Towards Meeting the Almighty – Part 6
How “Admissible Probability” and “Expectation” Converge, and How They Diverge from One Another
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا وَرَضُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاطْمَأَنُّوا بِهَا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا غَافِلُونَ أُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
“Indeed those who do not expect to encounter Us and who are pleased with the life of this world and satisfied with it, and those who are oblivious of Our signs. It is they whose refuge shall be the Fire because of what they used to earn.”[1]
The above Quranic verse speaks about people who do not expect to encounter their Maker on the Day of Judgement. Understanding the mindset of such individuals requires that we review the idea of “Ẓan” (or “admissible probability”) and its relationship to the concept of “hope” or “expectation”.
The Logical Correlation Between “Ẓan” and “Expectation”
The term “Ẓan” is used in cases where the probability of something happening is at least fifty percent or higher. It is also sometimes used to signify “preponderant belief that falls short of certainty”. In other cases, it serves to denote “preponderant belief” in the absolute sense, which may include instances of certainty as well. As such, “Ẓan” and “hope” go hand in hand. However, “Ẓan” can also relate to events from the past, whereas “hope” is only associated to events that are expected to occur in the future.
For instance, in a given football game, we may have no information about any of the two teams involved. In such a situation, the probability of either team winning is equal. On the other hand, if one of the teams enjoys a better coach or is equipped with a superior set of players, then its probability of victory will also be higher. Within this latter case, “Ẓan” and “hope” are both equally present. The level of “Ẓan” (or “preponderant belief”) is a product of our greater understanding regarding the particular characteristics of the team in question. Indeed, as our comprehension and knowledge about any given event or situation grows, our “hope” and “expectation” regarding that event or situation also deepens and expands proportionately.
When Logic Collapses…
However, sometimes emotional and other non-intellectual factors influence our understanding and appreciation of reality. For instance, all calculations may show that a certain event is highly improbable, but nevertheless we may deem its occurrence to be a matter of certitude simply because we wish for it to happen. This psychological and emotional inclination towards the event in question leads us to develop a heightened sense of hope and expectation towards it, even though rationality dictates otherwise. Thus, we observe that hope can directly affect our perceptions and understandings. The opposite can also be true. Sometimes, we strongly detest the happening of a certain event and, as a result, we deem it to be improbable and unlikely, whereas any objective analysis would reveal that the probability of its occurrence is indeed very high or might even be close to certitude. This is how psychological and emotional elements influence and sway our comprehension of things around us. In fact, there exist numerous factors that prevail upon our perception of reality without us having conscious awareness of their presence. Under such circumstances, logical instances of “Ẓan” (or “admissible probability”) and “hope” no longer remain correlated to one another, and their respective paths diverge into separate directions.
It Doesn’t Exist Because I Don’t Want It To!
أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ بَلْ يُرِيدُ الْإِنسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ
“Does man suppose that We will not put together his bones [at resurrection]? Yes indeed, We are able to [re]shape [even] his fingertips! Indeed, man desires to go on living viciously.”[2]
The above Quranic verses make a very straight forward and simple argument: The Almighty who created human beings from scratch in the first place can obviously reanimate them whenever He so wills. Clearly, resurrecting a dead person is far easier that creating one from utter non-existence. Given this truth, and the fact that the intellect does not objectively negate the possibility of life after material death, why do certain human beings insist on rejecting the idea of being brought back to life in the Hereafter? The answer to this query lies within the basics of human psychology. Such people desire to be free; they desire to live a life of viciousness, free of responsibility or any sense of accountability.
It is truly astonishing that some people believe the idea of “freedom” to be a modern construct, which was somehow discovered by the Europeans during their relatively recent history. As such, they argue that in order for us to become modern as well, we must vigorously embrace this “grand emancipating principle” in the most comprehensive and absolute of senses even if it contradicts or clashes with our religious beliefs and sacred teachings. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, “freedom” is one of the oldest issues within human history. Human beings want to be free and they want to act in accordance to their carnal cravings.
بَلْ يُرِيدُ الْإِنسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ
“Indeed, man desires to go on living viciously.”[3]
As the above Quranic verse clearly states, Human beings do not wish to be restricted by rules and obligations. If a person accepts that life after material death truly exists and that there is divine accountability in the Hereafter, then such a belief will form a natural impediment to his or her libertine life style. For this very reason, the individual in question takes the easy way out of this predicament and simply declares: “There is no Judgement Day! As far as I’m concerned, everything is permissible!” Normally and rationally, an objective assessment of reality should tell us how to manage and control our wants and desires, but in a situation like this the exact opposite happens as we end up allowing our whims and fancies to dictate what we believe to be true or not.
Obviously, you cannot ask people to expect a meeting with their Lord and Master if they have already convinced themselves that the Hereafter does not exist. However, if someone views the existence of an afterlife to be at least admissibly probable, then one may hope to direct his or her imagination towards expecting an encounter with the Almighty on the Day of Final Judgement.
Intellectual Dissonance
Having said the above, we also find cases wherein we observe a stark disconnect between what people believe in and how they choose to think or act. Indeed, people sometimes accept or reject a certain idea within their minds without being aware or actively cognizant of the intellectual and practical consequences of such an affirmation or negation. This shows that the rational and purely intellectual exercise of objectively analyzing an idea and corroborating or refuting its exactitude does not necessarily lead us to reorganize our entire thought process in order to coherently fit the results of our deliberations. Consider, for instance, our own steadfast belief and conviction regarding God’s absolute omnipresence and omniscience. Are we always attentive and observant with respect to the intellectual and practical obligations that such a belief naturally and logically demands?
Conscious expectation about meeting one’s Lord and Creator can only happen if we are actively aware and mindful of our beliefs and their logical ramifications without being unduly hindered or influenced by other internal or external elements. In order to experience the true effect of one’s beliefs, a person must bring these convictions out of their state of dormancy while also removing all obstacles that inhibit the proper functioning of these persuasions. This is probably one of the key messages conveyed by the Quranic verses quoted earlier.
When an individual is utterly satisfied simply and exclusively by his material existence and bears no concerns or ambitions apart from the lowly pleasures of this temporal domain, then such a person has no need to think about the Hereafter. Naturally, this person also harbors no expectations regarding any divine audience that may or may not await him in the life to come.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا وَرَضُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاطْمَأَنُّوا بِهَا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا غَافِلُونَ أُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
“Indeed those who do not expect to encounter Us and who are pleased with the life of this world and satisfied with it, and those who are oblivious of Our signs, it is they whose refuge shall be the Fire because of what they used to earn.”[4]
Therefore, the core reason why certain people lack proper commitment to the logical outcomes of believing in Judgement Day is the fact that they are deeply infatuated by the superficial allure of this material realm and its various toys and trinkets. They have become so attached to their worldly life that they cannot even imagine being severed away from it. If anyone reminds them of trials and tribulations of Afterlife, they ignore the topic completely while preferring the bliss that come along with their self-imposed ignorance. Through constant and diligent practice, they have perfectly adapted themselves to the intellectual dissonance of believing in the Hereafter while being totally oblivious to it within all aspects of practical life.
Most surely, someone who sincerely believes in the Day of Judgement will turn out to resemble the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib (as), who is reported to have said: “I swear by Allah that the son of Abī Ṭālib is indeed more comfortable with death than a newborn baby is with its mother’s chest”[5]. This is what true and genuine belief looks like. Ali (as) knew exactly what death entailed. He fully realized Who he was destined to meet in the Afterlife and what limitless divine pleasures awaited him in the eternal realm.
[1] The Holy Quran, Surah Yūnus, verse 7-8
[2] The Holy Quran, Surah al-Qiyāmah, verse 3-5
[3] The Holy Quran, Surah al-Qiyāmah, verse 5
[4] The Holy Quran, Surah Yūnus, verse 7-8
[5] Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 28, pg. 234
