Thus, the Maker (May His glory be exalted) willed through His grace that when the arena of examination is closed, and the time of trial finished, and the harvest-time has come, He will purify the various opposites to make them eternal, and separate out the causes of change, and distinguish the matters of difference. Then Hell will be formed with its solid body, receiving the address of "So get you apart!" And Paradise will be manifested with its eternal, stable body and foundations. [This will be] in accordance with [the rule] "relations are essential for order," [That is, there is no contrariety between the elements and parts forming Paradise and Hell; there are only relations and bonds between them] ¹ and order is the cause of continuity.

Moreover, through His perfect power, the Most High will give the dwellers of those two eternal abodes stable existences that will not be subject to dissolution or change, for change here, which leads to extinction, arises from the relative differences [that is, the imbalance] between what is formed and what dissolves. But the relative stability there [that is, the balance] will permit change that will not lead to disintegration.

The Third and Fourth Points, I mean the possibility of the repair and raising to life of the earth, and their occurrence: since proofs of divine unity and prophethood taken from the Qur'an and Hadiths (al-dalîl al-naqlî) alone are not valid as it would necessitate a circular argument,² the Qur'an alludes to rational proofs of them [as well]. It is permissible however for the resurrection of the dead to be proven by both reason and the Qur'an and Hadiths [bi'l-'aql wa'l-naql). For rational proofs, you may consult what we explained to our utmost when expounding "And have certain belief in the hereafter"(2:4) Briefly, order, mercy, and grace only become order, mercy and grace with the coming of the resurrection. The transmitted (naqlî) evidences consist of what everyone has said [all the prophets],³and what the miraculous Qur'an states about its occurrence. For these evidences as well as indications of the rational ones, you may refer to this subject in Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's commentary,⁴ for he enumerates the verses that prove the resurrection of the dead.

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1    Nursi, İsârâtûl-İ'caz [Abdülmecid], 218.

2    This is because the validity of evidences taken from Qur'an and Hadiths is tied to the authenticity and veraciousness of prophethood; to prove prophethood by such evidences there­fore would entail an impossibility and circular argument. See, Nursi, İsârâtûl-İ'caz [Abdülmecid], 218.

3   Nursi, İsârâtûl-İ'caz [Abdûlmecid], 218.

4   Fakhr al-Dîn al-Râzi (1165-1240 A.D.) is reputed to have written around 200 works in various of the Islamic sciences including tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), kalâm (theology), and the principles of fiqh (jurisprudence). One of his most famous works is the commentary Mafâtih al-Ghayb, known as al-Tafsir al-Kabir.