The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 437
Heaven and Hell then comprises the whole body. At another place it is said: وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ 212 437 That is to say: The fuel of the fire of hell which keeps it blazing are first those men who turn aside from God and worship other things. As it is said: إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ 213 You and those whom you worshipped falsely, who were called gods despite being human, will be cast into hell. Secondly, the fuel of hell are the idols. The meaning is that if these things had not existed there would have been no hell. Thus in the holy word of God, heaven and hell are not like this physical world. The source of both of them are spiritual matters. It is true that in the other world they will appear as physical, but they will not belong to this physical world. [Islāmī Uşül kī Philosophy, Rūķānī Khazā'in, vol. 10, pp. 385-393] The Torment and Comfort of the Grave is Perceived through the Body To enter heaven it is necessary to have a body, but that body will not be compounded of physical elements inasmuch as the fruits of heaven will not be physical, but will be a new creation. Therefore, the body in heaven will also be a new creation which will be different from the original body. It is necessary that after death the believers should have a body. On the night of his ascen- 212 Al-Baqarah, 2:25 and Al-Tahrīm, 66:7 [Publisher] 213 Al-Anbiyā', 21:99 [Publisher]