THE REALITY OF LIFE

THE REALITY OF LIFE The Perfection of Natural Laws P EOPLE in general, try to live this worldly life in as prestigious and comfortable way as possible. It is because they believe that afterwards, neither man, nor anything that concerns him, will remain. Some do think about this matter, but only on a philosophical level. They seek a theoretical explanation of the world. Such explanations are interesting from a philosophical point of view, but they are of no intrinsic value to man. Theoretical discussions about whether a cosmic spirit keeps the whole universe revolving for its own fulfillment, or whether everything is part of some sublime being, do not raise any personal issues for man. Some have a religious answer to the question, but their solution is also of no import to man. Some see life as a mysterious, recurring cycle, with man repeatedly being born and dying; some claim that man will be rewarded and punished in this world. These are the creeds of which most religions are made. All such solutions to the problems of life differ from one another considerably but in so much as none of them raises any serious personal issue for man, they are all the same. They are either explanations of events or a means of providing us with some sort of spiritual satisfaction. They do not issue us any warning or stir us into any action. The Islamic perspective provided by the Prophet Muhammad is of an entirely different nature. The Prophet in his solution to problems places every individual in a precarious position from which the next step leads either to a dreary and unfathomable abyss of destruction or to a world of eternal bliss. It requires every man to take a serious view of his situation—even more so than a traveller in the night whose torch reveals a black snake slithering menacingly in front of him. The message taught by Muhammad contains a greater warning for all humankind. He taught that after this world a vaster world is awaiting us, where every person will be judged and then punished or rewarded according to his deeds. The props which man relies on in this world will not support him there, for there will be no trading, no friendship and no acceptable intercession. The warning, which the Prophet delivered, to humankind makes his existence a matter of personal importance to everyone. Everyone’s fate, according to his teachings, hangs in the balance. Everyone has freedom