A Simple Guide to ISLAM
Ma‘ad – Life after Death
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MA‘AD – LIFE AFTER DEATH
According to Islam, the present world is not an eternal abode. The
Qur'an tells us that man is placed here only temporarily, so that his
moral fibre may be tested in terms of his obedience to God’s will.
He must always remember that there will be the life hereafter, or
Akhirat
as it is known in Islamic terminology. This is also referred
to as
Ma‘ad,
which means a place to which one returns.
There is a time limit to mortal existence. Death marks the end of
the testing period for all human beings. But death only means a
change of abode, for the soul never dies. Man returns to the realm
whence he came, so that he may wait for Judgement Day. That
realm, the life hereafter, is the eternal world. Thus man’s life is
divided into two parts: a brief stay in this world and an eternal life
in the next world. To the ungodly, it is only then that it becomes
obvious that a life, which is eternal, is far more important than this
present existence.
God created human beings and made them responsible for their
actions by granting them freedom. If there were no Afterlife in
which the good were rewarded and the bad punished, there would
be no justice; in which case, it would appear meaningless to create
people with a conscience and a sense of responsibility. But God is
just and always acts justly. Hence it is the absolute demand of
justice that there should be a Day of Judgement on which everyone
is brought to book.
