Reward and Punishment

[Joseph Islam]

LINK TO THE ORIGINAL THREAD
http://www.salaatforum.com/index.php?id=296

by Joseph Islam  , On God's Earth, Saturday, November 12, 2011, 08:24 (42 minutes ago)

Dear All,

It has come to my attention from my readers that a very good question was asked by someone on another forum. I will reproduce it here as I don't think it received an appropriate response (as per feedback):


AOA,

I have learned so much from you that I cant even describe it. I have another question for you if you can help me understand it please. Please take a look at what is written in 36:52 and then take a look at my question. I appreciate your time and effort. Thank you!

36:52 They will say, "Oh, woe to us! Who has awakened us from our beds of sleep? This is what the Beneficent promised, and the Messengers spoke the truth." [Marqad = Bed of sleep = Resting place. These two verses strongly dismiss the clergy-peddled false concept of punishment in the grave. And how would God punish people after death before the Day of Judgment. Moreover, many kinds of suffering (‘Azaab) are named in the Qur'an, but not once is mentioned 'Azaabil Qabr. In fact, God never punishes people. We only face His Law of Just Recompense, "As you sow, so shall you reap."]

I agree that God never punishes. My question is: what is the purpose of a resurrection and Day of Judgement if we only 'face His law of just recompense' and 'As you sow, so shall you reap'? It sounds like the results of doing bad deeds will be your punishment and the results of your good deeds will be your rewards. You are paying/rewarded in this life based on Gods laws of just recompense. what is the purpose of an additional day of judgement?

Amjad

http://www.ourbeacon.com/cgi-bin/bbs60x/webbbs_config.pl/page/1/md/read/id/314123119171588


The response was given by Shabbir Ahmed which in my view does not address the important question asked:

W'A dear brother,

While the human body dies, our 'self' or NAFS remains immortal. Benefiting people causes our 'self' to grow to the eternal Jannah and harming people, violating human rights stunts our 'self' to suffer (Hell).

A lifelong student

http://www.ourbeacon.com/cgi-bin/bbs60x/webbbs_config.pl/page/1/md/read/id/314123119171590


The question remains, what is the purpose of an additional day of judgment if the claim is that "You are paying/rewarded in this life based on Gods laws of just recompense"

How did someone like Pharaoh, a tyrant get rewarded for his heinous crimes in this life or any other tyrant throughout history who does not attract recompense in this world?

I agree there is NO punishment in the grave. That is not my academic contention.

http://quransmessage.com/articles/grave%20punishment%20FM3.htm


Please brother Jawaid and others, please feel free to answer but please without long quotes but dealing with the core of the question.

I look forward to any suitable responses.

Let us facilitate a meaningful discussion.

Kind regards,
Joseph.

--
'During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act'
George Orwell

http://www.quransmessage.com
Copyright © 2010 Quransmessage.com

[Reader Comments]

LINK TO THE ORIGINAL THREAD
http://www.salaatforum.com/index.php?mode=thread&id=296#p304


RESPONSE GIVEN ON THE SALAAT FORUM

by Quasim Hamdani, Chicago, Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 20:35 (11 hours, 51 minutes ago) @ Joseph Islam
I think the Judgement Day and the Laws of Recompense are two separate and distinct things.

The Judgement Day coincides with the resurrection in the Hereafter. The Hereafter is a cosmic event where the universe goes through a massive change and humans are alive and aware again. Unlike our first birth, where we came to life helpless and clueless and later died with an entire database of our thoughts and actions preserved, this new life picks up where the old life stopped. This database of our thoughts and actions determines whether we are relegated to a life of envy, resentments and frustrations or we graduate to a life of happiness, comfort, abundance and fantastic new experiences.

Like all laws, the Law of Recompense is a process. Before this law kicks in, the humans are given an opportunity to repent and start over, if the repentance is not forthcoming, then the Law of Recompense takes hold. The nature and timing of this recompense is not always known. The requital is bound by space and time while we are living. A person may also die before experiencing the earthly requital. There is an inverse relationship between the requital earned and your station in the Hereafter - the more requitals one earns the lower the station. The database of our thoughts and actions travels with us to the Hereafter, intact.

[Joseph Islam]

LINK THE ORIGINAL THREAD
http://www.salaatforum.com/index.php?mode=thread&id=296#p306

by Joseph Islam  , On God's Earth, Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 21:45 (10 hours, 42 minutes ago) @ Quasim Hamdani


That is good answer in my humble, personal opinion.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Joseph.

--
'During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act'
George Orwell

http://www.quransmessage.com
Copyright © 2010 Quransmessage.com