Welcome to this week's episode of the series Let's Know Islam. Today, we continue to study the principle of the Day of Resurrection as one of the important principles of the sacred religion of Islam, considering another reason, which shows the certitude of the Day of Judgement.

One of the features of God Almighty is the divine justice, which exists in the entire universe and can be observed in the world of creation. The fact of the matter is that the creation of the universe is based on the divine justice. Upon focusing on the system of creation, one comes to realize that every single phenomenon in the universe complies with a set of natural laws. In the human body, this just system has been established in such a delicate manner that the smallest change and lack of balance in it would lead to the ailment or death of the individual. This justice and order is not limited to human body, and can be observed within the entire universe.

Given that God Almighty has established such highly calculated and just laws of nature, could He be indifferent toward the deeds of mankind?

Mankind maintains freedom, discretions, and the power to make decisions. This freedom and discretion secures mankind's growth and development. It allows mankind to freely choose his path; while the faithful good-doers make every effort to reinforce and elevate their souls and spirits; with some others committing injustices. Now, if individuals would pass away without observing the result of their good deeds or misdeeds, would that be in line with divine justice, governing the universe? Based on divine justice, mankind's deeds should be precisely studied, so that each individual would receive its share of divine justice, which governs the world. This in fact shows the certitude of the Day of Judgement.

The 35^th and 36^th ayahs of Surat al-Qalam in Holy Quran note: "Shall We, then, treat those who submit to Us as We treat the guilty? What is the matter with you? How do you judge!"

We have all seen that at times, criminals and suppressive rulers have maintained luxurious lifestyles and have escaped justice their entire life. We have also observed individuals who have devoted their lives to struggle against injustices, but have not benefitted from their efforts in the material world. Now, if the cases of the deeds of good and bad individuals would close in the material world, what would happen to the infinite prudence of God and the divine blessings bestowed on the servitudes of God?

It should be noted that some crimes and evil deeds, due to their enormity, cannot be punished in the material world. In other words, at times individuals commit such grave offenses and crimes that make worldly punishments inadequate compared to the enormity of the related offenses. How can an individual who has trampled upon the rights of innumerable people, or has committed genocide, be fully punished for his grave crimes? Punishment of an offender, who has spilled the blood of thousands of people, is beyond the existing capacities of the material world. Even if one assumes that such a criminal would be hanged, only the revenge of one of his victims has taken place, while the related criminal has also massacred a large number of innocent people. True rewards for good deeds, and complete punishment of evil-doers will take place in the Day of Resurrection. This is because the material world doesn't have the capacity to punish the unjust, and to reward good-doers sufficiently. How can the material world fully reward a physician who has saved the lives of several patients, or philanthropists who have allocated their entire lives selflessly, as servitudes of God, serving people, and standing up against criminals and the unjust?

One of the features of the material world is its limitation and its insufficient capacity for rewarding the good-doers and punishing the evil doers. Thus, God's justice necessitates the establishment of the divine court of justice in another world, in which the good deeds and misdeeds of mankind would be fully rewarded and punished. The other world is in fact Hereafter, in which, in the light of divine justice, good-doers and evil-doers will be separated from each other, and will be fully rewarded for good deeds, and be fully punished for misdeeds.

According to Quranic culture, one of the ultimate goals of creation is the proportionate punishment of evil deeds and reward of good deeds, such that no injustice would be imposed on anyone.

The 21^st and 22^nd ayahs of Surat al-Jathiyah in Holy Quran note: "Do those who have perpetrated misdeeds suppose that We shall treat them as those who have faith and do righteous deeds, their life and death being equal? Evil is the judgement they make! Allah created the heavens and the earth with reason, so that every soul may be requited for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged."

Divine justice necessitates the existence of another world, which maintains the capacity to fully reward good deeds and fully punish misdeeds. God never imposes any injustice on His creatures, and never carries out a pointless and imprudent deed.

Meanwhile, the rewards and punishments in Hereafter don't rule out the worldly rewards and punishments. Thus, some wrongdoers are punished for their misdeeds in the material world.

 The 26^th ayah of Surat al-Zumar in Holy Quran notes: "So Allah made them taste disgrace in the life of the world, and the punishment of the Hereafter will surely be greater, had then known."

Acceptance of the existence of the one and only creator of the world and His infinite justice is tantamount to acceptance of the certitude of the Day of Resurrection, and these two are inseparable from each other.

The 47^th ayah of Surat al-Anbiya notes: "We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be wronged in the least. Even if it be the weight of a mustard seed We shall produce it and We suffice as reckoners."

MR/MG