Perhaps, the most obvious truth about our lives in this world as humans is that it is finite and limited. Whatever status we may have, our strength, money, influence, popularity and all the things that man desires that we possess could only go so far. No man will ever be able to possess at least half of the world’s riches in his lifetime. No man could ever walk every single patch of land on the Earth. No man could ever live a thousand years. It is because man is a finite being and everything he possesses of his physical strength and abilities will soon wane. Man could only possess so much, live so long and he is going to abandon everything he owns very soon.
But the limited nature of life in this world is not only due to man’s limits. The world itself is finite too. Oil, water, minerals will soon run out in the current rate we are exploiting our natural resources. Even sand is said to run out too in the current rate of ongoing construction. Even fresh air and water is going to run out too due to the current rate of pollution we are producing. The world itself is aging. The sun is aging and if we’re to live for billions of years we shall soon see the demise of the planet, the sun and the moon that sustains life on this tiny planet that is a speck of dust in comparison to the vast universe.
But despite all these limits, man fashions himself and pampers himself as if he was too live a thousand years. Every day, he hustles to get the money, attention, influence, and favors he thinks he deserves. This pursuit for material possessions has made him more machine than man in this unending race that the way one finishes it is only by dying and no one ever is really made to be known as the victor, except those who may have left a legacy that somehow changed the world for the better.
But these successful people, visionaries, scientists and other people who made good influence to the society could only live long enough. In the end, no matter how they live illustriously, they are only going to be memories and names in history books and their inventions or contribution to the civilization shall soon be surpassed by better technology which will lead them to be ultimately forgotten or less mentioned. And if good people’s reputation and legacy are also finite. What more could we say about the ordinary person who lives his life miserably? Those who are neck deep in vice. Those who only live in order to make ends meet. Inevitably, who they are shall end soon and who they were shall be forgotten soon.
All these limits are profound and obvious, but man lives in this world as if he was to live a thousand years by squandering it all the while possessing all sorts of infinite desires. Our hearts and minds are insatiable as we might say. We always wanted more. We all want grandeur and extravagance that is fueled by greed. Prophet Muhammad said, “If the son of Adam had a valley full of gold, he would want to have two valleys. Nothing fills his mouth but the dust of the grave, yet Allah will relent to whoever repents to him.” Narrated by Imam Al Bukhari and Imam Muslim.
Allah said in the Quran which alludes to man’s insatiable nature that he shall carry until he dies, “Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you. Until you visit the graveyards.”
MAN THE INFINITE BEING
This simple truth about man’s natural inclination for the infinite is due to
the fact that man was created by Allah to be an infinite being. Yes, we will
die in this world and our physical bodies shall perish but we have a soul that
shall leave our bodies at the time of our deaths; but shall be restored on the
Day of Resurrection.
On Judgement Day, it is our physical bodies that shall attend it after our souls are restored to it. It is our physical bodies that shall enter Paradise in order to enjoy its blessings. It is our physical bodies that shall enter Hell to suffer its punishments. And all of these shall be experienced by the people of Hellfire or Paradise forever.
In fact, all the blessings in Paradise shall be familiar to the humans who shall enter it. Allah said in the Quran, “And convey good news to those who believe and do good deeds, that they shall have gardens in which rivers flow; whenever they shall be given a portion of the fruit thereof, they shall say: This is what was given to us before; and they shall be given the like of it, and they shall have pure mates in them, and in them, they shall abide forever.” Quran 2:25
Prophet Muhammad explains further that the people of Paradise shall be given good things that are similar in names and basic description but are of superior quality than those we find of Earth, “The similarity between the blessings in Paradise and those in the world is in name only.” Narrated by Imam Al Bayhaqi. Prophet Muhammad also said, “In Paradise, there are blessings that no one has ever seen, has ever heard, or can ever imagine.” Narrated by Imam Muslim.
Similarly, those who shall enter Hell will be punished by something that they are familiar with. Allah said in the Quran, “We shall send those who reject Our revelations to the Fire. When their skins are burnt up, We shall replace them with new ones so that they may continue to taste the punishment. God is mighty and wise.” Quran 4:56.
The realization and understanding that our infinite desires could only be satiated in an infinite abode is proof that there must be an Afterlife and therefore, there must be a God. We are born as infinite creatures and are meant to live infinitely either in Paradise or in Hell. Choose wisely.
