Tuesday, January 11, 2011

IF IT IS NOT IN 2012, THEN WHEN?

Islamic View of the Last Judgment Day


1) View from Qur'an

Muslims believe that the Qur'an provides the framework for understanding the Day of Judgment. Ideas such as the return of Jesus to earth and the second kingdom before the occurrence are believed to be indirectly mentioned in the Qur'an.

There are a wide variety of views and interpretations of the verses in the Qur'an referring to the Day of Judgment, many of which use esoteric Arabic words whose meanings are not well known.
According to the Qur'an:
  • The timing of the day of judgment is not known to people - only God knows when it will occur.[10]
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  • Muhammad, as the Messenger of Islam, does not know when the day will be.[11][12]
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  • Muhammad cannot bring it forward.[13]
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  • The people will believe that a short time has passed between their deaths and resurrection.[14]
  •  
  • Nothing will remain except God.[15]
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  • God will resurrect people even if they turn to stone or iron.[16]
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  • God will pass judgment on the works of people, forgiving or condemning. Books/records of the people shall be given to them in right hands in (front) if they are judged by good or left hands(behind the back) if they are judged to be evil.[17]
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  • Belief in the Judgment day is a requirement for salvation. The Qur'an seems to declare that belief in God and the last day and doing good works is sufficient for salvation even if that person be Jewish, Christian or Sabaean.[18] This puts the belief in the last day as a central requirement. Many Muslim authorities claim that this applies to people pre-dating the Qur'an and does not apply to later people.
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  • The majority of Islamic scholars are of the view that the Trumpet will be blown twice: the first time all creatures will swoon and the second time the resurrection will come to pass. This is based on the verse of Qur'an in which God says (interpretation of the meaning):
And the trumpet is blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are in the earth swoon away, save him whom Allah willeth. Then it is blown a second time, and behold them standing waiting!
—Surah 39 (Az-Zumar), ayat 68[19]
  • No injustice shall be done:
Surely Allah does not do injustice to the weight of an atom, and if it is a good deed He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.
—Qur'an, surah 4 An-Nisa, ayat 40[20]
  • Jesus (Isa) will return. The Qur'an claims that all of the "People of the Book" will believe in him before his death. Many Islamic authors take this passage to mean that Jesus has not died, but instead was raised to Heaven and will return before the day of judgment to establish the Kingdom of God and as a result everyone of the People of the Book (such as the Jews, Christians, Sabaeans, etc.) will become Muslims (see Hadith below).[21
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  •  Events on the day of judgment
Many chapters/surah of the Qur'an describe proposed events to occur on the day of judgement:
For example from surah 81 (At-Takwir) ayat 1-14:[22]
When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up;
When the stars fall, losing their lustre;
When the mountains vanish (like a mirage);
When the she-camels, ten months with young, are left untended;
When the wild beasts are herded together (in the human habitations);
When the oceans boil over with a swell;
When the souls are sorted out, (being joined, like with like);
When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned -
For what crime she was killed;
When the scrolls are laid open;
When the world on High is unveiled;
When the Blazing Fire is kindled to fierce heat;
And when the Garden is brought near;-
(Then) shall each soul know what it has put forward.[23]

2) View from Hadith (written sayings)


The Hadith books give the view that the day of the judgment will be foreshadowed by events classified as the minor and major signs of the day. Many classical authors believe that some of these events (signs) have already occurred.


According to some aspects of Muslim belief, there are signs which will possibly indicate the coming of the day of judgment. Classical authors categorized them into major and minor signs, but this varies. Some are general signs mentioned in Hadith relating to moral decay and some are more "miraculous".
The Qur'an mentions the ashraat  which have already occurred, by the time Muhammad gave the message to his people:
Do they then wait for aught but the hour that it should come to them all of a sudden? Now indeed the tokens of it have (already) come, but how shall they have their reminder when it comes on them?
—Qur'an, surah 47 Muhammad, ayat 18[24]
The Hadith literature has a large number of these signs:

Minor Signs

Muslims believe that these are signs that appear years before the day of judgment.
1-Diffusion of adultery.
2-Diffusion of usury.
3-Diffusion of alcohol.
4-Digging tunnels in Makkah and its structures go mountain high.
5-Diffusion of performance repertoire, songs, singers and dancers.

Major Signs

The major signs are the seven which are thought to occur closer to the supposed day of judgment.
  1. The appearance of Masih ad-Dajjal, Antichrist (not mentioned in the Qur'an)
  2. The appearance of Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj Gog and Magog[25]
  3. The appearance of the Dabbat al-ard (the strange beast)[26]
  4. Three huge earthquakes
  5. The smoke[27]
  6. The rise (Sunni view) or the return from occlusion (Shiah view) of the Imam Mahdi to restore Islam
  7. The return of Isa (Jesus) from heaven to assist the Imam Mahdi in restoring Islam

Other signs mentioned in Hadith

  1. Three huge earthquakes:
  2. Fire from the west
  3. People fighting over gold revealed by the river Tigris
  4. Inanimate objects speaking
  5. There will be 50 women for every 1 man
  6. The son being the master of the mother
  7. The sun appears to be rising from the west: The final sign after which repentance is not accepted.

Barzakh


In Islamic eschatology, Barzakh (Arabic: برزخ‎) is the intermediate state in which the soul (Nafs) of the deceased is transferred across the boundaries of the mortal realm into a kind of "cold sleep" where the soul will rest until the Qiyamah (judgment day).

From the Qur'an itself, Barzakh (Arabic: برزخ‎) is the intermediate state, interface or barrier between two states. Saudi Arabia Ministry of religious affairs[28][29][29][30][31]



3) Views of Classical Authors

 

Sunni

Shiah


4) Views of Modern Authors

 

Sunni

Shiah

 

Judgment

During judgment, it is believed that a person's own book of deeds will be opened and will be apprised of every action they did and every word spoken.[32] Actions taken during childhood are not judged. The supposed account of deeds is believed to be so detailed that one would be in awe at how comprehensive the account is, such that even lesser and trivial deeds be included. Throughout the supposed judgment, however, the underlying principle is that of a complete and perfect justice administered by God. The accounts of judgment are also replete with the emphasis that God is merciful and forgiving, and that mercy and forgiveness will be granted on that day.

The Qur'an states that even the smallest acts of the believers will not be wasted.
Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it!
And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.
—Qur'an, sura 99 Az-Zalzala, ayat 7-8[33]
Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
—Qur'an, sura 2 Al-Baqara, ayah 62[18]

Comparison with the Bible

While appearing similar to certain parts of the Bible (Ezekiel,[34] James,[35] 1 Peter,[36] Revelation[37]) this is dissimilar to some Protestant branches of Christianity, where salvation comes by faith in Yahweh alone. Catholics, however cite James 2:24[38] as evidence that judgment is not based on faith alone. Islam emphasizes that grace does not conflict with perfect justice.

The age of the hereafter or rest of eternity is the final stage believed to commence after the day of judgment, when all of humanity is believed to have received their judgment from God, if they were righteous and did good deeds based on their own circumstances, then if God wills, by His mercy they go to Jannah (heaven), a state of bliss, and if they have attained little in life and were unrighteous in their actions—or were, despite all evidence shown to them, bent on denying the truth of life once it was presented to them—based on their own circumstances they shall go to Jahannam

Having read and noted above, now it is the time for you to ask your Faith. The scholars set every nation of Islam must believe in six basic elements in Islam is known as the Five Pillars of Faith: -

  1. Believe in God/Allah
  2. Belief in the Prophets and Messengers
  3. Believe in Angels
  4. Believe in the Holy Books
  5. Believe in the Last Day
  6. Believe in Qada' and Qadar
So, every Muslims must believe in the Judgment Day. In addition to the adherents of Five Pillars of Faith in  Islam every Muslims must also comply with the 5 Pillars of Islam.

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