How Does Belief in Hereafter Impact Muslim Behavior and Morals?
Answered by Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti
Question
How does belief in the Hereafter affect the behavior and morals of a Muslim?
Answer
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon the Master of the Messengers, his family, and all his companions.
One of the most important effects and fruits of believing in the Hereafter is that it directly reflects on the regulation of a Muslim’s behavior and morals. This is achieved through strengthening divine supervision, developing religious consciousness, correcting intentions, and improving interaction with society and the environment. A believer who is convinced that they will stand before Allah (Most High) on the Day of Judgment to be held accountable for their deeds, which will be weighed on a just scale to receive their due reward – good for good and bad for bad – will reckon for that day to avoid standing in disgrace and shame before all creation at the assembly, and to win the paradise of Allah (Most High). This is supported by many verses and hadiths, and Allah knows best.
Detailed Answer
In a previous answer regarding the importance of believing in the Hereafter, several matters related to the answer, such as the definition of the Hereafter, the ruling of believing in it, and its fruits, were discussed. One can refer back to that answer for complete benefit.
Among the most important of these fruits are the regulation of a Muslim’s behavior and morals and their good conduct towards society.
This is achieved through strengthening divine supervision, or what is called “religious consciousness,” correcting intentions, and self-accountability.
Due Reward
The believer who believes that they will stand before Allah (Most High) on the Day of Judgment to be held accountable for their deeds, which will be weighed on a just scale to receive their due reward – good for good and bad for bad – will reckon for that day to avoid standing in disgrace and shame before all creation at the assembly, and to win the paradise of Allah (Most High). Allah (Most High) says,
“On that Day people will proceed in separate groups to be shown (the consequences of) their deeds. So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.” [Quran, 99:6-8]
“O believers! Be mindful of Allah and let every soul look to what (deeds) it has sent forth for tomorrow. And fear Allah, (for) certainly Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” [Quran, 59:18]
Allah (Most High) has explained in many of His verses the impact of believing in the Hereafter on human behavior and the purification of their deeds and morals, sometimes by encouraging through the bliss it contains, and other times by warning of the painful punishment it entails.
Encouragement
For example, in the context of encouragement, these consecutive verses from Surat al-Imran emphasize this meaning: Allah (Most High) first, enticing His believing and God-fearing servants with paradise and hastening towards it, says:
“And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those mindful (of Allah).” [Quran, 3:133]
Then, secondly, He describes their characteristics and deeds, saying:
“(They are) those who donate in prosperity and adversity, control their anger and pardon others. And Allah loves the good-doers. (They are) those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins—and who forgives sins except Allah?—and they do not knowingly persist in wrongdoing?” [Quran, 3:134-135],
And then thirdly, He concludes by mentioning their reward and what He has prepared for them:
“Their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and Gardens under which rivers flow, staying there forever. How excellent is the reward for those who work (righteousness)!” [Quran, 3:136]
Their belief in the Hereafter and its immense reward and bliss drove them to spend in all circumstances, to suppress anger, control their words, actions, and reactions, to forgive and be kind to people, and to repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness, avoiding persistence in sins and wrongdoings. Thus, their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and eternal abode in gardens beneath which rivers flow.
Warning
In the context of warning: For instance, these verses from Surat al-Insan mention the servants of Allah:
“They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows and fear a Day of sweeping horror, and give food—despite their desire for it—to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, (saying to themselves,) ‘We feed you only for the sake of Allah, seeking neither reward nor thanks from you.’” [Quran, 76:7-9]
They performed these righteous deeds out of fear and hope: fear of the evil of that day, as they said,
“We fear from our Lord a horribly distressful Day.” [Quran, 76:10],
And hoping for the pleasure and reward of Allah, so He protected them from what they feared and granted them what they hoped for, saying:
“So Allah will deliver them from the horror of that Day, and grant them radiance and joy, and reward them for their perseverance with a Garden (in Paradise) and (garments of) silk.” [Quran, 76:11-12]
Therefore, the final verse revealed in the Holy Quran explicitly commands us to fear the Hereafter, to monitor words and actions, and to self-account in this world in preparation for the reckoning on that day, as Allah (Most High) says:
“Be mindful of the Day when you will (all) be returned to Allah, then every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and none will be wronged.” [Quran, 2:281]
This verse serves as a final statement and decisive conclusion on human responsibility for their actions and what they have presented in their life.
Impact of Belief in the Hereafter
These meanings are also extensively conveyed in numerous hadiths. However, I will mention one clear hadith, illustrating the impact of belief in the Hereafter on the behavior of the believing person in their life and interactions with society. Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Do you know who is the bankrupt?” They said: “The bankrupt among us is the one who has no money and no possessions.” He said: “Indeed, the bankrupt from my nation is the one who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting, and zakat but arrives having insulted this one, slandered that one, consumed the wealth of this one, shed the blood of that one, and struck this one. So, this one is given from his good deeds, and that one from his good deeds. If his good deeds are exhausted before he has cleared what he owes, then their sins will be taken and thrown upon him, and then he will be thrown into the Fire.” [Muslim]
If we examine the lives of the righteous predecessors of this nation, we find that their belief in the Hereafter and their fear of Allah’s punishment and hope in His paradise directed their entire lives.
There are numerous examples of this: their patience in enduring the harm of the polytheists before the migration; their abandonment of their homes and wealth and their migration with their religion to Medina; their defense of their religion and their sacrifice of themselves, their families, and their wealth in the cause of Allah; all were due to their belief in the Hereafter and what Allah has prepared for them in it of bliss. This was also the case with the followers and their followers and those who followed them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.
Belief in the Hereafter and Other Deeds
Finally, I will conclude with this great hadith, in which the Prophet(Allah bless him and give him peace) linked belief in the Hereafter with many deeds, clearly indicating the impact of belief in the Hereafter on the behavior of the believer and the purification of their morals, and their good conduct towards society. Narrated by Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should maintain ties of kinship, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
In another narration: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbor, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.” [Ibid.]
Summary
Our awareness of the fruits of faith in the Hereafter should motivate us to increase our righteous deeds and acts of obedience, to strive against our souls in avoiding sins and wrongdoings, to correct the course of our lives, to reform our behavior and morals, to clear our consciences of people’s rights and to improve our interactions with them, and always to be mindful of Allah’s oversight in all our actions and words. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said regarding the station of Ihsan (excellence in worship):
“It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then (take it for granted that) He sees you.” [Bukhari]
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti
Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti is a Syrian scholar born in Aleppo in 1977. He obtained his degree in Shari‘a from the Shari‘a Faculty of Damascus University, a Diploma in Educational Qualification from the Faculty of Education at Aleppo University, and a Diploma in Shari‘a and a Master’s in Shari‘a from the Faculty of Sharia, and Law at Omdurman University in Sudan. He is currently writing his doctoral thesis.
He studied under esteemed scholars such as Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Mustafa al-Turkmani, and Shaykh Dr. Nur al-Din Itr, among others. Shaykh al-Yakti has worked in teaching and cultural guidance in orphanages and high schools in Aleppo. He served as an Imam, Khatib, and reciter at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and as a certified trainer for Khatibs in Abu Dhabi’s Khatib Qualification Program.
He is involved in developing and teaching a youth education program at Seekers Arabic for Islamic Sciences.
Among Shaykh al-Yaqti’s significant works are “Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni: Bayna Ilm al-Kalam Wa Usul al-Fiqh” and the program “The Messenger of Allah Among Us (Allah bless him and give him peace).”
