At this point, we would do well to guard ourselves against a
misconception. No doubt, we will reap the harvest of a good life in
the Hereafter, but actions which lead to the realisation of higher
values are requited in this life as well. The Qur'an's teaching is not
otherworldly alone: it attaches due importance to this world also.
Good actions enhance life and confer on us the gift of unalloyed
happiness. The full fruition of realised values may be possible only
in the Hereafter but we can get a foretaste of the joys of heaven in
this life also. Of course, the final success or failure of a life can be
known only when that life has run its course. At any stage in life, the
next step might be in the right or wrong direction. The balance-
sheet of life is possible only when it has ended. Nevertheless,
reward is not withheld from the good man during this life. His good
deeds bring him peace and happiness. Good action does not benefit
the doer alone. Its beneficial effect pervades the world and helps to
make it a better place, the home of goodness, beauty and truth. The
good man realises himself through serving his fellow beings. He,
therefore, contributes his might to the creation of a social
environment in which truth and justice prevail and in which each
individual enjoys the right to express and develop himself in his own
way. To create such a social atmosphere has always been the aim of
Islam. Some religions are primarily concerned with the salvation of
individual men, while others are preoccupied with the stability and
efficiency of human society. Islam seeks to create a social milieu in
which the human personality may function freely and grow to its full
stature. In the next chapter, we will try to assess the value of Islam as
a cultural force.
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Reference- G. Galloway, The Philosophy of Religion, pp. 672-73.
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 174