Paradise, Hell, and the corporealization of Deeds

Many people ask this question: Does the world after death look like this one? What are the differences, if any? Are its pleasures, punishments, and rules similar to the ones in this world? In answer to this question, we may explicitly declare that in accordance with many documents, there are differences between this world and the next one. What we know of the other world, however, looks like ghosts in the distance.

We had better make use of the metaphor of the fetus once again. The same difference that exists between the embryonic life and this world exists between this world and the other world. If an unborn child wanted to have a real picture of the outside world, of its sky and the earth, of its sun and the stars and of its mountains, forests and seas, it definitely could not conceive of it.

For an embryonic child, who has been surrounded by the womb, the concepts of the moon, the sun, the seas, waves, tornadoes, the flowers, and the beauties of this world, would not exist. Its lexicon would be very limited, indeed.

The same differences apply when we compare this world and the other one. Therefore, we shall never have a complete understanding of the other world.

For this reason, we read in a narration:

فِيهَا مَا لاَ عَيْنٌ رَأَتْ وَلاَ أُذُنٌ سَمِعَتْ وَلاَ خَطَرَ عَلَى قَلْبِ بَشَرٍ.

“There is pleasure in Paradise which no eyes have ever seen, nor has any ear heard, nor has been recorded in anyone’s heart.”

And the Holy Qur’¡n says the same thing in other words:

فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاء بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ.

So no soul knows what is hidden for them of that which will refresh the eyes; a reward for what they did. [Qur’¡n 32:17]

The rules governing the other world are also completely different: In the court on the Day of Resurrection the witnesses are man’s deeds, his hands and feet, his skin and even the piece of land on which he had committed a sin or had done a good deed.

الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَا أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ.

On that day We will set a seal upon their mouths, and their hands shall speak to Us, and their feet shall bear witness of what they earned. [Qur’¡n 36: 65]

وَقَالُوا لِجُلُودِهِمْ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمْ عَلَيْنَا قَالُوا أَنطَقَنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ.

And they who shall say to their skins: why have you borne witness against us? They shall say: Allah who made everything speak has made us speak. [Qur’¡n 41: 21]

Once it was quite hard to visualize such a phenomenon. However, with the advances of science in the recording of photographs and sounds, there is no place for wonder.

Thus, despite the fact that we are able to visualize only some feeble images of the pleasures in the other world and we are not able to see the magnitude of such pleasures, we know that the pleasures in the other world have both spiritual and material aspects to them. This is because the Resurrection has these two phases. Therefore, both rewards and punishments should have these two aspects. This is explicitly stated in the Holy Qur’¡n:

وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِين آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ.... وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ.

And convey good news to those who believe and do good deeds, that they shall have gardens in which rivers flow; whenever they shall be given a portion of the fruit thereof, they shall say: this is what was given to us before; and they shall be given the like of it and they shall have pure mates in them, and in them, they shall abide. [Qur’¡n 2:25]

Regarding the spiritual pleasures, the Holy Qur’¡n says:

وَرِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ الله.

…and best of all is Allah’s goodly pleasure. [Qur’¡n 9: 72]

The dwellers in Paradise greatly enjoy the fact that God is satisfied with them and this pleasure they enjoy cannot be compared with anything. Regarding the denizens of Hell, for them there are physical tortures as well as God’s dissatisfaction which is worse than any torment and torture.

The Corporealization of our Deeds

In accordance with many Qur’¡nic verses, our deeds become alive on the Day of Judgment and they accompany us everywhere. This Corporealization of rewards and punishments makes the system of recompensation function.

Injustice and aggression shall surround us in the shape of a gloomy and dark cloud. According to a narration from the Prophet(s):

الظُّلْمُ هُوَ الظُّلُمَاتُ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ.

Transgression is the very darkness on the Resurrection Day.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى ظُلْماً إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَاراً وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيراً.

As for those who swallow the property of the orphans unjustly, surely they only swallow fire into their bellies. [Qur’¡n 4:10]

يَوْمَ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَسْعَى نُورُهُمْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ.

On that day, you will see the faithful men and faithful women with their light running before them. [Qur’¡n 57: 12]

الَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْخَاسِرُونَ.

Those who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and cut asunder what Allah has ordered to be joined, and make mischief in the land; it is they who are the losers. [Qur’¡n 2:27]

The wealth which hoarders amassed and did not observe the rights of the oppressed out of it would be a chain round their necks on that day. They would be no longer able to move about.

وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْراً لَهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ.

And let not those deem, who are niggardly in giving away that which Allah has granted them out of His Grace, that is good for them; nay, it is worse for them. [Qur’¡n 3:180]

Sciences and man’s knowledge tell us that nothing is perishable in this world. Matter and energy constantly are converted into each other without getting lost. Our deeds are not outside this domain; therefore, they are perpetual even if they change form.

Concerning the Day of Judgment the Holy Qur’¡n, states succinctly:

وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِراً.

And what they had done they shall find present there.

In fact, they are facing the consequences of their own deeds. In the same S£rah, God says:

وَلاَ يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَداً.

Your Lord shall not do any injustice to anyone. [Qur’¡n 18:49]

Concerning the Day of Judgment, we read in the Holy Qur’¡n:

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتاً لِّيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ.

On that day men shall come forth in sundry bodies that they may be shown their works. [Qur’¡n 99:6]

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ * وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَه.

So he who has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it. And he who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it. [Qur’¡n 99:7-8]

The very fact that our deeds, either small or large, good or evil, remain constant and do not perish and shall be with us on the Day of Judgment, could be used as a warning to everyone so that they could refrain from committing evil actions and eagerly perform good deeds.

Strange to say, nowadays there have been some instruments designed to detect sounds recorded in the artifacts of ancient peoples. A scholar writes:

Today scientists are able to reproduce the voices of the Egyptian jar-makers of two millennia before. This is because there are two thousand years old jars in Egyptian museums that have recorded in them the voices of the workers which have made them. Today, those sound waves have been detected and can be heard by us.⁽[1]⁾

Thus, we could find solutions regarding the issue of the Resurrection, the permanency of the rewards of the good-doers and the chastisement of the evildoers by considering the corporealization of our deeds and being aware of the fact that every good work or evil deed has an impact on our souls.

Mordad 15/ 1362

Qom: The Qom Seminary

N¡¥ir Mak¡rim Sh¢r¡z¢