Examining Foresight in Human Life and the Shared Future of the World in Religions
God has created humans from His Own Spirit. The reason for the inherent desire and indescribable love of human beings for immortality lies in this very fact. Since the soul of every human being originates from God, the longing for immortality exists within all of us, and we constantly think about the future and make plans for it. All of us, even those who deny God, love a good and beautiful future. Therefore, one of the most serious subjects that has existed throughout human history is foresight. Throughout history, humanity has always been thinking about the shared future of the world, and many thinkers have planned for this common future. This matter is not limited to political sciences and the principles of sociology; rather, it holds a special place in the teachings of prophets and the principles of their prophethood too. The issue of human immortality is so important that God reminds us of it eighty times in the Quran.
The issue of the future is not only related to the future itself, but it is also crucial for giving meaning to our present lives. Attention to the future is the driving force behind human endeavors in all aspects of life. Hope for the future takes us out of monotony and adds sweetness to our lives. If we take away the enthusiasm for shaping the future from humans, it deprives them of the ability to live a truly fulfilling life. Depressed individuals or those who commit suicide have lost love and hope for the future since they have found life meaningless. Our attachment to the future shapes our present, gives meaning to our lives, and provides us with strength and inner peace.
The path of human life is an interconnected and multi-part equation, where each part influences the next. For example, our past shapes our present and future. Here, the question arises: How does today affect our past and future?
If a person has a clear vision of his future, all his decisions, relationships, behaviors, and thoughts contribute to that bright future. Without a clear vision of the future, we cannot have a peaceful and happy life in the present. Maybe we cannot claim that life in the present is impossible without envisioning the future, but it is really sad and frustrating to live without such a vision.
The Key Role of Prophets in Teaching Foresight to Human Beings
God is a being beyond matter and is not bound by spatial and temporal limitations. The future of humanity has always been clear to God because He has designed and planned the shared future of the world. He has then conveyed and delivered it to humans through prophets. In fact, even before creating humans and bringing them into the world, God had sent mentors and teachers for them. Understanding this point is only possible with a correct understanding of the purpose of creation and how to achieve this purpose.
Religion is God’s plan for creation, and He has created humans based on its principles and standards. All religions are a unified religion, and all prophets have been sent with a common purpose. The prophets were tasked with nurturing their followers with a forward-looking and future-oriented perspective, so that they constantly pay attention to the future.
In all divine and even non-divine books, there are serious prophecies related to the bright future of humanity. In the accounts and teachings conveyed by the prophets to humanity, there are indications of the coming of the last prophet. These accounts state that the realization of that sweet, beautiful, constructive, and joyful future will be accomplished through the last prophet and his successors.
However, this issue is not exclusive to prophets themselves. The task of shaping the future of the world is of great importance and holds immense value. The sincere and faithful followers of prophets are not only involved in this endeavor but also share in the benefits and rewards of building this future. The blessings of this promising future are so vast that every individual, regardless of the time period they live in, has the opportunity to support the last prophet and join him in fulfilling this divine purpose.
Our Current Role in Shaping the Shared Future of the World Promised in Religions
We might think that our current situation only concerns ourselves and has an immediate impact just on our present. Many of us believe that once we do something, it is over and it no longer has any effects. However, it is crucial to realize that all our actions, thoughts, and intentions at every moment not only affect our own lives in this world and the hereafter but also play a significant and direct role in shaping the shared future of the world and the lives of its inhabitants.
If someone is narrow-minded and superficial, he may think that his actions today only determine his own future, while in reality, with every correct thought and action, he contributes to laying the foundation of a divine and humane civilization in the future. Similarly, with every wrong thought and action, he hinders the formation of the promised divine civilization. Therefore, we have a precious and thrilling life where every moment matters and shapes our destiny, but we often overlook this fact, and only God truly knows its value.
From the perspective of Islam, the value of each individual is determined by the extent of his role in shaping the shared future of the world. Even the enjoyment of worldly life and the worth of a person’s hereafter are dependent upon his contribution to building the future of the world. The stronger an individual’s role in this regard, the greater his worldly and eternal bliss will be. God has made a precise deal with human beings, and the reward for each person during his lifetime is based on his efforts and endeavors in shaping the world’s future.
You may ask, how can we contribute to shaping the future of the world? How can we expand our own share in this profitable investment?
This goal is so valuable and precious that no wise person can ignore it. It is evident that unless one fully knows and understands this value, he cannot be enthusiastic about it or strive for it. Therefore, the first step is to have a proper understanding of the shared future of the world. We need to know about the future that prophets promised to humanity. We should know how that future will be and what events are destined to unfold in it. What are the characteristics of that future? When we acquire a good knowledge and ma’rifa of it, we can set proper and profitable goals for our future. Thus, we will align all aspects of our current life, such as social, political, economic, and familial dimensions according to that grand objective. The key element in this matter is knowledge and ma’rifa. Without knowing the characteristics of the future, we cannot manage our present or direct the path of our lives. Along this journey, the question naturally arises: How can we attain this knowledge and ma’rifa?
The answer is that we should turn to the most reliable and trustworthy source, which is the Quran, for knowing the future. The Word of God, as the final divine book, has provided us with extraordinary formulas in all areas, such as knowing the future and foresight.
Looking at the Shared Future of the World in the Mirror of the Quran
Religion is an every-flowing current which is not limited to the past, present, or future. It is the innate program for human bliss, based on which humans are created, and all religious principles are designed according to the purpose of human creation. Being religious means understanding the shared future of the world and participating in shaping it. Someone who believes in and has a serious connection with the history of humanity, the history of prophets, and the future that God has promised truly understands religion. Otherwise, even if he outwardly adheres to religious laws, his religiosity is limited and ineffective. A religious person is someone who sees himself as a link in this unbroken chain and leads his life based on his membership in this magnificent group.
Up until now, we have discussed the importance of human foresight, the interconnectedness of different eras, and the concept of the shared future of the world. Now, we would like to address the question of what the Quran promises and foretells about the definite future of the world.
To answer this question, we will examine two verses from the Noble Quran that explicitly speak about the bright and blessed future of the world: verses 105 and 106 of Surah Anbiya (Prophets):
“Certainly We wrote in the Psalms, after the Torah: ‘Indeed My righteous servants shall inherit the earth.’ Surely in this is a (great) message for a people (who) worship.”
This verse has various interesting and astonishing aspects, which we will examine in three sections:
- The righteous servants of God are the owners of all eras.
In this verse, God has specified the ultimate direction of history. The course of human history moves towards the rule of individuals whom the Quran addresses as the “righteous.” The fact that the Earth is inherited by the righteous servants of God serves as an extraordinary sign and a compelling motivation for every devout worshipper of any religion to join the righteous.
This verse conveys the message that all righteous people throughout the world, from the beginning of creation until the end of the world, are united as a single front. They are connected to all the righteous individuals of every era, and the truth of their existence has persisted throughout history. Essentially, all those who lived in the past, those who currently live in the present, and all those who will live in the future are aligned in one direction and form a unified nation, which is the nation of the righteous. Membership in this group transcends time and depends on the extent of each individual’s greatness of the soul and role in shaping the future and aligning his life towards the envisioned future that God has intended for the Earth.
This promise carries the message that if you embrace the human and divine lifestyle in your era, you are simultaneously living alongside all the prophets from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and together with this noble and honorable group, you will be gathered in the Hereafter.
The lifestyle of righteous individuals aligns with the will and rules of God, and they are so committed to the divine commands that God honors them greatly and addresses them as His servants. It is not possible for someone to claim righteousness while his lifestyle aligns with the ways of the arrogant in the world. If we aspire to be builders of the future and transcend the limitations of our worldly existence, we must align our way of life with that of the righteous servants of God.
In fact, if a person aligns himself with the proof of God[1] in his own time and his way of life becomes unified with that of the Imam of his time, he is considered part of the righteous nation. According to the promise given by the Quran, this individual not only receives rewards for his own deeds in the present time but also shares in the rewards of the deeds of righteous people in the past and future. Therefore, he becomes an immortal being, whose existence continues from the past to the future and is not limited to his own limited lifetime of several years.
- The promise of the inheritance of the Earth by the righteous carries an important message for us.
Have you ever wondered why God used the word “inheritance”? God is communicating a significant code or message to us through the term “inheritance.” This implies that certainly some criminals and arrogant individuals currently own the Earth, holding power and control in their hands. However, the course of history is moving towards a direction where they become weaker day by day, and a point will come when their demise will be brought about by the righteous. Then, the Earth that was seized by them will be inherited by the righteous.
- The victory of the righteous is certain.
We should not be deceived by the showy display of power by arrogant oppressors. Undoubtedly, the movement of the victory of the righteous on Earth is a powerful one that advances steadily, but the ultimate victory is guaranteed. The good news is that God asks faithful people to never lose hope. Even if they are under the rule of tyrants, their life and purpose build the future.
The cultural bases of the righteous on Earth, such as mosques, shrines, places of worship, and cultural organizations and movements will never be destroyed or defeated. No power is capable of stopping or destroying the social activities of the righteous on Earth. We can see a real example of this in the history of Iran. For years, the tyrannical rule in Iran failed to take away the faith from Iranians and close its religious centers. These powerful centers contribute to shaping the future of the world and nurture righteous servants within them.
Surah Qasas (The Story), verse 5
“But We desired to favor those who were oppressed on Earth, and to make them leaders, and to make them heirs.”
God has willed that the oppressed be victorious. It is destined for the oppressed to become leaders and Imams of the Earth, as well as inheritors of it. No one can prevent this certain outcome. This good news serves as the driving force for us to strive towards a definite and unchangeable future. This promise is enough to fill our hearts with assurance, and we should pass on this certainty to our children and future generations.
Do you know who the oppressed are? The oppressed are those who have been weakened by the arrogant. They are individuals whose normal lives have been harmed by oppressors. This group consists of people who have been deprived of the right to rule the world, despite having the power and capability to do so.
This verse conveys the idea that the course of history and the lives of the oppressed and righteous people of the world are undoubtedly moving towards serious empowerment and manpower training, not towards weakness and elimination. We can clearly see the evidence for this claim today in the 21st century. In the 20th century, religion was weakened and portrayed as a factor of weakness for nations, but today it has become a source of power and vitality for people.
A crucial and key point regarding the fulfillment of the promise in this verse is that it does not solely rely on hidden miracles and divine interventions. God’s definite will is for this event to be realized by the righteous themselves. The oppressed must attain multidimensional power in political, military, social, economic, scientific, cultural aspects, etc., in order to overcome the powerful oppressors. They must, through their continuous effort and determination, overthrow the arrogant and liberate the usurped earth, becoming the heirs of the Earth.
Therefore, a great power is destined to be established on Earth, which will provide the foundation for the leadership and inheritance of the oppressed. The Quran informs us that undoubtedly in the end times there will be a movement which the oppressed eagerly join. This movement seriously focuses on the education and enlightenment of the righteous and serves to destroy the front of polytheism.
[1]. Hujjah is often translated as a proof or argument, it technically means something or someone that helps you to understand the will of God. Anything or anyone that can be trusted in understanding the will of God or any person is a hujjah. A Hujjah can be used by people to defend their position if they have acted according to him. On the Day of Judgment, both Allah and His servants refer to the hujjah. Allah asks and judges us according to the hujjah He provided us with. (https://www.al-islam.org/message-thaqalayn/vol-13-no-4-winter-2013/imamate-and-wilayah-part-5-mohammad-ali-shomali/imamate)
