Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 333
333 has revealed?’ they say: ‘Mere fables of the men of old’” (16:23 ⎯ 25). He who is still hard to convince is admonished: “Man is self-destroyed: How ungrateful! From what does He create him? From a drop of seed! He creates him and proportions him; then He makes the way easy for him; then He causes him to die and assigns a grave to him; then, when He pleases, He will raise him up again” (80:18 ⎯ 23). The grave here does not mean the tomb in which the body is interred. Not all bodies are buried in tombs; many are cremated, some are devoured by wild beasts, some perish in a conflagration, some drown in the sea. The grave refers to the phase through which the soul passes after death, and in which it continues till resurrection, which corresponds to the phase through which the embryo passes in the womb while it develops the organs and faculties appropriate to its life upon earth. That the soul is not without feeling and perception even during that stage appears from the following: “Those whom the angels cause to die while they are wronging their souls will offer submission, saying: ‘We used not to do any evil. ’ Nay, surely Allah knows well what you used to do. Then enter the gates of hell to dwell therein. Evil indeed is the abode of the arrogant” (16:29 ⎯ 30). Similarly, with regard to the righteous it is said: “For those who do good there is good in this world, and the home of the Hereafter is