Behold! Allah said: “O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute. [Holy Qur’an 3:55]
Any adherent of the Islamic faith who denies the resurrection is far removed from the noble status of Muslim; a believer who strongly believes that G_d created life and also created death and that after death He will give each person new life. The Holy Qur’an Chapter 10 verse 31 says that Allah “brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living.”
Prophet Muhammed, prayers and peace be upon him often reminded his followers to prepare for the afterlife. He’s a firm example of how humans are to use their time and possessions of this life in service to G_d’s will for humanity. The intentional abuse of our life’s physical, mental and spiritual possessions will be unfavorable on Judgment Day.
Resurrection in Al-Islam is the proper upright standing of human excellence as ordained by our Creator. In Al-Islam there is no concept of “original sin.” It is impossible for sin to be “original.” Nor is sin a creation of G_d who only creates that which is good. However, human excellence (the Christ-nature) is original and an integral part of every human being; a powerful mercy from Allah (G_d).
As we travel through life struggling towards our destiny we will make mistakes. Even worse we’ll commit sins. Our mistakes, whether “honest mistakes” or just carelessness, serves as learning tools (minor trials) to help us be better human beings. However, committing sins is worse in degree because sinning requires the engagement of our conscious – an awareness and knowledge of right and wrong, yet we continue doing the wrong (major trials).
After such minor and major trials, in order to re-establish the Christ-nature within our lives, we need a resurrection; a renewal that is accompanied by the mercy of Allah. The Holy Qur’an chapter 4: verse172 states, “Christ disdaineth nor to serve and worship Allah, nor do the angels, those nearest (to Allah): those who disdain His worship and are arrogant,-He will gather them all together unto Himself to (answer).”
All that G_d created, willingly or unwillingly, must obey its Creator. In Al-Islam we know that everything created by Allah is Muslim, meaning it is a thing that submits to do the will of G_d. Thus the air we breathe is Muslim, the solar systems and everything within them is Muslim because they all, individually and collectively, naturally without questioning submit to do the will of Allah. Then Allah made a special creature called the human being that submits on two levels; the level within our physical nature and secondly on a higher level within our conscious minds, or we can say within our Christ-nature.
The sins of this world can “crucify” the Christ-nature we are born with. Prophet Muhammed called this Christ-nature FITRAH, our original human constitution created by Allah. When the evils of this world kill that good nature within us, then Allah will resurrect our Fitrah (Christ-nature), to an upright standing perpendicular. Not only “up” but also “right” with our heads on top and obeying our Creator. We receive a small taste of uprightness in this life. With the mercy of Allah, after we die to the ways of this world, we get the fullness of being upright when we are resurrected.
By Imam Michael “Mikal” Saahir
April 16, 2014