Why Islam is True-Lesson 19- Preparing For Life After Death

Name

Life After Death Makes Life Meaningful Aldrich speaks to you honestly. “I am convinced that what you say is right. The evidence is too tight to argue against. But we are back to my earlier point, that life doesn’t really have any meaning. Does Islam give life meaning and purpose? How will you respond?

• “Well, something has meaning when it has a purpose. A purpose means one thing happens for something else to happen. For instance digestion happens so that we can gain energy to live. The vocal chords in our throat vibrate so that we can produce noise to speak with. Islam tells us that if we worship Allah in this life, we will have eternal pleasure in the next. This life is happening so that the next life can happen. That gives our life an immense purpose.”
• “Islam gives your life meaning as it sets a productive routine for you in all areas of your life. Islam is based on daily routines that help give meaning to every day that we live. If you live your life as a devout Muslim, you can accomplish any goal that you want. That is why Muslims used to be the best in every field.”

Aldrich nods and says "Okay I think I understand what you are saying. But can atheists believe that their lives have purpose, too?"

• “Materialism tells us that we are only atoms bumping around for a certain amount of years and that when we die, everything that we have done in our lives comes to an end with no consequence. According to materialism life has no purpose. Only Islam can rationally prove that our lives have a purpose.”
• “They could have this purpose but it means that they would have to admit that there are supernatural things that they do not understand. They would never do that. Or they might say something shallow like the point of life is just to be good.”

Aldrich is clearly impressed but asks, “What if we separate science and materialism? I might have just been conditioned to think this way, but why can science not tell this information? Why do we have to prove this with Islam?” How will you respond?

• “Science helps me observe things that have a regular cause-and-effect relationship. Do you remember that? For example, that fire burns. But the reason why we can’t discover our purpose with science is that we simply cannot observe what happens to us after we die. No one has come back to life to tell us what happens after we die. With Islam, God Himself tells us what will happen after we die. He does that by sending us messengers.
• "We have already shown the limits of science. Scientists are materialists, and they don’t believe in God. They want to take as many people away from God as possible. Anyone who follows them is always going to be miserable.

We Have Five Lives What is the first life that we have?

• When we were pure souls, God asked us, “Am I not your Lord?”
• This life, when the angel breathed our souls into us, and we become morally responsible when we reach pubescence.
• Our real life is our eternal life which will be eternally in paradise or hellfire.

Why is the life we are in now important?

• Because it is here that our choices determine what will happen to us in the next life.
• Because it is the only life that we will have.
• Because it is in this life that we can remember the question that Allah asked us previously, “Am I not your Lord?”

What happens in our graves?

• Our souls will separate from our bodies and it be pleasant or unpleasant depending on the choices we made.
• Our bodies will sleep until the day of judgment which will seem to come upon us extremely quickly.
• Our bodies will rot, and our souls will be left in a state of anxiety.

Good and Bad Deeds What are obligatory actions?

• Actions that we must do and are rewarded for doing but may be punished for not doing them.
• Actions that are rewarded for doing but not punished for not doing.
• Actions that have no reward or punishment associated with them.
• Actions that we are not punished for doing but are rewarded for not doing.
• Actions that we have to been commanded not to do. We may be punished for doing them and are rewarded for not doing them.

What are forbidden actions?

• Actions that we must do and are rewarded for doing but may be punished for not doing them.
• Actions that are rewarded for doing but not punished for not doing.
• Actions that have no reward or punishment associated with them.
• Actions that we are not punished for doing but are rewarded for not doing.
• Actions that we have to been commanded not to do. We may be punished for doing them and are rewarded for not doing them.

What are permissible actions?

• Actions that we must do and are rewarded for doing but may be punished for not doing them.
• Actions that are rewarded for doing but not punished for not doing.
• Actions that have no reward or punishment associated with them.
• Actions that we are not punished for doing but are rewarded for not doing.
• Actions that we have to been commanded not to do. We may be punished for doing them and are rewarded for not doing them.