If a group of people were asked what the most
important issue for mankind was today, different
people would have different answers. Some would
say the spread of nuclear weapons, some, the
population explosion, while others might say that
the production and distribution of wealth were of
paramount importance. Such diversity of opinion
shows that people in general do not properly
recognize what they themselves are. If they did,
they would all agree that the most critical issue
facing mankind was man’s disregard of his real
nature, and his persistence in ignoring the
inescapable fact that one day he must die, and be
called to account before his Maker. If we were to
become aware of the reality of existence, it would be
to the afterlife rather than to this world that we
would direct our attention.
Today, most people do believe in God and in the
afterworld. It is not as if they deny these things; but
their actions bear no relation to their belief. In
practice, all that people are concerned about is
worldly success. If our research laboratories were
one day to declare that the earth’s gravitational pull
had ceased to exist, and that the planet was being
pulled towards the sun at a speed of 6,000 m.p.h.,
then panic would strike the whole world, for such
news would imply that within a few weeks all life
would be obliterated from the face of the earth.
This globe, however, is perpetually facing a peril
much greater than this, yet no one feels the need to
become anxious about it. What is this peril? It is the
peril of the Last Day which has been destined for
the world since the creation of the universe and
towards which we are careering at a reckless speed.
As an article of faith, most of us accept this reality,
but there are few indeed who actually feel
compelled to give it serious thought.
If you stand in a busy shopping-centre during the
evening rush-hour and observe what people are
hurrying towards, you will realize what today’s
human-being has chosen as his fundamental issue.
Why do you think there is an endless stream of
traffic in the streets? Why has the merchant
decorated his shop? Where are the crowds of people
coming from and going to? What is the main topic
of people’s conversation and the true purpose of
their meetings with one another? What interests
them most? To what use are their finest talents and
resources put? What has this exuberant person
obtained that has thrilled him so, and what has that
dejected face been deprived of that it has so stricken
a look? What have people taken with them, from
their homes, and what do they intend to return
with? If you can answer these questions,—judging
from the nature of people’s preoccupations, the
sounds they emit, their agitation and quiescence—
you will also be able to deduce exactly what it is
that mankind has chosen to base his life on, and
what he is endeavouring to achieve. It is plain for
all to see from the constant procession of people to
and from the towns and their continuous comings
and goings on the crowded streets that today’s
human being is simply running after the satisfaction
of his own desires. It is the world rather than the
afterlife which he is eager to obtain. His happiness
hinges on the fulfillment of his worldly ambitions,
while his grief stems from the fact that this
seemingly eludes him. The everyday concept of
success is the immediate acquisition of
commodities, and the enjoyment of leisure and
popular acclaim, while failure, to them, means to be
deprived of these things. This is what the whole of
humanity is chasing after. No one cares about
tomorrow; everyone becomes frenetic about getting
his share now, today, this very minute.
This state of affairs is prevalent not only in our big
cities but even in the tiniest human settlements;
wherever one goes, people seem to be similarly
obsessed. Male and female, rich and poor, old and
young, urbane and rustic, even the religious and
irreligious—all are running in this same direction.
What man is most pre-occupied with is grabbing
whatever he can in this world. This is what he
considers to be worthwhile and this is what he
spends his precious time and talents on. This is
what obsesses him night and day. No sacrifice,
however dubious in character is too great if it brings
him these things. He is even ready to sacrifice his
faith and his conscience for them at the altar of
worldly gain. His struggle is for worldly ends alone,
and he cares not what this struggle entails. No
compromise is too base for him.
Every success gained in this way, however, is trivial
and mundane and will be of no avail in the afterlife.
He who is concerned with consolidation of his
worldly position at the expense of the afterlife is
like the young man who does not care to save up
for his old age. Eventually the time comes when his
limbs fail him and he becomes unfit for further toil.
Suddenly he realizes his predicament: he is without
food, clothes and shelter. He is no longer able to
provide for himself. In rags, he lies down in despair
in the shade of some wall where the dogs bark at
him and boys throw stones. Though we witness
with our own eyes the plight of those who have not
‘saved up’ for the afterlife, we are still not
galvanised into action. All of us are too concerned
with the consolidation of our present positions. No
one gives a thought of tomorrow.
When the air-raid siren sounds in wartime and
proclaims in its chilling wail: “Squadrons of enemy
bombers are approaching to blast this city to
eternity. To the air-raid shelters at once!” everyone
immediately takes the quickest route to the shelters
and, in an instant, the busiest of streets are deserted.
Anyone who does not react in this manner is
considered idiotic, mentally deranged. The same
applies to any material hazard, no matter what it
may be. There is another danger, however, even
more terrible and inevitable, concerning which the
Lord of the Worlds has given us due warning,
proclaiming his imperatives through his prophets:
“Mankind! Worship Me, fulfill your obligations to
one another and live in accordance with My will. I
will punish those who fail to do this in a way that
cannot be imagined. They will writhe forever in a
torment from which they will never be able to free
themselves.” Every ear has heard this declaration
and every tongue acknowledges it in one form or
the other, but the general attitude is to treat it as a
matter of no consequence. In order to avail
themselves of worldly advantages people
perpetrate every form of misdemeanour. In this
way life’s caravan is proceeding heedlessly towards
a point of no return. People start in response to the
siren screeching out from the military H.Q., but no
importance is attached to the danger signal which
the Lord of the Universe sounds for mankind. Far
from hastening at the sound of it, no one even alters
his pace.
What can the reason for this anomalous state of
affairs be? It is simply that the danger about which
the military headquarters’ siren warns us is of this
world. Everyone perceives this and knows that its
effects will be immediately felt. The danger which
God has cautioned us about, on the other hand, will
be felt in the afterlife. The wall of death stands
between us and its realization: the eyes of the world
cannot penetrate it. Neither its planes, nor its
bombs, nor its engulfing fire and smoke, are
apparent to us. Although people immediately
respond to the air-raid siren, they remain
unaffected and dispassionate on hearing of the
calamity of which God has given us ample warning.
The news does not impress upon them the absolute
certainty of their doom and, this being so, they do
not feel spurred on to atone for their sins, or to
begin leading righteous lives.
God Most Sublime, however, has given us not only
our two eyes with which to perceive the external
world, but also a third ‘eye’ which can scan the
invisible realities which lie beyond the horizons of
perception. This eye is that of the intellect. People
remain in a state of doubt because they do not use
this third eye. They reckon that reality is what they
see before their own two eyes, whereas, if they were
to ponder over the matter, they would become even
more certain about what remains unseen than about
what is visible.
What is the one reality that everybody
acknowledges? Death must be the unanimous
answer to this question. Death is a reality to which
everyone, big or small, has to reconcile himself.
Everyone realizes that death can overtake one at
any time, but whenever the thought of death occurs
to people, all that concerns them is: “What will
happen to my children after I die?” Before death,
thoughts of life dominate their minds, but if they
project their thoughts beyond death, all that claims
their attention is of a domestic nature. Most of their
lives is spent safeguarding their children’s future,
but no efforts are made to insure themselves for the
life that lies ahead. It seems from their attitude as if
only their children will survive them, and that they
themselves will be non-existent and so have nothing
to prepare for.
People behave as if they are totally unaware of the
fact that there is a life after death, whereas, in fact,
the real life only commences after death. If they
only realized that when they enter the grave, rather
than being buried, they were being ushered into
another world, they would be more worried about
themselves than about their children’s future. The
fact is that most people whether religiously or
agnostically inclined, are not convinced that after
death they do not cease to exist, but expect rather to
discover a new life more consequential than the
present one.
Two factors cause one to have doubts about life
after death. Firstly, on dying, every human being
turns into dust and all traces of his body are effaced.
How then can he subsequently be revived?
Secondly, the life after death is not visible to us. The
world of today is an observable phenomenon, but
what about the afterlife? If no one has actually seen
it, how can we place implicit trust in its advent? Let
us look at both these objections in turn.
Ref - Man Know Thyself
- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
