SPIRIT OF ISLAM JUNE 2O18

9 Spirit of Islam Issue 66 June 2018 DOES THE WORLD OF THE HEREAFTER EXIST? Purpose and Meaning of Life W E can subject the inquiry of the existence of the Hereafter to the same scientific principles as we use to study the physical phenomenon around us. We present here a few ideas in support of the argument that the world of the Hereafter is a rational and scientific fact. The Meaningful Universe Sir James Jeans once observed that the Creator of the universe must have possessed a mathematical mind. Here, we must add that the very meaningfulness of the universe is a proof that its Creator must have had a deep sense of purpose. Such a purposeful Creator could not have created a world, which was imperfect— and therefore meaningless—if this objective was to be fulfilled. Despite all its meaningfulness, our world in its present state is incomplete. It requires the existence of another world for its completion. It is such a world that all the prophets have called the world of the Hereafter. This world of the Hereafter is not just a matter of dogma. It is an entirely scientific fact. First of all, we must define what is scientific proof? Scientific proof does not mean that there can be any degree of absolute certainty about whatever is to be proved. This kind of undeniable certainty is not possible. When something is said to have been proved scientifically, this statement only means that its probability has been established. And, from the scientific viewpoint, we cannot refuse to apply to the case of the world Hereafter, a method that we hold valid in most scientific matters. As we know, the steps to a scientific inquiry include—hypothesis, observation and verification. If we apply this three-point formula to the world Hereafter, we can certainly arrive at an understanding of its probability. And as we know, in the field of science, probability paves the way for certainty. Despite all its meaningfulness, our world in its present state is incomplete. It requires the existence of another world for its completion.