Righteous go straight to Heaven

 

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Peace be upon you,

The conventional understanding is souls of believers and disbelievers must await the Day of Judgment to enter Paradise or Gehenna. In other words, the Day of Judgment is when people realize their final destiny.

The Quran gives us great news—the righteous do not really die. When their lives on this earth come to the predetermined end, their souls are invited to go straight to Heaven. All praise be to God.

There are signs to this effect throughout Quran (2:25, 2:154, 3:169, 8:24, 22:58, 36:26-27, 44:56, etc.).

The Righteous Go Straight to Paradise*

[Quran 36:26-27] (At the time of his death) he was told, "Enter Paradise." He said, "Oh, I wish my people knew. That my Lord has forgiven me, and made me honorable."
*36:26 The righteous do not really die; they simply move on to the same Paradise where Adam & Eve lived. They join the prophets, saints, and martyrs in an active and utopian life (see App. 17).

[Quran 3:169] Do not think that those who are killed in the cause of God are dead; they are alive at their Lord, being provided for.

Sourced from: http://www.masjidtucson.org/publications/books/SP/1990/feb/page1.html

The Myth of Intercession

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Peace be upon you,

Consider this scenario: the President found a staff member, Azzy, accepted a $10 million bribe and was corrupt. He decides to fire him, but another employee, Abe, attempts to intercede saying, "he's a nice guy, let him keep working for you".

What words would you use to describe this intercession? Is it fair or just? What kind of example does it set for others? What would the President think of Abe for supporting a corrupt official? It does not make sense. And if the “President” in question, is the President of the Universe, God, there’s no circumstance in which Abe would know more than God. God’s decision would be made on complete information, and as the only one qualified to judge among His servants (Quran 39:46).

Yet, some believe intercession will allow Jesus or Muhammad to change God's mind. Would not God already know if someone deserves Heaven?

Why would Jesus, Abraham or Muhammad even wish to intercede for someone who God says is a bad person? We learn from Quran that all intercession belongs to God" (Quran 39:44). Even Abraham, God's beloved servant, could not intercede on behalf of his father (Quran 9:114). Nor could Muhammad intercede on behalf of his relatives (Quran 9:80). Why would they even try to intercede on behalf of strangers?

[Quran 39:44] Say, "All intercession belongs to GOD." To Him belongs all sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, then to Him you will be returned.

Peace.

Reference:

The Myth of Intercession

What are our Goals for the Soul?

 

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Peace be upon you,

What would God say about my soul if I died tomorrow? How would I plan my life if I had only one day to live, or one month? Do I have goals in place for the soul-work ahead?

God tells us the purpose of creation (Quran 45:22, 51:56). It makes sense to plan ahead and focus our lives on achieving these goals.

[Quran 45:22] God created the heavens and the earth for a specific purpose, in order to pay each soul for whatever it earned, without the least injustice.

[Quran 51:56] I did not create the jinns and the humans except to worship Me alone.

Consider an example from this world, if a company like Ford or Toyota had a mission to build quality cars, people would think they were being foolish if they got into the business of providing haircuts. Similarly, if they used their money on non-productive activities or worse—had no business plan at all, not many would consider they had a longer-term chance of success.

Since the Hereafter is so much more important than this life, does it not make sense that we should organize our lives to fulfill our goal for reaching God’s Kingdom?

Read more at: What is Your Goal In Life?

Peace.

Heaven and Hell

A key understanding in Quran is that the absence of God is Hell (19:71-72). Heaven, by contrast, is defined by our closeness to God.

Everyone Sees Hell*

[Quran 19:71] Every single one of you must see it; this is an irrevocable decision of your Lord.
[Quran 19:72] Then we rescue the righteous, and leave the transgressors in it, humiliated.
*19:71 As detailed in Appendix 11, we will be resurrected prior to God's physical arrival to our universe. That will be a temporary taste of Hell, since the absence of God is Hell. When God comes (89:22), the righteous will be rescued. See 19:72.
[Quran 56:10-12] Then there is the elite of the elite. They are those who will be closest (to God). In the gardens of bliss.

A question people sometimes have is regarding the materialistic descriptions of Heaven and Hell in the Quran. The descriptions of Heaven and Hell throughout Quran are allegorical. And the Quran tells us so whenever such descriptions occur as independent statements, not within a general subject. See 2:24-26, 13:35, and 47:15. The word "Mathal" (allegory) is used in these verses. Linguistically, the word "Mathal" in these verses can be removed, and we still have perfect sentences. But it is there because the descriptions of Heaven and Hell are allegorical.
Thus, it is not about literally getting everything the hearts desire and the eyes wish for (Quran 43:71), but rather describing the extent of happiness and bliss in heaven.
The worldly analogies are the closest we can get to understanding how much joy and happiness await those who make it back to God’s Kingdom and Paradise. Because, in truth—we have no idea how wonderful it is (Quran 32:17).

Heaven: Indescribably Beautiful

[Quran 32:17] You have no idea how much joy and happiness are waiting for you as a reward for your (righteous) works.
More on the Day of Resurrection, and Heaven and Hell.