Interfaith Dialogue in Islam

Today we see that Muslims respect the Quran by kissing it and keeping it in sacred places, but they do not really follow its guidance in their lives. Instead of being a source of guidance, it seems to have acquired the status of being a display article. This verse of the Quran is a warning or admonition for the Muslim community. They are forewarned that they should save themselves from developing the tendency of simply reciting the Quran while heeding to the dictates of their own desires. What is the concept of Judgement Day according to Islam? A ccording to Islam, God created man as an eternal being, but divided his lifespan into two: the worldly life and the post-death life. While the pre-death period is temporary, the postdeath one is eternal. To illustrate this, let us compare human life with an iceberg. The iceberg is a huge mass of ice floating in the ocean, but only about 10 per cent of it is above the surface of water, and the rest of it is under water. God has created a world called Paradise — an ideal world, a perfect world. According to the Quran, it is a place where man will find fulfilment of all his desires: Therein, you shall have all that your soul desires. (Quran 41:31) [Paradise] is a place where people shall not fear, nor shall they grieve. (Quran 2:112) Our life on earth is just a preparation for the eternal afterlife. In this world, there are different kinds of situations and challenges. Man is here to face those challenges and prepare himself to be a deserving candidate for Paradise. In this sense, our life on earth is a world of opportunities. Those who avail of these opportunities and prepare themselves accordingly, will be chosen and will be settled in Paradise after death. In this life, there are all kinds of problematic and unwanted situations. But they have a purpose. They constitute a training ground that gives us a chance to cope with adversity, thus preparing us for eternal entry into Paradise. The Quran introduces Paradise thus: God calls man to the home of peace. (Quran 10:25) According to Islam, the present world is a place of work, while the world Hereafter is a place of reward. When one dies, life does not come to an end. One simply enters the second phase of life, that is, the world Hereafter. It is only in the present world that one can prove that one is deserving of Paradise in the world Hereafter. This opportunity ends at the time of death; after death, there is no opportunity to prepare oneself. Success and failure are both determined by one’s deeds in this world, in the pre-death period.