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It is
generally thought that the skeletal structure of bones and flesh is what
Man is though all the religious scriptures stress that it is not so.
This body of bones and flesh is merely a
dress for the soul. When the soul ends its attachment to its dress then the
dress itself becomes of no value. You can burn it (cremation), mutilate it, or
dump it in the ground (grave); it would not be able to resist any of it.
It is the eternal nature of the soul
that it adopts a new body in every New World. Just as in this world it forms
the body of bones and flesh, similarly in the life after death (aeraaj) it
adopts a new body that has all the qualities and abilities that had existed
before death. Over there (aeraaf) people do recognize one another and are
aware of what happiness and sadness is. These people do distinguish those who
are bound for hell from those who will eventually go to heaven.
And the people of Heaven called on the
people of Fire that we receive what was promised to us by our Lord. Verily,
didst thou get anything that was promised by thy Lord? And verily they said
yea. Then a caller called down on them that curse of God to the unjust who shun
the way of God and look for fault in it and deny the Day of Judgment."
Between
these groups, there will be a wall separating them. At its peak (aeraaJ there
will be some other people. They will recognize one another by the attire and
will address the people of heaven thus: "Peace to thee..." These
people had not yet entered the Heaven but will hope for it. When their sight
fall on the people of Bell then they will say,"O'our Lord, please do not
include us among these unjust." Then these people of aeraaf will address
the prominent figures of Hell:
"So thou finally seest, today
neither thy wealth nor thv material goods which thou hast considered prominent
is of any use. And are not the people of Heaven those for whom thou used to
swear that God will not give them any of His blessings. Today they are told to
enter Heaven. Thou art not, but will know only fear and grief." [Sura
Aeraaf: Qur an (Koran)]
According to these verses of the Quran
(Koran), after death souls of deceased formed into two groups, Aileen (upper)
and Sajjeen (lower). This was described in the following verse,
And what thou knowest, what Sajjeen is,
it is in the Book of Record (Kitaab al-Margoom)."
[Sura Mutafeen: 8-9]
And what thou knowest, what Alleen is,
it is in the Book of Records (Kitaab al-Margoom)."
[Sura
Mutafeen: 19-20]
This Kitaab al-Margoom is the Book of
Records that logs everything that humans do in this world during their lifetime
in the form of a film (movie). Here we must point out that every thought, every
imagination, every movement and action has a figure. Whatever we do becomes a
film within the boundary of our own knowledge.
According
to many religions, the punishment for murder is execution. I.et us assume
hypothetically that we commit a murder. First, the film would record our
intention that we are planning a murder. Then we are going towards the place to
commit the murder will be recorded. Then the act will also be recorded. Our
reaction and our awareness that the punishment for murder is execution will be
recorded too. The whole film will show first that John Doe leaves his home,
kills so-and-so, is arrested, tried, and because of this is executed.
In
the same way, every action is being recorded. After the death John Doe, the
deceased, will behold that film; in other words, under a special program he
will have to watch that film. At this level, John Doe will go through two
states. First, he will forget that he is watching a film, and from here if he
sees any pain he will feel it as well. The same way when we see a movie in
theater or at home, so we respond to whatever is shown on the screen. If it is
a comedy then we laugh and giggle, but if it is a movie about a tragedy then we
unconsciously get mushy. On the other hand, a horror movie scares the devil out
of out us.
The second state the deceased goes
through while watching that film is that he becomes aware what lies ahead for
him as result of what he did. He also goes through the guilt that he could have
lived without committing those crimes whether it was murder, stealing, bribery
or whatever. Besides, those for whom he committed those crimes are no longer in
a position to help him.
A
capitalist and greedy lover of wealth will see his film showing him usurping
other people rights and money. And because of that people are hungry, worried,
and deprived of essentials. Because of poverty, their own existence is a burden
on them. Because he is the one who has total control over the resources. He
will see that because of his greed people are suffering, they are hungry and
destitute. And then he will realize that he is the one responsible for that
suffering. Justice will be served when he goes through the same affliction they
went through. The moment he realizes that he will see himself in the film being
poor, destitute, worried, and anxious he will scream and cry but will find no
one sympathetic to him.
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
In the current information age, the very question of what Man
is, and to what extent his abilities
go, has gained prominence. Metaphysical knowledge tells us
that Man is not just a mass of muscles and bones but in fact is a living
universe or microcosm (a'lam asghar) itself. His life is primarily relying on
information. As a matter of fact his life is nothing but a collection of
thoughts and imagination. His every movement is influenced by information and
thoughts. Every human achievement is circled around the unseen world of
cognition, imagination and creative thoughts. By giving new meaning to this
idea, Man creates and invents new things out of nothing.