Why Answering the Primary Question on the Judgement Day is Impossible Without a Divine Lifestyle
Naturally, in every stage of life, recognizing priorities and adjusting our actions based on them holds special importance. We may encounter issues in certain periods of life that, despite being important, do not deserve to be at the forefront of our desires and concerns. Addressing them untimely or excessively can lead to loss and the depletion of our material and spiritual assets.
Although this concept is more tangible and obvious to us in worldly and material matters, it is natural that the impact and damage caused by this lack of good judgement will be far greater and heavier regarding eternity. It could reach a point where we center our lives on matters lacking otherworldly value, ultimately resulting in eternal regret and sorrow!
Therefore, recognizing the issues we will be asked about in the hereafter is of utmost importance, and understanding the primary question on the Judgement Day stands at the very top of our priorities. In fact, awareness and knowledge of the questions of the hereafter directly impact our lifestyle in this world and determine our level of readiness for the afterlife. It is we who will suffer an immense, eternal, and irreparable loss if we fail to align our living conditions with the primary question on the Judgement Day.
In this lesson, we intend to examine the primary question on the Judgement Day and evaluate the significance of this question, alongside the consequences of neglecting it.
The Primary Question on the Judgement Day
According to Quranic verses [1] and narrations, the primary question on the Judgement Day asked of every individual will be about the quality of their connection with the infallible Guardian (Wali) and Imam of their time. However, to achieve a proper understanding of this question, we need a brief overview of the goal God has set for our creation. In truth, we attain genuine salvation only when we align all dimensions and various aspects of our lives to achieve this goal and move toward our ultimate purpose.
Since the purpose of our creation is to become like Allah and manifest God’s names and attributes, reaching this goal is only possible if we benefit from a perfect role model and a skilled guide on the path to becoming similar to Allah. In reality, only the infallible Imam and expert possesses the competence to guide and lead us on this journey. Thus, it is self-evident that the core of the primary question on the Judgement Day is defined around our relationship with the infallible expert upon whose obedience and following our eternal and everlasting salvation depends.
On the Day of Judgement, we will be asked about the blessings bestowed upon us, and the most important and highest blessing available to us on this path is the blessing of the existence of the Imam and infallible expert who serves as our role model and guide. Without a comprehensive manifestation of the attributes and names of the Truth, our efforts to become like Allah will remain nothing more than an illusion, flawed and incomplete. Therefore, the acceptance of our other deeds depends on being grateful for the infallible Imam and building a genuine connection with him.
A Proper Definition of Connection
Having a correct connection with the Imam of the Time (Peace be upon him) does not merely mean a superficial relationship or participating in ceremonies and events out of mere obligation. History has also proven to us that simply being a contemporary of the Prophet and the infallible Imams (Peace be upon them) and living in their vicinity does not equate to fulfilling the rights of the Imam and will lead nowhere. We can only claim to have a genuine relationship with the Imam of our time if we actively strive to follow his commands and pave the way for his ideals and goals.
Given this, now that we live during the occultation of God’s last infallible Guardian, we must be able to answer the following questions:
-Where is the Imam of my time right now, and what role have I played in realizing his goals and concerns?
-While the Imam of my time experiences loneliness, exile, distress, displacement, and rejection, what have I been doing?
– How much of my life is truly dedicated to the Imam of the Time (Peace be upon him) and his concerns?
In other words, we can emerge victorious from the test of assisting our Imam and be able to answer the primary question on the Judgement Day regarding our Imam only when we act as proactive, non-passive awaiters, using all the dimensions of our existence to remove the obstacles to the Imam’s advent. This means spending not only our wealth but also our time, reputation, expertise, and love toward bringing the Imam’s desires to fruition and clearing the hurdles to his return, thereby feeling the Imam’s presence in various aspects of our lives.
Aligning Our Lifestyle with the Imam
In every era, we face a Guardian of God (Wali Allah) and a perfect exemplar of God. To reach our ultimate end and purpose, which is Allah, we must harmonize our entire lives with him. Only having a divine, expertise-based lifestyle can bring us closer to realizing this. It is a lifestyle that not only regulates our individual and personal actions to become similar to Allah but also casts its shadow over our political, social, economic, military, and cultural activities, aligning them all with the goals and ideals of God’s Guardian. Consequently, the Imam’s presence in our lives goes beyond a superficial, performative presence or mere duty fulfillment. The Imam, tasked with managing all worldly affairs, becomes a source of impact in various aspects of our lives; it means all dimensions of our lives become intertwined with the Imam and are adjusted according to the desires and ideals of God’s Guardian.
Naturally, having an appropriate answer for the primary question on the Judgement Day requires, above all else, dedicating our time to the infallible Imam in this world. However, every step taken to acquire this readiness and fix this relationship ultimately benefits our life in this world and leads to our salvation in the eternal life of the hereafter.
Leaving the primary question on the Judgement Day unanswered is not a simple error or a compensable mistake; rather, it is a point that can render all the efforts of our lifetime ineffective and steer our life’s trajectory away from salvation and bliss toward eternal destruction and ruin. In reality, it is the correct answer to this question that determines the validity of our other actions and paves the way for their acceptance. Otherwise, even acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, Hajj, and other righteous deeds will hold no weight in the scale of divine justice. This is because these acts of worship, too, do not find their true and proper place except through a bond with God’s Guardian, nor do they play a role in helping us reach the ultimate purpose of our creation.
References
[1]. “The day we shall summon every group of people along with their Imam…” (17:71)