Salaam and welcome to another episode of our weekly series titled “Path towards Enlightenment” which is an endeavour to make you and us familiar with an easy and fluent explanation of God’s Final Scripture to all mankind, the holy Qur’an that was revealed to the Last and Greatest of all Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

As you know, for the past few weeks we have been explaining “Surah Waqe’ah”, that is, the Imminent Hour or the Inevitable Event to occur at the end of time. It is the Day of Resurrection followed by the Final Judgement, which the disbelievers deny. On the Day of Judgement there will be sorting out of good and evil. People will be divided into three classes. Those brought near to the Divine Threshold for having reached the highest degree of faith; those on the right or ordinary believers who made mistakes but turned in repentance to Allah and thereafter lived a pious life; and those on the left, that is, the disbelievers who denied God’s message and the Prophets, lived in sins, and died in the state of disbelief. Ample proof is given in this Surah of the infinite power of the Almighty Creator and consequently His ability to bring about the Resurrection.

If you might recall, a fortnight ago in our explanation of the previous Ayahs of this Surah we focused on the terrible fate in the fires of Hell, of the disbelievers, the deniers of resurrection, the tyrants, the heretics, the seditionists who lead people astray, and the habitual sinners who die without repentance. We said the terrible punishments are consequences of one’s own deeds, since God is Just and does not wrong anyone, as is evident by the long respite the All-Merciful had given everyone to repent, rectify their wrongs, reform themselves, and return to the Divine Path leading to the bliss of Paradise. 

Today we explain to you Ayahs 57 to 74 which are admonishments of the Lord Most High to the doubters, the deniers, and the disbelievers, to open up their eyes to see and contemplate upon the wonders of creation as well as upon their own selves, to realize the manifest truth and give up their erroneous ways and beliefs in order to be forgiven and become safe from the blazing flames of the Eternal Inferno.

Let us start with Ayahs 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, and 62 of Surah Waqe’ah:

“We created you; then why do you not acknowledge it?

“Have you considered the sperm that you emit?

“Is it you who create it, or are We the Creator?

“We have ordained death among you, and We are not to be outmaneuvered;

“From replacing you with your likes and recreating you in (a state) you do not know.

“And certainly you have known the first genesis, then why do you not take admonition?”

These Ayahs deal with the arguments substantiating Resurrection in order to strengthen the pillars of faith and belief in Judgement Day so as to ensure people of the Divine Promises. They point out: Didn’t God Almighty created you, so why do you deny recreation? Why are you skeptical about Resurrection and the physical raising of the dead after having been turned to dust, since your evolution is from a mere sperm?

To prove the evolutionary process of the development of the life from physical to transcendental the holy Qur’an refers to the process of creation, that is, the birth, growth and development of a most intricate living being out of the most insignificant human seed. Furthermore, taking into account the findings of modern scientists concerning this seemingly insignificant drop, it becomes manifest that it is a combination of male sperm and female ovum. It is a source of surprise that such microscopic cell grows with an astounding speed following its intermingling with ovum and makes human cells. Although all the cells are seemingly alike, but they immediately divide and form the heart, the limbs, the ears and eyes and each of them move to its particular place.

In view of these undeniable facts, it is not impossible for the Almighty Creator to resurrect the dead, since the process of aging and death itself is decreed by God, as is evident by Ayah 60 which means to say that Divine Will can never be outstripped by anyone. In other words, God the Omnipotent Who in the first place granted life and then gave death, is fully capable of bestowing everlasting life, whether in the bliss of Paradise or in the torments of Hell – depending upon every individual’s faith and deeds.

Thus, the law of death, which nobody can avert, clearly reflects that the world is a passage rather than a permanent abode. It is like a bridge rather than the destination. In other words, God Almighty is All-Able to make you appear in your own dispositions and characters. Ayah 61 points out that on Resurrection Day God Almighty will make people appear in their own dispositions and characters of which most are unaware, while the next Ayah, urging mankind to take admonition, poses the question: How can anyone deny these facts when the evolutionary process is crystal clear?

From these Ayahs we learn that:

1. The evolutionary process ought to make any rational person realize the power of God Almighty to raise the dead back to life.
2. The holy Qur’an presents the most logical arguments by urging readers to reflect on the wonders of the world of creation, as well as upon their own selves, to attain faith and the bliss of Paradise, instead of committing wrongs and plunging into the fires of Hell.
3. No one can escape death or resurrection, which the Creator has decreed.

Now we invite you to listen to Ayahs 63, 64, 65, 66, and 67 of the same Surah:

“Have you considered what you sow?

“Is it you who make it grow or are We the grower?

“If We wish, We surely turn it into chaff, whereat you are left stunned [saying to yourselves];

“‘Indeed we have suffered loss!

“Rather we are deprived!”

These Ayahs point to the process of growing crops in order to further prove the Infinite Power of God, including the reality of Resurrection by saying that although human beings plant or sow the seeds, it is Divine Will that decrees the growth of plants, they bearing of fruits, and the proliferation of more seeds for fresh cultivation. Likewise, it is God Who causes agriculture to decay, and it is Divine Wisdom that makes disastrous winds to blow, as well as torrential rains accompanied by lightning to destroy crops, at which people become perplexed and regretful of the loss they suffer. All these things are intended to arouse human conscience towards monotheism, obedience of God, refrainment from sins, and belief in resurrection.

These Ayahs teach us that:

1. The very power that makes seeds in the soil sprout and grow into plants, is able to raise to life dead humans on the Day of Resurrection.
2. Whether it is the development of agriculture or the process of procreation, we human beings might be the instruments of action, but it is the Will of God that provides us with a rich variety of vegetation, and the birth of babies and their development into perfect persons blessed with manifold talents.

In conclusion of this week’s episode of Path towards Enlightenment, here are Ayahs 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73 of Surah Waqe’ah:

“Have you considered the water that you drink?

“Is it you who bring it down from the rain cloud, or is it We who bring (it) down?

“If We wish we can make it bitter. Then why do you not give thanks?

“Have you considered the fire that you kindle?

“Was it you who caused its tree to grow, or were We the grower?

“It was We Who made it a reminder and a boon for the desert-dwellers.

“So celebrate the Name of your Lord, the All-Supreme.”

These Ayahs further point towards Divine Omnipotence over everything including the raising of the dead. They pose the questions: Who provides the water that we drink; how clouds are formed; and how rainfall occurs with all its freshness to quench our thirst and that of the livestock we raise, while making agriculture flourish, when the fact cannot be denied that drought causes famine, ruin of crops, and death of sheep, cattle, and poultry. Many people, however, do not thank God Almighty for these bounties, when He has the power to turn fresh water into bitter one.

Ayah 71 points to the wonder of fire through whose use, such as cooking, lighting of lamps, warming of homes, and the industrial development, human life progressed and civilizations flourished. Then there is the wonder of trees which provide fruit as well as wood, and for the desert dwellers, these are indeed an undeniable boon. All these undeniable facts ought to make us thankful of God Almighty and belief in the Day of Resurrection.

From these Ayahs we can learn the following points:

1. Water, soil, wind and fire are all in God’s control and a means for realization of the Day of Resurrection.
2. Trees grow from soil and water, while fire is made from wood and flint stones, which are indeed the Signs of God’s power.
3. We should always celebrate God’s Glory and His Wisdom in creating us and the universe with all its wonders.

RM/AS/SS