The question of the life after death has always fascinated mankind. And even for those who believe that life continues after death, the nature and details of that existence have remained a mystery, largely because no one has ever returned to tell us about it. Our limited understanding comes mainly from the descriptions left behind by the special servants of God to whom He has granted some knowledge about the next worlds that man will encounter on his journey towards his Creator.

Of course, it is not possible in the material realm to fully appreciate the immaterial worlds that we are heading towards after death, but it is important to know the challenges that lie ahead so that the requisite preparations can be made for these while we still live in this world.

What makes this work different is that the author, Sh. Muhammad Saeed Bahmanpour, has succeeded to a reasonable extent in unravelling these mysteries by carefully analysing the relevant Qur’anic verses and traditions of the Prophet (S). He has made use of both Sunni and Shi῾i hadith texts, as well as considered the opinions and experiences of both Islamic and Christian mystical philosophers. In this way he has prepared a very compelling and plausible description of the road that lies ahead.

I have been privileged to attend Sh. Bahmanpour’s many discourses on Islamic eschatology over the years and he has always generously made himself available to answer my many questions about life after death. When I first came across the book he had written on the subject, entitled Nasim-e Abadiyyat (The Breeze of Eternity), I was struck by the systematic approach he had adopted in discussing each stage after death. I felt that English readers would also greatly benefit from its fresh and novel approach, and it was an honour to be asked to translate the work by the World Federation of the KSIMC.

I would like to acknowledge with gratitude the patient assistance of Sh Bahmanpour during the translation.

From God is all succour and to Him is the return.

Abbas Jaffer
Jan 2016, London UK