Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 224
224 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Allah the Almighty that in this academic age—when knowledge is growing of the deeper realities and essential qualities of the creations of the universe—He has established a dispensation so that He may grant heavenly knowledge and reveal deeper verities; all of those things which in the Era of the Misguided had no greater value than superficial tales and which were laughed upon in this scien - tific age, it has presented in an academic light as philosophy. The Reality of Heaven and Hell We observe that in previous times heaven and hell were perceived in a very imagi - nary, yet simplistic manner. The Messiah old the thief who was hung next to him that ‘Today, we shall meet in heaven. ’ However, he did not present any insight as regards the true nature of paradise. At this time, I do not consider it necessary to take up the question as to whether Jesus as went to heaven or hell according to the Gospel doctrine and account. All I wish to show is that he did not expound the deeper reality about paradise at all. The Christians, however, have gone so far that they have even given the so-called area and measurements of their paradise. On the contrary, the Holy Quran does not present any teaching in the form of a tale; rather, it always presents it from an academic perspective. For example, on this very subject of heaven and hell, the Holy Quran states: 1 ٰى َم ْ ِع َ ا ِ ٍة َِرَ َخ ٰ ا اْلْ ِـي َف َ ْو ُ ِه َفَ ٰى َم ْ ِع َ ا ۤ ٗهٖ ِ ِّذ ٰ ْه ْ ي ِـ َف َنَ ْ َكَا ُن َمَ Meaning, whoso is blind in this world will be blind in the hereafter. What this means is that it is in this very world that one receives the senses and eyes with which to witness God Almighty and the pleasures of the next world. The one who has not received these faculties in this world shall not receive them in the hereaf - ter either. Now, this point moves one to realise that it is one’s duty to endeavour and strive to attain these senses and eyes in this very world, so that one awakens in the next world with sight. Similarly, whilst alluding to the true nature and phi - losophy of divine chastisement, the Holy Quran states: 2 ِ ٍة َ ْد ِ � ى ْ َف َ ا اْلْ َى ٰل َ ِع ُ َع ِ ُل َ ْط َ َّت َِْتِْي ْل ُ ا ٍة َ ْد َ ُق ُْوْ َم ْلْ ِ ا ُهلل ُرُ ا َا َّن In other words, the punishment of Allah Almighty is a fire, which is kindled and the flames burn in one’s heart. This means that the actual root of divine 1 Bani Isra’il , 17:73 2 al-Humazah , 104:7-8 p. 490 ً ِر ِْيْ َج ْ ِف ََت َ ِه َ َّن ْ َو ُ َر ِ َج َ ِف ُيُ ُ َر ٰ ِه ْ َّن َ ْْل َ ِه ِ َت َْحْ َّت ْ ُن ِ َم ِْْي َر ْ َج َ َّت ٌ ِت ٰ ْن َ ْج ِ َل ْ َّز َ ِه ِْلْ َب َ ْو ُ ْه ََم َ َو ٌ ْل ْ َص ََف ٌ َل َْوْ ْق َ ْل َِّٗنَٗه