Ruling on Denial of the Hereafter and Shar‘i Proofs to Convince the Rejecters
Taken from: Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām
❖ The Question:
What is the ruling on a person who denies the life of the Hereafter and considers it a superstition of the Middle Ages? And how can such people be convinced to believe in the Hereafter?
❖ The Answer:
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Whoever denies the life of the Hereafter and considers it among the superstitions of the Middle Ages is a disbeliever, because the Qur’an clearly states:
﴿وَقالوا إِن هِىَ إِلّا حَياتُنَا الدُّنيا وَما نَحنُ بِمَبعوثينَ ﴿٢٩﴾ وَلَو تَرى إِذ وُقِفوا عَلى رَبِّهِم قالَ أَلَيسَ هـذا بِالحَقِّ قالوا بَلى وَرَبِّنا قالَ فَذوقُوا العَذابَ بِما كُنتُم تَكفُرونَ ﴿٣٠﴾ … سورة الأنعام
Qur’anic Proofs Against the Deniers of the Hereafter
① Severe Warnings for the Rejecters
- ﴿وَيلٌ يَومَئِذٍ لِلمُكَذِّبينَ ﴾ (Surah al-Mutaffifīn 10-17)
- ﴿بَل كَذَّبوا بِالسّاعَةِ وَأَعتَدنا لِمَن كَذَّبَ بِالسّاعَةِ سَعيرًا ﴾ (Surah al-Furqān 11)
- ﴿وَالَّذينَ كَفَروا بِـٔايـتِ اللَّهِ وَلِقائِهِ أُولـئِكَ يَئِسوا مِن رَحمَتى وَأُولـئِكَ لَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ ﴾ (Surah al-‘Ankabūt 23)
Shar‘i and Rational Proofs to Convince the Deniers
➊ Teachings of the Prophets
- All Prophets (عليهم السلام) and divine scriptures unanimously affirmed resurrection after death.
- Entire nations accepted this truth.
- If people accept the speculative words of philosophers, why reject the unanimous message of the Prophets?
➋ Rational Proofs
- First creation is proof of re-creation:
- ﴿وَهُوَ الَّذى يَبدَؤُا۟ الخَلقَ ثُمَّ يُعيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهوَنُ عَلَيهِ﴾ (Surah al-Rūm 27)
- ﴿كَما بَدَأنا أَوَّلَ خَلقٍ نُعيدُهُ﴾ (Surah al-Anbiyā’ 104)
- The universe is greater than man’s creation:
- ﴿لَخَلقُ السَّمـوتِ وَالأَرضِ أَكبَرُ مِن خَلقِ النّاسِ﴾ (Surah Ghāfir 57)
- ﴿أَوَلَيسَ الَّذى خَلَقَ السَّمـوتِ وَالأَرضَ…﴾ (Surah Yāsīn 81-82)
- Observation of the earth’s revival:
- ﴿وَمِن ءايـتِهِ أَنَّكَ تَرَى الأَرضَ خـشِعَةً…﴾ (Surah Fussilat 39)
➌ Sensory and Experiential Proofs
- The Qur’an narrates incidents where Allah revived the dead.
- Example: the man who passed by a ruined village, mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah 259, where Allah caused him to die for a hundred years and then brought him back to life.
➍ Requirement of Divine Wisdom
- Without resurrection and accountability, life would be meaningless.
- There would remain no difference between man and animal.
- Qur’anic Proof:
- ﴿أَفَحَسِبتُم أَنَّما خَلَقنـكُم عَبَثًا…﴾ (Surah al-Mu’minūn 115-116)
➎ Clear Proclamation of the Qur’an
- ﴿وَأَقسَموا بِاللَّهِ جَهدَ أَيمـنِهِم لا يَبعَثُ اللَّهُ مَن يَموتُ بَلى…﴾ (Surah al-Nahl 38-40)
- ﴿زَعَمَ الَّذينَ كَفَروا أَن لَن يُبعَثوا قُل بَلى وَرَبّى…﴾ (Surah al-Taghābun 7)
❖ Conclusion
Whoever, despite these evidences, persists in denying resurrection after death is obstinate, arrogant, and unjust. Such people will soon come to know their final abode — the Hellfire.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
