ZonEMvS

Brothers, all these things the holy Quran and the sacred Prophet (Peace be upon him) have told about the shape of things to come after death the Barzakh, the Resurrection, the Judgement and Heaven and Hell and we have discussed in this lesson and in the preceding one, are literally correct and true. There can be no doubting them at all. By the Almighty, they will come to pass exactly as the Quran and the holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) have taught. We will see them ourselves, with our own eyes, after death.

The Last Day and Heaven and Hell have been dwelt upon in the Quran and the Traditions with such emphasis and thoroughness and referred to again and again a thousand times for no other reason except to arouse in us a living, genuine anxiety to do all that lies in our power to save ourselves from the fearful penalty of Hell and attain the cherished, supremely delightful goal of Paradise.

Brothers, life is transitory, One day we must die. Death is certain, and so is the Last Day. We will, surely, have to stand before Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) after death and answer for our deeds on the earth. What, then, is our eternal home going to be Heaven or Hell?

There is time still for us to mend our ways, to offer honest repentance for our misdeeds of the past and make a real, sincere effort for the attainment of Paradise.

Should, Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) forbid, the rest of our days in the world be also spent in neglect and folly, then be sure, there is nothing in store for us in the Hereafter save regret and the punishment of Hell.

Zikr

Islam stands for self-surrender and submission to Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa). It calls on men to fashion their lives according to the Divine Will. It wants them to be loyal to Him in all circumstance and in every sphere of their conduct, personal as well as social. This can be possible only when our mind’s eye is fixed permanently on the Almighty, and the consciousness of His lover and Glory overshadows all our thoughts and actions.

It is, as such, one of the special teachings of Islam that we remember Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) much and often and keep our tongues fresh with the recital of His names, praises and attributes. It is an excellent and well-tried method for producing in our hearts His love and the consciousness of His Greatness. It is natural for a man’s heart to be filled with the love of anyone whose splendor and excellence his mind dwells all the time.

In any way, it is a fact that frequent remembrance kindles the flame of love and lends strength to it and so also that the life of complete loyalty and submission to Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) which is the essence of Islam can be possible only through Divine love. It is love alone that makes one the willing bondsman of another. As a Persian verse says:

What is love?

Say: “To be the beloved’s bondsman.”

Consequently, a very great stress has been laid in the Quran and by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on Zikr (Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) remembrance).