Mu` meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah`s Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam u alaikum,

i have a teacher who is an atheist. I was talking to  him about life after death, but he doesnt believe in hat. He asked me what proof i have that there is   aheaven and hell. I told him its in the Quran, but as he doesnt believe in any religion or existance of God  he wants to know if

here is a sold proof in that.

 
Jaza Kala Khair

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Answer:

Proof for paradise and hell

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol,  no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

If the person you are having a discussion with is an atheist,  then the question cannot start with showing proof of the ‘unseen’;   but the starting point of discussion should be whether or not there is indeed a Creator who created everything there is in existence!   

Paradise and Hell Fire are things of the unseen;  and in the Perfect Wisdom of Allah Subhanah,  He decided to keep them unseen as a test for mankind.    He has bestowed upon mankind intelligence and the power of reasoning,  and a free will;  which he has not given to any other of His creation (except the Jinns).    The precise test that He has laid upon mankind is:  who amongst His creation uses the bestowed intelligence and power of reasoning,  by pondering over His innumerable Signs,  and of his own free will decides to believe and submit his will to the Will of His Creator.

If Allah had laid open Paradise and Hell Fire for all to see,  the test would become invalid;  for everyone who witnessed these two promised phenomena of Allah Subhanah with their own eyes,   would immediately believe,  and the test would not have any meaning!  

Or another meaningful discussion with the atheist would be to discuss if there is indeed a logical need for the Hereafter!    A good righteous person may live a good and pious life,  and build many orphanages,  and schools,  and hospitals,  and serve the poor and needy all his life.    What reward can man possibly give such a righteous person?    And what about all the people who benefited after his death,  from the good works he laid the foundation for in his life-time?    Does he get absolutely no reward for those?    Logic dictates that there must be a Day when the whole world should come to an end,  and a Day of Accounting be held where the righteous get the reward for their good deeds.     Otherwise it would not be a just system!

Conversely,  what about an evil person who kills thousands of innocent people?   What possible retribution can man take from this evil person?   The maximum a court can do is decree to put him to death!   The punishment for killing one person is death,  and the killing for a thousand people is still only death in our limited world!!!!   Logic dictates that there must come a Day when the whole world should come to an end,  and a Day of Accounting be held where full retribution is taken from the evil person.   

If one leaves aside his set beliefs and prejudices,  his own logic and reasoning will force him to accept that there has to be a Day of Judgement,  where the righteous are rewarded for the good they did;  and the evil is punished for the evil he committed!   

• Thus the questions which need to be addressed to the atheist are if there is indeed a Creator for everything in existence?   If yes,  who is this Creator and what are His rights on His creation?   If not,  then how did everything come into existence?

• Is there anything more than the life of this world?  Is there a need for a Day of Accounting?  Is there a need for a life Hereafter?

• Who will be the Judge of the Day of Accounting?   The One Who created,  or does someone else have this right?

If a believer can get that far with an atheist,   then the rest of the questions can be easily addressed.      

Then comes the question of His Guidance,  His Prophets,  His Books,  His Promised life of the Hereafter, etc.

To believe in the ‘unseen’ is one of the conditions of faith or ‘emaan’;  and in Allah’s Perfect Wisdom and Knowledge,  He decided to keep the rewards of Paradise and the punishment of the Hell Fire in the unseen.   One has to believe in the existence of the Creator,  before he can believe in Paradise and Hell Fire.   Thus it would be best to first discuss with the atheist about the existence of the Creator;  and then graduate towards the Guidance and Promises of that Omnipotent and Perfect Creator.

We can provide you several aayahs of the Glorious Quran regarding the existence of Paradise and Hell Fire;   but what possible good would it do to the one who does not even believe in the existence of the Creator?  

If we need to prove anything,  we either need to witness it ourselves,  or we may accept someone else’s witness to it!    And for everything of the unseen,  we as believers,  can accept only what the Creator and His Messengers have made known to us.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan

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