Scientists from all over the world are repeatedly emphasizing that global warming is the greatest danger of present times. Both print and electronic media inform people daily of this perilous situation.
Reports based on the findings of international scientists, such as "Doomsday Not Far" (Hindustan Times, Decembers, 2007) and 'Five Years to Doomsday' telecast on December 20, 2007 on an Indian TV programme warned that climate change is now turning into climate disaster. As a result, the day is fast approaching when human beings, regardless of where they are living, will no longer be able to inhabit this planet earth.
As we all know, there are huge ice caps at both the north and south poles. These are vast reservoirs of fresh water, but they are now melting at an alarming rate. Also there are huge, mountain-top glaciers, — gigantic storehouses of drinking water — which, as a consequence of global warming, are likewise rapidly melting and their stored water is draining off into the oceans through the rivers.
This is going to result in two unbearable situations. On the one hand, very soon the level of water in the seas will rise, inundating coastal cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Calcutta, Bombay, Chennai, etc. On the other hand, the non-coastal areas will suffer from an intolerable water shortage. It is predicted by some scholars that the shortage of water will become so acute that even a Third World War might take place over this issue.
The rivers are always full of water, because the ice in the mountains keeps gradually melting the whole year round and this water continuously comes to the rivers through tributaries. But when all this ice has melted, naturally the rivers will run dry. And all their fresh water will be mixed with the salty water of the ocean. The ocean will be full of water but, being too salty, it will be fit neither for irrigation nor for drinking. The situation prevailing will be somewhat like that portrayed by Samuel Coleridge in his poem The Ancient Mariner': "Water, water, everywhere; ne any drop to drink".
God's prophets have constantly told us that the present world will not be eternal, that it is perpetually on its countdown, and that a time will come when its term will expire and it will come to its end. All the scientific evidence tells us that this countdown is approaching its final number.
The scientists of the 20th century discovered the law of entropy and concluded that the world's energy is continuously on the decrease, and that this process cannot be reversed. Therefore, it is certain that after a fixed period of time the present world will come to its end. Now the scientists of the 21st century have told us, according to their researches, that the time for the end of the present world has come very close. It could even be a mere 10 to 20 years.
All these revelations which are being covered in the media under the heading of 'global warming' are in fact 'divine warning'. This is a declaration by the Creator that, according to His plan, this period of the world has come to its end. According to this plan, the first phase has expired. Now the time is not far away when the present world will be replaced by its second phase. The first phase, meant purely as a test for mankind, was temporary. The second phase will be for the result of that test, and it will be eternal.
In the present world, man has been given freedom of action. This is not because he deserves freedom on account of his general prowess: it was allotted to him temporarily for the purpose of testing him. It was meant to see who makes the proper use of freedom and who misuses it. According to the system of nature, the record of every man and woman is being prepared. This record will be presented before the Creator in the next stage of life. Those whose records show that they made proper use of their freedom will find a place in Paradise where they will live eternally. (The Quran). They will be accorded by their Creator a place where they will lead an eternal life of comfort and happiness. On the contrary, those whose record shows that they misused their freedom will be consigned by their Creator to Hell where, in the words of Jesus Christ, "There will be wailing and weeping for all eternity." (Matthew 13:42).
Now the time has finally come for all men and women to arise from their slumber. By engaging themselves in introspection they must reform themselves. They must make the attainment of a successful life in the next phase of life their sole concern. Every man and woman must know that the chance they have been given in the present world is the first and last chance. No other chance awaits them. Global warming tells us that the point of no return has already been reached. Let us avail of this opportunity before the time is up. After this, no one will be given any further opportunity to come back to the present world. Nor will there be any opportunity in the next world to atone for one's misconduct or be rewarded for the belated performance of worthy deeds.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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