Introduction
There is an important question about human soul’s eternal destiny. All people want to know what will happen to them after death. Shall they go to Heaven or not? Many of them are in the dark concerning their soul’s salvation. They may have heard umpteen religious teachings all their life but they are not sure of anything. They have never really settled down to business on this matter. Therefore, there is no greater matter in life than the destiny of a man’s soul. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”.1 If you are not saved, nothing else matters! All the knowledge and wealth in the universe will do you no good if you die in your sins and go to Hell forever.
Those who believe in the life after death want to be successful in their worldly life and in the Hereafter. They seek salvation, which is preservation or deliverance from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc., but they may not know how they can take out a fire insurance policy with God and make ready their soul for that life.
The truth is that Almighty God loves His servants and does not like even one of them to perish into Hell. He has provided a simple and easy way for all humanity to be saved. All religions and divine books try to show the way of salvation but unlike some other books, the Qur’an,2 which is the very word of Almighty God, clearly has spoken about the destiny of man and his redemption.
In the Qur’an, salvation is stated as the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences, and it refers to the eventual entrance to heaven. The Qur’an teaches that salvation and thus eternal happiness, is attainable through the sincere worship of God alone, and people who die disbelieving in God do not receive salvation. A person must believe in Almighty God and follow His commandments. This is the same message taught by all the Prophets including Moses and Jesus. There is only One worthy of worship; One God, alone without partners, sons, or daughters.
In addition to this Islam teaches us that human beings are born without sin and are naturally inclined to worship God. To retain this state of sinlessness, man must only follow God’s commandments and strive to live a righteous life, but if one falls into sin, and pushes himself away from the mercy of God, all that is required is sincere repentance followed by seeking God’s forgiveness. Sincere repentance brings the person back to the way of God.
The Qur’an states that the way of salvation and felicity is God-consciousness (“taqwa”)3 and the pious and virtuous (“Muttaqin”)4 are felicitous,
“This is the Book, there is no doubt in it, a guidance to the righteous, who believe in the Unseen, and maintain the prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; and who believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you, and are certain of the Hereafter. Those follow their Lord’s guidance, and it is they who are the felicitous.” (Qur’an; 2: 2-5)
The Qur’an first clarifies that the real believers are felicitous, and then explains about the attributes of believers,
“Indeed the believers are those who attain salvation. [The believers are] those who before God’s presence humble themselves in their prayers. [They are] those who avoid vain talks and act. [They are] those who by God’s command pay alms to the needy out of what they have earned lawfully. [The believers are] those who restrain their sexual passion, save with their wives … in such case there is no blame on them, but those who do other than this, they are transgressors from God’s limits. [Moreover, the believers are] those who return the properties which have been entrusted [to them] and they feel dutiful about their covenants. [They are] those who perform their prayers regularly [five times daily].” (Qur’an; 23: 1-9)
The other group that has been introduced as felicitous in the Qur’an is “Mohsenin”5,
“These are the signs of the definitive book, a guidance and mercy for the virtuous and good-doers, who maintain the prayer, and pay the zakat, and are certain of the Hereafter. Those follow their Lord’s guidance, and it is they who are the felicitous.” (Qur’an; 31: 2-5)
In the present book, I have tried to reflect very briefly, some important factors of salvation based on the teachings of the Qur’an.
I have written the following chapters in an attempt to “lay it all out on the table” in hopes of giving you a more complete understanding of God’s wonderful plan of salvation.
I have written this book because I feel it is very much needed. I know that there are many people who thought they were saved, but in fact were not.6 There is an abundance of false teaching and false religion all around us in society. The Devil is a master counterfeiter! Many false religions have birthed from sincere misunderstandings (false teachings) from Divine Books.
It is my heart’s desire to help you gain a greater understanding of the way of salvation in the chapters that follow. I believe you will find this book helpful. I have endeavored to keep the chapters brief, yet long enough to say what needs to be said.
I hope this book will be useful for you, so that you will come to the saving knowledge of the salvation in the Book of Almighty God. I fervently pray that the truths in this book will be a blessing to every reader.
- 1. Matthew; 16:26
- 2. The Holy Qur’an is a complete record of the exact words revealed by God through the Archangel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of God be upon him and his progeny). It is the principle source of every Muslim’s faith and practice. It deals with all subjects that concern humanity, including wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law; but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time, the Qur’an provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct, and equitable economic principles.
- 3. The Arabic term Taqwa is often translated as ‘piety’, ‘righteousness’ or ‘God-fearing’, but a better equivalent would be ‘God-consciousness’ or ‘self-restraint’.
- 4. ‘Muttaqi’ (pl. Muttaqin), which means Virtuous, Pious, God-Fearing, God-conscious, and Devoted to God, refers to those who practice taqwa.
- 5. The Arabic term ‘Mohsen’ (pl. Mohsenin) is often translated as ‘Virtuous’ or ‘Good-doers’.
- 6. Remember, a man is better to have no hope than a false hope, because a man with no hope is still searching.