Sixthly: one's dimension of space changes since the physical realm is moving towards its inevitable end:

1- Since the universe is in constant state of movement towards its inevitable end, this means that a person's location/space in the universe changes every second (or femtosecond) within the Milky Way galaxy which moves and revolves around its axis and this change of space/location is also indicated by the fact that the earth revolves around the sun and the sun revolves around the axis of the galaxy; this means that the Barsakh levels of the earth and the heavens move and change their locations in space all the time unstoppably until the utter destruction when the Hour takes place; the universe will end in vacuum or nothingness/chaos from which it has been originally created and begun.

2- This movement of time and space can never be stopped; one cannot move back in time; time is the dimension enveloping everything (visible or invisible to us) in the universe; the destruction/death of the universe is unavoidable.

Seventhly: "Indeed, I swear by what you see. And by what you do not see." (69:38-39):

1- We cannot see the Barsakh-levels realm and its ethereal creatures; this is because of the speeds there which are higher than the speed of light and which cannot be imagined by the human limited mind; the human eye cannot perceive this; this example of the physical realm of the earth will illustrate this fact further: Science tell us that atoms rotate within speeds between 400 billion to 750 billion cycles per second, and when they rotate faster, we can no longer see them. This is why we cannot see fan blades if they rotate at fast speeds. Let alone seeing angels moving in speeds faster than the speed of light?

2- God says in the Quran: "Indeed, I swear by what you see. And by what you do not see." (69:38-39). This means that within the vision-field of the human eye, there are ethereal creatures (i.e., angels, jinn, and devils) which we cannot see and they exist in the Barsakh level overlapping with earth; for instance, the angels which record our deeds and the devils which whisper evil deeds and thoughts to human souls; tempting devils will be seen by the misguided losers/sinners only on the Last Day.

3- Science tells us about the unseen (dark matter) in the universe; the ozone layer which protects the atmosphere is unseen by the human naked eye; this form of protection is alluded to, we think, in this verse: "And We made the sky a protected ceiling..." (21:32).

Eighthly: we cannot see the firmament and how it was built/created:

 The Lord God describes the sky/firmament in the Quran as a built entity/structure situated high above us. 

1- God says in the Quran: "He who made the earth a habitat for you, and the sky a structure..." (2:22); "It is God who made the earth a habitat for you, and the sky a structure..." (40:64); "And the sky and He who built it." (91:5).

2- More details about the firmament or heaven are found in these verse.

2/1: It is a well-built, ornamented structure and it is never pierced with holes/fissures/cracks: "Have they not observed the sky above them, how We constructed it, and decorated it, and it has no cracks?" (50:6).

2/2: The firmament is built with the divine might and it contains seven strong levels/heavens: "And built above you seven strong ones?" (78:12).

2/3: The firmament of the universe is expanding: this applies to the heavens and to the galaxies as well: "We constructed the universe with power, and We are expanding it." (51:47).

2/4: The heavens contain minute balance; e.g., the laws of gravity which we can detect but we cannot see with the naked eyes: "And the sky, He raised; and He set up the balance." (55:7); "God is He who raised the heavens without pillars that you can see..." (13:2).

Lastly: what is the duration of the existence of the physical realm of the universe? When will the Hour take place?:

  To rephrase this question, we say here: what is the duration of this first day we call the universe? We know for sure it is heading with a certain speed to its end: total destruction. When this will occur? When will the end of days come?

1- Disbelievers and deniers used to ask God mockingly to hasten the torment for them; it is postponed till the Day of Judgment. We know from the Quran that the Divine Command or Decree for the Hour to take place has been issued; yet, its execution will occur within a pre-determined earthly time known only to God; it is never known to any of His creatures; the earthly time differs from the Divine Time in the Upper realm; 1000 years on earth is one day within the Divine Time: "The command of God has come, so do not rush it. Glory be to Him; exalted above what they associate." (16:1); "And they ask you to hasten the torment. But God never breaks His promise. A day with your Lord is like a thousand years of your count." (22:47).   

2- The same estimation of time is linked to the divine commands/decrees descending to earth with the movements of angels up and down the universe between the earth and the heavens: "He regulates all affairs, from the heavens, to the earth. Then it ascends to Him on a Day the length of which is a thousand years by your count." (32:5). 

3- God says that the transient world will exist only for 50 thousand years as per the Divine Time in the Upper Realm and NOT as per earthly, terrestrial time: "A questioner questioned the imminent torment. For the disbelievers; none can repel it. From God, Lord of the Ways of Ascent. Unto Him the angels and the Spirit ascend on a Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years." (70:1-4). Of course, we never know when the universe has been created; we never know when the universe is destroyed when the Hour comes; we only know that the biggest sign of the nearness of the coming of the Hour is the revelation/descent of the Quran as the Last Divine Message from God to human beings; the Quran will last until the end of days or the end of Time.    

"On The Day When the Earth Is Changed into Another Earth, and the Heavens, and They Will Emerge before God, the One, Dominant Lord." (Quran 14:48)

Firstly: "On the Day when the earth is changed into another earth..." (14:48):

1- Physical/natural laws known to human beings and the ones which have not been known yet within this physical realm (the universe: earth, heavens, stars, galaxies, etc.) are certainly and totally different from the physical/natural laws (unknown to humanity) of the Barsakh levels of the earth and heavens. Both types of laws will change 100% when the universe is destroyed with its physical and metaphysical realms; this is inferred from this verse: "On the Day when the earth is changed into another earth, and the heavens..." (14:48). This means that this change, when the Hour comes, will include the exact opposite of physical/natural laws of our physical realm; since we know very little about the physical realm around us, we are very ignorant about the description of the Eternal Realm: "...but most people do not know. They know an outer aspect of the worldly life, but they are heedless of the Hereafter." (30:6-7). We know only about the Eternal Realm as per our limited understanding and pondering on the Quranic verses that tackle the Last Day and the Hereafter.   

2- Our limited human minds cannot understand the nature of the Eternal Realm where there is no past nor future. It is impossible to fully imagine this as our perceptions are based on the physical realm around us. The dimension of time is enveloping our existence and it moves forward and it never turns back or stops, until the Hour takes place and the universe will be totally destroyed and return to its zero point.  

3- We notice that the Quranic verses about the Last Day employ the past tense in Arabic – despite the fact that the Last Day has not taken place yet. This usage of past tense (and the passive voice) indicates the fact that these events are bound to occur inevitably as per God's Will and Decree. God says in the Quran: "And the Trumpet was sounded, whereupon everyone in the heavens and the earth were stunned, except whomever God wills. Then it was sounded another time, whereupon they were risen up, looking on. And the earth shone with the Light of its Lord; and the Book was put in place; and the prophets and the witnesses were brought in; and Judgment was passed among them equitably, and they were not wronged." (39:68-69). The succession of the Last-Day events before people enter into either Hell or Paradise will take place in this Eternal Realm, where there is no past or future, as there is only the present eternity and time will seem to be 'frozen'. This is very hard to fathom or to imagine by our limited human minds; we understand only what is physical and perceived by the senses; we cannot until now understand the nature of metaphysical, Barsakh levels that overlap with the physical universe; let alone an Eternal Realm which is yet to come; we will fully grasp it only when it is realized and we live and witness it after our souls are resurrected. God the Omniscient Lord knows the visible and the invisible as well as the future in this world and the next one. The only information we know about the Hereafter is found in the Quran. The past tense is used to indicate the inevitable fate/decree by the Lord God that such events will take place; the Divine Decrees are issued and they are yet to be fulfilled/realized in its predetermined time: "The command of God has come, so do not rush it. Glory be to Him; exalted above what they associate." (16:1).     

4- The Big Bang that has been the commencement of the creation of the heavens and the earth is referred to in the following verse: "Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were one mass, and We tore them apart? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not believe?" (21:30). This resulted into two realms/universes which are opposite to each other; i.e., a universe and its counter-universe (like positive and negative or [+/-]), and we infer this from these verses: "We created all things in pairs, so that you may reflect and ponder." (51:49); "Glory be to Him who created all the pairs; of what the earth produces, and of their own selves, and of what they do not know." (36:36). This universe and its counter-universe move into two opposite direction within an oval or elliptic orbit; the universe is expanding all the time: "We constructed the universe with power, and We are expanding it." (51:47). The Hour will take place and the universe is destroyed totally when the universe and the counter-universe will converge and collide with one another; this fact is inferred from this verse: "On the Day when We fold the heaven, like the folding of a book. Just as We began the first creation, We will repeat it - a promise binding on Us. We will act." (21:104). This collusion will bring the end of the universe and it will return to its zero point. This is the meaning of the Hour when it occurs.

5- God's calculations include that 50 thousand years will be the duration between the creation of the universe and the Hour. These 50 thousand years are NOT as per the human calculations of years. We never know how much this duration is as per the human perception of time on earth; we never know when the universe has been created and what is left from the 50 thousand years mentioned in the Quran as per God's calculations; we know only that the Hour is very near; God has said the following 14 centuries ago: "The Humankind's judgment has drawn near, but they turn away heedlessly." (21:1); "A questioner questioned the imminent torment. For the disbelievers; none can repel it. From God, Lord of the Ways of Ascent. Unto Him the angels and the Spirit ascend on a Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years. So be patient, with sweet patience. They see it distant. But We see it near." (70:1-7).    

6- Human beings now use the unit of (light years); the speed of light is 300 thousand km/s and this means that light moves 18 million km per minute; this is known as (the light minute); the distance covered by light within one light year is 9,460,730,472,580,800 meters; i.e., 9,461 trillion km. The distances in the outer space in the universe are so vast and they are measured in billions of light years. Let alone speeds and distances within the Barsakh levels known only to God and never known to humanity? God says in the Quran: "Certainly the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of humanity, but most people do not know." (40:57).

Secondly:"...and they will emerge before God, the One, Dominant Lord." (14:48):

1- God manages the universe using His angels; this fact is expressed in the Quran using the earthly time: "He regulates all affairs, from the heavens, to the earth. Then it ascends to Him on a Day the length of which is a thousand years by your count. That is the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, the Powerful, the Merciful." (32:5-6). We notice the usage of the present tense here; God is, of course, High above time and space/locality. Human beings cannot know the future; God is the Only Omniscient Lord: "He knows what penetrates into the earth, and what comes out of it, and what descends from the sky, and what ascends to it. He is the Merciful, the Forgiving." (34:2); "With Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except He. And He knows everything on land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but He knows it; and there is not a single grain in the darkness of earth, nor is there anything wet or dry, but is in a clear record." (6:59).

2- Angels who manage the universe include Gabriel and angels with him who descend upon the earth with fates annually during the Night of Decree each Ramadan; Gabriel contacted prophets/messengers with God's Revelation; this stage/era ended when the Quran was revealed and Muhammad, the seal of all prophets, died. Of course, there are angels that record deeds/words of human beings and there are the angels of death. On the Last Day, both human beings and angels will be judged; these verses are about the judgment of the angels: "And you will see the angels hovering around the Throne, glorifying their Lord with praise. And it will be judged between them equitably, and it will be said, "Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds."" (39:75); "On the Day when the Spirit and the angels stand in row. They will not speak, unless it be one permitted by the Most Merciful, and he will say what is right. " (78:38). This means that the angels enjoy freedom of actions, words, and choice; we are to remember that Iblis was an angel in the Upper Realm who refused to obey the command of the Lord God to kneel before Adam and he was cursed and distanced into the lowest Barsakh of earth with the jinn and devils; he became Satan.   

3- The Day of Judgment is when human beings meet with their Lord God; real, pious believers long for this meeting; the heedless disbelievers never think of this meeting as they disbelieve in it and deny it, because they deny the Last Day.

4- God uses human-related words here in the contexts of the Last-Day events (and about Himself) to make us grasp and understand what will occur. Let us exemplify this.

4/1: "No - when the earth is leveled, pounded, and crushed. And your Lord comes, with the angels, row after row." (89:21-22).

4/2: "To your Lord on that Day is the settlement." (75:12); "To your Lord on that Day is the drive." (75:30).

4/3: "They will emerge before God, altogether..." (14:21); "... and they will emerge before God, the One, Dominant Lord." (14:48).

4/4: "They will be presented before your Lord in a row..." (18:48).

  Within all of the above points, we cannot imagine the time and place within the Eternal Realm.

5- God will create new angels on the Last Day that will accompany His Presence/Manifestation; these angels will not be judged and will be absolutely obedient to Him: "And your Lord comes, with the angels, row after row." (89:22). There will be various types of angels as per the points below. 

5/1: The ones standing on their legs in the elevated location between Hell and Paradise: "And between them is a partition, and on the Elevations are men who recognize everyone by their features. They will call to the inhabitants of the Garden, "Peace be upon you." They have not entered it, but they are hoping. And when their eyes are directed towards the inmates of the Fire, they will say, "Our Lord, do not place us among the unjust people." And those of the Elevations will call to men they recognize by their features, saying, "Your hoardings did not avail you, nor did your arrogance." "Are these the ones you swore God will not touch with mercy?" "Enter into Paradise; you have nothing to fear, and you will not grieve."" (7:46-49). More about these angels are found in our book titled "Will the Sinning Muslims Get out of Hell to Enter into Paradise?".

5/2: The ones who arrange/align the human beings into rows and scold those who get out of the rows; they are mentioned by God here: "By the aligners aligning. And the scolders scolding." (37:1-2).

5/2/1: Those aligning angels include those who force sinners/disbelievers into Hell while rebuking them severely for their rejecting the Book of God: "On the Day when We gather from every community a group of those who rejected Our Verses; and they will be restrained. Until, when they arrive, He will say, "Did you reject My revelations without comprehending them? Or what is it you were doing?" The Word will come down upon them for their wrongdoing, and they will not speak." (27:83-85); "The Day when God's enemies are herded into the Fire, forcibly." (41:19).

5/2/2: Those angels will rebuke severely those sinners/disbelievers while they are thrown into Hell through its gates like rubbish bags: " Those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in throngs. Until, when they have reached it, and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, "Did not messengers from among you come to you, reciting to you the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "Yes, but the verdict of torment is justified against the disbelievers." It will be said, "Enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein eternally." How wretched is the destination of the arrogant ones." (39:71-72); "That God may distinguish the bad from the good, and heap the bad on top of one another, and pile them together, and throw them in Hell. These are the losers." (8:37); "Then they will be toppled into it, together with the seducers. And the soldiers of Satan, all of them." (26:94-95).

5/3: There are angels who will drive good souls into Paradise through its gates: "And those who feared their Lord will be led to Paradise in throngs. Until, when they have reached it, and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, "Peace be upon you, you have been good, so enter it, to abide therein eternally."" (39:73).

5/4: There are angels inside Hell who oversee Hell-dwellers and their torment: "O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire, whose fuel is people and stones. Over it are angels, fierce and powerful. They never disobey God in anything He commands them, and they carry out whatever they are commanded." (66:6).

5/4/1: These angels are guardians of Hell who rebuke its dwellers: "When they are thrown into it, they will hear it roaring, as it seethes. It almost bursts with fury. Every time a batch is thrown into it, its keepers will ask them, "Has no warner come to you?" They will say, "Yes, a warner did come to us, but we disbelieved, and said, 'God did not send down anything; you are very much mistaken.'"" (67:7-9).

5/4/2: This rebuke will be uttered by them when the dwellers of Hell demand a respite or a temporary relief: "And those in the Fire will say to the keepers of Hell, "Call to your Lord to lessen our suffering for one day." They will say, "Did not your messengers come to you with clear signs?" They will say, "Yes." They will say, "Then pray, but the prayers of the disbelievers will always be in vain."" (40:49-50).

5/4/3: Those angels include Malik, the main keeper of Hell: "And they will cry, "O Malik, let your Lord finish us off." He will say, "You are staying." We have given you the Truth, but most of you hate the Truth." (43:77-78). Would disbelievers/polytheists among the Muhammadans be warned by all this? Would they stop believing in devilish hadiths and stop rejecting the Quran?

5/4/4: Some of the angels in Hell take part in tormenting some of the Hell-dwellers and prevent their escaping this torment: "...As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be tailored for them, and scalding water will be poured over their heads. Melting their insides and their skins. And they will have maces of iron." (22:19-22); "But as for those who transgressed, their shelter is the Fire. Every time they try to get out of it, they will be brought back into it, and it will be said to them, "Taste the suffering of the Fire which you used to deny."" (32:20).

5/5: There are angels who greet Paradise-dwellers inside Paradise: "Everlasting Gardens, which they will enter, along with the righteous among their parents, and their spouses, and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate. "Peace be upon you, because you endured patiently. How excellent is the Final Home."" (13:23-24).

6- Hell and Paradise have NOT been created yet; God will manifest Himself on the Last Day and all human beings will be made to stand before Him; He will create and bring forth Hell and Paradise on the Day of Judgment: "And Paradise will be brought near for the pious ones. And Hell will be displayed to the deviators." (26:90-91); "And Hell will be displayed to whoever sees." (79:36); "And on that Day, Hell is brought forward. On that Day, man will remember, but how will remembrance avail him?" (89:23).

Lastly:

1- God says the following about His Dominance and Control on the Day of Resurrection: "They have not esteemed God as He ought to be esteemed. The entire earth is in His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens are folded in His right. High above is He and Transcendent beyond the associations they make. And the Trumpet was sounded, whereupon everyone in the heavens and the earth were stunned, except whomever God wills. Then it was sounded another time, whereupon they were risen up, looking on. And the earth shone with the Light of its Lord; and the Book was put in place; and the prophets and the witnesses were brought in; and Judgment was passed among them equitably, and they were not wronged." (39:67-69). The use of the passive voice here indicates that human beings lose their freedom of action on the Last Day during Resurrection, Gathering, Judgment, etc. They lose their freedom once the moment of their dying comes. The winners who are Paradise-dwellers retrieve their freedom for eternity; losers/sinners who are Hell-dwellers will continue losing their freedom for eternity inside Hell. Hence, those who misuse their freedom in this transient world and lead a life of sinning, disbelief, aggression, transgression, and committing injustices as long as they are alive and awake will lose their freedom while dying, and while being resurrected and judged, and while being tormented inside Hell forever as the fate they deserve.   

2- Would disbelievers be warned by all this?

The Problematic Issue of (Place) in the Hereafter

Introduction: 

 This is our Quranist ponderings regarding the problematic issue of (place) in the Hereafter; i.e., where Hell and Paradise will be situated in the future; this is part of the metaphysical realm which is yet to be created; we ponder some Quranic indications about it; our reflections and inferences might be right or wrong, but eventually, we know quite well that the Quranic verses about the Hereafter will be interpreted/realized/fulfilled only on the Day of Resurrection.   

Firstly: human knowledge is always limited and so is our vision within this transient, physical realm:

1- We never see rays and energy and yet we benefit from them within our physical world; we never see with the naked eye living creatures which are the denizens of the deep oceans; we never see with the naked eye harmful and useful microorganisms inside our bodies and on our skin; God says all living creatures are communities like the human community: "There is no animal on land, nor a bird flying with its wings, but are communities like you..." (6:38). Human beings use the intricate, complex microscopes and telescopes to be able to see atoms and galaxies which we cannot see with the naked eye; the more human beings discover, the more they know the fact that they know very little of the creation of the Omnipotent Dominant Lord God. 

2- Science now is knowing at the doors or thresholds of the Barsakh levels; i.e., we mean the Superstring theory; many controversial details surround this theory, as is the case of any new theory that aims to discover and study the unknown elements of the physical universe. The three main dimensions in the universe is length, width, and height, and the fourth dimension enveloping all the others is Time. The Superstring theory assumes that there are 11 dimensions in this universe: the four ones we have mentioned plus 7 others. The Superstring theory assumes that before the Big Bang that caused the creation of the universe, the entire existence was one mass or point which has exploded; this is alluded to in this Quranic verse: "Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were one mass, and We tore them apart?..." (21:30). Scientists assume that the dimensions of the universe move/vibrate as per new laws; these strings seem to be the basic building block of the universe; they consist of minute strings of energy which are vibrating all the time within wavelengths or frequencies that differ; gravitation (among other powers) is the result of such vibration of certain strings. Everything in the universe; e.g., fermions, quarks, leptons, hadrons, bosons, and carriers of power/energy like photons, are known by the pattern of how its strings vibrate and move. These vibrating strings form the basic units of matter, not just the particles and atoms. If the theory of the 11 dimensions is true, this means that the known universe overlaps with other universes unknown yet to humanity; each one of these universes has its own laws which is yet to be discovered.     

3- The Quran has preceded science in asserting the fact that there are seven Barsakh levels in the heavens and seven others within the earth and that they overlap with one another; these might be the dimensions; they are 13 and not 11 or 14; as the physical level of the earth is one of these levels or dimensions, of course.

4- The Quran has preceded science in asserting the fact that there are living creatures in the heavens and the earth: "And of His signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the creatures He has spread throughout them; and He is Able to gather them at will." (42:29); "To God bows down everything in the heavens and everything on earth - every living creature, and the angels, and without being proud." (16:49). We understand that these creatures are human beings, jinn, devils, and angels.

5- Human beings know very little about the physical realm (i.e., the earth, the stars, the galaxies, etc.) and the only pieces of information know about the Barsakh levels are found in the Quran exclusively; the Quran is the exclusive source of the future events which will occur in the Hereafter, when the physical universe is destroyed and a New, Eternal Realm of earth and heavens will exist and the Dominant Lord will judge human beings, jinn, angels, and devils, and the sinners will be forced to enter into Hell for eternity and the good ones will be made to enter into Paradise for eternity.  

6- The Quranic verses employ metaphorical, figurative style to help our limited human minds understand things about the Hereafter; this is the Divine Knowledge bestowed to us in the Quran to be able to ponder on this New, Eternal Realm which will be created in the Hereafter after the Hour takes place and the physical universe is destroyed, and hence the difficulty of the problematic issue of (place) and (eternal time) in the Hereafter.   

7- Those who support the Superstring theory assume that there are other universes overlapping with the physical one we live in, and each universe of those has other dimensions, laws, etc. which has of course, other sense of time and place. Since it is hard to imagine this since no photos are taken of such universes, it is harder to imagine the sense of timelessness and the sense of place in the Hereafter and on the Last Day.   

Secondly: the earth and the heavens on the Last Day:

1- The Quranic term (earth) has different meanings; they include the land/earth of the Paradise of the Hereafter, as we infer from these verses: "We have written...that the earth will be inherited by My righteous servants." (21:105); "And they will say, "Praise be to God, who has fulfilled His promise to us, and made us inherit the land, enjoying Paradise as we please." How excellent is the reward of the workers." (39:74).

2- God says in the Quran: "And the Trumpet was sounded, whereupon everyone in the heavens and the earth were stunned, except whomever God wills. Then it was sounded another time, whereupon they were risen up, looking on." And the earth shone with the Light of its Lord; and the Book was put in place; and the prophets and the witnesses were brought in; and Judgment was passed among them equitably, and they were not wronged." (39:68-69). This Quranic context asserts that the Last-Day events and the meeting with the Dominant Lord God will be on the earth of the Hereafter; thus, we conclude that the earth and the heavens are overlapping within the Hereafter within this Eternal Realm.  

3- God says the following about the vastness of Paradise: "And race towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious ones." (3:133); "Race towards forgiveness from your Lord; and a Garden as vast as the heavens and the earth..." (57:21). The gates of Paradise will be opened for its dwellers: "The Gardens of Eden, with their doors wide-open for them." (38:50), and this allow Paradise-dwellers to go everywhere; they will even be able to see Hell and its dwellers; God narrates this scene as a flash-forward about a Paradise-dweller rebuking one of the Hell-dwellers who tried to misguide him within the temporary life on earth: "Then they will approach one another, questioning. One of them will say, "I used to have a friend. Who used to say, "Are you of those who believe? That after we die and become dust and bones, we will be called to account?" He will say, "Will you have a look?" He will look, and will see him in the pit of Hell. He will say, "By God, you almost ruined me. Were it not for the grace of my Lord, I would have been among the arraigned." "We will not die. Except for our first death, and we will not be tormented."" (37:50-59). Paradise-dwellers will never be harmed by Hell or hear its frightening voices; we infer this from this context about Hell-dwellers and Paradise-dwellers: "In it they will wail. In it they will not hear. As for those who deserved goodness from Us - these will be kept away from it. They will not hear its hissing, and they will forever abide in what their hearts desire." (21:100-102). 

PART II: The Topic of Barsakh within our Previously Published Series of Articles

CHAPTER I: The Barsakh Level of the Living Souls of Those who Got Killed for The Lord God's Sake While Serving His Cause

Introduction:

1- In May, 1985, we have been interrogated in an inquisition-like manner because we have authored five books which include the one titled "Prophets in the Holy Quran: An Analytical Study". The interrogator asked our person if we believe that Prophet Muhammad is dead or not (!); this interrogator accused our person of making the stature of the living souls of those who got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause above the stature of the soul of Muhammad who died a natural death. We replied that it is not our person who said that Muhammad is dead or is a mortal human being; the Lord God mentions this fact in the Quran; God has told Muhammad the following before his death; i.e., he was alive at the time when he received this verse: "You will die, and they will die." (39:30). Those who claim that Muhammad is immortal and that he is alive now somewhere are disbelieving in this verse and in the entire Quranic message. As for the Quranic term (witnesses), it does not refer to any killed people but to those good persons who will bear witness and testify against their people on the Day of Judgment. The living souls of those who got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause are not dead as per the Quran as God makes them enter into a Barsakh Paradise until the end of days; God commands us never to say that they are dead: "And do not say of those who are killed in the cause of God, "Dead." Rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive." (2:154); "Do not consider those killed in the cause of God as dead. In fact, they are alive, at their Lord, well provided for. Delighting in what God has given them out of His grace, and happy for those who have not yet joined them; that they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. They rejoice in grace from God, and bounty, and that God will not waste the reward of the faithful." (3:169-171). Hence, since God mentions in the Quran that Muhammad is dead, we (and all Quran-believing people) are not to contradict the Quran by saying he is immortal or alive now; similarly, we are to believe that there are those who are still alive in the Barsakh Paradise described in 3:169-171. This has nothing to do with preferring Muhammad to others or vice-versa.    

2- We still remember this interrogation after the passage of more than 30 years. In the next lines, we write an imaginary dialogue as if it were the continuation of this interrogation; we make it include important questions about the Barsakh level of the living souls of those who got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause.

He said to us: Where is the location of the Barsakh level of the souls of those who got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause?

We said to him: It exists in one of the Barsakh levels on the earth; in our view, it is mentioned here: "He saw him on another descent. At the Tree of the Extremity. Near which is the Paradise of Repose. As there covered the Tree what covered it. The sight did not waver, nor did it exceed. He saw some of the Great Signs of his Lord." (53:13-18).

He said: This means that Muhammad saw it within the Night-Journey, right?

We said: Yes, this is a miraculous sign that occurred when he saw the arch-angel Gabriel descending from the Upper Realm into this Paradise and then on earth to meet him.  

He said: How did Muhammad see this?!

We said: He saw this vision with eye/heart of his soul and not by his physical eyes; during this vision, his soul was freed from the confines of the physical body, which is the screen or veil that prevents us from seeing the metaphysical Barsakh levels. Thus, Muhammad saw Gabriel descending from a higher Barsakh level or the Upper Realm, to which arch-angel Gabriel belongs, and the soul of Muhammad saw the Tree of Extremity and the Paradise of these souls; his sight did not waver because the physical eye felt as if frozen or dead; he cannot describe the Barsakh level he saw with his soul; this cannot be described in any human language; this is a Great Sign granted to him by the Lord God.

He said: Why do you assume that it is the Paradise of the living souls of those who got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause?

We said: This is the location where Adam and his wife lived before their descent to earth; thus, those among their progeny who deserve enjoying its bliss will enter it because they got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause.

He said: What does this Paradise of Adam and his wife look like?

We said: It is a garden where there are trees, rivers, and fruits; their physical bodies were covered with Barsakh lights of this Paradise; both had no knowledge of their physical bodies at the time; they could see Barsakh levels and ethereal creatures; this is why they saw Satan when he deceived them by making them disobey the command of God when they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree: "And you, Adam, inhabit the Garden, you and your wife, and eat whatever you wish; but do not approach this tree, lest you become among the unjust ones." But Satan whispered to them, to reveal to them their nakedness, which was invisible to them. He said, "Your Lord has only forbidden you this tree, lest you become angels, or become immortals." And he swore to them, "I am a sincere advisor to you."So he lured them with deceit. And when they tasted the tree, their nakedness became evident to them, and they began covering themselves with the leaves of the Garden. And their Lord called out to them, "Did I not forbid you from this tree, and say to you that Satan is a sworn enemy to you?"" (7:19-22). Once Adam and his wife consumed the fruit of the forbidden tree, the Barsakh lights covering their nakedness were gone and they tried to cover themselves with leaves of trees of this Barsakh lights. God asserts that human beings on earth cannot see ethereal creatures of the Barsakh levels, including Satan and devils: "O children of Adam! Do not let Satan seduce you, as he drove your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their garments, to show them their nakedness. He sees you, him and his clan, from where you cannot see them. We have made the devils friends of those who do not believe." (7:27). 

He said: How did Adam and his wife live in this Paradise?

We said: Life inside it is the exact opposite of life on the physical earth; human beings on earth feel thirsty, hungry, and tired and they need clothes, warmth, food, etc. Adam and his wife never knew all these feelings and such needs in this Paradise; God has warned Adam and his wife against Satan the Devil here: "We said, "O Adam, this is an enemy to you and to your wife. So do not let him make you leave the Garden, for then you will suffer. In it you will never go hungry, nor be naked. Nor will you be thirsty in it, nor will you swelter."" (20:117-119).

He said: So, you assume that the living souls of those who got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause live in the same Paradise in a way similar to the life of Adam and his wife there, right?

We said: Exactly. God says in the Quran "...In fact, they are alive, at their Lord, well provided for. Delighting in what God has given them out of His grace..." (3:169-170). This means they never feel tired, thirsty, hungry, etc. and they enjoy pleasures while feeling very happy.

He said: This means they consume food and water, right?

We said: Of course; all living creatures need to consume food to go on living. God is the Creator and Originator of the universe (the earth and the heavens) and He never needs food; He provides nourishment for all living creatures of both the physical and the metaphysical realms: "Say, "Shall I take for myself a protector other than God, Originator of the heavens and the earth, and He feeds and is not fed?"..." (6:14). Yet, food and drink of the living souls of those who got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause differ from what we know on earth.

He said: What about the moment of their death?

We said: They experience/taste death when their souls are taken from their bodies; yet, we are commanded in the Quran not to describe them as dead as they live in the Barsakh Paradise; you remember this, of course.

He said: But all living human beings are bound to die of course (as the angels of death take their souls) as per these verses: "Those who are in a wholesome state when the angels take them - will say, "Peace be upon you; enter Paradise, for what you used to do."" (16:32); "Those wronging their souls while the angels are taking them away - they will propose peace: "We did no wrong." Yes you did. God is aware of what you used to do." Enter the gates of Hell, to dwell therein forever. Miserable is the residence of the arrogant ones." (16:28-29).

We said: We have mentioned in our writings and videos that fulfillment is more than mere death; fulfillment means getting all provisions destined for one and one's Record of Deeds is closed and one surrenders the soul to the angels of death as the duration of life-test has ended, and finally, one is rewarded/recompensed in the Hereafter as per one's deeds, either in Hell or in Paradise. The living souls of those who got killed for the Lord God's sake while serving His cause see the angels of death bring them glad tidings of Paradise in the Hereafter and they accompany them to the Barsakh Paradise, where they remain in bliss until the end of days when the Hour comes; after the Day of Judgment, they will enter into the Eternal Paradise wherein they will dwell forever.

He said: What is the difference between this case and the case of pious monotheists who die a natural death and see angels of death bring them glad tidings of Paradise?

We said: Their souls remain in a state of senselessness and timelessness in a Barsakh level of repository of souls of all dead people until the Day of the Resurrection. In contrast, those in the Barsakh Paradise see, feel, and sense their loved ones who are still living on earth and they feel the passage of time on earth till the Hour comes: "Delighting in what God has given them out of His grace, and happy for those who have not yet joined them; that they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. They rejoice in grace from God, and bounty, and that God will not waste the reward of the faithful." (3:170-171).  

He said: But all dying ones taste/experience death even souls of those who got killed for God's sake while serving His cause; i.e., all souls are taken from their bodies forever; there is no contradiction among these verses: "And do not say of those who are killed in the cause of God, "Dead." Rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive." (2:154); "Every soul will have a taste of death..." (3:185 + 21:35); "Every soul will taste death. Then to Us you will be returned." (29:57), right?!

We said: Of course, all souls of all human beings, sans exception, will taste/experience death when their predestined life durations are fulfilled as well as their provisions and fates, etc. Each soul will step into the threshold of Barsakh upon dying and feel the awe of seeing the angels of death; this taste/experience of death means to be transported from the physical realm to the metaphysical realm of Barsakh. Yet, the Barsakh repository of the dead souls is a state of timelessness and senselessness; this applies to human souls except the living souls of those enjoying the bliss and pleasures of the Barsakh Paradise. This means they enjoy this Paradise in a higher Barsakh level; the lower Barsakh level of the repository of dead souls is a state of deep slumber until the Day of the Resurrection.   

He said: What about the Day of Judgment in relation to those who got killed for God's sake while serving His cause?

We said: They will be judged like the rest of all human beings; they will feel the total destruction (within time and speed less than the blink of an eye) of the universe, with its physical realm and metaphysical levels, which precedes the emergence of the Eternal Realm: "On the Day when the earth is changed into another earth, and the heavens, and they will emerge before God, the One, Dominant Lord." (14:48). Thus, they will feel the first explosion of destroying the universe which will return to its zero point from which it has begun. The second explosion is the Resurrection of all souls (both dead ones and living ones) after the emergence of the new Eternal Realm. By the way, the living souls in Barsakh-torment include tormented souls of the drowned people of Noah and the drowned Moses' Pharaoh and his people. All souls of human beings will be resurrected together, gathered, made to stand in a row before the Dominant Lord, and judged, and then, they will reach the final destination: Hell for eternity for some of them and the others will enjoy Paradise for eternity as well. This means that earthly, moving time will vanish and will end forever; the Hereafter is an Eternal Time with no past nor future; it is an eternal present-time; this is very hard to grasp or to imagine by our limited minds, you know.  

He said: God says in the Quran: "They have not esteemed God as He ought to be esteemed. The entire earth will be in His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right. Glorified and Transcendent He is high and beyond the polytheistic associations they make. And the Trumpet will be sounded, whereupon everyone in the heavens and the earth will be stunned, except whomever God wills. Then it will be sounded another time, whereupon they will rise up, looking on. And the earth will shine with the Light of its Lord; and the Book will be put in place; and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought in; and Judgment will be passed among them equitably, and they will not be wronged. And every soul will be fully compensated for what it had done. He is well aware of what they do.Those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in throngs. Until, when they have reached it, and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, "Did not messengers from among you come to you, reciting to you the revelations of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "Yes, but the verdict of torment is justified against the disbelievers." It will be said, "Enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein eternally." How wretched is the destination of the arrogant ones. And those who feared their Lord will be led to Paradise in throngs. Until, when they have reached it, and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, "Peace be upon you, you have been good, so enter it, to abide therein eternally." And they will say, "Praise be to God, who has fulfilled His promise to us, and made us inherit the land, enjoying Paradise as we please." How excellent is the reward of the workers. And you will see the angels hovering around the Throne, glorifying their Lord with praise. And it will be judged between them equitably, and it will be said, "Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds."" (39:67-75).

We said: As always, God says nothing but the Absolute Truth.

CHAPTER II: The Barsakh Realm between the Souls of the Dead and the Souls of Those who Got Killed for The Lord God's Sake While Serving His Cause

Introduction:

1- In May, 1985, we have been interrogated in an inquisition-like manner by high-rank Azharite sheikhs and clergymen inside Al-Azhar University because we have authored five books which include the one titled "Prophets in the Holy Quran: An Analytical Study". The one who headed this inquisition- like interrogation was the dean of Osol-Eddine faculty of the Asyut Governorate branch of Al-Azhar University, Dr. M. Sayed Tantawi, who later on became the servile head-sheikh of Al-Azhar within the Mubarak regime. One of the interrogators criticized our person severely because he accused us of placing those who were killed for God's sake while serving His cause above Muhammad and of being an arch-enemy of Muhammad, as we mention in our book titled "Prophets in the Holy Quran: An Analytical Study" that corpses of all prophets are decomposed inside earth and the same applies to good people who were killed for God's sake while serving His cause, but the difference is that their souls are alive in a Barsakh Paradise, whereas souls of prophets/messengers (who are not murdered) are in a state of slumber, timelessness, and senselessness in Barsakh. We replied that as a Quran-believing thinker, we must obey God and believe in the Quranic fact that souls of those who were killed for God's sake while serving His cause are alive and that Muhammad is dead. God has told Muhammad: "You will die..." (39:30), and He says in the Quran: "Do not consider those killed in the cause of God as dead. In fact, they are alive, at their Lord, well provided for. Delighting in what God has given them out of His grace, and happy for those who have not yet joined them; that they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. They rejoice in grace from God, and bounty, and that God will not waste the reward of the believers." (3:169-171).

2- We have mentioned the following in "The Book of Death" (found, in English, on this link within our website: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=120): (... When Muhammad was in Mecca and striving with the Quranic call against the polytheistic Qorayish leaders, God has told him the following: "You will die, and they will die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be quarrelling before your Lord." (39:30-31). As we ponder both verses, we see that Muhammad received them when he was in Mecca in his early forties and he lived for some more years in Mecca and then for 10 years in Yathreb, if he really died at the age of 63 as per some historians. Yet, the verses 39:30-31 assert Muhammad's inevitable death, whatever the number of years remaining from his predestined life duration has been at this point in time. The same verses assert the death of his foes, the polytheists who rejected the Quran, and both he and they will argue against one another on the Last Day. Thus, 39:30-31 assert that there is equality in death: both Muhammad and his foes are mortals who have been told in 39:30-31 about their inescapable death. Pondering deeper on this verse: "You will die, and they will die." (39:30), we find that it emphasizes and foregrounds the death of Muhammad more than that of his polytheistic foes. This is not mentioned at random or in a haphazard manner; the Quran, God's Word, has no room at all for randomness, redundancy, or verbosity. Thus, 39:30 is mentioned by God the Omniscient to refute in advance the claims that Muhammad is immortal and goes on living inside a mausoleum; this means that God will never accept the excuses by the polytheists, on the Last Day, who have rejected the Quran, since God informs all people about the Quranic faith tenets to which they should adhere. Those Muhammadans of today would never consider any man among Muhammad's foes as alive in his tomb; yet, they assume that Muhammad is alive underneath their feet within the mausoleum ascribed falsely to him! This is why the verse 39:30 stresses Muhammad's death more than that of his foes, though both died like all mortals who are bound to die eventually. In addition, 39:30 asserts that Muhammad died a natural death; i.e., he was neither murdered/assassinated nor killed in one of the self-defense battles. This verse has predicted to him and to the early believers at the time that he will die in bed and never get killed or assassinated. We infer this clearly when we reflect on the Quranic fact that God prevents us from saying that those killed for His sake are dead, because they are alive in the Barsakh Paradise: "And do not say of those who are killed in the cause of God, "Dead." Rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive." (2:154); "Do not consider those killed in the cause of God as dead. In fact, they are alive, at their Lord, well provided for." (3:169). Thus, we are not to describe those killed in the cause of God as dead persons since they are alive at the Barsakh realm; we are not to disobey God by contradicting the Quran. At the same time, we are to believe in the Quranic fact that Muhammad is dead; no real believers would contradict the Quran by saying otherwise. We are to hear and obey the Quran wholeheartedly in this point and indeed in all other points...).

3- What about the difference between the metaphysical Barsakh realm of the souls of the dead persons and the metaphysical Barsakh realm of souls of those who got killed for God's sake while serving His cause?

Firstly: Resurrection is for the dead ones, and not for those who got killed for the Almighty Lord God God's sake while serving His cause:

1- We have mentioned before in our previous books and articles that there are seven levels of earth: the physical planet earth and six metaphysical Barsakh levels that are overlapping with one another, and there are seven levels of heaven: the physical one and six metaphysical Barsakh levels that are overlapping with one another. All these levels exist in the same universe but in several dimensions; the higher level overlaps with the lower one; the lowest, weakest level of existence is the physical universe with its earth, stars, galaxies, etc.

2- Within the earth Barsakh levels, there are devils, jinn, and angels (e.g., angels of death and angels who record deeds of human beings), and they move within their metaphysical-realm dimensions in speeds which cannot be imagined by human beings. Of course, the human soul is a creature that belongs to the Barsakh level of existence; souls return temporarily to Barsakh when we are in deep slumber; souls return for good to Barsakh when people die and their souls leave their bodies forever; their corpses decompose into the soil of the physical earth.

3- At the moment of death, a person sees the ethereal, Barsakh creatures known as the angels of death; once they are seen by the soul of a dying person, this person cannot be brought back to life; if this person was a bad, disobedient person, this scene will be his/her fate: "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back. That I may do right in what I have neglected." By no means! It is just a word that he utters. And behind them is a Barsakh/barrier, until the Day they are resurrected." (23:99-100). Souls of good and bad persons are stored in a certain Barsakh level in a state of timelessness and senselessness; when the human beings are resurrected on the Last Day, they will feel as if they slept for a day or a part of a day: "On the Day when the Hour takes place, the sinners will swear they had stayed but an hour. Thus they were deluded. But those endowed with knowledge and faith will say, "You remained in God's Book until the Day of Resurrection. This is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know."" (30:55-56). This truth is known by pious believers and not by sinners: "On the Day when they witness it - as though they only stayed an evening, or its morning." (79:46).  

4- Hence, the Resurrection is only for the souls of the dead human beings: "...As for the dead, God will resurrect them; then to Him they will be returned." (6:36); "Then, after that, you will die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be resurrected." (23:15-16). The Almighty Lord God says the following about John: "And peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the Day he is raised alive." (19:15); the Quran mentions the words of the baby Jesus here: "So Peace is upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the Day I get resurrected alive."" (19:33). This means both prophets, John and Jesus, are dead and they will be resurrected on the Last Day. Likewise, Muhammad is dead and he will be resurrected on the Last Day; God has told him that he will die; this means that he will be among the resurrected souls. The senselessness and timelessness of souls of the dead people in Barsakh will make them feel as if they slept for a short while when they are resurrected on the Day of Judgment. It will be the same feeling when living ones wakes up during their lifetimes on earth.

5- It is very different in the case of those who got killed for God's sake while serving His cause; they are alive within the bliss and pleasures of the metaphysical Barsakh Paradise that overlaps with the physical earth; we cannot see their souls but their souls can see and feel those who are still alive. Their souls will be brought for judgment on the Last Day without being resurrected/raised from the dead – because they are not dead in the first place; they are alive in Barsakh Paradise.

Secondly: the Barsakh level of this world and the coming of the Hour:

1- God says in the Quran: "On the Day when the earth is changed into another earth, and the heavens, and they will emerge before God, the Dominant One." (14:48); thus, all physical and metaphysical levels of the universe of heavens and the earth will be destroyed and a New, Eternal Realm will be created and it will witness the manifestation of God Himself on the Last Day.

2- When the universe is destroyed when the Hour comes, the Barsakh level will throw souls of the dead to be resurrected on the Day of Judgment; the words of the Dominant Lord here will be fulfilled and realized: "When the sky is ruptured. And hearkens to its Lord, as it must. And when the earth is leveled out. And casts out what is in it, and becomes empty. And hearkens to its Lord, as it must. O man! You are laboring towards your Lord, and you will meet Him." (84:1-6).

3- God says in the Quran: "From it We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will bring you out another time." (20:55); the Lord God has created our bodies from the dust/mud of the physical earth and our souls as ethereal creatures in Barsakh before we are born. When we die, the dead bodies decompose into the earth and turn to dust and the soul return to Barsakh, its storehouse or origin. Upon the Day of  Resurrection, each soul will wear a body composed/woven of its good or bad deeds, and it will be judged to be either tormented in Hell or made to enjoy Paradise as per its deeds and faith: "Perish man! How disbelieving he is! From what did He create him? From a sperm drop He created him, and enabled him. Then He eased the way for him. Then He puts him to death, and buries him. Then, when He wills, He will resurrect him." (80:17-22).

Thirdly: there are two tombs for each dead person: the physical tomb on earth and the Barsakh tomb:

1- We conclude, then, that the dead person has two tombs: (1) a physical one on earth as the dead body rots and decomposes to turn eventually into dust which will be destroyed when the earth and the universe is destroyed when the Hour comes, and (2) a Barsakh tomb which is where the soul is stored and from which it will be resurrected and gathered on the Last Day.

2- Physical non-human creatures (e.g., animals) die and they will be resurrected and gathered; they will not be judged as they were not tested: "When the beasts are gathered." (81:5); "There is no animal on land, nor a bird flying with its wings, but are communities like you. We neglected nothing in the Book. Then to their Lord they will be gathered." (6:38). Hence, these non-human creatures die and their souls enter into Barsakh to be resurrected and gathered on the Last Day.

3- These non-human creatures die and their bodies rot and decompose to turn into dust within the earth; their souls, however, enter into a Barsakh level; they have two tombs like human beings: an earthly one and a Barsakh one.

4- This is important in relation to those human beings who die as animals/beasts eat/devour and digest them; the human victim's tomb here is the belly of such beast/animal who consumed the victim. The soul of this beast/animal is the Barsakh tomb of this human soul of the victim from which it will be resurrected on the Last Day; this is inferred from the Quranic story of Jonah: "Then the whale swallowed him, and he was to blame. Had he not been one of those who praised. He would have stayed in its belly until the Day they are raised." (37:142-144).  This means that if Jonah were to die inside the whale, his soul would have remained within the soul of the whale as his Barsakh tomb until the Day of Resurrection.

Fourthly: the Almighty, Dominant Lord God says the following about the Barsakh tomb:

1- God says in the Quran: "When the sky breaks apart. When the planets are scattered. When the oceans are exploded. When the tombs are strewn around. Each soul will know what it has advanced, and what it has deferred." (82:1-5). The physical realm with its galaxies, stars, etc. will be devastated completely; there is no mention of earthly tombs here; this means that the souls will be resurrected from its Barsakh tombs as all souls are stored in a certain metaphysical Barsakh level till the Last Day.

2- God says in the Quran: "That is because God is the Truth, and because He gives life to the dead, and because He is Capable of everything. And because the Hour is coming-there is no doubt about it-and because God will resurrect those in the graves." (22:6-7); this means that the Resurrection process means that they will be summoned from the Barsakh tombs to be gathered for Judgment within the New, Eternal Realm, and not from the earthly tombs as the whole earth will be destroyed along with the physical universe.

3- God says in the Quran: "Does he not know? When the contents of the graves are scattered around. And the contents of the hearts are obtained. Their Lord, on that Day, is fully informed of them." (100:9-11); the graves here are the Barsakh ones and NOT the earthly, physical ones. Souls will carry their deeds and nothing will be hidden during the Judgment Day controlled by the Dominant Lord God: "He is certainly able to return him. On the Day when the secrets are disclosed. He will have no strength, and no supporter." (86:8-10).

4- God says in the Quran: "All they can expect is a single blast, which will seize them while they feud. They will not be able to make a will, nor will they return to their families. The Trumpet will be blown, then behold, they will rush from the tombs to their Lord. They will say, "Woe to us! Who resurrected us from our resting-place?" This is what the Dominant Lord had promised, and the messengers have spoken the truth." It will be but a single scream; and behold, they will all be brought before Us." (36:49-53); this also means that souls will be summoned from the Barsakh tombs/graves and NOT earthly, physical ones.

5- God says in the Quran: "So turn away from them. On the Day when the Caller calls to something terrible. Their eyes humiliated, they will emerge from the graves, as if they were swarming locusts. Scrambling towards the Caller, the disbelievers will say, "This is a difficult Day."" (54:6-8); this means the souls will have no control or choice or freedom of action; they cannot disobey the commands of the Lord on the Last Day.

6- God says in the Quran: "So leave them to blunder and play, until they meet their Day which they are promised. The Day when they will emerge from the tombs in a rush, as though they were hurrying towards an edifice. Their eyes cast down; overwhelmed by humiliation. This is the Day which they were promised." (70:42-44); this is about the polytheists/disbelievers/deniers. In this physical world, many of them worshiped 'holy' edifices/mausoleums while feeling happy, but on the Last Day, they will feel humiliated as they are rushing despite of themselves to a severe/harsh Judgment and to their fate in Hell.   

7- God says in the Quran: "The Shocker. What is the Shocker? What will explain to you what the Shocker is? The Day when the people will be like scattered moths." (101:1-4); this also means that souls will be resurrected/summoned from the Barsakh tombs/graves and they will come in despite of themselves, as they cannot disobey the Dominant Lord, and they will be flying like moths as they will be gathered for Judgment.

8- God says in the Quran: "When the earth is shaken with its quake. And the earth brings out its loads. And man says, "What is the matter with it?" On that Day, it will tell its tales. For your Lord will have inspired it. On that Day, the people will emerge in droves, to be shown their works." (99:1-6); this means that the destroyed earth will bring out the souls exiting in the metaphysical Barsakh-level graves/tombs as per the commands of the Dominant Lord; the universe and the earth will be mere tales; they will no longer exist, and on the Day of Judgment within the New, Eternal Realm, the human beings will see their deeds recorded before by the angels.  

Lastly:

 Until when would the Muhammadans discard, reject, and abandon the Quran?!

CHAPTER III: The Living Creatures inside the Metaphysical Realm of the Barsakh Levels

Firstly: we cannot see or feel them, but they can see and feel us:

We cannot see or feel those who are living in Barsakh:

1- Living people on earth cannot see or feel those who are living in Barsakh; God says the following about those who are killed for God's sake while serving His cause: "And do not say of those who are killed in the cause of God, "Dead." Rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive." (2:154).  

2- Non-Human living creatures of Barsakh can see human beings but human beings cannot see them at all; for instance, God says the following about Satan and his devils: "...He sees you, him and his clan, from where you cannot see them..." (7:27).

Those who are living in the Barsakh can see and feel us:

1- Those who are killed for God's sake while serving His cause live in the Barsakh Paradise and they can see their brethren who did not catch up with them; they can see and feel them on earth: "Do not consider those killed in the cause of God as dead. In fact, they are alive, at their Lord, well provided for. Delighting in what God has given them out of His grace, and happy for those who have not yet joined them; that they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. They rejoice in grace from God, and bounty, and that God will not waste the reward of the faithful." (3:169-171).

2- This is exemplified in this Quranic story of a believing man who urged his disbelieving people to follow the Lord God's messengers; when they persecuted him and put him to death, he entered into the Barsakh Paradise and he wished that his people would know about the bliss he enjoys: "Then a man came running from the remotest part of the city. He said, "O my people, follow the messengers. Follow those who ask you of no wage, and are themselves guided. "And why should I not worship Him Who created me, and to Whom you will be returned? Shall I take other gods instead of Him? If the Merciful desires harm for me, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor will they save me. In that case, I would be completely lost. I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me." It was said, "Enter Paradise." He said, "If only my people knew. How my Lord has forgiven me, and made me one of the honored."" (36:20-27).

Secondly: those who are tormented in Barsakh:

 Besides those who are living in the bliss and pleasures of the Barsakh Paradise, there are those two people mentioned in the Quran who are tormented in Barsakh: the drowned disbelievers of Noah's people and the drowned Moses' Pharaoh and his people.

Noah's people:

1- God says the following in the Quran about Noah and his people: "As he was building the Ark, whenever some of his people passed by him, they ridiculed him. He said, "If you ridicule us, we will ridicule you, just as you ridicule." "You will surely know upon whom will come a torment that will humiliate him, and upon whom will fall a lasting torment."" (11:38-39).

2- Hence, Noah's people ridiculed him while he was building the Ark and he warned them of a humiliating, lasting torment which is mentioned in this verse: "Because of their sins, they were drowned, and were hurled into a Fire. They did not find apart from God any helpers." (71:25); this means that once they were drowned, they entered into a state of torment inside Barsakh; the words of Noah in 11:39 have been fulfilled and they knew that he was a true prophet of the Lord God and that he brought to them the Word of Truth. 

Between Noah's people and the people of Moses' Pharaoh:

1- Both of them were drowned and are now being tormented in Barsakh till the Last Day.

2- Noah's people were imams/leaders of disbelief to all disbelievers who came in the eras after them because they were the very first disbelievers on earth; they mark the Phase No. One; later on, Moses' Pharaoh in Phase No. Two came along and he is now the imam/leader of all disbelievers who came, and will come, in all later eras until the Last Day. God says in the Quran: "So We seized him, and his troops, and We threw them into the sea. Observe, therefore, what was the end of the oppressors. And We made them leaders calling to the Fire. And on Resurrection Day, they will not be saved. And We pursued them in this world with a curse. And on Resurrection Day, they will be among the despised." (28:40-42).

2/1: This is why the Lord God mentions in the Quran the fact that unjust disbelievers follow the footsteps of Moses' Pharaoh: "As for those who disbelieve, neither their wealth nor their children will avail them anything against God. These will be fuel for the Fire. They are following the footsteps of Pharaoh's people and those before them. They rejected Our signs, so God seized them for their sins. God is Strict in retribution." (3:10-11); "They are following the footsteps of Pharaoh's people and those before them; they rejected the Verses of God, so God seized them for their sins. God is Powerful, Severe in punishment. That is because God would never change a blessing He has bestowed on a people unless they change what is within themselves, and because God is Hearing and Knowing. They are following the footsteps of Pharaoh's people and those before them; they denied the signs of their Lord, so We annihilated them for their sins, and We drowned the people of Pharaoh - they were all unjust ones." (8:52-54).

2/2: God says in the Quran: "And when they provoked Our wrath, We took retribution from them, and We drowned them all. Thus We made them a precedent (Salaf) and an example for the others." (43:55-56). The Lord God has made Pharaoh and his people as Salaf or exemplary ones of disbelief to all disbelievers and polytheistic Salafists; this is a severe warning by the Lord God. The term Salafism is, thus, a negative one of polytheism and injustice and it has nothing to do with Islam.

2/3: The Scripture of Moses which he received at Mount Al-Tur, in Sinai, Egypt, has ushered a new era; i.e., God will no longer bring total destruction of any disbelievers; persecuted monotheists must fight the aggressive disbelievers who imitate Moses' Pharaoh, within self-defense as per God's commands in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran. God says in the Quran: "We gave Moses the Scripture after We had annihilated the previous generations; as an illumination for the humankind, and guidance, and mercy, so that they may remember." (28:43); "God has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise. They fight in God's way, and they kill and get killed. It is a promise binding on Him in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Quran. And who is more true to his promise than God? So rejoice in making such an exchange - that is the supreme triumph." (9:111).

Features of Moses' Pharaoh:

1- God says the following in the Quran about the drowning Pharaoh: "Today We will preserve your body, so that you become a sign for those after you. But most people are heedless of Our signs." (10:92). The soul of Moses' Pharaoh is being tormented now in Barsakh, but his corpse is shown to others to heed the lesson; this means that there is no grave-torment for corpses mentioned within the mythology of the Muhammadans.  

2- After being tormented in Barsakh, Pharaoh will lead his people into the Hell-Fire: "He will precede his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead them into the Fire. Miserable is the place he placed them in. They were followed by a curse in this, and on the Day of Resurrection. Miserable is the path they followed." (11:98-99).

3- After the drowning of Moses' Pharaoh and his people in the Red Sea, the Israelites settled in Egypt momentarily before they headed to the Promised Land; all monuments and edifices of Pharaoh were destroyed; he and his people are being tormented in Barsakh and they knew that they were losers and felt sorrow, as they saw, while they are in Barsakh, how Moses and the Israelites inherited treasures of Egypt; God says in the Quran: "So We took vengeance on them, and drowned them in the sea-because they rejected Our signs, and paid no heed to them. And We made the oppressed people inherit the eastern and western parts of the land, which We had blessed. Thus the fair promise of your Lord to the Children of Israel was fulfilled, because of their endurance. And We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had built, and what they had harvested." (7:136-137); "Pharaoh exalted himself on earth, and divided its people into factions. He persecuted a group of them, slaughtering their sons, while sparing their daughters. He was truly a corrupter. But We desired to favor those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them the inheritors. And to establish them in the land; and to show Pharaoh, Haman, and their troops, the very thing they feared. We inspired the mother of Moses: "Nurse him; then, when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and do not fear, nor grieve; We will return him to you, and make him one of the messengers." Pharaoh's household picked him up, to be an opponent and a sorrow for them. Pharaoh, Haman, and their troops were sinners." (28:4-8).

4- The Barsakh torment goes on for the souls of Pharaoh and his people: "So God protected him from the evils of their scheming, while a terrible torment besieged Pharaoh's people. The Fire. They will be exposed to it morning and evening. And on the Day the Hour takes place: "Admit the people of Pharaoh to the most intense torment."" (40:45-46); severest torment is waiting for them inside Hell: "He will precede his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead them into the Fire." (11:98)

5- This means that Moses' Pharaoh who is being tormented in Barsakh until the Last Day is seeing people living and dying on earth and he is seeing tyrants who follow his footsteps in all eras within the centuries; what would be the opinion of Moses' Pharaoh about the Pharaonic tyrants of the Muhammadans?

Thirdly: the angels live within the Barsakh levels of the heavens and the earth:

1- God's Decrees and Fates ordained by Him on human beings are being executed on earth by the angels; other angels record deeds of human beings; other angels are the death angels who receive the souls of the dead persons. When the Hour takes place, God will manifest Himself in an Eternal Realm to meet human beings and to judge them. All Divine Decrees and Commands carried by, and given to, angels move through the Barsakh levels of the heavens and the earth: "God is He Who created seven heavens, and their like of earth. The command descends through them, so that you may know that God is Capable of everything, and that God Encompasses everything in knowledge." (65:12); "He regulates all affairs, from the heavens, to the earth. Then it ascends to Him on a Day the length of which is a thousand years by your count. That is the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, the Powerful, the Merciful." (32:5-6); "He knows what penetrates into the earth, and what comes out of it, and what descends from the sky, and what ascends to it. He is the Merciful, the Forgiving." (34:2).

2- Besides the above point, the angels worship the Dominant Lord God in the following ways.

2/1: Praising and glorifying the Holy Name of the Dominant Lord God. We quote these Quranic verses here about this: "Praising Him are the seven heavens, and the earth, and everyone in them. There is not a thing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their praises. He is indeed Forbearing and Forgiving." (17:44); the expression (and everyone in them) includes the angels of course. "The thunder praises His glory, and so do the angels, in awe of Him..." (13:13); "To Him belongs everyone in the heavens and the earth. Those near Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they waver. They praise night and day, without ever tiring." (21:19-20)

2/2: Asking for God's pardon for real believers: "The heavens above them almost burst apart, while the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask forgiveness for those on earth..." (42:5); "Those who carry the Throne, and those around it, glorify their Lord with praise, and believe in Him, and ask for forgiveness for those who believe: "Our Lord, You have encompassed everything in mercy and knowledge; so forgive those who repent and follow Your path, and protect them from the Fire-torment." (40:7).

3- Prostration and kneeling before the Lord God, as the case of all living creatures, on earth and the physical universe and the metaphysical levels of Barsakh, who prostrate to God. God says in the Quran: "To God bows down everything in the heavens and everything on earth - every living creature, and the angels, and without being proud." (16:49); "To God prostrates everyone in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows, in the morning and in the evening." (13:15).

Fourthly: the jinn:

1- The jinn live in the Barsakh levels of the earth and the heavens; they can neither know/predict the future nor control the lives of human beings; when they felt the waves and movements of Barsakh levels as the Quran descended on earth, God made piercing missiles chase them away: "We probed the heaven, and found it filled with stern guards and projectiles. We used to take up positions to listen in; but whoever listens now finds a projectile in wait for him. We do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth, or if their Lord intends guidance for them. Some of us are righteous, but some of us are less than that; we follow divergent paths." (72:8-11).  

2- We read this about jinn and their life within Barsakh levels of the earth: "We realized that we cannot defeat God on earth, and that we cannot escape Him by fleeing." (72:12); "He who does not answer the caller to God will not escape on earth, and has no protectors besides Him. Those are in obvious error." (46:32).

Fifthly: night and day within the metaphysical realm of Barsakh:

 The Quranic details about those who are living within the Barsakh levels tell us about the fact that there are night and day within this metaphysical realm, but we cannot imagine such days and nights; otherwise, all our conjectures and guesses will be mere myths; we exemplify this in the two points below.

1- God says in the Quran: "So God protected him from the evils of their scheming, while a terrible torment besieged Pharaoh's people. The Fire. They will be exposed to it morning and evening. And on the Day the Hour takes place: "Admit the people of Pharaoh to the most intense torment."" (40:45-46); "His is the praise in the heavens and on earth, and in the evening, and when you reach midday." (30:18); "To God prostrates everyone in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows, in the morning and in the evening." (13:15); this implies that there are night and day (and time phases like the ones on earth) within the metaphysical realm of Barsakh despite the differences in the meaning of (Time) between Barsakh and the physical earth.

2- We read these verses about the angels: "To Him belongs everyone in the heavens and the earth. Those near Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they waver. They praise night and day, without ever tiring." (21:19-20); this implies that there are night and day within the metaphysical realm of Barsakh.

CHAPTER IV: The Relation between Human Beings and the Metaphysical Realm of Barsakh

Introduction:

1- We cannot see the metaphysical realm of Barsakh; we are attached and tied closely to the physical world by our bodies; yet, the relation between human beings and Barsakh is stronger than their link with the physical earth and universe (with its planets, stars, and galaxies). Modern science is based on denying the metaphysical aspect of existence; yet, scientific advancement now includes discovering metaphysical universes/dimensions that overlap with the physical universe; these metaphysical realm or levels are called (Barsakh) in the Quran. The Arabic term (Barsakh) means a barrier or a boundary; this means that there are barriers between us and other metaphysical universes or realms and we cannot see or feel them despite the fact that Barsakh levels overlap the earth and the physical universe.     

2- We will not repeat the details we have mentioned before about Barsakh levels; we refer readers to our articles in English on that topic and to our books, in English, titled "The Book of Death" (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=120) and "The Night-Journey Is The Night of Decree" (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=112). We build our article here about the relation between humanity and Barsakh on these details; this relation is bigger and more profound than the relation of humanity with the physical earth and the universe.

3- We provide some details about this topic in the points below.

Firstly: our souls have been inside Barsakh before we are born in this world:

1- Originally, human souls belong to Barsakh; they are ethereal, Barsakh creatures; these souls are our real selves; our souls descend from Barsakh en enter into our bodies when we were inside wombs; we are born on earth to be tested in this world, and our bodies house these souls and we are provided with what God has taught to our father, Adam, and God has created the earth and everything in it to be in the service of all human beings. Even if anatomically, human bodies resemble those of great apes, the human souls that belong to Barsakh allow human beings to control creatures of this earth despite the fact that most of them are stronger than human beings. The grave error of Charles Darwin is that he considered human beings as merely bags of flesh and blood or just bodies, and he never acknowledged the existence of human souls (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=14152), despite the fact that the soul that controlled the brain and body of Darwin made him a great, famous scientist.

2- God has created all human souls together at one point inside Barsakh; He has given each soul its shape; the Holy Spirit; i.e., the arch-angel Gabriel, breathed the soul of Adam into the body of Adam, which was made of dust (or mud/clay) from the earth; inside the Barsakh realm, the angels were tested when God has commanded them to prostrate before Adam: "We created you, then We shaped you, then We said to the angels, "Bow down before Adam;" so they bowed down, except for Satan; he was not of those who bowed down." (7:11).

3- Within the Barsakh realm, God has created the wife of Adam from the soul (and NOT the body) of Adam: "It is He who created you from a single soul, and made from it its mate..." (7:189); "O people! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate..." (4:1); "He created you from one soul, then made from it its mate..." (39:6).

4- When the arch-angel Iblis arrogantly refused to prostrate to Adam, God has expelled him from the Upper Realm and He turned him into a jinn; he has become Satan the Devil; since devils and their progeny live within the earth Barsakh lower levels, they cannot ascend into the Barsakh levels of the heavens. 

5- Within a Barsakh Paradise within the lower levels of Barsakh on earth, Adam and his wife lived along with Barsakh, ethereal creatures; they enjoyed the bliss and pleasures of such Paradise; both Adam and his wife were to eat from the fruits of all trees except one; within the same Barsakh level on earth, both saw Satan and talked to him and he talked to them; he convinced them, as an advisor who swore falsely that he was saying the truth, to eat from the forbidden fruit of the forbidden tree. Within this Barsakh Paradise, the earthly bodies of Adam and his wife were covered with Barsakh clothes of Light covering them; once they ate the forbidden fruit as per the ill-advice of Satan, this Light was removed from their bodies and they saw each other's nakedness for the first time; they saw their earthly bodies and felt panicked; they covered it with the Barsakh-Light leaves of the trees of this Paradise. Satan felt schadenfreude and gloated over the misfortune and sin of Adam and his wife; God has commanded that Adam and his wife, for their disobedience, must descend unto the physical earth: "And you, Adam, inhabit the Garden, you and your wife, and eat whatever you wish; but do not approach this tree, lest you become sinners." But Satan whispered to them, to reveal to them their nakedness, which was invisible to them. He said, "Your Lord has only forbidden you this tree, lest you become angels, or become immortals." And he swore to them, "I am a sincere advisor to you." So he lured them with deceit. And when they tasted the tree, their nakedness became evident to them, and they began covering themselves with the leaves of the Garden. And their Lord called out to them, "Did I not forbid you from this tree, and say to you that Satan is a sworn enemy to you?"" (7:19-22); "O Children of Adam! Do not let Satan seduce you, as he drove your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their garments, to show them their nakedness. He sees you, him and his clan, from where you cannot see them..." (7:27).  

6- God did NOT intend to make Adam and his wife live in this Barsakh Paradise for good; rather, He predestined them to live in the physical earth; this is why their earthly bodies were covered at first with clothes made of Barsakh-Light; God has said the following to the angels before the creation of Adam: "When your Lord said to the angels, "I am placing a successor on earth."..." (2:30); this human successor and his progeny of human beings are to replace Gog and Magog who spread bloodshed and corruption on earth, as we infer from the words of the angels: "...They said, "Will You place in it someone who will cause corruption in it and shed blood, while we declare Your praises and sanctify You?" He said, "I know what you do not know."" (2:30). 

7- Adam and wife, as well as their yet-to-be-born progeny, descended unto the earth; God has said to Adam and his wife the following phrase: "He said, "Go down from it, altogether..." (20:123); the rest of this context is addressed to all progeny of Adam: "...some of you enemies of some others. But whenever guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance, will not go astray, nor suffer. But whoever turns away from My Reminder, for him is a confined life. And We will raise him on the Day of Resurrection blind."" (20:123-124). The address mode here to Adam and his wife is directed to all humanity through them: "...We said, "Go down, some of you enemies of one another. And you will have residence on earth, and enjoyment for a while."" (2:36); " He said, "Fall, some of you enemies to one another. On earth you will have residence and livelihood for a while." He said, "In it you will live, and in it you will die, and from it you will be brought out."" (7:24-25); "We said, "Go down from it, all of you. Yet whenever guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever follows My guidance - they have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve. But as for those who disbelieve and reject Our Verses - these are the inmates of the Fire - wherein they will remain forever."" (2:38-39).

8- Within this physical earth, the physical bodies of Adam and his wife contacted each other sexually and they had their first child: "It is He who created you from a single soul, and made from it its mate, that he may find comfort with her. Then, when he has covered her, she conceives a light load, and she carries it around. But when she has grown heavy, they pray to God their Lord, "if You give us a good child, we will be among the thankful."" (7:189); they had other children later on and this progeny mated together and the human race began to populate the earth: "O people! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate, and propagated from them many men and women..." (4:1).

Secondly: the relation between human beings and Barsakh goes on until now:

1- Within the six Barsakh levels of the earth, other non-human creatures exist and live; they are never seen by human beings, and yet, they overlap with the souls of the human beings and there is a tie between souls of human beings and these Barsakh ethereal creatures.

1/1: These Barsakh ethereal creatures include Satan the Devil and his progeny and their mission is to deceive human beings to lead them to Hell in the Hereafter; Satan managed to deceive Adam and his wife, who are the father and mother of humanity, and the Dominant Lord God warns us here about this: "O Children of Adam! Do not let Satan seduce you, as he drove your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their garments, to show them their nakedness. He sees you, him and his clan, from where you cannot see them. We have made the devils allies of those who do not believe." (7:27); this is what devils do to human souls who reject the Remembrance of the Lord God: "Whoever shuns the remembrance of the Dominant Lord, We assign for him a devil, to be his companion. They hinder them from the Path, though they think they are guided." (43:36-37). Sinners never see devils in this world; they will see them on the Last Day and in the Hereafter: "Until, when he comes to Us, he will say, "If only there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts." What an evil companion!" (43:38). Devils whisper evildoing to the souls; both devils and souls are Barsakh, ethereal creatures; souls control our senses and our brain. Disobedient disbelievers read/hear the Quranic Truth but devils who control their souls make them never heed the Truth or the Quranic guidance; i.e. they drape a thick veil their hearts/minds/souls and their senses: "And if you call them to guidance, they will not hear. And you see them looking at you, yet they do not see." (7:198). 

1/2: These Barsakh ethereal creatures include the jinn; some of the jinn are believers and some are disbelievers who join the devils in the mission to misguide human beings by devilish, false revelations ascribed falsely to the Divine Revelation or the Religion of the Lord God; such false or fabricated revelations are the bases of earthly/terrestrial man-made religions that contradict God's Religion: "Likewise, We have assigned for every prophet an enemy - human and jinn devils - inspiring one another with fancy words in order to deceive. But had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. So leave them to their fabrications. So that the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter may incline to it, and be content with it, and that they may perpetrate whatever they perpetrate." (6:112-113).     

1/3: These Barsakh ethereal creatures include angels of many types as follows.

1/3/1: There are the arch-angels, including Gabriel, who reside in the Upper Realm of the Barsakh levels of heavens; they gave Scriptures/Revelation to the Lord God's prophets/messengers; they now descend annually within the Night of Decree every Ramadan on the lower Barsakh level of the earth to carry the fates/decrees of the Lord God ordained on human beings for the duration of one year: deaths, births, adversities, and earnings/provisions. God has preordained the timing when each soul will be born in human flesh to be tested in this world; the countdown for the death of any human being begins once he/she is born out of the womb. Before breathing the soul into the fetus, it was not a The timing of the death of each human being is also preordained/predestined by God; souls of the dead people return to Barsakh, their original location; it is noteworthy that God has decided the shape and features of each soul in Barsakh: "We created you, then We shaped you, then We said to the angels, "Bow down before Adam;" so they bowed down, except for Satan; he was not of those who bowed down." (7:11); this process goes on within fetuses and born human beings: "It is He who forms you in the wombs as He wills. There is no God except He, the Almighty, the Wise." (3:6). When people die, their bodies decompose and turn into dust eventually, but the resurrected souls carry the same shape and features as people will recognize one another, flee at first, and talk together, etc. as per many Quranic verses. 

1/3/2: There are angels who record deeds of all people; these Books of Deeds will be carried by each soul on the Day of Resurrection instead of the earthly bodies which turned into dust.

1/3/3: There are angels of death who receive the souls of the dying human beings.

2- Within a low Barsakh level of the earth, souls of human beings are located; they are of several types as follows.

2/1: Dead souls who cannot feel anything or anyone:

2/1/1: Souls of those yet-to-be-born human beings who cannot feel or see the living people on earth; e.g., souls of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

2/1/2: Souls of the dead human beings who cannot feel or see the living people on earth. After the duration of their test of life ended, their souls returned to Barsakh; e.g., souls of our parents and forefathers.

2- Living souls in Barsakh:

2/1: Souls during deep slumber return momentarily to Barsakh; they are still tied to their bodies to which they return once we wake up; some dreams/visions are true scenes from Barsakh which souls come across sometimes and such scenes foretell the future. Of course, most dreams/visions are mere jumbles of dreams with no real significance or meaning.

2/2: Souls of those who were killed for God's sake while serving His cause; they feel and see living human beings on earth but the vice-versa is not true; we cannot see or feel them.

2/3: Souls of those sinners who are being tormented inside Barsakh; they feel and see living human beings on earth but the vice-versa is not true; we cannot see or feel them.

CHAPTER V: Resurrection and Ending the Relation of Human Beings with the Metaphysical Realm of Barsakh

Introduction:

 When the Resurrection of human souls takes place, their relation with Barsakh will come to an end; this query is raised: what are the mechanism of the Resurrection? We try to answer this question by pondering the Quranic verses; we have to repeat some of our ideas mentioned in previous writings to clarify some points.

Firstly: from Barsakh to Resurrection:

1- Human souls came from Barsakh and were dressed in human flesh; they return to Barsakh temporarily during deep slumber; they return to it forever when people die; yet, (forever)is not the right word here; human souls will not remain for eternity inside Barsakh after they die and leave the human bodies; human souls enter into Barsakh by death and leave it upon being resurrected. Hence, the word (forever) is used to differentiate between souls entering into Barsakh temporarily during sleep and entering into Barsakh after death until the Last Day.  

2- God says in the Quran: "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back. That I may do right in what I have neglected." By no means! It is just a word that he utters. And behind them is a barrier/Barsakh, until the Day they are resurrected." (23:99-100). The phrase (and behind them is Barsakh, until the Day they are resurrected) indicates clearly that all human souls will remain located inside the metaphysical realm of Barsakh and they will be made to leave it upon Resurrection. Of course, death occurs to each individual when the human soul fulfills its duration of the life-test on earth, but the Resurrection occurs on the Last Day to all human souls at the same time.

3- Upon death, the human soul enters into the metaphysical realm of Barsakh in a state of deep slumber within timelessness and senselessness; human souls never know when they will be resurrected: "They are dead, not alive; and they do not know when they will be resurrected." (16:21). There is no paradise or torment inside graves/tombs; this is a Sunnite myth, the sinners upon the Resurrection will feel they slept for part of a day: "On the Day when the Hour takes place, the sinners will swear they had stayed but an hour. Thus they were deluded. But those endowed with knowledge and faith will say, "You remained in God's Book until the Day of Resurrection. This is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know."" (30:55-56).

4- Of course, the Resurrection will not occur within the physical earth of today; it will be within one of the six Barsakh levels; this is because the physical earth and universe (with its planets, stars, and galaxies) will be totally destroyed; the universe will return to the zero point from which it began.  

Secondly: examples of Resurrection from real life:

1- The life of human beings contains stages that resemble the Resurrection; e.g., they consume food/crops of the earth which turn into energy, proteins, ova, spermatozoa, etc. and when a man and his wife have sex, the wife is impregnated; the fetus is thus formed by this dead food items and it grows up by consuming his food items as a baby and as a grown-up person; human beings defecate and urinate and their waste turn to water and dust; this feeds and fertilizes plants; this is a repeated cycle: a human being eats, have children, etc. and then dies eventually and his body turns into dust. Hence, the dead soil/earth brings life and it receives death in an endless cycle; in fact, this cycle will end after the Resurrection when the Hour comes. This example of Resurrection cycle goes on; plants grow from dead  soil/earth which springs to life when it receives water and plants grow and microorganisms thrive; draughts causes soil/earth to dry up and die; this cycle is endless: "He brings the living out of the dead, and He brings the dead out of the living, and He revives the land after it had died. Likewise you will be resurrected." (30:19); "O people! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection-We created you from dust, then from a small drop, then from a clinging clot, then from a lump of flesh, partly developed and partly undeveloped. In order to clarify things for you. And We settle in the wombs whatever We will for a designated term, and then We bring you out as infants, until you reach your full strength. And some of you will pass away, and some of you will be returned to the vilest age, so that he may not know, after having known. And you see the earth still; but when We send down water on it, it vibrates, and swells, and grows all kinds of lovely pairs. That is because God is the truth, and because He gives life to the dead, and because He is Capable of everything. And because the Hour is coming-there is no doubt about it - and because God will resurrect those in the graves." (22:5-7). 

2- God the Creator Who created human beings out of nothing can bring them to life again on the Day of the Resurrection; the trees and the woods are material of energy when put inside the fire; the dust of decomposed creatures fertilizes the earth to grow more trees and plants: "And he produces arguments against Us, and he forgets his own creation. He says, "Who will revive the bones when they have decayed?" Say, "He who initiated them in the first instance will revive them. He has knowledge of every creation." He who produced fuel for you from the green trees, with which you kindle a fire." (36:78-80).

Thirdly: the mechanism of the Resurrection:

  The previous examples of resurrection on earth within plants and energy cycles are miniatures of the mechanism of the Resurrection of souls on the Last Day which will occur in a Barsakh level.

1- When the time comes, the soul in Barsakh descends to the fetus inside the womb; each human being have two containers: one of the countdown of the lifetime or the duration on earth (this countdown begins once one is born) and one of evil/good deeds recorded by the angels. When one dies, this means that the preordained duration of one's life within the test on earth has been fulfilled; the corpse turns to dust from which it has been created; the soul returns to Barsakh, its original location, and it carries the record of its deeds.

2- Hence, souls are clothed in human flesh to be born and be tested in life until they return to Barsakh again till the Last Day; this goes on until all souls, which were created together at the same time, are tested; after the last soul is tested and fulfill its predestined duration of life on earth, the Hour will take place and the universe will be destroyed; the Last Day will occur in an Eternal Realm.

3- Before the earth, as well as its six Barsakh levels, is destroyed; the souls will be resurrected from a Barsakh level of earth to enter into this Eternal Realm of Timelessness known as the Last Day; after being judged, humanity will live for eternity; some in Hell and some in Paradise.

4- Resurrected souls have the same shape and features of their earthly bodies; it is as if souls have their own DNA: "Does man think that We will not reassemble his bones? Yes indeed; We are Able to reconstruct his fingertips." (75:3-4).

5- Resurrection begins with a huge explosion whose intensity cannot be imagined by human beings; this explosion of the Hour will cause the total destruction of the physical universe; another explosion will cause the Resurrection. God says in the Quran: "And the Trumpet will be sounded, whereupon everyone in the heavens and the earth will be stunned, except whomever God wills. Then it will be sounded another time, whereupon they will rise up, looking on." (39:68).

6- The explosion of the Resurrection will cause the water of life to drop as rain to resurrect the souls; God mentions in the Quran many times the role of rain in bringing the soil/earth to life in this world and He asserts that this is how Resurrection will occur.

6/1: God says in the Quran: "God is He who sends the winds, which agitate clouds, which We drive to a dead land, and thereby revive the ground after it had died. Likewise is the Resurrection." (35:9). We focus below on the phrase (Likewise is the Resurrection).

6/2: God says in the Quran: "He who sends down water from the sky in due proportion; and so We revive thereby a dead land. Thus you will be brought out." (43:11); the phrase (thus you will be brought out) refers to the mechanism of the Resurrection of souls out of their Barsakh tombs/graves.

6/3: The Resurrection is referred to in a similar way in this verse: "And We brought down from the sky blessed water...As sustenance for the servants. And We revive thereby a dead town. Likewise is the resurrection." (50:9-11).

6/4: The Resurrection is referred to in a similar way in this verse: "He brings the living out of the dead, and He brings the dead out of the living, and He revives the land after it had died. Likewise you will be brought out." (30:19).

7- This is the Quranic comparison between the Resurrection of all souls together and the creation of all souls together at the same time: "Your creation and your resurrection are only as a single soul..." (31:28). Go created all souls of humanity from one single soul of Adam: "O people! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate, and propagated from them many men and women..." (4:1). This resembles the energy of light and its photons; souls were generated from the soul of Adam and are stored in Barsakh to be dressed in human flesh and born to be tested in life when the last soul enter into this test shortly before the Hour at the end of days, there will be no room for more pregnancies; God warns us here: "O people, be conscious of your Lord. The quaking of the Hour is a tremendous thing. On the Day when you will see it: every nursing mother will discard her infant, and every pregnant woman will abort her load, and you will see the people drunk, even though they are not drunk - but the torment of God is severe." (22:1-2); "And it is He who produced you from a single person, then a repository, then a depository. We have detailed the Verses for people who understand." (6:98).

8- The mechanism of the Resurrection is a reversed process of the mechanism of the creation:

8/1: God says in the Quran: "...Just as He originated you, so you will return."" (7:29); "On the Day when We fold the heaven, like the folding of a book. Just as We began the first creation, We will repeat it - a promise binding on Us. We will act." (21:104); "It is He who initiates creation, and then repeats it, something easy for Him. His is the highest attribute, in the heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, the Wise." (30:27).

8/2: God says in the Quran: "He torments whom He wills, and He grants mercy to whom He wills, and to Him you will be restored." (29:21). This asserts the reversed process we talk about here.

8/3: This means that when we are resurrected, the legs (not heads) of the souls will emerge first after the dust of Barsakh is removed from these souls and all of them will be gathered to stand before the Lord God for Judgment; God says in the Quran: "On the Day when the Shin will be exposed, and they will be called to bow down, but they will be unable." (68:42); "And leg is entwined with leg. To your Lord on that Day is the drive." (75:29-30).

CHAPTER VI: The Problematic Issue of Time On the Last Day within the Hereafter

Firstly: time between the current day/age of this transient world and the Last Day:

1- The arch-angels of the Upper Realm who are nearer to God know that the physical universe, with its metaphysical levels of heavens and the earth, is transient and temporary; it will be destroyed at one point in time; this duration is known as the day of the world; these angels know that there will be an Eternal Realm of endlessness and timelessness that will be the Last Day of the Hereafter, when souls of human beings will be resurrected; this is why when God has expelled Iblis the arch-angel, who became Satan the Devil, from the Upper Realm, Iblis asked for a respite (i.e., a postponement for his being punished) until the Resurrection Day so that he (and devils of his progeny) would misguide and mislead as many human beings as possible so that they end up in Hell, as he envied and hated Adam and his progeny: "He said, "Give me respite, until the Day they are resurrected." He said, "You are of those given respite."" (7:14-15). 

2- There are arch-angels headed by the Holy Spirit, Gabriel, who are guardians of the Throne of the Lord; i.e., the universe or dominion/kingdom of God; this means that they implement and execute the decrees/commands of the Lord God in the universe and on earth; God has decided that this transient day of the world will be 50 thousand years as per God's calculation; i.e., this has nothing to do with human calculation of years. This means that God's angels ascend and move within this universe with its heavens, its physical and metaphysical levels, and its creatures to guard the universe and implement God's commands since the point in time when the universe was created until the appointed time for its total destruction; when this duration of 50000 years will end, the destruction of the universe will be followed by the Eternal Realm and the Last Day (which will go on for eternity, with some people in Paradise and others in Hell) when all resurrected human beings will be made to stand in a row before the Dominant Lord God for judgment: "Unto Him the angels and the Spirit ascend on a Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years. So be patient, with sweet patience. They see it distant. But We see it near." (70:4-7). After the descent/revelation of the Quran 14 centuries ago, which is the Last Divine Message of the Lord God given to humanity, we understand that the Day of Resurrection is very near; God says the following in the Quran: "The Judgment of the humankind has drawn near, but they turn away heedlessly." (21:1). Indeed, God's command/decree has been issued regarding the time when the Day of Resurrection will occur as per the Time of God; the execution/implementation of this divine command/decree will occur later on as per the human sense of time on the physical earth: "The command of God has come, so do not rush it. Glory be to Him; exalted above what they associate." (16:1).     

3- This means that the age/time of the universe or the day of this world is 50000 years as per the Dominant Lord God's Time, and not as per the human sense of what a year means (365 days). This day of this transient realm differs from the Day of the Lord God when commands/decrees of the Lord God move between the heavens and the earth during this day of the world: "He regulates all affairs, from the heavens, to the earth. Then it ascends to Him on a Day the length of which is a thousand years by your count." (32:5); God says the following about the disbelievers who mockingly hasten their own torment: "And they ask you to hasten the torment. But God never breaks His promise. A day with your Lord is like a thousand years of your count." (22:47). This 1000 years are as per the moving time on earth; when the universe (with its earth, heavens, galaxies, stars, Barsakh levels, etc.) is destroyed, the Last Day of an Eternal Realm (of Judgment, Hell, and Paradise) will emerge; it will have no end and no sense of time; this is in contrast to the first day or the day of the transient world which has a moving time that goes ahead and never turns back and it has a beginning and an end.

4- As per the speeds, the sense of time differs within the earth, the planets, stars, and galaxies in this current day of the world; the time unstoppably goes ahead; it moves nonstop; there are past, present, and future; it will have an end when the Hour comes. Of course, we read in the Quran about the chronological arrangement of the Last-Day events: the Day of Resurrection, gathering, judgment, Hell, and Paradise; we cannot imagine how the Last-Day events will take place in this Eternal Realm which has no past or future; the only sense will be of the present always; hence, the issue of time concerning the Last Day is a problematic one.    

Secondly: drawing lessons and heeding the warning are the bases of the Quranic methodology when talking about the Last-Day events:

1- Of course, the issue of time is still a problematic one even in this transient world or the day of this world; Albert Einstein drew nearer to understanding time by his relativity theory; in fact, he has opened the door for more problematic issues for scientists that remain unsolved until now. Hence, the problematic issue of time in the Hereafter is more complex and tackling it is a more complicated thing; the difficulty here is not confined to imagining how eternity will feel like in this Eternal Realm (which will have  no sense of future or past; it will be an eternal present) that will emerge after the destruction of the universe; the more difficult point is to express this Eternal realm as per our limited perception and the limited capacity of the human mind; as human beings, our minds and perceptions are confined to the physical world and its time; we cannot imagine how the Last Day and the Hereafter will look like; we will feel/live or experience the Hereafter as resurrected souls after the destruction of the transient, physical realm or our universe.     

2- Hence, the Lord God in the Quranic text employs figurative style and imagery to make our limited minds grasp, as much as possible, some facts about the Last-Day events, within the context of warning, preaching, guidance, and the call to adhere to piety. It is the same Quranic methodology within the Quranic stories; i.e., the focus is not on mentioning names, time, locations, details, etc. like the methodology of books of history; hence, the focus of the Quranic stories is on drawing the moral lessons while seeking guidance and heeding the divine warning. The same Quranic methodology is employed when scientific indications are mentioned in some Quranic verses; these verses aim at making human beings take heed of the Lord God and His Greatness so that they reflect on the Last Day and Judgment, etc. so that they adhere to monotheism and piety as guided persons. The same Quranic methodology is adopted within verses that contain legislations; most of these verses end in a reminder of piety or a call addressed to human beings to adhere to piety.      

3- As per this Quranic methodology of calling others to take heed and be warned to guide themselves, verses about the Last-Day events in all contexts are linked to figurative, metaphoric style and to calling people to repent, heed the warning, and adhere to piety. God in the Quran addresses the human minds in easy, simple ways and figurative terms/words to make them understand as much as possible the notion of eternity or timelessness within an Eternal Realm on the Last Day; this experience is too difficult to be imagined by the human minds with their limited capacity.   

Thirdly: Barsakh and Resurrection:

1- God says the following about the Day of Resurrection: "...And behind them is a barrier/Barsakh, until the Day they are resurrected." (23:100); this phrase comes within the Quranic context about the moment of dying of the disobedient disbelievers/sinners when it is too late for them to make amends: "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back. That I may do right in what I have neglected." By no means! It is just a word that he utters. And behind them is a barrier/Barsakh, until the Day they are resurrected." (23:99-100).

2- The following are two Quranic contexts that do not mention the term Barsakh as the barrier or temporary stage between death and Resurrection.

2/1: The events are arranged here as deeds of human beings are recorded by angels; human beings die and then are resurrected after the Hour takes place; the Trumpet or Horn is figuratively referring to the Hour and the destruction of the universe and the Resurrection: "As the two receivers receive, seated to the right and to the left. Not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him, ready. The daze of death has come in truth: "This is what you tried to evade." And the Trumpet is blown: "This is the Promised Day."" (50:17-20); Barsakh is not mentioned here as the barrier stage between death that occurs in this transient world and the Day of Resurrection because dead souls never move or feel anything inside this Barsakh level of timelessness and senselessness; there are no more deeds to be recorded.

2/2: Within the arrangement of the Last-Day events, we read about the dying moments of the most unjust human beings; i.e., those who fabricate misguiding hadiths/discourses/narratives and ascribe them to God and to His Religion as if such falsehoods were part of the Divine Revelation; their dying souls will hear the rebuke of the angels as the last thing they hear at the threshold of Barsakh within the gate of Hell. Upon being resurrected, they will hear reproach of the Lord God: "Who commits graver injustice than someone who invents falsehood against God, or says, "It was revealed to me," when nothing was revealed to him, or says, "I will reveal the like of what God revealed"? If only you could see the unjust ones in the floods of death, as the angels with arms outstretched: "Give up your souls. Today you are being repaid with the torment of shame for having said about God other than the truth, and for being too proud to accept His Verses." "You have come to Us individually, just as We created you the first time, leaving behind you everything We gave you. We do not see with you your intercessors - those you claimed were your partners. The link between you is cut, and what you had asserted has failed you."" (6:93-94).

Fourthly: drawing lessons and heeding the warning are the reasons for not arranging the Last-Day events within the Quranic Chapter 83:

1- The Quranic Chapter 83 begins with warning and preaching addressed to cheaters/defrauders who misuse their authority and cheat while weighing goods/merchandise within trade and deals of purchase/selling to make more money by this grave injustice against people by imposing prices and never applying justice: "Woe to the defrauders. Those who, when they take a measure from people, they take in full. But when they measure or weigh to others, they cheat." (83:1-3).

2- God warns and preaches such sinners by reminding them of the Last Day: "Do these not know that they will be resurrected? For a Great Day? The Day when the humankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?" (83:4-6).

3- God reminds unrepentant sinners that if they die as such, they will have no mercy from Him: "Not at all. The record of the wicked is in Sijjeen. But how can you know what Sijjeen is? A numerical book. Woe on that Day to the deniers. Those who deny the Day of Judgment. But none denies it except the sinful aggressor. When Our Verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the ancients." Not at all. Their hearts have become corroded by what they used to earn. Not at all. On that Day, they will be screened from their Lord. Then they will enter into Hell. Then it will be said, "This is what you used to deny."" (83:7-17).

4- God talks here about the Paradise dwellers: "No indeed; the record of the righteous is in Elliyyeen. But how can you know what Elliyyoon is? A numerical book. Witnessed by those brought near. Indeed, the righteous ones will be amid bliss. On luxurious furnishings, looking on. You will recognize on their faces the radiance of bliss. They will be given to drink a sealed wine. Whose seal is musk - this is what competitors should compete for. Its mixture is of Tasneem. A spring from which those brought near drink." (83:18-28).

5- God mentions the following about disbelievers in this transient world who ridicule the believers and about the fate of disbelievers in Hell and believers in Paradise: "Those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And when they passed by them, they would wink at one another. And when they went back to their families, they would go back exulting. And if they saw them, they would say, "These people are lost." Yet they were not sent as guardians over them. But on that Day, those who believed will laugh at the unbelievers. On luxurious furnishings, looking on. Have the unbelievers been repaid for what they used to do?" (83:29-36).

Fifthly: the arrangement of the Last-Day events:

 On the Last Day, in ways we can never imagine, the occurrence of the Resurrection, gathering, standing in a row before the Lord, Judgment, and entering into either Hell or Paradise will be simultaneous; these Last-Day events, we presume, will occur at the same time because the Eternal Realm has no past or future; it is an everlasting present as if time is frozen; it is extremely difficult to imagine this time or eternity. Another possibility is that the Last-Day event will take place in a certain chronological order or arrangement without past and future, in a way we cannot imagine, as per the Omnipotence and Omniscience of the Lord God Who is the Creator of Time and the Owner of the Day of Judgment. Hence, the Quranic methodology of preaching/warning, within the call for guidance and adherence to piety and taking heed of the Quranic message of the Lord, is the only way to understand and grasp as much as we can the problematic issue of time on the Last Day and the Hereafter. Examples of arranging the Last-Day events are provided in the points below.    

1- The last generation of human beings will witness the occurrence of the Hour; God warns here all generations of humanity that emerge after the descent of the Quranic Message: "O people, fear your Lord within piety. The quaking of the Hour is a tremendous thing. On the Day when you will see it: every nursing mother will discard her infant, and every pregnant woman will abort her load, and you will see the people drunk, even though they are not drunk - but the torment of God is severe." (22:1-2).

2- Human beings are successors of Gog and Magog on earth; Gog and Magog had their own advanced civilization and its ruins are being discovered; we have covered this topic before in our previous writings. God got rid of Gog and Magog by the figure/character  known as Zu Al-Qarnayn who sealed/imprisoned them inside the crust of the earth; they are still alive inside it, generation after the other; we assume that they are behind flying saucers and capturing some human beings to examine them; their civilization and advancement exceed those of humanity though they lived on earth before human beings emerged; hence, Gog and Magog will feel the tremendous earthquake coming from the inside of the earth and they will come out of its crust to mingle with human beings; at that time, the Hour explosion will take place: "Until, when Gog and Magog are let loose, and they swarm down from every mound. The promise of truth has drawn near. The eyes of those who disbelieved will stare in horror: "Woe to us. We were oblivious to this. In fact, we were unjust ones."" (21:96-97); "They said, "O Zu Al-Qarnayn, the Gog and Magog are spreading corruption on earth. Can we pay you, to build between us and them a barrier?" He said, "What my Lord has empowered me with is better. But assist me with strength, and I will build between you and them a dam." "Bring me blocks of iron." So that, when he had leveled up between the two cliffs, he said, "Blow." And having turned it into a fire, he said, "Bring me copper to pour over it." So they were unable to climb it, and they could not penetrate it. He said, "This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes true, He will turn it into rubble, and the promise of my Lord is always true." On that Day, We will leave them surging upon one another. And the Trumpet will be blown, and We will gather them together." (18:94-99).

3- God says the following about the Resurrection "And listen for the Day when the caller calls from a nearby place. The Day when they will hear the Shout in all truth. That is the Day of Emergence. It is We who control life and death, and to Us is the destiny. The Day when the earth will crack for them at once. That is an easy gathering for Us." (50:41-44); "On the Day when the Trumpet is blown, everyone in the heavens and the earth will be horrified, except whomever God wills; and everyone will come before Him in humility." (27:87).

4- The Resurrection is followed by the gathering and the standing in a row before the Lord God, and then Judgment: "On the Day when the Trumpet is blown-We will gather the sinners on that Day, blue. Murmuring among themselves: "You have lingered only for ten." We are fully aware of what they say, when the most exemplary of them in thinking will say, "You have lingered only a day."" (20:102-104); "And the Trumpet is blown: "This is the Promised Day." And every soul will come forward, accompanied by a driver and a witness." (50:20-21).

5- These two points are about the arrangement of explosions of the Hour (i.e., blowing of the Horn or the Trumpet).

5/1: The first explosion is the destruction of the universe within the Hour, and the second one is related to the Resurrection of human souls: "And the Trumpet will be sounded, whereupon everyone in the heavens and the earth will be stunned, except whomever God wills. Then it will be sounded another time, whereupon they will rise up, looking on." (39:68).

5/2: The first explosion is the destruction of the universe within the Hour, and the second one is related to the Resurrection of human souls; a third one is linked to the gathering of these souls: "And they say, "When will this promise be, if you are truthful?" All they can expect is a single blast, which will seize them while they feud. They will not be able to make a will, nor will they return to their families. The Trumpet will be blown, then behold, they will rush from the tombs to their Lord. They will say, "Woe to us! Who resurrected us from our resting-place?" This is what the Dominant Lord had promised, and the messengers have spoken the truth. It will be but a single shout; and behold, they will all be brought before Us. On that Day, no soul will be wronged in the least, and you will be recompensed only for what you used to do." (36:48-54).

Sixthly: examples of not arranging the Last-Day events:

1- We read in this Quranic context about Resurrection and the Trumpet and also about Judgment and Hell torment for sinners; the gathering and standing in a row before the Lord are not mentioned here: "That I may do right in what I have neglected." By no means! It is just a word that he utters. And behind them is a barrier/Barsakh, until the Day they are resurrected. When the Horn is blown, no relations between them will exist on that Day, and they will not ask after one another. Those whose scales are heavy - those are the winners. But those whose scales are light - those are they who have lost their souls; in Hell they will dwell forever. The Fire lashes their faces, and therein they grimace." (23:100-104).

2- In the following Quranic context about the Day of Judgment, Resurrection is linked to gathering of souls after the occurrence of the Hour and then Hell-torment for disbelievers: "The Day of Sorting has been appointed. The Day when the Trumpet is blown, and you will come in droves. And the sky is opened up, and becomes gateways. And the mountains are set in motion, and become a mirage. Hell is waiting eagerly. For the tyrants; it is their destination." (78:17-22).

3- We quote the following about the occurrence of Hour and the destruction of the physical universe.

3/1: We perceive in this Quranic context quick scenes of the Last-Day events about the Hour and Judgment: "When the sun is rolled up. When the stars are dimmed. When the mountains are set in motion. When the relationships are suspended. When the beasts are gathered. When the oceans are set aflame. When the souls are paired. When the girl, buried alive, is asked: For what crime was she killed? When the records are made public. When the sky is peeled away. When the Fire is set ablaze. When Paradise is brought near. Each soul will know what it has readied." (81:1-14).

3/2: We perceive in this Quranic context other details about the Last-Day events about the Hour and Judgment: "When the sky is ruptured. And hearkens to its Lord, as it must. And when the earth is leveled out. And casts out what is in it, and becomes empty. And hearkens to its Lord, as it must. O man! You are laboring towards your Lord, and you will meet Him. As for him who is given his book in his right hand. He will have an easy judgment. And will return to his family delighted. And will return to his family delighted. But as for him who is given his book behind his back. He will call for death.  And will enter into Hell." (84:1-12).

3/3: We perceive in this Quranic context the details about gathering of souls and the mention of how the Hour will occur and the total destruction of the universe will take place: "The Shocker. What is the Shocker? What will explain to you what the Shocker is? The Day when the people will be like scattered moths. And the mountains will be like tufted wool. As for he whose scales are heavy. He will be in a pleasant life. But as for he whose scales are light. His home is the Abyss. Do you know what it is? A Raging Fire." (101:1-11).

3/4: After talking about the Hour and the total destruction of the universe here: "When the Inevitable Event occurs. Of its occurrence, there is no denial. Bringing low, raising high. When the earth is shaken with a shock. And the mountains are crushed and crumbled.  And they become scattered dust." (56:1-6), we read directly about types of human beings on the Day of Judgment here: "And you become three classes. Those on the Right - what of those on the Right? And those on the Left - what of those on the Left? And the Forerunners, the Forerunners." (56:7-10).

3/5: After talking about the Hour and the total destruction of the universe, we see directly in the same context Quranic verses about standing in a row before the Dominant Lord God: "On the Day when the sky will be like molten brass. And the mountains will be like tufted wool. No friend will care about his friend. They will be shown each other. The criminal wishes he would be redeemed from the torment of that Day by his children. And his spouse, and his brother. And his family that sheltered him. And everyone on earth, in order to save him." (70:8-14).

3/6: We do not see any mention of Resurrection and gathering here in this context about the Hour and the total destruction of the universe and about Judgment and other Last-Day events: "Then, when the Trumpet is sounded a single time. And the earth and the mountains are lifted up, and crushed, with a single crush. On that Day, the Inevitable Event will come to pass. And the heaven will crack; so on that Day it will be frail. And the angels will be ranged around its borders, while eight will be carrying the Throne of your Lord above them that Day. On that Day you will be exposed, and no secret of yours will remain hidden." (69:13-18).

CHAPTER VII: The Metaphysical Realm of Barsakh and the Day of Gathering Which Is the Day of Resurrection

Introduction:

1- Our writings about the metaphysical realm of Barsakh have brought many comments and positive feedback; many of our fellow Quranists reflected on this thought-provoking topic and they re-read the Quranic verses about the Hereafter within deeper reflection and a renewed sense of grasping new meanings; this shows that all of us are still at the coastline of the Quranic knowledge and of pondering the Quranic text. This also means that God's Great, Glorious Book, the Quran, is never appreciated, valued, or esteemed until now, as it should be, by the Muhammadans who do not value God as He should be valued. Of course, the Muhammadans have abandoned the Quran and use it now as a song which is sung loudly in gatherings and in public places. They place above the Quran the lies/myths which fill their earthly/terrestrial, fabricated religions of Satan; they misuse, misquote, and manipulate Quranic verses while claiming that the Quranic legislations are replaced/supplanted by hadiths and fiqh. Of course, our first book about the topic of Barsakh is titled "The Book of Death" (found in English on this link: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=120), whose first edition in Arabic appeared in Cairo, Egypt, in 1990, but its revised edition is published in Arabic and in English on our website now. We continue in our writings here to explore, within the Quran, more facts about this topic of Barsakh and also about the Hereafter. Since we have reached the conclusion, in 1977, that Islam is only the Quran and that it is the Only Criterion, we are continue to find trough research many Quranic facts which have been previously unknown to our person. We are still amazed by the Greatness of the Quranic text which is the Miracle of the Lord God. Even if we were to live for a thousand years, our amazement derived from finding less known Quranic facts through research will never cease. Indeed, no one can gain full, complete knowledge of the entire Quranic text. Consequently, our sorrow for the fate of the Muhammadans is deepened; they take the Quran as a jest or a joke; they never take it seriously enough; within their foolishness and spare time, the ignoramuses among them never stop asking about the fate of non-Muslims who never heard of the Quranic message.          

2- We consider every comment we receive on our website or via email as a positive one, even if it contains stances/views that differ from ours; all Quranists are still in the stage of dialogue; many questions we receive via these comments/messages are positive feedback that drives us to ponder more deeply to find answers and to learn more from the Glorious Quran: God's Word.

3- Among the questions posed to us is one about quoting the silly Sunnite-Sufi hadith of (when one dies, one's resurrection begins at once). This silly hadith contradicts the Quran and it is mentioned/fabricated for the first time by the Sufi pioneer and author Al-Ghazaly in his many-volume, seminal book titled (Ehiaa Olom Eddine), a title which is roughly translated as follows: "The Revival of Religious Sciences". This book is filled with lies, falsehoods, mythology, and fabrications in which Sufi extremists believe without questioning such an author whom they deify as a saint! For instance, the Sunnite imam/author Al-Nawawi wrote that he considered the book of Ehiaa as if it were a second Quran! this flagrant lie has been repeated by sheikh Abdel-Haleem Mahmoud, the head of Al-Azhar in the 1970s during the reign of Sadat in Egypt. This silly Sunnite-Sufi hadith can be refuted by the Quranic fact that Muhammad never knew the metaphysical realm of the future (of this world and the next one); therefore, he never spoke about it; thus, he never spoke about the Hour, Barsakh, the Hereafter, etc. outside reading the Quranic verses about these topics. Thus, to refute this silly hadith of Al-Ghazaly, we feel bound to write here about the function of Barsakh within the topic of the Last Day; we arrange the ideas related to this topic in the points below.

Firstly: the Barsakh realm in the Quranic methodology:

1- Within the previous article titled "The Problematic Issue of Time On the Last Day within the Hereafter" (found in English on this link: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=18716), we talk about the Quranic methodology of talking about the Last-Day events, and how the focus is on guidance, warning, and preaching; this is the reason why the Last-Day events are not mentioned in the chronological order and some of them are not mentioned in several Quranic contexts while they are mentioned in other contexts. The Quran mentions once that the Barsakh level is where souls of the dead are located and remain there until the Day of Resurrection of all human souls: "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back. That I may do right in what I have neglected." By no means! It is just a word that he utters. And behind them is a barrier/Barsakh, until the Day they are resurrected." (23:99-100). In two other Quranic contexts in the Quranic Chapters 6 and 50, the Barsakh realm is not mentioned while the verses are talking about dying and Resurrection following it directly. Despite not mentioning Barsakh in such contexts, the Hour and the Resurrection Day are mentioned and how all humanity will be resurrected and gathered after the total destruction of the universe to be judged: "The daze of death has come in truth: "This is what you tried to evade." And the Trumpet is blown: "This is the Promised Day." And every soul will come forward, accompanied by a driver and a witness." (50:19-21). This is repeated in the Quranic Chapter 6; e.g., after the severe rebuke addressed to the dying unjust ones who fabricated lies about God, they (and all disbelievers) will hear this severe reproach on the Day of Resurrection: ""You have come to Us individually, just as We created you the first time, leaving behind you everything We gave you. We do not see with you your intercessors - those you claimed were your partners. The link between you is cut, and what you had asserted has failed you."" (6:94).   

2- In fact, Barsakh is the barrier phase between the day/time of the world and the Last Day or Eternity. Of course, within this day of the temporary, transient world, people are born and they die individually and alone; when one dies, one's soul enters into the Barsakh level until the Hour comes and the Resurrection and other Last-Day events take place. Thus, all these Last-Day events occur for all humanity at the same time and for once, when humanity will meet with their Lord God for Judgment: "No-when the earth is leveled, pounded, and crushed. And your Lord comes, with the angels, row after row. And on that Day, Hell is brought forward. On that Day, man will remember, but how will remembrance avail him? He will say, "If only I had forwarded for my life."" (89:21-24).

3- The silly Sunnite-Sufi hadith/lie of Al-Ghazaly contradicts the Quranic fact that all humanity will witness together the Last-Day events and that the Day of Resurrection is also called the Day of Gathering.  

Secondly: brief examples of the generality of the Last-Day events for all people:

1- God has created all human souls together at one point in time and He will resurrect them together at the same time: "Your creation and your resurrection are only as a single soul. God is Hearing and Seeing." (31:28).

2- When the Hour comes, the physical universe will be destroyed with its heavens, earth, and Barsakh levels and an Eternal Realm will emerge with another earth and heavens and people will be made to stand in a row before the Presence of their One, Dominant Lord God: " On the Day when the earth is changed into another earth, and the heavens, and they will emerge before God, the One, Dominant Lord." (14:48).

3- God mentions in the Quran that all people will be resurrected together to stand before Him for Judgment: "Do these not know that they will be resurrected? For a Great Day? The Day when the humankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?" (83:4-6).

4- God mentions in the Quran that all humanity will be gathered together on the Last Day: "...and We gather them together, and leave none of them behind. " (18:47).

5- All human beings will be brought and made to stand in a row before the Dominant Lord God; no one will be absent from this event: "They will be presented before your Lord in a row. "You have come to Us as We created you the first time. Although you claimed We would not set a meeting for you."" (18:48); "And the angels will be ranged around its borders, while eight will be carrying the Throne of your Lord above them that Day. On that Day you will be exposed, and no secret of yours will remain hidden." (69:17-18).

6- All human beings will see/read their Books of Deeds at the same time: "On that Day, the people will emerge in droves, to be shown their works. Whoever has done an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever has done an atom's weight of evil will see it." (99:6-8); "And the book will be placed, and you will see the sinners fearful of its contents. And they will say, "Woe to us! What is with this book that leaves nothing, small or big, but it has enumerated it?" They will find everything they had done present. Your Lord does not wrong anyone." (18:49).

7- Of course, besides each individual's Book of deeds, there will be a Collective Book of Deeds for each nation/society/community or those who lived at the same era and place and intermingled and interacted with one another within good/evil deeds: "You will see every community on its knees; every community will be called to its Book: "Today you are being repaid for what you used to do. This Book of Ours speaks about you in truth. We have been transcribing what you have been doing." As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord will admit them into His mercy. That is the clear triumph. But as for those who disbelieved: "Were My Verses not read to you? But you turned arrogant, and were guilty people."" (45:28-31).

8- As per the above points, each human soul will receive its Book of Deeds within the Book of Deeds for each society/community/nation in which this soul lived on earth: "On the Day when We call every people with their leader. Whoever is given his record in his right hand - these will read their record, and they will not be wronged one bit. But whoever is blind in this, he will be blind in the Hereafter, and further astray from the way." (17:71-72); "As for him who is given his book in his right hand, he will say, "Here, take my book and read it. I knew I would be held accountable." So he will be in pleasant living. In a lofty Garden. Its pickings are within reach. "Eat and drink merrily for what you did in the days gone by." But as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he will say, "I wish I was never given my book." (69:19-25); "For every person We have attached his fate to his neck. And on the Day of Resurrection, We will bring out for him a book which he will find spread open. "Read your book; today there will be none but yourself to call you to account."" (17:13-14); "O man! You are laboring towards your Lord, and you will meet Him. As for him who is given his book in his right hand. He will have an easy settlement. And will return to his family delighted. But as for him who is given his book behind his back. He will call for death. And will enter into Hell." (84:6-12).

9- All humanity will have their deeds weighed simultaneously: "The Day when the people will be like scattered moths. And the mountains will be like tufted wool. As for he whose scales are heavy. He will be in a pleasant life. But as for he whose scales are light. His home is the Abyss. Do you know what it is? A Raging Fire." (101:4-11); "The scales on that Day will be just. Those whose weights are heavy - it is they who are the successful. But as for those whose weights are light - it is they who have lost their souls, because they used to misuse Our verses." (7:8-9); "When the Horn is blown, no relations between them will exist on that Day, and they will not ask after one another. Those whose scales are heavy - those are the successful. But those whose scales are light - those are they who have lost their souls; in Hell they will dwell forever." (23:101-103).

10- No human beings and no non-human creatures (i.e., angels, jinn, and devils) will be absent during the Last Day; Gabriel (i.e., the Holy Spirit) and the angels will stand in a row and will not talk: "There is none in the heavens and the earth but will come to the Dominant Lord as a servant. He has enumerated them, and counted them one by one. And each one of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone." (19:93-95); "Lord of the heavens and the earth, and everything between them - The Dominant Lord - none can argue with Him. On the Day when the Spirit and the angels stand in row. They will not speak, unless it be one permitted by the Most Merciful, and he will say what is right." (78:37-38).

11- This is followed by the Judgment of each soul among humanity, with no difference between prophets and non-prophets; there is no room for injustice on the Last Day and each soul will argue for itself in order to defend itself: "On the Day when every soul will come pleading for itself, and every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and they will not be wronged." (16:111); "We will question those to whom messengers were sent, and We will question the messengers. We will narrate to them with knowledge, for We were never absent." (7:6-7).

12- The silly hadith of Al-Ghazaly means that no one will meet one's relatives on the Last Day if there were a 'last-day' for each individual separately once he/she dies; thus, this hadith contradicts these Quranic verses: "O people! Be conscious of your Lord within piety, and fear a Day when no parent can avail his child, nor can a child avail his parent, in anything. The promise of God is true. Therefore, do not let this life deceive you, nor let illusions deceive you regarding God." (31:33); "But when the Scream comes to pass. The Day when a person will flee from his brother. And his mother and his father. And his consort and his children. Every one of them, on that Day, will have enough to preoccupy him." (80:33-37).

13- The Muhammadans never value/esteem the Lord God as He ought to be valued/esteemed; on the Last Day, they will see that He is the One, Dominant Lord: "They have not esteemed God as He ought to be esteemed. The entire earth will be in His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right. Glorified and Transcendent He is beyond the associations they make. And the Trumpet will be sounded, whereupon everyone in the heavens and the earth will be stunned, except whomever God wills. Then it will be sounded another time, whereupon they will rise up, looking on. And the earth will shine with the Light of its Lord; and the Book will be put in place; and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought in; and Judgment will be passed among them equitably, and they will not be wronged. And every soul will be fully compensated for what it had done. He is well aware of what they do." (39:67-70). We infer from these verses that all humanity in general will attend together all of the Last-Day events simultaneously, until some people will enter into Hell and then some people will enter into Paradise: "Those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in throngs. Until, when they have reached it, and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, "Did not messengers from among you come to you, reading to you the verses of your Lord, and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "Yes, but the verdict of torment is justified against the disbelievers." It will be said, "Enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein eternally." How wretched is the destination of the arrogant. And those who feared their Lord will be led to Paradise in throngs. Until, when they have reached it, and its gates are opened, its keepers will say to them, "Peace be upon you, you have been good, so enter it, to abide therein eternally."" (39:71-73); this is followed by the Judgment of the angels: "And you will see the angels hovering around the Throne, glorifying their Lord with praise. And it will be judged between them equitably, and it will be said, "Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds."" (39:75).

Thirdly: the Day of Resurrection is for all human beings; it will be attended by all of them:

1- The gathering of all humanity on the Day of Resurrection must never be doubted; We quote these Quranic verses about this topic in the points below.

1/1: "...and to warn of the Day of Gathering, of which there is no doubt; a group in Paradise, and a group in Hell." (42:7); this reminiscent of the description of the Quran here: "This is the Book in which there is no doubt..." (2:2)

1/2: "God - there is no God except He. He will gather you to the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt. And who speaks more truly than God?" (4:87); we are to believe in the most truthful narration (i.e., the Quranic text itself) and never in hadiths (of Al-Ghazaly and others) fabricated and written during the Abbasid Era. The verse 4:87 predicts in an implied manner that such narratives/lies/fabrications named as hadiths will spread later on.

1/3: "How about when We gather them for a Day in which there is no doubt, and each soul will be paid in full for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged?" (3:25); there will be no room for injustice on the Day of Judgment.

1/4: "Say, "To whom belongs what is in the heavens and the earth?" Say, "To God." He has inscribed for Himself mercy. He will gather you to the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt..." (6:12); there is an assertive style here in Arabic/Quranic tongue.

1/5: God says in the Quran that most human beings in all eras deny the Hereafter: "Say, "God gives life to all of you, then He makes you die; then He gathers you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. But most people do not know."" (45:26).

2- As per the verses quoted above, God gathers all humanity on the Last Day; this is asserted further in the following verses.

2/1: "The Day when He gathers you for the Day of Gathering - that is the Day of Assembly..." (64:9).

2/2: " n that is a sign for whoever fears the torment of the Hereafter. That is a Day for which humanity will be gathered together - that is a Day to be witnessed. We only postpone it until a predetermined time." (11:103-104).

2/3: "The Day of Judgment is the appointed time for them all." (44:40).

3- All human beings of all eras, sans exception, prophets and non-prophets, will be gathered on the Last Day, as per the following verses.

3/1: "Say, "The first and the last. Will be gathered for the appointment of the Known Day."" (56:49-50).

3/2: "On the Day when God will gather the messengers, then say, "What response were you given?" They will say, "We have no knowledge; it is You Who are the Knower of the unseen."" (5:109).

3/3: The human beings will be divided into three groups: two in Paradise (Forerunners + those on the Right) and one in Hell (those on the Left): "And the Forerunners, the Forerunners. Those are the nearest. In the Gardens of Bliss. A throne from the ancients. And a small band from the latecomers." (56:10-14); "For those on the Right. A throng from the ancients. And a throng from the latecomers. And those on the Left - what of those on the Left?" (56:38-40).

Lastly: about the importance of Barsakh here:

1- If there were no Barsakh phase, Resurrection would have been an individual process for each dead soul; this is not the case as per the Quranic verses we have quoted in the above points. The Quran asserts that all humanity will be resurrected at eh same time for Judgment; this entails that souls of the dead are stored in a Barsakh level until all human beings are tested and die eventually before the Hour takes place so that all of them are resurrected together on the Last Day.

2- Souls in Barsakh are in a state of timelessness and senselessness; upon Resurrection, they will feel as if they slept for a day or for a part of a day: "On the Day when the Hour takes place, the sinners will swear they had stayed but an hour. Thus they were deluded. But those endowed with knowledge and faith will say, "You remained in God's Book until the Day of Resurrection. This is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know."" (30:55-56); "On the Day when they witness it - as though they only stayed an evening, or its morning." (79:46); the relativity of their brief space of time spent on earth is expressed further here: "On the Day when He rounds them up-as if they had tarried only one hour of a day to get to know one another..." (10:45).

3- This means the following points.

3/1: The man who died 100.000 years ago and the man who will die when the Hour comes will feel the same on the Last Day upon Resurrection; i.e., both will feel that they have slept for a day or for a part of a day.

3/2: As for those living now, the time left before the Day of Resurrection is what remains within one's lifetime plus a day or a part of a day. Let us suppose that we would die after one year; this means that for our person, the Day of Resurrection is after one earthly year plus a day or a part of a day of the Barsakh slumber. This means that the Last Day is very near to all human beings; this is why God has addressed the following verses to the disbelievers of the Qorayish tribe during Muhammad's lifetime. 

3/2/1: "Say, "I offer you a single advice: devote yourselves to God, in pairs, or individually; and reflect. There is no madness in your friend. He is just a warner to you, before the advent of a severe torment."" (34:46); this threat of a near severe torment means that the Day of Judgment is very near: the time remains before it is what is left from one's life duration plus a day or a part of a day within the Barsakh senselessness.

3/2/2: " We have warned you of a near torment..." (78:40); this near torment is not to be measured by the 14 centuries that passed since the descent of the Quran in Arabia; rather, this is about the remainder of the lifetimes of those disbelievers and then their death which will be felt as merely a day or a part of a day of deep slumber.

3/3: Those criminals/sinners use their freedom on earth to commit sins and to disobey the Lord God within this transient world and its fleeting time; the remainder of their life duration is not much; they will lose their freedom on their death bed and on their death moment; they will lose their freedom forever within the Last-Day events and inside Hell for eternity since they have died without repentance. Hence, to misuse one's freedom of action in this temporary, physical world means to lose one's freedom forever once the sinners die and within Hell for eternity.   

4- Why do not the Middle-Eastern tyrants and their people ponder on these facts?!

CONCLUSION:

 The above CHAPTER VII is considered by our person as the CONCLUSION of this BOOK, especially the last question posed in it; we repeat to here: Why do not the Middle-Eastern tyrants and their people ponder on these facts?! 

Signature:

Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour

August, 2018

Fairfax, Springfield, VA, the USA