What Near Death Taught Me About Life

Peace and Blessings Dr. Nyang,
I met you about ten years ago when my book, Little X: Growing Up in the Nation of Islam, was published. You were kind, understanding and encouraging at a time when I feared the Muslim community might rise up in outrage because of the "dirty laundry" I was airing. Instead, you acknowledged that you understood where I was coming from, and you helped put that experience - those Nation of Islam years under Elijah Muhammad's reign in context.

More importantly, you and Imam Johari, invited me to inter-faith events. It was important for me, at that time, to meet you and Imam Johari to take the edge off the fear left by NOI goons who still use intimidation to guard their organization's image.

I heard about your near death experience and wished you well. I'm glad to see you're doing well now. I hope to talk with you again sometime. I have a new book out, Do Me Twice: My Life After Islam, which you may find interesting in that it shows the after affects of one particularly intense and chaotic African American Muslim experience.

I look forward to meeting with you again.

i do beliave in a higher power and life after death and your descruption has changed my mind cause now i think i believe more.

i do beliave in a higher power and life after death and your descruption has changed my mind cause now i think i believe more.

i do beliave in a higher power and life after death and your descruption has changed my mind cause now i think i believe more.

Gerald Baxter:

The "out of body" experiences you are describing have been more recently recreated by Ehrsson by showing people stereographic video projections of their own backs in their visual field while stimulating the body (and the illusory body they see) with touch. The details are better summarized in this article:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/ucl-foe081407.php

That is, near death experiences are not necessary to trigger these sensations (they have also been partially created by stimulating parts of the brain). No doubt there is some kind of disconnection between the body and sensory systems that give input about the body, but mechanistically there is no need to invoke something paranormal.

I appreciate the insights of "alternative realities," but science is providing us with a further understanding of the paranormal. My experience with the "light" led me to research.
Credible research on near-death experiences (NDEs) is readily found on the website of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS): www.iands.org. I reached IANDS after a personal experience with what I call the “light” during hypnosis. I clicked on “Research tab” for published papers at the site. New findings, particularly the two written by Dr. Peter Fenwick (neuropsychiatrist) and Dr. Pim Van Lommel (cardiologist) were particularly helpful. Also, a DVD by Dr. Bruce Greyson (psychiatrist) of the University of Virginia Medical School is about a long list of physiological and pharmaceutical explanations given to explain why these cannot be offered as adequate explanations of NDEs. The DVD is at: http://www.iands.org/shoppingcart/index.php?mainpage=product_info&cPath=48_49&products_id=687. If you’re interested, further research can be found at http://www.iands.org/research/important_studies/.
I discovered that over the past 30 years NDEs have been the focus of many scientific studies at medical centers and universities throughout the U.S. and around the world.
I found that many thousands of documented cases of near-death experiences have occurred. They are deeply mystical events going beyond the power of words to fully describe them. Yet, NDEs have elements in common. While no two experiences are identical: many have out-of-body experiences— accounts of viewing their surroundings from above or outside their bodies while clinically dead or unconscious during surgery, for example—details that are verified by nurses and doctors; meeting and communicating with mystical beings or deceased relatives; having a life review in the presence of “spiritual guides,” etc. NDE elements cut across all religious traditions including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc. Almost all report that their lives are dramatically changed after their experience, including becoming more spiritual, more loving and caring, and often changing their work lives to the caring or teaching professions. While near-death-experiences have nothing to do with “faith” or “belief,” they are the essence of the religious experience.

Having been introduced to the LIGHT as a child, of course such innocence of age presumed it an natural experience...it only as adult that can give as some inter pret ation..the light being manifestation of the material world..however if running back creation,then be coming to a stage before the material be formed,Possibillity of material ( still in purest form). That one can look upon the LIGHT while in the physical form is in the form of healing,put it being another explanation your brain as the computer with an deadly viris,the only possability of destroying such viris be LIGHT of creation,the only cure. The brain an very very delicate instrument, in truth it still in its very very very very very early stages of its development.PRESENTLY it be all but scratch the surface of human discovery. As brain develops then more reveiled,at present we tend wanting to run,having but learnt walk. In truth nothing truely being witheld it but in line of brains,capability to experience as the ever developing of our understanding.Recomended an balance betwixt experience as understanding, such be the wings on a plane,enabling good take off, an smooth journey, as an perfect landing.

I find it assaulting to my psyche and the potential of my psyche to hear some personalized theft of the gift of eternal life.

Life will always be.

Wake up to that or live alone and NEED a personal afterlife.

Where capitalism lacks is in encouraging a common contract to others regardless of money.

It lacks a spiritual component.

If you are able to be grateful that ever WERE alive, and look around you and realize you can never be foreign to the universe, you will realize you are part of something too big to fathom, it leaves ME with awe.

I find people who need some 'personalized' afterlife to in general be people who have not educated themselves on who they are, and what they really ARE a part of.

Hell would be -upon dying realizing, life really is and was connected.

What did you miss ? Diet should have been a LIVING give away to realize life is highly integrated. For - ? what did you eat that was not of yourself to claim yourself ?

Invest long term, those who are to come after you will need to to carry on everything you ever were, and are going to be THROUGH them.

Are we NOT the eyes and ears of our ancestors ? are we not their living representatives ?

Why should we let them down - what IS family after all ? the further you look back in ANY lineage, the more connected you will find yourself - genetically, spatially, temporally.

Why not find that bright light while living - to the author of this article - and shine that light while you are alive, celebrate humanity and life as a whole.

Never underestimate the ability of the human mind to create illusion.

Rafael, now you want to talk of sound as pure energy. I've told you what I have seen, now let me tell you, angel, what I have heard. At 4am, I rise to silence, and light in darkness. The practice was learned in a Trappist monestary. In terms of Hinduism, Brahma Muhurat. @ that time, there is pure silence...and a sound of pure energy vibrates. Rafael, better to start with basic prayer and meditation to focus on light. Your ears are not ready for the sound.

Dear Mr. Sulayman
Thank you for your article about your experiences regarding near-death. your account sent me into a familiar place indeed that I myself had experience, twice. GOD bless you.

I describe it as a subconscious drama, as a dream. You have dreams every day. Sound is another form of energy, and the same knowledge applies to how sound is perceived, which is why we also hear things in our dreams.

I have no idea why anyone sees a need to invoke anything fantastical beyond what we know and for which we have no evidence. From my perspective, believing these things only brings comfort to those who are afraid, for reasons that can be confronted more constructively than believing something else will come. People should live the one life they have and not squander energy, action, or the treatment of others on unknowable fantasies about the next one.

RAFAEL, such a beautiful name. Angelic. The light you see and describe as psychological fantasy is your clinical opinion. When you see the light, without the physical rest of you, better hope it draws you to it, rather than repells your prescence. When I saw the light, with a body convulsed in electric shock, in pure silence, a voice said to me, 'Go back now, it is not your time yet.' I do agree on 1 point, light is percieved by more than 1 portal, call it fantasy, I describe it as my soul.

More hocus pocus invoked where rational explanations would suffice. A quick lesson in how we perceive light might help.

Light is a form of energy. We have receptors that are activated by that form of energy. Everything that takes place inside our brains beyond that point--the cascade of reactions, neuronal interactions, and post-signal processing that help to form an organized reality from a blur of signal inputs--are well documented phenomena that have nothing to do with the light itself. That is, light is perceived if the right neurons are stimulated upstream of the light capture. We have this experience pretty much every day during REM sleep--the brain "sees" all kinds of things without any light input.

Although I cannot tell you the details, it is not surprising if you understand how light perception works to understand why people might "see light" when coming back from the physiological state that is near-death. We simply have no need to invoke the actions of one god or another. The fact that so many people report these experiences, regardless of their religious orientation, argues either that it's part of how we are built rather than an experience of some supernatural maker calling to us.

It's fascinating to me that so many people choose to live in a fantasy, apparently too afraid of reality to admit that we are on this earth for a short time and then we die, just as do all living things.

More hocus pocus invoked where rational explanations would suffice. A quick lesson in how we perceive light might help.

Light is a form of energy. We have receptors that are activated by that form of energy. Everything that takes place inside our brains beyond that point--the cascade of reactions, neuronal interactions, and post-signal processing that help to form an organized reality from a blur of signal inputs--are well documented phenomena that have nothing to do with the light itself. That is, light is perceived if the right neurons are stimulated upstream of the light capture. We have this experience pretty much every day during REM sleep--the brain "sees" all kinds of things without any light input.

Although I cannot tell you the details, it is not surprising if you understand how light perception works to understand why people might "see light" when coming back from the physiological state that is near-death. There is simply We simply have no need to invoke the actions of one god or another. The fact that so many people report these experiences, regardless of their religious orientation, argues either that it's part of how we are built rather than an experience of some supernatural maker calling to us.

It's fascinating to me that so many people choose to live in a fantasy, apparently too afraid of reality to admit that we are on this earth for a short time and then we die, just as do all living things.

Gandalf,

You are correct, all religions will bring you to God.

Reposted from another thread:

There has been a misunderstanding in the Evangelical world to say that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Jesus is NOT the only way to God; any belief system will get you to God.

It is appointed once for a man to die, and then comes the judgment. Consider how you will look before an infinitely holy God. He will judge you on the intents as well as your actions. He sees lust as adultery, hatred as murder, lying lips are an abomination, and all of these will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and He has every right to judge the world in righteousness. The righteous will go on to eternal life, the lacking will go on to eternal death in the fires of Hell.

But here is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, He sent His Son to be the propitiation for ours. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us, He was the only perfect man ever to live, He was tempted but He didn't sin, and He willingly gave Himself up in our stead on the cross at Calvary. In His atoning sacrifice, we can be cleansed of our sins in the sight of God. Christ's righteousness can be attributed to your sake. While God looks at you now and sees a despicable, sin soaked, enemy, He has offered forgiveness through His Son.

To receive this gift, repent of your sins and place your full trust in Christ to save you from the wrath to come. If you do this, you will be born into the family of God.

Your current religion will bring you to God someday, on that day, will you face Him as your Saviour, or as your Judge?

Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience, Mr Nyang and Mr. Rizwan Ahmed. Basically all religions, if followed faithfully lead to God. One just has to keep one's faith and keep traveling. No matter how long the roads seems, it will get there.

Here I would like to share my personal experiance, which agress with what Sulayman's experience is. Let me say that, I found this a life chaning event for me. Especially when my back ground and education is in computer hardware and logic validation as choosen profession.

I saw a dream, few years ago when I was in mid thirtees, during the later part of night. I never have a dream like this before are after, in terms of clarity of picture and crispness of detail; it was as if it happened just now and If I may say to clarify it; it was like a picture on HDTV.

I saw that I am in a Halicopter with my wife and childern and it felt that we are on vacation. We are over a city, which is very beautifull; we can see buildings, streets from the top. Everything is very clean and organised, and we can see small boats lined up by the harbour and we can see few boats in the see. Then we noticed an island far away and we flew towards that island. We found the island similar to city, but mostly housing and communities. Then we saw that there is a beautifull park and we found ourselves on the ground in the park. We observe that there is a family on the other side of the park; a man and a woman, thier son and daughter. Even though they did not tell us but I knew that this man is a Doctor and his daughter is laying on the ground and it is a medical emergency. He is trying his best to revive his daughter and I felt prayer in my heart that he be successful in reviving his daughter. After few minutes, that man stands up and truns toward us and then he point his finger toward me and say this in a voice, which is neither harsh nor has sorrow in it, which is more like informative and adivce. The man says to me

"And God will not grant respite to a soul when its appointed time has come"

Next moment I found myslef as if I am with out my body and I am swimming in space, I can see earth under me and getting smaller and smaller. At that moment I comes clear to me that I am going away from here and this is the end of Life. I feel no fear no sorrow, just amazement.

This is where dream ends, and I found my self fully awake. Never has experience before or after; waking up like this. No trace of slumber or drowsiness, it was as if it was a continous happening between sleep and waking up.

Next few hours I spend searching Quran, where I have read those words "And God will not grant respite to a soul when its appointed time has come"

I found them in chapter 62, the last verse. Then I read few verses before that. And those are verses 10 and 11.

"O ye who believe! let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah. And whoever does so, it is they who are the osers.
And spend out of that with which We have proivded you before death comes upon one of you and he says, `My Lord! if only You would grant me respite for a little while, then I would give alms and be among the righteous`.
And God will not grant respite to a soul when its appointed time has come and God is Well-Aware of what you do."

This is the time in life when I started giving alms as much as 15-20% of my earnings, without any effect on what God provides me as earnings and without effecting welfare of my family. All praise is to the One, who out of his immense Mercy, bestowed us with the oppertunities in this life, so that we can help each other.

Special Thanks to Sulayman for sharing his experience, and bringing 'life after this world" to this forum.

True Purpose of Hell
It is true that the Holy Quran mentions hell as the abode of evil-doers and even depicts its horrors, but it must be borne in mind that according to the Holy Quran both heaven and hell are places for the perpetual advancement of man to higher and higher stages. The Holy Quran says on one occasion: "Verily you shall all be surely transformed from state to state" (ch. 84: v. 19). The whole mankind is addressed in these words and accordingly, as those in paradise shall make perpetual advancement, those in hell will not be suffering fruitless torments. On the other hand, the torments of hell will be the means of purging them of the evil effects of their deeds done in this life. This is the only philosophical explanation of hell, and this explanation has been given by no other book but the Holy Quran. It is the Quran only which teaches that heaven and hell grow out of a man; that a heavenly or hellish life begins in this world and that the spiritual fruits of good or evil deeds done in this life assume a manifest form in the next. The fire of hell is no other than the fire of sins as the Holy Quran says: "The fire of the wrath of God burned on account of sins which rise above the hearts." The origin of the fire of hell is, therefore, in the sins which a man commits in this life, that he prepares a hell in which he will find himself in the next.
The Holy Quran, as I have already said, does not teach that those in hell shall suffer everlasting torments; and this is an important consideration which conclusively settles the question that hell is meant for the advancement of man and for his purification.

The statement that the evil-doers will abide in hell only for a limited number of years shows clearly that, according to the Holy Quran, the torments of hell are not everlasting, for infinite time cannot be measured by a finite number of years. Again in ch. 101: v. 6, hell is called a "mother" of those who shall go into it. The use of this word is, I think, the clearest evidence as to the true nature of hell as described in the Holy Quran. What is meant is that, as a child is brought up by the mother, so those in hell will be brought up in that place for a new life, the life of perpetual advancement in paradise.

"This was an interesting story and very well articulated."

Canyon- its a very familiar story we've heard many times before.. He was lost in this world, his life was fading away but he made it to the HOLY CROSS and his life was restored. : )

"God is the Greatest Movie Maker" --I say God loves a good story with drama, pathos, and humour laced through. He keeps writing them in our lives.

The belief in the continuity of the existence of the human soul is a universal belief, and one so deeply rooted in the very nature of man that the most powerful forces of materialism have not yet affected it. Whether the deep-rootedness of this belief in human nature is due to its innateness, or whether, as an atheist or an agnostic would argue, it clings to the mind with the ordinary tenacity of old associations, it is a solid fact that the belief in a life after death has not lost any ground even in this civilized and materialistic age. And it is equally true that the progress of science and the application of scientific principles to all branches of learning is in favor of, rather than against, the truth of such a belief.

Starting on the basis, then, that there is a life after death for every human being, the first question of vital importance which arises in connection with this belief is of the state of the soul in that after life. That every religion has preached that the righteous will be rewarded for their good deeds and the wicked punished for evil deeds is an undeniable fact, but even philosophically considered the question affords a similar solution. We see that most often a man reaps, even in this life, the good or bad consequences of his good or bad deeds and that, except in rare cases, he himself is responsible for the happiness or misery which is his lot in this life. If a life after death has been ordained for the human soul, it could not have been meant but for its progress, its advancement to higher and higher stages. Without this the doctrine of life after death becomes horrible. Even in this short space of life we find the soul progressing and advancing step by step from lower to higher stages. Could an everlasting life have then been designed for the unending torments of hell? The very idea makes one shrink and turn back in horror. Such a doctrine deals a death-blow to the justice and mercy of God. No intelligent being could have made man and preserved his soul for such an end.

Most religions have fallen into a grievous error on this point, and its only in the teaching of Islam that we find conformance to reason and consonance with Divine justice, love and mercy. There are many who talk of the love and mercy of God. But, as if God were only the God of a particular people, His love and mercy are considered not to touch anyone who is outside the circle of believers in a particular set of doctrines. To such a person God cannot be said to be even just as He punishes his evils or unbelief of a few years with everlasting woes and torments. And though a tendency is witnessed in certain quarters to soften this horrible idea, the sublime truth that the human soul is ever progressing and attaining to higher and higher goals of spiritual progress and union with God, which the Holy Quran alone has taught, has not yet been recognized.

Even the opening chapter of the Holy Quran gives us clearly to understand that Almighty God made man, not for consignment to everlasting torments, but for attainment to higher and higher conditions of existence and to deal with him most mercifully. The opening chapter reads thus: "All praise is due to God who is Nourisher of all the worlds, who is the most Merciful (the Arabic word Rahman used here indicating the showing of mercy of God to His creatures without their having done any thing to deserve it), the most Compassionate (the Arabic word Rahim indicating that whenever a person implores His mercy or does anything to deserve it, He forthwith shows mercy), the Lord of the Day of Judgement."

The four attributes of the Divine Being mentioned in these opening verses of the Holy Quran are the basis of all His other attributes. These four attributes speak of the unbounded mercy of God shown to His creatures in all the worlds, i.e., in this world as well as the next. There are numerous other verses in the Holy Quran which speak of the great mercy of God to His creatures and leave no doubt that man has not been created for being subjected to torments. In fact everlasting torment inflicted upon a person without any good following therefrom, as torment in hell is generally interpreted to be, is opposed to the Divine attribute of mercy as depicted in the Holy Quran.

True Purpose of Hell
It is true that the Holy Quran mentions hell as the abode of evil-doers and even depicts its horrors, but it must be borne in mind that according to the Holy Quran both heaven and hell are places for the perpetual advancement of man to higher and higher stages. The Holy Quran says on one occasion: "Verily you shall all be surely transformed from state to state" (ch. 84: v. 19). The whole mankind is addressed in these words and accordingly, as those in paradise shall make perpetual advancement, those in hell will not be suffering fruitless torments. On the other hand, the torments of hell will be the means of purging them of the evil effects of their deeds done in this life. This is the only philosophical explanation of hell, and this explanation has been given by no other book but the Holy Quran. It is the Quran only which teaches that heaven and hell grow out of a man; that a heavenly or hellish life begins in this world and that the spiritual fruits of good or evil deeds done in this life assume a manifest form in the next. The fire of hell is no other than the fire of sins as the Holy Quran says: "The fire of the wrath of God burned on account of sins which rise above the hearts." The origin of the fire of hell is, therefore, in the sins which a man commits in this life, that he prepares a hell in which he will find himself in the next.
The Holy Quran, as I have already said, does not teach that those in hell shall suffer everlasting torments; and this is an important consideration which conclusively settles the question that hell is meant for the advancement of man and for his purification. There is no doubt that the abiding of evil-doers in hell is mentioned in some verses of the Holy Quran to be for "abad " which sometimes means prospective eternity, but " abad" also signifies a long time. And there are numerous passages in the Holy Quran showing that those in hell shall ultimately be taken out. Thus, in ch. 6: v. 129, the Quran says: "God said, Verily the fire is your resort to dwell therein unless thy Lord will it otherwise, verily, thy Lord is wise and knowing." On another occasion, those in hell are spoken of as "staying therein for years" (ch. 78: v. 23). The original word is "Ahqab" which is the plural of "huqub", meaning a year or years, or seventy or eighty years, or a long time (see Lanes Arabic Lexicon).

The statement that the evil-doers will abide in hell only for a limited number of years shows clearly that, according to the Holy Quran, the torments of hell are not everlasting, for infinite time cannot be measured by a finite number of years. Again in ch. 101: v. 6, hell is called a "mother" of those who shall go into it. The use of this word is, I think, the clearest evidence as to the true nature of hell as described in the Holy Quran. What is meant is that, as a child is brought up by the mother, so those in hell will be brought up in that place for a new life, the life of perpetual advancement in paradise.

It is true that the Holy Quran also speaks of hell as a place of torment or tortures, but these torments according to the Holy Book are remedial. Just as a patient has to devour bitter medicines and undergo operations and amputations which are most painful, but which are undoubtedly the only steps which can restore him to health; so also it is with torments of hell. They are not only the natural consequences of the poison of sins, but, at the same time, the torments are the most necessary steps to undo the effect of the poison and breath into a person a new life in which he must go on making unending progress. Thus hell is also a manifestation of the mercy of God, though of different kind, from heaven.

The one, hell, is a place for restoring health to those who have destroyed it by their own actions in this life, while the other, heaven, is a place for the advancement of those who enter into the other life with their spiritual faculties unvitiated. In fact, so clear, is the teaching of the Holy Quran on this point that none but a most superficial reader could overlook it. Again and again, the Holy Quran speaks of the workers of iniquity as blind, deaf, dumb, dead, meaning of course that they themselves have wasted their spiritual faculties, and accordingly, before they can make any spiritual advancement in the attainment of that highest goal of the human soul, the union of God, they must be subjected to the operations which should restore the action of those faculties.

In clearer words still, the Holy Quran tells us that "those who are blind in this life shall find themselves blind in the next," which means that as they did not make use of the opportunities, given to them in this life, to use their spiritual faculties, they will find themselves devoid of these faculties in the next, and will palpably feel the pain and anguish which are the necessary result of their loss and which they were unable to feel in this life because of their engrossment in worldly things. But the mercy of God will soon take them by hand and they will, after passing through all the stages through which it is necessary to pass to regain the use of the lost faculties, attain the real object of their lives. They will be purged of all uncleanliness, for this is necessary to attain to a perfect union with the Divine Being who is the source of all purity.

Hell Not Everlasting
Many sayings of the Holy Prophet and his companions clearly show the truth of what I have said above. In the Holy Quran it is written that "Almighty God has made it obligatory upon Himself to show mercy to His creatures." And there is a tradition of the Holy Prophet, according to which Divine mercy is displayed not only in this world as we find it so abundantly manifested, but far greater mercy will be displayed in the next. The fact is, if this had not been the case the showing of mercy in this life would have been futile.
The tradition says: "The Holy Prophet, may peace and the blessings of God be upon him, said that God displayed only a hundredth part of His mercy in this world and it is only this hundredth part whose manifestation is witnessed in all the creatures in this world, and that the other ninety- nine parts of His mercy will be displayed in the next life." According to this saying the love and mercy of which we witness countless manifestations in this life, and in which is included not only the mercy of God which He shows to His creatures, but also the mercy and love which is His unlimited creation, is only a hundredth part of the Divine mercy. The perfect manifestation of His love and mercy will be witnessed only in the next life.

According to another tradition found in the most reliable collections of tradition, God will ultimately take all those out of the fire who have done nothing to deserve deliverance therefrom. The concluding portions of this tradition runs thus: "Then God say, `The angels and the prophets and the faithful have all in their turn interceded for the sinners, and now there remains none to intercede for them except the most Merciful of all merciful beings. So He will take out a handful from the fire and bring out a people who never worked any good.'".

According to this tradition all those who did any good deed in this life, however slight it might be and however preponderating might be the evil which they did, will be taken out of fire upon the intercession of the angels and the prophets and the faithful, and there will then remain a people in it who never did any deed of goodness. These will be taken out of fire only through the mercy of the most Merciful. It should not be thought that a handful of God could not leave out anybody, In the Holy Quran it is said that "the whole earth is a mere handful of God on the day of Judgment." It is also clear that since, according to the tradition, the people who are thus taken out are not taken out because of any good that might have served in them as a seed for a growth of immortal life, but only because the most Merciful will desire to show full manifestation of His transcendent mercy; therefore it could not be in consonance with Divine mercy that one part should have been chosen for its manifestation while the other part should have been left without any mercy being shown to them.

There are many other traditions from which it appears that ultimately even those will be taken out of hell who never did any good deed, while there are certain sayings of the Holy Prophet and his companions according to which hell would ultimately be emptied of all those who are in it. Some of these traditions are found in the Kanzul Ummal, and the following two would be sufficient for our purpose: "Verily a day would come over hell when it will be like a field of corn that has dried up after flourishing for a while" (vol. vii, page 245); "Verily a day would come over hell when there shall not be a single human being in it" (vol. vii, page 245).

There is a saying of Omar on record (vide Tafsir Fathul Byan, the Fathuo Bari, Durr-i Mansur and Hadil Arwah of Ibn-i-Qayyum) which runs thus: "Even if the dwellers in hell may be numberless as the sand of the desert, surely a day would come when they will be taken out of it." A saying of Ibn-i-Masood is reported in connection with commentary upon a verse of the Holy Quran, which has already been quoted, according to which "a time would come upon hell when there shall not be a single person in it and this will be after they have dwelt therein for ahqib " (years referring to the verse containing the italicized word as quoted already). There are many other sayings to the same effect, but I think that the quotations already given will suffice to show the reader that Islam rejects the doctrine of everlasting torments in hell.

Islamic Concept of Salvation
But even when all this has been said, there remains an important question which has no doubt troubled many a mind. Does not the Holy Quran like the scriptures of other religions promise salvation and paradise to those who believe in it, and does it not consign hell all those who do not believe in it? In other words, does it not unduly narrow the sphere of salvation by limiting it at first to those who express a belief in it, and unduly widen it again by extending it to all believers whether they have actually done anything to deserve it or not? In order to answer these questions we would first explain the attitude of Islam to other religions and then show what is meant by salvation. These two considerations would show the reader the Quranic attitude towards the "unsaved."
Of all the religions of the world, Islam is pre-eminently the one religion which assumes a most tolerant attitude towards other religions and a most respectful one towards the founders of those religions and the great leaders of humanity. Its teaching on this point may be briefly summarized as follows.

The one and the chief object of the creation of man is that he should attain a perfect union with God, and to make him attain this object Almighty God has been raising prophets in all countries and in all ages who pointed out the right way to their followers. But after a certain time the teachings of the prophets were neglected or perverted by their followers and other prophets were again to point out the right way. According to this teaching, whenever a prophet is raised by Almighty God, true salvation can only be attained by following him, because it is through the prophet that Almighty God is pleased to reveal Himself at that time. Islam does not, therefore, arbitrarily narrow the sphere of salvation by making it attainable by believers in a particular book, but it bases it on the sound principle that the way to salvation is pointed out by every prophet of God and that it is by following that way that salvation can be attained. The Holy Prophet Muhammad was raised at time when corruptions and errors had found their way into the systems founded by all the previous prophets, and hence it is through him only that salvation, which is another name for union with God, can be attained. Those who do not attain to this union in this world, which is the preparatory world for the next, must pass through another stage which is represented in Islam as the punishment of hell.

This is the explanation which the Holy Quran gives as to the necessity of hell in after-life and this is the reason why all those who do not follow the Holy Prophet of Islam are spoken of as having their abode there. As regards the second question, whether all those who have accepted Islam will be saved unconditionally, it must be emphatically stated that the Holy Quran does not teach any such doctrine. It clearly says that belief in God or the Holy Prophet or the Holy Quran would not avail any person unless he does the righteous deeds which the Quran states to be necessary for attainment to union with God. Right belief is, according to the Holy Quran, the seed which if properly nourished by righteous will bring fruit, but faith alone is not sufficient to make a man attain union with God. Such union, on the other hand, is considered a very hard task and it is expressly said that there are very few who attain to such union in this life.

(Review of Religions, 1908)

Dear Sulayman,

This was an interesting story and very well articulated. Perhaps the reason you were given a second chance was God calling you to repentance. As you know, in the Muslim faith, all sinners will be in the punishment of Hell, to dwell there forever. (Surah 43:74)

In love and hope, I share with you this plea to Muslims I wrote this summer:

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The Gospel According to Mohammed

Islam means “Submission to God”, as God has told us, “The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

So the submissive will indeed go to Heaven, as long as they submit to God’s will.

One verse that jumps instantly to mind is, “God is not willing that any should perish,” God’s will includes demonstrating His righteousness, having upright followers, and that justice be done; but the most important from our earthly standpoint is that wrongdoers are rectified to Him, “that all should come to repentance."

Islam is in majority alignment with the Biblical understanding of Heaven and Hell; I think this is illustrated nicely in Surah 43 (Adornments), verses 70-77. Heaven is nice, and Hell is hot and eternal.

Where Christianity and Islam divide is how to get to Heaven; but how to get to Hell is the same in both religions.

Surah 43:74 tells us that “Sinners will be in the punishment of Hell, to dwell there forever.”

Surah 83 speaks of our conscience, the Sijjin, a register fully inscribed that will be open on the Day of Judgment; woe to the sinner, his conscience records his wrongdoings.

God knows the secret thought life, and has appointed a Judgment Day for all mankind. The Koran accepts Moses as a prophet and the Law of the 10 Commandments which were given to him. “God gave Moses the Scripture and the Criteria between right and wrong.” – Al-Baqara 2:53

If all sinners will have their punishment in Hell, it’s in our best interest to find out if we’re sinners.

Answer these questions truthfully and you’ll know:

Have you ever told a lie? What does that make you?
If I rape one girl, I’m a rapist, if I murder one person, I’m a murderer. A single lie makes me a liar. The Koran says to, “Invoke the curse of God on those who lie!”
– Al-Imran 3:61
The Bible promises that all liars will have their place in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

Have you ever stolen anything? What does that make you?
Both the Koran and Bible have very strict punishments for thieves. Maida 5:38 tells us, “As to the thief, cut off his or her hand(s).”

Have you always kept the Sabbath?
The Koran demands that you remember God on Friday, leaving off business and travel.
– Assembly 62:9
Whosoever does any work on the Sabbath, he will surely be put to death. This is in order to make sure you worship the Creator above creation.

Have you ever worshipped money, power, science, or possessions above God?
“Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of God. If any act thus, the loss is their own.”
– Hypocrites 63:9
This you know, no idolater will see the kingdom of God.

Have you committed adultery?
The prophet Jesus said, “Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart.”
The Koran is clear, “Do not come near to adultery: for it is a shameful deed and an evil, opening the road to other evils.”
– Israelites 17:32
Clearly “coming near to adultery” is the same as Jesus taught, that a lust-filled glance is seen by God as shameful. Take note that the word for adultery in Arabic is sometimes translated as “Fornication”, sex outside of marriage.

Have you ever used the name of God in Vain?
“Those before them also devised many a blasphemy, but God took their structures from their foundations, and the wrath befell them without them perceiving from whence it came.”
– Bee 16:26
God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.

If you’re like me, you’ve broken every one of these, and these are only six of the 10 Commandments. The Bible says that we have stored up wrath for ourselves on the Day of Judgment. The Koran is nearly identical, “On the day when heat will be produced out of the fire of Hell, and it will brand your forehead, your flanks, and your back, “This is the treasure which you stored for yourselves: you then taste the treasure you amassed!” – Immunity 9:35

There is a minor difference in the Hell of the Bible and the Hell of the Koran. In the Bible it says that we will beg for a drop of water, but none will come. The Koran says that we will have an overabundance of water, albeit it will be superheated past boiling and we will be forced to drink it, and it will wreak havoc on our insides. Either way, Hell is not somewhere I want to go, nor do I want you to go there.

There is a way to be saved from this punishment we have earned, it is the Injeel which according to the Koran was given to the prophet Jesus. Injeel means, “Good News”, and avoiding such a terrible place as Hell is definitely good news.

Some think that the good news is that we can work our way out of Hell. Both the Koran and the Bible refer to God as a just judge, so lets see how an earthly judge might relate. Imagine you stand before a judge, there are six clear evidences of your guilt, and the judge puts on you a fine that you cannot possibly pay. You offer the judge your good works, you’ve given to charity, you pray unceasingly, you are nice to people, you ask for forgiveness daily, you help little old ladies across the street, and to top it all off, you washed the judges car on the way in to court. The judge tells you, you should do good things, but you've broken the law; he cannot let you go, because despite all of the good you’ve done, justice is due. You cry out in repentance and sorrow, and the judge tells you it’s good that you’re sorry, but there is a fine to be paid, and if you can’t pay it, you will be thrown into prison.

This is the earthly judge, how much more Holy and Just is the Judge of the Universe? Payment is due for your transgression, and the Bible and the Koran clearly state that the fine is the eternal fire of Hell.

But here is the good news, God gave us the gift of a holy son (Maryam 19:19), born of the virgin Maryam, this son’s name was Jesus, and because he was holy, He lived a perfect unblemished life, he was tempted but didn’t sin; in the writing of Moses about the Passover Lamb, the lamb must be without blemish, a male, taken from amongst its brethren (Exodus 12:5). Another name for Jesus is the Lamb of God (Revelation 5:12). Jesus was offered as the sinless sacrifice to take away the sins of the world (Johannes 1:29). Jesus was hung on the cross outside of Jerusalem on Calvary hill, a hill not two miles from where Ibrahim offered his son as a sacrifice 1700 years prior. Jesus died in our stead, he paid our fine in his own life’s blood. The wrath of God was poured out upon him and it pleased God to do it. Jesus went through Hell so we wouldn’t have to, in an infinite showing of love God sacrificed Jesus so that we can be forgiven, he was the propitiation for our sins.

The Koran says that our sins are a stain on the heart, (Al-Mutaffifin 83:14) and Maryam 19:60 says that if you’ll repent and believe, then you will see Heaven. Mohammed was quoting the prophet Jesus when he said, "Repent and believe the Gospel", in other words, repent and believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the propitiation for your sins. Once you have done this, your sins will be forgiven, your stained heart will be replaced with a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19), and you will be born again into the family of God.

If any man does this, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Thank you for sharing your near-death experience with us. The more the people of the world are exposed to such humble, first-person accounts, the more they will be able to differentiate themselves with increasing confidence from the rank materialistic belief system that secular society and the world's mainstream media preach.

Your light experience reminded me the last words of Goethe who has said " light , more light...". Might he have been immersed in a total dark when asking for more light? might he has seen sort of light like you did if he has gone through cardiac failure?
Science must seriously deal with this

To/ Brothers & Sisters...As all good people to knowing God one must be equal with God,not the grovling snivling fools that we having become. You but allow others to brainwash as abuse that you become as servants to man,as prisoners unto their deceit cunning.God having no need or wish that you come a begging as a dog,unto its master to obey on call.Get off your knees,stand before God as your equal,thus win your freedom....Your BROTHER in ARMS....LUCIFER xxx X

I am fascinated by your description of the light. That I can relate to as an NDE survivor. Once you see the light, never again will it be dark. You have asked the ultimate question; Do the 5 main religions of the world believe that the instant we leave the physical body, all will go to 1 of each 5 eternities?
My near-death experience was 30 plus years ago, but the impact was so intense it was like it happened yesterday.
It is sad that more souls have not experienced the light of that experience, if they had, surely there would be less turmoil in this world.