Marife Dini Araştırmalar Dergisi

Abstract

Lifespan can be defined as the entirety of time spent by an individual in the scene of existence. Birth, life, death and the encompassing concept of lifespan are constantly occupying the human thought world and real life. Throughout history, humanity has tried to stay away from the fact of death as an event that ends his existence on earth. For each individual human being, death cannot be completely denied, but neither is it a fact that can easily be surrendered. Therefore, throughout human history, mankind has essentially desired immortality. In the face of the impossibility of immortality and the inevitability of death, humanity has desired at least to live as long as possible on Earth. Although it is not within one's control to choose whether one's life will be long or short, the desire for a long life is almost present in every individual. In this context, the phenomenon of longevity has emerged as an issue that has preoccupied the human mind throughout history.
As is known, Allah has conveyed His revelation to people, taking into account individual and societal matters that concern them, while considering their social, cultural, historical knowledge and accumulations. In this regard, certain topics related to life, lifespan, and death have found their place directly and indirectly in the Qur’an. Both directly referring to human lifespan and containing expressions regarding the possibility of longevity, the desire for long life in humans, and the value of life, there are verses in the Qur’an.
As far as we could determine, there is no study in our literature that deals with the concept of life or long life from the perspective of the Qur’an alone. Therefore, the subject of this study has been determined as the phenomenon of longevity from the perspective of the Qur’an. The aim of the study is to fill a gap in the field by presenting the phenomenon of longevity as comprehensively and complementarily as possible from the perspective offered by the Qur’an.
While some verses of the Qur’an are directly related to longevity, others indirectly address the topic. In this context, primarily, the verses containing the concept of longevity were identified within the scope of this study. When these verses are classified, it is seen that the Qur’an touches upon the desire for long life in humans, the possibility of long life for humans, and the value of longevity for humans. Therefore, after briefly explaining the concepts of life and longevity, the issue of the desire for long life in humans is examined. It can be understood from the verses that the desire for longevity in humans is inherent in human nature, provided that it does not exceed the limits. However, desiring a longevity is condemned with the purpose of denying life after death and the accountability that will take place, as exemplified by the Jews.
Whether life is short or long is in the hands of Allah. The Qur’anic verses confirm that it is possible for human life to exceed the generally accepted average human lifespan. In fact, a human living longer than an average period is a reality. However, what the verses emphasize in this regard is that Allah determines the lifespan, and the lifespan of every individual is recorded by Allah at the very beginning. Additionally, the verses indicate that if a person is granted a very long life, this situation will result in a reversal in terms of the individual's creation. Therefore, since it is possible for a person to become ignorant of what they know, in the Islamic world, a longevity is described as a state that should not be desired. Finally, it should be noted that whether life is short or long does not add value to life on its own. According to the Qur’an, the factors that give value to life are faith and righteous deeds. In this regard, a long life adorned with faith and righteous deeds, lived until the last breath, is highly valuable in the sight of Allah.