Resurrection After Death (2): How Easy is It?
Do you have any doubts about resurrection after death?
In the Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The All-Compassionate.
Introduction
This is a follow-up article. The previous one is below.
Shortly, we discussed Qur’an’s answers to an unbeliever who came to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH), with a rotten bone in his hand. He smashed it and threw it into the air and asked “Who will give life to these bones when they have rotten away?” (Qur’an, 36/78).
Allah (God) revealed several responses in the last 7 verses of Surah Yaseen, chapter 36 of the Qur’an (i.e., Qur’an, 36/77–83). There are at least 7 responses in these 7 verses which refute the claims against resurrection while demonstrating how possible, easy, reasonable, and necessary the resurrection and the afterlife are.
We briefly addressed the first five verses, i.e., Qur’an, 36/77–80, in the previous article. We will now, very briefly, address the last two.
6th Response
When He wills a thing to be, He but says to it “Be!” and (in the selfsame instant) it is.
(Qur’an, 36/82)
This is very hard to comprehend for people who are brainwashed by materialistic ideologies since childhood. However, I will try to demonstrate the truth behind this verse through some materialistic-friendly examples.
If we were told, 500 years ago, that one day we will verbally command lifeless and unconscioius objects and they will obey and do what we ask them, we, probably, wouldn’t have believed it. However, today we have self-driving cars, smart homes, smart warehouses, (potentially fully) smart factories and much more where we can use verbal commands and those lifeless and unconscious objects obey our commands and do exactly what we command them.
If we, with our extremely limited knowledge, ability, and skills, have found ways to command lifeless objects where they obey us and do what we tell them, then it is absolutely possible and reasonable that every particle and object in the universe listened and obeyed the Almighty God, their Creator, and did what He commanded them.
The verse mentions that God governs everything with commands. He commands and they immediately do it, as we showed how possible and reasonable this is. I will provide more explanations for this in future articles, insha’Allah (God willing).
Now, imagine a military commander. Since all the soldiers listen and obey to his commands, then if he wants the soldiers to do something, he just commands them and they do it immediately.
For this commander, leading an army of 1000 soldiers is as easy as leading a single soldier. He just says “March!” to a soldier and the soldier moves. He says the same thing, “March!”, to an army of 1000 soldiers and they all move.
Similarly, since all the particles and objects in the universe are like obedient soldiers of God, then He just commands them, and they all follow it. Therefore, creation and resurrection of all humanity is as simple and easy as creation and resurrection of a single person.
The creation and resurrection of you ˹all˺ is as simple ˹for Him˺ as that of a single soul.
(Qur’an, 31/28)
Assume that the military commander positioned 1000 soldiers in certain places with certain equipment with clear instructions and the soldiers took their positions. Then the commander commanded them “Rest!” and they left their positions to relax.
Can you claim that this commander will not be able to bring those soldiers back to their positions? Of course not. He will just command them to take their positions and all the soldiers will take their positions immediately. This second gathering of soldiers is even easier for this commander than their arrangement in the first time.
Similarly, since everything in the existence listens and obeys God’s commands, then every particle and object is like an obedient soldier of God. Every living body is a battalion of these soldier particles that God has positioned in certain parts of our bodies with certain equipment and functions during our lifetime. After death, they receive the command of “Rest!” and they leave their positions.
Then resurrection of our bodies for God is as simple as commanding those particles to take their positions, and they will do so. This resurrection is even easier than our first creation.
And He is the One Who originates the creation then will resurrect it — which is even easier for Him.
(Qur’an, 30/27)
It is also possible that the military commander used a siren or a trumpet with different sounds, one meaning “Rest!” and another meaning “Take your positions!”. When other soldiers hear the sound and they recognize what it means, they immediately obey it.
Now, read the following verses from the same chapter of the Qur’an about the Last Day and Resurrection and try to see the truth behind them through the lens of the above examples.
They should await only a single blast that will seize them unawares even as they are disputing (heedlessly among themselves about their worldly concerns). Then they will not be able even to make a bequest (so suddenly will the blast seize them), nor return to their families. And the Trumpet will be blown, and see, out of the graves they rush forth to their Lord. They will cry: “Woe to us! Who has raised us from our place of sleep? (We have come to know that) this is what the All-Merciful promised, and that the Messengers spoke the truth!” It is but one single blast, and see, they will all have been (raised and) arraigned together before Us (for judgment). On that Day, no soul will be wronged in the least, and you will not be recompensed for anything but what you used to do.
(Qur’an, 36/49–51)
Now read the 82nd verse (6th verse in our discussion) again:
When He wills a thing to be, He but says to it “Be!” and (in the selfsame instant) it is.
(Qur’an, 36/82)
Don’t you see how easy it is for God to resurrect all humanity with a single command?
Note that this explanation only helps our limited minds to understand a glimpse of the verse of the Qur’an 36/82.
7th Response
So, All-Glorified is He in Whose Hand is the absolute dominion of all things, and to Him you are being brought back.
(Qur’an, 36/83)
In the examples above, our creation from a sperm, creation of plants from lifeless mud and their revival, the precision and sophistication in the creation of the heavens and the Earth are given which clearly demonstrate they necessarily require an All-Knowing, All-Wise and All-Powerful Creator. See our proofs for the existence and unity of God for more details.
It is impossible for any being to be able to do any of the above actions without having complete knowledge of and absolute governance over the whole creation (see our proofs for the existence and unity of God for more details).
All the perfections, beauties, and sophistications in God’s creation are glorifications of Him made by those creatures in their tongues of disposition. Therefore, the above examples are evidence and prove the first part of this verse, which says “So, All-Glorified is He in Whose Hand is the absolute dominion of all things.”
Everything in the universe has a purpose/benefit for the universe as a whole or for some of its parts. For example, bacteria (especially the ones in our intestines to digest food), plants, bees, mountains, clouds, the moon, the sun etc. If anything is removed from ecosystem or from the universe, we would witness certain problems.
However, the only being which has no necessary benefit for the universe itself is human. If we removed humanity from ecosystem, there would be no problems. The ecosystem will be much more better without us. This clearly shows that we are not created solely for this life.
On the other hand, it is unreasonable and contradictory to the perfect attributes of the All-Glorified, All-Wise Creator to create humans in the best form without attaching any purpose to them. Since there is no significant purpose in this life, then we must be created for another place and life.
God’s wisdom, mercy, majesty, compassion, justice, and generosity require that we were brought back to life, judged based on our actions and intentions, and rewarded or punished accordingly to establish His perfect justice and wisdom. And creating such a place and resurrecting us for that life is easy for God.
Since there is no difficulty for God to resurrect us and since clearly apparent attributes of God in the universe, like wisdom, justice, mercy, majesty and generosity, require our resurrection and judgment, then we will definitely be resurrected, judged and rewarded or punished for our actions.
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