In this part of the article titled “Self-Purification, the Main Goal of Divine Messengers”, we shall focus on other relevant points on the topic here.
His ultimate outcome is all related to the above-mentioned factors, learning and righteous belief, ethics and good morals, love and association with God-Almighty, obedience and seeking God’s Pleasure, and performance of righteous deeds in accordance with Divine Commands etc. are things which are responsible for the ascension of human Celestial Soul towards the stages of perfection, ultimately achieving the highest spiritual station of God’s Nearness. A human by means of faith and performance of righteous deeds in this very world discovers a new life and purity which would be manifested in the Next World.
God-Almighty said in the Holy Qur’an:
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً
“Whosoever doth right, whether male or female and is a believer, him verily We shall quicker good life.”(1)
Man in this world in addition to utilizing material blessings for his bodily pleasures could also utilize spiritual blessings for the growth, training and perfection of his soul and inner-self, thus, building his Next World’s life in such a manner that the desired result would be manifested in the Hereafter.
Imam al- Sadiq (a.s.) said:
قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله: يا قيس! لابد لك من قرين يدفن معك وهو حى وتدفن معه الدنيا فانكم تنعمون بها في الاخرة
God-Almighty says to his servants: “Oh my righteous servants! Utilize My worship’s blessing in this world so that you could be benefited with them in the Next World as well.” (2)
The Commander of the Faithful Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said:
قال على عليه السلام: مداومة الذكر قوت الارواح
“Continuation of invocation (dhikr) is the nourishment of human souls.”(3)
He also said:
قال على عليه السلام: عليك بذكر الله فانه نور القلوب
“Don’t forget invocation (dhikr) of God-Almighty because it is the illumination of Hearts.”(4)
Paradise and its blessings or hell and its punishments for a human being are decided in this same world through his beliefs, morals and deeds, even though he might be ignorant of them; but in the next world when the materialistic curtains are rolled up, this reality will be manifested.
Imam al-Sajjad (a.s.) in a narration speaks as follows: “Be aware! That whoever bears enmity with the prophets and saints; accepts religion other than God’s religion; disregards Divine Obligations by following his own whims and passions; is indeed engulfed with eternal flames which consume human bodies -the bodies who have given up their spiritual through domination of cruelty over their inner existence.
Alas! They are like dead bodies who do not feel the heat of the fire. Had they been alive they would have felt the pain and torture of burning their bodies. Therefore, oh people of insight! Learn a lesson and be thankful to the Lord of the worlds who has bestowed upon you the blessing of His Guidance.” (5)
God-Almighty said in the Holy Qur’an:
الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا
“Lo Those who devour the wealth of orphans wrongfully, they do but swallow fire into their bellies and they will be exposed to the burning flame.” (6)
A human being in this world either accumulates enlightenment and insight or cruelty and darkness for the Next World. If he remained blind and without enlightenment in this world tomorrow he will be raised up in the Next World with the same condition.
The Holy Qur’an said:
مَن كَانَ فِي هَٰذِهِ أَعْمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ أَعْمَىٰ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
“Whoso is blind here will be blind in the Hereafter, and yet further from the road.” (7)
The most eminent scholar ‘Allamah Tabatabai (r.a.) stated the following interesting story: “Once upon a time, there used to live a pious ascetic and saintly personality known as Sheikh Abud in Najaf Ashraf. He was a committed wayfarer upon the road of Gnosticism, continuously worshipping and reciting invocation (dhikr). Sometimes he would visit the graveyard located in the Wadi-us-Salam, spending long hours walking, sitting, pondering, and looking carefully at the old and new graves.
One day, while returning from such routine visits he was encountered by a group of curious people, who after offering salutations asked him: ‘Sheikh Abud! What is new of Wadi-us-Salam?’ ‘There is nothing new’. Replied Sheikh Abud. “But the group insisted to hear some news from the Wadi-us-salam.
Then Sheikh Abud said: “I encountered the most strange thing over there; in spite of careful looking through the new and old graves, I could not discover any traces of snakes, scorpions, and the foodstuff consumed by them. I, therefore, asked one of the graves: in narrations, it has been described that the human beings inside the graves are tortured by the snakes, scorpions, and other noxious creatures, but I do not see these creatures within these graves.”
“The grave replied to me: ‘Yes! It is true that snakes and scorpions do not exist among us, instead, you are the one who brings them with you from the world for your own fortune.” The internal and spiritual life of a human being is an actual and real life; a human being in his essence travels a real path, which either leads him towards prosperity and perfection or terminates into cruelty and total annihilation. For continuation of this action, he receives help and strength from his beliefs, morals and deeds. God-Almighty in the Holy Qur’an said:
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ
“Whoso desireth power (should know that) all power belongeth to God. Unto Him good words ascend, and the pious deeds doth He exalt.” (8)
The ultimate status of the human self is the outcome of his efforts and endeavours which depends upon his beliefs, morals, characteristics, liking, and deeds; the final result of which, whether good or bad, will be declared in the Next World.
Continue in the next article: http://Self-Purification, the Main Goal of Divine Messengers (7)
NOTES:
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1. The Quran 16:97
2. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 70, p-253.
3. Ghirar al-Hukm, p-764.
4. Ghirar al-Hukm, p-479.
5. Qurrateh al-Ayoon, Faiz, p-466.
6. The Quran 4:10
7. The Quran 17:72
8. The Quran 35:10
