Maulana Wahiduddin Khan |Concept of Hereafter | Al-Risala, April 1987, pp. 4-6
People sit in a room conversing with each other. They are conscious of what is visible, audible, tangible. The world is before them, to be apprehended through the senses. They feel that they know everything about it that is humanly possible to know, and do not suspect that another world might exist in their midst – of which they know nothing.
Just then, someone switches on the television, suddenly a different and hitherto unseen ‘world’ appears on its screen. Darting figures, a hubbub of voices, rows of houses, mountain scenery – all kinds of visual and auditory phenomena make their impact upon the senses of the viewers.
The experience of television is an earthly analogy of the concept of life after death – a world beyond our world, just as complete in every detail as the one before us. It shows how another world can exist within the present world yet remain outside the range of normal human sensitivity unless we are attuned to it. The world shown on television is already present before us, but it only becomes visible when the set is switched on. In like manner, the world of the hereafter is already omnipresent, but it will only impinge on the senses when it is ‘switched on’ for us by God.
In the realm of science, concepts are very often demonstrated and understood by means of models. Our present world is like a natural model, by means of which we can understand supernatural realities. Our world is, in a way, a reflection of them. If one seriously contemplates the world around one, one will find in it the answer to everything.
God, divine revelation and life after death are concepts which man cannot grasp with his present limited vision. They lie in the unseen world. But it should be remembered that there are many things in this very world, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. In fact, all higher realities are of this nature, and these are accepted solely on the basis of scientific ‘clues’. The same applies to God, divine revelation and life after death. True, these things cannot be seen with our present sight, but there are clear indications throughout the universe which provide convincing proof of their actuality· There can be no doubt about their existence. If we think seriously about them, we have no choice but to accept them.