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Baha'u'llah.. regards the descriptions of Heaven and Hell given in some of the older religious writings as symbolic.. and not literally true.. Heaven is a state of perfection, and Hell that of imperfection; Heaven is harmony with God's will and with our fellows, and Hell is the want of such harmony; Heaven is the condition of spiritual life, and Hell that of spiritual death. A man may be either in Heaven or in Hell while still in the body. The joys of Heaven are spiritual joys... (190:4) "...The rewards of the other world are the perfections and the peace obtained in the spiritual world after leaving this world.. In the same way, the punishments of the other world... consist in being deprived of the special divine blessings and the absolute bounties, and falling into the lowest degrees of existence. He who is deprived of these divine favors, although he continues after death, is considered as dead by the people of truth.." ('Abdul-Baha) (191:2) "The wealth of the other world is nearness to God. Consequently, it is certain that those who are near.. are allowed to intercede.." ('Abdul-Baha) (191:3) "..in that world also, they can make progress. As here they can receive light by their supplications, there also they can plead for forgiveness. (192:1) Both before and after putting off this material form there is progress in perfection, but not in state... There is no other being higher than a perfect man to which he can transfer himself. He only progresses in the state of humanity, for the human perfections are infinite.
(192:2)
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