mercy."(al-Anam, 6/155).
* "And this is a Book which We have sent down, bringing blessings and confirming (the revelations) which came before it: that thou mayest warn the Mother of Cities and all around her. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in this (Book), and they are constant in guarding their prayers."(al-Anam, 6/92).
* "Do they not ponder on the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy." (an-Nisa, 4/82).
* "The Qur'an as a guide to mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong)..."(al-Baqara, 2/185).
* "The Quran is guidance and glad tidings for those who believe."(al-Baqara, 2/97).
* "This Quran is a guidance and glad tidings for those who believe."(Sad, 38/29).
* The following is reported from Harith bin Awar: Once, Hz. Ali said:
"I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
'Behold! A dissension will come.' Thereupon, I asked,
'O Messenger of Allah! What is the way out of it?' He said,
'It is to obey the Book of Allah.'(Then Hz. Prophet explained the characteristics of the Quran as follows:
'It contains all information about what has happened to those communities before you, news of dissensions and tumults that will happen after you and signs of Doomsday. It is the distinguisher between the truth and the falsehood. If anyone seeks guidance elsewhere Allah will lead him astray. It is the strong rope of Allah. It is the reminder with wisdom, and it is the straightest path. It protects souls who obey it from being ruined and misguidance and tongues that recite it from ambiguity.
Scholars of the Qur’an always crave more from it. Reading it again and again never bores its reader; neither does the reader lose any taste by reading it over and over again. Its magnificent wonders that astonish the mankind never end, "They said `We have really heard a wonderful Recital." (al-Jinn 1). He who utters it, speaks the truth. He who acts according to it, will be rewarded. He who pronounces judgment according to it, will be just. He who invites people to it, will guide them to a straight path.'" (Tirmidhi, Thawabu"l-Qur'an 14, 2908)
* "The Quran is a clear light, wise dhikr and the true way."
* "The Quran is a rope of Allah extended onto the earth from the sky."
* "The superiority of the Quran to other words is like the superiority of ar-Rahman to His creatures."
* "If a person reads a verse from the Book of Allah, it will be a luminous light for him on the Day of Judgment."
* "Make your houses luminous by performing prayers and reading the Quran."
The Quran was revealed into the heart of the Prophet (pbuh) in terms of not only its meaning but also its words. That is why, the Quran is called wahy al-matluww (the recited revelation). Therefore, the Quran is the whole of not only meaning but also words. The Quran was not sent down to the Prophet (pbuh) as a whole; it was sent down verse by verse and chapter by chapter.
The Miracle of the Quran
The Quran contains all kinds of principles of creed, deeds and ethics that will make man attain real bliss. It is a great literary miracle in terms of its words and meaning. The Prophet (pbuh) stated the following regarding the issue:
"Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed, but what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection."(Bukhari, Fadailu'l-Qur'an, 1)
In fact, the miracles of the other prophets ended as their time passed. The miracle of the Quran will exist until Doomsday. In various verses of the Quran, it is insistently stated that the Quran is a miracle:
"Say: "If the whole of mankind and Jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support...."(al-Isra, 17/88).
As a matter of fact, nobody has been able and will be able to produce a verse similar to the verses of the Quran in terms of style and eloquence. The Quran is a miracle in terms of its words and meaning. The Prophet (pbuh) could not read and write. He did not learn anything from anybody. Therefore, he was regarded to be illiterate. However, the book he brought contained great realities and informed about many scientific truths that science and experience managed to find in fourteen hundred years. This proves that the Quran is the word of Allah directly. For instance, the fact that the sun rotates around itself and moves toward a fixed point along with the other planets dependent on it, the opening of the pyramids and the mummified bodies of the Pharaohs were discovered in the last century.
However, the Quran informed us about them and similar realities many centuries ago. No matter how much science develops, it cannot contradict the Quran. On the contrary, the development in science will make it easier for the Quran to be interpreted and explained. As Badiuzzaman Said Nursi puts it,
"As time gets older, the Quran gets younger; the realities it contains become apparent more brightly."
Another miraculous aspect of the Quran is that it prophesied many events that took place later. Whatever it prophesied happened exactly.
Some of the definitions and description of the Quran are as follows:
- The All-Wise Qur'an, which makes known to us our Sustainer, is the pre-eternal translator of the great Book of the Universe...
This universe is likened to a great book written by the pen of power. In a booklet, the phrase signs of creation (ayat at-takwiniyya) is used for the beings in the world. Sign of creation means what is created based on the command "be" (kun), what shows the existence, oneness, names and attributes of Allah and what serves as evidence for them. The verses (signs) in the Quran come from the attribute of Allah called speech and the signs in the universe come from His attribute called power (qudrah).
This book of the universe makes Allah known with all of its signs but humans have not been able to read it and evaluate it correctly. That is, they did not understand the language of the book.The All-Wise Quran translated the book of the universe, informed humans about it and described our Lord, who is the writer of this book, to us. It told us about His attributes, names and deeds.
- the discloser of the treasures of the Divine Names concealed in the pages of the earth and the heavens...
Concealed means veiled, covered, that has become invisible and unknown. Thanks to the Quran, translating the book of the universe, the manifestations of the names of Allah that had been concealed in the world and in the sky started to be read. In this sentence, the names of Allah are likened to treasures. For instance, the name al-Khaliq (the Creator) is a treasure; all creatures are like the jewels of that treasure. The name al-Muhyi (the Giver of Life) is a separate treasure; all lives come from the treasure.
- the key to the truths hidden beneath these lines of events...
In this book of the universe, every event, like every creature, is like a word or line. It is necessary to read them correctly. The truths that are concealed under events can be read correctly only by the guidance and instruction of the Quran.
Night and day, health and illness, joy and sorrow, old age and death are all truths written in this book. The most important event for men among them is death. Those who regard death as "non-being, non-existence, entering into grave and disappearing" cannot understand the reality of death and misevaluate that important event. The reality of death is understood with the guidance of the Quran. Birth means to come to the world from the wound; similarly, death means to go to the realm of barzakh from the world. Then, another birth called ba'th will follow it; people will go to the Gathering Place from the realm of grave through it.
There are very detailed explanations about the reality of death in Risale-i Nur Collection. Let us remember some of them: Death is “a change of residence, a rest from duty,the liberation of the spirit”. The grave is “the gate of a realm that is better than this world.”
- the treasury of the favors of the Most Merciful and pre-eternal addresses, which come forth from the World of the Unseen beyond the veil of this Manifest World...
The phrase the world of unseen mentioned above can be understood as the great throne where this visible realm is controlled and administered, as the realm of similitude where the examples of everything are taken, and as the unknown realms like the Preserved Tablet (Lawh al-Mahfuz) where everything is recorded and preserved.
The words favor and addressing complete each other and point to the same target. Being addressed by Allah Almighty is a great favor for His servants. Being informed about His commands and prohibitions, attaining His consent, and being shown the ways of going to Paradise are a great grace and grant of Allah.
- the sun, foundation, and plan of the spiritual world of Islam...
The source of all beauties, virtues, merits and high ethics, primarily belief, is the sun of the Quran. The foundation of our religion is the realities of the Quran. A building of guidance and stability that will continue forever was built by hadiths, which are the first interpreters of the Quran, on this foundation.
The word plan can be interpreted as the ijtihads and fatwas produced under the light of the Quran and hadiths in order to answer the new needs that arise in the growing building of Islam.
- and the map of the worlds of the hereafter...
In the Quran, the road map of the life in the hereafter that starts with going to the Gathering Place and continues as “standing, scales (Mizan), bridge (Sirat) and Paradise or Hell" is drawn; the nice aspects of Paradise and the tortures of Hell are also shown to the man like photographs.
- the distinct expounder, lucid exposition, articulate proof, and clear translator of the Divine Essence, attributes, and deeds...
The only source of sound information about the essence, attributes, and deeds of Allah is the Quran. Human mind and imagination cannot do anything about these unknown and eternal realities. Since Allah makes Himself known in the Quran, there is no need for man's groundless guesses and invalid thoughts.
We learn from the verses of the Quran and our authorized scholars the following reality and similar ones: “Allah’s existence is necessary; He is pre-eternal and post-eternal; He is free from time and space; He has endless attributes; no change or decrease will take place in these attributes no matter how many creatures He creates; His existence and attributes, His mercy and wrath, His compassion and jealousy and all of His other deeds cannot be compared to the states and abilities of His creatures.
The beings in the universe declare the existence of Allah and His attributes with their states but people generally ignore these spiritual expressions or misunderstand them. Therefore, burhan an-natiq (articulate proof) is necessary. (When the phrase burhan an-natiq is used for the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), it means the one who conveys the message of the Quran to people.)
The phrase clear translator means the Quran translates the words of the book of the universe to the people who do not understand them; it has a similar meaning to the phrase articulate proof.
the instructor, true wisdom, guide, and leader of the world of humanity...
The Quran was sent down in order to train the spirits of people, to perfect their hearts through belief and their minds through science and knowledge, to teach them true wisdom, to dissuade people from the wrong paths and to show them the way of guidance. True wisdom, that is, the real information about the purpose of the creation of both human beings and other creatures and their duties can be learned from the Quran because the verses of the Quran are the words of the Creator who created those beings.
As it is known, the word "wisdom" is also used for philosophy. The adjective "true" used here indicates that philosophy is not true wisdom.
Wisdom has several definitions. One of them is "deeds together with knowledge" (practicing what one knows and learns) That is, if an idea makes man do good deeds, it has wisdom. Ideas that are only talked about but not practiced are personal ideas; they cannot be a means of guidance for people.
it is both a book of wisdom and law, and a book of prayer and worship, and a book of command and summons, and a book of invocation and Divine knowledge - it is book for all spiritual needs; and it is a sacred library offering books appropriate to the ways of all the saints and veracious, the purified and the scholars, whose ways and paths are all different...
The Quran is a book wisdom because it teaches man the purpose and duties of all beings; it is a book of shari'ah (law) because it informs man of the commands and prohibitions regarding both individual and social life.
It also contains "prayer, worshipping, commands and calls", which are essentials of shrai'ah, with all aspects.
The Quran is a book of dhikr which makes man gain at least ten rewards for its one letter when he reads it; it is also a book of knowledge in that it makes Allah known with His names and attributes.
The essentials of all true ways and paths are present in the Quran. Every fruit tree perceives a different fruit based on their structure in the universe; similarly, every tafsir scholar perceives different meanings in the Quran, finds doors of different knowledge, becomes exposed to the manifestations of different names of Allah and presents a different way of guidance. With this aspect, the Quran serves like a library though it is a single book. (see Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Sözler (Words) , Yirmi Beşinci Söz (Twenty-Fifth Word)
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Will you explain the pillars of Belief briefly?
Will you explain the pillars of Belief briefly?
Belief has six pillars: They are belief in Allah, the hereafter, angels, books, prophets and predestination (qadar). A person needs to believe in all of these six pillars in order to be a believer. A person who does not believe in one of these pillars cannot be a believer. For, the pillars of belief are connected with one another.
1. Belief in Allah:
The first pillar of belief is belief in the existence and oneness of Allah. A Muslim, firstly, believes that Allah exists and that He is One; this universe is His work. He has no partners or counterparts in His personality, attributes or deeds. His attributes do not resemble the attributes of creatures.
All creatures show both the existence and oneness of Allah.
Only Allah is pre-eternal and post-eternal, free from time and space, free and protected from change, need, weakness and faults.
Allah’s attributes have encompassed everything. Everything is subject to His will. He has names of beauty like ar-Rahman (the All-Merciful), ar-Rahim (the All-Beneficient), al-Ghafur (the Forgiver) and names of majesty likeal-Qahhar (the Subduer), al-Jabbar (the Compeller), al-Muntaqim (the Avenger). He treats those who believe in Him with grace. He inflicts His wrath upon those who disbelieve and rebel.
One can worship only Allah. The worldly and otherworldly bliss of people can be attained by obeying His orders and prohibitions. This is a divine law; no change can take place in it.
Human mind cannot understand Allah’s personality, nature and truth. For, the mind is something that was created later and it is limited. The personality and attributes of God Almighty are unlimited. It is a clear fact that what is limited cannot encompass what is unlimited. That is, Allah is different from whatever one can think of.
Allah has no partners in His personality and in His deeds. He is the only creator, owner and ruler of the realm of existence. It is Allah who creates both the causes and effects; He creates both the tree and the fruit.
Thanking, worship and praise belong to Him only. Believers worship only Allah and ask only His help:
“Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.” (al-Fatiha, 1/5)
When they commit a sin, they repent directly to Allah. For, No one but Allah can forgive the sin that man commits against Allah.
2. Belief in Angels:
Another pillar of belief is belief in angels. Every Muslim believes that God Almighty has fine creatures called angels. They glorify Allah and fulfill the other duties given to them by Allah. These creatures, which never rebel Allah, are not subject to testing like human beings are. Their nature is pure; they are innocent and their ranks are fixed.
God Almighty, who makes thousands of feelings like the mind, memory, imagination, love, fear and curiosity fulfill duties, has not left this magnificent universe empty and filled it with angels.
3. Belief in Books:
Another pillar of belief is belief in the heavenly books. Even if man knows the existence and oneness of Allah through his mind, he cannot realize what His orders and prohibitions are, how he will fulfill his duty of worship, in short, what Allah will be pleased with. Therefore, God Almighty sent heavenly books. One hundred of the heavenly books were sent down in the form of pages and four of them in the form of books. These four heavenly books are the Torah (the Old Testament), the Psalms, the Gospel (the New Testament) and the Quran in the chronological order.
A Muslim has to believe in all of them. However, when the Quran was sent down the other heavenly books ceased to have effect. The Quran has reached today without undergoing any change not even in one letter. Thus, God Almighty realized the following decree of His: “We have, without doubt sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).” (al-Hijr, 15/9)
4. Belief in Prophets:
Another pillar of belief is belief in prophets. It is a divine law that God Almighty warns people through prophets who are human beings.
Prophethood is a big need and great bounty for humanity. God Almighty showed people the ways of guidance through these teachers and guides.
The duty of prophets is to convey the orders they receive from God Almighty through revelation and inspiration to people and to show them the ways of bliss in the world and the hereafter. These prophets have two aspects: One of them is "slavery (worship)" and the other is "prophethood (divine messengership)". In terms of slavery, they obey Allah’s orders and prohibitions perfectly; they serve as examples to people regarding the issue. In terms of prophethood, they convey the truth to people.
Prophets are Allah’s slaves and creatures. A Muslim has to believe in all of them. If he denies the prophethood of any of them, he exits Islam. For instance, someone who does not believe in Hazrat Musa (Moses) or Hazrat Isa (Jesus) cannot be a believer. It is stated definitely in the Quran that they are prophets. To believe in them is a necessity of belief in books and prophets.
The first prophet is Hazrat Adam and the last one is Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). The institution of prophethood ended with Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). Therefore, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is called “Khatam al-Anbiya (Seal of the Prophets)”.
As it is stated in the following verse, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a prophet to the whole humanity not to a certain nation:“We have not sent thee but as a (Messenger) to men, giving them Glad tidings, and warning them (against sin).” (Saba, 34/28)
As it is stated by the decree of the following verse, he has become a constant bounty and an eternal mercy for all creatures: “We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures.” (al-Anbiya, 21/107)
5. Belief in the Hereafter:
One of the important pillars of belief is belief in resurrection after death and life in the hereafter. God Almighty, who granted people both material and spiritual bounties in this worldly life, will grant His beloved slaves, who pass the test of the world, both bodily and spiritual endless bounties in Paradise.
Allah, who revives all of the plants and animals that die in fall in spring, will definitely revive the people who die in the hereafter. This is a necessity of His mercy and justice.
6. Belief in Predestination:
One of the pillars of belief is belief in predestination (qadar). Predestination has two parts: The first one is that every being, "with their essence, shape and properties", is predestined in the knowledge of Allah and is created accordingly. This part is not subject to testing.
The second one is related to man's partial free will. Allah creates whatever man prefers and does with his partial free will whether it is good or bad. Man is held responsible for this second part. Paradise and Hell are the fruits of this right of preference given to man.
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Will you prove the necessity of the resurrection and the existence of the eternal life through evidences?
The properties given to man are evidences for the necessity of his resurrection and the existence of the eternal life.
The Mortality of Man & His Desire to Live Eternally
It is definitely stated in many verses of the Quran that death is certain and that it is impossible to get rid of death as follows: "Every soul shall have a taste of death"(Aal-i Imran, 185; al-Anbiya, 35; al-Ankabut, 57), "All that is on earth will perish"(ar-Rahman, 26).
The fact man cannot find a remedy for death and that man is weak when death is in question is expressed through the following verses: "Say: Running away will not profit you if ye are running away from death or slaughter'" (al-Ahzab, 16), "Say: The Death from which ye flee will truly overtake you" (al-Jumu'a, 8), "Then why do ye not (intervene) when (the soul of the dying man) reaches the throat - And ye the while (sit) looking on― But We are nearer to him than ye, and yet see not - Then why do you not if you are exempt from (future) account― Call back the soul, if ye are true (in your claim of Independence)!" (al-Waqia, 83-87).
The Prophet (pbuh) stated that there was a cure for everything except old age and death. (1)
The fast advancement of scientific development, medicine and technology in this century has made some people think about the question, "Can a remedy for death be found in the course of time?" What is more, some people regarded this thought as a fact and used it as an excuse to deny the hereafter. However, the researches that were made proved that death was inevitable rather than finding a cure for death; the decree al-mawtu haqqun (death is real) was proved by all researches.
With the impulse of living eternally,human beings have always sought a world where they can live happily, eternally; they have determined hundreds of things that cause death and tried to eliminate these causes in order to attain their desires; they thought they would overcome death if they eliminated these causes. However, these efforts turned out to be useless; every research made on death strengthened the certainty of death. (2)
Alexis Carrel states the following after mentioning the unsuccessful efforts regarding the issue:
"Man will never tire of seeking immortality. He will not attain it, because he is bound by certain laws of his organic constitution. He may succeed in retarding, perhaps even in reversing in some measure, the inexorable advance of physiological time. Never will he vanquish death." (3)
That man was created as a growing and developing being made it necessary for him to grow old and to die. Man can find ways of living longer and more healthily but he cannot stop aging; nor can he eliminate death...
Man indicates the existence of the hereafter through his material and spiritual properties
Man is a being that has been created man in the best of moulds (at-Tin, 4), that has been fashioned in due proportion and that has been given a just bias (al-Infitar, 7), that has been given all that he asks for (Ibrahim, 34), that has been created a vicegerent on earth (al-Baqara, 30) and that has been given a lot of bounties and sustenance (al-Isra, 70) by Allah Almighty. All living and non-living beings in the world work for human beings and try to be human beings.
It is enough to look at the human brain to understand the greatness of man. It has been calculated that there are about 2³°° atoms in the universe. In human brain, there are about 10 billion nerve cells. Each nerve cell can give two different responses; so, 10 billion nerve cells has 2¹°•°°°•°°°•°°° abilities. When 2³°° is multiplied by 2¹°•°°°•°°°•°°°, it will be seen how many universes human brain contains. (4)
Light travels amazingly fast, 300.000 km per second, but man reaches the sun and stars faster than light through thought and imagination; he virtually encompasses the universe through his thoughts. (5)
The other material organs of man are like that. Hundreds of factories virtually operate in every organ of man. The things that cannot be done in large factories are done even in a single cell.
Man's material structure is like that; what about his spiritual structure and world? The spirit is superior to matter; similarly, man's spiritual life, talents and abilities are so amazing and they are too sophisticated to understand. There are so many abilities and talents in human spirit in return for his endless needs, pains and pleasures. Man is like an enigma that has not been fully understood yet.
The following couplet attributed to Hz. Ali' expresses the place and importance of man in the universe concisely:
Tazunnu annaka jirmun saghirun
Wa fîka intawa al-alamu'l-akbar
You think you are a small thing, But the big realm has been rolled into you.(6)
Therefore, man, who has such a nature, cannot be left on his own; the great care shown for him cannot be explained by having a short life and entering the grave without being resurrected afterwards. On the contrary, he has been created for a life beyond the life in this world. Man cannot say, "What value do I have? Why should the universe be demolished, the Doomsday strike and a new realm be established for me? Where is the harm if I deny and commit sins as an unimportant being?" (7)
Anyone who pays attention to the nature, abilities and talents of man will immediately understand that he has been created for an eternal realm. When a person sees a big fish like a whale thrashing about in a small pool, he immediately understands that this fish is not suitable for living in this pool but in big seas and oceans; similarly, man has a nature like that. Man's nature, abilities and talents witness and prove that he has been created for another realm.
It cannot be thought that man has been given numerous talents and abilities for this worldly life. For, he does not need most of them here. What is more, when many abilities, talents, feelings and faculties are not used for the purposes they have been created for, they harm man and give him troubles. For instance, thinking about the pleasures in the past, worrying about his future, excessive desire and ambition for the world but the lack of satisfaction despite them harm him and spoil his pleasure. It means these feelings have not been given to man for this worldly life. On the contrary, they have been given to him to gain the eternal life. For, the real worry about the future is necessary for what is beyond the grave. The real ambition is necessary to be prepared for the hereafter. The real love has been given for the hereafter and faithful friends... They are the real reasons for these feelings and faculties. Otherwise, they will bring harm rather than benefit.
Therefore, if it is assumed that the hereafter does not exist, man becomes lower and unluckier than all animals in terms of rank and honor. (8) For, the troubles, misfortunes and disasters that man encounters in this world are more than those of animals because man is exposed to pains and misfortunes before and after they take place too since he thinks and worries about them. However, animals are not like that. They suffer only when the misfortunes hit. Therefore, they are relaxed. They do not feel uneasy since they do not think about the future and the past. The benefits man obtains from the worldly life are not more than those of the animals in terms of their number and the pleasures and peace they give. For instance, if we think of the amount, the ox eats more than man and the sparrow has sexual intercourse more than man. If we think of the pleasures and peace, the worldly life is full of troubles, misfortunes, difficulties and hardships; the pleasures are very few, like a drop in the sea. Therefore, man will be meaner and unluckier than all animals if there is not another realm, the hereafter, where he will attain pure pleasures and bounties. Animals will obtain more pleasures and bounties than man if the hereafter does not exist. (9)
While interpreting the verses, "I do call to witness the Resurrection Day; And I do call to witness the self-reproaching spirit" (al-Qiyama, 1-2) Jawhari states the following regarding the issue:
"Allah Almighty swears by the Resurrection Day andthe self-reproaching soul regarding our resurrection. That is, He says we will definitely be resurrected. Allah Almighty swears by the greatness of the Doomsday and the soul that turns toward lofty places and wishes to be elevated. This soul is such a soul that it does not find any rank sufficient; it desires more. It does not find anything enough and asks for the next one and the superior one. Therefore, this vow is like proof for the hereafter. Allah Almighty virtually states the following: The love of being elevated in your souls and the desire of not remaining in a limited rank prove the existence of another life where you will attain the things that he desires. The nature of man proves the existence of the hereafter. Man's desire of lofty ranks, his thirst, ambitions, seeking more wealth and knowledge all the time, not settling in a state and not finding that state sufficient prove that there is another life. Human soul wants to search and find new things a lot. There exists the desire of victory and being superior to others in his nature. In history, all kings wanted to rule more people and all wealthy people wanted to have more property. Nothing fills the belly of man except dust. Were those desires and wishes created in vain? Definitely not. They were created due to a secret that will be revealed after death and on the Day of Judgment. If man does not have an eternal purpose, life will be valueless. The end of the system in the world will be a failure. However, each faculty in living beings has a certain purpose. What is the reason for man's stinginess, wars, wishing to have a lot of knowledge, obtaining property, worries, building ships, inventing weapons, etc? Are they for the worldly life, which is not worth these efforts? The Quran answers this question as follows: I swear by self-reproaching soul that does not stop at any limitations and that seeks lofty ranks. The meaning of this vow is as follows: This faculty has been placed in your spirits so that you will obtain everything in another realm and you will not be sad due to the lack of anything."(10)
If man were to be given the wealth of Croesus (Qarun), the wisdom of Luqman, the sultanate of Sulayman, even the earth and everything on and in it, the skies and everything in them, he would ask, "Are there more?" By expressing the meanings engraved in his spirit by the divine pen, he virtually says, "Wealth and property that I desire can be present only in another realm loftier than this one and in a land that is suitable for my demands and that will satisfy my needs."(11)
As a matter of fact, the following verse indicates that man should not be pleased with this worldly life and that he needs to search and desire another realm and it condemns those who try to be satisfied with the worldly life: "Those who are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present..." (Yunus, 7)
Footnotes:
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1. See Abu Dawud, Tibb, 1, II, 396; Ibn Majah, Tibb, 1, II, 1137.
2. Han, al-Islam Yatahadda, trnsl into Arabic by Zafaru'l-Islam Han, Beirut, 1985, 9th imp. p. 79-80.
3. Han, al-Islam Yatahadda, p. 81 (quoted from Man, the Unknown, p. 175)
4. Ayhan Songar. Enerji ve Hayat, Yeni Asya Publ İst. 1979, 8th imp. p. 1.
5. Georges Lakhovsky, L'Éternité La Vie et La Mort, Bibliotheque Charpentier, Paris, p. 202.
6. Ali b. Abi Talib, Diwanu Amiri'l-Mu'minin, compiled by: A. al-Karam, Beirut, 1998, p. 45
7. Said Nursi states the following while interpreting the verse, 'He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth': "In this verse, there is a sign for the existence of the hereafter and for removing doubts regarding the issue. The deniers virtually say, “What is man’s importance in the eye of Allah that the resurrection should be brought about for him and the world destroyed for his happiness?” The Quran answers such a doubt with the signs of this verse: “Seeing that all that the earth contains has been prepared for his use and all its species of beings have been subjugated to him, that Allah created the universe for man not for His own being and that He created man to worship Him, he must have supreme importance; this shows he is the fruit of creation." It shows that man is an exceptional and distinguished being in this universe; he is not like the other animals. Therefore, he deserves to be addressed by the core of the following verse: '…and again to Him will ye return.' (al-Baqara, 28)"(Nursi, İşâratu'l-İ'câz, p. 281)
8. See Raghib, Tafsilu'n-Nash'atayn wa Tahsilu's-Saadatayn, p. 178
9. Fawi, p.173.
10. Jawhari, XII, Part 2, p. 308.
11. Jawhari, V, Part 1, p. 110.
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How many kinds of divine books are there? What are their names?
The divine books sent down before the Quran are divided into two:
1. Big books 2. Small books.
- The small books sent down before the Quran are called "suhuf", which means pages. They are booklets or leaflets that cannot be called books. All of them amount to 100 pages.
The prophets to whom pages were sent down are as follows: Adam, Shet, Idris (Eunuch) and Ibrahim (Abraham). Hz Adam was sent 10 pages, Hz. Shet 50 pages, Hz. Idris 30 pages and Hz. Ibrahim 10 pages.
There are three big books apart from the Quran: They are the Torah (the Old Testament), the Gospel (the New Testament) and the Psalms. They amount to four books along with the Quran.
The Torah was sent down to Hz. Musa (Moses), the Psalms to Hz. Dawud (David), the Gospel to Hz. Isa (Jesus) and the Quran, as we all know, to Hz. Muhammad (pbuh).
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What is the difference between Belief and Unbelief?
The word kufr (unbelief) lexically means "to cover". In religious terminology, it means to refute what Hz. Prophet (pbuh) brought from Allah and to deny one or more than one of the religious principles he definitely brought.
Iman (belief) means to believe in Allah, that there is no god but Him, that Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) is Allah's slave and messenger, in Allah's angels and books, in the hereafter, in predestination (qadar) and that the good and the bad were created by Allah. (Bukhari, Iman, 37; Muslim, Iman, 1, 5, 7; Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 15)
Belief means to approve whatever Hz. Prophet (pbuh) brought and unbelief means to deny what he brought. Accordingly, what mainly distinguishes between belief and unbelief is the approval of the heart. However, the approval of the heart cannot be known by other people; so, uttering belief and fulfilling the religious duties showing the utterance, that is, deeds, are regarded as the indication of belief in the heart.
The most distinctive sign of unbelief is to reject one or all of the principles of belief or to dislike, ignore or disdain them.
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Why does Allah create the bad?
It is Allah who creates the good and the bad. This belief is an inseparable part of belief in qadar.
However, the good things that are created in the world are essential; the bad things are details. The good things are like the products; the bad things are like the waste material.
The bad is created in order to show the truth and the beauty of the good, as it is expressed in the rule, “everything is known (understood) through its opposite.” For instance, if there were no diseases, it would be impossible to know what a great bounty health is. If there was no darkness, the value of the light is not understood. If there were no bad things, the merit and superiority of the good things would not be understood.
If the bad things, which are weak in comparison to the good, had not been created in the world, the nature and beauty of the good would to be seen fully, and the levels, ranks and types of the good things would not be understood. Thus, many good things would not exist because a small bad thing was not created; therefore, a great amount of evil and harm would appear.
Besides, the consideration of the bad and the good usually changes based on the understanding and viewpoint of a person. It is possible that man sometimes regards something evil and ugly for himself but actually it is quite good for him. However, since man is egoist and he gives importance to appearance, he may label everything that seems contrary to his interest at first as evil. Let us give an example to explain it: When a person has an important thing to do and misses a plane, it seems as a great evil to him because his interest was harmed and his business was hampered. However, let us suppose that the plane crashed. In that case, that person will start to think how good the thing that he thought as evil is for him.
It means many things that may appear as evil at first may be good in the end. Ibrahim Hakkı of Erzurum explains the issue very well in the following poem:
“Allah transforms evil to good
Do not think He does something else
The clever person watches it
Let us see what Allah will do
Whatever He does, He does well...”
To say that evil and bad things take place outside the knowledge and will of Allah means to claim that there is a limit to the attributes of Knowledge, Will and Power of Allah. It necessitates a deficiency in the divinity; it is also contrary to the fact that the universe was created based on a plan and program.
Therefore, the issue that the good and the bad come from Allah and that they were created by Allah is included in the belief of qada and qadar; it was deemed necessary to deal with it again and to confirm it.
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Into how many parts are people divided in terms of belief and unbelief?
They are divided into three:
1 – Believers,
2 – Unbelievers,
3 – Munafiqs (Hypocrites).
- A person who believes in the essential decrees of the religion of Islam that are obligatory to believe in without hesitation and approves them is called a believer.
- A person who does not believe in any of the fundamentals of belief included in Amantu and any of the orders and prohibitions of Allah is called an unbeliever.
- A person who seemingly believes but denies in his heart is called a hypocrite.
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What Belief Makes Man Gain?
Man ascends to the highest of the high points with the light of belief and gains a value deserving paradise. He descends to the lowest of the low points with the darkness of unbelief and reaches a state deserving hell. Belief is an attachment. It is a luminous connection that connects man to Allah. To make a connection with Allah is only possible through belief. The real value of man depends on his connection with and closeness to Allah. A person’s dignity and prestige increases in accordance with his closeness to the sultan; similarly man’s value increases in accordance with his closeness to Allah.
In this universe, if man is connected to Allah, takes shelter in Him, then he can become Allah’s caliph on the earth, His official, His guest or even His friend thanks to belief. This connection of friendship with Allah can only be realized by the light of belief. Belief is such a light that man sees the reality of everything thanks to this light. He perceives the hidden reasons and meanings of beings and understands that they are not created in vain.
The nicest and prettiest feeling of man is affection. If belief wouldn’t exist, this affection would put man into distressed troubles due to endless parts. For instance, a mother whose only and very beautiful baby dies feels this spiritual torture fully if she is unaware of the hereafter.
One of the important feelings of man is love. Love that is illuminated by belief makes all of the beings friends of man. Then a connection of love is established between man and his environment. The feeling of being eternally together with the people he loves makes him happy. For instance, when a mother’s baby is about to die and when a doctor gives the baby some medicine and the pretty baby comes round, the mother will feel very happy and comfortable.
Similarly, millions of people that we love and that are interested in like this baby are separated from us by death. If we see the matter in the light of belief, we will know that they do not disappear eternally. So the troubles and sorrows are transformed into endless happiness and comfort.
If man is deprived of belief, the anxiety of being eternally parted from the people he loves gives him hell-like torture. For instance, the most valuable thing of man is his mind. If the mind falls into polytheism and unbelief, it sends the sufferings and troubles coming from the past and caused by the eternal disappearance of the beloved people to the heart. In addition, the anxiety about his disappearance in the future transforms the mind into a torturing device. Therefore the sinful man generally indulges in alcohol or entertainment to escape from the troubles the mind gives him.
If mind is illuminated by the light of belief, the thought of being together with his late relatives and friends in paradise fills his world. It makes him love life and creatures. His love towards his Lord, who will make it possible to rejoin the people he loves and who will give him and them the endless bliss, will increase. Mind becomes a real mind with the light of belief and gets its real worth.
If the eye of man is illuminated with the light of belief, then he sees the whole universe in the form of paradise adorned with roses and basils. He sees the works of arts, grace and help of Allah in every being he looks at. He looks around with contemplation and to draw lessons. He understands the evidences showing the existence and oneness of Allah in everything and draws lessons from them to strengthen his belief. The universe becomes like a big book in his sight. He reads the hidden meanings in this book of universe.
When the eardrum becomes illuminated with the light of belief, it hears the spiritual voices coming from the universe. It understands the glorification of Allah carried out in the language of state. It hears the songs of the winds, the cries of the clouds and the beautiful sounds of the sea waves thanks to the light of belief. It hears the divine words and exalted glorification of Allah from each being like the splashes of rain, the chirruping of birds and the chatting of insects. The universe becomes like a gathering of divine music. The soul and the heart of a man like this are filled with tastes and pleasures.
However, when that ear is blocked with unbelief, it is deprived of those high delicious, spiritual sounds. The sounds that give pleasure are transformed into the sounds of mourning. The lofty and beautiful meanings in the heart are replaced by sorrows. The sounds that come from the state of being eternally lonely caused by being unable to find close friends fill his world. He hears only the sounds of the troubles and agonies caused by the state of feeling ownerless and unprotected. This state makes him live a hell life.
So, belief makes man gain such a great happiness and blessing, such a great taste and comfort and such an honorable rank that it cannot be defined. The believer’s point of view of the universe is positive. He sees everything as good, has good thoughts and receives pleasure from life. He sees all of the beings in the universe as his friends and brothers. He has no unfamiliarity with anything. Everything is tightly connected to one another with bonds of unity as many as the names of Allah. The world is like a cradle of brotherhood for him.
The light of belief illuminates the world of man and enlightens the universe. It saves the past and the future from darkness. It honors man and brings out the perfection in the essence of the universe. It adds values to its value. All of the beings in the universe obtain a meaning thanks to belief. The happenings cease to be coincidental. It is seen that everything takes place within the plan and program of Allah.
The believer sees the trace, essence and face of Allah’s grace in the inside of all negativeness thanks to the positive and good point of view he gained through the light of belief. For instance he looks at the misfortunes like diseases on the positive side. He thinks that it will compensate for his sins, train his soul, make him gain good deeds and increase his level, and consoles himself.
The unbeliever looks at the universe and happenings on the negative side and dubiously. Unbelief is like black glasses that show everything ugly and dark. Unbelief sees beings as a result of coincidence and arbitrariness. From the point of view of the unbeliever everything is aimless. All of the beings are strangers to and enemies of one another. He thinks all of the beings advance rapidly to the world of non-existence. The fear and anxiety that he himself will also fall into eternal darkness makes the world a dungeon for him. His world is filled with darkness and troubles. His soul is surrounded by the darkness of grudge, hatred and disobedience instead of the lights of love and affection. Such a man lives the life of hell in this world before going to hell.
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Since the divine books other than the Qur’an were distorted, why does the religion of Islam order us to have belief in for them?
As Muslims, we believe in Hz. Moses, Hz. Dawud and Hz. Isa (Jesus) and the divine books that were sent to them; the Torah, the Psalms and the Bible and we have no doubt that they have no ruling against the true religion of oneness. However, these books could not be protected and thus they were distorted.
Now, we cannot say that the books that the Jews and Christians have no parts related with the revelation that were sent to the prophets. However, there is also no doubt that these books contain superstitious and false beliefs. Thus, we always deal with these books cautiously. We accept that the rulings in them which are in compliance with the Qur’an are the products of revelation.We consider the rulings that are against the Qur’an as later additions. We remain silent when the information in them is neither in compliance with nor opposite the Qur’an. We will neither accept nor reject them in that case. For, there is a possibility that the information in these books can either be revelation or not.
Abu Hurayrah (RA) said the following on this issue:
«The people of the book used to read the Torah in Hebrew language. And they used to translate it to Muslims in Arabic. On this issue, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said to his companions the following:
Do not approve or reject the words of the People of the Book. Say ye:"We believe, in Allah and the revelation given to us and to Abraham Isma`il Isaac Jacob and the Tribes and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord we make no difference between one and another of them and we bow to Allah (in Islam)."(al-Baqara, 2/136)
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Is it religiously appropriate to talk and express an opinion about Qadar (destiny)?
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated the following in a hadith:
“Do not talk about qadar because qadar is the secret of Allah. Do not attempt to explain the secret of Allah!”Alauddin Aliyyu'l Ibn Husamaddin al-Hindi, Kanzu'l Ummal, Vol. 1 p: 132
However, this hadith does not forbid us to try to understand qadar and it does not forbid us to try to understand the issue of qadar what is meant in the hadith is something different here.
Qadar is divided into two:
1-The first one is related to human free will.
2-The second one is related to the events that happen beyond a person's free will and control.
Being male or female, the time period that a person is born, the place he or she is born and lives, a person's lifetime, a person's mother and father, being disabled or healthy, being beautiful or ugly, being rich or poor can be mentioned as examples for the second part.
Trying to understand the secret of divine destiny in such cases, asking questions like, “Why did Allah do so? are a meaningless loss and can cause a person to go to Hell because, as a result of these questions, a person can rebel qadar, that is, divine destiny. These secrets will be understood in the hereafter with all details.
This is the part of qadar, the part which human will cannot intervene, that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prohibits us from dealing with it by saying, “Do not talk about qadar, because it is the secret of Allah. Do not dare to explain the secret of Allah."
Otherwise, thinking about the first part of qadar is good and it is regarded as meditative worshipping. Muslim scholars of creed have tried to understand this part of qadar and written books about it.
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What is the Book of Qadar (destiny)?
Trees, stars, mountains, vineyards and human beings are all words of power. They were created in accordance with the program of the destiny. A beauty and order in a building emerges as a result of a plan drawn by the determination of an engineer. Let’s imagine that we programmed where when and how each brick would be used. The destiny of that building becomes determined by the drawing of such a plan. The building will be formed in accordance with that plan. This plan is called the Book of Qadar with the Quranic expression. The universe emerges as the building is constructed in accordance with that plan. When the building is constructed in the manifest world, the thing whose plan was drawn in the Book of Destiny becomes a reality.
Each one of us was in the Book of Destiny and in the knowledge of Allah before we were created. By being created we passed the stage of power. That is, we appeared in the manifest world. What is meant by the creation of things is going out of the stage of knowledge into the stage of power.
A tiny sample of the book of destiny of each being is present in its seed, pip and cell. The plan of an apple tree, that is, everything including the form, structure, color and smell of its flowers are coded in the chromosomes of the cells. All of these plans and programs that determine the genetic structure are tiny samples of the book of qadar. The structure of each being is shaped by the elements that act in accordance with the qadar (destiny) program.
There is no use in talking to a person who does not accept the existence of the engineer about the plan of the building. It is unnecessary to talk about the plan and the program of the engineer with a person who ignores the engineer that draws the plan of the building. Similarly, it is nonsense for a person who does not believe in the existence of Allah to talk about the plan Allah determines or about destiny.
The fact that all of the organs of the human beings like the other beings were placed where necessary and with the optimum form and size show that they all take place with the determination of a plan and program. Each one of the characteristics of man is recorded in his cells with the spiritual pen of the destiny. Each moment, thousands of cells are exterminated and new cells are produced in his body. So, each moment, changes take place in man’s body; Allah applies the plan in the Book of Qadar with his power and shows it to us.
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What is the relation of deed and worshipping with belief?
Deed is practicing what one believes, fulfilling the orders of the religion and avoiding what the religion forbids. Deed has a close relation with belief. Man adopts something first, believes that it is true and then practices what he believes to be true. However, deed is not a part of belief. That is, a person is not regarded to be a disbeliever or to have denied his belief if he does not fulfill the orders of the religion and even if he does not worship. He becomes a sinner.
However, deed and worship strengthens the belief in the heart increases its effect and makes man mature. If a person does not carry out the requirements of his belief, the positive effects of belief on human behavior diminish and disappear in time. As the effects of belief on a person diminish, negative feelings, evil habits, harmful desires cover a person’s world of feelings. Sometimes, that state may lead that person to unbelief, that is, losing his belief.
Every evil and sin, every deed that is contrary to the orders of the religion penetrates into the heart, and stains and blackens the light of belief.
Our Prophet indicated that state with his following words:
“In the heart of a person who commits a sin, a black stain forms.”
As the sins are repeated, the blackness in the heart increases and the light of belief gradually fades away. That state continues until the heart completely blackens and hardens and the light of belief completely fades away and disappears.
Therefore, the following sentence is stated, “There is a way going to unbelief in every sin.”
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In what way is denying Allah regarded a boundless murder?
All of the beings in the universe witness Allah’s existence and oneness. A person who denies them is regarded to have committed as many murders as the number of beings. Besides, it is regarded as a boundless murder because it is disrespect shown to the rights of those beings.
As you know, the origin of the diamond and coal is the same: carbon. However, one of them becomes diamond and the other becomes coal because of the difference in their formation. Something that became coal cannot be diamond by any means now. The origin of man is the same, too. His father is Adam (pbuh) and his structure is earth. However, due to the difference in the formation, one becomes like diamond and another one becomes like coal. A person who prefers to be an unbeliever and dies loses the property of being a diamond, that is, being a believer, no matter how long he lives because he is rotten to the core. Therefore, if he had lived forever, he would have lived as an unbeliever. That is, the murder committed by the unbeliever is endless.
Allah gave man endless bounties. For instance, one of them is the feeling of eternity. This feeling was given to us so that we would understand Allah, who is eternal, and the existence of the realm of the hereafter, where we will live forever. To deny such an eternal feeling and not to thank this bounty enough is a boundless murder.
A very small piece of fire, though it may seem small, can burn down a building and even a city if it is not extinguished. A very small amount of poison can kill a man. It is important to take into consideration their destruction, not their material appearance, and take measures accordingly.
Similarly, man may be weak, thin, faulty and small materially. However, thedestruction and oppression he causes and the damage he does is endless.
Thus, denying Allah is a boundless murder. Therefore, a person who denies Allah is regarded to have committed a boundless murder; and the punishment for it should be boundless.
- Allah is endless, pre-eternal and post-eternal. Denying the eternal one is an eternal murder.
- The evidence of Allah’s existence and oneness is endless. Denying so much evidence is a boundless murder.
- Allah’s personality, attributes and names are endless.Denying an endless being and His attributes is an endless murder.
- Allah’s bounties are also endless. If "a person who has been bestowed so many bounties from his organs to his cells, from his spirit to his feelings, from the world on which he travels to the air that cleans his blood through each breath he takes, from the night to the day, from the sun to the moon, from the vegetables to the fruits and from milk to honey" revolts against Allah as if he is denying all those bounties, he will have shown ingratitude against them and committed a boundless murder.
- Both the organs that function in our body and the beings that surround us and help us are very valuable works. Ignoring these miracles, the wisdom behind them and the meanings they have and thinking that they are not worth considering is a boundless murder.
- The reality of every being is based on one or more names of Allah. The realm of beings is full of the manifestations of divine names. Ignoring these beings means ignoring the divine names manifest on them. This means a revolt against the endless majesty of God almighty and a boundless murder.
- The most important one among those beings is man himself. If man, who is a mirror for all of the names of Allah, who is his guest, who has been honored by being invited to Paradise and who is the vicegerent on earth due to the loftiness of the abilities he has, uses this superior nature and ability in the way of unbelief and disobedience, he will use all of the manifestations of the nouns manifest on him in the way of evil and disobedience; thus, he will show great disrespect to those great names, which is a big and boundless murder on its own.
- The sin and murder of the denier is in a limited period of time but the murder of the endless evidence and witnesses of oneness is a boundless murder. This necessitates endless punishment.
- The denial of the divine names by unbelief is a boundless murder against Allah, whom these names define.
- This murder is boundless because man damps down the abilities like the mind, heart and consciousness related to eternity and misuses them in a way to deserve Hell by destroying them; it necessitates boundless punishment.
It is fair and just to endlessly punish a person who commits endless murders like that. It is Allah's grant and grace when He does not eliminate such a person and transforms his punishment into life imprisonment.
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi dealt with the issue through different aspects and made explanations that would persuade the mind and satisfy the heart. An unbeliever commits endless murders through his denial.
For, responding to all of the evidences of Divine Unity with unbelief, and to all of the bounties with ingratitude, accusing all creatures of being valueless, insulting them in an unbelieving manner, anddenying all of the manifestations of the Divine Names are all boundless murders.
- Belief makes a believer gain endless bliss since it is the source of all kinds of beauty, happiness and flavors. Denial is just the opposite of it. Denial naturally makes an unbeliever gain endless troubles, disasters and torture. (see Nursi, İşaratu’l-İ’caz, p. 80–81)
Muhyiddin al-Arabi and some Islamic scholars hold the view that after those who deny Allah serve their sentence in Hell due to their bad deeds in the world, they will get used to the fire as a result of divine mercy, will be punished less severely and they will be rewarded for their good deeds in the world.
- Badiuzzaman Said Nursi says: “After unbelievers serve their sentence in Hell due to their bad deeds in the world, they will get used to the fire as a result of divine mercy and will be punished less severely. There is a sign in a hadith that they will be rewarded for their good deeds in the world as a result of divine mercy.” (İşaratu’l-İ’câz, 81–82)
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What is the wisdom behind the fact that belief in Qada and Qadar (destiny) is included among the fundamentals of faith?
Belief in qada and qadar is actually a fine question showing the limits of belief and relating to the state and conscience of a person. By believing in qadar and that the good and the bad are from Allah, a believer attributes everything, even his soul and deeds to Allah. In that case, the partial free will is in question lest he should evade responsibility. It says, “You are doing it using your wish and will, then you are responsible.” Man may attribute the good deeds that he does based on his partial free will to his soul but qadar will stand before him and say, “Know your place. Do not go too far. It is Allah who does, creates, preordains and wills.”
As it is seen, belief in qadar is included among the fundamentals of faith in order to protect the soul from pride and conceit, and partial free will is included among the fundamentals of faith in order to prevent man to from evading responsibility and liability.
The opposite of it, that is, man’s sticking to qadar in order to evade responsibility and man’s sticking to partial free will in order to feel proud of the good deeds he does is contrary to the wisdom behind belief in qadar.
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What are the Wisdoms Behind the Stories of Prophets?
There are many wisdoms and reasons why the stories of prophets mentioned in the Quran. The most significant of them are as follows:
1—The stories of prophets prove that the Quran is the word of Allah and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is the last prophet. The Quran mentions the important events and exemplary happenings that happened to some of the prophets beginning from Hazrat Adam (pbuh) to the last Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). The same stories are also mentioned in the Old and New Testament. The Quran mentions the issues that those books agreed by approving them and mentions the issues that they disagreed by correcting them. The people of the book cannot object to the news of the Quran; they cannot say that this piece of new is old..
Thus, those stories are not the products of the mind and intelligence of our Prophet. They are not things that can be thought of and made up; they are narrations that are based on listening. They are related to reading, writing and culture. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah was illiterate according to all of the scholars. He could not read or write; he did not receive any education.
Then, the fact that an illiterate person informs people about the events in the past as if he has seen them proves that he is the Messenger of Allah and that his knowledge is based on the divine revelation. (Sözler, 376.)
The issue is referred to as follows in the Quran:
“We do relate unto thee the most beautiful of stories, in that We reveal to thee this (portion of the) Qur'an: before this, thou too wast among those who knew it not..” (Yusuf, 3)
“Such are some of the stories of the Unseen, which We have revealed unto thee: before this, neither thou nor thy People knew them..” (Hud, 49.)
2—The stories of the prophets were not mentioned in order to give plain information about history or to narrate stories of the past. They were narrated in order to teach believers something and make them draw lessons from various events. For instance, the verses that were sent down about Hazrat Ibrahim in Makkah are usually about his struggle of oneness and belief against his nation. Meanwhile, our Prophet was having a struggle of oneness against polytheists and idolaters. However, when Muslims contacted the People of the Book in Madinah, the verses that were sent down regarding Hazrat Ibrahim included issues that will interest the People of the Book like the construction of the Kaaba, sacrificing his son for Allah. Therefore, each one of the stories of the prophets mentioned in the Quran has a separate place and a separate reason why they were sent down.
3—One of the important reasons why the stories of the prophets are mentioned in the Quran is to console and strengthen all of the believers, primarily the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and to threaten the unbelievers with torture.
Our Prophet (pbuh) was tortured severely by his tribe and nation from time to time. At those times, the stories of the prophets were sent down, and the Prophet, hence the believers were consoled. The verses that were sent down expressed that the other prophets underwent the same process and had the same struggle. The tribes and nations of the other prophets opposed their prophets, too; they named their prophets as soothsayers and mad; they said the prophets acted like that because they aimed a financial benefit, a political aim or fame. They oppressed, tortured and even martyred their prophets. Hazrat Prophet and the believers were consoled and they were asked to show patience and endurance through those stories.
In the stories that were sent down, the destruction of the previous nations was also narrated; thus, the message that the polytheists could not get away with what they had done and that they would certainly be punished both in the world and in the hereafter was given. Thus, the feelings of compassion and mercy of the Prophet and the believers were aroused; they were encouraged to work harder, more patiently and perseveringly in order to correct their nation and to save them from torture.
There are many incidents in which the stories of the prophets were a source of consolation and compassion for the Prophet and the believers.
4—Another reason why the stories of the prophets are mentioned in the Quran is to prove the institution of prophethood. Thus, the prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is proved spontaneously. By narrating the stories of the prophets, the Quran clearly proves that the institution of prophethood exists in the history of mankind. He who cannot deny the institution of prophethood cannot deny Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), either. The signs and evidence that show the prophethood of the prophets mentioned in the Quran are present in Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) more perfectly and abundantly. Then, Hazrat Muhammad is a prophet, too.
5 —The belief of believing people are strengthened against the attacks and denials of the people of aberration by mentioning the stories of the prophets in the Quran. The previous prophets and the stories of their nations narrated in the Quran show that the way that Muslims are following is not an ideology and belief that is put forward for the first time but a continuation of the struggle between belief and unbelief that has been going on throughout history. In the past, prophets came and called people to the truth and belief. Some people obeyed them but others denied them; the struggle continued like that.
Prophets always supported the causes of each other; what one of them said did not contradict what other prophets said. They told the same principles to people. If the prophets had not been sent by Allah, and if what they preached had been the products of their own ideas, it would have been impossible for the prophets who came at different times and from different places to tell people about the same principles, to agree on the same ideas, to teach people the same things and to mention the same truths. There would have been decrees and principles that contradicted each other. Since something like that did not occur, it means the way that the prophets and the people believing in them followed is the true path. The ideas that the prophets informed the people about are not their own ideas but the revelation that they received from Allah. Then, there is no reason why Muslims should have any doubts or hesitations about the straightness and the truth of the way they are following.
6—Belief illuminates the future and the past (all the times) of man and protects him from non-existence, nothingness and darkness, and makes him connected with the prophets and the people that believed in them; it makes man obtain as many spiritual bodies as the number of people he is connected with. Thus, the spirit of man is saved from the narrow dimensions of the present time and attains a wideness that can travel imaginarily in the future and the past (all the times).
He becomes connected with the history of the whole mankind beginning from Hazrat Adam thanks to belief. He feels curiosity and interest toward those events that took place in the past.
He assumes a feeling and consciousness as if he has been in those events to draw lessons from them. Due to that wide interest and connection that belief makes man obtain, the stories of the prophets were narrated in detail in the Quran, satisfying the curiosity that Muslims feel toward the past. Thus, it was made possible for believers to experience spiritually and imaginarily the events that happened to the prophets and their nations, to draw lessons from them and to be familiar with them.
Badiuzzaman states the following about the issue:
“If you want a companion, the Quran is sufficient for you...
Indeed, in the imagination, one meets with the prophets and angels in it, watches the events in which they were involved, and becomes familiar with them..” (Mektubat, 251.)
7—Another important wisdom behind the fact that the stories of the prophets are narrated in the Quran is the targets that their miracles show. As a result of the advancement of the mankind in art and science, many art and science wonders like airplanes, electricity, trains, etc have been invented and they have an important place in the daily lives of people. The Quran, which addresses the mankind in general and which mentions everything based on their importance, has not ignored them. It indicated them in two ways: mentioning about the miracles of prophets and narrating some historical events.
By pointing out to the principles and foundations of material advancement through the stories of the prophets, the Quran virtually says something like this, “ O people! The miracles that you see are some samples and examples. You can produce things that are similar to them by uniting your ideas and working together.”, encouraging us. The past is the mirror of the future. The inventions that will be made in the future are based on the principles and fundamentals established in the past. Actually, all of the advancements in our age have taken place as a result of the inspirations originating from the signs pointed out by religions.
For instance, the wonders like the first watch, ship, using the iron by softening it were given to man with the hand of miracle; similarly, the inventions that will be made in the future like airplanes, rockets, centrifuge drawing water under the ground, fireproof materials, learning the language of birds, transmitting the sound and vision were all implied by miracles. There are many other miracles that mankind has not been able to produce things similar to them; they are trying to invent them gradually with the advancement of the civilization.
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Will you give information about the necessity of belief in the books?
The Quran expresses the necessity of belief in the books in various ways. In some verses regarding the issue, it expresses the necessity of belief in the books by giving orders: "Say ye: 'We believe, in Allah and the revelation given to us and to Abraham Isma`il Isaac Jacob and the Tribes and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord we make no difference between one and another of them and we bow to Allah (in Islam).'" (al-Baqara, 2/136) "O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and his Messenger, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Messenger and the scripture which He sent to those before (him)…" (an-Nisa, 4/136) In some verses, belief in the books is regarded to be among the properties of believers: "And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter." (al-Baqara, 2/4) The Prophet has to believe in the books like other believers: "The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith…" (al-Baqara, 2/285) Some verses express the necessity of belief in the books by stating that it is unbelief and heresy not to believe in the books: "And who denieth Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray" (an-Nisa, 4/136).
To believe in the books is a necessity of believing in Allah, His angels and His messengers. Allah sends book to people to show them the right way through the prophets He chooses among them. The books are the sum of the revelations sent via angels. A person who believes in Allah but does not believe in the angels and revelation and who opposes prophethood is regarded to have exited Islam. The books are the trusts given to man, who was created as the vicegerent on earth, in other words, the sum of the instructions, orders and prohibitions showing man how to fulfill the duty of realizing the divine system based on the sovereignty of Allah in the world. They contain the principles of belief, ways of worshipping, the deeds that need to be done or not to be done, principles of high ethics, which will arrange human life in the best way, and the basic principles and rules that will organize the political and social life. Therefore, to believe in the books means to accept to organize and arrange man's world of belief and thought, his individual and social life in the way that the Quran states.
No matter what their names are and no matter how they are defined, all of the divine books are the words of Allah. There is no difference between them in terms of their origin and the messages they contain. They are all true and they inform us about the truth. They are sent down via the angels, who were created purely; they cannot be intervened by the devil or other beings since they are under the protection of Allah. They all inform people about the oneness of Allah and the fact that it is necessary to worship Him: "Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me" (al-Anbiya, 21/25) "For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, (with the Command) 'Serve Allah, and eschew Evil'... " (an-Nahl, 16/36) "The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah--that which We have sent by inspiration to thee--and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: namely, that ye should remain steadfast in Religion, and make no divisions therein…" (ash-Shura, 42/13) However, their languages change based on the communities they are sent down to: "We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them." (Ibrahim, 14/4) Some rules and methods also change based on the conditions of the time and the community: "To each among you have We prescribed a Law and an Open Way." (al-Maida, 5/48)
Belief in the books does not mean it is necessary to accept that the current distorted Torah, Psalms and Gospel are real and true. A believer has to accept that their original forms are the words of Allah but he also has to accept that their current versions have been distorted. Therefore, a believer who encounters some information from the Torah or the Gospel has to refer to the Quran and the Sunnah without saying that it is right or wrong. There is no drawback to accepting that the information is true if it does not contradict with the principles and rules stated by the Quran and the Sunnah. However, it is not in question to accept some information that is contrary to the Quran and the Sunnah as information coming from Allah. Then, belief in the books means to believe in the revelation sent by Allah, that the revelation continued together with prophets and that it ended with the Quran in a perfect way.
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What is a Miracle?
Miracles are wonders that mankind has been unable to do but Allah enabled His prophets to do them.
Since a prophet is chosen among people, other people may oppose and even deny his prophethood by doubting him because he is at a higher rank than them. As a matter of fact, that issue is stated in the Quran and it is informed that prophets that were sent by Allah was addressed by their nations as follows: “We see (in) thee nothing but a man like ourselves: nor do we see that any follow thee but the meanest among us, in judgment immature: nor do we see in you (all) any merit above us.” (For instance, see: Hud, 27)
Then, the person who is a prophet needs a spiritual superiority, loftiness and distinction in order to establish and maintain authority over people. He needs evidence to show that he is a prophet and he has a connection with Allah. That evidence is miracles. (İşaratü’l-İcaz, 86.)
Miracles are for the approval of the cause of the prophets by Allah, the Creator of the universe. If a person says, “The Sultan appointed me to do such and such a task” before that Sultan, and when he is asked for evidence, if the Sultan approves it, will there be any doubt about it since the Sultan confirmed and approved him? Similarly, when a Sultan changes a custom, law or situation of his that he always does based on the wish of a person, he is regarded to have confirmed and approved the claim of that person.
Just like the case in the example, the prophets claimed, “I am the messenger of the Creator of this Universe. My evidence is that he will change some of his long-established and continuous customs based on my supplication and wish.” And, Allah Almighty showed hundreds of miracles through their hands. (Mektubat, 92.)
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Is belief in qadar (destiny) one of the essentials of being a Muslim?
That is, if a man does not believe in qadar and denies it, does he exit the religion of Islam? The only answer to such a question is ‘yes’. Belief in qadar is an essential of belief (Islam) and a person who denies qadar exits the religion because the Holy Quran teaches us to believe in destiny with many verses and the Holy Quran teaches us to believe in qadar and informs us that Allah knows everything pre-eternally. Some of these verses are as follows:
“With Him are the keys of the Unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth, and in the sea. Not a leaf doth fall but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered) but is (inscribed) in a Record Clear (to those who can read)...”(al-An’am: 59)
“Say: ‘Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector’.”(at-Tawba: 51)
“No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah.”(al-Hadid: 22)
“And of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence).”(Yasin: 12)
“Allah doth know what every female (womb) doth bear, by how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or do exceed. Every single thing is before His sight, in (due) proportion.” (ar-Ra’d: 8)
“Knowest thou not that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on earth? Indeed it is all in a record and that is easy for Allah.”(al-Hajj: 70)
These verses and many similar verses declare that things existed in the knowledge of Allah before they were created. Its opposite cannot be considered because Allah’s knowledge surrounds everything, every time and every place. Not accepting it means attributing ignorance to Allah. However, Allah is far from all faults and defects.
If qadar did not exist for man and if Allah knew man's actions after he did them, an end and a limit would be in question about Allah’s knowledge. And an increase, a decrease and a change would be in question about His attribute of knowledge. However, none of them can be thought about Allah.
Allah’s knowledge surrounds everything. Namely, all creatures; past, present and future everything that is early, late, external, internal, secret, evident, in short, everything is in Allah's scope of observation at any moment. Nothing can be hidden from Him and His knowledge. Consequently, if we say, “there is no qadar for man”, it means Allah does not know tomorrow because if Allah knows tomorrow, there is and will be qadar for everybody because qadar is an attribute of divine knowledge.
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Who is a Believer? What are the characteristics of a Believer?
A believer is a person who believes in Allah, the hereafter and the other pillars of belief. If a person says I am a Muslim, he is regarded as a Muslim.
We can list the main characteristics of Muslims that Allah states in the Quran as follows:
• Believers worship only Allah.There is no being other than him that they deify in their minds. (al-Fatiha, 1/1-7; an-Nisa, 4/36)
• They fear Allah.They avoid doing things that are forbidden by Allah or that are contrary to His consent. (Aal-i Imran, 3/102; Yasin, 36/11; at-Taghabun, 64/15-16; az-Zumar, 39/23)
• They trust only in Allah.(al-Baqara, 2/249; at-Tawba, 9/25-26)
• They fear none but Allah.(al-Ahzab, 33/39)
• They thank Allah. Therefore, having economic difficulties or being in welfare does not make them sorry or does not cause them to boast. (al-Baqara, 2/172; al-Isra, 17/3; Ibrahim, 14/7)
• They have believed with definite knowledge.They never have the thought of returning without attaining the consent of Allah. They continue to serve their religion more enthusiastically every day. (al-Hujurat, 49/15; al-Baqara, 2/4)
• They hold fast by the Quran. They arrange all of their deeds in accordance with the Quran. They immediately abandon doing something if they notice that it is contrary to the Quran. (al-Araf, 7/170; al-Maida, 5/49; al-Baqara, 2/121)
• They always mention the name of Allah. They know that Allah sees and hears everything; they always keep it in mind that Allah's power is limitless. (Aal-i Imran, 3/191; ar-Rad, 13/28; an-Nur, 24/37; al-Araf, 7/205; al-Ankabut, 29/45)
• They know that they are weak in the presence of Allah. They are modest. (However, it does not mean to appear weak in the presence of other people and to act in abasement.) (al-Baqara, 2/286; al-Araf, 7/188)
• They know that everything comes from Allah.Therefore, they never panic when something happens; they act cold-bloodedly and relying on Allah. (at-Tawba, 9/51; at-Taghabun, 64/11; Yunus, 10/49; al-Hadid, 57/22)
• They have turned toward the hereafter; they have determined the hereafter as their main target.However, they also benefit from worldly bounties; they try to form an environment that is like Paradise in this world. (an-Nisa, 4/74; Sad, 38/46; al-Araf, 7/31-32)
• They hold only believers as their friends and confidants.(al-Maida, 5/55-56; al-Mujadala, 58/22)
• They have mind.They are always careful and alert because they are conscious of their worship. They always serve believers and the religion of Islam rationally. (al-Mumin, 40/54; az-Zumar, 39/18)
• They struggle mentally with might and main on behalf of Allah against deniers, especially the leading deniers. They continue their struggle without fearing and laziness.(al-Anfal, 8/39; al-Hajj, 22/78; al-Hujurat, 49/15; at-Tawba, 9/12)
• They are not afraid of telling the truth. They do not avoid revealing the truth because they are afraid of people. They do not fear what deniers say about them; they do not heed their mockery and attacks; they are not afraid of the criticism of those who blame them. (al-Maida, 5/54, 67; al-Araf, 7/2)
• To convey the religion of Allah to people.They invite people to the religion of Allah in various ways. (Nuh, 71/5-9)
• They are not oppressive.They are merciful and tender-minded. (an-Nahl, 16/125; at-Tawba, 9/128; Hud, 11/75)
• They restrain anger; they are tolerant and forgiving.(Aal-i Imran, 3/134; al-Araf, 7/199; ash-Shura, 42/40-43)
• They are reliable people.They display a very strong personality and they impress with confidence. (ad-Duhan, 44/17-18; at-Takwir, 81/19-21; al-Maida, 5/12; an-Nahl, 16/120)
• They suffer from oppression and cruelty. (ash-Shuara, 26/49, 167; al-Ankabut, 29/24; Yasin, 36/18; Ibrahim, 14/6; an-Naml, 27/49, 56; Hud, 11/91)
• They put up with difficulties. (al-Ankabut, 29/2-3; al-Baqara, 2/156, 214; Aal-i Imran, 3/142, 146, 195; al-Ahzab, 33/48; Muhammad, 47/31; al-Anam, 6/34)
• They do not fear oppression and death. (at-Tawba, 9/111; Aal-i Imran, 3/156-158, 169-171, 173; ash-Shuara, 26/49-50; as-Saffat, 37/97-99; an-Nisa, 4/74)
• They encounter the attacks and traps of deniers.(al-Baqara, 2/14, 212)
• They are under the protection of Allah.All of the traps set against them fail. Allah makes them superior by protecting them against all slanders and traps. (Aal-i Imran, 3/110-111, 120; Ibrahim, 14/46; al-Anfal, 8/30; an-Nahl, 16/26; Yusuf, 12/34; al-Hajj, 22/38; al-Maida, 5/42, 105; an-Nisa, 4/141)
• They act cautiously against deniers.(an-Nisa, 4/71, 102; Yusuf, 12/67)
• They treat Satan and his adherents as enemies.(Fatir, 35/6; az-Zukhruf, 43/62; al-Mumtahina, 60/1; an-Nisa, 4/101; al-Maida, 5/82)
• They struggle against hypocrites; they do not spend time with them.(at-Tawba, 9/83, 95, 123)
• They prevent the tyranny of deniers. (al-Ahzab, 33/60-62; al-Hashr, 59/6; at-Tawba, 9/14-15, 52)
• They conduct their affairs by mutual consultation. (ash-Shura, 42/38)
• They do not envy or imitate the ostentatious lives of unbelievers.(al-Kahf, 18/28; at-Tawba, 9/55; Taha, 20/131)
• They are not affected by wealth and rank. (al-Hajj, 22/41; al-Qasas, 28/79-80; an-Nahl, 16/123)
• They act meticulously regarding worship; they perform prayers, fasting and similar worship carefully. (al-Baqara, 2/238; al-Anfal, 8/3; al-Muminun, 23/1-2)
• They do not follow the majority but the criteria given by Allah.(al-Anam, 6/116)
• They strive with might and main in order to approach Allahand be a model believer. (al-Maida, 5/35; Fatir, 35/32; al-Waqia, 56/10-14; al-Furqan, 25/74)
• They do not act based on the effect of Satan. (al-Araf, 7/201; al-Hijr, 15/39-42; an-Nahl, 16/98-99)
• They do not follow their fathers blindly.They act in accordance with the Quran. (Ibrahim, 14/10; Hud, 11/62, 109)
• They do not waste by excess. (al-Anam, 6/141; al-Furqan, 25/67)
• They act chastely and marry in the way that Allah wants.(al-Muminun, 23/5-6; an-Nur, 24/3, 26, 30; al-Baqara, 2/221; al-Maida, 5/5; al-Mumtahina, 60/10)
• They do not go to extremes in religion.(al-Baqara, 2/143; an-Nisa, 4/171)
• They are altruistic.(al-Insan, 76/8; Aal-i Imran, 3/92, 134; at-Tawba, 9/92)
• They give importance to cleaning. (al-Baqara, 2/125, 168; Muddaththir, 74/1-5)
• They do not spy on each other.(al-Hujurat, 49/12)
• They avoid greed. (an-Nisa, 4/128)
• Pray for forgiveness from Allah.(al-Baqara, 2/286; Aal-i Imran, 3/16-17, 147, 193; al-Hashr, 59/10; Nuh, 71/28)
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Is it necessary to declare belief with the tongue?
To declare belief with the tongue is not a necessity of belief. If a person does not express his belief by tongue, he will be regarded a believer by accepting it with the heart. However, how can we know about the belief of a person in his heart if he does not declare it with his tongue?
Therefore, it is necessary to declare belief with the tongue so that Muslims can witness his belief and treat his dead body as a Muslim when he dies. Therefore, the two fundamentals of belief are expressed as “acceptance with the heart and declaration by the tongue”.
Here, declaration by the tongue is not the essential fundamental but it is necessary to witness a person’s belief and to accept him as a believer. Praying in the congregation, carrying out a religious obligation are like declaration with the tongue; actually they are even stronger than it. Our Prophet said the following regarding the issue:
“Witness the belief of a person who attends the mosque because Allah says, ”The Mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, perform as-salat (prayers), and give zakat (alms).’ (at-Tawba, 18).”
It is not objectionable by religion to deny one’s belief or to utter words contrary to belief under compulsion or due to a similar excuse with the tongue not with the heart since declaration with the tongue is not the essential fundamental of belief. A person who is forced to do so does not become an unbeliever; he is regarded a believer since he preserves his acceptance with the heart.
Accordingly, during the Age of Happiness, Ammar Bin Yasir, a companion of the Prophet, could not endure the oppression and tortures, and denied his belief with the tongue; so, he got rid of the tortures he was exposed to.
Our Prophet approved what he had done; the Prophet said that the denial of belief with the tongue under oppression and violence would not harm belief when the heart is full of belief.
It was stated in the Quran that the denial under compulsion would not make a person unbeliever. (an-Nahl 16/106)
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Why were holy books sent down?
Testing is done based on the criterion of justice. A teacher wants to apply the criterion of justice in tests through practice. Similarly, Allah needs to practice His students for the tests. The practice is a teacher and books / notes for the subject.The teachers of the humanity in the school of life are prophets and the notes for the subjects are heavenly books.
The following verse attracts attention to this fact:
“…Nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an messenger (to give warning).”(al-Isra, 17/15 )
Besides, there are a lot of purposes why this huge universe was created. It is necessary to be insane to think that the universe equipped with wisdom all over is purposeless, absurd and unnecessary. The primary purpose of the creation of the universe is the fact that Allah wants to be known and wants His slaves to learn this.
“I have only created jinn and men, that they may serve Me.”(adh-Dhariyat, 51/56)
The verse above indicates this fact. Slaves of Allah cannot know Him and cannot learn how to worship without a teacher and a book...
What reflects Allah’s names and attributes, teaches them, reflects His endless knowledge and power is the book of the universe, which is an embodied Quran. In order to learn the deep meanings, fine embroidery and the instructive messages of the book of the universe, a teacher that teaches them is necessary. Otherwise, no matter how wonderful a book is, it is no different than a roll of paper if its meaning is not known and if there is no teacher to teach it.
Similarly, would it be possible to understand the fine mysteries of the book of the universe if there had not been a book like the Quran, a teacher like Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) teaching the book of the universe with its finest beauties, narrating its bonds with the Creator and explaining its purpose of creation? As a matter of fact, those who do not heed the Quran and Muhammad (pbuh) think that this universe is a meaningless, aimless and purposeless puppet with their materialistic ideas; they see man as a poor person that is impossible to know where he comes from, where he will go, why he has come to this world and that is known to disappear after a certain time. A book and its teacher are necessary to correct the misunderstandings above.
According to the Quran, the reason why the heavenly books were sent is to judge between people in matters in which they differed (al-Baqara, 2/213), to fulfill justice among men (al-Hadid, 57/25), to make clear to people those things in which they differ, to be a guide and a mercy to those who believe (an-Nahl, 16/64), to lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light (Ibrahim, (14/1), and to admonish the unjust, and to give glad tidings to those who do right. (al-Ahqaf, 46/12).
The heavenly books that Allah sent through His prophets to guide humans and to convey Allah’s message to them are also called "divine books" or "books that were sent down". These books are the words of Allah in terms of form and meaning. The books that were sent down to prophets by Allah to be conveyed to people and to be explained were sent in the written form as pages or tablets, or in the form of all kinds of revelation with words and meanings as compiled or non-compiled books. The non-compiled books are collected together as the prophets dictate them.
The heavenly books, whether they are big or small in terms of size, whether they are sent in the compiled or non-compiled form, are sent in the language of the people that the prophet belongs to. For, Allah sent prophets to every nation in various centuries:
"Verily We have sent thee in truth, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner: and there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them (in the past).”(Fatir, 35/24)
"To every people (was sent) an Messenger: when their Messenger comes (before them), the matter will be judged between them with justice and they will not be wronged."(Yunus, 10/47)
"We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them...." (Ibrahim, 14/4)
Some divine books have miraculous properties. The Quran has a lot of miraculous properties.
The heavenly book was sent in the written form to Hz. Ibrahim (pbuh) as pages and to Hz. Musa (pbuh) as tablets. The Quran was sent to Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) gradually in various forms of revelation orally. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) dictated them to revelation scribes in their proper order.
All of the heavenly books unanimously mention the following points:
1.They agree on declaring the principles of belief and oneness.
2.Allah is unique in his personality and attributes. He is the only Creator and Maker. Nobody but Allah is worshipped.
3.The essence of the types of worship like prayer, zakah (alms) and fasting. Their forms may be different in different religions. (al-Anbiya, 21/73; al-Baqara, 2/183)
4.Fornication, murder, theft and similar sins that violate people’s rights of honor, chastity, life and property are major sins.
5.They order all kinds of good deeds and the principles of high ethics.
6.They state that Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) will come as the Messenger of Allah and they mention his attributes.
7.They encourage people to work in the way of Allah with their lives and property.
Allah includes in the Quran most of the principles and information that He sent with the previous heavenly books. Verse 48 of the chapter of al-Maida indicates this issue:
"To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety; so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed…"
In that case, the Quran is a witness, controller and touchstone related to the unchanged parts of the previous heavenly books and the distorted and mixed parts of the parts and verses.
The Quran states that the facts declared by it were also sent down through the previous divine books:
"Verily this is a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds: With it came down the Spirit of Faith and Truth― To thy heart and mind, that thou mayest admonish, In the perspicuous Arabic tongue. Without doubt it is (announced) in the revealed Books of former peoples."(ash-Shuara, 26/192-196)
The phrase "the revealed Books of former peoples (zubur al-awwalin)"includes the pages of Ibrahim, the Torah the Psalms and the Gospel.
People are in need of prophets that convey them Allah's decrees; similarly, they are also in need of the heavenly books sent down to them due to the following reasons:
1.The heavenly books sent down to prophets are the books that ummahs refer to in order to know and describe the creed, principles, purposes and decrees of their religion no matter how much time passed. Ummahs refer to Allah's book in order to know the decrees of Allah's shari'ah, to explain the fards that Allah orders and the harams that He prohibits, to learn the virtues and high ethics, rules of good manners and etiquette, Allah's warnings, to declare Allah's promises and threats, to call people to the right path and to get and give advice. After the death of the prophet, the scholars of the ummah will refer to Allah's book in order to find the legal decrees regarding the problems of human life.
2.The divine book sent down to a prophet is a fair referee that people refer to after the death of the prophet regarding the issues that they disagree about. For, it is the word of Allah, who is the fairest judge. Allah states the issue as follows in the Quran:
"Mankind was one single nation, and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed..."(al-Baqara, 2/213).
A book that is sent down to an ummah and that is written protects the principles of oneness, the creed, rules and decrees of the religion. If a heavenly book remains without undergoing any change in an ummah, it means the prophet lives among them. Prophets die like other human beings. If the heavenly book did not remain after the death of the prophet, the disagreements of the ummah would increase so much as to make them deviate from the origin of the religion. The existence of a written divine book is necessary in order to decrease the dragging of man by their souls and desires, which is due to their nature, and to stop the disagreements in religious understanding and ijtihads.
The divine bookbears the influence and ability of the call of the prophet in spreading the religion and guiding the people no matter how much away it is from the place and time it was sent down. The influence and service of the Quran has been great in spreading and settling the universal religion of Islam conveyed by Hz. Muhammad (pbuh), the last Prophet.
Allah sent down books to His prophets due to the reasons mentioned above and some other reasons. The prophets conveyed those books and explained them. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) left the Quran, which is a light and guide for humanity, after him.
Prophets, who honored humanity with their existence, need to be instructed by Allah in order to fulfill their duties of messengership. This instruction is given to prophets through heavenly books. The heavenly books are the holy laws of Allah to be applied for humans. Allah informs humans about their rights and duties through these laws. The lives of the prophets in this world are ephemeral. The continuation of the divine decrees conveyed by the prophets to their ummahs could be possible only through these books. If it were not for these books, people would be unaware of the purpose of their creation, the duties burdened with them, and the bounties and disasters they would encounter in the hereafter. They would be deprived of the divine principles that would arrange their lives. They would be also be deprived of the honor and happiness of reading the holy verses, worshipping through them, getting advice from them and getting rid of dangerous opinions by understanding the truth thanks to them.
The orders and prohibitions that the Quran informs humans and the wisdom and truths that it explains are plentiful. They are basically about beliefs, worshipping, laws related to human relations, ethics, works of arts and masterpieces showing the power of Allah, exemplary events and other things. We can summarize them as follows:
1) The Quran informs humans about the existence, oneness, majesty, wisdom and holiness of Allah. The words of those who have philosophical opinions are dim compared to its illuminated words.
2) The Quran calls humans to obtain knowledge and to meditate on things by looking at them carefully. It advises humans to look at Allah's great works that show His wisdom and power.
3) The Quran gives information about some of the prophets sent to humans in the previous eras. It tells man how they managed their lofty duties and what difficulties they faced while fulfilling their duties. It orders all people to obey the last Prophet.
4) The Quran tells people about the most exemplary scenes and historical events related to the previous ummahs so that people will learn lessons from them. It also tells people about the terrible ends of the sinning nations that rebelled against their prophets.
5) The Quran orders humans to have an alert spirit all the time and not to forget God. It advises them not to be deprived of religion and virtues by obeying the desires of their souls. It tells them that to be deprived from spiritual pleasures and the bounties of the hereafter by plunging into the material benefits and pleasures of the world is a big disaster.
6) The Quran advises Muslims to adhere to their religion and to defend the truth all the time. It reminds them that they should always be strong and work hard in order to prepare the equipment to protect themselves. It orders them to fight when it is necessary, to protect their religion, honor, country and their material and spiritual belongings by their lives and property.
7) The Quran informs them about the principles and rules that are necessary for the civil and social life to go on in order and peace. It asks people to protect and maintain certain rights and duties.
8) The Quran advises both individuals and communities to adhere to justice, honesty, modesty, love, to have mercy, to do favors, to forgive, to have good manners, to support equality and to have similar lofty characteristics. It prohibits people from oppression, treason, conceitedness, stinginess, revenge, hard-heartedness, ugly deeds and words, harmful drinks and food. It tells people about the food and drinks that are halal (legitimate) and haram (forbidden).
9) The Quran tells people that nobody can change the natural laws that Allah imposed for this realm. It states that everybody has to act in accordance with those laws. It reminds people that they cannot obtain anything but the fruits (benefits) of their work. It encourages people to work.
10) The Quran gives the believers who accept and adopt Allah's orders and prohibitions and act accordingly the glad tidings of the bounties of the world and the hereafter and the achievements they will obtain. It warns unbelievers against the bad end prepared for them, and the forms of hellfire. Through these explanations, the Quran wants to inform people about the lofty purpose of their creation.
In conclusion, the message of the Quran is a miracle. It containsmany more wisdoms and facts. The humanity can never be excluded from the instructions of the Quran no matter how high it rises. The acts that are contrary to the instructions (principles) of the Quran are actually a fall rather than a rise.
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What is Compulsory and Voluntary Destiny?
Destiny is divided into two as compulsory and voluntary:
Compulsory destiny is the divine destiny that does not depend on human will. Issues like who a person’s father and mother will be, in which century a person will be born, whether a person will be male or female are examples of compulsory destiny. It is meaningless to ask questions about this aspect of destiny. These kinds of questions will not cease. A person who asks why he was born in the 21st century would ask the same question if he were born in any other century. Man is not responsible for this destiny. They all happen out of the reach of his will. This determination and condition depends solely on Allah’s knowledge and will.
Voluntary destiny is related to the actions that a person does using his own partial free will and wish. Their occurrence depends on the partial free will of man. What man is responsible for is that kind of destiny which depends on his own wishes and desires. For instance, Allah determined as a general rule that a student would pass when he studied and realized the necessary conditions to pass the class and that a student would fail the class when he didn’t realize the necessary conditions. If a student studies and passes the class, the determination of Allah will be in this way.
It is necessary to remind something here. We use our partial free will. However, what is important is the divine will. We will do our best. If Allah wills, he makes us successful; if he doesn’t, he won’t. Therefore we cannot say, “I worked, I must definitely succeed.” It is Allah who will make us successful. For instance, we water our garden. If we don’t, we will cause it to dry. It will be our responsibility. However, when we water it, we carry out our duty. If Allah wishes, He will grow it; if He wishes, He will decay it. If he grows it, we will thank Him for his grant. If he doesn’t, we will look for a manifestation of mercy, we won’t disobey him. Studying is like that. If we study and pass the exam, we will thank Allah. If we fail, we will show patience.
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Does man determine his qadar (destiny) on his own? Can a person's qadar change?
The real meaning of qadar is that Allah knows everything that happened and that will happen. Note that it does not ignore man's will. To know is something and to do is something else. It is Allah who knows and it is the slave (man) who does.
Our destiny was written in the past. The subtle point here is we do not do things because Allah wrote them; Allah knows that we would do them. Besides, it is impossible to think that Allah cannot know the future. If He does not or cannot know, He cannot be the Creator. Let us give an example to clarify it:
Think of a teacher. He says to one of his students, “I will test you about this book tomorrow.” However, the teacher knows, by the permission of Allah, that the student will watch films, play football and games and have fun, and that he will come to school without studying the next morning; so, he writes "0" in his report. The student cannot answer the questions in the morning and knows that he deserves zero. The teacher takes out his marks book and says, “I knew that you were not going to study; so, I wrote zero in the marks book beforehand.” Can the student say, “I got zero because you wrote so in the marks book. If you had written a good mark, I would have passed”?
That is, we do not do things because Allah wrote our qadar in the past; Allah wrote it because He knew what we were going to do. This is called qadar.
Qadar is divided into two:the things that are not related to man's will and the things that are related to man's will. For instance, the issues like the color of a person's eyes and the gender of a person are included in the first part and nobody can be held responsible for them. The other part is the fact that we were sent to this world to be tested; therefore, God Almighty creates things according to what we want. For instance, when adhan (call to prayer) is announced, a person who controls his soul goes to mosque. Another person who is controlled by his soul goes to the pub. They are what the people write; our Lord (Creator) creates what they want.
Every man that comes to the world is subject to a qadar program. Allah knows through His pre-eternal knowledge what man will do and what will happen to him. However, the fact that Allah knows does not mean that He will force man because Allah gives man choices. Allah creates what man prefers using his own will. Therefore, man is held responsible. We can give the following example to clarify the issue:
Suppose that the top floor of a building is full of bounties and the pavement is full of torture instruments. A person who has been told about this building beforehand knows that he will attain the bounties when he pushes the button of the top floor in the elevator and that he will undergo torture when he pushes the button of the pavement. What man's will does here is to decide which button to push and act. The elevator moves based on certain physical and mechanical rules not on the power and will of that person. That is man does not go to the top floor or to the basement based on his own power. Moreover, it is up to man's will to determine where the elevator will go.
Besides, that Allah knows everything through His pre-eternal knowledge does not remove the responsibility of a person who does something. The person who commits the crime is held responsible not the person who sees and knows the criminal.
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How is belief in the hereafter dealt with in the Quran?
The place and importance of the hereafter in the Quran
One of the most important differences of the Quran from the divine or non-divine books of other religions is that it gives information about the issues related to the hereafter a lot. We can make the issue clear by dealing with it under various headings:
The hereafter is one of the main purposes of the Quran:
With the unanimous agreement of the interpreters, the issue of the hereafter is regarded to be one of the main purposes of the Quran.
There are various classifications [1] about the real purposes and main topics of the Quran but in many classifications, the following three purposes, which also form the foundations [2] of conveying the message of Islam by the Prophet (pbuh) in the period of Makkah are present: oneness, prophethood, the hereafter.
Ghazali says that the main purposes of the Quran, which he names as 'muhimmatu'l-Qur'an', are knowing Allah, the hereafter and the straight path; he adds that the other issues in the Quran are subordinate to those topics [3].
Razi says that these three essentials are not separated from one another in the Quranic verses and that they follow one another; when one of them is mentioned, the other two follows; or when two of them are mentioned, the other one follows [4]. As Razi puts it, the main purpose of the whole Quran is to teach oneness, prophethood and the hereafter. Stories are narrated in order to express those essentials like proverbs [5]. Razi adds qada (decree) and qadar (destiny) to these three essentials [6].
Nursi adds justice to these three essentials and sometimes uses the term bodily resurrection instead of resurrection, and worship and justice instead of justice. According to him, the topic of the universe, mentioned in the Quran in addition to these purposes, is subordinate and indirect; it is mentioned in order to show the Maker (Creator) through the order of His art [7].
Dahlawi says the meanings the Quran contains are included under these five sciences: Decrees, analogy, reminding Allah's bounties and grants, reminding certain days of Allah and reminding death and beyond death [8].
In his book, al-Mahawiru'l-Khamsa li'l-Qur'ani'l-Karim (Five Axes of the Quran), Muhammad al-Ghazali says it is possible to state that the Quran deals mainly with five issues though its meaning is comprehensive and its chapters are abundant. The five issues that also form the chapters of the Quran are as follows: Allah, who is one, the universe that shows its Creator, the stories of the Quran, resurrection, punishment and reward, education and legislation [9].
Abduh says the purposes of the sending down of the Quran are five: Oneness, promise (Paradise) and threat (Hell), worshipping, explaining the way to happiness and stories. [10].
In Fazlurrahman's book called Major Themes of the Qur'an, along with Allah, the hereafter and prophethood, the issues of man, nature, Satan and evil are explained [11].
It is seen that one of the common points mentioned in the classifications above is the issue of the hereafter. This issue is dealt with and explained concisely or in detail in almost every chapter of the Quran. As a matter of fact, when Shahata's work called Ahdafu Kulli Suratin wa Maqasiduha (The Aims and Purposes of all of the Chapters in the Quran) is browsed, this fact will easily be seen. In this book, the existence of a spirit, which is dominant in every chapter of the Quran, which penetrates into the verses of that chapter and which is dominant over the principles, decrees, meanings and styles of that chapter [12], is mentioned; this spirit consists of oneness, prophethood, resurrection and worshipping, which are the essential purposes of the Quran. It is not difficult to find these purposes directly or indirectly in all chapters.
Some interpreters say these purposes are gathered especially in the chapter of al-Fatiha [13].
The Place and Importance of the Hereafter in the Quran:
We can list the aspects that show the place and importance of the hereafter in the Quran as follows:
a. There are a lot of verses related to the hereafter:
Apart from the verses that are indirectly related to the hereafter in the Quran, the number of the verses that are directly related to the hereafter is about one thousand and nine hundred; which is almost one third of the Quran [14].
b. Various aspects of life in the hereafter are mentioned widely in the Quran:
In the Quran, the issue of the hereafter is described in detail. The issues like the removal of man's spirit by angels in his deathbed, signs of the Doomsday, the horrible incidents that take place all over the universe when Doomsday strikes, the blowing of the Sur (horn), resurrection of people and their coming out of their graves, people being sent to the Gathering Place, reckoning, conversations during reckoning, distribution of the books of deeds, people being sent to Paradise and Hell in groups, detailed description of bounties of Paradise and torture in Hell, angels addressing the people in Paradise and Hell, conversations between the people of Paradise and Hell, and life in Paradise and Hell being eternal are issues that are described in detail in the Quran.
c. Some chapters are entitled some phrases meaning the Doomsday or the incidents happening on that day:
al-Qiyama (the Doomsday), al-Haaqqa (the Sure Truth), al-Qaria (the Calamity), al-Ghashiya (the Overwhelming Event), al-Infitar (the Cleaving), al-Inshiqaq (the Bursting Asunder), at-Takwir (the Folding Up).
d. In many verses, belief in Allah and belief in the hereafter are mentioned together [15]:
"Any who believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord..." (al-Baqara, 62), "but it is righteousness―to believe in Allah and the Last Day...." (al-Baqara, 177), "if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day..." (an-Nisa, 59; an- Nur, 2) In many verses like the ones above,belief in Allah and belief in the hereafter are mentioned together [16]. This shows that belief in the hereafter comes just after belief in Allah and that belief in Allah without belief in the hereafter will not be useful and it will not be regarded as real belief.
e. Allah Almighty swore and made vows regarding resurrection after death and the otherworldly things that He promised:
Allah Almighty's vows related to the hereafter are divided into three:
1. His vows through various beings related to the issues about the hereafter: In that case, the beings through which a vow is made are called muqsamun bih (things through which vows are made) and theissues regarding the hereafter are called muqsamun alayh (things on which vows are made). Some of those vows are as follows: "By the (Winds) that scatter broadcast; And those that lift and bear away heavy weights; And those that flow with ease and gentleness; And those that distribute and apportion by command― Verily that which ye are promised is true; And verily Judgment and Justice must indeed come to pass." (adh-Dhariyat, 1-6), "By the Mount (of Revelation); By a Decree Inscribed; In a Scroll unfolded; By the much-frequented Fane; By the Canopy Raised High; And by the Ocean filled with Swell― Verily, the Doom of thy Lord will indeed come to pass. (at-Tur, 1- 7 ), "By the (Winds) Sent Forth one after another (to man's profit); Which then blow violently in tempestuous Gusts, And scatter (things) far and wide;…Assuredly, what ye are promised must come to pass." (al-Mursalat, 1-7)
2. Allah Almighty swore by His own name for the occurrence of the Doomsday: The following verse is an example of it: "Then by the Lord of heaven and earth, this [17] is the very Truth, as much as the fact that ye can speak intelligently to each other" (adh-Dhariyat, 23). In this verse, Allah likens the certainty of the occurrence of the things He mentions to the certainty of the speaking of people to one another. Everybody knows that man is definitely a being that speaks. There is no need to prove it. Nobody doubts that man speaks. Similarly, what Allah Almighty tells us about oneness, prophethood, the hereafter, His names and attributes are true and as certain as the speaking of people [18]. This analogy used in the Quran is something like the phrase "it is a fact like the existence of the sun". A poet states the following regarding the issue: "If proof is asked for the existence of the day, nothing in the minds will be true; then, people will look for evidence for everything, even for the obvious facts" [19].
3. Allah Almighty also swore by the Day of Judgment itself: In this case, muqsamun bih and muqsamun alayh is the same thing; that is, the Day of Judgment. For instance, the following verse is an example of it: "By the promised Day (of Judgment)..." (al-Buruj, 2). A vow in a similar style was used for the Quran, too. Another example regarding the issue is the following verse: "La uqsimu bi-yawmi'l-qiyama (al-Qiyama,1). The meaning here is: "I do call to witness the Resurrection Day ". The reason why a vow is made for that day is to confirm its occurrence, to elevate it and to attract people's attention to that day [20].
In the following three verses, the Prophet (pbuh) is ordered to make a vow about the hereafter and reward and punishment: "They seek to be informed by thee: "Is that Sana o [21] true?" Say: "Aye! by my Lord! It is the very truth! and ye cannot frustrate it..."(Yunus, 53), "The Unbelievers say "Never to us will come the hour": say "Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you― by Him Who knows the unseen "(Saba, 3), "The Unbelievers think that they will not be raised up (for Judgment). Say: "Yea, by my Lord, ye shall surely be raised up..." (at-Taghabun, 7)
f. In the Quran, issues regarding the hereafter are not dealt with in terms of dogmas only; it is stated that resurrection after death is rationally possible and the causes and evidences showing its occurrence are mentioned.
In many verses, the doubts and claims of those who deny resurrection after death are answered and the causes that lead man to deny the hereafter are dealt with. This shows that the Quran is not a book of dogmas only. It is also a book of evidence. That is why the Quran is also called the Wise.
Phrases Related to the Doomsday, Resurrection and the Hereafter:
Many phrases are usedrelated to the doomsday, resurrection, hereafter and life in the hereafter in the Quran. We can divide these phrases into three:
a. Phrases related to the strike of the Doomsday and the destruction of the universe:
The phrase, the strike of the Doomsday, which is used to express the destruction of the system of the universe and the end of this worldly life, is expressed in several ways in the Quran. The most common one among them is the word as-saah (hour). This word lexically means a short while [22]. To use the word hour for the astounding and horrifying things that happen on the Doomsday is a nice expression peculiar to the conciseness of the Quran [23]. The reason why the Doomsday is expressed by the word as-saah is due to the fact that it runs toward us by covering times and breaths not distances. Thus, when a person dies, his hour reaches him and Doomsday strikes for him before the big hour. The big hour (the big Doomsday) is like days compared to the life of man" [24].
The word al-Haaqqa, which is used to express the strike of Doomsday, means something that will definitely and doubtlessly happen [25].
The word al-Qaria is used for the Doomsday because it terrifies and horrifies man, the sky is cleft asunder, the earth and mountains are dispersed and the stars are scattered as their light go out [26].
The words al-Azifa, as-Sahha, al-Ghashiya and at-Taamma are also used for the Doomsday. Azifa means close or near. There are various explanations why this word is used but the most famous one is that the Doomsday is close compared to the age of the world [27]. Sahha means something that is listened because it terrifies people [28]. The word ghashiya is used because the fear of the Day of Judgment fills people or hellfire suffuses unbelievers. Taamma means covering [29].
As it is seen, all of these definitions have a sound that jars ears, throbs and makes a loud noise. This state originates from meaning-sound harmony, which is one of the miraculous features of the Quran. These words are so suitably chosen in terms of letters and meter that they virtually transfer the terror and fear of the Day of Judgment to ears.
b. Phrases related to the dead being taken out of their graves and being sent to the Gathering Place:
In the Quran, the resurrection of the people are expressed through various terms like ba'th (resurrection), ihya (revival), iada (returning), taba'thur (turning upside down), hashr (gathering), nashr (resurrection) and nashatul-ukhra (second creation).
Ba'th lexically means to move and remove something from its place. The reason why the Day of Judgment is called the day of ba'th is the fact that people are removed from their graves and are taken to the place of reckoning on that day [30]. It is stated that the main meaning of ba'th is irsal (sending) [31], that ba'th and irsal are synonymous and that both ba'athtu rasulan and arsaltu rasulan (I sent a messenger) were used [32]. In the Quran, this word is mainly used in the sense of reviving the dead and sending a prophet [33] but it is also used in the sense of inspiration, awakening, giving power and appointing [34].
The verb ba'thara mentioned in the verse "wa idhal quburu bu'thirat" (and when the graves are turned upside down) is used in the sense of dispersing, turning and turning upside down [35]. It is stated that this word is the combination of ba'th and isara. Raghib does not find this view inappropriate and says that it contains these meanings [36].
The difference between ba'th and nushur is as follows: ba'thu'l-khalq means to remove people from their graves to the place of gathering as it is mentioned in the chapter of Yasin: "Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?" (Yasin, 52) Nushur means the appearance of those who are resurrected and their deeds and showing them. This meaning is seen in phrases like nashartu ismak (I showed / spread your name) and nashartu fadilata fulan ( I showed / narrated the virtue of a person) [37].
Iada means to turn / return. Maad means the place to return, the hereafter [38].
Nashatul-ukhra (second creation) is used acting upon the term nashatul-ula (first creation) in the Quran. Thus, it is presented as an evidence for the possibility of the resurrection. For, the one who creates something out of nothing can create it again.
Ihya (reviving after death) is a term that is often used in the Quran. It is used in the sense of both giving spirit to living beings during first creation and reviving after death. The term ihya in the following verse is in the sense of giving spirit to living beings during first creation: "Ye were without life, and He gave you life." (al-Baqara, 28) The term ihya in the following verse is in the sense of reviving after death: "...Has not He, (the same) the power to give life to the dead?" (al-Qiyama, 40). Apart from these two senses, the term ihya is also used in the sense of guidance, letting living beings live and animating the earth with plants [39].
The term nashr, which is used in the sense of taking those who are resurrected to the Gathering Place, lexically means to expand and spread something. It is the opposite of rolling up. In the Quran, it is used in the sense of both ba'th and ihya, also in the sense of dispersing and spreading [40].
Hashr means to gather. It lexically means to remove a group of people from somewhere due to war or some other reasons. It is used only for groups [41].
As for the difference between jam' and hashr, hashr means to gather by dispatching. The phrase yawm al-hashr (day of gathering) is used in this sense. For, the creatures are gathered on that day and are sent to the Gathering Place. It is not true to say that the word hashr is used for disliked things. For, Allah states the following in a verse: "The day We shall gather the righteous to (Allah) Most Gracious, like a band presented before a king for honors." (Maryam, 85) As it is seen, gathering for something nice is mentioned in this verse [42].
c. The phrases used in the sense of the Day of Judgment:
In the Quran, the terms al-yawm (today) al-akhira (the hereafter), al-yawm al-akhir (the last day) are usually used to express the Day of Judgment.
Akhira, which is derived from taakkhur (lagging behind, staying behind) [43], indicates that there is something before it, which is the world [44]. Worldly life comes before it; therefore, it is named the hereafter compared to the world. That is, the world and the hereafter are named liked that compared to each other. It is like the concepts husband-wife, father-son and right-left. Therefore, when the word "the world" is uttered, the hereafter comes to the mind. This association is always taken into consideration when the Quran uses these terms [45].
It is stated that the reason why the hereafter is called al-akhira is because it was created after the other creatures [46]; this explanation is similar to the ones above.
That the term al-akhira is used instead of al-yawm al-akhir (the last day) or ad-dar al-akhira (the last land) is regarded as the overwhelming attribute [47].
The term al-yawm al-akhir is a general name and various otherworldly states are meant by it. The strike of the Doomsday, the end of this world, the resurrection of the dead, hashr, nashr, reckoning, distribution of the books of deeds, mizan (scales), Sirat, hawd, shafa'ah (intercession), Paradise and Hell are covered by this term [48].
That the term al-hayawan (life) is used for the hereafter in the following verse is due to the fact that the realm of the hereafter is endless, uninterrupted, immortal and eternal: "But verily the Home in the Hereafter that is life indeed" (al-Ankabut, 64) [49]. According to this expression, the realm of the hereafter is virtually the very life itself [50]. This meaning originates from the fact that the word hayawan, which indicates more than one meaning and multitude, is used instead of the word hayy. With this expression, Allah Almighty attracts attention to the fact that the valid life is life in the hereafter [51]. We can also say that this verse indicates that life in the hereafter is a full, active life to live both spiritually and bodily.
Razi states the following while explaining this term: When it is stated through the following verse that there is increase and development in the hereafter: "to those who do right is a goodly (reward)― yea, more (than in measure) " (Yunus, 26) and through the following verse that the hereafter is a full and real place of understanding: "the Day that (all) things secret will be tested", the hereafter is given the name al-hayawan, the name of growing and understanding beings [52]. Therefore, it is said that the stones and soil in the hereafter understand and listen to people.
Apart from the ones above, some nouns, verbs and phrases are used together with the name al-yawm to form many compounds and phrases to express the Day of Judgment. We can list the compounds including the word al-yawm and why they are used so as follows:
Al-yawm al-ba'th (the day of resurrection) because humans are resurrected with new bodies on that day;
Al-yawm al-khuruj (the day of exiting) because humans exit from their graves and go to the other realm;
Al-yawm al-qiyama (the day of standing) because people stand to be reckoned in the presence of Allah;
Al-yawm ad-din (the day of the religion) because humans are rewarded or punished based on their deeds;
Al-yawm al-fasl wal-yawm al-fath (the day of separation and conquest) because humans will be judged by justice and separated into groups;
Al-yawm at-taghabun (the day of mutual disillusion) because the oppressed becomes superior to the oppressor and the people of Paradise to the people of Hell or because that day is unknown by people;
Al-yawm al-hashr wal-yawm al-jam' (the day of gathering and coming together) because all living beings will gather in the gathering place;
Al-yawm al-hisab (the day of the reckoning) because people will be called to account based on their deeds;
Al-yawm al-waid (the day of the threat / warning) because unbelievers will suffer from what Allah threatened them;
Al-yawm al-hashr (the day of sorrow) because unbelievers and rebels repent for what they did;
Al-yawm al-khulud (the day of eternality) because life is eternal there;
Al-yawm al-azifa (the day of approaching) because we are approaching that day gradually;
Al-yawm at-talaq (the day of meeting) because it is the day of meeting and encountering;
Al-yawm al-waqt al-ma'lum (the day whose time is known) because Allah definitely knows when it is.
Besides, there are adjectival phrases formed by the word yawm and an adjective. We can list them as follows: Yawmun asir (hard day), yawmun alim (sorrowful day), yawmun azim, yawmun kabir (great day), yawmun ma'lum (known day), yawmun majmuun lahu'n-nas (day when humans gather), yawmun mashhud ( observed / witnessed day), yawmun muhit (surrounding day), yawmun thaqil (heavy day).
There are also phrases with the word dar (land, place) indicating the material aspects of the life in the hereafter: for instance, dar al-akhira (land of the hereafter), dar al-qarar (place to stay permanently), dar al-khuld (land of eternity) [53].
Footnotes
[1]. Abu'l-Ala Mawdudi,Tafhimu'l-Qur'an, 2nd imp., İnsan Publ. İstanbul, 1991, VII, 6.
[2]. Abu'l-Ala Mawdudi,Tafhimu'l-Qur'an, 2nd imp., İnsan Publ. İstanbul, 1991, VII, 7.
[3]. See Abu Hamid Ghazali, Jawahiru'l-Qur'ân, inv., M. al-Kabbabi, 2nd imp., 1986, p. 78.
[4]. Razi, XXV, 41.
[5]. Razi, XXVIII, 30.
[6]. See Razi, XX, 179 ; XXVI, 109.
[7]. See Said Nursi. Ishşaratu'l-I'jaz fi Mazanni'l-Ijaz, inv., Ihsan Qasim as-Salihi, Sözler Publ., İstanbul, 1990, p. 29; as-Sayqalu'l-Islami, Matbaatu'n-Nur, Ankara,1958, p. 9.
[8]. Waliyyullah Ahmad b. Abdurrahim ad-Dahlawi,al-Fawdu'l-Kabir fi Usuli't-Tafsir, Trnsl from Persian by Salman al-Husayni an-Nadwi, Daru'l-Bashairi'l-Islamiyya, Beirut, 1987, 2nd imp., p.19.
[9]. Ghazali, Muhammad, al-Mahawiru'l-Khamsa li'l-Qur'ani'l-Karim, p. 20.
[10]. Muhammad Abduh. Durusun mina'l-Qur'an, Daru Ihyai'l-Ulum, Beirut, 1987, 4th imp., p. 26-27.
[11]. See Fazlurrahman, Ana Konularıyla Kur'an, Fecir Publ, Ankara, 1987
However, it is not possible to agree with the following view of Fazlurrahman: "The main purpose of the Quran is not Allah but man and his acts and deeds." (ibid, p. 44) For, the most important purpose of the Quran is to make people know Allah and to tell them about oneness. Man is the being that the Quran addresses. Here lies his importance.
[12]. SeeAbdullah Mahmud Shahata,Ahdafu Kulli Suratin wa Maqasiduha fil Quranil Karim, al-Hay'atu'l-Misriyyatu'l-Amma, Cairo, 1980, 2nd imp., I, 6-7.
[13]. For instance Razi states the following while interpreting the chapter of al-Fatiha: al-Hamdu lillah indicates the existence of the Free Creator; Rabbi'l-alamin indicates oneness; ar-Rahmani'r-Rahim indicates Allah's mercy in the world and the hereafter; Maliki yawmi'd-din indicates His perfect wisdom and mercy since He created the hereafter. At this point, the things that are required for the knowledge of His Lordship are completed. The part from Iyyakana'budu to the end of the chapter indicates the things that are required to know regarding expressing His worshipping."(Razî, I, 216) M. Abduh states that there is oneness in al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbi'l-alemin, promise in ar-Rahmani'r-Rahim, both promise and threat in Maliki yawmi'd-din, worshipping in Iyyaka na'budu, news and stories in siratalladhina an'amta alayhim; thus, this chapter gathers all of the main purposes of the Quran (Abduh,Durusun mina'l-Qur'an, p. 27-28). Nursi says each big part of the Quran is placed in small parts hence these purposes are hinted or alluded to in every word; he explains how these purposes are placed in bismillah and al-hamdu lillah as follows: Since “Bismillah” was revealed in order to instruct the Most High’s servants, ‘Say!’ (Qul) is implicit in it and essentially it is implied by all of the words of the Quran. So, according to this, there is in ‘Say!’ an indication to prophethood; and in “Bismillah” a sign to the Godhead; and in the prefixing of the preposition “bi-” of “bismillah” a sign to oneness; and in “the Most Merciful (ar-Raḥman)” an allusionto the order of the universe, and therefore to justice and beneficence; and in “the Most Compassionate (ar-Raḥim)” a hint to the resurrection of the dead. Likewise, in “all praise be to Allah (al-ḥamdulillah)” is an indication to the Godhead; and in the lam of specification (the “li-” of “li-llah”) a sign to oneness. And in “Lord and Sustainer of all the worlds (Rabb al-‘alamin)” is a hint to justice, and also to prophethood, for the education of mankind is given by the prophets. And in “Master of the Day of Judgement (Maliki yawm ad-din)” is an explicit statement of resurrection.(Nursi,a.g.e, p. 30-31).
[14]. See Fawi, p. 14.
[15]. See M. Fuad Abdulbaqi, al-Mu'jamu'l-Mufahras li-alfazi'l-Qur'ani'l-Karim, al-Maktabatu'l-Islamiyya, İstanbul, 1982, p. 21; see also Mevlüt Güngör, Kur'ân Penceresinden İmân, Amel, Hayat, Ahiret ve Kâinâta Bakış, Kur'ân Kitaplığı, İstanbul, 1995, p. 83
[16]. For other verses, see al-Baqara, 228, 232, 264; Aal-i Imran, 106; an-Nisa, 38, 39, 162; at-Tawba, 18, 29, 44, 45, 99; al-Ahzab, 21; al-Mujadala, 18; al-Mumtahina, 6.
[17]. It is stated that what is meant by the pronoun innahu (it) in this verse is the religion conveyed by our Prophet, the issues mentioned there and the things promised to the people mentioned in the previous verse. (Mawardi, V, 368; Ibnu'l-Jawzi, VII, 28) The issue of the hereafter is one of them.
[18]. Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, at-Tibyan fi Aqsami'l-Qur'an, inv., M. Sharif Sukkar, Daru Ihyai'l-Ulum, 1988, p. 539.
[19].Wa laysa yasihhu fi'l-adhhani shay'un
Idha'htaja'n-naharu ila dalilin (Ibn Qayyim,at-Tibyan, p. 539)
[20]. Ibn Qayyim,at-Tibyan, p.120, 170.
[21]. The pronoun huwa (it) in this verse refers to the resurrection or the torture in the hereafter (See Mawardi, II, 438).
[22]. Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn b. Muhammad ar-Raghib al-Isfahani. al-Mufradat fi Gharibi'l-Qur'an, inv. Muhammad Sayyid Kaylani, Daru'l-Ma'rifa, Beirut, n.d., p. 248.
[23]. Muhammad as-Sadiq Ibrahim Urjun. al- Qur'anu'l-Azim Hidayatuhu wa I'jazuh, 2nd imp., Daru'l-Qalam, Damascus, 1989, p. 287 .
[24]. Muhammad b. Ali al-Khatami b. Arabi. al-Futuhatu'l-Makkiyya, Daru Sadir, Beirut, n.d. II, 82.
[25]. Abu'l-Barakat Abdullah b. Ahmad an-Nasafi, Tafsiru'n-Nasafi (Madariku't-Tanzil wa Haqaiqu't-Ta'wil), Daru'l-Fikr, n.d. IV, 285.
[26]. Razi, XXX, 90.
[27]. See Razi, XXVII, 44.
[28]. Mawardi, VI, 209.
[29]. Mawardi, VI, 199, 257.
[30]. Tabari, I, 330.
[31]. Mawardi, I, 123.
[32]. Jamaluddin Muhammad Ibn Manzur, Lisanu'l-Arab, Daru Sadir, Beirut, 1968, II, 116; Ibnu'l-Jawzi,Nuzhatu'l-A'yuni'n-Nawazir fi Ilmi'l-Wujuhi wa'n-Nazair, inv. M. Abdulkarim Kazim ar-Radi, Muassasatu'r-Risala, Beirut, 1987, 3rd imp., p. 204.
[33]. Ali Ekber Qurashi, Qamus al-Qur'an, Daru'l-Kutubi'l-Islamiyya, Tehran, 1367, 5th imp., I, 202.
[34]. For examples, see Ibnu'l-Jawzi,Nuzhatu'l-A'yun, p. 204-205.
[35]. Ibn Manzur, IV, 72.
[36]. See Raghib, al-Mufradat, p. 53
[37]. Abu Hilal al-Askari. al-Furuq fi'l-Lugha, 4th imp., Daru'l-Afaqi'l-Jadida, Beirut, 1980, p. 284.
[38]. Ibn Manzur, III, 317.
[39]. Ibnu'l-Jawzi,Nuzhatu'l-A'yun, p. 254.
[40]. See al-Anbiya, 21, az-Zukhruf, 11; Ibnu'l-Jawzi,ibid, p. 584-585.
[41]. Raghib, al-Mufradat, p. 119; Ibn Manzur, IV, 190.
[42]. Askari, 136. The terminological meanings of these terms differ based on different views on resurrection. That is, each group uses these words based on their own understandings. We can summarize these groups as follows: Those who say resurrection will take place after non-existence or after the parts that were scattered gather; those who say it will take place both materially and spiritually; those who say it will take place spiritually. The last view belongs to philosophers; the others belong to kalam scholars.
[43]. Qurtubi, I, 127.
[44]. See Tabari, I, 138; Mawardi, I, 70; Abu'l-Fida Ismail b. Kathir. Tafsiru'l-Qur'ani'l-Azim, Daru'l-Ma'rifa, Beirut, 1992, I, 46; Ibnu'l-Jawzi,Nuzhatu'l-A'yun, 149.
[45]. See Izutsu, 78.
[46]. See Tabari, I, 138; Mawardi, I, 71.
[47]. See Tabari, I, 138.
[48]. Muhammad Abdullah ash-Sharqawi,al-Iman, Maktabatu'z-Zahra, Cairo, 1989, p. 291.
[49]. Tabari, X, 159; Mawardi, IV, 293; Ibn Kathir, III, 431.
[50]. Zamakhshari, III, 211.
[51]. Zamakhshari, III, 212; Razi, XXV, 81.
[52]. Razi, XXV, 81.
[53]. Abdulbaqi, p. 775-780; Abdurrahman Habannaka al-Maydani, al-Aqidatu'l-Islamiyya, 6th imp. Daru'l-Qalam, Damascus, 1992, p. 538-539; Güngör, p. 83-90
Veysel Güllüce (Prof.Dr.)
79-)
Will you please give information about the number of Prophets?
The first prophet is Hazrat Adam (pbuh) and the last prophet is Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). There were many prophets between them. Only some of the names and stories of them are mentioned in the Quran. (an-Nisa, 164; al-Mu’min, 78)
Our Prophet stated in a narration that the number of the prophets that came before him was 124 thousand and in another narration 224 thousand. (See: Taftazani, Sharhu’l-Aqaid, 169. See also: Muhittin Bahçeci, Âyet ve Hadîslerle Peygamberlik ve Peygamberler, 63-64)
The number of the prophets mentioned in the Quran is 25. It is controversial whether three people are prophets or saints. Although there are so many prophets, only very few of them are known by people. Imam Rabbani explains the reason as follows: There were many prophets in India. However, some of them did not have any ummah. Or, very few people believed them and they did not become well-known. Or, they were not called prophets. (Mektubat, 361)
The explanation of Imam Rabbani above clarifies the reason why many prophets were forgotten.
80-)
What does belief in prophets mean?
The great people that Allah chose as messengers in order to inform His slaves about His orders and prohibitions are called prophets.
Belief in prophets means to believe that Allah sent messengers called prophets to human beings in order to inform them about His orders and prohibitions, to accept the duty of prophethood and to approve that the people who are mentioned as prophets in the Quran are prophets.
Although prophets are human beings like us, they are distinguished slaves of Allah. A person cannot be a prophet by working and trying hard. Prophethood is an endowment of Allah.
81-)
Will you give information about the reality of revelation and the aim of the message of divine revelation?
“I have only created jinn and men, that they may serve Me.” (adh-Dhariyat, 51/56)
As it is stated in the verse above, the Sublime Creator makes Himself known through His attributes like knowledge, will, life and power; He will also use His speech, which makes those names and attributes known in the shortest way. (Nursi, Şualar (Rays), p.103) That Allah talks to some distinguished people among His slaves in order to make Himself known along with His deeds expresses the reality and the purpose of the divine revelation.
According to Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, one of the greatest scholars of this age, the reality the purpose of the message of revelation, which was unanimously informed by one hundred thousand prophets and which was shown through evidences by divine books and pages, can be proved very clearly like the rays of sunlight. (see Şualar Yedinci Şua (Rays, Seventh Ray))
Divine condescension:
The concept“divine condescension” means God's condescension to speak to His creatures especially to humans, whom He created in the best mold, as their true deity.
Allah, who makes all of His living beings speak and who knows their speech, speaks and joins their talks as an indication and necessity of his deity and dominicality /creativity and administration, and true lordship. Allah's speaking to human beings means His addressing them in a way that they can understand in accordance with the level of their minds and His condescension to His creatures as their Creator with His mercy.
Dominical Self-proclamation:
The concept“dominical self-proclamation” means Allah's condescension to make Himself known to His creatures as an administrator who creates, leads and governs all beings/the Lord of the realms as a grace.
Allah, who created this universe with wonders all over the universe through limitless expenditure, who makes thousands of tongues express His perfection and who declares His endless knowledge and power, will definitely make Himself known through His own speech.
Compassionate Response:
The concept“compassionate response” means Allah's (who is the most Compassionate and the most Merciful) responding to the requests of humans, who need Him regarding everything, by showing His compassion and giving them what they need.
Along with responding the requests and thanks of humans, who are the most distinguished, delicate beings that desire to meet their Creator the most but who are also the poorest, weakest and neediest beings, by giving them the things that they want, Allah also speaks to them as a necessity of being their Creator.
Divine Conversation:
The concept“Divine conversation” means Allah's (who is free and away from all kinds of incomplete and deficient attributes) speaking to His creatures - especially to human beings - through His revelation, which is free and away from all kinds of imperfection.
The attribute of speech, which is an indispensible necessity and a luminous manifestation of knowledge and life, is definitely present in Allah, who has an all-encompassing, endless knowledge, in a comprehensive, endless, limitless and continuous form. Divine revelation is a manifestation of this endless speech/a reflection of the innumerable speeches.
Eternal Self-communication:
The concept“eternal self-communication” means Allah, who is not in need of anything, makes Himself known to His creatures, especially human beings, who are always in need of Him, through speech, which is the strongest evidence of His existence, and makes them feel that He is always with them with His knowledge and power as an authority that meets all of their needs.
It is a necessity of the divinity of Allah to introduce His personality, which has the power to find cures for any problems and illnesses, to His creatures, especially to human beings, who are the cutest, most compassionate, most worried about life, the neediest, the beings that desire the most to meet their Creator, by talking to them and by giving enthusiasm and love to their spirits along with creating them as poor and weak beings. (see Nursi, ibid)
82-)
Is Belief Beneficial to Health? Are there any scientific research done on the issue?
Belief brings about love of life and the feeling of adhering to life in man. A person who has belief looks at life and existence pleasantly; he thinks that life is a grace of Allah and he sees his social and natural environment as Allah's works of art and himself as a complementary part of them. Therefore, he regards it as his duty to continue his life until his duty ends and struggles to survive.
One of the most important spiritual foundations that regulate life in the Islamic community is belief. Allah’s orders and prohibitions are heeded by the believers.
In addition, belief gives man a high feeling of contentment and enables him to establish an arms-length relationship with worldly goods. The feeling of contentment developed by belief in man enables him to be content with few things and to feel happy when his needs are met at a low or reasonable level. Thus, it prevents a person from falling into stress and trouble.
There are two basic books on the benefits of belief on health: The first one is "the Handbook of Religion and Health"; it is a 712-page book consisting of the works selected among the studies that search the connection between religious practices and health. The other is "God, Faith and Health", which was written by Dr. Jeff Levin, who is one of the leading experts stating that the groups that have faith are in a better state than the others in terms of disease and death.
Dr. Levin emphasizes the following in his research: Members of religious groups who refrain from some deeds and who support a healthy lifestyle have less risk of heart attacks, hypertension and cancer. They have a better and longer life. The religions that prohibit alcohol and smoking, impose limited diets and do not allow extramarital sexual intercourse are more advantageous regarding the issues. These benefits cannot be attained without attending worshipping places and performing some bodily activities as worship.
Dr. Levin repeats that the three diseases - heart, cancer and hypertension - known as ‘North American killers’ are seen less frequently in religious people than irreligious people. For instance, he says women who are married to circumcised men suffer from cervical cancer less than the others. Similarly, the number of those who suffer from cervical cancer among Hindus who are not circumcised is a lot bigger than Indian Muslims, who almost never suffer from this disease.
Similarly, believers who are patient, who are not hasty and aggressive, who do not drink alcohol and who go to worshipping places regularly suffer from deaths due to hypertension 40 per cent less than the others.
However, we know that the real purpose of belief and worship is to show our loyalty to our Lord, who created us. These studies show us that our Lord does not only give us its reward in this world in the form of enthusiasm and peace in our hearts but also improves our health!
The news given by Associated Press on 24 August 2007 is quite interesting. The news agency declared the positive effect of religious ethics on young people as, “Belief is the key to happiness for many children.”
According to the information given in the news, the research results showed that religious young people are happier than irreligious young people. A comprehensive research done by Associated Press and MTV showed that among young people aged between 13 and 24, those who define themselves as religious were much happier than those who are not religious. 44% of the young people stated that religion and spirituality was very important for them and 21% of them said that they found it important. Among the different races that took part in the research, African Americans said religion was the most important element for them. Among those who said religion was very important in their lives, 80% described themselves as happy.
Sociologists attract attention to the fact that there is a direct connection between happiness and performing religious duties. Sociology Professor Lisa Pearce of South Carolina University says, “Religion contributes to happiness greatly.”
She said 68% of the young people stated that they practiced their religions and beliefs according to the research they did. 75% of the people who took part in the research said Allah had an effect on their happiness.
83-)
How was Belief in the Hereafter Observed in Various Communities throughout History?
Traces of belief in the hereafter have been seen in all communities throughout history strongly or weakly, though not in the Islamic sense.
The results of the researches related to the history of religions support this fact. There is no nation without a religion in history; there is no community without belief in the hereafter after belief in Allah, at least a belief that the spirit continues to live after it leaves the body [1].
The sarcophagi that date back to thousands of years ago, traces of funeral rituals, items placed on or in the graves have the traces of the hereafter [2]. For instance, the people of the Neolithic Age buried food, drinks, weapons and knickknacks in the grave together with the dead person [3]. In Ur, Mesopotamia, furniture, musical instruments, gambling equipment were found in the graves of the kings dating back to 2250 B.C. Along with weapons, wine and food, there were the remnants of the soldiers who had been killed so that they would continue to serve the king in the hereafter [4]. In the graves in Babylonia, clothes, knickknacks, arrow heads were found; there were combs and perfume bottles next to the decayed bones of a woman, and toys next to a boy [5].
It is said that there was a strong belief in the hereafter in Ancient Egypt. That Ancient Egyptians buried the dead bodies in the same shape of the fetus as in the uterus, that is, in a way that the chin touched the knees, was interpreted as something indicating resurrection, being born into a new realm [6].
Some writers who wrote about the issue said that the most important property that distinguished Egyptian religions from other religions was the importance they gave to the idea of eternity and the attention they paid to their dead people [7]. According to them, the real life was life after death [8]. That the information expressing belief in the hereafter at that time was abundant supports this view. For instance, according to the descriptions in the remnants of Ancient Egypt, this realm, which was ruled by Osiris [9], was a very hard realm that could not be passed easily without answering many minute and hard questions before moving to the eternal land of happiness [10]. If good deeds outweighed in this world, a person would have a good life in the hereafter and if bad deeds outweighed, he would encounter a bad life. The amount of the good and bad deeds are determined through mizan (scales) [11].
Ancient Egyptians had various books that described the situations in the hereafter. The Book of the Dead[12], which consists of various texts of magic written on the walls of graves and tombs, immortal works of ancient Egypt poetry, includes stories and prayers related to the hereafter [13] and the things that need to be uttered in the presence of the divine court [14]. They even buried this book with the dead person so that it would help him [15]. In the book called Pyramids, there are some formulas related to the fate of the king in the hereafter; in the book called Coffins, there are formulas that aimed to protect the dead from the things that threaten them in the hereafter and that will enable them to lead a nice life there [16].
We also see the belief of reincarnation in ancient Egyptians [17]. According to those who had this belief, when the people whose bad deeds outweighed their good deeds died, they were sent to the world again in the bodies of animals. Furthermore, the spirits of good people returned to the world in their previous bodies for a new test after living in Paradise for three thousand years [18]. It is estimated that this belief is the reason why the ancient Egyptians mummified dead bodies very carefully and prevented them from decaying. According to them, the spirit could keep living only if the body keeps existing; only in that case could the spirit return to the body [19]. Mummification is regarded to be a necessity of showing respect to the dead and pleasing them, and a manifestation of believing in life after death [20].
It was stated that one of the evidences showing the importance ancient Egyptians gave to life in the hereafter was building sound graves and pyramids [21] but the fact that the Egyptians who lived in the previous eras buried their dead in modest graves and that they built big pyramids when their civilization developed denotes the desire to be proud and to boast [22].
This importance given to the hereafter by ancient Egyptians made some historians think that the first nation to believe in the hereafter in history was the ancient Egyptians. One of the pioneers of this claim is Herodotus [23]. His statement "Egyptians are the first nation to believe in the eternality of the spirit " shows that this claims dates back to ancient times. It is possible to see this claim in contemporary scholars, too [24]. Sayyid Qutb agrees with this claim by uttering the following statement: "Belief in reckoning in the hereafter had settled in Egypt exactly one thousand years before the idea of the hereafter occurred in any nation. Egyptians believed in the hereafter before everybody else and this belief spread among other nations after a thousand years passed" [25].
In our opinion, this view is very assertive and needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. For, belief in the hereafter, as Ateş, the translator of the book says, is not gradual. This belief occurred among human beings with Hz. Adam and it was conveyed to human beings through prophets sent to various places in the world in various periods of history: "Verily We have sent thee in truth, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner: and there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them (in the past)" (Fatir, 24) "For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, (with the Command) "Serve Allah, and eschew Evil" (an-Nahl, 36) The verses above express this fact clearly
Doubtlessly, the belief in life after death frequently seen in ancient Egypt originated from the divine messages conveyed via prophets. As a matter of fact, Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) migrated to Egypt, stayed there for a while and Hazrat Yusuf also played an important role in the settling of this belief by ruling Egypt for a long time. "I have (I assure you) abandoned the ways of a people that believe not in Allah and that (even) deny the Hereafter" (Yusuf, 37) The verse above clearly proves that Hz. Yusuf conveyed the message of belief in the hereafter to Egyptians.
While explaining this verse, Qutb writes the following sentences, showing that he gave up the idea we mentioned above: "That belief in the hereafter is mentioned by the tongue of Hz. Yusuf (pbuh) here shows that belief in the hereafter has been one of the principles of belief conveyed by the tongue of all prophets since the beginning of the humanity. It was not included in the creed later as some historians of comparative religion claim. It was included in the idolatrous Jahiliyya belief later but belief in the hereafter was always one of the essential elements of the true divine messages" [26].
Abu Zahra states the following regarding the verse above: "It is seen that the sound of the message of Hz. Yusuf affected the spirits of Egyptians and continued through generations" [27].
Therefore, it is not appropriate to attribute a belief that spread all over the world via prophets to a certain nation or region. Although the Egyptian religious texts on the walls of Saqqara pyramids dating back to four thousand years ago are regarded as the oldest texts describing life after death [28], it does not show that Egyptians were the first nation that had belief in the hereafter. For, as we have mentioned before, there are signs indicating that even the prehistoric tribes had belief in the hereafter. In order to say that Egyptians were the first nation to believe in the hereafter, it is necessary to prove that they were the first nation that lived in the world and that they had belief in the hereafter. Since something like that has not been proved, this claim is groundless. In our opinion, the Islamic scholars who mentioned this claim probably quoted Herodotus without thinking about it much.
The claim that Egyptians' belief in the hereafter originated from their living conditions and the struggle between the good and the bad put forward by some researchers [29] is a claim put forward without considering the facts presented by divine revelation.
The most obvious property of Hindu religions is the belief of reincarnation. As Biruni puts it, "Kalima ash-shahadah is the distinctive sign of Islam, trinity is of Christianity and shabat is of Judaism; similarly, reincarnation is the distinctive sign of Hindu religion. A person who does not believe in reincarnation is not regarded as one of them" [30].
However, this belief did not come into being with Hindus. At the beginning, Hindus used to believe that man came to the world only once and that Paradise waited for the good people and that Hell, which was ruled by Yama, waited for the bad people [31]. Afterwards, belief in reincarnation entered Hinduism through the texts of Veda [32]. According to the belief in reincarnation, man comes to the world in the body of an animal when he is born again. However, according to some Hindu sects, the spirit comes to the body of a being from the same species only. The spirit of man comes to the world again as man and the spirit of an animal as an animal [33].
In Hindu religions, the spirit attaining eternal bounties by getting rid of the material realm is expressed through different terms. It is called mukti (emancipation) in Hinduism, salvation in Jainism and nirvana in Buddhism [34].
The law of karma, which is regarded as the cause of coming to the world again until the spirit completes its evolution, has different forms in Hindu religions. In Jainism, karma is not a relative order realizing the return for the deeds but a material thing. Karma mixes with the milk just as milk mixes with water; it does not leave human spirit until man purifies his spirit and keeps away from worldly desires; it causes the spirit to come to the world again and again [35].
As for Buddhism, it resembles a philosophical thought system rather than a religion, It is even stated that Buddha moved away from the idea of belief in Allah and thus he changed meaning of nirvana, which meant union with Allah. Thus, nirvana underwent historical stages. In the periods that followed, nirvana was defined as the spirit purifying the soul and going up to the highest level of spiritual cleanliness by preventing all of the material desires and cleaning the spirit or liberating human spirit from the karmic cycle [36].
If it is thought that there exists the belief of the pre-eternity of the universe, that it did not have a beginning and an end in Buddhism [37], it can be understood better that it is easy to deny Allah in such a belief system.
When we compare the ancient Egypt and Hindu religions, we see that both have a spiritual belief in the hereafter but that ancient Egyptians showed great care to protect the dead bodies. Belief in the hereafter was widespread in Hindu religions but very limited in ancient Egypt; it was valid only for the Pharaohs because when Egyptians who regarded the Pharaohs as deities saw that they died, they claimed that only the body died and that the spirit was transferred to the body of one of his children and grandchildren as another Pharaoh [38].
Hindu religions resemble heavenly religions in terms of the eternality of the spirit and the recompense for the deeds but they differ from heavenly religions since they look for the recompense in this world [39]. The Hindu religions that have the belief of reincarnation look for the hereafter and eternal life , so to speak, in this world.
The fact that Hindu religions also have the belief of Paradise and Hell, which seem contrary to the belief of reincarnation [40], can be regarded as some of the remains of their true religions in the early periods [41].
It is stated that the belief of Paradise and Hell which was strong in ancient Egyptians and weak in Hindus and which gradually disappeared in and around China, that the ancient Chinese said when the spirits left the bodies, they stayed together with their families in the world and hence they worshipped the spirits of their ancestors and offered sacrifices to them [42] but it is more appropriate not to regard it valid for the whole of this vast land. For, as it is stated in verse 24 of the chapter of Fatir, a prophet was definitely sent to every nation. Then, it cannot be said that there is no belief of Paradise and Hell in such a vast land and big population. Besides, that something has not been determined yet does not indicate that it does not exist. As a matter of fact, in the Tibetan book called The Book of Death, the stages that the spirit undergoes after its physical death and what the dead person that will undergo these stages needs to do in detail [43].
It is said that Confucius did not deal with the hereafter but worked for this world; the following statement is attributed to him: "We cannot serve living beings enough; how can we serve the dead; how can we know death ?" [44] According to what is reported from him, "It is better not to search whether there is life after death or not because if it is known that the dead live, their children who love them will try to commit suicide. If it is known that they do not live, some ungrateful children will show disrespect to their parents (!)"[45].
In Shintoism, there is a custom of worshipping the spirits of the dead. These spirits called kami are deified and it is believed that these spirits rule everything [46].
In ancientIran religions, there is belief of Paradise and Hell, reckoning and scales, the bridge called (Sinvat), discriminating between the good and bad spirits [47]. In Avesta, the book of Zoroastrians, the resurrection of the bodies has an important place [48]. According to the teachings of Zoroaster, "At the end of the world, the dead will get up, every creature will be rewarded and punished for what they did, the angel of the dark will go the dark land with those who follow him and the angel of the light will go to the luminous land with those who follow him, the land of happiness where no evil will touch them "[49]. They are like the traces and leakage of a true religion [50].
The view "Persians probably combined the Hindu creed related to the end of the world and the Egyptian creed related to the reckoning of the spirit and weighing of the deeds for reward and punishment " expressed by Aqqad [51]stating that Persians were influenced by Egyptians and Hindus regarding belief in the hereafter is a weak view. For, to deal with the issue as influence and being influenced acting upon some similarities is not an appropriate approach in terms of Islam. According to the Islamic view, such similarities originate from the fact that Allah sent prophets to all nations with the same beliefs. Afterwards, some of these beliefs conveyed by prophets were distorted and differences occurred [52].
Unlike many other religions, the hereafter in the belief system of Persians is a fixed belief adopted by all sects though there are some differences in descriptions and properties [53].
Sabians had belief in the Doomsday and the hereafter. According to their belief, an angel will roll the sky, the sun and the moon will be destroyed and the light of the stars will disappear [54]. Good spirits will pass barriers very fast and they will be elevated to the realm of light after they are weighed in the scale of Abatur. As for the bad spirits, they will be caught by various barriers and will be punished and tortured. After staying in the sea of Suf long enough to be purified of their sins, they will be accepted to the realm of light . Those who are completely against the divine teachings will never be elevated to the realm of light [55]. In Sol Ginza, the second main part of Sabians' biggest book called Ginza, only the issues of the spirit, salvation of the spirit and its elevation to the realm of light (eschatology) are dealt with [56]. The Harraniyya (Harnaniyya) sect of Sabians believe in reincarnation. [57]
Ancient Mesopotamians(Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians) believed that the deeds done in the world will be rewarded or punished in the hereafter [58].
That Hittites cremated the dead andput some gifts in their graves indicate that they had a belief in the hereafter peculiar to them [59].
According to ancient Altay Turks, God Ülgen will fight his son at the end of the world and Ülgen will win; he will stay alone in the world; then, he will resurrect all of the dead bodies [60].
Eternality of the spirit had an important place In Greek mythology [61]. However, the views of Greeks on life after death were pessimistic. They believed that the dead gathered under the ground in Hades [62], a cold and dusty place. Despite the efforts of the Christian Church, this belief in an eternal place under the ground is still valid among Greek villagers [63]. Along with this pessimism, they also believed that Elysium, where the good people went after death and which was believed to be in the world, was a land of happiness and continuous spring [64].
Ancient Romansbelieved in the existence of a person called Sharon, who would take their souls to the other world. They put some money in the mouth of the dead because Sharon worked in return for money. When the dead body was carried, the pictures of the dead person and his ancestors would be carried in front of the dead person; when the funeral ended, the oracles would sprinkle some water on the people and send them back [65].
In ancient American religions, belief in life after death had an important place. According to Aztecs, the state of man after death was based on the form he died. Incas had the custom of mummifying their dead people [66].
Most of the Indian tribes believe that the spirits of the dead lived in another dimension that could interact with the world. Furthermore, Red Indians believed that animals continued living after physical death like in some other cultures [67].
Aborigines, the natives of Australia, has a strong belief in life after death in their belief system. The first works of art carved on the rocks in the north of Australia express that death is not the end [68].
It is understood from the examples we have given from the religions that ruled in various regions of the world that were away from one another that believing in life after death has been a belief shared by the whole mankind. Man has not regarded death as the end and has believed that not everything ends with death.
In some religions, we see issues like the Doomsday, being accounted for the deeds, mizan (scales), Sirat (bridge), Paradise and Hell, which are mentioned in the Quran, though there are big differences in description. In religions like Hinduism and Buddhism in which it is believed that this realm is continuous, eternal life is sought in this world. In ancient Japanese and Chinese religions which is thought to have no belief in the hereafter it is believed that at least the spirit [69]does not die and that it continues to exist.
These beliefs related to belief in life after death might not be valid in all of the ages of that nation. The issues determined as a result of researches might be the traces of their belief in any period in history. However, we can say that a quest for life after death at least the belief that the spirit continues to live after death has been a common issue in all nations and periods.
That the traces of this belief are seen in every religion whether in a strong or weak form shows that every nation was sent a prophet and that they were not left without guides; that it is seen in different ways originates from the fact that the truths informed by prophets were distorted in the course of time. Another reason why belief in the hereafter varies from religion to religion is the fact that man imagines different things for a realm that he does not see, likens the beings and the events in the hereafter to the ones in the world and makes wrong analogies.
Man's desire in his nature to live eternally has an important role in the continuation of this belief. Man has always sought immortal life and has always felt the need of believing in the hereafter and believed in it in a legendary way though he has not heard and learned the real life of the hereafter informed by Islam.
Footnotes
[1]. Hançerlioğlu, p. 26.
[2]. Raymond A. Moody Jr.Ölümden Sonra Hayat, trnsl by Gönül Suveren, 2nd imp. İnkılap ve Aka Publ., İstanbul, 1983, p. 21; M. Ali Aynî.Hayat Nedir, Ahmet Sait Printing House, İstanbul, 1945, p.61.
[3]. James Thayer Addison,La Vie Après La Mort Dans Les Croyances de L'humanite, Paris, 1936, p. 26.
[4]. Jenny Randles-Peter Hough,Öteki Dünya,trnsl by M. Harmancı,Say Publ., İstanbul, 1994, p. 15-16.
[5]. Addison, p. 27.
[6]. Farajullah Abdulbari Abu Ataillah.al-Yawmu'l-Akhir bayna'l-Yahudiyyati wa'l-Masihiyyati wa'l-Islam, 2nd imp., Daru'l-Wafa, al- Mansuriyya, 1992, p. 30-31.
[7]. Abu Ataillah, p.29-30.
[8]. R. Emmanuel, Hint Yunan ve Mısır Mitolojilerinde Gizemli Bilgilerin Kaynakları, Ruh ve Madde Publications, İstanbul, 1995, p. 23
[9]. Addison, p. 74; R. Emmanuel, p. 26
[10]. Addison, p. 31.
[11]. Sayyid Qutb.Kur'an'da Kıyamet Sahneleri, trnsl by P. Ateş, 2nd imp., Ankara, nd., p.21-22.
[12]. Addison, p. 74, 115; Talat Sait Halman. Eski Mısır'dan Şiirler, 2nd imp, İstanbul, 1995, p. 52.
[13]. ibid, p. 25.
[14]. Muhammad Abu Zahra, ad-Diyanatu'l-Qadima, Daru'l-Fikri'l-Arabi, Kuwait, nd., p.16.
[15]. Randles-Hough, p. 15.
[16]. Challege Felicien.Dinler Tarihi, trnsl by, P. Tiryakioğlu (no printing place or date) p. 32.
[17]. Abdulaziz as-Saalibi. Muhadarat fi Tarikhi'l-Madhahibi wa'l-Adyan, Beirut, 1985,p. 55.
[18]. Hançerlioğlu, p. 45-73.
[19]. Abu Zahra, p.17.
[20]. Haluk Hacaloğlu, Hayat, Ölüm ve Ötesi, Ruh ve Madde Publications, İstanbul, 1996, p. 96
[21]. Muhammad Ahmad Abdulqadir. Aqidatu'l-Ba'th wa'l-Akhira fi'l-Fikri'l-Islami, Daru'l-Ma'rifati'l-Jamiiyya, Alexandria,1986 p. 29.
[22]. Abu Ataillah, p. 31.
[23]. Herodotus travelled in Egypt in 5th century BC. (Halman, p. 30).
[24]. See Abu Ataillah, p. 33.
[25]. Qutb, Kur'an'da Kıyamet Sahneleri, p. 27.
[26]. Qutb, fi Zilali'l-Qur'an, Daru'sh-Shuruq, Beirut, 1980, IV, 1988,
These statements of Qutb show that he abandoned his previous view regarding the issue. For, his book of interpretation fi Zilali'l-Qur'an, in which these statements are present, was started to be written four years after his work called Mashahidu'l-Qiyama fî'l-Qur'an, which was translated into Turkish asKur'ân'da Kıyamet Sahneleriand it continued for long years. (See Salah Abdulfattah al-Khalidi, Sayyid Qutb mina'l-Mîlad ila'l-Istishhad, Daru'l-Qalam, Damascus, 1991, p. 533, 544).
[27]. Abu Zahra, p. 8.
[28]. Randles-Hough, p. 13.
[29]. Abu Ataillah, p. 32.
[30]. ibid, p. 41 ( Abu'r-Rayhan b. Ahmed al-Biruni, Tahqiqu ma li'l-Hind. 1983, quoted from p. 39)
[31]. Randles-Hough, p. 19; Addison, p. 248.
[32]. Jawhary, X, 2. part, p. 25.
[33]. Ahmad Chalabi. Adyanu Hindi'l-Kubra, Maktabatu'n-Nahda, Cairo, 1976, 4th imp.,p.178.
[34]. ibid. p.117.
[35]. ibid. p.116.
[36]. ibid. p.161.
[37]. ibid. p.165.
[38]. Abdulfattah al-Fawi. Aqidatu'l-Maad bayna'd-Din wa'l-Falsafa, Daru'l-Uruba, Kuwait, p. 42.
[39]. Chalabi. Adyanu Hindi'l-Kubra, p. 64.
[40]. Günay Tümer- Abdurrahman Küçük,Dinler Tarihi, Ocak Publ., Ankara, 1988 p. 240; Randles-Hough, p. 21; Abu Ataillah, p. 44.
[41]. Abu Ataillah, p. 45.
[42]. Abu Zahra, p. 90.
[43]. see Kazi Dawa Samdup, Tibet'in Ölüler Kitabı, trnsl by. Suat Tahsuğ, Ruh ve Madde Publications, İstanbul; see also, A. Moody, p.123, 124, 126.
[44]. Abu Zahra, p. 90-91.
[45]. Felicien, p.83.
[46]. ibid., p. 91.
[47]. Addison, p. 155-156, 226; Qutb, Kur'an'da Kıyamet Sahneleri, p. 28-29; Ekrem Sarıkçıoğlu. Dinler Tarihi, Bayrak Publ., 1983 p. 113; Tümer- Küçük, p. 240-241.
[48]. Addison, p. 155.
[49]. Saalibi, p. 66.
[50]. Abu Ataillah, p. 47-48.
[51]. ibid., p. 46 (al-Aqqad.Allah, Kitabun fi Nash'ati'l-Aqidadeti'l-Islamiyya, quoted from p. 88)
[52]. ibid., p. 46.
[53]. Fawi, p. 50.
[54]. Sarıkçıoğlu, p. 118.
[55]. See Şinasi Gündüz, Sabiiler Son Gnostikler, Vadi Publ. Ankara, 1995, p. 130-137.
[56]. Gündüz, p. 55.
[57]. Muhammad ed-Dibaji, "as-Sabiatu man hum wa ma hiya Juzuruhum", al-Arabi, issue: 398, p.186. It is stated that Sabiis mentioned in the Quran are the Mindaiyya group (ibid).
[58]. Sarıkçıoğlu, p. 33.
[59]. ibid, p. 56.
[60]. ibid, p. 98.
[61]. see Addison, p. 125.
[62]. Ancient Greeks also called this place Champs-Elysees . This belief, the belief that the dead live under the ground, is present in many nations. Aralu of Babylonians, Sheol of Jews, Tartar of Romans and Amenti of Egyptians are examples of it (see Addison, p. 71-72; Hacaloğlu, p. 74)
[63]. Addison, p. 73.
[64]. Addison, p. 81-82; Randles- Hough, p. 17.
[65]. Saalibi, p. 98.
[66]. Sarıkçıoğlu, p.102.
[67]. Randles- Hough, p. 29, 37.
[68]. Randles- Hough, p. 27-28.
[69]. In general, the whole mankind believed that the spirit was something that could not be seen and touched, and that was a being like the wind or vapor. (see Addison, p. 12).
Veysel Güllüce (Prof.Dr.)
84-)
How has the Qur’an remained free from distortion?
The Qur’an, the last holy scripture of Allah and His Divine address to all the humankind, was revealed verse by verse and chapter by chapter in 23 years. The Prophet would recite the verses and the chapters that were revealed to him to his companions, and they would memorize them and some would write them down. Apart from that, the Prophet had scribes of revelation. They were especially responsible for writing the revealed verses and the chapters.
The Prophet was informed via the Archangel Gabriel about where the revealed verse and the chapter are to be placed, how they are to be ordered in the Qur’an, and The Prophet would then describe it to the scribes of revelation and get what is necessary done. The entire Qur’an was written in the lifetime of the Prophet and it was established what would be placed where. Moreover, Gabriel would come every Ramadan and would recite to the Prophet the verses and the chapters revealed up to that time from the beginning. In the last Ramadan before the Prophet passed away, Gabriel came again, and this time they recited the Qur’an twice. The first time, Gabriel recited, and the Prophet listened; and the next time, the Prophet recited and Gabriel listened. Thus, the Qur’an took its final form.
However, during the lifetime of the Prophet the Qur’an had not been arranged as a single volume yet. It was scattered among the companions as pages and was memorized by many companions. However, it was clearly and absolutely known what would be placed where.
Finally, out of necessity, at the time of Caliph Abu Bakr, a commission was set from scribes of revelation and vigorous memorizers headed by Zayd bin Thabit. This commission was appointed for the job of gathering the Qur’an as a single volume. Everybody from the companions came and handed in the pages of the Qur’an they had. As a result of the shared work of the memorizers and the scribes of revelation, the pages, chapters and the verses were ordered as described by the Prophet. Thus, the Qur’an was arranged as a single book called Mushaf.
As a result, the Qur’an has been free from being forgotten, lost, distorted or altered, since it was written down exactly as it was revealed to the Prophet.
Upon necessity, at the time of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan more copies were made from this book and were sent to various places. The copies of the Qur’an at the present time come from this Qur’an.
As result of the soundness in its determination, unlike the other Holy Scriptures, the Qur’an was established in its revealed form without any distortion or alteration, and it has come to us by preserving its authenticity for 1400 years. It is obvious that the rhetoric and eloquent style of the Qur’an, its conciseness, the ease of memorizing it, its resemblance to no human discourse, people’s inability to imitate it and to attain its level of eloquence, and the maximum care taken in its preservation played a great role in its authenticity. However, the real reason is that Allah took the Qur’an in His protection and that He promised to maintain it as a miracle until the Doomsday in form and meaning. As a matter of fact the following is stated in the Qur’an:
“Indeed it is We, We Who send down the Reminder in parts, and it is indeed We Who are its Guardian.”(the Qur’an, Al-Hijr, 15:9)
Today, all of the copies of the Qur’an in the world are the same; there is no difference or alteration.Besides, it is in the memory of millions of memorizers and is recited at each instant by millions of people. This quality is not possessed by any other book than the Qur’an, nor even by any of the other Divine scriptures. It is absolutely necessary that the Qur’an, which is Allah’s final scripture, the validity of which extends to the end of time, should possess this unprecedented status.
(Mehmed Dikmen, Islam Ilmihali, Cihan Yayinlari, Istanbul, 1991, pp. 94-97.)
85-)
Could you please give information on the nature of Angels?
Angels are creatures who have subtlety and capability of transforming into various forms. They were created only to do good deeds. (Tajrid Trns., IX, 19; Baydawi, I, 134)
Angels are obedient slaves of Allah (SWT). They do whatever they are ordered to do. They never rebel or disobey orders. (al-Anbiya, 26-27) They are free from any sin. Apart from sincere worship, they do nothing; they can intervene in nothing unless commanded, and cannot even intercede without permission. (The Fruits of Belief)
Since they have no nafs (evil commanding soul) and feelings of anger and lust, they have no spiritual advancement or decline as a result of struggling with their nafs. Satan does not bother them. They each have a static position, an unchanging rank and a definite duty.
Angels do not eat or drink, sleep, marry and reproduce like us. They have no gender. They are present in the sky, on the ground and everywhere. They can travel to the farthest places in a short time and are capable of appearing in any form and shape as they wish. Allah (SWT) gave them this ability.
As Angels have no duty of choosing between the good and evil and only have capability of doing good deeds, they are not rewarded for the deeds they do like humans. May be they get peculiar pleasure for the deeds and worships they perform according to their levels. (The Words, 327) That is, their rewards are in their service. Man feeds on water, air and light; similarly, angels feed on the noor (luminous light) of dhikr, tasbih (glorification), praising, worship, knowledge and love. (The Words, 327; Tajrid Trns., IX, 19) Since they were created out of light, light is enough for them as nourishment. Furthermore, good scents which are similar to light are a sort of their nourishment. Good and clean sprits definitely love good scents. (The Words, 327) Since Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent revelations and He frequently met angels, he did not eat food that have stinking smell like onion and garlic and that are not liked by angels. In his words, wearing nice scents was among the three things he liked best in the world.)
The worshipping of Angels is like fard (obligatory) worship; they have no voluntary (supererogatory) worship. However, supererogatory worship is a great honor for humans. As a matter of fact, the following hadith al qudsi (sacred hadith) explains this as follows; “My servants would gain my love by performing supererogatory worship”. (Husayn Jisri, Risala al-Hamidiyya; 577)
Angels cannot get the thawab (reward) of avoiding things forbidden by Allah (SWT) because they have no inclination to perform bad deeds and harams.
86-)
Is there a need for Prophets?
Even though people can understand the existence and oneness of Allah with their minds, they cannot comprehend His names and attributes and cannot know how to worship Him. They cannot comprehend the affairs related to the hereafter and the responsibility in the hereafter. They are in need of being informed about those issues by Allah.
Allah sent prophets in order to meet those needs of people. When people did not know anything, they learned everything, every art and skill from prophets. Prophets also taught people the ways of being happy and living peacefully in the world and in the hereafter, the principles of getting on well with one another and the rules of ethics and good manners.
Imam Ghazali states the following regarding the issue:
“Man cannot discriminate between lethal poison and useful medicine and he needs a doctor or chemist; he cannot know the beliefs and the deeds that will save him in the world and in the hereafter on his own, either. He cannot discriminate between the things that will lead him to disasters from the things that will lead him to happiness. He certainly needs a guide. And that guide is a prophet.” (Ghazali, Ihya trns., I, 291.)
Badiuzzaman says the following regarding the issue:
“The divine power, which does not leave ants without a leader and bees without a queen, will definitely not leave human beings without a prophet.” (Sözler, 792)
Nothing in the universe, especially in the realm of living beings has been left purposeless, dutiless, systemless and even guideless. It is possible to see it in pieces or as a whole. Neither the bees are queenless, nor ants are leaderless.
Since guides are not neglected for all of the other creatures, is it possible for man, who is regarded as superior by both the religion and science, to be left without prophets, who are essential guides? That is, is it possible to imagine the humankind without prophets or books?” (ibid)
Certainly not...
We can list the need for prophets as follows:
1. Ensuring Order and Justice in Society:
The law and order in the community, the peace and happiness of the individuals, the prevention of oppression and injustice depend on the existence of the institution of prophethood. The issue is explained as follows in İşâratü’l-İ’câz:
“Man has been created with a strange, subtle nature distinguishing him from all other living beings and making him an exception to them. By virtue of this, there have arisen in him the desire to choose, and the wish for the most beautiful things and for fine decoration, and a natural desire to have a livelihood and position befitting humanity.
For his food, dress and accommodation – the for which arises due to the above-mentioned desires – to be prepared proficiently, man has need of multiple arts and crafts, but he is incapable of practicing all of these on his own. He needs, therefore, to mix with his fellow-men and to co-operate with them, and for all of them to assist each other and exchange the fruits of their labor.
However, since so as to allow men’s progress by means of the mainspring of the will the All-Wise Maker placed no innate limits on the human powers of appetite, anger and intellect – as with the animals and their limited powers – tyranny and aggression have arisen. And since no limit has been placed on them, the powers tend to aggression and the human community is in need of justice when exchanging the fruits of its labor. However, because the intellects of single members of society are incapable of comprehending justice, the human race as a whole needs a general or universal intellect to establish from which all may benefit. And that intellect is the universal law, and that law is the Shari’a.
Then in order to preserve the effectiveness of the Shari’a and its enforcement, a law-maker is necessary, someone to lay claim to it and to promulgate it, an authority, and that is the Prophet (pbuh). Then, in order to perpetuate his outward and inward domination over people’s minds and hearts, the Prophet needs to be eminently superior both physically and spiritually and morally, and in conduct and appearance, and by nature and in character. He is in need, too, of proof of the strength of his relation with the Creator, and such a proof is his miracles.”(İşâratü’l-İ’câz, 92-93)
2. Teaching man the reason why he was created and informing him about religious decrees:
As it is stated in the Quran the purpose and wisdom of man’s creation and being sent down to the world is to know his Creator, to believe in Him and to worship Him. (az-Zariyat, 56; see also: Ayatu’l-Kubra, 8)
The mind cannot understand the aim of the creation on its own. Even if we accept that man can understand the existence of God Almighty with his mind as some scholars of Kalam claim, he cannot understand how to worship Him and how to please Him on his own. Therefore, prophets are necessary.
God Almighty informed His distinguished servants that He chose among human beings about all of His orders and prohibitions. They practiced those decrees themselves first and then conveyed them to other people, making them know the Creator of the universe. (For detailed information, see: Sözler, 56)
3. Blocking the Ways of Objection to Allah:
It is stated in the Quran that each tribe and nation was definitely sent a prophet that gave them the glad tidings of the mercy of Allah and warned them about the torture of Allah.
One of the reasons why each nation was sent a prophet like that is stated as follows in the Quran:
“Messengers who gave good news as well as warning, that mankind, after (the coming) of the messengers should have no plea against Allah: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.” (an-Nisa, 165)
Another verse is as follows:
“If (We had) not (sent thee to the Quraysh)― in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they might say: "Our Lord! why didst Thou not send us a messenger? We should then have followed the Signs and been amongst those who believe!"(al-Qasas, 47)
An important reason of the existence of the institution of prophethood is understood from those verses.
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What is the Importance of Belief for Man?
1. Belief is the reason why man was created.That is, he was created in order to know his Creator with belief and to worship Him. If man acts in accordance with the reason of creation, he will attain the endless bliss in the hereafter and enter Paradise; otherwise, he will be sent to Hell and will be exposed to endless trouble and unhappiness. In this regard, belief is the means of gaining the endless bliss and the key to Paradise. One cannot enter Paradise without belief. Therefore, it is more important than anything in the world for a man to believe and to preserve his belief without losing or weakening it until his last breath.
Because of the great importance of belief, our Prophet said:
“Renew your belief by saying la ilaha illallah : there is no god but Allah”; he attracted our attention to renewing and preserving belief. A question like, “the belief is repeatedly ordered to be renewed; is there a continuous possibility of belief to weaken and be lost?” may come to one’s mind.
Badiuzzaman, interprets the issue of renewing belief as follows by giving also the answer to that question:
“Since man himself and the world in which he lives are being continuously renewed, he needs constantly to renew his belief. For in reality each individual human being consists of many individuals. He may be considered as a different individual to the number of the years of his life, or rather to the number of the days even to the hours of his life. Since a single individual is subject to time, he is like a model and each passing day clothes him in the form of another individual.
Furthermore, just as there is within man this plurality and renewal, so also is the world in which he lives in motion. It goes and is replaced by another. It varies constantly. Every day opens the door of another world. As for belief, it is both the light of the life of each individual in that person, and it is the light of the world in which he lives. And as for la ilaha illallah (there is no god but Allah), it is a key with which to turn on the light.
Then, the instinctual soul, desire, doubts, and Satan exercise great influence over man. In order to damage his belief, they are much of the time able to benefit from his negligence, to trick him, with their wiles, and thus to extinguish the light of belief with doubts and uncertainty.
Also, man is prone to act and utter words which apparently oppose the Sharia, and which in the view of some religious authorities are no less than unbelief.
Therefore, there is a need to renew belief all the time, every hour, every day.” (Mektubat: Letters)
In the passage above, the necessity of renewing belief is underlined from three different points:
First point: The time and place man lives, his spiritual mood, psychology, thought and understanding can change very often due to the environment he is in. The things that he is exposed to, the things that he does and the people that he contacts leave positive or negative marks on him.
Our Prophet states the following about the issue:
“The heart of a believer undergoes changes more than a boiling pot.”
“The heart is like a sparrow. Every moment, it turns towards a different direction.”
“The heart is like a bird wing thrown in the countryside. The wind overturns it; the heart is like that.”
Due to the fact that the heart of man and his psychological mood is so vulnerable to outside effects, our Prophet ordered us to renew or beliefs often by saying la ilaha illallah.
Second Point: It is the fact that there are negative feelings like the soul, desires and delusion in man, and the devil constantly tries to tempt and deceive him. In a moment of heedlessness, those negative thoughts may cause doubts in man about belief. It is necessary to renew belief so as not to fall into a dangerous situation like that.
Third Point: Man cannot keep himself away from some words and sentences that are contrary to religion seemingly and that are even regarded as unbelief by some scholars. Therefore, it is necessary to say la ilaha illallah and renew belief.
Another way of strengthening and preserving belief is to upgrade it from the level of imitative belief to investigative belief.It can only be achievedby reading the books about belief that teach the truths of belief investigatively and answer the doubts and delusions that can come to the mind and by taking part in talks about belief. If man upgrades his belief from imitative to investigative level, it will be out of question for him to lose his belief and to die without belief in the last breath.
Islamic scholars say that the devil will come to deceive man and take away his belief in his deathbed using all of his tricks and delusions. Therefore, they say that they are afraid of the time of death.
Man can be freed from dangers like that in deathbed through investigative belief. It is because in investigative belief, belief is not only in the mind; it is distributed over the heart, spirit and other feelings and settled there. Even if the devil damages the belief in man’s mind, it cannot remove the belief settled in other feelings. Thus, he remains a believer and dies as a believer.
2. Belief is a great source of morality and a strong supporting point. A person who attains the real belief can challenge the whole universe and can get rid of the pressure of the troubles that he undergoes to the extent of the strength of his belief.
Our victories that made history and caused people write legends are good examples of the strength that belief gives to man.
A believing person, no matter how great a disaster happens to him, may face those troubles and sorrows with trust in Allah and surrender, and with the feeling of consent to predestination and confront them with patience and endurance. He does not fall into hopelessness and pessimism. He does not resort to rebellion and screaming.
It comes from the strength that belief gives a man. We see very often that people with no belief give way to despair so much so that they think of committing suicide when they face very small problems. The fact that we witness almost no suicides in Islamic countries and that suicides increase in the most civilized and wealthy countries with high level of welfare confirm it.
Our Prophet pointed out to the power of strength and resistance that belief makes man gain as follows:
“A believer is like a green plant. The winds of misfortune that are never missing make him bend but cannot break him. On the contrary, they make him revive and recover.
A hypocrite (and an unbeliever) is like a dry plant. The winds of misfortune make the leaves shed, make the stem break and kill them.”
“Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer; for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus, there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it..”
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What does belief in Allah mean?
It means to believe in the existence and oneness of Allah and to know him very well through His names and attributes. Belief in Allah is the base of all religions. The need to believe in Allah, to rely on Him and to worship Him is inherent in the nature of man. That feeling was born together with man and continued in each period.
It is one of the evidences of the existence of Allah. For, the nature of man does not tell lies. Since there is a need to believe in and rely on a sublime Creator, to worship Him and to supplicate Him and receive what one needs from Him, then, it is impossible for that sublime Creator not to exist. It will mean to deny the nature of man. Even if there are no other evidences, this evidence of creation and conscience is sufficient light to understand the existence of Allah.
As a matter of fact, those who dare to deny Allah, have to turn to Allah and ask His help when they are in trouble. However, as soon as the trouble is over, they return to their previous state.
You probably saw and heard a lot of examples regarding the issue. That issue is pointed out in the Glorious Quran as follows:
“ When trouble toucheth a man, he crieth unto Us (in all postures)― lying down on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have solved his trouble, he passeth on his way as if he had never cried to Us for a trouble that touched him! Thus do the deeds of transgressors seem fair in their eyes.)” (Yunus, 12)
“ Now if they embark on a boat, they call on Allah, making their devotion sincerely (and exclusively) to Him; but when He had delivered them safely to (dry) land, Behold, they give a share (of their worship to others).” (al-Ankabut, 65).
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Will you please give information about the universality of the Qur'an?
The Quran which was sent more than 1400 years ago is a book that have principles that can solve the problems of today and that can bind the people of this age against the change that has been existent since the creation of man and that has become dazzling in this age.
When we examine those principles, we see that they are general principles and that they contain criteria that all people can carry out at all times. We will make short explanations about five of those universal principles that have the meaning of command among those universal principles that were brought by the Quran.
The five things among those principles that are ordered to be fulfilled are as follows: 1) to work, 2) to be just, 3) to be honest, 4) to keep your promise, 5) to protect the things entrusted to you.
To work is the pre-eternal law of Allah. Allah expresses the importance of working as follows in the Quran:
“That man can have nothing but what he strives for; That (the fruit of) his striving will soon come in sight; Then will he be rewarded with a reward complete.”(an-Najm, 39-41) those verses state that man can advance only by striving and that the key to bliss in the world and the hereafter is to work legitimately.
The basic of Islam is justice.Justice is the combination of humane and social values like acting properly, not taking things belonging to others, not deviating from the straight path. The Quran orders an absolute justice. It does not differentiate between believers and unbelievers, those who are near and far, the rich and the poor regarding the issue. As a matter of fact, Allah states the following:
“...speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned...”(al-An’am, 152)
“O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts) lest ye swerve and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.”(an-Nisa, 135)
One of the principles that we are ordered in the Quran is honesty. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the Quran regarding the issue:
“O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and (always) say a word directed to the Right: That He may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your sins: he that obeys Allah and His Messenger, has already attained the highest Achievement..”(al-Ahzab 70-71)
“Therefore stand firm (in the straight path) as thou art commanded― thou and those who with thee turn (unto Allah); and transgress not (from the Path): for He seeth well all that ye do.”(Hud, 112)
One of the principles that the Quran emphasizes repeatedly is keeping your promise and fulfilling your obligations. The word “ahd” means “to order something to be fulfilled, to give an instruction, to make a promise; command, instruction, undertaking, contract, liability and trustable word”. A person must keep his promise whether he makes it to Allah or to believers and fulfill its necessities because Allah states the following in the Quran,
“O ye who believe! fulfil (all) obligations...”(al-Maida, (5): 1)
“Nay―Those that keep their plighted faith and act aright―verily Allah loves those who act aright.”(Aal-i-Imran, 76)
“...and fulfil (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).”(al-Isra, 34)
The last universal Quranic principle that we will deal with is to be trustable. In general, trust is used to mean, ”something entrusted to someone for protection”. However, along with this meaning, it also covers the spiritual, bodily and financial facilities that man has and that are given to him temporarily. In Islamic law, trust is the name given to the whole duties assigned by Allah to man regarding both the rights of Allah and the rights of creatures.
“Those who faithfully observe their Trusts and their covenants.” (al-Mu’minun, 8)
We have given some examples of universal commands of the Quran that man can apply everywhere and at all times. Each of those principles will bring happiness to a community when they are applied whether by Muslims or non-Muslims. In the world where those principles are not applied, human beings become unhappy and hopeless – as it is the case in the world today. We, as people who heartily believe in those principles, must have a lifestyle in accordance with those principles and serve as examples for the humanity, because it is our duty to convey goodness to the humanity.
We have given universal examples of the Quran that man can apply under every condition and at all times. There are also some prohibitions brought by the Quran; we want to explain five of them in short. They are: 1- To associate partners with Allah; 2- To disobey one’s parents; 3- To kill a person unjustly; 4- To take bribes; 5- To gossip and backbite.
According to the Quran, the greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah; it means accepting other beings as partners of Allah, worshipping stones, trees, the sun, the moon, stars, angels, prophets, sheikhs or any being other than Allah. The Quran defines associating partners with Allah as shirk (polytheism), the greatest injustice and oppression. As a matter of fact, the following two verses give the most impressive examples regarding the issue:
“Allah forgiveth not (the sin of) joining other gods with Him: but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, hath strayed far, far away (from the Right).”(an-Nisa, 116);
“For false worship is indeed the highest wrong-doing.”(Luqman, (31): 13)
Oppression means taking something from the place where it has to be and putting it somewhere else, deviating from the aim. Allah is the Lord that revives, kills, gives sustenance and bounties; it has no partners. When something is accepted as a partner of Allah, it is the greatest oppression. Therefore, it is stated in the Quran that those who associate partners with Allah will be punished severely and that it is impossible for them to enter Paradise:
“Whoever joins other gods with Allah―Allah will forbid him the Garden and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.” (al-Maida, 72)
The Quran orders us to do favors for our parents and prohibits us from disobeying them by saying,
“Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.”(al-Isra, 23-24)
In the verses above, Allah orders us to do favors for our parents after worshipping Him and He orders us not to say even “Ugh” to them, because it is Allah who creates man and the parents are the means of it.
Man is an honorable being that Allah appreciates and renders superior to all beings in the world. It is forbidden to despise and to blame him, to carry tales about him no matter how, and to kill him unjustly. To kill a person unjustly is regarded the same as killing the whole people as it is stated in the following verse and when the characteristics of believers are listed, they are defined as “they do not kill anybody”:
“If anyone slew a person―unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land― it would be as if he slew the whole people.”(al-Maida, 32);
“Those (believers) who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, not commit fornication― and any that does this (not only) meets punishment.”(al-Furqan, 68)
The last two universal principles consist of two humanly and social illnesses that gnaw away the community secretly and eliminate the feeling of trust: bribery and gossiping. They are prohibited in the Quran as follows:
“O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will.”(an-Nisa, 29),
“And do not eat up your property among yourselves for vanities, nor use it as bait for the judges, with intent that ye may eat up wrongfully and knowingly a little of (other) people's property.”(al-Baqara, 188)
“and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it...but fear Allah: for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.”(al-Hujurat, 12)
The Quran is a book that was sent down to make human beings happy; its principles are universal and they can be applied at all times and under any conditions. Everybody should contemplate thoroughly; which one of those principles is invalid in this age?
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Do genes have any effect on whether a person will believe or not? Does this case eliminate man's responsibility?
Being intelligent or not is not proportionate to having belief or not. If it were like that, it would be unjust. Then, those who were very intelligent would believe and those who were not so intelligent would not.
Having belief or not is directly connected with man's will. People who are sane, whether they are very intelligent or not so intelligent, are held responsible. Responsibility is related with being sane or not. It is up to man's will to believe or not. Man accepts or rejects belief with his will.
Satan rebelled though he was very intelligent and he knew Allah. Rebellion does not originate from the insanity of Satan. The factors that you mention can affect whether man will believe or not but the real factor is man's will. None of these factors affect man's responsibility. Those who are not sane and those who have not been informed about Islam are not held responsible.
Genetic structure does not affect man's will one hundred per cent. It can only be one of the causes. As a necessity of testing, there will definitely be some causes that affect man's belief. However, none of them affects him one hundred per cent. If genetic structure were effective one hundred per cent, everybody would have to believe like Hz. Adam. After all, the genetic structure of all people comes from Hz. Adam. Hz. Noah's son was destroyed during the deluge before he believed in his father, which shows that genetic structure has no effect on the issue of belief. Man has the tendency of both believing or unbelieving in his nature. However, they are at an equal level.
According to the tafsir of Sa'd Taftazani, belief is"a luminous light granted by the Eternal Sun (God Almighty) and a gleam from the endless bliss." (Said Nursi, İşârâtü'l-İ'câz)
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Is an increase and development in Belief in question?
A seed grows and develops greatly until it becomes a tree; belief is like a tree too.
Islamic scholars divide belief into two levels first:
1– Taqlid (imitative) belief,
2– Tahqiq (investigative) belief
Imitative belief: It means adhering to the fundamentals of belief traditionally without reasoning on the issue as one hears from his parents, teachers and environment. Since imitative belief is a kind of believing that is not based on a detailed belief in the fundamentals and consciousness of belief, it may be exposed to some doubts and delusions and face the risk of faltering and breaking down especially in this age.
Investigative belief: It means knowing all of the issues about belief with evidence and in detail, to approve and believe without hesitation. A belief like that can protect itself from faltering and breaking down when faced by doubts and delusions.
There are various degrees of investigative belief. Islamic scholars divide those degrees into three:
1 – Certainty at the degree of knowledge: It means knowing and believing in Islamic issues scientifically and in detail.
2 – Certainty at the degree of witnessing: It means knowing and believing in Islamic issues as if seeing them or as if observing their truthfulness personally. Seeing through eyes and knowing scientifically are very different from the aspect of giving a person an idea. Man can know something definitely, without hesitation but when he sees it, his belief increases. For instance, knowing the existence of America and seeing America personally. Certainty at the degree of witnessing is believing in the fundamentals of belief as if seeing through the eyes.
3 – Absolute certainty: It means accepting and realizing the issues concerning belief by entering into them and experiencing them personally.The following example can be given to explain the three levels of belief: When smoke is seen somewhere it is known that there is a fire there. To know the presence of fire by seeing the smoke is certainty at the degree of knowledge. To go near the fire and to know the existence of fire by seeing it is certainty at the degree of witnessing. To go near the fire and to put your hand into the fire and feel the burning property of the fire and to know the existence of fire like that is absolute certainty.
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Can you evaluate man through the glasses of belief and denial in terms of different aspects he has?
Man is related to all creatures. He has a kind of trade with everything. He has to meet, speak to and live near the things that surround him materially and spiritually by its very nature. In this case, man has six aspects: right, left, front, back, top and bottom. By wearing the glasses of belief and unbelief, man can see the creatures and their states in these six aspects.
Right aspect: This aspect means the past. When the past is viewed through the glasses of unbelief, it will be seen as a large graveyard. This view will give man a great terror and hopelessness.
However, when this aspect is viewed through the glasses of belief, he sees that the people in the past were transferred into a better and more luminous world. He regards the graves and ditches as underground tunnels dug in order to reach a luminous world. So, belief gives man great happiness, comfort and peace and makes him say “Thank you Allah”.
Left aspect: When the left aspect, that is, the future is viewed through the glasses of unbelief, it will be seen as a terrible, dark, large grave that will make us decay and that will destroy us by making the snakes and scorpions eat us.
However, when it is viewed through the glasses of belief, it will be seen as a dining table full of different kinds of delicious, nice food and drinks prepared by Allah, who has mercy on, and creates man out of nothing. And it will make him say “Thank you Allah” thousands of times.
Top aspect: A man who looks at the skies through the glasses of unbelief sees that billions of stars and spheres move very fast and do different actions like the running horses or the military maneuvers in the endless space; since he does not know that a being controls them, he feels terrified and horrified.
However, when a believer looks at the skies, he understands that this strange maneuver is carried out under the command and control of a commander. He sees that the stars that adorn the world of skies are candles that illuminate humans. Since he knows that their reigns are in the hands of somebody, he watches the actions that are like the running of the horses fondly instead of fear or terror. It is definitely not enough to say “Thank you Allah” thousands of times for the blessing of belief that describes the action of the sky.
Bottom aspect: It is the earth. A person who views the earth through the eye of unbelief sees the world as an idle, unbridled wandering animal around the sun or a boat with broken planks and without a captain and feels terrified and excited.
However if he looks through belief, he sees it in the form of a ship under the command of Allah, with all of the food, drinks, clothes and people, that travels around the sun. And he starts to say “Thank you Allah” many times for the great blessing originating from belief.
Front aspect: When an unbeliever looks at this aspect, he sees that all of the living creatures, whether they are humans or animals, go to that aspect speedily in groups and disappear. That is they cease to exist. Since he knows that he will go there too, he nearly goes mad because of sorrow.
However, for a believer who looks through the eye of belief, the movement and travel of people that way is not towards the world of non-existence but a transfer like movement of nomads from one plateau to another. It is a migration from the temporary zone to the permanent zone, from the farm of service to the office of payment, from the land of troubles to the land of grace. Since he knows that this transfer is not to the world of non-existence, he faces it with gladness.
However, the hardships that seem like death and grave on the way are happy events as a result. The way to luminous worlds passes through the grave and the greatest happy events are the results of the worst disasters. For instance, Hazrat Yusuf reached the sultanate of Egypt only after he was thrown into a well by his brothers and after he was put to prison as a result of the slander of Zaliha.
Similarly a child that comes to the world through the womb of his mother attains worldly bliss as a result of the troubles and pains he experiences in the tunnel.
Back Aspect: If those coming from behind are viewed through the eye of unbelief, the questions "Where are they going and from where? Why did they come to the world?” cannot be answered and the unbeliever remains in the torture of hesitation.
However, if a person looks through the eye of belief, he understands that these people are onlookers sent by Allah to see the miracles of the strange power exhibited in the exhibition of the universe. He realizes that these people will achieve levels by understanding the meanings which Allah wants to be known in the universe in accordance with the rate they understand and return to Allah. He will say “Thank you Allah” for the blessing of belief that makes him gain this blessing of understanding.
These six aspects of man are illuminated thanks to belief; all of the times and places are transformed into a large and comfortable world. The whole world virtually becomes like his house that he knows, is familiar with and he feels secure in. Thus he becomes like a sultan of the universe thanks to belief.
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What is the state of a person who does not accept only one of the principles of belief?
"Belief cannot be divided.” That is, the pillars (principles) of belief are regarded as a whole; a person who does not believe in one of them exits the religion of Islam.
Accordingly, a person who does not believe any of the six pillars of belief loses his belief. He has to repent and believe again.
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What is the reason why belief in angels is among the pillars of belief?
Belief in angels has an important place among the pillars of belief because angels are messengers that convey the divine message to prophets. Therefore believing in revelation and prophets necessitates believing in angels that convey the revelation and prophethood first. Not believing in angels will bring about not believing in prophets.
That is why belief in angels is mentioned immediately after belief in Allah.
(Think of a straight line; let us call it the timeline.)
It is not the left side of the past. It is timelessness. It is a station that holds and sees the present, the past and the future at the same moment.
At this point, the mirror encompasses the present, past and future as a whole. This point is called the point of pre-eternity, which sees all of the three times as a whole at the same moment. When we say, "Allah is pre-eternal", we mean that Allah sees and knows all times and places at the same moment and that He is timeless.