Selections From the Harun Yahya Collections

The Truth of The Life of This World

There are some phrases commonly used by people regarding the shortness of this life: "Make the most of your life while it lasts", "life is short", "one does not live forever" are phrases always referred to in definition of the nature of this world. Yet, these phrases contain an implicit attachment to this life rather than the next. They reflect the general attitude of people to life and death. Having such a strong affection for life, conversations about death are always interrupted with jokes or by raising other subjects thus attempting to alleviate the seriousness of the matter. These interruptions are always on purpose, a deliberate effort to reduce such an important subject to insignificance.

Mortality is surely a grave topic to ponder. Until this moment in his life, it may well be that the person is unaware of the significance of this reality. Yet, now that he has the chance to grasp its importance, he must reconsider his life and his expectations. It is never too late to repent to God, and to reorient all one's deeds and the conduct of one's life in submission to the will of God.

Life is short; the human soul is eternal. During this short period, one should not allow temporary passions to control one. A person should resist temptation and keep himself away from everything that will strengthen his bonds to this world. It is surely unwise to neglect the next world just for the sake of the temporary joys of this one.

Nevertheless, disbelievers who cannot comprehend this fact spend their lives in vain being forgetful of God. Moreover, they know that it is impossible to attain these desires. Such people always feel a deep dissatisfaction and want even more of what they currently possess. They have endless wishes and desires. Yet, the world is not an appropriate arena in which to satisfy these desires.

An endless search for the new and better, attaching no value to something once it has been achieved, deprecation of the old and placing all hopes in something new: these are the vicious circles that people have everywhere experienced throughout history. Yet an intelligent person should stop and ask himself for a moment: why is he chasing after temporary ambitions and has he ever gained any benefit from such pursuit? Finally, he should draw the conclusion that "there is a radical problem with this viewpoint." Yet people, lacking this kind of reasoning, continue to chase after dreams they are unlikely to achieve.

Nobody, however, knows what will happen even in the next few hours: at any time one may have an accident, be severely injured, or become disabled. Furthermore, time flies in the countdown to one's own death. Every day brings that predestined day closer. Death surely eradicates all ambitions, greed and desires for this world. Under the soil, neither possessions nor status prevail. Every possession with which we are being stingy, including the body, will also vanish and decay in the earth. Whether one is poor or wealthy, beautiful or ugly, one will be wrapped in a simple shroud one day.

Never Plead Ignorance

No doubt, plans pertaining to one's education, home or future are important. Yet there are some issues which are more important. Primarily, a person should reflect on the purpose of his existence in this world, on what exists beyond this life, on how this magnificent planet on which he lives came into existence, and on who is the Creator of all living things, including him. If one thinks earnestly without pretending not to grasp the facts one comes across, one would arrive at a single conclusion:

In the immense universe, an astonishing variety of plants and animals, all beings - animate or inanimate - and more importantly man himself, are parts of the flawless creation of God, the Almighty.

Everything that appears to be beautiful and appealing in this world decays or ages one day. The end of man is similar, and there is by no means salvation from it. From birth, man goes through a steady process of ageing, ultimately ending up in death. Everyone knows this obvious fact, yet people can't help but drift with the daily flow of events. They attach more importance to worldly tasks than they actually deserve.

However one fact renders this attachment meaningless: that life in this world has an end. It is the life in the hereafter that has no end. Chasing after benefits that one day will lose their significance is absolutely not wise. Pleading ignorance of this fact and orienting all one's efforts towards worldly objectives will lead man to an irrecoverable regret. So, avoid this never-ending regret. Never plead ignorance of the OBVIOUS fact that your life in this world will end one day.

As one grows older, physical and spiritual characteristics pertaining to childhood become more obvious. Elderly people fail to do many tasks requiring physical strength. It is possible that man could remain young until he dies. Yet God reminds man about the temporary nature of this world by making the quality of his life deteriorate at certain phases of life. Comprehending these facts, man avoids displaying a deep attachment to this life.

You also must never plead ignorance about the fact that one day you will also grow old and lose most of your physical and mental skills. So, while you are still endowed with these skills, start getting prepared for the hereafter.

Deep Thinking

Most people think that in order to "think deeply", one needs to put one's head between one's hands, withdraw to an empty room, and isolate oneself from all other people and affairs. Indeed, they make such a big thing of "thinking deeply" that they find it too difficult, and conclude that it is a quality exclusive to "philosophers".

However, God summons people to reflect and says that He has revealed the Qur'an for people to reflect on it: "It is a book We have sent down to you, full of blessing, so let people of intelligence ponder its signs and take heed." (Surah Sad: 29) What is important is one's sincerely improving one's ability to think and going deeper in thinking.

In the Qur'an, God refers to people who reflect and who, after reflecting conscientiously, see the truth and therefore fear Him. God says that those who blindly follow their fathers without thinking, out of tradition, are wrong. When asked, these people say that they are religious and believe in God, yet, since they do not think, they do not amend their conduct from fear of God.

However, everyone, sooner or later, will definitely die and after one dies, whether one believes it or not, the eternal life will begin for everyone. Whether this eternal life will be spent in paradise or in hell depends on what one has done in the short life of this world. While such is the plain truth, the only reason why people behave as if death does not exist is this spell that has covered them up because they do not think. Those who cannot, by thinking, save themselves from this spell and therefore from a heedless state, will understand the facts by seeing them with their eyes after they die.

There is no time, place or condition necessary for thought. Anyone may think while walking on the street, going to the office, driving a car, working at the computer, attending a friend's gathering, watching TV or having lunch.

While driving a car, for example, it is possible to see hundreds of people outdoors. He who looks at these people can think about many different things. It may come to his mind that the physical appearances of these hundreds of people are completely different. None of these people look like one another. It is astonishing that, although these people share basically similar organs such as eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes, hands, arms, legs, mouths and noses, they all look so different from one another. Thinking a little further, one remembers the following:

God has created billions of people over thousands of years all different from one another. This certainly is a piece of evidence of what a superior and mighty Creator God is.

The Basic Concepts in the Qur'an

"Wisdom" is randomly used to express intelligence, smartness etc. Yet, none of these meanings bear any similarity whatsoever to the word´s actual meaning in the Qur'an. In its real sense, wisdom is a favour granted exclusively to believers. Contrary to the prevalent conviction, it does not remain constant; it changes depending upon the strength of personal faith. Wisdom is a divine guide for the soul; displaying a righteous attitude and conduct to earn the pleasure of God, observing God's limits, obeying the commandments of God, distinguishing good from evil, conducting oneself in the best possible way, giving the best decisions to attain the hereafter-all these become possible through wisdom.

If an individual complies with the commandments of God, albeit the owner of substantial possessions and living in very favourable circumstances, this is, in reality, a way to feel closer to God. Yet if he does not spend what he owns in such a way as to obtain the approval of God, he may go astray. Such a person fails the test and "suffers a manifest loss" in the hereafter. In the same way, a trouble, distress, disease, loss of one's house or family may be cited as examples of the trials an individual is likely to encounter. His reaction to these trials reveals whether he is a true believer or not. No alteration ever occurs in the attitude of a believer when he faces trouble. Rebellion, hopelessness, despair, or distress evinced towards the trials indicate that the person in question is not a true believer.

Conscience is an infallible compass within the human soul continuously calling man to righteousness. On that account, conscience is, in a way, the whispering voice of God. Provided that a person listens to this voice and embraces the basic principles of the Qur'an, he will always proceed in the right way. As long as the individual follows the voice of his conscience, he will be a model displaying the attributes of God in his personality. God is infinitely compassionate and merciful; a person submitting himself to Him will also have mercy on others. God is infinitely intelligent, so that a believer who serves Him will also be intelligent. The closer he feels to God and the more he surrenders himself to Him, the purer he becomes in the presence of God: "Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, they are the best of creatures." (Surat al -Bayyina. 7)

Real Wisdom According to the Qur'an

One of the greatest factors which can blur one's wisdom is sentimentalism. This is a quite harmful state of mind which is inimical to the proper functioning of human reason.

Indeed sentimentalism is an explicit danger to reason. It exercises control over the faculty of reason to the point of negative sensible judgments. Under the sway of emotions, a sentimental person can easily engage in unwise and imprudent deeds. A believer, on the other hand, always keeps his emotions under the command of reasoning.

God indicates in the Qur'an those to whom He grants wisdom. According to what is related in the Qur'an, the main source of wisdom is the fear of God:

O you who believe! If you fear God, He will grant you a criterion (to judge between right and wrong), remove from you (all) evil (that may afflict) you, and forgive you: for God is the Lord of grace unbounded. (Surat al-Anfal, 29)

The starting point of fearing God is having a conception of the attributes of God and of the judgement Day. God grants man the sense to judge between right and wrong only when man fears Him.

The wisdom referred to in the Qur'an is directly related to the heart and the soul.

One point deserves mention here: wisdom is not constant; it varies. Intelligence, a function of the brain, does not, however, change except in case of an injury or mental disease. Everyone has a constant "IQ". Wisdom, on the other hand, can increase or decrease, a feature closely related to the strengthening of the soul and fear of God (taqwa). In this way, the individual acquires a criterion by which to judge between right and wrong.

What does "the men of understanding" mean, then? The answer to this question is provided in the Qur'an. Vain desires and passions are the major factors that hinder one's heart from understanding. Envy is an example. One cannot expect one whose mind is occupied with the feeling of envy to have wisdom. Under the influence of jealousy, he feels too distracted. He cannot keep himself from thinking about the person he is jealous of, he becomes angry and has a feeling of rancour towards him. In this state of envy, his mind is riven by jealousy, and he remains deprived of the ability to think clearly, or make sound assessments.

All other ambitions and passions are also a hindrance to wisdom. The allure of possessions and wealth greatly influences a man. An unbridled passion for possessions enslaves him willy nilly. All mental capabilities are concentrated on ways of gaining more possessions and more money.

Prayer in the Qur'an

The worshipper who prays realizes that God is All-Knowing and All-Seeing and expresses his respect for and fear of Him. He never hesitates to admit his status as a servant before Him. Since prayer is an important worship, it is not only done to make a wish. Every need or wish signals the time of this worship.

Since man constantly needs and demands things, he should also pray consistently. There of course, are particular times for prayer: regular night and morning prayer times are mentioned in the Qur'an as the proper moments for prayer in the Qur'an. Nevertheless, man should consistently pray all day long since every course of action proceeds under the control of God. Man should turn to Him for guidance and help in all his deeds. Moreover, he should pray for God's acceptance of his services.

While praying, man should certainly know that God will respond to his call. He should be aware that God is the Master of all, Omnipotent and Omniscient; that He is All-Knowing and All-Seeing. In an ardent expectation, a believer never becomes despondent and patiently awaits for the response of God. Having a firm belief in His justice, he avoids taking an anxious and desperate attitude.

The mind of a believer adhering to the guidance of the Qur'an never harbours doubts about the answer God would give to his call. Anyone who is beset by doubts would from the very beginning display a contradictory attitude to the reasoning of the Qur'an.

The Avowed Enemy of Man: Satan

Satan knows God, he is totally aware of His existence and also His power. However, driven by his own superiority complex, he expects special treatment and wants to enjoy certain privileges. That is why he goes astray, when he is commanded to prostrate himself to Adam. No less than Satan, men too go astray. In the Qur'an, it is described how unbelievers do acknowledge the existence of God, yet, believing themselves to possess some special features, they want to enjoy certain rights over others. What is more, many people who go astray, still consider themselves to be the "beloved servants of God." In the Qur'an, this mentality is frequently emphasized.

Satan wants others too to go astray. This is a type of psychological satisfaction which is also prevalent among human beings. Just like Satan, one who commits a crime also wants others do the same and be arrested. This is actually an expectation that gives relief to satan; the hope of sharing the crime and thus the penalty too. It is a consolation for those who reject faith and deny the existence of God to know that they are surrounded by people who have also gone astray. Sentiments like, "Everyone does it" and, "If all these people go to hell, so shall I" are commonly expressed. The rationale behind these statements is the logic as explained above.

The Biggest Slander: Idolatry

"Shirk", the word used for idolatry in Arabic means "partnership/association". In the Qur'an, to practise idolatry is to associate any other being, any other person, or concept with God, considering them to be equal to God, and to act upon this unsound belief.

Someone adhering to a different way of living other than the Qur'an, simply practises idolatry. He may call himself an atheist, Christian, or Jew. He may even appear to be a Muslim, performing his regular prayers, fasting and obeying the laws of Islam. Nevertheless, anyone harboring a thought or judgment opposing the Qur'an is a mere idolater; by such a stance he simply manifests his acceptance of the existence of a ruler other than God.

An idolater does not necessarily have to make "declarations". You will certainly never hear a statement like this: "I hereby take this divine being as a god besides God and I swear an oath of loyalty to him." Idolatry resides primarily, in the heart and is then disclosed through word and deed. From the standpoint of the Qur'an, having a preference for a being other than God underlies it. Giving preference to the will of some person over the Will of God, for instance, fear of other people rather than fear of God, or an attachment to some person rather than to Him are examples of idolatry described in the Qur'an.

A person who worships someone other than God will live to regret his delay in understanding that those partners had no virtues whatsoever. Those partners, whom they preferred to God in this life, will lead them to a great grief in the hereafter. Those partners are also the main reasons why pagans take God, Who has the sole power, honour, and glory, and Who is also the only One to be taken as the Protector, as their enemy. On the day of judgment, however, they will leave them in the lurch.

Quick Grasp of Faith

God tells us the purpose for our creation as follows:

I only created jinn and man to worship Me. (Surat adh-Dhariyat: 56) As stated in this verse, the purpose of man's existence on Earth is his being just a servant of God, worshipping Him and gaining His approval. Man is tested on this subject as long as he is on this Earth.

God tests people in the world to distinguish the ones who believe in Him from those who don't, and to determine which of the believers are best in their behaviour. Therefore, it is not enough for an individual to say "I believe". As long as one lives, his faith and devotion to God, his perseverance in religion, in short, his steadfastness in being a servant of God are tested in specially created conditions and environments. God states this truth in the following verse:

He created death and life to test which of you acquitted himself best. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk: 2)

In societies where there is no religion, people become predisposed to commit all kinds of immoral acts. For instance, a religious person would never take a bribe, gamble, feel envy, or lie because he would know that he would have to account for these actions in the hereafter. Yet, an irreligious person is prone to doing all these things. It is not enough for a man to say, "I am an atheist but I don't take bribes", or "I am an atheist but I don't gamble", because a man who does not fear God and who does not believe that he is going to give an account of himself in the hereafter may do any one of these things when the situation or conditions change. Yet, one who believes in God and in the hereafter never deviates from his good morals, whatever the conditions or the environment may be.

The Importance of Conscience in the Qur'an

The word 'conscience' is very common and much used. However, the actual meaning of the word, its importance in the deen (religion), how a really conscientious person behaves and what separates him or her from other people are not so well known in general. Conscience is limited to the meaning acknowledged by society. According to popular belief, those who do not, for example, dump rubbish in the streets, who give money to beggars and take care of stray animals are shown as examples of conscientious people. However, the actual meaning of the word 'conscience' is far more subtle and comprehensive than the meaning attached to it by society.

Conscience is a spiritual quality that bids man good attitude and thought, and helps him think straight and tell right from wrong.

One of the important aspects of conscience is that it is common to all people. In other words, what feels right to the conscience of a man also feels right to the conscience of all others provided that the same conditions prevail. The conscience of one man never falls out with that of another. The reason lies in the source of conscience: it is the inspiration of God. Through the conscience, God lets us know the best and the most beautiful behaviour and manners which it will please Him for us to adopt.

The sole purpose of a person who becomes aware of the existence of God and the hereafter, is to please God and to live eternally in paradise. It is impossible for someone who acts upon his conscience and wisdom, to set an objective other than this. Another great error of man is to think that religion is a belief that covers only a small portion of one's life; that it is something to be remembered only on certain days, and that nothing is related with it except some rites of worship. On the contrary, in the Qur'an, it is stated that man's whole life, along with all rites, must be for God.

He who decides to live all his life for God once again turns to his conscience in order to find out how to please God. In the Qur'an, God has made clear all His orders and the deeds that He forbids. First of all, one who acts upon one's conscience strictly observes these orders and forbidden deeds. He pays the highest attention to the deeds that are approved and forbidden, and practises all the orders he reads in the Qur'an. He takes the models of good behaviour communicated in the Qur'an as a guide to himself; he acts with extreme sincerity and fulfils everything written in the Qur'an to the best of his understanding and means.

The Moral Values of the Qur'an

Believers are the ones who direct their minds better to perceive God, and who try in better ways to serve His religion. They free their minds from any vain thoughts, and whenever they become aware of the appeal of Satan, they rescue themselves, just as is described in the Qur'an. Therefore, the believers should be careful to keep their minds free of useless thoughts, and never lose the thread of what is happening around them, they should always be on their guard.

Encounters in life may at first seem unfavourable for the believers. However, one should understand that even seemingly dire events, for example, a plot of hatched against them by the unbelievers, will ultimately turn out well for them. God will sooner or later let them savour His beneficence so, believers should be completely sure that there is goodness in all.

Despair is the temptation of Satan. Satan tries to influence believers by demoralizing them and thus dragging them down to commit more serious mistakes. His aim is to lead the believers to suspect their own faith and sincerity, to make them think that they are "fakes". If a person falls into this trap, he will start to lose his self-respect and consequently his faith and will go on to commit bigger sins after that first mistake.

To fear God is the beginning of all. The more one fears God, the more superior does one become in the presence of God. The Qur'an gives the examples of the prophets, with whom the believers can compare themselves so that they may understand that they really can increase their fear of God. God wants people to fear Him to the greatest possible extent.

All things are created with wisdom and with an ulterior purpose. In consort with this ulterior purpose, there are benefits for the believers in all happenings. Because God is on the believers' side and does not let them down.

Death is not a "disaster" which should be forgotten, but an important lesson that teaches people the real meaning of life. It should therefore be the subject of profound thought. The believers ponder deeply on that great reality with sincerity and wisdom. Why do all people live for a period of time and then die? All created beings are mortal, and this shows that they are powerless and unable servants of God. God is the only owner of life; all creatures have come to life by God's Decree and will ultimately die by God's Decree.

Before You Regret

The regret peculiar to believers however is much different from the regret mentioned above for it brings the most benefit to man. True regret is not forgotten at once. It prompts one and even produces fundamental changes in one's character. One who feels sincere regret in his heart lives the rest of his life bestowed to him in compliance with God's consent, hoping for God's mercy and forgiveness. When circumstances change or a new chance is granted, he never dares to return to his former way of life, being aware that such ungratefulness means a loss for him.

Being aware of the intense trouble a temporary regret gives in this world, is it worth taking the risk of an everlasting regret? Not to forget that this will be the regret one would suffer in the never-ending afterlife in Hell... Surely, nobody would risk feeling such regret in the Hereafter. In this case, what one has to do is apparent: every single person in this world still has the time to seize this opportunity. The one who capitalises on this favour of God will not only be saved from the fire but will also be the heir of the blessings of this world and the eternal Hereafter.

Therefore, every person who endeavours to attain these blessings and avoid the regret of the Companions of the Fire needs to devote himself to earning the pleasure of God. One needs to unconditionally follow the route bringing man out of darkness into light. That route is prescribed by God.

Those who neglect thinking about the Hereafter whilst being distracted by this fleeting worldly life are taken by surprise by death. Those saying "While we are young, we can make the most of our lives and think about death in the latter years of our lives" definitely do not grasp that they might never have such an opportunity. That is because death is predestined by God. A person may well die before he grows old. In this case, solely making future plans and postponing the fulfilment of God's commands will only lead to dreadful regret.

Crude Understanding of Disbelief

The foremost and inherent characteristic of the members of an ignorant society is their unwillingness to develop a consciousness of God. Thus, people in this state of ignorance simply avoid complying with the commandments of God, having developed their own moral principles and a way of thinking contrary to everything approved of as being right by the Qur'an. The Qur'an, the last Divine Book, provides all the answers to all possible questions the individual might raise throughout his life. It offers all the key explanations and solutions which he needs in every aspect of his life.

People in this state of ignorance establish a system and then face difficulty in complying with the rules of the system they have themselves created. This is the direct outcome of a crude understanding. However, rather than eradicating this fundamental mistake, ignorant people struggle to find ways of being successful in this relentless competition.

Contrary to the ignorant society's criteria laid down for superiority - in other words property, power and status - the real superiority calls for faith in God and fear of God. The colour of one's skin, good-looks or prosperity have no importance in the presence of God. One day, everyone, be he poor or wealthy, beautiful or ugly, will be wrapped in a simple shroud and placed in a pit - which will reduce his body into insignificance.

What we refer to as "moral values" are the concepts introduced by religion that make life beautiful and rewarding. Whenever these values are distorted, we face a really disturbing picture in society. First of all, in an environment where no rules and limits are observed, "lawlessness" prevails. In this system, everyone lays down his own rules and principles, based on highly variable criteria. In the ignorant society the basic principle that is applied is not to go to extremes in social conduct and hence not to incur any reaction from the society. It is wholly acceptable to do anything wrong, as long as it is not publicly disclosed. Ignorant people deliver speeches about virtuous conduct and morals, or severely condemn those who hold a contrary view. However, they themselves violate these values when they are convinced that nobody sees them.

Jesus Will Return

Jesus ('Isa) (as), just as all the other prophets, is a chosen slave of God whom God assigned to summon people to the true path. However, there are some attributes of Jesus distinguishing him from other prophets, the most important one being that he was raised up to God and that he will come back to earth again.

Contrary to what most people believe, Jesus was not crucified and killed nor did he die for any other reason. The Qur'an tells us that they did not kill him and they did not crucify him and that God raised him up to Him. In none of the verses, is there an actual reference to his murder or that he was killed, apart from the verse (ayah) which denies that it happened. Furthermore, the Qur'an acquaints us with some events from the life of Jesus (as) which have not yet happened. Thus, his second coming to earth is a prerequisite for these events to happen. There is no doubt that the Qur'an's revelations will surely happen.

After the death of Musa (as), God sent many other prophets to the Children of Israel to warn them and the last of these prophets was Jesus (as). Throughout his life, Jesus (as) called his people to live by the religion (deen) revealed by God and reminded them to be true slaves of God. He instructed them in the commandments of the Injil - the revelation granted to him fragments of which may survive in parts of the Gospels. That book affirmed the commandments of the Tawrah - the revelation granted to Musa (as) some of which remains in the Torah and in the Old Testament - which had by then been corrupted. Criticising the improper teachings of the rabbis who were responsible for the degeneration of the true religion (deen), Jesus (as) abolished rules that were invented by the rabbis themselves and through which they derived personal gain. He summoned the Children of Israel to the unity of God, to truthfulness, and to virtuous conduct.

In the history of mankind, that Jesus (as) will be sent back to earth for a second time by God is surely a divine favour to all humanity. Only a minority of people will enjoy this occasion. He will then be a blessed "saviour" sent to all mankind. Indeed, in times when violence and disorder were increasingly experienced in the world, human beings begged a "helper" from God. Accordingly, God responded to their plea.

The knowledge of unseen and future events is something only known to God. Yet, it is certain that those who expect this blessed period and this person must at that time undertake important obligations. Just as Jesus (as) will protect and guide all believers, the believers will also have to give wholehearted support to Jesus (as) and help him in the services he renders for the sake of God. This time, in other words, during his second coming, believers should never make him ask again, "Who will be my helpers to God?" (Surah Al 'Imran: 52) Otherwise, one will feel deep regret and torment both in this world and hereafter.

The Alliance of the Good

In our day, the "wicked ones" have established a seemingly strong alliance, and seem to have silenced and intimidated, by various methods, many people advocating good morals. Behind all the evil you unwillingly see around you yet inevitably witness, such as tyranny, degeneracy, disaffection, hatred, mercilessness, injustice, poverty, gossip, and everything that distresses, upsets, annoys and worries people, lies this strong alliance of the evil.

Never forget that turning a blind eye to oppression and watching from the sidelines is itself oppression.

No one adhering to the Qur'an and living by the Qur'an ever falls into such hopelessness or ever turns a blind eye to the wrongs around him. A conscientious and wise Muslim strives to save those around him, the society he is in, and indeed everyone from violence, conflict, wars, immorality and wickedness. It is an apparent fact that sincerity, conscience, honesty, compassion, love and respect will eradicate immorality and all wickedness. In other words, unity and cooperation of the righteous will defeat the alliance of the evil and make their evil actions disappear.

The Nightmare of Disbelief

Adhering to the morality of the Qur'an brings happiness and peace to peoples' lives, puts an end to injustice, conflict, inequality, disputes, injustice, extravagance, bigotry, cruelty, and violence, manages economic, commercial, and social relations, resolves quarrels among family members and relatives, and similar other social concerns. The Qur'an provides the most fundamental, perfect and rational solutions.

Furthermore, the Qur'an guides man to the ideal attitude and moral structure he has to display on any subject, under all circumstances. A society whose members are role models of this superior moral understanding will surely attain the ideal social structure which has been sought for so long.

It is obvious that a society full of arrogant people is unbearable, and a source of trouble and torment. There is an unbridgeable gap between a society whose members observe no rules and limits in being arrogant, cruel and egoistical, and one of humble and modest people. This gap only exists because of people who have drifted away from religion.

Without the guidance of righteous religion, people can never find satisfactory and viable solutions to personal or social problems. Indeed, history has carried countless problems forward to our day which still lack solutions. As long as man ignores religion, he will inevitably face troubles and problems he can never cope with. This is what awaits irreligious people in this world. The torment awaiting in the hereafter, however, will be even more painful and everlasting.

Death Resurrection Hell

Death may catch up with you at any time.

Who knows, maybe this is the moment. Or it may be much closer than you have ever thought.

These lines could be the last opportunity, the last reminder, the last warning before death comes upon you. As you proceed with these lines, you can never know that you will still be alive in the next hour. Even if it proves to be so, nothing can guarantee you another hour. It is never certain that you will live for another moment. There is no guarantee that you will ever finish reading this book. Death will, most likely, come upon you at a time when, only a moment before, you never thought about dying.

Throughout history, man has coped with many seemingly invincible problems. But there is no way of avoiding death. Everyone who ever appears on the Earth is destined to die. Man only lives until a certain day, and then dies. Some die very young, when they are still babies. Some others go through all phases of life and face death in the latter years of their life. Nothing a man possesses, neither possessions, nor fortune, status, fame, grandeur, confidence nor good looks can forestall death. Without exception, all men are powerless against death, and will always remain so.

According to the description in the Qur'an, hell is a place where extreme pain is experienced. It is claustrophobic, noisy, smoky and gloomy, injecting feelings of insecurity into the human soul. It is a place characterised by disgusting smells, fires burning deep in the heart, horrible food and drink, and garments of fire and liquid pitch.

These are the basic characteristics of hell. There is life going on in this terrible environment, however. The people of hell have sharp senses. They hear, talk and argue, and they try to escape their suffering. They burn in fire, become thirsty and hungry, and feel regret. They are tormented by feelings of guilt. What is more important, they want the pain to stop.