Lecture Lahore — Page 31
31 29 i. e. , they will dwell in hell for eternity, but this eternity should not be confused with God’s eternity, it only means a long period of time after which His mercy will inter- vene, for He is the Almighty and does what He wills. This verse has been explained in a Hadith where our lord and master, the Holy Prophet sa , says: i. e. , a time shall come upon hell when no one will be left in it, and its gates shall be moved to and fro by the morn- ing breeze. But the A ryas present God as a rancorous and unforgiving being whose fury is never appeased and who does not forgive sins even after putting the souls through the cycle of transmigration for billions of years. The same is true of the Christians, for, although they consider God to be the Creator of all things, they still believe that He punishes a single sin with an eternity in hell. The question is, do the souls not deserve at least some mercy from Him Who created them? Is it not He Who placed in their natures the weaknesses that draw them to- wards sin, and is not He Who winds the clock of their existence to run as long as He—the Eternal Watchmaker— wills? Does He not share some responsibility for their sins? Likewise, is it just on the part of God to limit His own son’s punishment to three days while He condemns other 29 H u d, 11:108 [Publishers]