Having belief in Hereafter is a pillar of Divine teachings in all Divine religions, including Islam. Many verses of the Qur’ans mention this fact:

“As He created you, you will return (to the Hereafter)” (7:29).

“God created you from earth and He will again bring you back to earth” (71:17).

“And then He will bring you out (of it to question and judge you)” (71:18).

God mentions that He will bring human's death and they will be buried; after death, God will bring us out of the grave to question and judge us, as He gave life before 1.

The Stages Of Human's Journey To The Hereafter

• Death

• Grave

• Barzakh

Barzakh starts from death until the Day of Judgment. This stage is constituted of three main stages: Life in the Barzakh2, death of all living beings before the Day of Judgment, and resurrection 3 of all human beings being raised to attend the Day of Judgment.

• Day of Judgment.

• The final destination: paradise or Hell.

Death

Death is a realty that all living beings shall taste:

“All souls will taste (and meet) death, then you will be returned to us” (29:57).

We will finally meet our death; it cannot be avoided. The angels of death will take our soul to Barzakh. 4

The human being hates death because he considers death as an annihilation and destruction; he imagines that death is the end of all things, so he may raise a question that why human beings die? But if he comes to know what death is, his opinion will change.

Reality Of Death

We explained that human beings are constituted of two parts:

1) Body

2) Soul

Soul is eternal. God has placed the soul in the body until a specified time; what human beings learn, see, speak, hear and perform effects the soul. The body is like a vehicle which carries the soul. The soul is our true reality 5; it will be separated from the body with death, so death is a permanent and complete separation of souls from the body in the world. Death is the angels of God taking our soul of from the body to the world of unseen 6:

“When death comes to one of you, Our angels take the soul, and ‎they do not violate their duties” (6:61).

Similarities Between Death And Sleep

Death is not the only separation of soul from body. The verses of the Qur’an mention that sleep is also a separation of the soul, except that it is temporary, and unlike death, it is not a complete separation:

“God brings out the souls (of human beings from their physical body) in the time of their death, (the same as He does) with the soul which has not died in the sleep, so He keeps the soul which should die (, so it is not allowed to return to the world,) but He releases the rest of them (whose time of death has not arrived yet,) until a specified time” (39:42).

“He is the One who takes your soul during the nights and He knows what ‎you do during the day, then He awakens you therein until the specified time is ‎to be completed (, so you live until the specified certain time of your death), ‎then you will be returned to Him and He will inform you concerning that which ‎you used to perform” (6:60).

Conditions In The Time Of Death

The moment of death is a very crucial time in our lives. It can be the best experience or the worst. Those who disbelieve and wrong or the believers who sinned and have not repented will experience a difficult and horrifying death 7, while the believers who obeyed God and His Messenger and sincerely put their commands in practice will not suffer grief or fear 8.

“But when the angels will take the souls of the purified 9(to the Hereafter) they say, ‘Peace be on you. Enter the paradise for what you used to perform’” (16:32).

The difficult conditions of the disbelievers when their death comes:

“And if (only) you (were able to) see (the bad condition of) the disbelievers when the angels take out their soul, beating their faces and backs saying, ‘Taste the burning punishment’” (8:50).

Time Of Death

God has specified two times for human's death 10:

A. Definite Time Of Death

It is the maximum time we have each been given. It will not be changed and cannot be avoided. If it is set at 102 years, 8 months, 5 days, and 7 seconds it will certainly occur:

“And every nation has its (specified) term, so when their time (of death) comes they will neither (be able ‎to) postpone it nor will they advance it”‎ (7:34).

B. Indefinite Time Of Death

Death may arrive before we have reached our maximum time, depending on our time and doing. Not living healthy, being careless of dangers, and various actions such as sins may bring death sooner than the maximum time. Fornication, misbehaving with parents and relative, oppression are some deeds that reduce life. Good deeds such as having a good relationship with our family extend the indefinite time of death 11:

“He forgives your sins and postpones (your death) until a specified time” (71:4).

The main difference between definite and indefinite time of death is that when the definite time of death comes it is not changed at all; it is not postponed or advanced. However, there are several indefinite times of death which can be postponed by good deeds, or reduced by bad deeds. Regardless, we cannot surpass our definite time of death.

Barzakh And Grave

When a human being dies, he meets the world of the unseen; a transitionary world between death and the Day of Judgment, called Barzakh:

“And ahead of them is a Barzakh until the Day of Resurrection‎” (23:100).

The first day when a human being is buried, he will be questioned about his beliefs. This stage of Barzakh is known as grave. It is not an easy night. The righteous believers will have good life until the Day of Judgment, the Hereafter, but the evildoers will suffer punishment until the Day of Judgment.

Day Of Judgment

After a human being dies and goes through Barzakh, his soul will live there until the Day of Judgment. Before the Day of Judgment people will experience two other events:

A special loud noise will have all living beings, including angels, die. It is called the first blow of the Trumpet.

With the second blow all dead beings shall be revived and rushed to the Day of Judgment.

The Qur’an discloses these events in the following verse:

“And the Trumpet will be blown, so all the creatures in the heavens and earth will die ‎except those whom God desires (to keep alive,) then it will be blown again, so they will ‎suddenly stand up, (worried and) looking” ‎(39:68).

Possibility Of The Occurrence Of The Day Of Judgment?

From a purely materialistic viewpoint the occurrence of the Day of Judgment may be doubted. Some may only take laboratory findings, that which they can see and touch, as reality. With death, Man becomes bone and dust, it is impossible to be revived 12. The Qur’an notices this:

“They (the disbelievers) say, ‘What (a surprising statement)! When we become bones and dust, will we really be resurrected and have a new creation?’” (17:49).

“Will we be revived when we die and become dust? It is an impossible return!” (50:3).

The Response Of The Qur’an

The Qur’an responds by inviting them to use their reason on two points:

God’s power:

First of all, it’s God we’re talking about. Our power is incomparable to His. We are limited and weak entities, while God is unlimited and All- Powerful. We are the created, He is the creator. For Him, such a task has no difficulty or complexity:

“Have they not considered that God is He who has created all the heavens and the earth ‎and He was not unable in their creation? (Indeed,) He is able to give life to the dead ‎‎(too). Yes! He is able to do all things” (46:33).

The first creation of human being:

Human beings should not neglect that God has created him the first time and He is able to recreate us again. God creates sperms, and then He creates and gives different forms and stages to it in the womb and finally makes it in the form of a full human being; why wouldn’t he be able to create us again?

“They will say, ‘Who will resurrect us? ‘Say, ‘(God) who created you the first time’” (17:51).

Length Of The Day Of Judgment

The Day of Judgment will be long and tiring. Wrongdoers will experience an unprecedented condition. The Qur’an mentions that each day in the Day of Judgment is like fifty thousand earthly years 13;

“The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day is which is fifty thousand years” (70:4).

Reasons Of Day Of Resurrection

When human beings create a house, an airplane, a car etc., they have a goal, because they are wise and wise people do not act aimlessly.

When we consider the creation, human beings, the heavens, and the earth we see that their creation is more difficult and complicated than the creation of a car or an airplane. The creator must be wiser than the humans He has created. Is it possible for such a wise creator to create the heavens and the earth aimlessly?

The Qur’an emphasizes that the creation of the human being is not aimless and there is a useful purpose for it. However, there is major differences between human's aims and Divine aims:

While Man acts for his own benefit, God is All- Sufficient and All- Good, He creates to grant us His mercy. God desires to be bounteous and generous to the creation. So, the goal of our creation is to be benefitted by God’s blessings and mercy through His guidance. Miss that guidance, and you’re deprived of that Divine mercy.

Creation Is Not Aimless

The Qur’an explains that God has not created human beings aimlessly and they will be brought back to God; thus, the Day of Judgment i.e. returning to God, is the principle aim of creation. It is the day when we will see the fruit of our intentions, decisions, and efforts:

“Have you imagined that We created you aimlessly, therefore, you will not be returned to Us?” (23:115).

God has created the heavens, the earth, and whatever is between them, including human beings, and He has created them neither for pleasure nor for play 14. God has given value to mankind and desires to honour him 15 with a perfect permanent life:

“We truthfully created the heavens, the earth, and whatever is between them” (50:38).

“We did not create the heavens and the earth for pleasure” (21:16; 44:38).

Justice

God has created human beings and provided him with intellect, guidance, freedom, and power to make decisions for his lifestyle. Also, He has given Man many gifts and blessings and He has honoured human beings, so human beings should honour himself by using reason and following God’s guidance.

However, people are divided into different groups with respect to their intentions and deeds; some of them follow God’s guidance, perform good deeds, and spend their life helping others. Another group of people follow their worldly desires, some even perpetrating various kinds of crime and injustice.

In fact, the Earth is a limited place, it cannot truly fulfil the rewards and punishments each individual deserves. A criminal, murders a person and destroys decades of his and his family’s life, another criminal kills hundreds of people, can they get the repercussions they truly deserve? God has created the Day of Judgment in order to give everyone their share of reward or punishment, therefore, the Day of Judgment is a sign of Divine Justice. God is just and He will not treat everyone the same regardless of their actions and situations, but every individual will receive and see the outcome of his/her deeds to the full extent:

“Today everyone will receive what he has earned. There will not be injustice today. Indeed, God's reckoning is swift” (40:17).

“Beware of a Day when you will be returned to God and everyone will receive what he has earned, and they will not be wronged” (2:281).

Why Do Disbelievers Knowingly Deny The Day Of Judgment?

• Some are afraid that acknowledging the Day of Judgment will deprive them of joys, mostly illegitimate ones. They think life becomes dull, not knowing that in fact earthly life is limited and religion sets us free from its limitations by giving us salvation; a permanent life with all the joys, beyond one’s imagination. They do not trust God and His teachings or promises, thus they sin to enjoy what they have of earthly life 16:

“Human beings (make a grave mistake and) want to (transgress and) corrupt in his coming (days of life)” (75:5).

• They do not assume that the Day of Judgment will arrive, so they prefer earthly life 17 and think they will be in the world forever:

“They prefer the life of the world” (79:38).

Process Of Judgment On The Day Of Judgment

Book Of Deeds

One of the stages of the Divine Reckoning on the Day of Judgment is that the people will see their deeds, and no one will be able to deny or reject it. The righteous will be in the right side in the Hereafter and their book will be given to their right hands. The evil-doers will be on the left side and their book of deeds will be given to their left hand. The verses of the Qur’an have disclosed information about the book of deeds in different verses:

“We have numerated and mentioned all things in a book.” (78:29).

Every detail is mentioned there. Nothing is missed. Everything is so clear that nothing can be denied:

“And the book (of deeds) will be set, so you will see the guilty fearful of what is in it; and they will say, “Woe to us, what a book! It enumerates (all details of my life, including) small and great” and they will find whatever they did in front of themselves and no one will be wronged” (18:49).

It seems from some verses that deeds will not be a separate entity, but rather a part of us, inseparable, as if attached to our neck:

“(Human being’s deeds is with him and) We attach the deeds of every human being to his ‎neck, and We will bring an opened book for him to face (the consequence of what he used ‎to do)” (17:13).

Criterion For Judging Human Deeds

Human beings’ deeds are measured according to the truth on the Day of Judgment. God and His promises are the Truth 18.The truth has been sent to us through holy books e.g. the Qur’an, His Messengers e.g. Muhammad (S) and his successors e.g. the Holy Household of Muhammad (S). If one’s deeds and intentions are in accordance with the truth they will be accepted, otherwise it will be a loss:

“On that day (the Criterion for) weighing (the value of your deeds) is truth, therefore, those whose scale is ‎heavy (and are more honest in their belief and deeds) they will be the successful” (7:8).

“But those whose scale is light have lost their soul because they used to wrong Our signs” (7:9).

Witnesses Of The Day Of Judgment

Day of Judgment is the most important day in the world to come. The Divine Court will be set and all deeds and witnesses will be revealed. The Qur’an introduces the witnesses on the Day of Judgment as follows:

God

God sees and hears all things. He sees what human beings perform in secret and in public:

“God is witness over what they do” (10:46).

In addition, when the Day of Judgment comes, He will testify while people have forgotten what they had done:

“When God will resurrect all of them and inform them about what they did; God will numerate their deeds while they have forgotten. Indeed God is witness over all thing” (58:6).

The Messenger And Those Who Are Close To God

The messenger of Islam and some of the special servants of God e.g. the Messenger of every nation, will be of the witnesses on the Day of Judgment who will testify against the wrongdoers and their deeds 19. Some of the verses of the Qur’an explicitly state this fact:

“When We will bring a witness against them, of their own people, from every nation, we will bring you (Muhammad) to act as a witness against them” (16:89).

“And thus We appointed you as a moderate nation till you become witness to the people, and the Messenger is a witness over you” (2:143).

The Angels

The angels are also witnesses. Some of them accompany human beings during their lives. When the Day of Judgment comes Man will be brought to the Divine court with angels who will testify against them.

“And there will come forth every soul: with each will be an (angel) to drive, and an (angel) to bear witness” (50:21).

Our Body Parts

God, the Messenger, and angels. In addition, our very own body parts will testify and say the truth. As the wrongdoer tries to hide his body parts for the sins he’s committed with them, they will speak and testify. The wrongdoer cannot deny anything anymore, he has to accept what he has done:

“When their tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them (on the Day of Judgment) about what they used to commit” (24:24).

Earth

Oh, the evil that man has done on earth. The bloodshed, the oppression, the vileness. The Earth has seen it all. One of the most important witnesses on the Day of Judgment is the earth. The earth was witnessing over all things in the world and it will testify against the wrongdoers on the Day of Judgment by God’s command 20.

“When the earth will narrate its news” (99:4).

Questioning Final Abode

Day of Judgment is a Promised Divine Day.

All the Divine messengers warned the people about that Day. When that day comes after resurrection human beings will be stopped to be questioned in details of his deeds, words and intention

“Stop them! They certainly will be questioned” (37:24).

“Indeed, you will certainly be questioned about the blessing.” (102:8).

After human being questioned and the windiness testified and the processes of Divine judgment passed, the people will face the absolute outcome of their deeds. Those whose deeds are good will admitted to the promised heavens with endless blessings and the evil doers will be forced to face and abide in Hell.

Final Destination

Paradise

Paradise, the destination of the righteous who observed God’s law. Paradise is the best destination, has infinite and abundant blessings and is beyond imagination. Paradise is filled with God’s satisfaction, and thus serenity. There are about three hundred verses in the holy Qur’an about paradise and its blessings. We mention some of them as follows:

“The dwellers of paradise will enjoy their involvement this Day” (36:55).

“They and their wives will recline on couches in the (welcoming) shade (of the trees)” (36:56).

“They will have fruits and what they desire there. (They will be greeted with)” (36:57).

“Peace (which is) a Word of the Compassionate Lord” (36:58).

“Enter the heaven, you and your wives, happily” (43:70).

“They will be served with trays and goblets of gold (full of the best drinks, food, and fruits) and there will be whatever the souls 21desire and eyes enjoy, and you will be there forever” (43:71).

“And that is the heaven which you inherited for what you used to do” (43:72).

“There are plenty of fruits for you which you will eat from” (43:73).

Hell

Hell is the evil destination of the evildoers. The chastisement of Hell is only the outcome of their own deeds and decisions. Those who guarded themselves from this chastisement by observing God’s law will not go there.

The blessings of heaven are beyond imagination. So are the punishments of Hell. There is no death there to finish the punishment 22, rather everything is constantly renewed and fresh punishments start. There are different verses in the Qur’an which disclose information about Hell, its chastisement, and the qualities of its dwellers 23:

“And indeed, Hell is the promised gathering (place) for all of them” (15:43).

“It has seven gates and an appointed portion (of wrongdoers will enter) through each gate” (15:44).

“They see each other, (but they are unable to help). When the guilty (will even) desire to give his sons as ransom to save himself from the punishment of that Day” (70:11).

“And (he even desires to ransom himself at the price of) his spouse and brother” (70:12).

“His relatives who provided him with shelter” (70:13).

“And whatever exists on the earth in order to save himself” (70:14).

“No, it is impossible! It is a flaming fire (and they will definitely face it)” (70:15).

“It (is a very severe and heavy punishment which) strips away the skins (of the head and body)” (70:16).

“It24calls whoever turns his back and disregards” (70:17).

And he who amassed wealth (and refused to spend in the path of God)” (70:18).

• 1. Tabatabaʾi 1417 A.H., 20/33, F.-D. Razi 1420 A.H., 30/655, Tusi 1405 A.H., 10/138, Balkhi 1423 A.H., 4/453.
• 2. Gap between death and Day of Judgment.
• 3. Resurrection in the Quran means God gives life to human being to be questioned and judged in the Day of Judgment.
• 4. Tabrisi 1372 Sh, 19/83, Tabari 1412 A.H., 21/8, Sadiqi, Al-Furqan fi tafsir al-Qur'an bi l-Qur'an wa l-sunna 1406 A.H., 23/96.
• 5. Tabatabaʾi 1417 A.H., 7/130.
• 6. . Tabatabaʾi 1417 A.H., 7/131, Zamakhshari 1986, 2/32
• 7. Suyuti 1404 A.H, 3/191, Baydawi 1418 A.H., 3/63, N. Makarim Shirazi 1374 Sh, 7/204
• 8. Refer to Holy Qur’an, 16:32.
• 9. Those who hold God in awe, observe God’s law, avoid committing sins, perform good deeds and follow guidance, thus they have purified their souls.
  This guidance is sent down by God and clarified by the Messenger and his holy family.
• 10. Refer to Holy Qur’an, 6:2.Tabatabaʾi 1417 A.H., 7/9.
• 11. N. Makarim Shirazi 1374 Sh, 25/58, Maybudi 1371 Sh, 10/238, A. l.-F. Razi 1408 A.H., 19/423.
• 12. FadlAllah 1419 A.H., 14/141, Fayd al-Kashani 1415 A.H., 3/196, F.-D. Razi 1420 A.H., 20/352.
• 13. . Tabatabaʾi 1417 A.H., 20/7
• 14. Kashani 1336 Sh, 8/285, N. Makarim Shirazi 1374 Sh, 13/370, Suyuti 1404 A.H, 4/315
• 15. Refer to Holy Qur’an, 17:70.
• 16. Suyuti 1404 A.H, 6/288, Tusi 1405 A.H., Ibn ʿAshur 1405 A.H., 29/317, F.-D. Razi 1420 A.H., 30/722, Tabatabaʾi 1417 A.H., 20/104, Zamakhshari 1986, 4/660.
• 17. Tusi 1405 A.H., 10/263, Tabatabaʾi 1417 A.H., 20/192, F.-D. Razi 1420 A.H., 31/49, N. Makarim Shirazi 1374 Sh, 26/106.
• 18. Refer to Holy Qur’an, 10:53; 10:55…
• 19. Tusi 1405 A.H., 6/417, Tabatabaʾi 1417 A.H., 12/322, F.-D. Razi 1420 A.H., 20/257, Zamakhshari 1986, 2/628.
• 20. N. Makarim Shirazi 1374 Sh, 27/224, F.-D. Razi 1420 A.H., 32/255, Suyuti 1404 A.H, 6/380, Alusi 1415 A.H., 5/649.
• 21. Human being
• 22. Refer to Holy Qur’an, 87:13.
• 23. Refer to Holy Qur’an, 4:145; 15:43-44; 70:11-18; 87:11; 87:13.
• 24. The fire, the punishment which is mentioned.