The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 451
Heaven and Hell 451. The personification of spiritual matters in physical forms has been mentioned in the Holy Qur'an at several places, as, for instance, that the glorification of God will be personified like fruit-bearing trees and good actions will appear as pure and clear streams. [Surmah Chashm Āryā, Rūḥānī Khaza'in, vol. 2, pp. 150-157]. The Wrath of God has a Spiritual Philosophy. The Holy Qur'ān does not describe the wrath of God. Almighty as it is described in the Vedās. Rather, the wrath described in the Holy Qur'ān has spiritual philosophy. For instance, regarding the nature of Divine punishment, the Holy Qur'ān says: 228 تارُ اللهِ الْمُوْقَدَةُه الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الأَفْئِدَةِ ه *. What is hell? It is the fire which sets the hearts ablaze. . It means that when a person develops corrupt ideas in his heart, which are opposed to the perfection for which man has been created, then as one who is hungry and thirsty dies from lack of food and water, in the same way, the one who is occupied with corrupt ideas and is deprived of God's love and of obedience to Him, which are like food and water, also dies. Thus according to the teaching of the Holy Qur'an, a person himself prepares the means of his destruction and is not in any way forced by God. . For instance, when a person shuts all the windows of his room and leaves none of them open, doubtless his room will become dark. The shutting of the windows is his action and making the room dark is God's action according to the law of nature. In the same way, when a person commits a sin God Almighty thereafter manifests His 228 Al-Humazah, 104:7-8 [Publisher]