Q: Some people claim that paradise and hell are nothing but hoax. They are just meant to create fear and awe in the people. Please comment. A: There are thousands of individuals who erroneously think that Paradise and Hell are nothing but a hoax. These names are only mentioned before the audience to admonish or scare them. They hold the idea that all the punishments and chastisements mentioned in the Holy Qur’an with regard to stealing, fornicating, robbing, committing cruelty, disbelief and disobedience are just matters to terrify and scare the Muslims such as the babies are scared to silence by calling upon some strange and terrifying being. They further argue that all the promised rewards and pleasures to be bestowed by Allah are also immaterial and these things are not to be obtained and taken seriously by the Muslims. They are just meant to persuade and please the believers so that they become Muslims just as the some children are fooled by false promises. First of all it must be understood that Allah clearly promises an eternal Paradise in the Holy Qur’an for those who really live up to His expectations in this world. Now, when it is confirmed that it is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, then there is no reason to refute or ridicule it, for the Holy Qur’an constitutes the infallible Word of God. Secondly, Allah, the Almighty, who has promised the Paradise in the next life, is the greatest Sovereign and King of this entire Cosmos, and there is no other God worthy of worship besides Him. Hence it is impossible for Allah that He will not fulfill his promises to His servants who have earned their reward by leading a life of piety and doing righteous deeds on earth. The supreme God Who is all wise, All-True, Merciful, and Compassionate, free from all lies, will not trick his servants into believing what has not been constructed for them before they were sent to Earth. Allah, the Almighty is beyond all such absurdities. He says, “And who is truer than Allah in His word?” (Al-Qur’an, 4:87) However, if we accept the logic – in a hypothetical case - that Hell and Paradise are sheer hoaxes just to create fear and awe in the hearts of the people, and they have no material reality in the next world, then such sermonizing may only create fear in the hearts so long as those who are addressed do not know this secret. Quite obviously after knowing the secret and the false preaching of a person, there will be no one who would ever remain fearful about the hoax of Paradise or Hell. Their claim that Paradise and Hell are nothing, and do not exist, is an erroneous idea, which is harbored in the hearts and minds by the free thinkers of the society. Firstly, because if this claim is accepted that would mean that the Divine word of Allah is a crude joke, being played on unsuspecting people who have placed all their hopes on Him. This is quite unimaginable, and it does not befit the majesty of Allah, the Almighty in saying those words, which He has no intention of carrying out. Secondly, the reason for which Allah Almighty has bound the human beings with injunctions and commandments would also become meaningless. Those who assert that the Hell and Paradise do not exist are really rather bold, fearless enough to raise such terrible doubt, and as a result, they would very probably be the persons having all intentions in committing all sorts of crimes and sins. Such people commit crimes publicly in broad daylight without any fear of the Hereafter. If for some reason he avoids committing sins in public he would never cease from doing them in private. Suppose there is a person in a jungle who subscribes to this type of thoughts and another person is also present on the scene. There are no human beings present at that place other than both of them, no police patrolling the streets to maintain law and order nor are they hindered in any way by other security forces. Unfortunately, that particular person dies in this remote jungle while he had with him one hundred thousand rupees in cash along with some documents that reveal his complete address, and it is also known that the heir apparent to him is an orphan, but other people do not know that he has died. Neither one can claim his possessions nor may any kind of court prosecution be made in this regard. Now, there is no power in this world that may motivate the other person who is alive to deliver the cash to the orphan except for the fear of God, the Almighty, and His Punishment and the rewards for doing a righteous act in the Hereafter. The person who deems Divine Punishments and rewards just as a joke or a matter of false sermonizing cannot deliver the money to the deserving orphan, especially when the money is badly needed by that person. This could only be done by a person who thinks all Divine punishments and Rewards, as it has been mentioned in the Holy Qur’an are true, and he carried with him due awe and reverence in his heart for Allah, the Almighty. Therefore, he is ever fearful about doing wrong that would befall his lot, if he decides to walk on the path of unrighteousness on this earth. When this dirty idea leads to corruption in religion, it also makes a mockery of commonsense, and would lead to anarchy, and social bankruptcy in this world. From this explanation one could easily know how much the stabilizing effects of the religion are needed in a society to maintain a good and sound civilization for governments are only able to tackle with the outside phenomena while it is only religion that ingrains decent manners and noble traits in the hearts and minds of human beings. I am profoundly amazed that how the champions of civilization are reluctant to understand the need of religion to raise a grand culture of an unparalleled human civilization, which does not have a need for religion. If there is anything necessary to be carried out, then most certainly religion is the foremost that comes to the mind of a person from refraining from an evil act and doing what is just, right, and good. It is almost impossible to bring about a culture or a healthy community while denying the fact and role of religion in shaping the thoughts and personalities of human beings. Denying religion while claiming civilization is supreme to the laws enacted by human beings is like cutting off the branch one has rested upon. Quite surprisingly, their words say that they are civilized but their acts deny the sincerity and truth of their claim.