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Dress of Soul

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.


MURAQABA

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.