A035
Surah: 050 - Ayah: 035
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50:35
In the human personality, the world of imagination and the world of dreams are two such evidences, that through their help everyone can understand the reality of inbiath and ibda . For instance, a person in his imagination can go to and return from the Moon, not only the Moon but the planet of Mars, without any duration of time; he can conceive anything in the heaven and the earth; through a story or memory he can reach the past; going towards the future, he can conceive of Resurrection; If he wishes he can see in the mirror of his imagination anyone whom he had seen sometimes in the past and he can make an imaginary picture of someone who he has not seen and only heard about. Each of these actions takes place with great rapidity like the miracle of "kun (Be)", namely, inbiath and ibda. But all these actions are in potentiality and still far away from actuality.
Therfore, there is no light of spirituality in them and if there is no light, then how is bliss possible? However, through these examples it is necessary to understand the miracle of ibda . Also, it is necessary to understand this law of nature, that in the kingdom of God, everything is first in potentiality, then it comes into actuality. This means that in Paradise, man will be able to do every action which he desired to do in this world and for which he was doing exercises in his imagination and dreams, as God says: "Therein (in Paradise) they shall have whatever they will; and with Us there is yet more" (50:35). It should be remembered that in the Holy Qur'an there are many such verses.
Similarly, from everything In the world of dreams, we get the examples of inbiath and ibda . In it there are glad tidings as well as warning; the example of the paradise as well as that of hell; the light as well as the darkness; flight amongst the heights, as well as falling down in the lowliness. In short, the world of dreams is such that, in it are found both happiness and sorrow. It is like the death of animal soul, resurrection, inbiath and ibda . Therefore, we should ask ourselves how does man transfer into the world of dreams? Does he go to it with or without this body? Whence did the world of dreams appear all of a sudden? When man awakens, where does the world of dreams go or where does it hide itself? Is it like the personal world? If there is no sleep in paradise then will the world of dreams come to an end or will both this world and the world of imagination be transformed into the personal world? Asking such questions necessitates thinking about the world of dreams, for the dream is an example of both the physical death and the spiritual death (resurrection), as God says: "It is God that takes the souls (of men) at death (physically and spiritually) ; and those that die not (he takes their souls) during their sleep: Those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but (the souls of) the rest He sends back for an appointed term. Verily, in this are signs for those who reflect" (39:42). In this verse there are hidden three great wisdoms: (a) To sleep and then get up from the world of dreams is like seeing the Hereafter and to come back to this world, (b) In a sense, the soul of the Perfect Man who dies spiritually has reached the Hereafter. (c) In another sense, it having seen the Resurrection and the Hereafter has come back to this world.
One Answer to a Hundred Thousand Questions: What bounties are granted in Paradise? And what things are not attainable? The Noble Qur'an has given a universal principle which is mentioned in many a place in varying forms in order to understand this. One of them is: "In it (Paradise) for them there is all that they desire, and there is more with Us" (50:35). There is such a wisdom- filled answer in this noble verse that it is sufficient even for a hundred thousand questions. In short, every desired bounty is available in Paradise.
Seeing of this World by the Deceased
Q.51. When a person dies, this world becomes invisible to his eyes, because he no longer has the eye with which he used to see this world. Nevertheless, if he wants to see this world or at least the members of his family and wants to help them in some way, is it possible or not, for him to do so?
A. First, we have to see whether the deceased person is in paradise or in hell? For, the question of the paradise is different from that of the hell. That is to say, in paradise, the fulfillment of every desire is possible. See the Qur'anic verse (50:35): "In it (paradise) they have all that they desire and there is more (than that) with Us", (whereas in hell it is not so).
The mu'mins in paradise will be able to see this world in many ways. For instance, in the illumination of the Divine light, with the spiritual eye; attending towards the external world in ibdaif body etc. As for the question of helping someone, it is somewhat different from this; for this is an interference in the law of free will and trial. However, if it is approved by God, it is also possible to help, provided the soul is on the angelic level. Regarding the help of angels to the mu'min, it is said: "We are your friends (helpers) in the life of this world and in the Hereafter" (41:31). Here it should also be remembered that, by the command of God, whatever help the angels can give, is related only to the soul, knowledge and religion and never related to worldly things.
At this point if someone asks if man has a permanent survival, how has he forgotten his past pleasant life? Further, what will be his feelings and perceptions about the past, the present and the future when he will be resurrected into this eternal and everlasting survival, etc.? The answers to these questions are that man has come to this world in search of knowledge, which he can attain in the form of the recognition of his soul, through obedience to God, and good deeds. During this time, due to his connection with the body, he has passed through a state of oblivion, due to which he has forgotten his spiritual history, but when he will merge in the permanent survival of the higher world he will realise that he was there permanently. In this state, he will transcend the past, the present and the future, because the world of command (cÀlam-i amr) is above time and space. That is, there will be his favourite living pictures in front of the Holy Spirit, irrespective of time, according to the verse: “For them there is in (paradise) what they desire, and there is more with Us” (50:35).
Another proof of the importance of every language and the possibility of its ascension is that man according to some is considered a microcosm and according to others a macrocosm. Whether he is microcosm or macrocosm, it is a universally accepted fact that the human soul by itself is a vast spiritual world, in which there are all the speaking and living things of the world. When a human being becomes able to attain this personal and spiritual kingdom, the language of his personal luminous world is the same as his mother or national language, or the one which he used to like in this world. As God says: “In it (i.e. Paradise) they have all that they desire, and there is more with Us” (50:35). That is, with Us there are such high ranks that they have never even thought about them.
If one asks what bounties are found in Paradise, or how many different kinds of bounties can be found there, the answer is that from one aspect, the innumerable bounties of Paradise are of two kinds: Firstly, those bounties that man knows and which he desires and secondly those bounties which he cannot even conceive (50:35). From yet another aspect, the bounties of Paradise are divided into intellectual, spiritual and of the subtle body and which themselves have many subsidiary kinds. The gist of what has been said here is that recognition of Paradise and its bounties is necessary in order to inspire the desire for them. For, if one does not know the supreme bounties of God and does not desire them, then according to the law of treasures (15:21), the law of recognition (47:6) and the law of desire (16:31; 25:16; 39:34; 42:22; 50:35) they will not be given.
The Wise Qur'an is the unique heavenly Book in which wisdom-filled answers to thousands of questions concerning higher sciences are already provided. Among these, there is the question related to the bounties of Paradise. For instance, if someone asks: What bounties are available in Paradise for its inmates?
A1: It is said in verse (50:35): "For them therein shall be what they desire; and with Us there is more." There are five such verses in the Qur'an which answer this question. It should be noted that the people of Paradise always receive three kinds of bounties: bounties of the subtle body, bounties of soul and bounties of intellect, because the human existence consists of three things: body, soul and intellect. But instead of the dense body in Paradise, there will be the subtle body. Thus, the people of Paradise will desire these three kinds of bounties.
A2: It is said in verse (14:34): "And He gave you of all that you asked Him. If you count Allah's bounties, you will never be able to reckon them." Here there is a subtle allusion that you should acquire true knowledge, so that in its light you will be able to seek higher and higher bounties.
A3: It is said in verse (31:20): "Did you not see (with the inner eye) that Allah has subjugated to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and has completed His favours, both apparent and hidden?" Those who were able to see have seen clearly and said that this means to grant the kingdom of the entire universe.
A4: On the one side there is Paradise with all its bounties and on the other there is Rizwan (9:72), i.e. the pleasure of God or a great angel or God Himself, Who is greater even than the Paradise. This means that God can be found with or after Paradise in such a way that, after finding Him, we never separate from Him.
A5: There is no doubt that there are ranks according to the Qur'an and Islam. Thus, those who excel over others in fulfilling the command of "Hurry!" (3:133) and "excel!" (57:21), their personal world will be joined with the universe to make it Paradise. This will be the old as well as new Paradise, in which all the people of the time will enter.
A6: In Paradise God will grant His chosen friends such a great kingdom (76:20), that it is not possible for humble servants like us, to praise duly. In short, there are so many magnificent bounties in the kingdom of Paradise that they cannot be compared with any other bounty. They are examples of their own.
A7: It is said in verses (54:54-55): "Verily, the righteous ones will be amidst gardens and streams, in the seat of truth, near the Omnipotent Sovereign." Whenever the special closeness of God is mentioned, it means annihilation in God, because after the holy didar or vision, the arif in reality, becomes annihilated.
A8: The bounties of Paradise cannot come to this world, only their shadows, come to this world. When man was in the womb of his mother, he knew neither bounty nor the shadow of bounty, but when he was born and reached the age of discretion, his limited desires started to grow, which were based on shadow-like bounties. When such people, by the grace and benevolence of God, enter Paradise, their desires will prove to be limited, but the bounties there will be unlimited.
A9: Study verses (83:18-21): "Nay, but the record of the righteous is in the elevated angels. And what do you know what the elevated angels are? They are a written book, which can be seen by the chosen ones (even in this world)." The record of deeds of the righteous is in the form of elevated angels, which although it cannot be seen by all the righteous people in the spirituality of this world, is seen by the closest ones, who are the people of recognition, who see this wonderful record of deeds with their inner eye. These great angels who, as the honourable scribes are eventually in the Sacred Sanctuary, are many, but at the level of oneness they all become one. Thus, there is only one angel there.
This verse has been referred 7 times.