Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

LESSON FIFTY-TWO: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND HEREAFTER

Introduction

So far, we have realized that man’s life is not limited to the transient life of this world and that he will be brought to life again in the Hereafter, and granted eternal life. It also became apparent that the future life in comparison with this life is so pure and noble, that earthly life does not deserve to be called life. However, this does not mean that life in the Hereafter refers to one’s good or bad reputation, nor does it mean that it is conceptual and unreal.

It is now reasonable to discuss the relationship between life in this world and the Hereafter, and to clarify the type of relationship between the two. In the course of our previous discussions such a relationship what made somewhat clear, but due to some misunderstanding of the concept, it will be helpful to elaborate using wisdom and Qur’anic evidence to specify its nature.

This world is the fertile land for the Hereafter

The first point to be stressed is that prosperity and adversity in the Hereafter depend on man’s behaviour in this world. It will be impossible for a person in the Hereafter to exert efforts to obtain blessings in the same world. It is unlikely that those with a higher physical or mental capability can further benefit, or that sly individuals can benefit from others efforts and struggles. However, some ignorant people have thought that the Hereafter is totally independent from this world.

The Holy Qur’an quotes some disbelievers saying as follows: “and I do not think that the Hour will ever set in. And even if I am returned to my Lord I will surely find a resort better than this” (al-Kahf:36) In another verse, the Holy Qur’an maintains:“I do not think the Hour will ever set in, and in case I am returned to my Lord, I will indeed have the best [reward] with Him” (Fussilat:50) Such people either supposed that they could exert their efforts in the Hereafter and receive blessings forthwith or speculated that their being wealthy in this world indicates that God had shown them special favor, and as a result they would receive the same favor in the Hereafter. Finally, if a person believes that the other world is completely isolated from this world and good or evil deeds in this world will not affect the blessings or punishment in the Hereafter, he has no belief in Resurrection -- one of the main principles of all Divine religions. This principle is fulfilled by one’s being punished or rewarded for his worldly deeds. This is why this world is compared to a ‘market’, ‘commercial firm’, or as a ‘fertile land’ where ones sows the seeds for the Hereafter’. It means that in this world, one should work, cultivate, and make every effort to meet the everlasting outcomes in the Hereafter (N.B. In the Qur’an the worldly rewards and punishments have been mentioned; however the continuing reward and punishment is specific to the Hereafter). This is the essence of all reasoning and debates concerning the Resurrection in the Holy Qur’an and needs no further explanation.

The worldly benefits (blessings) will bring no prosperity in the Hereafter

Some have thought that their wealth, children or other means of worldly pleasures will bring them peace and tranquility in the Hereafter. The burial of precious jewelry and even food together with the dead person has probably resulted from a similar belief.

The Holy Qur’an states that neither wealth nor children by themselves (irrespective of there behavior) will lead to living in closeness to God (Saba’:37), nor will they bring any benefit to their owners in the Hereafter (al-Shu’arā:88, Luqmān:33, Āl-‘Imrān:10,116). Such relations are mainly specific to this world and will be broken in the Hereafter (al-Baqarah:166, al-Mu’minūn:101). Everyone will lose his worldly relations (al-An’ām:

94) and will face God alone (Maryam:80,95). However, the spiritual and Divine relations will continue and as a result, the believers who had such relationships with their spouses, children and relatives will be together in Paradise (al-Ra’d:23, Ghāfir:8, al-Tūr:21).

Therefore, the relationship between this world and the Hereafter is not of the type of the relationship between worldly phenomena. It is unlikely that one who is more powerful, more beautiful, and more joyful or one who enjoys more pleasures in this world will live similarly in the Hereafter If this were the case, then the Pharaohs and other rich people would be more likely to be prosperous in the Hereafter. Nevertheless, there will be those who have been powerless, ill and poor in this world but due to the performance of their Divine duties they will exchange their pitiful earthly life for the bountiful and prosperous Hereafter, enjoying eternal blessings.

Some ignorant people believe that the message of the verse: “But whoever has been blind in this [world], will be blind in the Hereafter, and [even] more astray from the [right] way”. (al-Isrā’:72) Is that worldly health and pleasures are in direct correspondence with health and pleasures in the Hereafter; however, they do not consider the fact that the term ‘blind’ in the above verse dos not mean physical blindness rather it means ‘ignorance’, or spiritual blindness. Another verse maintains:

“Indeed it is not the eyes that turn blind, but the hearts turn blind -those which are in the breasts!” (al-Hajj:46) The Holy Qur’an states elsewhere:

“But whoever disregards My remembrance, his shall be a wretched life, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise Him blind. He will say, ‘My Lord! Why have You raised me blind, though I used to see?’ He will say:

‘So it is. Our signs came to you, but you forgot them, and thus you will be forgotten today.” (TāHa:124-126) Therefore, the reason for blindness in the next world results from forgetting God’s signs in this world, as opposed to physical blindness.

Finally, it must be noted that the relationship between this world and the Hereafter is not similar to the relationship between causes and their effects in this world.

Worldly benefits (blessings) will not lead to adversity in the Hereafter

Some people have cause to believe that the blessings of this world and those of the Hereafter are on a counter-relationship. Hence those who failed to enjoy the blessings of this world will consequently meet prosperity in the Hereafter, while those who enjoyed the blessings of this world will be deprived from prosperity in the Hereafter.

The advocates of this idea have justified it by referring to some verses and traditions in which the worshippers of this world have claimed not to enjoy any of the blessings of the Hereafter (al-Baqarah:200, Āl-‘Imrān:77, al-Isrā’:18, al-Shu’arā:20).

However, being in love with this world does not equal enjoying worldly blessings, rather the lover of this world is one who sets worldly desires as the objective of all his attempts and employs all his strength in gaining them even if he does not meet his desires. On the other hand, a lover of the Hereafter is one who does not fall in love with worldly pleasures, but chooses the life of the Hereafter as his objective, even though he may be enjoying worldly blessings. For example, Solomon (a) and many of the prophets and Imams (a) have found pleasure in worldly blessings; however, they have employed them for obtaining prosperity and God’s paradise in the Hereafter Therefore, there is neither a direct nor a counter-relationship between the blessings of this or the next life. All the blessings and disasters of this world have been distributed amongst the people based on God’s perfect wisdom (al-Zukhruf:32), and all shall be tested through them (al-Anfāl:28, al-Anbiyā:35, al-A’rāf:168, al-Kahf:7, al- Māidah:48, al-An’ām:165, al-Naml:40, Āl-‘Imrān:186). Thus, enjoying or being deprived from worldly blessing does not by itself indicate living close to or far from God’s mercy and will not lead to prosperity or adversity in the Hereafter (Āl-‘Imrān:179, al-Mu’minūn:56, al-Fajr:15-16).

Conclusion

It can be deduced from such discussions that if we reject every kind of relationship between this world and the Hereafter, it amounts to the rejection of the concept of Resurrection. However, there is no relationship between the blessings in this world and in the Hereafter, nor is there any relationship between adversity in this world and that in the Hereafter. In general, the relationship between this world and the Hereafter is not of the type of relation between worldly phenomena and is not limited to physical or biological rules. On the contrary, the cause of joy or punishment in the Hereafter is the result of the use of man’s free-will in this world. This does not have any connection with (the rule of) using power and energy for the changing of matter; rather it refers to the origin of such deeds, such as inner belief or disbelief. This is the message of hundreds of verses in the Holy Qur’an which state that prosperity in the Hereafter depends on one’s belief in God, Resurrection, God’s prophets and performance of acts related to worship, such as praying, fasting, holy war, spending money on the needy, carrying out favours for God’s servants, ordering others to enjoin the good and prohibiting them from committing sins, struggling against the disbelievers and the oppressors, and establishing justice in the society. On the other hand, it maintains that being bound by God’s punishment will be the outcome of disbelief, dualism, hypocrisy, rejecting the Resurrection and

prophets, and committing all types of sins and oppressions. The Holy Qur’an in a number of verses briefly introduces ‘belief and good deeds’ (Refer to: al-Baqarah: 25,38,62,82,103,112,277,Āl-‘Imrān:15,57,114,115,133,179,195,198,alNisā’:13,57,122,124,146,152,162,173,alMaidah:9,65,69,al-An’ām:48,al- Tawbah:72, Yūnus:4,9,63-64, al-Ra’d:29, Ibrāhim:23, al-Nahl:97, al- Kahf:2,29,30,107, Tāha:75, al-Hajj:143,50,56, al-Furqān:15, al-‘Ankabūt:7,9,58, al-Rūm:15, Luqmān:8, al-Sajdah:19, Saba’:4,37, Fātir:7, Sād:49, al- Zumar:20,33,35, Ghāfir:40, Fussilat:8, al-Shūra:22,26, al-Ghāshiyah:30, al- Fath:17, al-Hadīd:12,21, al-Talāq:11, al-Inshiqāq:25, al-Burūj:11, al-Tīn:6, al- Bayyinah:7-8) as the cause of prosperity in the Hereafter and ‘disbelief and the committal of sins’ (Refer to: al-Baqarah:24,39,81,104,161-162, Āl‘Imrān:21,56,86,88,91,116,131,176-177,196-197, al Nisā’:14,56,121,145,151,161,168-169,173, al-Maidah:10,36,72,86, al-An’ām:49, al- Tawbah:3,68, Yūnus:4,8, al-Ra’d:5, al-Kahf:32, Ghāfir:6, al-Shūra:26, al- Ghāshiyah:11, al-Fath:13,17, al-Hadīd:19,al-Taghābun:10, al-Mulk:6, al- Inshiqāq:22,24, al-Ghāshiyah:23-24, al-Bayyinah:6) as the reason for one’s eternal bad luck.

Questions

1. What problem arises if we reject the relationship between this world and the Hereafter?

2. What is meant fertile land concerning the next world?

3. What is the relationship between the blessings of this world and those of the next?

4. What is the relationship between the blessings of this world and the punishment in the next?

5. Among which worldly affairs and prosperity or adversity in the Hereafter, is there a true relationship?

LESSON FIFTY-THREE: THE TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND THE HERE AFTER

Introduction

We understand (from previous discussions) that there is a direct relationship between belief in God and good deeds on one side, and living close to God and His blessings in the Hereafter on the other, or between disbelief and sins on one side and living far from God and being deprived from eternal blessings on the other. Moreover, we found that there is a counter-relationship between belief in God and good deeds on one side and punishment in the Hereafter on the other, or between disbelief and sins on one side and eternal blessings on the other. There is no doubt about the origin of such relationships, and rejection of them amounts to the rejection of the Qur’an. However, there are some points about this vital issue, which need explanation. For example, are such relationships true and noble or are they dependent on situations and conventions? What kind of relationship is there between belief in God and good deeds, or between disbelief and sin? Is there any cause/effect relationship between good and evil deeds?

In this lesson, the first point will be explained and it will be clarified that such relationships are not false or conventional.

True or conventional relationships

As already mentioned, the relationship between worldly deeds, and blessings or punishment in the Hereafter is not similar to material or common relationships, and cannot be explained in terms of physical, chemical, or other similar relations. The assumption that, on the basis of the rules of the conversion of matter and energy, the consumed energy in performing actions would be converted into blessings or punishment in the Hereafter, would be wrong. Firstly the consumed energy of one’s speech and behavior would be insufficient, and could not even provide enough energy to be converted into an apple, let alone the infinite number of paradise’s blessings.

Secondly, the conversion of energy and matter follows specific rules and does not have anything to do with the goodness or badness of deeds, or the intention of their performer. There is no rule of nature for distinguishing between sincere or hypocritical acts so that the energy consumed for one changes to blessing and for the other changes to punishment. Thirdly, the energy, which was once used for some kind of worship, may be used for the committing of a sin on another occasion.

However, rejecting such a relationship does not equate complete rejection of true relations because the scope of true relations includes unknown and non-experimental relationships. Moreover, in the same way empirical sciences cannot approve cause/effect relations between the events of this world and those of the other, they cannot reject all types of such relations between them either. Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that good or evil acts will have true effects on one’s soul and due to that some individuals are able to do extraordinary acts in this world. The same effects

will also cause blessings or punishment in the Hereafter. Such points can be proved on the basis of philosophical principles, which are beyond the scope of this book.

Qur’anic Evidence

Although in some verses there are references to reward and punishment (The term reward has been mentioned 90 times in the Qur’an and the term punishment 100 times), Qur’anic expressions justify false and conventional relations, other verses indicate that the relationship between one’s deeds in this world and results in the Hereafter is beyond such relations. Therefore, it might be reasonable to say that the former group of verses is to make understanding such concepts easier for the majority of people to whom they are more familiar.

In some traditions, there is evidence indicating that man’s free deeds have different spiritual representations revealed in the world between this world and the Hereafter and on Resurrection.

The following represents some verses in which the existence of a true relationship between one’s deeds and their outcome in the Hereafter is emphasized.

“Any good that you send ahead for your souls, you shall find it with Allah” (al- Baqara: 110)

“The day when every soul will find present whatever good it has done; and as to whatever evil it has done it will wish there were a far distance between it and itself” (Āl-‘Imrān: 30)

“The day when a person will observe what his hands have sent ahead” (al-Naba’:40)

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it” (al-Zalzalah:7-8)

“Shall you be requited except with what you used to do?” (al-Naml:90)

“Indeed those who consume the property of orphans wrongfully, only ingest fire into their bellies, and soon they will enter the Blaze” (al-Nisā’: 10)

It is obvious that by merely meeting with what one has done in this world, it is not the reward or punishment for his or her deeds in the Hereafter. On the contrary, what is met is the spiritual representation of them revealed in the form of blessings or punishment and accordingly the person will either be in pleasure or in torture. As it is understood from the last verse explained above, the underlying representation of eating (consuming) an orphan’s wealth is eating fire; when in the Hereafter the facts are revealed, one finds that by eating illegal food one has in fact been eating fire and accordingly the person will feel the irritation of his inside. He will then be questioned: “Is this fire different from the illegal wealth you ate (consumed)?”

Questions

1. What is the problem with assuming that the representation of deeds in the Hereafter follows the rule of converting matter and energy?

2. How is it possible to explain the true relationship between one’s deeds and their results in the Hereafter?

3. What verses indicate the representation of deeds? Why have terms like ‘reward’ and ‘punishment’ have been used?

4. Is it possible to describe the representation of deeds (in the Hereafter) as ‘being represented by their worldly characteristics’? Why?

LESSON FIFTY-FOUR: THE ROLE OF FAITH AND BLASHEMY IN ONE’S ETERNAL PROSPERITY OR ADVERSITY

Introduction

The point of discussion is as to whether eternal prosperity will be caused by faith and good deeds jointly or independently and irrespective of each other. Also whether disbelief and rebellion against God will independently result in eternal punishment or both will cause it together, and if the latter is right, what then happens if a person manages to have only one of the above (i.e., belief in God or good deeds).

The same point is true if an individual has no belief in God and performs sinful deeds; what would happen to such a person? Moreover, if a believer commits many sins and a disbeliever performs a number of good deeds, will they be prosperous or in adversity? Hence, if a person has passed part of his life believing in God and in the performance of good deeds and another part in disbelief and in the committal of sins, what would his fate be?

Such points have been taken into consideration since the first century of the presence of Islam. Some people such as the Kharijite[3] believed that committing sins was an independent cause for one’s eternal adversity and that it further causes disbelief and apostasy. However, other groups such as the Murjeia[4] believed that faith was sufficient for eternal prosperity, and by committing a sin; the prosperous life of the believer was not threatened.

Nevertheless, the truth is that not every sin leads to disbelief and bad luck; however, the accumulation of sins will destroy faith. It means, nonetheless, that faith does not cause sins to be forgiven and does not make one free from punishment.

In this lesson, I will first explain the nature of belief and disbelief, and secondly, their role in eternal prosperity and adversity will be discussed. Other (relevant) points will be dealt with in future lessons.

The nature of faith and disbelief

Faith is an inner, spiritual state, which is formed (in a person), due to:

1) knowledge of a concept, and 2) having a tendency towards it. The intensity or weakness in each of them will cause the perfection or deficiency of faith. However, unless a person is aware of something, even speculatively, he will not believe in it. Nevertheless, knowledge or awareness does not suffice, because the subject of one’s knowledge or its requisites might be contrary or against one’s desires, and therefore, he may decide not to behave accordingly or even to function against it.

As the Holy Qur’an with respect to the followers of Pharaoh maintains:

“They impugned them -though they were convinced in their hearts- wrongfully and defiantly. So observe how was the fate of the agents of corruption!” (al-Naml:14) Moses (a) addressed Pharaoh and said:

“You certainly know that no one has sent these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-openers” (al- Isrā’:102). Although he (Pharaoh) did not believe in God, he said to the people:

“I do not know of any God that you may have other than me” (al-Qasas:38).

Only when he was about to drown, he said:

“I believe that there is no god except Him in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of those who submit [to Him]!” (Yūnus: 90)

However, we found earlier that such compulsory faith, if it can be called so, is not accepted by God (See lesson 9). Therefore, the essence of faith is in one’s inner tendency, and willingness; this is contrary to the acquisition of knowledge and awareness, which can be achieved unwillingly. Thus, faith can be called a ‘cordially force-free act’ (i.e. expansion of the meaning of the word ‘act’) in this way faith can also be regarded as a type of action.

On the other hand, the term disbelief is sometimes employed as lack of the ‘faculty of faith’ (malakat-al-Īmān). Lack of faith is a result of doubt and ignorance or due to compound ignorance, or even as a result of a contradictory tendency. This is manifested in the form of intentional rejection and enmity, is called ‘disbelief’. It may, nevertheless, in some cases amount to enmity - an observable phenomenon considered as anti-faith.

The norm of faith and disbelief

Our understanding from the Holy Qur’an and traditions makes us believe that the minimum amount of faith necessary for eternal prosperity is belief in:

God, reward and punishment in the Hereafter, and in the rightfulness of whatever has been revealed to the prophets. Such a belief also necessitates one’s decision to behave accordingly with the orders of God; however, the highest level of faith is specific to the prophets and Imams.

On the other hand, the minimum amount of disbelief is the denial or rejection of: monotheism, prophethood, Resurrection or in whatever one has ascertained that has been sent by God to His prophets. However, the worst stage of disbelief is the hostile rejection of all such facts, whilst knowing that they are all true; and further being determined to fight against the true religion.

The above identification suggests polytheism (denying monotheism) as a manifestation of disbelief. However, hypocrisy is considered as inner disbelief mixed with deception whilst outwardly behaving like a Muslim.

Moreover, the hypocrite’s (disbeliever) decline is much harsher than that of the other disbelievers, as the Holy Qur’an states:“Indeed the hypocrites will be in the lowest reach of the Fire” (al-Nisā:145) The point to be mentioned here is that Islam and disbelief, which are discussed in jurisprudence and which are the subjects of the approval or rejection of cleanliness, formal slaughtering of an animal, marriage and heritage, do not necessarily involve faith and disbelief being discussed as the principles of religion. It is possible for a person to express the Islamic formula (Shahādatān) and consider the rightfulness of Islamic jurisprudence, yet in his heart, such a person may hold no sincere belief in their contents and the requisites of monotheism and prophethood.

Moreover, if one is not capable of realising the principles of religion (i.e. a mad or stupid person), or if one, due to the conditions of his society cannot find the true religion, he will be forgiven for such a failure. However, if another person fails to find the true religion whilst having access to all the necessary means for such recognition or if a person remains in doubt or denies the principles and necessities of the religion with no specific reason, he will not be forgiven and will be sentenced to eternal punishment.

The effect of faith and disbelief on eternal prosperity or adversity

Since man’s true perfection is due to his closeness to God, and on the other hand, his decline is the result of being far from Him, it is reasonable to claim that belief in God and His canonical and creative dominance which necessitate belief in Resurrection and prophethood, is the sapling of man’s true evolution. In that case, man’s God- pleasing deeds resemble the sapling’s branches, and the leaves and fruit will be the eternal prosperity represented in the Hereafter. Thus, when a person fails to plant the seeds of faith in his heart or would rather plant the poisonous seeds of disbelief and rebellion instead, he has then ruined and wasted the gifts provided for him by Almighty God. He has subsequently planted for himself a tree, whose bitter fruit is the ‘Zaqūm’ from Hell. Such a person will not approach eternal prosperity and his good deeds will have no effect beyond this world.

The reason why such a person’s good deeds have no effect beyond this world is that each free deed done by man is an attempt for his soul to approach its final objective specified by God. How is it possible for one who does not believe in the eternal world and in life close to God, to consider such an objective and manage his behavior so that it can be obtained? Such a person cannot naturally expect eternal reward from God.

However, the only acceptable point about the disbelievers’ good deeds is that such deeds may reduce their punishment as they weaken selfishness and enmity.

Evidence from the Qur’an

The Holy Qur’an reminds us of the fundamental role of faith in man’s eternal prosperity, and in addition to employing the term ‘good deeds’ after ‘faith’ in numerous verses, has emphasized that faith guarantees that good deeds will affect our prosperity in the Hereafter. In relation to the same point, the Holy Qur’an states:

“And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, should he be faithful- such shall enter paradise and they will not be wronged [so much as] the speck on a date-stone” (al-Nisā:124 see also al-Naml:97, al-Isrā:19, TāHa:112, al-Anbiyā:94) On the other hand, the Qur’an also states how the disbelievers will be greeted with Hell and punishment in the Hereafter and their deeds have been described as being useless and spoilt. In one verse such deeds have been compared to ashes, which have been scattered and then blown away by the wind:

“A parable of those who defy their Lord:

their deeds are like ashes over which the wind blows hard on a tempestuous day:

they have no power over anything they have earned. That is extreme error”. (Ibrāhīm:18) In another verse, the Holy Qur’an states that the deeds

of the disbelievers will be scattered in the sky like dust:“Then We shall attend to the works they have done and then turn them into scattered dust” (al-Furqān:23) In addition to this, such deeds have also been compared to a mirage in which a thirsty person believes; however, when he reaches it he finds no water:

“As for the faithless, their works are like a mirage in a plain, which the thirsty man supposes to be water. When he comes to it, he finds it to be nothing; but there he finds Allah, who will pay him his full account, and Allah is swift at reckoning” (al-Nūr:39) “Or like the manifold darkness in a deep sea, covered by billow upon billow, overcast by clouds, manifold [layers of] darkness, one on the top of another:

when he brings out his hand, he can hardly see it, and one whom Allah has not granted any light has no light” (al-Nūr:40) (The metaphor here is that a disbeliever moves in darkness and will go nowhere.) In other verses, the Holy Qur’an maintains that the advocates of this world will meet the results of their deeds in the same world and will not find any benefit (out of their deeds) in the Hereafter. One such verse is as follows:

“As for those who desire the life of this world and its glitter, We will recompense them fully for their works therein, and they shall not be underpaid in it. They are the ones for whom for whom there shall be nothing in the Hereafter but Fire: what they have accomplished in the world has failed, and their works have come to naught” (Hūd:15-16, see:

al-Isrā:18, al-Shūra:20, al-Ahqāf:20) Such verses reveal the little amount of knowledge of those who claim they know Islam but prefer the infidel non-Muslim scholars to the Shi’ah’s great scientists (like Khaja nasīr al-dīn Tūsi and Allamah Majlisi).

Questions

1. Explain the viewpoints of the Kharijite and Murjeia about faith and disbelief, and discuss the correct idea.

2. Discuss the nature of faith and disbelief and their relationship with knowledge and ignorance.

3. Explain the norm of faith and disbelief.

4. What is the relationship between polytheism and hypocrisy with disbelief?

5. Make a comparison between Islam and disbelief according to jurisprudence with faith and disbelief according to theology.

6. Discuss the effect of faith and disbelief on eternal prosperity and adversity, and explain the reason behind it.

7. Discuss the Qur’anic evidence representing such an effect (Question 6 above).

LESSON FIFTY-FIVE: THE INTER-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND DEEDS

Introduction

We have realised so far that the main factors leading to eternal prosperity or adversity are faith and disbelief, and that secure faith guarantees eternal prosperity, but the committal of sins will result in limited punishment. On the other hand, constant disbelief will bring about eternal adversity and will cause good deeds to become obliterated.

Moreover, it was pointed out that faith and disbelief can be weakened or intensified and it is possible that the accumulation of sins will result in the destruction of faith; on the contrary, the performance of good deeds may weaken the root of disbelief and pave the way for the development of faith.

This clarifies the importance of the question about the relationship between faith and deeds. This lesson attempts to answer such a question.

The relationship between faith and disbelief

Our previous discussions clarified the point that faith is a spiritual state, originating from knowledge and an attitude that necessitates the believer to behave in accordance with the requisites of what he believes in.

Therefore, one who is aware of a truth and decides not to behave according to its requisites does not have any belief in it. Such a person, even in the case of doubting as whether to behave according to the requisites of that truth or not, will still be categorised as a disbeliever. The Holy Qur’an maintains:

“The Bedouins say, ‘We have faith’. Say, ‘You do not have faith yet; rather say, ‘we have embraced Islam,’ for faith has not yet entered into your hearts” (al- Hujurāt:14) Moreover, true faith is comprised of different stages; however, the accomplishment of each stage does not necessitate the performance of all its requisites. It is probable that, in a weak believer, excitement due to lust or anger may causes rebellion; however, it might not necessarily cause him to rebel permanently and struggle against his faith and all its requisites. Nevertheless, the stronger and more complete the faith, the more effective it will be in committing deeds accordingly.

To sum up, having faith naturally necessitates behaving in accordance with its requisites; however, the extent of that depends on the weakness or intensity of one’s faith and finally this is the will and decision of the individual, which determines the performance, or abandonment of the deed.

The relationship between deeds and faith

Any arbitrary act is either deserving and in line with one’s faith or undeserving and contradictory to it; the former strengthens the faith and makes one’s heart brighter while the latter weakens the faith and darkens the heart. Therefore, any good deed committed by a believer will not only originate from his faith but will also strengthen and stabilise it, paving the way for other good deeds. The effect of good deeds on the perfection of one’s faith can be understood from the following verse:

“To Him ascends the good word, and He elevates righteous conduct” (Fātir:10)

Provided that the subject pronoun refers to (al-‘amal al-sālih) (righteous conduct) and the object pronoun refers to al-kalām al-tayyib (good word).

In the same way, in a number of verses, the Holy Qur’an maintains that the promotion of belief, enlightenment, and guidance in good-doers is the consequence of their good deeds (Refer to: Āl-‘Imrān:172, al-Anfāl:2, al-Tawbah:124, al-Kahf:13, Maryam:76, al-Ahzāb:22, Muhammad:17).

However, if opposing motives appear against the requisites of faith and if they lead to undeserving acts and one’s level of faith is not high enough to prevent them, faith will begin to weaken and this in turn will pave the way for the repetition of sin. The continuation of this process will lead to greater sins and their repetition, and this will eventually threaten the essence of faith and (May I ask for God’s shelter) convert into disbelief or hypocrisy.

The Holy Qur’an in relation to those who ended up as hypocrites’ claims:

“So He caused hypocrisy to ensue in their hearts until the day they will encounter Him, because of their going back on what they had promised Allah and because of the lies they used to tell” (al-Tawbah:77) The Holy Qur’an states elsewhere:

“Then the fate of those who committed misdeeds was that they denied the signs of Allah and they used to deride them” (al-Rūm:10) Similarly, in many verses, the Holy Qur’an discusses the increase of disbelief, darkness, and hard-heartedness in the sinners (See: al- Baqarah:10, Āl-‘Imrān:90, al-Nisā:137, al-Maidah:68, al-Tawbah:37, al-Isrā’: 60,82, al-Saff: 5,9,24).

Conclusion

Concerning the interrelationship between faith and deeds and their role in man’s prosperity, it seems reasonable to compare prosperous life with a tree (See: Ibrahim: 24-27) whose roots resemble faith in the unique God, His prophets, messages, and Resurrection; the trunk resembles the decision made for behavior in accordance with the requisites of faith originating directly from it; the branches and leaves resemble the deserving deeds which originate from the root (faith), and finally, its fruit will be the eternal prosperity. Had it had no root, there would be no trunk, branches, or leaves nor would it bear any fruit.

However, there is no guarantee that the roots will always result in suitable branches and desirable fruits; rather it is often possible that due to unsuitable conditions of the environment and various diseases, a number of branches fail to grow, and any fruit that is born may instead cause the death of the tree.

Moreover, it is possible that due to specific grafts on the branches, trunk or even the roots of the tree, either its appearance or the whole plant may change into another tree. This event resembles the change from faith into apostasy.

To conclude, faith with relation to the topics discussed above will be the main factor affecting man’s prosperity; however, the complete effect of such a factor depends on the absorption of necessary nutrition, by the performance of deserving acts, and the destruction of diseases and harmful elements, by the avoidance of sins.

Finally, the abandonment of obligatory deeds and the committal of forbidden acts weaken the root of faith and will occasionally result in its death just as grafting (believing in) wrong ideas causes change in the nature of faith.

Questions

1. Explain the effect of faith on good deeds.

2. Describe the effect of good or bad deeds on the weakness or intensity of faith.

3. Explain the inter-relationship between faith and deeds and their correspondence with man’s prosperity.

LESSON FIFTY-SIX: SOME IMPORTANT POINTS

Introduction

Some of those who know little about Islamic culture evaluate man’s acts on the basis of superficial standards and pay no attention to the importance of one’s motivation or intention. In other words, they ignore ‘the doer’ in favour of ‘the action’. Such people may also think of a deserving act in relation to the extent to which it affects other peoples’ happiness. The advocates of such an idea will, nevertheless, deviate in their analysis of Islamic beliefs and thoughts or may misunderstand them. For instance, in realising the role of faith and its relation to good deeds, and on the other hand, the destructive role of disbelief and dualism they will face deviation. Similarly, they misunderstand the priority of some small short term acts over larger long term ones, and will, for example, suppose that the great inventors who brought tranquility to others or the liberals who struggled for their nation’s freedom should possess an exalted position in the Hereafter even though they have no belief in God or Resurrection. In some cases, they claim that the necessary faith for true prosperity is belief in humanitarian values and labours’ final victory in this world. For them, the concept of God equals a cultural value and an ethical ideal.

Although our discussions in previous lessons can distinguish weak and deviated points in the above thoughts, it seems reasonable, due to their spread, and at the same time, dangerous for the future generations, to explain them more.

However, detailed and comprehensive discussions need more time and space; therefore, what I present below is the most fundamental points with reference to their ideological aspect. I will, nevertheless, try to present my arguments so that the style of this book is not violated.

Man’s true perfection

If we compare an apple-tree with a fruitless one, we will find the apple-tree more worthy; this is not merely because man uses the fruit of a fruitful tree, rather the fact that such a tree is a more complete organism and is more effective, causes it to be naturally more valuable. However, if the same apple-tree faces disease and changes its way towards complete development, it will lose its value and may even become the origin of pollution and harm for others.

The same case applies to man in comparison with other animals. If man reaches his deserving perfection and presents the characteristics relevant to his creation, he will be more valuable than other animals. However, if he meets deviation, he will become inferior and more harmful than the animals. That is why the Holy Qur’an refers to some people as ‘worse than all living things’ (Refer to al-Anfāl:22) and ‘more astray than four- legged animals’ (Refer to al-A’rāf:179).

Moreover, if somebody observes the apple-tree up to when it blossoms, he may think it is at the highest stage in its development. Similarly, those who observe man’s middle stages of perfection will not be able to realise his true and final perfection.

Only those who are familiar with man’s final perfection will be able to understand his true values.

In addition, man’s true perfection is not the same as material or natural perfection because as I discussed earlier, the humanitarian aspect of man depends on his heavenly soul. Similarly his evolution is infact the evolution of his soul, which is performed through his own free deeds, happening either in his inside (heart) or outside and by means of different parts of his body. Such a kind of perfection cannot be recognised by means of experiments neither can it be measured through quantitative scales. Thus, it will not naturally be understood through laboratory tools.

Therefore, one who has not reached such perfection and has not realised it through his innate knowledge and ability, should try to understand it by means of intellectual theorem, revelation or Divine book.

Furthermore, revelation, Qur’anic teachings and traditions from the Prophet’s family members, ascertain that man’s final perfection is a stage in his life called ‘living close to God’ which is together with eternal blessings and Divine paradise presented to him in the Hereafter. The general way to this type of perfection is that worship of God and piety should dominate all aspects of one’s individual and social life.

From an intellectual point of view, more complicated theorems can be employed in this discussion, which necessitates a detailed philosophical introduction. However, in this section, I have attempted to provide a simplified explanation of the topic.

Intellectual clarification

Man naturally desires infinite perfection whose manifestations are knowledge and power; approaching such perfection results in endless pleasure and eternal prosperity.

However, infinite perfection is attainable when it is linked with the origin of infinite knowledge, power and absolute perfection - God; this link is called ‘closeness to God’ (See ‘Knowing oneself for empowering one’s soul’, by the same author).

Therefore, man’s true perfection, which is the aim of his creation, is achieved by means of his relationship and closeness to God. Thus, one who has not reached the first or the lowest level of faith is similar to a tree, which is not fully developed and has not born its first fruit. Such a tree will lose its capability for bearing fruit and will become worse than a fruitless tree if it faces disease.

Finally, the importance of faith’s role in man’s perfection and prosperity is because of his soul’s main characteristic - the intentional and free relationship with God - without which he will be deprived of deserving perfection and its traces; in other words, his humanitarian dimension will not be fulfilled. However, if man makes the wrong choice, he spoils such vital talents and damages his dignity; this, therefore, necessitates him to be punished forever. In this relation, the Holy Qur’an maintains:“Indeed the worst of beasts in Allah’s sight are those who are faithless; so they will not have faith” (al-anfāl:55) To summarise, both faith and disbelief determine man’s main way either towards perfection and prosperity or towards decline and adversity; the more powerful any one of them is in one’s life the more influential and determining it will be.

The role of motivation and intention

The above principle clarifies that the true value of man’s arbitrary deeds depends on their role in his approaching true perfection (i.e., closeness to God). Although the deeds, which promote one’s evolution in one way or another or even through some mediators undergo virtue and excellence, their effect on the doer’s eternal prosperity depends on the extent to which they affect his soul’s evolution.

Moreover, one’s own intention mediates his deeds and soul. Intention originates from one’s tendency, eagerness, and love towards the end or result of something. It, at the same time, causes movement within one’s soul towards its aim and is manifested as intention. Therefore, the value of an arbitrary act depends on the motivation and intention of its doer, and one’s good deeds without good intention will have no effect on the promotion of his soul neither will they affect his eternal prosperity. That is why deeds performed on the basis of material and worldly motivations will not affect eternal prosperity. Even causing the greatest benefit to society will be of no benefit to the performer, had they been done in a hypocritical way (Refer to al-Baqarah:245, al-Nisā’:38,142, al-Anfāl:47, al-Mā’ūn:6). Such deeds may even cause spiritual loss and decline. This is the reason why the Holy Qur’an has conditioned the effect of good deeds on eternal prosperity on faith and the intention of gaining closeness to God (Refer to al-Nisā’:124, al-Nahl:97, al-Isrā’:19, TāHa:112, al-Anbiyā:94, Ghāfir:40, al-An’ām:52, al-Kahf:28, al-Rūm:38, al-Baqarah: 207,265, al-Layl: 20).

In conclusion, firstly good deeds are not limited to working for the benefit of others.

Secondly, working for other people’s benefit like other individual acts of worship will be effective on one’s perfection and eternal prosperity provided that it originated from Divine motivation.

Questions

1. What does one’s true value depend on?

2. How is man’s final perfection recognised?

3. Prove that man’s final perfection is achievable only if his life relates to God and being close to Him.

4. Prove that the effect of good deeds on man’s eternal prosperity depends on his Divine motivation.