THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION

‘Our Lord will gather us together; then He will judge between us with truth and justice. He is the Just Decider, the All Knowing.” (Quran, 34:24-26) In this passage, the Prophet addresses his people, emphasizing that both cannot simultaneously be on the right path. Either one of them is on the path of truth, or in profound misguidance. Each person is accountable for their own deeds, and no one will share in the reward or punishment of another’s actions. A day will soon come when both of us will be gathered before God. On that day, God, Who knows the condition of both you and me, will deliver a just and precise judgment. What connection does this have with social and communal order under divine guardianship? The fourth verse is: “Then they will all be gathered to their Lord.” (6:38) This verse also does not pertain to the gathering in societal or civil terms. The complete verse reads: “there is not an animal that moves about on the earth, nor a bird that flies on its two wings, but are creatures like you. We have left out nothing in the Book – they shall all be gathered before their Lord.” (6:38)