The Light of the Holy Qur'an — Page 126
T HE L IGHT OF T HE HOLY Q U R’AN—NUM BE R T WO T HE L IGHT OF T HE HOLY Q U R’AN—NUM BE R T WO 126 Didn’t Yas u ‘ say that he would drink pressed grapes in Paradise? Strange is this Yas u ‘ who wishes to enter the Paradise of Muslims which contains physical bounties too. Stranger still is the fact that he fell only upon the physical bounties and did not mention anything about beholding God. Try to recall the inci- dent of Lazarus being asked for water. If Paradise is not supposed to have any water, then the mention of water in its context is like the proverb, ‘A liar has no memory. ’ It is true that the dwellers of Paradise will become like the angels, but where has it been proven that they, by changing their attributes, will become angels in actu- ality 1 ٭ and will discard their human attributes? Of course it is true that marriages are not solemnized in Paradise as in this world, but there indeed will be bodily pleasures in the heavenly context, as even Yas u ‘ did not deny. He passed away hoping to drink pressed grapes. It is evident from the Torah that it is God’s way to bestow physical rewards too. How then is it possible for the Immutable God to change His ways on the Day of Resurrection? The third objection of yours is that Islam teaches that until someone commits a sin, he shall not be held accountable, and God shall not chastise anyone merely based on his thoughts, whereas the Gospel teaches to the contrary; that is, even the desires of the heart shall be punished. The Reply: Let it be clear that if such is indeed written in the Gospel, then such Gospel can never be from God. The truth is indeed that which Allah the Exalted has stated in the Noble Qur’an, that the thoughts of the human heart that 1. ٭ It is one thing to become angels in actuality, and it is quite another to acquire resemblance to them in terms of purity. —Author