Thus, according to the Islamic and the Qur’anic insight,...

Thus, according to the Islamic and the Qur’anic insight, possession or non-possession of the material benefits and the worldly comfort in this world is not the criterion for the felicity or the wretchedness of the hereafter. But those which happen to be the actual basis and criterion are two things: The correct belief and conviction. Righteous and pious deeds.

And (as for) those who believe and do good deeds, these are the dwellers of the garden: in it they shall abide.” [^1] Up to here it was understood that according to the Holy Qur’an, the basis and the criterion for happiness and wretchedness in the hereafter is faith and righteous deeds of an individual in this world. However, this question still stands as to what is the type of this connection? In other words, is this connection imaginary and hypostatized or actual and real?

In the study of the Qur’anic verses, we encounter occasions whereby we can consider the connection between faith and righteous deed on the one hand and happiness of the hereafter on the other hand, to be imaginary and hypostatized. In addition, there exist other verses and occasions, wherein the connection is considered to be more than just imaginary and hypostatized, but one of actuality and reality.

Before we embark upon mentioning examples of these two groups of verses, it is necessary to clarify the difference between these two connections.

The Subjective and Conventional Connection This connection usually exists where, one group in its capacity of Legislator, governor and one with powers of discretion, for attaining its objectives and according to the good interests which it discerns in the matter, fixes certain rewards for some actions and certain punishment for some other actions, whereas previously, between these actions and their rewards and punishments, no real connection existed.

Another point, which is seen in this type of hypostatized connection, is that the Legislator or the same previous group can declare the connection to be null and void or even declare it to be just the opposite of what it previously was.