Refutation of the Doctrine of Transmigration — Page 18
M AU L M AU L A A N N A A H AK E E M NO OR-U D -DE E N H AK E E M NO OR-U D -DE E N R A R A 18 Since worship of the Almighty is obligatory and all these means have been bestowed to fulfil this purpose, these means cannot be deemed a reward or punishment. Suppose we include them in the category of reward or punishment. In that case, it will amount to an unfair charge of cruelty against the Creator because all these things were essential for fulfilling the assigned duties while these very things have [wrongfully] been deemed a reward for his labour. However, it is not inconceivable that sometimes their abundance and easy availability results from their deeds. Sixteenth Answer— If this disparity, which has created the misgiving among the believers of transmigration , had been the recompense of the deeds of an earlier life cycle, then we would have certainly remembered the events of past, or in fact, we should say since times immemorial. Why did we altogether forget millions of events and matters of the past? This means that the recipients of rewards and honours remain unaware of the virtu - ous deeds for which they were rewarded, and the punished ones remain ignorant of the evil for which they have been seized. This cannot be considered analogous to the forgetfulness of the events of infancy because: First, at that time, human intellect was defective and useless. Second, just as the Aryas believe that all men are born pris - tine [ sudar ], the Holy Quran states: 1 َو ُهّٰللا ْمُكَجَرْخَا ْۢنِّم ِنْوُطُب ْمُكِتٰهَّمُا اَل َنْوُمَلْعَت أًـْيَش And Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers while you knew nothing 1. S u rah an-Na h l , 16:79 [Publisher]