 | Dr. Nabil Seyam is director of the Board of Administration of the Islamic Society of Wichita and Co-Founder of the Annoor Islamic School. He was the recipient of the Leader of the Year in 2002 in Wichita and most recently was the recipient of the Community Servant Award by the University United Methodist Church in 2003. Dr. Seyam was selected for the Community Servant Award because of his active role in peace-building and multiculturalism throughout Kansas. He is an adjunct instructor for Pittsburg State University and Wichita State University. He is married and has six children. He can be reached at (316) 630-9222 , by e-mail at nabil@seyam.org, or visit his website at www.seyam.org |
Religion
2004-08-01 09:19:00
What body and mind will we have in eternity?
: What body and mind will one have in eternity… the one he or she had at death or the one he or she had when both were the best they ever were?
ANSWER: When we talk about eternity, we must differentiate between eternity in paradise and eternity in hell. Physically, human is the same human, however, life is different. In both places we eat, drink, live, feel, etc. Yet, the enjoyment is different. One is in beauty and the other is in pain. The people of paradise will be so beautiful and youthful... and all have the same age. In paradise the heart has no jealousy or envy. The entire eternity in paradise is peace above peace. Eternity in hell is totally the opposite. The people of hell will be blaming each other, they argue, they are ugly and are forced to eat and drink. They feel alas for where they end up at. They scream and shout, "get us out."There is life in hell. Yet it is a life in which every moment is full of torture and anguish. In that life, every type of physical, mental and psychological torment, along with various types of torture and disgrace rage unchecked. To compare it to any distress in the world is impossible.People in hell perceive pain through all five senses. Their eyes see disgusting and terrible images; their ears hear frightening screams, roars and cries; their noses fill with terrible and acrid smells; their tongues taste the most unbearable, vile tastes. They feel hell deep in their cells; this is a maddeningly severe pain that is difficult to imagine in this world. Their skin, their internal organs and their whole body are wracked and they writhe in pain.The people of hell are very resistant to pain and they never die. Hence, they can never save themselves from torture. Their skins are mended as they burn; the same torture continues for all eternity; the intensity of torture never decreases. God says in the Qur'an: "Burn in the flames of hell. It makes no difference whether you bear it with patience, or not." (Surat at-Tur: 16)No less than physical pain, mental pain is also severe in hell. People in hell have profound regrets, fall into hopelessness, feel desperate and spend ages in despair. Every corner, every place in hell is designed to give mental suffering. The suffering is eternal; if it were to end after millions or billions of years, even such a long-term possibility could arouse fervent hopes and remain a strong reason for happiness and joy. Yet, the eternity of torture will inspire a kind of hopelessness that cannot be compared to any similar feeling in this world. The people of hell live a life infinitely more debased than that of the animals in this dirty and disgusting environment. The only nourishment they have is the fruits of the bitter thorn and the tree of zaqqum. Their drink, on the other hand, is blood and pus. Meanwhile, fire engulfs them everywhere. With skin rent, flesh burned, and blood splattering all over, they are chained and whipped. Hands tied to their necks, they are cast into the core of hell. Angels of punishment, in the meantime, place those who are guilty in beds of fire, with their covers also of fire. The coffins they are placed in are likewise covered with fire. Disbelievers constantly scream to be saved from such anguish. And in return, they often receive more humiliation and torture. They are left all alone. Believers live far from every spiritual anxiety and sorrow, because they remain in the awareness of God, Who created them, and so conform to His commands and prohibitions; because they live according to His commands, because they nurture hope and great expectations for the life to come. Above all, our Lord's assistance and support is with them, for: "God sent down His serenity on His Messenger and on the believers" (Surat at-Tawba, 26). Believers find a sense of comfort in the knowledge that God sees them in every prayer they observe, in every faithful work they perform, and in everything they do, both great and small, to gain His good pleasure. In addition, they also know that angels record their deeds in books and that they will be rewarded in the afterlife for what they have done. This is the sense of security that comes from their knowledge that God supports them with unseen hosts and angels, that they have a "succession of angels in front of them and behind them, in order to "guard them by Allah's command" (Surat ar-Ra'd, 11), that they will overcome the challenges they will face in God's way, and that they always have the joyful promise of Paradise. So, sincere believers, according to what God revealed to the angels, will never be overcome with fear or excitement, for: "I am with you, so make those who have faith firm" (Surat an-Anfal, 12).As we observe in this earthly life, the human spirit derives great pleasure from water, especially flowing water. Lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and streams flowing in a forest all speak to the human spirit. All artificial pools and fountains in mansions, residences, estates, and villa gardens, as well as artificial and natural streams, arise from this longing for the spiritual aesthetic.The Qur'an announces that the people of Paradise are blessed with the finest food and various drinks. But since these people require no nourishment, we can understand that such food and drink have been created only to give pleasure. The houses where believers live their earthly lives are "places in which Allah has permitted to be built and in which His name is remembered" (Surat an-Nur, 36), places that are cared for and kept spotlessly clean according to God's command. Houses in Paradise are like these, in that they are incomparably refreshing places in which God is remembered and offered thanksgiving. In the same way as these beautiful houses and mansions may be built amid natural beauty, it is also possible that they may have been built in outstandingly modern cities with aesthetically beautiful architecture and superior technology.These are just a few of what the body and mind will taste and witness in eternity.
