by AY Mol
Note: Footnotes are numbered and given in Italics.
This is an excerpt taken from the essay http://deenrc.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/quranic-cosmology-a-short-introduction-by-ay-mol-f.pdf.
The Qur’an uses 2 distinct definitions that describe the state of Man. Jannah and Jahannam. Jannah means a Garden with so much growth, the ground is not seen 1 and thus it refers to being in a state of existence where Man has all it needs to survive and develop, it is in a state of growth and development. The word Jahannam derives from an old valley south-east of Jerusalem. Jahannam comes from the Hebrew "gi-hinnom" which means "Valley of Hinnom." People, especially children, used to be sacrificed there to idols. Later, the valley was used as an execution ground for criminals. Bodies and clothing of those dying of a contagious disease, were burned there. In Jesus' time it was still used for burning the rubbish and garbage of Jerusalem 2. This in itself gives the idea that Jahannam is a metaphor for a state of a stagnant existence with no development. It describes the state of existence where no means for survival and development are present and thus Man is in a state of stagnation, its potentials are burned up and wasted just as the garbage in the old valley.
1 Page 104-105 under the root Janna. Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an by Abdul Mannar Omar, 2006 4th edition. Page 35, Exposition of the Holy Qur’an, Mafhum Al-Qur’an by G.A. Parwez. 1990. He quotes 2 dictionaries: “A garden of dates and grapes was called "Jannah"; if a garden had other fruit-trees, but not those of dates and grapes, then it was called Hadeeqa (Taj). Raghib says that every garden whose ground could not be seen because of under-growth of bushes was called Jannah.â€
2 Page 32. Exposition of the Holy Qur’an, Mafhum Al-Qur’an by G.A. Parwez. 1990. See also page 72 explanation on Jahannam. Al-Qur’an, A Contemporary Translation by Ahmed Ali, 2001 9th edition. Page 114 Volume 2. Arabic-English Lexicon by Edward William Lane, based on Taj-Ul-Roos, 2003 2nd reprint. Page 116 Biblical Dictionary by prof. Snijders, 2nd edition 2005. "Gehenna is taken from the Hebrew gee hinnoom, valley of Hinnom, a sinister area south of Jerusalem, where children and other things were burn-offerings to the god Moloch (2 Chron; Jer 7:31)." Page 476 under Gehenna Encyclopedie van de wereldreligies, deel I, 2006. Translated from Dutch into English: “Greek name of Gehinnom, the dwelling of the damned, south of Jerusalem, mentioned in Jeremia in 2 Chronicles 23:10 as the valley where children-sacrifices were given to Molech. After the destruction of Jerusalem (587 BCE), the valley was also named “Murdervalleyâ€. After which the word also gained next to its topographic meaning, also an eschatological meaning as place of punishment.â€
This is caused by war, poverty, illiteracy and so on. A garden is always the result of the work of Man, just as a garbage dump is also the result of Man. In this way the Qur'an presents Jannah as a state of evolution of the individual and society, and Jahannam as a state of non-evolution wherein both individual and society do not develop.
3:133 Move forward eagerly to the tranquil security that comes from your Lord, and to the Paradise that transcends spatial boundaries, encompassing the Heavens and the Earth. It has already been prepared for those who live upright. (Paradise is not confined to the Heavens. Like Hell, it begins right here in this worldly life).
16:97 Whoever, whether male or female, does works that help others and is a believer, We shall certainly cause them to live a good life, and We shall grant them the rewards considering the best of their actions.
41:31 We are close to you in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. In it (in your paradise on the Earth and in the Hereafter) you shall have all that you may desire and in it you shall have all that you ever prayed for.
These 2 descriptions are used to describe the state of Man in this phase and the next phase of the Universe. In this phase Jannah describes Man when it has complete freedom and has enough nourishment to live, it has housing, food, lives in peace and has access to explore the workings of nature. It is always in a state of struggle to maintain this state of existence as this is part of the law of Evolution (Jihad means: to struggle).
22:78 And strive hard (jahidu) for Allah with the endeavour which is right....
In the Qur’an, a perfect society is explained as having running water:
7:43 There will be no such feelings amongst the dwellers of Earthly and heavenly Paradise wherein streams will flow.
Today, a level a society is in is judged on its sewage system and its offering of fresh water to every household. All of mankind has housing and substance and people can travel the world freely and is welcomed everywhere with peace:
19:62 There they will not hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of Peace. And therein they will have their sustenance day and night.
76:14 Pleasant shades close upon them and clusters of fruits reach them low.
39:20 But those who are mindful of their Lord, for them are lofty and honorable mansions built for them with rivers flowing beneath. This is God’s promise. Never does God fail His promise.
In this state of a perfect world society, Man can fully realize all its potentials and explore and spread out over the Universe.
Umrah = Visit to a place on Earth or other planets which is uninhabited, to colonize it, develop it, populate it and to build a sustaining system in such a way so it can survive till the end of time. 3
3 Page 387 under the root Amara. Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an by Abdul Mannar Omar, 2006 4th edition. Page 438-442 Volume 5. Arabic-English Lexicon by Edward William Lane, based on Taj-Ul-Roos, 2003 2nd reprint. They give: To inhabit, dwell, mend, repair/revive, tend, build, promote, cultivate, make habitable, to make better, to develop, populate, to serve/uphold/observe/regard, to visit, to colonize, aimed at it, frequently visit, a visit in which is the cultivation of love/affection, repairing to an inhabited place. Perform a sacred visitation, minor pilgrimage, pilgrimage with fewer rites. to remain alive (save life), to live, life, age, long-life, old-age.
It is realizing its reason for existence. It is not always possible for every person to live under these circumstances, and so the Law of Evolution judges you only on how you have used the possibilities you have gotten and how you have used your potentials with those limited possibilities. It judges you on your potential of beneficence to mankind as a species.
23:61-62 It is those who race with one another to improve the quality of life for humanity, and it is those who are worthy of winning good things. We do not burden any human being with more than he or she is able to bear. And with Us is a Record that speaks the truth (about what you can and cannot do). And so, none shall be wronged. [2]
Mankind on its time on Earth has developed several different understandings of Nature and the nature of Allah as it has complete free will (18:29, 27:92). As most of these beliefs are not based on evidence but on conjecture or man-made lies by the priesthood to sustain the ruling classes, almost every group on Earth has different beliefs. This creates divisions among themselves, plus it makes them follow man-made understandings which will not help them in their development, and many times these belief-systems will clash. This was one of the reasons to teach Man about the true nature of Allah and the Universe, to unite Man and to make them approach reality in the correct way. To believe in a trinity or a multitude of gods or powers, or to believe in mythical creatures means you base your beliefs not on proof as demanded (3:191, 17:36), but on man-made books and legends. Thus you follow your ancestors blindly. This also means you will not go beyond your ancestors, thus you do not develop, you are in Jahim.
Jahim means: fire, barrier, to stop something from acting or journeying 4, and explains a state of human existence which does not progress as a person or society.
17:36 And you shall not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, Sight, and the faculty of reasoning. (And so, the insane and the disabled will have their incapacities taken into account in a court of law)
4 Exposition of the Holy Qur’an, Mafhum Al-Qur’an by G.A. Parwez. 1990. It quotes the dictionaries: “Aj-Hama 'Anhu means he got stopped. Al-Jahh-Amo means a miser who stops all the wealth from circulating (Taj). Jahama means: the fire bursts into flames. The Holy Qur’an has used Al-Jaheem in the meaning of Jahannam (44/47, 37/55-64-68). The Holy Qur’an has also described the result of misdeeds as the torturing fire. As the fire burns everything, so the bad deeds burn the human personality and stop its growth.†Page 20 Volume 2, Arabic-English Lexicon by Edward William Lane, based on Taj-Ul-Roos, 2003 2nd reprint. It gives: “To kindle a fire, make to burn, burn up, burn brightly or fiercly, open the eye, to abstain/refrain/desist/forbear, advance or go forward, recede or draw back
21:22 If there were other powers besides God, there would have been chaos in both, the heavens and Earth. Glorified is God, the Lord of Supreme Control, above all that they contrive.
50:6 Do they not look at the sky above them how We have built it and beautified it, and there are no flaws therein?
2:119 Lo! We have sent you, O Prophet, with the Decisive Truth, a herald of glad tiding and a Warner. And you will not be held accountable for those who choose to stay behind in Jahim.
The whole Universe is based on evolution, not the law of the fittest, but the law on what will make your own species develop further (13:17). Many biologists have in my eyes misunderstood evolution as the law of the strongest, but the Qur’an displays it is the law of the most beneficial to the species.
A mushrikeen 5, meaning those that uphold partners in authority next to God, are people that base most of their beliefs on traditions that do not contribute to mankind as a whole and give a distorted view on reality. They make their forefathers, priests and rulers authorities that run their daily affairs. The universal law of evolution judges people on their deeds (11:117), as long as a people contributes to society, their beliefs and traditions are no obstacles, but in the long run they will as we have seen throughout history. An example, most Christians uphold capitalism as their economic system, a completely man-made economic system, the Gospel does not provide a guide on economics, so they have to turn to other sources. Capitalism in its present form is an unfair system that does not help mankind as it abuses the majority for the good of a minority. This is how their beliefs creates obstacles in the development of mankind as a whole.
5 Page 265-267 Volume 4, Arabic-English Lexicon by Edward William Lane, based on Taj-Ul-Roos, 2003 2nd reprint. It gives under Shirk: “Making associate/partner with Allah, to make a sharer or associate.â€
As long as mankind, doesn’t matter if the person is Buddhist, Sectarian Muslim (almost all Muslim sects mix the Qur'anic message with man-made sources and thus distort the Qur'anic goals in most cases), Christian, Hindu, Agnostic or Atheist, base their system completely on man-made beliefs and systems, it will contain flaws as most of these beliefs and systems are discriminating to other beliefs or races, limited in its scope and vision and it goals mostly create short term benefits for a specific group, while the rest is left out. Thus they are not beneficial to mankind and its development as no man-made system provides the answers and solutions to Man’s problems in a way which will provide mankind as a whole. This is why the Qur'an says Shirk is the only thing God cannot give you any protection over, Ghafara (4:116). As accepting authorities next to the Qur'an means you will follow ideas and beliefs which will not make you successful as a species and society, and as we have free will (18:29), we must decide ourselves if we accept God's protection which we can attain by following His guidelines in the Qur'an. Thus God cannot protect us against the harmful consequences of Shirk since this falls under our own free will.
Mankind can only develop into one world nation when it allows diversity of belief and thinking, thus a secular democratic system. Where every person is equal and where a fair economic and social system is present and where people are addressed according to their deeds and potential, not on their beliefs, race or family. Secularism doesn't necessarily mean a government not based on religion, it is a government that does not discriminate between its people, whatever their beliefs, race and so on. Also its law system must be practical and fair. As no religion contains these neutral values in its entirety and in a practical, usable in the modern age form, secularism is seen as not based on a religion or Divine scripture. But the Qur'an does contain these neutral, progressive, secular values in its entirety as it doesn't prefer one group above the other. It urges mankind to accept another and work together towards justice and fairness for all:
11:116-117 But, Alas! Among the generations before your time, only a few were virtuous enough to discourage disorder in the land. We saved those few, whereas those who continued to violate human rights only pursued material riches. And they were guilty of stealing the fruit of others’ labor (and they were requited). Your Developer, Rabb, never destroys a community for wrong beliefs alone as long as its people are Muslihoon, reformers, setting right their own, and one another’s condition. 6
6 Page 438-439 Volume 4, Arabic-English Lexicon by Edward William Lane, based on Taj-Ul-Roos, 2003 2nd reprint. It gives under Salaha: “To make whole sound, set things right, amendment, reformation, reformer, one who is upright, righteous, a person of integrity, peacemaker, suitable.†As the commentary shows, this verse completely destroys the concept of religion as the law of God judges deeds not beliefs. What is an important note, is that beliefs create deeds. So without the correct vision on reality, eventually a people will fall into wrong deeds. This is why God sends Revelation. QXP Commentary: As we have seen, Islam is not a ‘religion’ consisting merely of a set of some dogmas, rites and rituals. It is Ad-Deen, the Divinely Prescribed Collective Way of Life. Allama Muhammad Asad, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Allama Inayatullah Khan Al-Mashriqi et al are in complete agreement with the meaning of this verse 11:117 as translated here.
Dr. Shabbir gives an important comment on the above verses:
The Qur’an is consistent in its theme that people will be rewarded for what they do (Ya’maloon), and not for what they know (Ya’lamoon). The Book stresses on the right belief system, for, people are strongly influenced in their behavior by what they think and believe. This is one of the most revolutionary verses in the Qur’an. It throws out all dogmatic assertions that are the hallmark of a ‘religion’.
2:256 There is absolutely no compulsion or coercion in Religion.
95:4 Indeed, We have created the human being in the best design. [Meaning all races, all humans, both sexes are equally perfect and all have the same potential. No race or sex is better then the other.]
17:70 Surely, We have conferred dignity, and have honoured all the descendants of Man (as a birth right, regardless of where the child is born), and provided them with transport on land and sea and given them decent things of life. And We have favored the humans far above a great many of Our creation.
20:118-119 “Indeed, you are living the life of Paradise (on this very Earth) where you are guaranteed never to go hungry, nor go unsheltered.†“Neither do you go thirsty, nor are you exposed to the burning sun.†[Well-provided with food, clothing, shelter, the basic needs for all]
6:132 The ranks of all individuals and nations are determined solely by their deeds, and your Lord is not unaware of what they do. [Calling yourselves ‘believers’ will not help. 2]
2:177 But righteousness is that: [..] And that he gives of his cherished wealth to:
- Family and relatives, Orphans, Widows, Those left helpless in the society, And those whose hard-earned income fails to meet their basic needs, Those whose running businesses have stalled, The ones who have lost their jobs, Whose life has stalled for any reason, The disabled, The needy wayfarer, son of the street, the homeless, the one who travels to you for assistance, Those who ask for help, and Those whose necks are burdened with any kind of bondage, oppression, crushing debts and extreme hardship of labor.
51:19 And in their wealth was the Divinely ordained right of those who ask and those who are deprived.
2:275 On the other hand those who eat Riba (usury), in greed of money, run around like someone who has been bitten by a snake. They claim that trade is like usury. But God has permitted trade and forbidden usury. One to whom the clear Admonition has come from his Sustainer, must abstain from taking usury forthwith. What he has taken in the past, he may keep and his judgment rests with God. As for him who returns to usury, such are the companions of the fire wherein they shall abide.
If people want real beneficence for mankind, they should look for something that truly benefited mankind as a whole. But most are only busy with personal salvation or gain as this is what their current beliefs tell them to pursue.
6:116 (People will confront you with what the majority is doing.) Now if you pay heed to, or get intimidated by majority of those who live on Earth, they will lead you astray from God’s way. Most of the people follow nothing but conjecture and they only live by guesswork.
11:109 Be not in doubt about the end of those who worship idols in any Form [be it in religion or in man-made beliefs]. They only blindly follow their forefathers. They and their forefathers will get their due portion according to Our law.
This is also why many Muslims reject the Qur’anic System, as it doesn't support personal salvation as its goal, but universal development.
Mankind lives under man-made laws and systems and thus does not really develop and constantly end up in a state of Jahannam, a place of no growth, a place of destruction of the human Self.
4:115 One who opposes the messenger, dissents and treads contrary to the way of the believers, after the guidance has been made plain to him, We shall let him continue in his chosen direction, and expose him to Jahannam, the state of non-evolution, a miserable destination.
When we do not develop in this life, we will also not develop in the Next Life as this life will create the foundation for the next. You are judged on how benefiting you were to mankind and its development as a whole. Not just your good deeds to single persons here and there, but on your position and contribution to mankind as a whole. As the reason for our existence is to develop ourselves:
11:119 Save him on whom your Developer of all your stages of evolution has given His Rahma, His providing you with all the means to develop; and for that He did create them.
23:61-62 It is those who race with one another to improve the quality of life for humanity, and it is those who are worthy of winning good things. We do not burden any human being with more than he or she is able to bear. And with Us is a Record that speaks the truth (about what you can and cannot do). And so, none shall be wronged.
41:46 Whoever does good to others, does good to his own ‘self’, and whoever causes imbalance in the lives of others, hurts his own ‘self’. Your Lord is never unjust to His servants.
Just as we lost our tails during our evolution as it had lost its beneficence, people who do not contribute to the development of mankind will also be lost during the Universal Evolution and end up in the garbage dump of the Universe, Jahannam. Those that do contribute to the development of mankind as a whole are chosen to stay within the evolution of the Universe; they are in a state of Jannah, never-ending growth and development.
92:18 Who gives his wealth that he may grow in goodness.
9:111 God has bought from the believers their persons and their goods, for (in return) theirs is Jannah, the state of constant evolution. They shall fight in the cause of God, and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise that is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel, and the Qur’an. Who can fulfill a promise better than God? Rejoice then in the bargain you have made, for that is the Supreme Triumph.
Jahannam is thus made by Mankind and not by Allah, it is a direct result of our own actions. On Earth it is we who create states of existence that do not develop mankind as a whole. The earthly Jahannam is created by class-differences, non-social economic system, gathering of personal wealth, beliefs based on myths, legends, superstitions, man-made or man-altered scriptures, and gender and race discrimination (2:35). All the above are the basis for oppression, war, conflicts, slavery and people wasting their energy and their whole life on pursuing beliefs that are false and have nothing to do with the true workings of the Universe and its Developer. In this state mankind burns away their potentials and is not in an environment where it can grow and develop itself. It can only survive, not progress. The word Jahim is frequently used to describe mankind in this state, Man is literally in Jahim. The word Jahim has a large definition as explained above; it was used for fire, for the point of retreat in war, to stop something from acting. In a sense, there is no better word to be used to describe this state of Man. mankind is stopped from progressing and developing and is in a constant battle of survival without gaining any ground and in this state it can fully use its potentials and thus in a sense burns away any means for progress.
18:100 And We displayed Jahannam on this Era of mankind (yaumwe) to the rejectors of truth clear to see.
7:177-179 Evil as an example are the people who reject Our verses, since they hurt their own ‘self’. Whoever attains God’s guidance according to His laws is led right. And goes astray he who violates God’s law of guidance. [4] Our law has committed to Hell numerous people, rural and urban; they are living a life of Hell. They have hearts that they use not to understand. They have eyes with which they see not, and ears with which they hear not. They are like cattle. Nay, they are even worse. Such are the people who have chosen to live through life in total darkness of ignorance.
General William Tecumseh Sherman:
"War is hell," 7
7 Quote of General William Tecumseh Sherman to the Mayor and Councilmen of Atlanta, speech made on June 19, 1879.