The useless debate
Man is mortal. Every man will take the taste of death, but he does not know what death is? The answer is that departure of soul from physical body is death. Sometimes the departure, however, may be temporary.
Allah says in Verse No. 42 of Surah Zumar in Al-Quran, “Allah takes souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. Then He withholds those on whom He has passed the decree of death and dismisses others till an appointed time. There are signs in this for those who reflect.”
From the above verse, we come to know that sleep is also one kind of death. The physical body gets back strength to move when soul returns. We also learn that soul survives without body because it (soul) continues to receive light from Angel, who receives light from Allah.
Elsewhere in the Quran, Verse No. 2 and 3 of Surah Ankabut, it has been said that men will be tried as their predecessors were tried before them, and none will be spared from trial on saying, “We believe.”
Imam Gazzali said, the period from the death to the Judgment Day is terrible, fearful. On that day, every soul will be given a new body so that it can stand for trial. From reading the Quran, the Hadith-e-Qudsi and the Bukhari Sharif, we understand that some men will be rested into the Paradise, and some others will be placed into the Hell-fire.
Murderers, liars, traducers, the mischief-makers, defrauders, oppressors of women and children, back-biters, pompous, greedy, envious, rapists, homo-sexual people, disobedient to parents, unjust tax collectors, flutists, and snatchers of property and rights of others will be thrown into the hell-fire.
On the other hand, those who believe and do good to others will reward with a place in the Paradise. Therefore, there is no need of raising debate about the existence of soul and the Judgment Day.
Ameer Hamzah
Dhaka
