Human beings are inherently predisposed to the eternal. They want to live for ever. They want to enjoy beauties and blessings countless times.

Yet life passes unexpectedly and unbelievably fast. Blessings come to an end and beauty fades.

Although human beings are reluctant to grow old, their bodies constantly age and worsen. Their souls may remain fresh, young and dynamic, but their bodies soon become incapable of most actions, and they lose all their energy and vivacity.

Just when they think they are most productive, they come to realize that they have lost their youth and health, having wasted dozens of years.
There is a reason why people should find this strange. The reason is that Allah (God) has created human beings with an instinctive desire to live for ever. Human beings are predisposed to the eternal. That is why they are unwilling to grow old or fade away with the passing of time. They cannot accept that everything will come to an end with death, nor to live their lives in the light of that idea.

Human beings are therefore inherently predisposed to the eternal. This is one of the greatest proofs of the Hereafter. This transient world cannot be the sole abode of the human soul, that is so predisposed to infinity. No thinking person can peacefully and patiently await death in the life of this world, which he believes will end in that death. What bestows peace and ease of mind in this world is the knowledge of and belief in the existence of Allah, and that He has also created an eternal life in the Hereafter.
Allah has made instinct an instrument of various expectations and desires in human beings. Instincts such as love, affection, compassion and sympathy have been created in such a way as to be satisfied in this world. In the same way that feelings such as compassion and sympathy are intensely satisfied by means of a loveable baby or a small puppy; or that friendship, love and trust are all created as constant needs, so we also have the instinct of the eternal. It is Almighty Allah Who creates that desire for infinity as an instinctive yearning. And it is He Who creates the means of fulfilling it. Since that powerful instinct cannot be satisfied in this world, human beings must have been created for the Hereafter.

This is a manifest and technical truth, experienced in the soul, created for human beings to realize the existence of the Hereafter. Human beings have been created together with the consciousness to realize that they will not come to an end and disappear with death, and that they will not exhaust their lives on a world that will come to an end with death. Even a minute of reflection will be enough for one to grasp this fact. That being the case, our true destination is without any doubt the Hereafter. And the Hereafter is where people will be rewarded with eternal paradise or hell. The conclusion that every rational person must come to when they see that truth is that they must live to earn Allah's approval, in the knowledge that the life of this world is a temporary test. Paradise will be a life of eternal beauty in which Allah bestows all His blessings on His believing servants who have earned His approval, while hell will be a life of horror, of the most terrible and eternal punishment, in which repentance is of no avail.

How can you reject Allah, when you were dead and then He gave you life, then He will make you die and then give you life again, then you will be returned to Him? (Surat al-Baqara, 28)

A scorpion can survive exposure to radiation. No shark has ever been observed to be ill with cancer. Penguins live in temperatures of -40 Celsius degrees, though their body temperatures are +40 Celsius degrees. Dogs' senses of smell are 40 times stronger than those of human beings. Cheetahs can run at speeds of 125 km/hour. Crocodiles produce their own stomach medicines, using a raw material employed in the manufacture of stomach medicines today.

There are millions of such examples. Living things possess extraordinary qualities as a blessing from Allah and through His sublime creation. Our Lord manifests different attributes in each and every one, and shows that He creates perfect and flawless life forms whenever He so chooses. There is one great and highly significant secret in this creation, one that everyone must be aware of:

Human beings are utterly helpless and weak entities. A single virus can lay them low. A single cell multiplying uncontrolled in their bodies can kill them. Being out in the cold, prolonged exposure to the Sun, eating an unwashed piece of fruit, a speck of dust in the eye, overeating or mild sleep deprivation can all lead to illness. The scent of a flower is delightful no matter where in the world it may be. The smell of a new-mown lawn can be totally relaxing. If Allah so willed He could create that smell inside human beings. But such is not the case. Human beings are exposed to insuperable flaws in their own bodies. They have to take detailed and comprehensive care of their bodies each and every day. The really thought-provoking thing, however, is that no other life form requires such extensive maintenance.

If Allah so willed, He could create new limbs to replace those lost by human beings, in the same way that some lizards can grow a new tail to replace one that breaks off. But that does not happen. If Allah so willed He could create human beings to be impervious to cancer, just like insects that never suffer from it. But such is not the case. If Allah so willed, He could make human beings impervious to all forms of surrounding, just like the life forms He has made immune to radiation. If Allah so willed, He would create no weakness at all. But He has created weaknesses and imperfections, and there is great wisdom in His having done so.

A little thought is all we need to see that wisdom. Since Allah has the power to create all things perfectly, and since He creates perfectly whenever He chooses, the life of this world has been specially created to be flawed and imperfect. Human beings have been given more numerous and wider-ranging weaknesses compared to those of other life forms. It is because of that deliberate creation that a plane tree can live to be hundreds of years old while human beings have an average life span of 70-80 years. Human beings must see and recognize that special creation. Our Lord has the power to create to perfection, but because of the testing in it He has made the life of this world a most imperfect thing. It is in the Hereafter that His sublime artistry will actually manifest itself.

Paradise is a place where there are no imperfections, flaws, illness, weakness, fatigue, sleeplessness, aging, physical handicaps, thirst, hunger, dirt, unhappiness, hatred or stress. Paradise is a place of eternal blessings, beauty, love, abundance, happiness, health and joy, youth, vigor and cleanliness. Our short life spans and weaknesses in this world are special tests, causes whereby people should reflect on and believe in Paradise, which is part of the Unseen to us yet an absolute reality revealed in the Qur'an, and finally turn to Allah. Anyone capable of reflecting on his weaknesses and the short life of this world, while yet in this amazing place of testing, will also realize that his true life lies not in this world. He will be enlightened enough to realize that a brief and transitory life in which he grows old or falls sick against his own wishes, he is confronted by weaknesses, troubles and concerns he never desires, cannot be his real one. There is no doubt that perfect life lies in Paradise. That life in Paradise will never end. It will never be cut short by sickness, death or difficulty. It will last for ever, free of all imperfection because that is the creation of Allah, the flawless Creator, He Who is free of all imperfection.

But those who have fear of their Lord will have Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever: hospitality from Allah. What is with Allah is better for those who are truly good. (Surah Al 'Imran, 198)

Another aspect of the wisdom in the imperfection of this world is that the troubles, sickness and afflictions in this world are so that people can know that these will last for ever in Hell. Believers' weaknesses are eliminated in Paradise, and beauties and blessings are multiplied. But in Hell, there will be no end to suffering, pain and the most violent deaths. People who imagine the life of this world to be their true life and refuse to serve Allah for the sake of that brief life will see that their real lives lie in Hell, from where there is no salvation, and in which they will suffer torments for ever. In His verses, Allah reveals:

On the Day it comes, no self will speak except by His permission. Some of them will be wretched and others glad. As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire, where they will sigh and gasp, remaining in it timelessly, for ever, as long as the heavens and earth endure, except as your Lord wills. Your Lord is the Doer of what He wills. (Surah Hud, 105-107)

The life of this world is a test specially created by Allah. It is a transitory thing with both good and bad in which human beings are tested. There is, of course, considerable wisdom in this. It is essential that evil exist beside good for people to understand the value of Paradise. Human beings are tested in terms of the virtuous behavior they display, by Allah's leave, in this sphere in which the good are divided from the evil.

The life of this world is a sphere in which there is a constant struggle between the good and the bad. However, good and bad are not separated from one another by just a few characteristics. They possess totally different, comprehensive and detailed character traits. The bad act entirely according to satan's directions, while the good follow their consciences. The bad know no bounds inspired by fear of Allah, and are capable of doing anything at any time. When the situation and prevailing conditions require they are quite capable of lying, slandering others, engaging in unlawful acts, disloyalty, treachery, putting their own interests before those of others, hatred, envy, imbalance and intrigue. Since they have no fear of Allah they are potentially capable of all kinds of betrayal and wickedness. There is nothing to stop them killing, for example, when they become sufficiently imbalanced. The more evil they commit, the more they come under satan's control, and the more evil deeds they are capable of committing.

People under satan's control busy themselves with wrongdoing, making life difficult for others, and spreading darkness, fear and misery, instead of enjoying life's blessings. They look at the life of this world from a different perspective. Although they know their lives will be very brief, they still elect to waste this short time span on feelings of greed and enmity, thinking of their own interests. And their targets are people of good character.

Good people are those who act from a fear of Allah. The delights created in this world are all blessings in the eyes of such people. Fear of Allah leads them to behave well and properly throughout their lives, to be loyal and honest, never to do anything unlawful, never to infringe anyone else's rights, to put others above themselves, to be friends and brothers to others, to be trustworthy, to harbor no ulterior motives and never to plot and conspire. Such people are highly virtuous at every moment in their lives. They are never imbalanced, exhibit unexpected character traits or lose control of themselves. Because of their fear of Allah, the good always behave in a manner compatible with the Qur'an. This is one of the main distinguishing features between the good and the bad. It is also the cause of the evil's eternal hostility to the good: Since the evil have declared war on all that Allah sees as good, they also hate those who love Him.

Since the life of this world is a test in which the good are distinguished from the bad, whenever there is chaos and evil in it, one faces the need to live in a manner compatible with the Qur'an. Only when people live for Allah's approval, and thus according to the Qur'an, will this world be a flawless place of friendship, brotherhood, honesty, love and compassion. The fact that this world was created as described in the Qur'an is also evidence of the existence of the Hereafter. People are tested according to whether or not they will abide by the Qur'an. In one verse Almighty Allah reveals:

He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk, 2)

Perfection endures for all time in the eternal Paradise created by Allah. Our Almighty Lord will bestow His artistry of perfection, together with the most delightful blessings, on true believers in the Hereafter. Paradise is a sphere where there is no evil, imperfection, sorrow or fear, in which delights are bestowed for all eternity. It manifests the sublime artistry of Allah, He Who has the power to create flawlessness and the finest blessings. As our Almighty Lord reveals in other verses:

Those brought near will witness it. The truly good will be in perfect Bliss on couches gazing in wonder. (Surat al-Mutaffifin, 21-23)

In childhood and youth, human life is bright, transparent and robust. People imagine that they will remember for all time everything they do during those years. Events and people are so important to them that they imagine they will be able to remember them moment for moment, event for event, and that they will all occupy an important place in their lives. As time passes, however, all the events they used to think were so sharp and detailed become blurred, and even disappear altogether. A few decades on, and just a few moments from their childhood and youth remain in their minds - just a few moments out of all those 50 or 60 years.

Human beings are created to remember only specific things in their pasts. Nothing remains in their memories from their first 3-4 years. But all these things, each and every moment, still exist in the sight of our Lord. If He so wills, Allah can bring them all into being for people, and create them all in their memories. But, as a requirement of the test in this world, that is not what happens.

There is no doubt that there is great wisdom in this. The fact that people remember only a very small part of what happens to them is important and necessary in terms of their perceiving their own weakness. Allah knows all these things, while we do not. Everything we do, say or think, every detail, exists in the sight of our Almighty and Omniscient Lord. And people will definitely be brought face to face with them all in the Hereafter.

We imagine the things we experience take place within a course of events. Allah has chosen that we should be time-dependent entities. But our Almighty Lord Allah is unfettered by time and space. He is the Creator of time and space, but is Himself independent of them. Therefore, the destiny determined for us is but a single moment in the sight of Allah. Our lives, everything that has happened since the world was created and that will happen until its end have all happened in a single moment. Everything has been created and has already happened in the sight of Allah. But we perceive all these things within the concept of time. The things we think are "over and done with," the events whose very existence we have forgotten, are in fact taking place at this moment in the destiny created for us and will survive for ever in the sight of Allah. The feelings we have that these things have taken place in the past are deceptive. Events that happened in the past still persist in the sight of Allah. The past is merely a perception that is bestowed upon us.

Allah is Al-Baqi (The Everlasting). All the events He creates in destiny survive for all eternity in His Sight. Almighty Allah shows by various means that these events can be preserved in the world when He so wills. A birthday party we record on a CD, for example, will always continue to exist on that CD for so long as that CD survives, even though many years go past and the people in it grow old and die and succeeding generations come and go. Whenever we watch that CD we will always see the same details of the same birthday party. All the people in the recording speak, walk about, move and generally enjoy themselves. They are all as full of life as they are today. Whenever we watch the recording they will all do exactly the same things. This means that Allah can preserve any event in this world for all eternity by whatever means He chooses. If Allah wills, those moments can exist for all time in our memories. Allah already knows them all. And there is no doubt that it is easy for Allah to create them in our minds.

Hypnosis sessions represent a significant instance of how the things that happen to us do not cease to exist. Under hypnosis, people recall things they have never recalled before, that it is even technically impossible for them to recall such as events that took place when they were 3 or 4, in complete detail, together with all the accompanying feelings and emotions. More than just remembering the event, they actually relive it in full detail. The way that a human being relives a moment he or she believed had vanished, with complete reality, clarity and accuracy, represents important evidence that everything that happens continue to exist for all eternity. At the same time, this clearly shows that all knowledge is fully preserved in the Sight of Allah, and that when He so pleases, He can restore these things to our memories. 

Allah has given even humans, who are created as weak beings, the ability to remember. He has the power, when He so wills, to preserve those moments and those people He chooses on camera or on CDs, and to recreate the same events whenever those images are watched. So it would be the height of ignorance to claim that past events disappear for ever. The idea that they vanish implies oblivion. And such a thing is obviously impossible. To make such a claim is a sign that one has failed to properly appreciate Allah's might and power. Our Lord, Who has the power to create so much detail and to recreate past events in the human mind or on a CD in the same way as the originals, of course has the power to recreate and preserve for all time all the details in His infinite memory. Events may disappear from our finite memories, but they exist for all eternity in the Sight of omniscient Allah.

In one verse our Lord reveals:

On the Day Allah raises up all of them together, He will inform them of what they did. Allah has recorded it while they have forgotten it. Allah is a Witness of all things. (Surat al-Mujadala, 6)

It will be appropriate to issue an important reminder here. The concept of "the memory of Allah" that runs through this article is used for the sake of making the subject more accessible. The fact is, of course, that Allah has no need of any memory (surely He is above that). Allah is everlasting, and the knowledge He creates will persist in His Sight for all eternity.

The fact that everything that happens remains alive for all eternity is not something susceptible to human belief or opinion. It is a scientific and technical fact. It is absolute. By seeing this scientific and technical reality, people will encounter the existence of an eternal life in which what they live, see, think and say never disappears, but remains in existence for all time. They will see that there is wisdom in what happens to them persisting for all eternity, and that they will be called to account for all their deeds in the Presence of Allah. They will see that nothing that happens in the life of this world is for nothing, and that everything is part of the special test created by Allah, and that people are tested by all these things. In other words, people are being prepared for the Hereafter. They must make their preparations for the eternal life they will find in the Hereafter, and must fulfill the requirements of the test in the life of this world in order to merit Paradise.

People who are unable to see the fact that Allah preserves all events in His infinite memory will experience great terror when they are confronted by that fact in the Hereafter. When they see all their deeds in complete fullness they will also realize that it is now too late for anything, because they failed to appreciate this fact and thus to comprehend the greatness of our Lord. The eternal life they never anticipated will now have begun for them. And they will be sent to Hell, where they will remain for ever. In another verse, Allah reveals:

The Book will be set in place and you will see the evildoers fearful of what is in it. They will say, "Alas for us! What is this Book which does not pass over any action, small or great, without recording it?" They will find there everything they did and your Lord will not wrong anyone at all. (Surat al-Kahf, 49)

In this book you will find explanations about eternity, timelessness and spacelessness that you will never have encountered anywhere else and you will be confronted by the reality that eternity has already begun. The real answers to many questions people always ponder such as where God is, the true nature of death, resurrection after death, the existence of an eternal life, and the time when all these things will happen are to be found here...

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