DOES THE WORLD OF THE HEREAFTER EXIST?
Spirit of Islam, June 2018, p. 11
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is named as the default author of the periodical; a piece that carries another writer’s byline is credited to that writer.
The Right Framework Now, let us come to an understanding of the basic framework of this parallel world. Within this framework, the concepts of “Paradise” and “Hell” will also become clear. Paradise is a resting place for sincere and truth-loving people, while Hell is a place for the insolent and the false. Thus the picture that evolves is that of the present world being made by its Creator to serve as a testing ground for man due to which he has been granted free-will, whereas the next world has been created as a place where we shall reap the rewards of (or punishments for) our actions in this world. Let us not forget that although our mind is eternal, our bodies are transient. The study of human physiology shows that our body is composed of several living cells, which keep transforming themselves. In this way the body is renewed at regular intervals. It is regenerated just like the water in a running stream. Yet the body eventually dies but the spiritual personality, or the soul, remains unchanged and lives on. This is because the soul can exist even independent of the body. While everything in this world is so designed as to permit man to develop his personality, we must remember that everything in the present world is finally just a test for man. For, only those who are capable of positivity will finally gain admission into Paradise. A Satisfactory Explanation If we go by the theory of cause and effect, is it possible that this entire world could just have been created in vain—with no purpose whatsoever? Look at the sun, the moon or the tiniest insect—is it conceivable that they could all have been created without any specific purpose? In fact, everything appears to have been created for a specific purpose. Even human desires appear to have been created for a purpose. However, this purpose cannot be fulfilled in this present limited world. Since these desires are unlimited, they can only be fulfilled in an unlimited world, i.e. in Paradise. This brings us to the question—what is Paradise? Paradise is the ultimate answer to the human quest. It is a vast, zero-defect, evil-free universe, complete in itself. Paradise is a resting place for sincere and truth-loving people, while Hell is a place for the insolent and the false.

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