Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

The Collection and Preservation of the Qur'an

Author (s): Ayatullah Sayyid Abulqasim al-Khui

Publisher (s): MadrasaAs Syed al Khui

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Foreword 4

Introduction 6

Note 7

The Holy Qur’an, Pure, Pristine and Unprofaned 8

The Meaning of Tahrif 9

Note 10

Muslim view on Tahrif 11

Note 11

Abrogation of Recitation a Fact or a Myth 12

Tradition n. 1 12

Tradition n. 2 12

Tradition n. 3 13

Tradition n. 4 13

Tradition n. 5 13

Tradition n. 6 13

Tradition n. 7 13

Tradition n. 8 13

Tradition n. 9 14

Tradition n. 10 14

Tradition n. 11 14

Tradition n. 12 14

Notes 15

Tahrif and the Book Itself 17

Tahrif and Sunnah 20

Note 22

Permission to Recite the Surah in the Prayers 23

The Claim that Tahrif was caused by the Caliphs 24

Notes 26

Some Doubts by those who believe in Tahrif 27

First Doubt 27

Second Doubt 28

Third Doubt 30

Notes 30

The Traditions about Tahrif 31

Tradition n. 1 31

Tradition n. 2 31

Tradition n. 3 31

Tradition n. 4 31

Tradition n. 5 32

Tradition n. 6 32

Tradition n. 7 32

Tradition n. 8 32

True Meaning of the Traditions 33

The Fourth Doubt 36

Notes 36

A Reflection on the Collection of the Holy Qur’an 37

The Traditions about the Compilation of the Qur’an 38

Report n. 1 38

Report n. 2 38

Report n. 3 39

Report n. 4 39

Report n. 5 39

Report n. 6 39

Report n. 7 39

Report n. 8 40

Report n. 9 40

Report n. 10 40

Report n. 11 40

Report n. 12 41

Report n. 13 41

Report n. 14 41

Report n. 15 41

Report n. 16 42

Report n. 17 42

Report n. 18 42

Report n. 19 42

Report n. 20 42

Report n. 21 42

Report n. 22 43

Notes 43

The Contradictions 44

Note 45

Their Conflict with Other Traditions Related to the Compilation of the Qur’an 46

Notes 47

Their Conflict with the Qur’an itself 48

Their Conflict with Reason 49

(a) The Eloquence and Rhetoric of the Qur'an 49

(b) The Prophet's inclination to preserve the Qur'an 49

(c) Memorization 49

(d) Rewards 49

Notes 50

Their Conflict with Consensus 51

Those Traditions and Interpolations 52

Note 53

Conclusion 54

Foreword

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله الذي انزل على عبدة الكتاب ولم يجعل لة عوجا

وافضل صلوات الله واكمل تسليماته على رسوله الذي ارسلة بالهدى

وعلى آله المصطفين الاخيار الذين آمنوا به وعزروه ونصروه واتبعوا النور الذي معه

"In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praisebe to Allah Who has sent to His servant The Book and has allowed no deviation therein. And the best of Allah's blessings and His most complete peace upon His Apostle whom he sent with His Guidance. And upon his chosen, virtuous progeny who believed in him, honoured him, helped him and followed the LightWhich was sent down to him".

Amid all the diversity of thoughts, leanings and inter­pretations, Muslims are united by a single cohesive force, an eternal and abiding miracle of Muhammad (‘s); Holy Qur'an. A prince among the revealed Books, Qur'an has remained pristine and unsullied by the profane hands.

The external forces working restlessly to wreck the Mus­lim unity and consensus have now resorted to a new ploy. From among the Muslims themselves, they have succeeded to instigate sectarian differences based on Qur'an. We now see scholars of one sect accusing the followers of another sect of disbelieving in Qur'an, or believing in a Book which has disappeared or been interpolated.

From Saudi Arabia, South Africa and particularly Pakistan, recent publications against the Shi’a sect harp on one and the same note. They go to wearisome and tedious lengths, just to prove that the Shi’asare not Muslims because they do not believe in the existing Qur'an. It is surprising to find a man of Abul Hasan Nadawis' calibre joining the notorious band and entering inextricably into the quagmire. The forces of kufr have thus successfully created a wider chasm between the two main sects of Islam, the Shi’a and the Sunni; and some scholars have played into their hands.

The fact is neither Sunni nor Shi’a Muslims believe in any Our'an other than the existing one, nor do they sub­scribe to the views supporting interpolations, distortions, omissions, additions or any sort of tampering in the Holy Book.

In our selection of two chapters from Ayatullah Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khu’i's famous work al Bayan fi Tafsiril Qur'an we have deliberately given a prime choice to the subjects of Tahrif and collection of the Qur'an. Later, we hope to translate and publish further chapters so that, eventually, whole book is placed in the hands of the Mus­lim as well as non-Muslim readers.

Ayatullah al-Khu’i completed this work decades ago. He is one of the great Shi’a mujtahids of this era, internationally known for his erudition. The book was acclaimed as a masterpiece by Shi’a as well as Sunni scholars, leaving no doubt in the minds of its readers that Qur'an as a great force binding all the Muslims together has come to stay for ever.

The line of argument pursued by Ayatullah al-Khu’i is unique. While he enumerates and discusses all the reports from Shi’a as well as Sunni sources, he very ably conclu­des that according to the reliable and authentic traditions, Qur'an has remained pure, pristine and unprofaned. His arguments proving that the belief in Tahrif goes against al-Kitab (i.e. Qur'an), as-Sunnah, al-Aql and al-Ijma', are compelling and persuasive. His analysis of all those reports which indicate desultory, unmethodical and haphazard later day collection of Qur'an leaves no shred of doubt that they are false and fabricated.

In his preface to the first edition of al-Bayan fi Tafsiril Qur'an, al Khui writes:-

"I was enamoured by Qur'an from the childhood, always keen to unravel its secrets and to discover its meaning. It behoves every true Muslim, and even non-Muslim thinkers to ponder over Qur'an, to unfold its hidden meaning and to benefit from its light.For it is a Book which has a message for human welfare and guides it to success and salvation. Qur'an is a reference for the linguist, a guide to the grammarian, an authority for the jurist, an example for the refined,a lost treasure for the wise. It even guides those who admonish and shows the goal in life. It is a source of social as well as political sciences, and upon itrest the sciences of Islam. It will reveal to you the fascinating secrets.of Nature, and introduce you to the laws of crea­tion. Qur'an is the abiding miracle of this ever lasting religion, and a code of conduct based on the high and esteemed Shari’ah".

It is our earnest hope that this publication will serve to bridge the gap between Muslims, created by the subtle forces of kufr. Further, it will Inshallah enable them, both Shi’a and Sunni, to realize that Qur'an is their only hope of deliverance from the unscrupulous manipulations of un­-Islamic and anti-Islamic propagandists. Let no Muslim be deceived into believing that he or his brother, despite the sectarian differences, believes in any authority other than that of the existing Qur'an. It is complete, pure, pristine and unaltered.

Secretariat

The World Federation of K.S.I. Muslim Communities

London

Introduction

To things immortal, time can do no wrong,

And that which never is to die, for ever must be young.

With the passage of time, many great messages have been lost, and those which have survived must be subjec­ted to close scrutiny. How often do we hear and learn a corrupt version of a statement or an event, even if the lapse of time in between was short? It was perhaps for this reason that even Emerson, the famous and comparatively cheerful sage, declared: "The surest poison is time.". His­tory has always been haunted by this ravaging and devour­ing aspect of time.

Ever since man was created, the principle message to him has been that of absolute unity of God, and that all men and women are his slaves. Today, the defaced form of this message is visible in the form of numerous deities, some openly polytheistic, others under the guise of mon­otheism. The great books revealed to the early Prophets have been victims of profane hands which succeeded even to convert some parts of the sacred texts into the most tasteless and immoral anecdotes and parables. The subst­ance of the original message was deliberately allowed to disappear with a growing number of interpolations.

Humanity today would have had no chance whatsoever to know about the message in its pristine form, had it not been redeemed by the great Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny). Among the hostile people of various shades of faith, some engaged in poly­theism while others in dualism and trinity of godhead, his famous simple dictum was: "Say: There is no God but Allah, and you will be saved". All gods, made of metal wood or other materials, and those comprising of pious prophets and virtuous men and women, were asked to succumb before one God, Allah, and His Will. He told humanity then, and continues to do so even today, that the eternal message from Allah is that of His absolute unity, and that none be worshipped; not even human desire which lies like a venomous viper in the bosoms.

This great message is enshrined in the Qur'an, the only book of God, which has remained unsullied, untainted, pure and unprofaned. The sure greedy hands of time could not destroy the sacrosanct quality of Qur'an, not because it was not tried, - but because Qur'an is inherently incorruptible. It has a style and form which is inimitable, rendering any change or alteration creeping stealthily into it easily detect­ible. The transmission of every verse of this great Book has been continuous ever since it left the lips of the Prophet as a revelation from Allah. And then there is the content of the Book, destined to remain an illuminating, ever shining light for those who grope in darkness. Qur'an is irreplaceable.

Our sixth Imam, Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) has said:

"Qur'an is living, its message never died. It turns like the turn of day andnight, it is in motion like the sun and the moon. It will embrace the last of us, the way it embraced the first of us"1

Sadly enough, Muslims have recently initiated a mud slinging match amongst themselves, accusing each other of disbelief in the Qur'an or interpolation. Such an attack from non-Muslims is understandable, because Qur'an stands in a sharp contrast to the corrupted divine texts they hold in their hands.But why the Muslims?

Ayatullah Sayyid Abul Qasim al Khui, the great Mujtahid of our era, examines here the subject with an insight singular­ly his own.

Note

1. Al-Ayyashi

The Holy Qur’an, Pure, Pristine and Unprofaned

Before we dwell upon this subject at length, we feel it is necessary to discuss certain connected issues which cannot be overlooked, that are the following:

• The Meaning of Tahrif (interpolation or tampering);

• Muslim view on Tahrif;

• Abrogation of Recitation a Fact or a Myth;

• Tahrif and the Book Itself;

• Tahrif and Sunnah;

• Permission to Recite the Surah in the Prayers;

• The Claim that Tahrif was caused by the Caliphs;

• Some Doubts by those who believe in Tahrif;

• The Traditions about Tahrif;

• True Meaning of the Traditions.

The Meaning of Tahrif

The Meaning of Tahrif (interpolation or tampering)

This word is used with common denotations, some of which are acceptably applicable to the Qur’an; and the others are either inapplicable or disputed. The details are as below.

First, the meaning is to transfer an object from its place to another. Allah says:

مِنْ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِم عَنْ مَوَاضِعه

Muslims are agreed upon the fact that suchan interference has occurred in the Qur’an, because whenever someone interprets the Qur’an without understanding its true meaning and transforms its real meaning to something irrelevant, he tampers with it.

Many have introduced innovations and unfounded beliefs into Islam by basing their arguments on interpretation of the Qur’an according to their own whims and opinions.

There are several traditions which forbid this type of inter­pretations, and condemn its perpetrators. In al-Kafi, a tradition by Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) says that he wrote to Sa'ad al-Khayr:

"One of the examples of their repudiation of the Book has been that they stood by its letters and distorted its injunctions; they narrate it, but do not have deference to its teachings. The ignorant are impressed by their narrations and recitations, while the learned are grieved to see their disregard for its protec­tion..."1

Secondly, the meaning of Tahrif is an omission or an addition of a letter or a change in grammatical in­flections, without effecting any change in the content of the Qur’an. This change may sometimes not be discernible from the rest of the Qur’an.

This type of change has definitely occurred in the Qur’an. We have already pointed out earlier that the so called various readings of the Qur’an were not based on tawattur, which means that the Qur’an was really based on only one authentic system of reading, and the rest were either additions or omissions.

The third meaning of Tahrif is an omission or an addition of a word or two, at the same time leaving the essence of the Qur’an untouched.

It is the type of interpolation which surely occurred in the first century of Islam, and in the days of the companions of the Prophet (‘s). The fact that Uthman burnt up all other copies of the Qur’an, and ordered his emissaries to do away with all the copies other than the codex prepared by himself, is an ample proof that there existed some difference between his copy and the others, else he would not have asked for their destruc­tion.

In fact, some of the scholars have recorded those differences, like Abdullah b. Abi Dawud as-Sajistani who wrote a book titled: Kitabul Masahif. It could be inferred that some interpolation had occurred, either on the part of Uthman or on the part of the scribes who prepared their copies. But we will soon establish that the copy of Uthman was actually the one already known to the Muslims. It was the one which was handed over from the Prophet (‘s) and widely used. The Tahrif by way of addition or omission had occurred in those copies which ceased to exist after the era of Uthman. As for the existing Qur’an, it is totally free from any omission or addition.

In short, those who rightly believe that those extra codices of the Qur’an were not authenticated by tawattur, that is to say that their authenticity was not established by wide currency and acceptance among Muslims, for them it is also right to believe that this sort of tampering had occurred in the beginning, but it ceased to exist after the time of Uthman. This leads us to believe that only that Qur’an remained authentic which was supported by a continuous chain joined with the Prophet (‘s).

Those who hold that all the codices, despite their variations, were based ontawattur, will have to subscribe to the disputed view that Tahrif has occurred in the Qur’an, and that some parts of it is lost. Tabari has classified, as you have noticed earlier, that Uthman dismissed the six variations of reading, and allo­wed only one to sustain.

The fourth meaning of Tahrif is addition or suppression of an ayah or a Surah, at the same time preserving the revealed Qur’an intact, and accepting the fact that the Prophet (‘s) recited it as a part of the Qur’an.

And this has definitely occurred in the Qur’an. The "basmalah" for example, is an ayah for which Muslims unanimously hold that the Prophet (‘s) recited it before every Surah except the Surah of al-Tawbah. Yet, among the Ulama’ of Ahlus­Sunnah , it is a subject of dispute. Some of them suggest that it is not a part of the Qur’an, and the Malikites have gone to the extent as to consider it Makruh to recite it before the Surah of Fatihah in the daily prayers, except when one intends to thereby digress from another Surah. And then there is a group among them who say that it is a part of the Qur’an.

The Shi’asare unanimous that basmalah is a part of every Surah except al-Tawbah, and this has been accepted by some Sunni scholars as well. When we start our commentary of the Surah al-Fatihah, we will enlarge upon this subject. So we see that Tahrif in the form of exclusion or suppression has certainly taken place.

The fifth meaning of Tahrif is that an addition of such a nature has taken place which rendered certain parts un­authentic. This indeed is totally inapplicable to the Holy Qur’an. Such a change has not occurred in the Qur’an, and this must be believed in as cardinal part of the faith.

The sixth meaning is Tahrif by omission. This would imply that the Qur’an we have today is incomplete and that people are deprived of some parts of Qur’an.

It is over this implication that the dispute arose, with certain people rejecting it altogether, and certain group conceding it.

Note

1. al-Wafi, p.274

Muslim view on Tahrif

The accepted view of Muslims about the Qur’an is that it is free from all profanities and tampering. They firmly believe that the Book existing among them has the complete text of what was revealed to the great Prophet (‘s). Many scholars of repute have supported thisview, among them is Muhammad ibn Babawayh, popularly known as Sheikh Saduq, who has included this view in the principle tenets of Shia Ithna-Asheri sect. Sheikh al Taifah Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Tusi has dwelt on this subject in his commentary al Tibyan and in support of this view, has quoted his master Alamul Huda Sayyid Murtadha, relating his extensive arguments. The great com­mentator, aI Tabrasi, has lent credence to this view in the preface to his famous work Majma-ul-Bayan, and so has Shaikh Ja’far in his chapter on the Qur’an, from his book Kashful Ghita; wherein he claims a consensus on this view. Allamah Shahshahani in his book Al Urwatul Wuthqa says that the majority of mujtahids concur that there has been no Interpola­tion in the Qur’an; and Mulla Muhsin Kashani in his two worlds, al-Wafi and llm-ul-Yaqin reiterates the same view. We find this repeated by the great scholar Sheikh Muhammad Jawad al-Balaghi in the foreword to his Tafsir Ala-ur-Rahman.

Besides, many great scholars like Sheikh Mufid, Shaikh Bahai and Muhaqqiq Qadhi Nurullah are known to have been partisans of the view that there has been no tampering in the Qur’an. Even those great Shi’a scholars who wrote on the subject of Imamat, criticizing the factions which arose to usurp the rights of Ahl ul-Bayt ( ‘a), have not ascribed Tahrif to them. This is a very pertinent point, because had they subscribed to the view that the Qur’an had been profaned, they would have mentioned it with more candour than merely grieving about the burning up of the copies of the Qur’an or other similar matters.

To sum up, the general belief of Shi’a Ulama’ has been that the Qur’an is intact and pristine. Of course, there has been a small group of traditionalists, both among Shi’as and Sunnis, who held that the Qur’an has been tampered with. al-Rafai says: "A group of theologians used to hypothetical presumptions have subscribed to the view of Tahrif; those who have a habit of resorting to various methods of disputations in every word and in every law, have found it probable that something from the Qur’an may have been lost because of the way its collection has been described"1 . In Majma ul Bayan, Tabrasi has ascribed this view to the group of Hashaw­iyyah among Sunnis.

It will soon be evident from what follows that to confirm that the recitation of certain parts of the Qur’an had been abrogated is tantamount to believing in Tahrif. Those Ulama’ of Ahlu-s­Sunnah who declare such an abrogation are in reality declaring that some tampering has occurred in the Qur’an.

Note

1. Ijazul Qur’an, p.41

Abrogation of Recitation a Fact or a Myth

Most of the Sunni Ulama’ have mentioned that the recitation of some parts of the Qur’an was abrogated, confirming at the same time, through the reports, that those abrogated parts were in the Qur’an during the days of the Prophet (‘s). We will quote some of those reports here to prove that such a belief makes it necessary to also believe that an interpolation took place.

Tradition n. 1

(a) Ibn Abbas reports that Umar said while on the pulpit:

"God sent Muhammad (‘s) with Truth, and sent down unto him the Book. And among that which was revealed was an ayah about rajm which we read, understood and heeded. And based on that, the Prophet (‘s) stoned, and after him, we stoned. I fear that with the lapse of time, people may say: `we do not find the ayah of rajm in the book of God', and thus go astray by abandoning that which God has ordained. The ordi­nance of stoning was indeed prescribed for the adulterers in the book of God ….. And then, among verses we read, there was a verse which said1

ان لا ترغبوا عن ابائكم فانه كفر بكم أن ترغبوا عن آبائكم

or it was

ان كفرا بكم أن ترغبوا عن آبائكم

And Suyuti has mentioned: Ibn Ashtah has reported from Layth b. Sa'ad, who said:

"The first person to collect the Qur’an was Abu Bakr and Zaid wrote it down … And Umar came up with the ayah of rajm, but he did not record it because Umar was the sole reporter".2

This verse of rajm which Umar claimed to have been in the Qur’an, and was rejected, has been reported in several forms; among them are:

(i )

اذا زنى الشيخ والشيخة فارجموهما البتة نكالا من الله والله عزيز حكيم

and (ii)

الشيخ والشيخة فارجموهما البتة بما قضيا من اللذة

and (iii)

ان الشيخ والشيخة اذا زنيا فارجموهما البتة

Whatever be the case, there is nothing in the Qur’an today which indicates the law of stoning the adulterers. And if the reports are to be considered true, then it follows that an ayah has definitely disappeared from the Qur’an.

Tradition n. 2

(b) Tabrani has reported with reliable chain of narration from Umar b. al-Khattab:

"The Qur’an had one million and twenty seven thousand letters".3

While the existing Qur’an does not have even one third of the number. So, one is led to believe that more than two-third of the Qur’an has been lost.

Tradition n. 3

(c) Ibn Abbas reports from Umar:

"God sent Muhammad (‘s) with Truth and sent down unto him the Book. And among things revealed was an ayah of rajm. So the Prophet (‘s) stoned and after him we stoned too". Then Umar added: "We used to recite4

ولا ترغبوا عن آبائكم فانه كفربكم

or

ان كفرا بكم ان ترغبوا عن آبائكم

Tradition n. 4

(d) Nafe' reports that Ibn Umar said:

"One of you might claim that he has taken the complete Qur’an, but what does he know of the Complete Qur’an? Much from the Qur’an has disappeared, so he should say: I have taken what has been traced"5 .

Tradition n. 5

(e) Urwah b. Zubair reports from Aisha:

"The Surah of al-Ahzab as read during the times of the Prophet (‘s) comprised of two hundred verses. When Uth­man prepared the codex, we did not get except what it has remained to be"6 .

Tradition n. 6

(f) Hamidah binti Anas says:

It was read before my father who was 80, from the codex of Aisha:

ان لله وملئكته يصلون على النبي يا ايها الذين آمنوا صلو عليه وسلموا تسليما وعلى الذين يصلون الصفوف الاولى

She says: `This was before Uthman changed the texts'.

Tradition n. 7

(g) Abu Harb b. Abil Aswad reports from his father:

"Abu Musa Al-Asha'ri sent for the Qura' (the reciters of Basrah), and three hundred men called upon him, who had all read the Qur’an. Then hesaid : `You are the best of the people of Basrah, and their reciters. Read the Qur’an constantly, otherwise.before too long, your heart may harden the way the hearts of your predecessors had hardened. We used to read a Surah which we compared, in length and severity, with the Surah of Bara’ah, but I have now forgotten it, except a verse which says:

لو كان لابن آدم واديان من مال لا بتغى واديا ثالثا ولا يملأ جوف ابن آدم الا التراب

And we used to read a Surah which we compared with one of the musabbihat (Surahs which begin with sabbaha or yusab­bihu) but I have forgotten it except a verse I remember7 :

يا ايها الذين آمنوا لم تقولون ما لا تفعلون, فتكتب شهادة في اعناقكم فتسألون عنها يوم القيامة

Tradition n. 8

(h) Zarr says: Ubayy b. Ka'b told me, O Zarr: "How much of Surah of al Ahzab do you read?" I said: "Seventy three verses". He said: "though it was equal to the Surah of al Baqarah, or it was longer than that".8

Tradition n. 9

(i) Ibn Abi Dawud and Ibn Ambari report from Ibn Shihabi: "We have been informed that much more of the Qur’an had been revealed - but those who knew it were killed at Yamamah. They had preserved it, and it was never known or written after them..."9

Tradition n. 10

(j) Umrah reports from Aisha: "Among that which was revealed in the Qur’an, is the follow­ing verse:

عشر رضعات معلومات يحرمن

then it was abrogated to read

خمس معلومات

and they remained in the Qur’an till the Prophet (‘s) died.10

Tradition n. 11

(k) Miswar b. Makhramah reports: "Umar inquired from Abdul Rahman b. Awf if he had found the following ayah in the Qur’an:

............ أن جاهدوا كما جاهدتم اول مرة

Abdul Rahman answered that the ayah had disappeared along with the lost parts of the Qur’an.11

Tradition n. 12

(l) Abu Sufyan al-Kala'i says that Muslimah b. Mukhallad al-Ansari told them one day: "Inform me about those two verses of the Qur’an which were never recorded". None would answer, not even Abul Kanood, Sa'ad b. Malik who was there. Then Ibn Muslimah recited12 :

ان الذين آمنوا وهاجروا و جاهدوا في سبيل الله باموالهم وانفسهم الا أبشروا انتم المفلحون والذين آووهم ونصروهم وجادلوا عنهم قوم الذين غضب الله عليهم اولئك لا تعلم نفس ما اخفي لهم من قرة اعين جزاء بما كانوا يعلمون

And it has been narrated in various ways that the copies of Ibn Abbas and Ubayy b. Ka'ab contained two extra Surahs: Al-Khala' and Al-Hafd. It reads13 :

اللهم انا نستعينك ونستغفرك ونثني عليك ولا نكفرك ونخلع ونترك من يفجرك اللهم اياك نعبد ولك نصلى ونسجد واليك نسعى ونحفد نرجو رحمتك ونخشي عذابك ان عذابك بالكافرين ملحق

It is now evident that to say that certain parts of the Qur’an have been excluded from recitation means to confirm interpola­tion and omission in the Qur’an.

This can be further explained this way. The abrogation of those recitations was either recommended by the Prophet (‘s) himself, or it was done by those who came to power after the Prophet's death. If one says that the Prophet (‘s) himself recommended it, then it is a claim which calls for substantiation.

All Ulama’ are agreed upon the principle that the Qur’an cannot be superseded or abrogated by an isolate report - i.e. a tradition which has been reported singly. The jurists have made this abundantly clear in their works on the principles of jurispru­dence. In fact, Shafi’i and many other scholars go further to say that the Book of God, (i.e. the Qur’an) cannot be superseded or abrogated by even those traditions which have reached con­tinuity and acquired wide spread currency. This has been con­firmed by Ahmed b. Hanbal in one of the two traditions reported by him. Even those who proposed that a continuous and widespread Sunnah may potentially supersede theQur’an, have confirmed that such a situation has in reality never occurred. In view of the foregoing, it is incorrect to ascribe the abrogation to the Prophet (‘s). Even those reports which mention the omissions clearly say that it occurred after the Prophet (‘s).

But if it is proposed that the abrogation was perpetrated by those who assumed leadership after the Prophet (‘s), then that indeed is tampering with the Qur’an. It can safely be asserted that the occurence of Tahrif in the Qur’an is supported by the majority of Sunni Ulama’, because they believe that certain ayahs of the Qur’an were abrogated, in as far as their recitation was concerned, irrespective of whether the law con­tained in that ayah remained in force or not. Interestingly enough, we find certain scholars among them disputing whether a person in the state of janabah can recite those verses whose reading have been reportedly abrogated, or whether a person without wudhu would be permitted to touch the script of such a verse. Some of them have adopted a view that this would not be permissible. Yes, among the Mutazilites, there is a group which believes that an abrogation of recitation never occurred14 .

Is it not surprising to find Sunni Ulama’ disputing the fact that some of them are supporters of Tahrif. Alusi has censured Al-Tabrasi of having falsely accused Hashawiyyah. He wrote: "Not a single scholar among the Sunnis has ever supported that view". Then he proceeds to presume that al-Tabrasi has been insisting on the absence of Tahrif to alleviate the harm done by some Shia scholars who believed to the contrary. All this makes a pathetic reading especially when it is well known that the Shi’a scholars do not subscribe to Tahrif in the Qur’an, while Al-Tabrasi himself has extensively quoted Sayyid Murtadha, enumerating all his arguments in support of the Qur’an's purity.

Notes

1. Sahih, Bukhari v8,p.26.; Sahih, Muslim v5, p.116, without the last sentence "And then, among verses "

2. Al-Itqan, v1, p.101

3. Al-Itqan, v1, p.121

4. Musnad, Ahmed Hanbal, v1, p.48

5. Al-Itqan, V. 2, p. 40-41

6. Al-Itqan, V. 2, p. 40-41

7. Sahih, Muslim v3, p.100

8. Muntakhab Kanzul Ummal, on the margin of Musnad, Ahmad Hanbal v2, p.43

9. Muntakhab Kanzul Ummal, on the margin of Musnad, Ahmad Hanbal v2, p.50

10. Muslim, Sahih, v4, p.168

11. al Itqan, v2, p.42

12. al Itqan, v2, p.42

13. al-Itqan, v1, p.122, 213

14. Al-Ahkam fi Usulil Ahkam, Amedi v3 p.217

Chapter 4

The Holy Qur'an’s arguments on Resurrection Day

For the Muslim believer, there is no need of any direct argument or cause, in order to believe in Resurrection Day and the Hereafter, because he/she already believes through his/her faith and the Prophets’ words and teachings. However, the Holy Qur'an has given man some arguments, to familiarize the human mind with the concept of “Ma’ad” [i.e. Resurrection]. The Holy Qur'an’s Arguments are divided into three categories:

1. Some of these arguments show that there are no obstacles whatsoever, in the path of resurrection.

2. Some others state that many of the events on Resurrection Day are happening in the very world of ours and clarify the fact that there is no way whatsoever, for any negation or the possibility of any improbability.

3. Then again, some others point out the necessity of a definite existence of Resurrection Day and consider it as a necessary and mandatory thing for the existence of a perfect divine universal order and its wise creation.

The logical reason for the existence of the divine power

In the noble surah “Ya-Sin” [verse 78], it is announced,

“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] …?”” - 36:78

The arguments of similarity

A number of divine verses speak about examples, similar to the actual happening of Resurrection Day; these holy verses are divided into two categories:

1. The holy verses that deal with events that had happened in the past, such as the story of Prophet Abraham [as], which is thus recounted:

And [remember] when Ibrahim [i.e. Abraham] said, “My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.” He [i.e. Allah] said, “Do you not believe?” He [i.e. Ibrahim] said, “Yes, [I believe], but to be stronger in Faith.” He said, “Take four birds, then cause them to incline towards you [then slaughter them, cut them into pieces], and then put a portion of them on every hill, and call them: they will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” - 2:260

2. The noble verses, which address the current existing order of the universe, state a truth: it shall act exactly like the ways of earth, which leaves the freshness and vigor of summertime to enter the sorrowful lifelessness of autumn, in order to complete and achieve the transformation. Then again, when spring arrives, and trees and plants grow and bloom, in like manner, the entire world will one day go to a state of silence, coldness, and depression. Then, all of a sudden, all the creatures in the whole world will once again, come to life and begin a new existence; this time, with a different quality and a different condition.

The holy Prophet Muhammad (S) once said, “Whenever you witness spring, remind yourselves of the Day of Resurrection”1 ; in other words, spring is a perfect example and model for the event, known as Resurrection Day.

The necessary divine arguments

A number of the holy verses of the Holy Qur'an introduce Resurrection Day as an inevitable and necessary divine event, which will have to happen, inexorably; and they consider its inexistence as something unacceptable and impossible. These holy verses are divided into two categories:

The argument and the proof for the existence of divine justice

In the noble surah “Sad”, after stating the fact that the sinners are deviated from the Path of God and that some day, they will face eternal torments from God Almighty, it also speaks about the true concept and philosophy of Judgment Day. It says,

“Shall we treat those, who believe [in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism] and do righteous good deeds as "Mufsidūn" [i.e. those, who associate partners in worship with Allah and commit crimes] on earth, or shall We treat the "Muttaqūn" [i.e. the pious] as the Fudjjar" [i.e. criminals, disbelievers, the wicked]?” – 38:28

In the holy surah of "Djassiyah" [verses 21, 22] the same, identical concept has been mentioned, once again. In these holy verses, divine Justice has been mentioned as the main reason and the sole purpose for the occurrence of Judgment day.2 Several points regarding this subject should be studied subsequently, such as for example:

A- The true meaning of divine Justice

In a broad sense, justice means, “to give a justified right and rightfulness to somebody, without performing any sort of discrimination toward him/her.” Therefore, divine Justice, here, means, “there shall be no discrimination, oppression, and injustice done towards any creature, as much as possible, so that no creature whatsoever, shall be denied of his/her justified right and rightfulness.”

In other words, eternal and divine Justice do indeed refer to divine grace and mercy towards all the creatures, which dwell in this earthly plane. Therefore, the reason that not all the creatures have everything they wish for is because of the fact that they have neither the necessary condition nor the actual possibility to possess them.3

B- Aptitudes beyond this world

Among other creatures, human beings have unique tendencies, capabilities, abilities, and talents in higher levels of immortality and far beyond the possible capacity of this earthly world. Actions and motivations, such as having a far superior level of knowledge, and being fully conscious of ethics and moral values or being endowed with scientific and/or religious aspirations, along with a sense of true devotion and servitude to God Almighty.

Thus the ability to do good, by worshiping the rightful God, and by having faith in Allah, while performing the right deeds are certainly, most useful and beneficial to them; however, in the real sense of the word, the actual benefit that one could retrieve from these things differ from one human being to another.

A person, who sacrifices his/her physical life for the sake of achieving great goals would, in fact, plant a seed, which can only be grown in an eternal life, full of bliss and nothing more... Therefore, man can fly higher and far better than in his usual natural state, in a realm where faith and good deeds prevail and dominate triumphantly.

In like manner, in a realm where only disbelief, misdeeds, and sins prevail, his actions will deviate more and more from their natural state, by entering a wicked mental state, in an eternal, immortal surrounding. In fact, those actions will even get past the usual and natural physical limits and needs, to bring on terrible suffering and atrocious pains to him, and to make him become at last, a dweller of hell.

Therefore, inside the human beings’ nature, there is not only the reflection of greatness but also a tremendous desire and aspiration to reach immortality. In other words, the human beings not only wish for immortality, but they also possess, fortunately or unfortunately, various instincts, which will encourage and incite them to go for it and possess immortality by any means, whatsoever. In other words, the human beings have the capability and capacity of obtaining immortality for themselves.

Injustice and deprivation of man from his capabilities

The fact of preventing mankind from the possibility of reaching immortality and an eternal existence, in regards to his talents and capabilities is indeed a form of injustice; and it is thus, against the principles of divine justice. The human beings, who have walked in the path of faith in God and done the rightful deeds, are similar to those studious students, who have correctly done their assigned homework.

In like manner, those human beings, who are against any faith in Allah Almighty and perform ugly, wrongful deeds, are similar to those lazy students, who only spend their time, by doing no fruitful action whatsoever; and eventually, the teacher would punish and deprive them of their marks. This form of deprivation is nothing but cruelty and it is against the principles of divine Justice.4

On the other hand, this world does not have the limit and capability of giving and directing the penalty of the deeds and actions of the human being, whether right or wrong. This is because after some particular rightful actions such as wanting to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the others or the sense of abnegation and devotion, the very existence and life of the human being ends there and then; thus, there will be no opportunity for any divine bounty and reward from God Almighty in that moment.

Therefore, there must exist another world, where people, who have done good deeds and then again, those, who have committed wrongful misdeeds could face their misbehaviors and/or good deeds and see the consequences of their deeds/misdeeds as well; for otherwise, it will certainly be against the principles of divine justice.

Allah is Just and thus rewards anyone, who has the potential and the capability of doing good deeds; then again, He deprives no one from His infinite mercy, whatever limit he/she may possess within his/her inner self. Therefore, the existence of the hereafter and eternal life for the human being is an inevitable event and it is considered as the means and instrument for divine mercy and justice, granted here by God Almighty, as a divine blessing to the human being.5

The argument which shows Allah’s infinite wisdom

A number of verses in the Holy Qur'an have spoken about Allah’s wisdom, and the fact that nothing in this world is in any way, futile, vain or sent down as a playful thing.6 It speaks of the non-futility of the creation of the universe by God and His intention, concerning the humans; it also explains and proves the existence of Resurrection Day.

These holy verses mention the importance of God’s Creation as well, based upon the fact that this world is in no way, a place for worldly amusements and/or a vain and useless distraction for its inhabitants. Such as the noble surah below [Al-Mumenūn- 115, 116], which announces,

“What did you then think that we had created you in vain and that you shall not be returned to Us? So exalted be Allah, the True King; no God is there but He, the Lord of the honorable Dominion!” – 23:115-116

The meaning of this noble surah is given to us with subtlety, and by using a question, which is made, by negating an evident fact, in order to reach an inevitable truth. Meaning that Man has wrongly assumed that God has created him/her in vain and pointlessly; and did Man really believe that he would not return to his creator one day? Then the noble verses affirm that such presumption is absolutely, a false assumption. For Allah is pure and exempt from such false and vain accusations! They then affirm that if man had known Allah correctly and properly, he would have never approved nor accepted this false assumption; this is because, such assumption, according to the divine attributes that God possesses is inadmissible and utterly impossible.

The Holy Qur'an mentions three divine attributes, each one, refers to one of the means and causes of such futile and useless thinking from man, and then it negates them strongly and categorically. Thus, the main origins of committing vain and futile actions are:

A- Disability and incompetence

Sometimes, a person begins to do something, but because of his/her incompetence and disability, he/she cannot accomplish it. Therefore, he/she would confess that. “I have done a futile thing”.

Here, the Holy Qur'an invites us to concentrate on the word “Mulk” [i.e. Dominion], which points at the absolute dominion and omnipotence of Allah, and shows us that for this particular reason, the Divine actions do not end in futility and vainness.

B- Natural annulment and essential imperfection

An individual, who is essentially afflicted with an imperfection, a sense futility and vainness, along with a state of impatience in his nature often tends to do vain and futile actions; on the other hand, one should know that whatever is produced from an eternal essence would be nothing but righteous; thus perfect deeds and actions come forth.

Now, everything that comes forth from such an essence is always righteous and just, endowed with perfection, and in complete accordance with that essence. In like manner, anything that is created in vainness and futility is doomed to be false and erroneous; therefore, no falsity or vainness comes from the glorious essence of the unique God, whatsoever. By using the word “Al-Haqq”, the Holy Qur'an has given a tremendous attention to this essential and important characteristic of God and explains that for this very particular reason, there is no futility and vainness at all in the Universe, created by Allah Almighty, which is considered as His action.

C- The existence of obstacles

Sometimes, the existence of obstacles and other people’s troubles and disturbances is the main reason that actions and deeds would not be accomplished, thus, reaching the limit of futility and vainness. Here, by referring to the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah, “La-Illaha-Illa-Allah [i.e. there is no God but Allah]” the existence of any form of obstacle and barrier such as associating other divinities to Allah and/or giving Him any partner are indeed negated categorically and strongly. This also goes along for His divinity and undisputed sovereignty, “Rabūl-Arshil-Azim [i.e. the Lord of the Great Throne]”. Therefore, the divine actions are far more superior, glorious, and sublime; and they are not considered at all, as something vain and useless.7

In the noble surah of "Ad-Dukhan" [34-40], it is indeed insisted that,

“Most surely, these do say, “There is naught but our first Death and we shall not be raised again.” So bring our fathers [back], if you are truthful. Are they better or the people of "Tubba" and those before them? We destroyed them, for surely they were guilty. And We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in sport. We did not create them both but with the truth, but most of them do not know. Surely the day of separation is their appointed term, of all of them.” – 44:34-40

Indeed, this verse shows that:

1. The inexistence of Judgment day means that there is no purpose in the divine creation of the universe, which would ultimately signify that the existence of this world of ours is aimless and pointless; and that there would be nothing but entertainment and distraction for its inhabitants as a result, which is not true at all.

2. The divine essence is exempt from all kind of amusement and sport; God Almighty never accomplishes anything pointlessly and/or based on futility or amusement; for He does everything, according to a great truth and for the good of all. Therefore, the creation of the universe, which is indeed God’s Work, -Sublime and All-Wise He is!- will eventually finish its natural course in an eternal dwelling place and there is no other way to this, whatsoever.

In fact, the difference between the verses above and the verses 115-116 of the noble surah of "Al- Mūmenūn", which were mentioned earlier is that in those verses, the Holy Qur'an points out the vainness of mankind’s creation by God, minus the arrival of Resurrection Day. On the contrary, the above verses [Ad-Dukhan"-34-40] try to expand the subject, regarding the purpose of Creation even further, and by negating the claim that the world was created without the existence of Resurrection Day.8

Resurrection and Allah’s infinite wisdom

In order to discover the connection between Resurrection Day and divine wisdom, it is important to pay attention to these important points below:

The true meaning and interpretation of divine wisdom

Wisdom can generally be referred to as performing beneficial actions and deeds and being endowed with the characteristic of goal-mindedness [i.e. having an ultimate positive goal in life], while on the opposite side, we can face vainness, futility in our actions, and the execution of all kinds of aimless deeds, false distractions, and useless amusements. Yet, it should be noted that knowledge [i.e. reason] or wisdom towards divine actions [i.e. actions, which are only performed by God the Sublime] and the actions and deeds of the human beings are significantly different from one another.

An action, which is the production of the human intelligence and wisdom causes him to reach to higher spiritual levels and the aspired human perfection, which are worthy of him and which will eventually take away all kinds of imperfection from his inner self. For instance, actions such as learning something and trying hard to provide for one's provision and a place to live and things to wear are done to satisfy man's primary needs.

However, it should be noted that due to the fact that God is absolutely perfect in his divine essence and absolutely free from any kinds of need towards the others, therefore, the significance and meaning of knowledge and wisdom in His divine actions cannot possibly be as similar as those of the human beings. Therefore, Divine Wisdom associated with Allah means that He wants all His creatures to reach their own unique level of perfection and spiritual evolution, of which they are worthy, and which the will of God Almighty can only do. In other words, their Creation is based on the human efforts to attain the ultimate human perfection, so aspired, and so valued, and so worthy of them…

It is thus understood that by distinguishing the differences, which exist between the significance, the execution, and the usage of wisdom, in regards to God and man, the meaning and the interpretation of "vainness" and "futility" in man’s deeds differ thus greatly from that which is done by Allah Almighty. Therefore, the existence of any pointlessness and futility in God's eyes means to be away from the ultimate, sublime goal of any matter whatsoever, where the identity of that matter revolves around reaching that particular ultimate goal; and this is something, which completely differs from the action of God's bestowing and granting something to the human being.9

The talent for enjoying immortality

According to what was discussed earlier, not only human beings always seek immortality and perpetuity but they also wish for their own survival and their much valued immortality. He also has powerful potentials, talents, and capabilities, which appear to be far beyond the capacity of this earthly world…

Mankind’s sublime and transcendental potentials, capabilities, and actions require a horizon far greater than this world’s limited horizon. Furthermore, this earthly plane is nothing but the finite, small universe, which embraces the fetus. It is nothing but a place [or should we say, a recipient], which only acts as a place of growth and acquiring great knowledge. A place where man is educated and taught accordingly to reach higher and more prominent spiritual and mental levels; however, man can only seek his final goal in another world, where the horizon is limitless and where everything in it is far better and far more superior than this actual world in which we live.

The absence of the Resurrection Day, thus the vainness of divine creation

There are different interpretations, concerning the vainness and futility of divine creation and/or that of mankind, along with the inexistence and absence of any form of Resurrection Day.10

By referring to the verses of the Holy Qur'an, one can reach the rational conclusion that not only the hereafter [i.e. the Afterlife] exists inside the deep significance of God's creation of mankind, but that it already includes purgatory and resurrection day in itself, naturally and essentially.

It also implies that in all forms of life, there is always the notion and concept of a "return" to God, as the Almighty, sublime creator. In fact, if such concept [that is, the return to God] did not exist, the entire concept of divine creation would have been pointless and futile! And no Creation would have been made in the first place either, because it would have appeared as something utterly useless and devoid of any usefulness and cause.

Just as similar as the fact that if the entire existence of the fetus was to be limited and restricted only to the maternal womb, the formation and the creation of the human being's eyes and ears and then again, all the different parts of his/her body would have been pointless as well. Therefore, those which explain the "purposeful" nature of the Universe and then the existence of Mankind with all the existing characteristics, which only belong to him are indeed that same "marching progress" and "advancement" towards God Almighty. And the fact of going from this earthly plane to a higher, better, and far more superior world, which can only appear as "the" permanent dwelling-place of Man, as a natural ending…

Notes

1. Or, volume 7, page 129

2. In the noble surah of [Djassiyah, 28] the principles of wisdom and knowledge are also mentioned, and they will be later discussed in “The divine argument of wisdom”.

3. For more information, please refer to “The complete works of Professor Mutahhari” volume 1, pages 78-86, 115-132

4. Idem, volume 2, page 534

5. Idem, pages 532-534 or, volume 7, pages 135-136-140

6. For more explanation, regarding the difference between falsehoods, please refer to the book, entitled: “the Hereafter” pages 68-69. Or volume 3 of the Complete Works

of Professor Mutahhari, pages 141-142; there is also another explanation regarding the existence of a connection between Divine Justice and the necessity for the existence of Resurrection Day that are not valid; therefore, the erudite author had preferred to state what is mentioned here as the more valid statements. For more information, refer to volume 7, page 134-135.

7. Extract from the book “The Hereafter”, pages 65-66

8. There are other verses in the Holy Qur'an, which discuss the same subject, in the surah Al-Djassiah-21-22-27-28, Al-Hajj-5-7, etc, etc…

9. Idem, page 132

10. Please, refer to the book “The Hereafter” pages 90-91; or volume 7, pages 132- 139; then again, the "Complete Works", volume 2, page 536; and "The Social Evolution of Man" [Takamol-e Edjtemaii-e Ensan] , pages 75-76

Chapter 4

The Holy Qur'an’s arguments on Resurrection Day

For the Muslim believer, there is no need of any direct argument or cause, in order to believe in Resurrection Day and the Hereafter, because he/she already believes through his/her faith and the Prophets’ words and teachings. However, the Holy Qur'an has given man some arguments, to familiarize the human mind with the concept of “Ma’ad” [i.e. Resurrection]. The Holy Qur'an’s Arguments are divided into three categories:

1. Some of these arguments show that there are no obstacles whatsoever, in the path of resurrection.

2. Some others state that many of the events on Resurrection Day are happening in the very world of ours and clarify the fact that there is no way whatsoever, for any negation or the possibility of any improbability.

3. Then again, some others point out the necessity of a definite existence of Resurrection Day and consider it as a necessary and mandatory thing for the existence of a perfect divine universal order and its wise creation.

The logical reason for the existence of the divine power

In the noble surah “Ya-Sin” [verse 78], it is announced,

“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] …?”” - 36:78

The arguments of similarity

A number of divine verses speak about examples, similar to the actual happening of Resurrection Day; these holy verses are divided into two categories:

1. The holy verses that deal with events that had happened in the past, such as the story of Prophet Abraham [as], which is thus recounted:

And [remember] when Ibrahim [i.e. Abraham] said, “My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.” He [i.e. Allah] said, “Do you not believe?” He [i.e. Ibrahim] said, “Yes, [I believe], but to be stronger in Faith.” He said, “Take four birds, then cause them to incline towards you [then slaughter them, cut them into pieces], and then put a portion of them on every hill, and call them: they will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” - 2:260

2. The noble verses, which address the current existing order of the universe, state a truth: it shall act exactly like the ways of earth, which leaves the freshness and vigor of summertime to enter the sorrowful lifelessness of autumn, in order to complete and achieve the transformation. Then again, when spring arrives, and trees and plants grow and bloom, in like manner, the entire world will one day go to a state of silence, coldness, and depression. Then, all of a sudden, all the creatures in the whole world will once again, come to life and begin a new existence; this time, with a different quality and a different condition.

The holy Prophet Muhammad (S) once said, “Whenever you witness spring, remind yourselves of the Day of Resurrection”1 ; in other words, spring is a perfect example and model for the event, known as Resurrection Day.

The necessary divine arguments

A number of the holy verses of the Holy Qur'an introduce Resurrection Day as an inevitable and necessary divine event, which will have to happen, inexorably; and they consider its inexistence as something unacceptable and impossible. These holy verses are divided into two categories:

The argument and the proof for the existence of divine justice

In the noble surah “Sad”, after stating the fact that the sinners are deviated from the Path of God and that some day, they will face eternal torments from God Almighty, it also speaks about the true concept and philosophy of Judgment Day. It says,

“Shall we treat those, who believe [in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism] and do righteous good deeds as "Mufsidūn" [i.e. those, who associate partners in worship with Allah and commit crimes] on earth, or shall We treat the "Muttaqūn" [i.e. the pious] as the Fudjjar" [i.e. criminals, disbelievers, the wicked]?” – 38:28

In the holy surah of "Djassiyah" [verses 21, 22] the same, identical concept has been mentioned, once again. In these holy verses, divine Justice has been mentioned as the main reason and the sole purpose for the occurrence of Judgment day.2 Several points regarding this subject should be studied subsequently, such as for example:

A- The true meaning of divine Justice

In a broad sense, justice means, “to give a justified right and rightfulness to somebody, without performing any sort of discrimination toward him/her.” Therefore, divine Justice, here, means, “there shall be no discrimination, oppression, and injustice done towards any creature, as much as possible, so that no creature whatsoever, shall be denied of his/her justified right and rightfulness.”

In other words, eternal and divine Justice do indeed refer to divine grace and mercy towards all the creatures, which dwell in this earthly plane. Therefore, the reason that not all the creatures have everything they wish for is because of the fact that they have neither the necessary condition nor the actual possibility to possess them.3

B- Aptitudes beyond this world

Among other creatures, human beings have unique tendencies, capabilities, abilities, and talents in higher levels of immortality and far beyond the possible capacity of this earthly world. Actions and motivations, such as having a far superior level of knowledge, and being fully conscious of ethics and moral values or being endowed with scientific and/or religious aspirations, along with a sense of true devotion and servitude to God Almighty.

Thus the ability to do good, by worshiping the rightful God, and by having faith in Allah, while performing the right deeds are certainly, most useful and beneficial to them; however, in the real sense of the word, the actual benefit that one could retrieve from these things differ from one human being to another.

A person, who sacrifices his/her physical life for the sake of achieving great goals would, in fact, plant a seed, which can only be grown in an eternal life, full of bliss and nothing more... Therefore, man can fly higher and far better than in his usual natural state, in a realm where faith and good deeds prevail and dominate triumphantly.

In like manner, in a realm where only disbelief, misdeeds, and sins prevail, his actions will deviate more and more from their natural state, by entering a wicked mental state, in an eternal, immortal surrounding. In fact, those actions will even get past the usual and natural physical limits and needs, to bring on terrible suffering and atrocious pains to him, and to make him become at last, a dweller of hell.

Therefore, inside the human beings’ nature, there is not only the reflection of greatness but also a tremendous desire and aspiration to reach immortality. In other words, the human beings not only wish for immortality, but they also possess, fortunately or unfortunately, various instincts, which will encourage and incite them to go for it and possess immortality by any means, whatsoever. In other words, the human beings have the capability and capacity of obtaining immortality for themselves.

Injustice and deprivation of man from his capabilities

The fact of preventing mankind from the possibility of reaching immortality and an eternal existence, in regards to his talents and capabilities is indeed a form of injustice; and it is thus, against the principles of divine justice. The human beings, who have walked in the path of faith in God and done the rightful deeds, are similar to those studious students, who have correctly done their assigned homework.

In like manner, those human beings, who are against any faith in Allah Almighty and perform ugly, wrongful deeds, are similar to those lazy students, who only spend their time, by doing no fruitful action whatsoever; and eventually, the teacher would punish and deprive them of their marks. This form of deprivation is nothing but cruelty and it is against the principles of divine Justice.4

On the other hand, this world does not have the limit and capability of giving and directing the penalty of the deeds and actions of the human being, whether right or wrong. This is because after some particular rightful actions such as wanting to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the others or the sense of abnegation and devotion, the very existence and life of the human being ends there and then; thus, there will be no opportunity for any divine bounty and reward from God Almighty in that moment.

Therefore, there must exist another world, where people, who have done good deeds and then again, those, who have committed wrongful misdeeds could face their misbehaviors and/or good deeds and see the consequences of their deeds/misdeeds as well; for otherwise, it will certainly be against the principles of divine justice.

Allah is Just and thus rewards anyone, who has the potential and the capability of doing good deeds; then again, He deprives no one from His infinite mercy, whatever limit he/she may possess within his/her inner self. Therefore, the existence of the hereafter and eternal life for the human being is an inevitable event and it is considered as the means and instrument for divine mercy and justice, granted here by God Almighty, as a divine blessing to the human being.5

The argument which shows Allah’s infinite wisdom

A number of verses in the Holy Qur'an have spoken about Allah’s wisdom, and the fact that nothing in this world is in any way, futile, vain or sent down as a playful thing.6 It speaks of the non-futility of the creation of the universe by God and His intention, concerning the humans; it also explains and proves the existence of Resurrection Day.

These holy verses mention the importance of God’s Creation as well, based upon the fact that this world is in no way, a place for worldly amusements and/or a vain and useless distraction for its inhabitants. Such as the noble surah below [Al-Mumenūn- 115, 116], which announces,

“What did you then think that we had created you in vain and that you shall not be returned to Us? So exalted be Allah, the True King; no God is there but He, the Lord of the honorable Dominion!” – 23:115-116

The meaning of this noble surah is given to us with subtlety, and by using a question, which is made, by negating an evident fact, in order to reach an inevitable truth. Meaning that Man has wrongly assumed that God has created him/her in vain and pointlessly; and did Man really believe that he would not return to his creator one day? Then the noble verses affirm that such presumption is absolutely, a false assumption. For Allah is pure and exempt from such false and vain accusations! They then affirm that if man had known Allah correctly and properly, he would have never approved nor accepted this false assumption; this is because, such assumption, according to the divine attributes that God possesses is inadmissible and utterly impossible.

The Holy Qur'an mentions three divine attributes, each one, refers to one of the means and causes of such futile and useless thinking from man, and then it negates them strongly and categorically. Thus, the main origins of committing vain and futile actions are:

A- Disability and incompetence

Sometimes, a person begins to do something, but because of his/her incompetence and disability, he/she cannot accomplish it. Therefore, he/she would confess that. “I have done a futile thing”.

Here, the Holy Qur'an invites us to concentrate on the word “Mulk” [i.e. Dominion], which points at the absolute dominion and omnipotence of Allah, and shows us that for this particular reason, the Divine actions do not end in futility and vainness.

B- Natural annulment and essential imperfection

An individual, who is essentially afflicted with an imperfection, a sense futility and vainness, along with a state of impatience in his nature often tends to do vain and futile actions; on the other hand, one should know that whatever is produced from an eternal essence would be nothing but righteous; thus perfect deeds and actions come forth.

Now, everything that comes forth from such an essence is always righteous and just, endowed with perfection, and in complete accordance with that essence. In like manner, anything that is created in vainness and futility is doomed to be false and erroneous; therefore, no falsity or vainness comes from the glorious essence of the unique God, whatsoever. By using the word “Al-Haqq”, the Holy Qur'an has given a tremendous attention to this essential and important characteristic of God and explains that for this very particular reason, there is no futility and vainness at all in the Universe, created by Allah Almighty, which is considered as His action.

C- The existence of obstacles

Sometimes, the existence of obstacles and other people’s troubles and disturbances is the main reason that actions and deeds would not be accomplished, thus, reaching the limit of futility and vainness. Here, by referring to the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah, “La-Illaha-Illa-Allah [i.e. there is no God but Allah]” the existence of any form of obstacle and barrier such as associating other divinities to Allah and/or giving Him any partner are indeed negated categorically and strongly. This also goes along for His divinity and undisputed sovereignty, “Rabūl-Arshil-Azim [i.e. the Lord of the Great Throne]”. Therefore, the divine actions are far more superior, glorious, and sublime; and they are not considered at all, as something vain and useless.7

In the noble surah of "Ad-Dukhan" [34-40], it is indeed insisted that,

“Most surely, these do say, “There is naught but our first Death and we shall not be raised again.” So bring our fathers [back], if you are truthful. Are they better or the people of "Tubba" and those before them? We destroyed them, for surely they were guilty. And We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in sport. We did not create them both but with the truth, but most of them do not know. Surely the day of separation is their appointed term, of all of them.” – 44:34-40

Indeed, this verse shows that:

1. The inexistence of Judgment day means that there is no purpose in the divine creation of the universe, which would ultimately signify that the existence of this world of ours is aimless and pointless; and that there would be nothing but entertainment and distraction for its inhabitants as a result, which is not true at all.

2. The divine essence is exempt from all kind of amusement and sport; God Almighty never accomplishes anything pointlessly and/or based on futility or amusement; for He does everything, according to a great truth and for the good of all. Therefore, the creation of the universe, which is indeed God’s Work, -Sublime and All-Wise He is!- will eventually finish its natural course in an eternal dwelling place and there is no other way to this, whatsoever.

In fact, the difference between the verses above and the verses 115-116 of the noble surah of "Al- Mūmenūn", which were mentioned earlier is that in those verses, the Holy Qur'an points out the vainness of mankind’s creation by God, minus the arrival of Resurrection Day. On the contrary, the above verses [Ad-Dukhan"-34-40] try to expand the subject, regarding the purpose of Creation even further, and by negating the claim that the world was created without the existence of Resurrection Day.8

Resurrection and Allah’s infinite wisdom

In order to discover the connection between Resurrection Day and divine wisdom, it is important to pay attention to these important points below:

The true meaning and interpretation of divine wisdom

Wisdom can generally be referred to as performing beneficial actions and deeds and being endowed with the characteristic of goal-mindedness [i.e. having an ultimate positive goal in life], while on the opposite side, we can face vainness, futility in our actions, and the execution of all kinds of aimless deeds, false distractions, and useless amusements. Yet, it should be noted that knowledge [i.e. reason] or wisdom towards divine actions [i.e. actions, which are only performed by God the Sublime] and the actions and deeds of the human beings are significantly different from one another.

An action, which is the production of the human intelligence and wisdom causes him to reach to higher spiritual levels and the aspired human perfection, which are worthy of him and which will eventually take away all kinds of imperfection from his inner self. For instance, actions such as learning something and trying hard to provide for one's provision and a place to live and things to wear are done to satisfy man's primary needs.

However, it should be noted that due to the fact that God is absolutely perfect in his divine essence and absolutely free from any kinds of need towards the others, therefore, the significance and meaning of knowledge and wisdom in His divine actions cannot possibly be as similar as those of the human beings. Therefore, Divine Wisdom associated with Allah means that He wants all His creatures to reach their own unique level of perfection and spiritual evolution, of which they are worthy, and which the will of God Almighty can only do. In other words, their Creation is based on the human efforts to attain the ultimate human perfection, so aspired, and so valued, and so worthy of them…

It is thus understood that by distinguishing the differences, which exist between the significance, the execution, and the usage of wisdom, in regards to God and man, the meaning and the interpretation of "vainness" and "futility" in man’s deeds differ thus greatly from that which is done by Allah Almighty. Therefore, the existence of any pointlessness and futility in God's eyes means to be away from the ultimate, sublime goal of any matter whatsoever, where the identity of that matter revolves around reaching that particular ultimate goal; and this is something, which completely differs from the action of God's bestowing and granting something to the human being.9

The talent for enjoying immortality

According to what was discussed earlier, not only human beings always seek immortality and perpetuity but they also wish for their own survival and their much valued immortality. He also has powerful potentials, talents, and capabilities, which appear to be far beyond the capacity of this earthly world…

Mankind’s sublime and transcendental potentials, capabilities, and actions require a horizon far greater than this world’s limited horizon. Furthermore, this earthly plane is nothing but the finite, small universe, which embraces the fetus. It is nothing but a place [or should we say, a recipient], which only acts as a place of growth and acquiring great knowledge. A place where man is educated and taught accordingly to reach higher and more prominent spiritual and mental levels; however, man can only seek his final goal in another world, where the horizon is limitless and where everything in it is far better and far more superior than this actual world in which we live.

The absence of the Resurrection Day, thus the vainness of divine creation

There are different interpretations, concerning the vainness and futility of divine creation and/or that of mankind, along with the inexistence and absence of any form of Resurrection Day.10

By referring to the verses of the Holy Qur'an, one can reach the rational conclusion that not only the hereafter [i.e. the Afterlife] exists inside the deep significance of God's creation of mankind, but that it already includes purgatory and resurrection day in itself, naturally and essentially.

It also implies that in all forms of life, there is always the notion and concept of a "return" to God, as the Almighty, sublime creator. In fact, if such concept [that is, the return to God] did not exist, the entire concept of divine creation would have been pointless and futile! And no Creation would have been made in the first place either, because it would have appeared as something utterly useless and devoid of any usefulness and cause.

Just as similar as the fact that if the entire existence of the fetus was to be limited and restricted only to the maternal womb, the formation and the creation of the human being's eyes and ears and then again, all the different parts of his/her body would have been pointless as well. Therefore, those which explain the "purposeful" nature of the Universe and then the existence of Mankind with all the existing characteristics, which only belong to him are indeed that same "marching progress" and "advancement" towards God Almighty. And the fact of going from this earthly plane to a higher, better, and far more superior world, which can only appear as "the" permanent dwelling-place of Man, as a natural ending…

Notes

1. Or, volume 7, page 129

2. In the noble surah of [Djassiyah, 28] the principles of wisdom and knowledge are also mentioned, and they will be later discussed in “The divine argument of wisdom”.

3. For more information, please refer to “The complete works of Professor Mutahhari” volume 1, pages 78-86, 115-132

4. Idem, volume 2, page 534

5. Idem, pages 532-534 or, volume 7, pages 135-136-140

6. For more explanation, regarding the difference between falsehoods, please refer to the book, entitled: “the Hereafter” pages 68-69. Or volume 3 of the Complete Works

of Professor Mutahhari, pages 141-142; there is also another explanation regarding the existence of a connection between Divine Justice and the necessity for the existence of Resurrection Day that are not valid; therefore, the erudite author had preferred to state what is mentioned here as the more valid statements. For more information, refer to volume 7, page 134-135.

7. Extract from the book “The Hereafter”, pages 65-66

8. There are other verses in the Holy Qur'an, which discuss the same subject, in the surah Al-Djassiah-21-22-27-28, Al-Hajj-5-7, etc, etc…

9. Idem, page 132

10. Please, refer to the book “The Hereafter” pages 90-91; or volume 7, pages 132- 139; then again, the "Complete Works", volume 2, page 536; and "The Social Evolution of Man" [Takamol-e Edjtemaii-e Ensan] , pages 75-76