Introduction

Only those who choose the Qur'an as their guide and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as their way of life are completely free from superstition; they may hope to have a good life both in this world and in the next world, where this good life will go on for ever.

Eastern religions attract people because of their mystical and mysterious air, despite containinga great many irrational and illogical beliefs and practices.

Many people today are searching for a way to escape from all the inhumanity, chaos, confusion, quarrels, conflicts, worries, selfishness and deceit we see in the world; they are looking for a way to establish a way of life that will bring them contentment, inner certainty and peace.

Some of these seekers believe they will find the happiness and peace of mind they are looking for in religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism. Many people have been influenced by these eastern religions because of their aura of mystery and mysticism, and because they make use of techniques such as meditation, and because of the unusual attitudes, dress, manner of speech and religious practices of those who follow them.

However, although religions like Hinduism and Buddhism— among the oldest we know of—give some good ethical advice, not everything they contain is true. Over the centuries, they have absorbed

elements of the customs and traditions of the societies that have adopted them en masse, and have degenerated as a result of various legends and erroneous beliefs that have been added to them, so that the form in which we know them today is one tainted with superstition. It is for this reason that these religions espouse many beliefs and practices that conflict with reason and logic.

So in the following pages it is important to remember that when we talk about Buddhism and Hinduism we are really talking about the current extremely ancient and now corrupted and degenerate religions, and not about the original religions and their founders. We have been taught by Allah that every people has had messengers and prophets to guide them through revelation. Some elements in Buddhism similar to the values of the Qur'an may lead one to think that Buddha might have been one of these messengers, who preached the religion of truth. But this religion is extremely ancient and inevitably became corrupted after him, and lost its authenticity by mixing with the cultures and religions of the countries in which it originated and to which it spread, and thus turned into a superstitious religion.1

The belief in karma is one such characteristic of these religions that are currently attracting interest in our countries. Although it encourages people to adopt certain positive moral qualities, the philosophy of karma also contains several erroneous and superstitious beliefs. It is not possible for these superstitions, which form the basis of the belief in karma, to become a way to freedom for humanity or to bring people genuine inner certainty and peace of mind. On the contrary, they cause even greater spiritual confusion. They cause people to adopt erroneous points of view and mistaken practices. It is these misleading beliefs and practices which are the main subject of this book.

Before considering the erroneous aspects of the belief in karma, it will be useful to remind ourselves of the following truth: the way to ensuring real happiness and peace of mind in this world is the religion of Islam and its source, the Qur'an which our Lord, Allah, the One and Only Lord of the universe, chose for humanity in order to restore the truths previously revealed to prophets and messengers among all peoples on Earth but forgotten and corrupted to some extent almost everywhere. As Allah has told us, the Qur'an and the Sunnah are the only things capable of rescuing humanity from darkness and bringing us into the light; the Qur'an is the only book capable of being humanity's means of liberation. Allah explains this truth in the following words in the Qur'an, which are addressed to whoever follows one of the religions which existed before Islam:

People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making clear to you much of the Book that you have kept concealed, and passing over a lot. A Light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book. By it, Allah guides those who follow what pleases Him to the ways of Peace. He will bring them from the darkness to the light by His permission, and guide them to a straight path. (Surat al-Maida: 15-16)

Alif Lam Ra. This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Surah Ibrahim: 1)

In this book we shall deal both with those aspects of the belief in karma that concern good ethical practices that accord with the teachings of the Qur'an, and with those erroneous aspects that accord neither with the Qu'ran, nor with human reason and nor with human conscience.

We should remember, however, that the belief in karma, in the perverted form in which we have it with the inclusion of the concept of reincarnation, is one that is not supported by any evidence whatsoever and that it is not contained in any divinely revealed book; it is apparently a philosophy consisting merely of ideas that people have formulated. A philosophy of this kind could easily be put together by any person. In fact, an ordinary person could formulate several of these philosophies. Moreover, one would not need to possess any knowledge or spend any time in order to do this; a short time would be quite enough to formulate a whole philosophical system of "beliefs unsupported by evidence". That is because belief in karma does not make claims to any basis in rationality.

Would it make sense to attempt to implement the rules of an irrational philosophy that lacks proper evidence to support it? In this book, using evidence to support our arguments, we will attempt to show how illogical it is to believe in karma or to try to live in accordance with it or with any other similar philosophy.

This is a clear explanation for all mankind, and guidance and admonition for the heedful, (Surah Al'Imran: 138)

Footnote

1- Editor's note: Nevertheless, Allah tells us: "Do not curse those they call upon besides Allah, in case that makes them curse Allah in animosity, without knowledge." (Surat al-An'am: 109) So even if people have terrible superstitions, it behoves us to speak courteously so that they do not becomes enemies of Islam because of our behaviour. This is the guidance of the Qur'an.

What is The Concept of "Karma"?

Karma is a superstitious belief that attracts people because of its mystical and mysterious air. It is an offence to human reason, conscience and creation in a great many ways.

No matter how much the philosophy of karma appears to encourage people towards ethical behaviour, it is in fundamental conflict with belief in the hereafter and a great many matters of faith described in the Qur'an.

Belief in karma is an important element in superstitious eastern religions such as decadent Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning "action" or "movement". In Indian religions, karma is conceived of as "the law of cause and effect". According to those who believe in karma, in the future people will experience the consequences of whatever they have done in the past. Good comes from good, and evil from evil. It therefore follows that the situation they are in today is the result of the past.

According to this belief, however, what is meant by "the past" is the life that a person lived before their current life; what is meant by "the future" is their next life back on this Earth that will begin (or so it is claimed), after death. The reason for this is that the belief in karma is based on a belief in reincarnation—the belief that after death, people return to the world in a different body, and that this process of death and rebirth is continuous. It therefore follows that someone who believes in karma believes that in the so-called life they will have after death, whatever successes they have, whatever position in society they occupy and whatever way of life they enjoy will have been determined by how they behaved in their previous life and on their degree of morality in that life.

For example, someone who is rich and successful in this life is being rewarded with wealth for having been a good person in their previous life. In the same way (according to the concept of karma), someone who is poor, crippled or a failure in this life will have done bad things in their previous life and is now reaping the reward for those actions. In fact, it is claimed by those who subscribe to this superstitious belief system that people may take the form of plants or animals in their successive lives, depending on the nature of the evil they have done. Later in this book we will demonstrate in detail that belief in reincarnation is mere superstition.

According to the belief in karma, someone who is rich and famous has become so in return for the good deeds he performed in a previous life. Many people who believe in karma, however, also think that there is no Creator who might bring this justice about. The proponents of this philosophy believe that karma is a self-maintaining system.

At first sight it might appear that a belief in karma would provide a strong incentive for people to adopt attractive moral qualities, since they will want to enjoy the best possible conditions when they are reborn into this world. However, the belief in reincarnation and other superstitious concepts fostered by religions which espouse karma (such as Hinduism and decadent Buddhism), are contrary to human logic, human nature and the human conscience. Thus, the laws and practices of these religions cannot possibly endow people with good moral qualities; they cannot bring individuals peace of mind, inner confidence or happiness. The poor living conditions and the injustice prevalent in those countries where these religions are common or where they have, in fact, been adopted as the national religion, quite clearly demonstrate the truth of this.

One of the main reasons why some of the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism attract attention is the interest shown in them by certain world-famous film stars and musicians. Some of these famous people have their photographs taken wearing Buddhist robes in Tibet, or they claim to have found peace of mind in meditation. Another thing that makes people interested in these religions is the aura of mystery and mysticism with which they are associated in the mind of the public.

But the great majority of people who are influenced by this mystical aura and who make a belief in karma the foundation for their way of life do not carry out any detailed investigation into these philosophies and do not think about them carefully enough. This is because they are too focused on the positive spiritual and moral aspects to see that these religions in their decadent conditions contain many beliefs that are inconsistent, illogical, and contrary to human nature and conscience, or perhaps they simply prefer to ignore these anomalies altogether.

However, anyone who wishes to escape from the difficult and depressing life they are leading and who sincerely wants all humanity to be able to live a life full of happiness and inner tranquility ought to make an effort to find the right way. Therefore, they should carefully investigate the philosophies by which they are influenced and should be inwardly certain which path is the most correct, the wisest and the one that best accords with their conscience.

The purpose of this book is to show people whose quest for the truth has led them to adopt the positive messages of the karma philosophy, that it is not the best path since it is derived from a religion based on myths, superstitions and practices that defy reason. The only way for people to live happily and enjoy peace of mind in this life and in their eternal life after death is for them to have faith in Allah and to act in accordance with the dictates of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is the book of truth revealed by our Lord, Allah, for the sake of thinking people; it is our only guide to salvation, bringing people from darkness into light. The only true way is to put into practice the ethics of the Qur'an and to fear Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who keeps people from wickedness, discord, cruelty, oppression, intolerance, despair, pessimism, unhappiness and every kind of reprehensible act, and to live in accord with the Sunnah of His Noble Messenger, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that
they may be warned by it and so that they will know that
He is One God and so that people of intelligence will pay heed.
(Surah Ibrahim: 52)

Reincarnation According To The Idea of Karma

Karmic belief says that after people die they return to earth in another body. In other words it means reincarnation. This is a totally unfounded and superstitious belief.

their death—follows from the belief in karma and is absolutely fundamental to Indian religions. The relationship between karma and reincarnation is explained in a book entitled Dinler Tarihi (The History of Religions) in the following words:

Reincarnation is the belief that the soul passes from one body into another after death. Reincarnation is part and parcel of the philosophy of karma. According to this belief, a soul is either high born or low born in terms of its degree of development. A person may be reborn as a plant, an animal, a human being or a god, depending on his or her actions. (Thus, people are the architects of their own fates.) This rebirth takes place as a result of cause and effect. By means of reincarnation, it is possible for us to be given the moral and spiritual reward of our actions. Happiness in one's next life depends on right action. Every individual is responsible for his or her own situation. There is no need to fear death. Through continuous rebirths, people achieve their desires and enjoy continual satisfaction. They live in the god Brahma. It is claimed that this belief endows the native of India with a powerful optimism.2

Every self will taste death. You will be paid your wages in full on the Day of Rising. Anyone who is distanced from the Fire and admitted to the Garden has triumphed… (Surah Al'Imran: 185) Do you then bear witness that there are other gods together with Allah?' Say: 'I do not bear witness.' Say: 'He is only One God, and I am free of all you associate with Him.' (Surat al_ An'am: 19)

As we see here, the belief in karma does not imply a belief in the afterlife; in place of this, there is a belief in rebirth into this world with the same soul but in a new body. This, however, is an erroneous and superstitious belief that conflicts with what Allah tells us in the Qur'an.

Another erroneous aspect of this philosophy that calls for attention is the belief that people can be reborn as gods. This is the most superstitious and unrealistic claim ever made in the history of mankind. Such a claim is polytheism. It is an open denial of Allah's indivisibility. It is obvious that no one can be a god; there is only one God and He has not given birth to anything, nor was He given birth to. Allah is the Lord, the Creator, the Protector and the Sole God of the whole universe and of all living things. He is Unique and has no equal. Our Lord, Allah, tells us this in the Qur'an:

Say: "He is Allah, Absolute Oneness, Allah, the Everlasting Sustainer of all. He has not given birth and was not born. And no one is comparable to Him". (Surat al-Ikhlas: 1-4)

Those who hold any belief other than this have departed from the right road and it will be to their detriment in the life after death.

There is no reincarnation; death and resurrection happen only once

Reincarnation is a superstitious belief unconfirmed by any divine source. However, there are people all over the world, apart from those who follow Indian religions, who believe in reincarnation, or rather would wish that the idea of reincarnation were true. The reason for this is that people who do not believe in religion, who deny the existence of an afterlife and are afraid of either ceasing to exist or of living in Hell forever after their death, see reincarnation as a way of overcoming these fears. Belief in reincarnation necessitates believing that one should not be afraid of death; it misleads one into thinking that he will achieve his desires by means of rebirth.

Every human being will inevitably die. Yet that death will only happen once, and nobody will return to Earth after death. This is a certain truth revealed by Allah in the Qur'an. Another important truth is this; Death is not the end. Death is rather the end of people's short and transitory lives in this world and the beginning of their infinite lives in the hereafter. Every individual will spend his eternal life in the hereafter in either Heaven or Hell depending on his behaviour in the life of this world.

However, the Qur'an tells us that death and resurrection occur only once. Every one of us has only one life to live in this world; after that life, we die, and after death we are brought to life again. Then we stay in the Garden or in the Fire for eternity, depending on what we have done in this world and whether we have worshipped Allah without associating partners to Him. In other words, we only live once in this world, and then we have an afterlife, which goes on forever. The Qur'an tells us quite clearly that we will not be able to return to this world after death:

There is a ban on any city We have destroyed; they will not return.  (Surat al-Anbiya: 95)

When death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back again. so that perhaps I may act rightly regarding the things I failed to do!" No indeed! It is just words he utters. Before them there is an interspace until the Day they are raised up.  (Surat al-Muminun: 99-100)

Then when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail in their task. Then they are returned to Allah, their Master, the Real. Jurisdiction belongs to Him alone and He is the Swiftest of Reckoners. (Surat al_ An'am: 61-62)

As we see from these verses, when some people meet death, they cherish the hope that they will be brought back to life again. However, at that moment it will be explained to them that this is not possible. In another verse, Allah says this about our death and rising from the dead:

How can you reject Allah, when you were dead and then He gave you life, then He will make you die and then give you life again, then you will be returned to Him? (Surat al-Baqara: 28)

As we see from this verse, at the very beginning we are dead: we have no existence whatsoever. Then Allah gives us life and human form from this state. Some time after this when our lives are over, our bodies decay and disintegrate into earth once again. This is our second transition to the state of being dead. All that remains is for us to rise again. This happens in the next world. We will all rise again in the afterlife; then we will understand that we can never return again to the world, and we will account for everything we did in this world.

In other verses, it is explained to us that after we have come into this world, we will only face one single death:

They will not taste any death there—except for the first one. He will safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire. A favour from your Lord. That is the Great Victory.  (Surat ad-Dukhan: 56-57)

The above verses state clearly and unequivocally that we only die once. However much one may wish to adopt superstitious beliefs such as a belief in reincarnation in order to overcome the fear of death and the afterlife and so console himself, the reality is that we will never come back to this world again after our death. Everyone will die just once, and after death, in accordance with Allah's will, we will begin our everlasting life in the next world. Allah will reward a person in the Garden or punish him in the Fire for his living a life in harmony with His unity or his covering over that truth in this world. Allah is the source of eternal justice. He is infinitely Merciful and Kind, and gives humans the true and just reward for their belief or disbelief and actions.

Seeking consolation in superstitious beliefs because of the fear of death and the fear of going to the Fire will undoubtedly bring disaster. Any intelligent and conscientious person, if they are afraid of these things, will turn to Allah with a sincere heart in the hope of going to the Garden and escaping the torments of the Fire, and they will obey the Qur'an, our sole guide to salvation, and live by the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Footnote

2- Prof. Dr. Gunay Tumer, Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Kucuk, Dinler Tarihi (The History of Religions), Ocak Publishing, Ankara 1993, pp. 91-92

The Afterlife According To The Idea of Karma

Religions of which karma is a part have no belief in the hereafter. That is yet another superstitious aspect of karmic philosophy. The truth is that every human being begins the infinite life of the hereafter when he dies.

There is no belief in an afterlife in religions that espouse the concept of reincarnation, except sometimes as an intermediate stage between lives in this world. As we have explained in the preceding chapters, this mistaken idea holds that people return to the world after each death, and that this process of transformation is continuous.

According to decadent Hinduism, every time people are reborn, they are born into one of the different castes according to what good or evil they did in their previous lives. It is well known that the caste system is still prevalent in Indian society; whatever people may do in this world, they cannot change their caste. If you are born as an untouchable, you will inevitably die as an untouchable; if you are born a worker, you will die a worker. It is believed that it is what people have done in their previous lives that determines into what caste they will be born. Therefore, someone who is an untouchable in this life will, according to the idea of karma, be reborn into a higher caste in their next life if their actions are good.

Again, according to this erroneous belief, if one has "good karma", he will be born into a higher caste each time he comes into this world, and finally he will be born into the highest caste as a Brahmin – priest. It is believed that if one does good deeds during his life as a Brahmin, he will not come back to this world again. For someone of this kind, the "wheel of life" is completed and he has "attained Nirvana".

According to this belief, "attaining Nirvana" means that one has thrown off all worldly desires and returned to the soul of Brahman who is described as the "Soul of the World", with whom one is united. In Indian religions, this is thought to be the greatest happiness a soul can achieve. Thus, according to this incorrect belief, even though a person may do good every time he is born into this world, this will never result in his having an afterlife; he will return to and become united with the soul of Brahman.3

In some Buddhist sources, we are given the following information about life after death:

Whether one is reborn in Heaven or in one of the various levels of Hell, the forms of existence in these places are transitory, as they are on earth, and are not eternal. As in Hinduism, the period of time during which the individual remains in these places depends on the amount of good and evil they have done while on earth. When the proscribed time has been completed, they will return to earth again. Heaven and Hell are no more than temporary states of existence in which the acts of the individual while on earth receive their reward.4

Thus we see that in karma concept there is a belief of a kind in a Heaven and Hell in which people receive the reward of their actions. However, because this belief is not derived from a religion of truth, it contains many inconsistencies and logical fallacies. First of all, it is claimed that Heaven and Hell are transitory, not eternal—this is not what true religions tell us.

The most illogical aspect of this idea is the belief that this whole system works by itself. In other words, the existence of a Creator Who created the life of this world, Who created the Garden and the Fire, and Who rewards or punishes people for their actions, is denied. This is an extremely illogical and totally unacceptable proposition. In the absence of a creative power that governs justly, a supreme power capable of creating Heaven and Hell, any claim that people will go to Heaven or to Hell is unacceptable to our intelligence and our conscience.

Moreover, apart from these beliefs, the concept of karma provides no explanation whatsoever as to how Heaven and Hell came into being without a Creator. These claims are merely erroneous beliefs, maintained as a tradition and as a superstition.

The afterlife as described in the Qur'an

People are preoccupied with a great many activities in the life of this world. They go to school, work, get married, look after their families, travel, read, write… However, people who devote themselves to that sort of activity and forget that they will one day die actually do themselves great harm, as human life is not restricted to this world. Compared to the eternal life of the hereafter, the life of this world is no more than the blink of an eye. The important thing is for an individual to spend his life in an effort to please Allah, to Whom he will have to give account in the hereafter. Someone who becomes caught up in the idea of karma and other similar superstitious beliefs and loses sight of the hereafter may one day suffer terrible surprise and regret when he suddenly finds himself at the Day of Judgement.

As we have seen above, in religions that accept the idea of karma there is either no belief in an afterlife, or there is mention of the next world as a place where one stays temporarily. Whereas, Allah tells us in the Qur'an that when people have lived on earth for a short time they will stay in their "real home", the next world, for ever. According to the Qur'an's teaching, it is this world that is transitory. Everyone, when they have lived in this world for some 50 or 60 years on average, will receive their reward in Heaven or in Hell for all they have done during their time on earth. This is explained in the Qur'an as follows:

The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The abode of the hereafter—that is truly Life if they only knew. (Surat al-Ankabut: 64)

The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The hereafter is better for those who do their duty. So will you not use your intellect?  (Surat al-An'am: 32)

Belief in the afterlife is one of the basic tenets of Islam. Therefore it is not possible for a Muslim to accept the validity of any belief that denies the existence of an afterlife, or to be guided by such a belief. Those who adopt a superstitious belief of this kind on the basis of hearsay, as an affectation or to follow the latest fad, need to keep this in mind. Allah describes the fate of those who deny the existence of the next world in the following words:

As for those who denied Our Signs and the encounter of the hereafter, their actions will come to nothing. Will they be repaid except for what they did? (Surat al-Araf: 147)

As we see in this verse, the actions of those who reject Allah's words and deny the existence of the next world will not receive a pleasant reward. Even though such people's actions are good, if they are not done in order to win Allah's blessing and His mercy and to attain the Garden, but rather in order to have a better life in the next incarnation, they will not find favour with Allah, unless Allah wishes that it should be so.

Life in the Garden or in the Fire will go on for ever

Contrary to what those who believe in karma say, the Garden and the Fire are not places in which we stay temporarily. Both will go on for ever. Also, just as those who go to the Garden will never leave it, so will some of those who go to the Fire stay there for ever. There is a superstitious belief not only among those who accept the idea of karma but also among the general public that Hell is only temporary, and that when people have lived through the tortures of Hell and so been punished, they will go to Heaven.5 Allah explains this in the following words:

They say, "The Fire will only touch us for a number of days". Say, "Have you made a contract with Allah—then Allah will not break His contract—or are you rather saying about Allah what you do not know?" No indeed! Those who accumulate bad actions and are surrounded by their mistakes, such people are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever; whereas those who believe and do right actions, such people are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, for ever.  (Surat al-Baqara: 80-82) 6

Those who fear that death will bring a cessation of existence will cry out for destruction when they are in Hell

… and that Day Hell is produced, that Day man will remember; but how will the remembrance help him? He will say, 'Oh! If only I had prepared in advance for this life of mine!' That Day no one will punish as He punishes and no one will shackle as He shackles. (Surat al-Fajr: 23-26)

As we have already stated, one of the most important reasons why some people believe in reincarnation is that they are afraid of ceasing to exist when they die. Since they are frightened by the thought of this, people who are unbelievers or have very little religious faith either avoid thinking about death altogether or they try to console themselves by believing in superstitions such as reincarnation.

However, people do not cease to exist when they die. It is only our bodies that die. The spirit will live forever. However, this new life will be in the next world, not (as the reincarnation idea would have us believe) in this one. Everyone will be rewarded for what they have done during their earthly life; their reward will be either a life of happiness and peace in the Garden, in which there are infinite blessings and countless good things, or a life in the fires of Hell, where there is unbearable suffering and pain. The reward that those who deny Allah will receive is the eternal torture of the Fire; they will wish a thousand times over that they could die and cease to exist. Nevertheless, they will receive the true and just reward for having denied Allah during their time on earth. Allah describes the condition of the inhabitants of the Fire in the following verses:

But as for him who is given his Book behind his back, he will cry out for destruction but will be roasted in a Searing Blaze. He used to be joyful in his family. He thought that he was never going to return.  (Surat al-Inshiqaq: 10-14)

When they are flung into a narrow place in it, shackled together in chains, they will cry out there for destruction. "Do not cry out today for just one destruction, cry out for many destructions!"  (Surat al-Furqan: 13-14)

The tortures of Hell are so violent and so painful that those who fear death and an end to their existence, and turn their faces away from Allah's religion, seeking consolation in superstitious beliefs, and those who deny the existence of Allah and the next world, will instead wish for that very end to their existence in preference to the tortures of the Fire.

Everyone who has learnt from the Qur'an of the existence of the next world, of the eternal agonies of the Fire and of the extraordinary beauty of the eternal life in the Garden should consider these things carefully and sincerely. Only someone lacking in intelligence and lacking a conscience would admit the possibility that the pains of Hell really existed and still refuse to reflect on the implications. Faced with the possibility of such a terrible thing as living in the Fire for ever, it would be the height of stupidity to cast this awareness aside in one's determination to "get the best out of life" during the short time we have on Earth.

Instead, we should make a serious effort to avoid bringing this torture upon ourselves, and we should meticulously follow the teachings that Allah gives us in the Qur'an, and make the best possible use of the time given to us in this world in view of the reality of the afterlife. We will understand everything fully only at the very moment when death comes to us. This is what the Qur'an tells us about what is said at that moment by those who have tried to avoid thinking about these things because of their fear of death:

The throes of death come revealing the truth. That is what you were trying to evade! The Trumpet will be blown. That is the Day of the Threat. Every self will come together with a driver and a witness: "You were heedless of this so We have stripped you of your covering and today your sight is sharp". His inseparable comrade will say, "This is what I have ready for you". Hurl into Hell every obdurate disbeliever, impeder of good, doubt-causing aggressor, who set up another god together with Allah. Hurl him into the terrible punishment.  (Surah Qaf: 19-26)

Footnotes

3-Buyuk Dinler ve Mezhepler Ansiklopedisi (Big Religions and Sects Encyclopedia), 1964, Istanbul, p. 52
4- Dr. Ali Ihsan Yitik, Hint Kokenli Dinlerde Karma Inancinin Tenasuh Inanciyla Iliskisi (The Relation of the Idea of Karma in Indian Religions with the Idea of Reincarnation) , pp. 130-131
5- Editor’s note: This is only true, however, as we mention, for those of the believers whom Allah punishes for major wrong actions short of associating partners with Allah by admitting them to the Fire. The disbelievers who reject Allah and His signs and His Messengers will stay in the Fire forever as a result of their actions.
6- Editor’s note: This verse was revealed about the Jews claiming that the Fire would only touch them for a number of days, but this was false in their case because the wrong action for which they thought they would be forgiven was their rejection of Allah’s signs and His Messengers including their murdering some of the Messengers and Prophets, and finally their rejection of ‘Isa, peace be upon him, and Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. For such open disbelief there is no emerging from the Fire, unless the person turns to Allah in tawbah before his death. As for believers who do major wrong actions, Allah will either forgive them totally or He may punish them for a period of time in the Fire and then bring them out of the Fire to the Garden by His mercy and by the intercession of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the intercession of the right-acting among the Muslims.

The Life of This World According To The Idea of Karma

According to karmic belief, the life of this world never ends. Someone who dies returns to Earth in another body. This is quite untrue. Death means the end of the life of this world and the start of the life of the hereafter.

As we have said before, according to the concept of karma those who do good in their lives on earth will be rewarded with good in the life to come, while those who do evil will be rewarded with evil. Thus the concept of karma tells us that our earthly life is both the result of our previous life and the cause of our next life on Earth. At first sight, it might appear that the expectation of having another life after death would lead those who believe in karma to perform good actions—that is, it might seem that people who believe in the idea of karma will try to behave well in order to deserve good things in their next life, and will try to avoid evil.

However, karma does not provide a powerful enough motivation for someone who has not made a sincere decision to be virtuous, because people who accept the idea of karma believe that the wheel of birth and death is endless and that they will inevitably be reborn after every death. They think they will have an infinite number of chances. So when they do evil, they may think: "Even if I have a worse life next time, I can make up for it in the life after that". Thus we see that a philosophy based on such unsound foundations is incapable of keeping people from doing evil. Attachment to the life of this world is a weakness most people have. This attachment is the main reason why they come to accept a belief such as reincarnation – they absolutely refuse to give up their attachment to the earthly life. It is only by understanding the true nature of the life of this world that we can bring about radical changes in our behaviour and live in an ethical way.

'My people, worship Allah! You have no other god than Him. I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful Day.' (Surat al-A'raf: 59) The Unseen of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah and the whole affair will be returned to Him. So worship Him and put your trust in Him. (Surah Hud: 123)

Anyone who knows the real nature of the life of this world knows that we are created in order to serve our Lord, Allah, He Who created us and the whole universe and Who protects and cares for us. We also know that we are responsible to Allah for everything we do, say or think; we know that after death we will give account to Him. The Qur'an tells us how we were created in order to serve Allah as His servants in the following verses:

Mankind! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that hopefully you may do your duty.  (Surat al-Baqara: 21)

That is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but Him, the Creator of everything. So worship Him. He is responsible for everything. (Surat al-An'am: 102)

Those who confess Allah's power, the faithful who fear Allah's wrath, serve only Allah and obey His Will unconditionally; they avoid doing evil and perform actions that will be pleasing to Him. In the following verses, the Qur'an describes how the faithful fear Allah and what a wonderful reward they receive as a result:

Mankind! Heed your Lord and fear a day when no father will be able to atone for his son, or son for his father, in any way. Allah's promise is true. So do not let the life of this world delude you and do not let the Deluder delude you concerning Allah. (Surah Luqman: 33)

Say, "Shall I tell you of something better than that? Those who so their duty will have Gardens with their Lord, with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever, and purified wives, and the Pleasure of Allah. Allah sees His servants…"  (Surah Al 'Imran: 15)

The believers who fear Allah are determined to fulfil their duty to serve Him throughout their lives, and to pray and perform good actions in order to avoid eternal suffering. In several verses of the Qur'an, Allah urges us to be constant in our prayers, in serving Him, in performing good deeds and in good character:

Everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him, and the religion belongs to Him, firmly and for ever. So why do you fear anyone other than Allah?  (Surat an-Nahl: 52)

Wealth and sons are the embellishment of the life of this world. But, in your Lord's sight, right actions which are lasting bring a better reward and are a better basis for hope. (Surat al-Kahf: 46)

Allah augments those who are guided by giving them greater guidance. In your Lord's sight, right actions which are lasting are better both in reward and end result. (Surah Maryam: 76)

And (the believers) are constant in their prayers.  (Surat al-Ma'arij: 23)

To sum up, the only way for us to achieve a real superiority of moral character and to avoid compromise, even where it seems to conflict with our interests, is to have strong love for Allah and strong devotion to Him, to fear Him and to serve Him as His servants. The idea of karma does advise people to adopt certain good qualities. However, although everyone may have good qualities of their own, they are limited in number, are not permanent and depend on certain conditions. In order for them to be permanent, we must in all circumstances have faith in Allah and do everything that we do only in order to obtain His grace; we must know Him, acknowledge Him and fear Him.

Every believer knows that the beauty of this world is only passing. He never forgets that those who lived in great splendour hundreds of years ago all had to depart from this world, leaving behind them merely the faint ruins of that magnificence. Believers therefore spend their time in this world behaving in a manner that will be pleasing to Allah.

This world is a place where we are tested

The life of this world is a place of testing, a test that lasts no longer than the blink of an eye. Allah tests every individual by means of his reactions to the events he encounters in the life of this world.

In the Qur'an, we are told that we will have only one life in this world, and that the purpose of this life is to test us in preparation for our eternal life. That is to say, once we have experienced death there is no chance for us to return to this world and make up for the mistakes we have made. Allah tells us what the purpose of our life in this world is in this verse:

He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving.  (Surat al-Mulk: 2)

For each one of us, this world is a place where we are tested by the events Allah makes happen to us, in order to see whether we will respond in a way that is pleasing to Him. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that people will not be left to say, "We believe", and then not tested. (Surat al-Ankabut: 2)

Nothing that happens to us throughout our lives is a coincidence. Every event in our lives down to the finest detail of our fate has been created by Allah as a means of testing us. For instance, the fact that someone is rich or famous does not mean that they are receiving the reward for good deeds they have done in their previous life (as the idea of karma maintains). Rather, Allah is testing them by means of wealth and fame. The important thing is whether or not they will become spoilt as a result of their good fortune, whether or not they will be ungrateful and whether or not they will thank Allah. Similarly, it is erroneous to believe that someone who is poor and has a difficult life is suffering the consequences of bad things done in their previous life. Allah is testing them by means of trouble and poverty. One possible reason for their having a life of this kind is that Allah is seeing whether they will continue to trust in Him in the face of difficulties, and whether they will show strength of character.

Anyone who knows that all the good things in the world are gifts from Allah, who gives thanks to Allah for them and who lives by the limits set by Allah, using these good things in a way that will be pleasing to Him as set out in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, may expect to be well rewarded in the life to come. However, anyone who regards Allah's gifts as their own and forgets that they are gifts from Him, and who becomes spoilt and proud because of these gifts and departs from the correct path to do things that are prohibited, will meet with deserved punishment in the next world. In the afterlife, everyone will receive the just recompense for their belief, trust in and acceptance of Allah and His Messengers, or their rejection of Him and of them, and for the good and bad things they have done. Allah tells us in the following verse that everything we own and for which we are responsible is only to test us:

… Yet the life of the world, compared to the hereafter, is only fleeting enjoyment. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 26) Those are the people who trade the hereafter for the world. The punishment will not be lightened for them. (Surat al-Baqara: 86)

Know that your wealth and children are a trial and that there is an immense reward with Allah.  (Surat al-Anfal: 28)

Some people are tested by means of worries and difficulties in this world. The degree of the difficulties to which we are subjected, and the form these take, are entirely in Allah's hands. People who are tested in this way should in all circumstances have faith in Allah, think that every worry and difficulty will have a fortunate outcome for them, have patience and be content with what Allah sends to them. These things are expressed in the following words in the Qur'an:

We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and fruits. But give good news to the steadfast: Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, "We belong to Allah and to Him we will return". Those are the people who will have blessings and mercy from their Lord; they are the ones who are guided.  (Surat al-Baqara: 155-157)

You will be tested in your wealth and in yourselves and you will hear many abusive words from those given the Book before you and from those who are idolators. But if you are steadfast and guard against evil, that is the most resolute course to take.  (Surah Al 'Imran: 186)

The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The hereafter is better for those who guard against evil. So will you not use your intellect?  (Surat al-An'am: 32)

Those who think about the real nature of our life in this world and understand them, and who live their lives in accordance with this knowledge, will enjoy great happiness and peace of mind in the next world, where their real life begins. This is what Allah promises to those who have faith in Him. And our Lord, Allah, the source of boundless blessings, He Whose kindness and mercy are infinite, never fails to fulfil His promises.