of Nokounam, (Session 849)
Surah Al-Imran, one of the profound chapters of the Holy Quran, in its twenty-fourth verse, portrays a deep and astonishing depiction of the Resurrection and Divine Justice. This verse, like a clear mirror, presents the reality of the Day of Reckoning before human eyes and invites reflection on Divine grandeur and the impermanence of human knowledge. The following discourse, relying on this verse and its exegesis, explores the meanings of Resurrection, justice, and the pathways to certainty. This work, with a profound look into Quranic concepts, endeavours to guide humanity towards the purification of the self and the comprehension of truth, as if a breeze from Paradise breathes upon the readers soul.
فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
So how will be their state when We gather them for a Day about which there is no doubt, and every soul is fully recompensed for what it earned, and they will not be wronged?
This verse, like a blazing torch, illuminates three fundamental truths of Resurrection: the gathering of all beings on a day that is undoubtedly Divine, the full restitution of every souls deeds, and the absence of any injustice in Divine reckoning. The word فَكَيْفَ (so how) denotes astonishment and inquiry regarding the condition of humanity on that magnificent day and serves as a key unlocking doors of contemplation. جَمَعْنَاهُمْ speaks of the boundless power of God who assembles all creatures on the Day of Resurrection. لِيَوْمٍ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ places Divine absolute certainty against human ignorance, while وُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ portrays Divine flawless justice whereby no creature, from the minutest atom to mankind, is deprived of equitable reckoning.
Key Point: Verse 24 of Surah Al-Imran regards the Resurrection as the stage of absolute Divine justice in which every soul, whether human, jinn, or even atom, is judged according to its will and deeds, without the slightest oppression.
Man, in the face of the reality of Resurrection, is like a lost traveller in an endless desert, unaware of both destination and path. The verse, emphasising لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ (about which there is no doubt), sets Divine certainty against human ignorance. Questions such as the time, place, or nature of Resurrection transcend human comprehension. Is Resurrection a century or thousands of centuries? Have Heaven and Hell existed before, or do they yet await? These inquiries, like waves in the sea of ignorance, engulf the human mind. This ignorance stems not from doubt, but from incapacity to grasp Divine grandeur. Man is, in regard to this truth, like a negligible atom with not the slightest understanding of Resurrection.
The indubitability of Resurrection (لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ) from the Divine perspective is akin to a sun shining in the sky of truth, yet humanity, due to the darkness of ignorance, is unable to apprehend this light. God, as the Creator of existence, is cognisant of all aspects of Resurrection, but man, confined by the limits of intellect and experience, neither doubts nor attains certainty, rather remains in complete ignorance. This paradox serves as a mirror reflecting human incapacity before Divine omnipotence.
Human reason is like a lamp illuminating the necessity of Resurrection in the darkness of the world. If there were no Resurrection, injustices endured by the oppressed would remain unredressed, which contradicts Divine justice, expressed as لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ (God does not wrong His servants). Reason accepts that this world is but a preparatory stage for reward or punishment, and the full recompense of deeds takes place on the Day of Resurrection. This reasoning acts as a bridge guiding humanity from doubt to certainty.
The Infallibles and Divine saints are like stars in the sky of guidance, showing the path of truth to mankind. Belief in Resurrection through devotion to their utterances, which are nourished from the source of revelation, is a reliable means of attaining certainty. They, due to Divine knowledge, are aware of the reality of Resurrection and their words serve as a torch dispelling the darkness of ignorance. Acceptance of their words is not only devotional but also rational, because their statements are rooted in a truth that ordinary humans are incapable of comprehending.
The people of knowledge are like birds flying towards spiritual heavens with the wings of journey and asceticism. By witnessing the realms of Barzakh (intermediate state), Araf (the heights), and Resurrection, they reach a direct understanding of the truth. Some mystics, such as Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, have claimed to have reached Resurrection, indicating the possibility of this path. This route, beyond reason and devotion, is like a door that opens only with the key of knowledge.
Key Point: Certainty of Resurrection is attainable via three methods: rational argument affirming Divine justice, devotion to the Infallibles who provide Divine guidance, and mystical knowledge enabling direct vision of the truth.
Among claims of attaining Resurrection, some are like mirages appearing in the desert of truth. Works such as "The Journey to the West," resembling novels, lack epistemic validity and are mixed with imagination. Yet sincere claims, such as those reported from great mystics like Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, shine like precious gems worthy of reflection. Sincerity in the claim acts as a criterion distinguishing truth from illusion.
The verse, with جَمَعْنَاهُمْ, speaks of the infinite power of God who gathers all creaturesfrom humans and jinn to insignificant atomson the Day of Resurrection. This assemblage is not by the creatures themselves but by Gods command with the assistance of angels and His agents. This scene resembles a grand tableau portraying the vastness and grandeur of Resurrection and revealing Divine sovereignty over this magnificent day.
وُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ acts as a precise scale, illustrating Divine justice in the reckoning of deeds. Contrary to this world where only partial reward or punishment is granted, on Resurrection every soul, from humans to atoms, fully receives what it has earned. This full recompense includes all beings possessing a soul, and مَا كَسَبَتْ indicates the will with which each creature has acted proportionate to its nature.
Existence is like a magnificent garden in which every being, from atom to human, possesses a will suitable to itself. Even atoms, in attracting one another, demonstrate a form of consciousness and will, though human science is incapable of fully comprehending this. These wills, whether natural, chemical, or spiritual, are accounted for on the Day of Resurrection. This inclusiveness serves as a sign of Divine justice that excludes no creature from the scope of reckoning.
وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ is like a golden inscription affirming absolute Divine justice on Resurrection. On this day, neither the oppressor is wronged nor the oppressed; neither the virtuous nor the wicked. This justice, like a pure current, encompasses all creatures without exception. This characteristic distinguishes Resurrection from this world, replete with injustice and oppression.
Key Point: Resurrection justice is so flawless that not only humans but all creaturesfrom atoms to jinn and animalsare judged according to their will and deeds without the slightest oppression.
Repetition of this verse, like a breeze from Paradise, soothes the human spirit and directs its will towards good and righteousness. This remembrance, encompassing فَكَيْ
