Islamic Intellectual Theology Lesson 43

1. Islamic Intellectual TheologyLesson 43 The Intellectual Evidence of ME’AAD Factors for Denying ME’AAD Primary Source : ELAHIYAAT (Arabic) of Sh’ Ja’far Subhani , Vol. 4 Pages 167-179 (Summary) Edited: Nov. 10, 2009 - BHD

2. Seventh: Energy Is Never Lost But Transferred The creation in the life indicates every thing has a cycle where regeneration happens and anew life is produced The cycle of a plant (the matter continues to exist) Human dies, decays, soil (nitrogen and minerals) consumed, produces plant, eaten by animal, which is eaten by human who dies. Water cycle Conclusion: The human soul is an energy and based on the law of energy it has to continue because it is a part of this world and creation, and since it does not continue in this material world then there has to be another world where it continues. NOOH 17-18وَ اللَّهُ أَنْبَتَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ نَباتاً (17) And Allah has made you grow out of the earth as a growth ثُمَّ يُعيدُكُمْ فيها وَ يُخْرِجُكُمْ إِخْراجاً (18) Then He returns you to it, then will He bring you forth a) new (bringing forth) 81 ROOM 50 فَانْظُرْ إِلى‏ آثارِ رَحْمَتِ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْيِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِها إِنَّ ذلِكَ لَمُحْيِ الْمَوْتى‏ وَ هُوَ عَلى‏ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَديرٌ Look then at the signs of Allah's mercy, how He gives life to the earth after its death Most surely He will raise the dead to life And He has power over all things) 05 (

3. The Factors of Denying the ME’AAD This section can be divided into: Denial due to rejection Denial due to confusion

4. Denial Due to the Rejection Due to love of the material world and the denial of metaphysical things some people are not open to the concept of the hereafter which depends on the belief in the metaphysical. For the above reason people ignore the concept of justice and end up being unjust doing wrong and unfair acts. The concept of the hereafter depends on believing in divine justice. The tyrants and the oppressors deny the hereafter because it conflicts with their interests. Once people start believing in it, they will recognize that this life is not every thing. Therefore people will fight the oppression even by giving up their lives in this world because they believe in a better life in the hereafter.

5. QIYAMAH 3-6 أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّن نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ ]3[ [Shakir 75:3] Does man think that We shall not gather his bones?بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ {4} [Shakir 75:4] Yea! We are able to make complete his very fingertips ARRAD 5 وَإِن تَعْجَبْ فَعَجَبٌ قَوْلُهُمْ أَئِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا أَئِنَّا لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَأُوْلَئِكَ الأَغْلاَلُ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدونَ {5} [Shakir 13:5] And if you would wonder, then wondrous is their saying: What! when we are dust, shall we then certainly be in a new creation? These are they who disbelieve in their Lord, and these have chains on their necks, and they are the inmates of the fire; in it they shall abide.

6. MOMINOON 33-37 A Prophet after NOOH (AS) أَيَعِدُكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ إِذَا مِتُّمْ وَكُنتُمْ تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَنَّكُم مُّخْرَجُونَ {35} [Shakir 23:35] What! does he threaten you that when you are dead and become dust and bones that you shall then be brought forth? هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ لِمَا تُوعَدُونَ {36} [Shakir 23:36] Far, far is that which you are threatened with. إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ {37} [Shakir 23:37] There is naught but our life in this world; we die and we live and we shall not be raised agai

7. Denial Due to Confusion Lack of material evidence, by looking into him self and into his love and hate he will realize that such activities are metaphysical. Stories of the previous ones who passed. [MU’MINOON 82-83]. That means the previous prophets [as] spoke about the hereafter and that is the reason these people say that we have been listening these stories from our ancestors. Affects of JINN and fabrications against God [SABA 7-8]. If they believe in JINN then believing in the continuation of the ROOH and resurrection should not be difficult to understand Magic: If a Prophet [as] tells them and shows them by bringing some one back to life, they say it is a magic trick [HOOD 7]. Magic doesn’t depend on the material laws, as mentioned in the previous point. If they believe a Prophet can bring a person back to life even by magic, then why cant the creator of a Prophet do it.

8. Forms of Denial [Cont’d.] 5. If it is true then they demand bring back their ancestors to life: JAATHIYAH 25 6. Difficulty of resurrection : ROOM 27 7. Difficulty of recreation: YASEEN 78 Now we will discuss some of these points

9. Lack of Faith in Metaphysical Belief in the hereafter comes after the belief in God, the Most Powerful, The Most Merciful. If some one believes in these facts then there is no reason for him or her to deny the Hereafter. Therefore if some one denies the hereafter and does not believe in the mentioned facts, then the argument should be focused on such facts before discussing the hereafter. [HOOD 4]

10. The Creator Can Recreate If some one can make a thing then such person can fix that thing if it breaks. Not just that but he can make another one like it. The one who created the heavens can recreate a human. If He can grow a person from a sperm, how can’t He bring that person back from scattered parts. [QIYAAMAH 36-40] The one who can bring a dead land back to life can bring a dead human back to life [TAHA 55, HAJJ 5-7] If the dust can become alive and bring fruits, then why can some one who was created from dust be recreated. He can also collect the scattered parts and remake his creation. He has the knowledge of every single atom and molecule of the universe.

11. Human Soul Can Survive Independently Those who said that the soul annihilates with the body, therefore it can not survive till the day of judgment to return to its physical body, can be responded to in two ways. Intellectual Religious

12. Indication of Separation of the Soul The difference between the body and the self. For the body one can say: My leg or hand or face or heart, but the actions are described as “I” (ANA), such as I read, I wrote. It is not said my hand wrote or my legs walked, therefore there is a self or a soul who runs the system of the body. A human has his soul which is within him does not change with the aging of the body even though an outsider can describe him as a child or an adult but inside his soul is not old. S/He can say I was young and then I became old. The “I” is describing the external changes, but it is still the old “I” or (ANA)

13. Regeneration of cells Scientists have concluded that the cells regenerate continuously. New cells of the body replace the old ones (except for the nervous and the muscular tissues). So the material part is changing, but the person himself is the same “I” (ANA and is not replaced. A child looks different as an adult in the physical aspect, but the soul is the same. Scientists indicate that the entire body regenerates every 10 years. Therefore the material body has changed but the ROOH or soul is the same and does not change due to the physical changes of the body. There are times people become heedless about their bodies but still are aware of them selves. That indicates that they are separate entities working together. During death they separate; one decays and one continues on.

14. Soul is Not Divided The body and the cells can be divided. If such happens the soul remains intact which indicates that these two are separate entities The soul is one and that is (ANA) “I” The body is ‘My Body” Hate, love, disappointment, acceptance, rejection, and denial are not affected by the divisions of the body cells, its death, or its regeneration. Love is not composed of particles or is material, but it is a feeling. Dreams are an act of the soul and not the body.