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The belief in life after death is deeply ingrained in the faith of Muslims and many followers of Abrahamic religions. It holds great significance for Muslims, constituting one of the five fundamental principles of faith in Islam. This article on Islam4u delves into the intriguing concept of the afterlife as portrayed in the Quran.
What is the Afterlife in the Quran?
The concept of the afterlife encompasses existence following death. It includes various stages such as life in the realm of barzakh (meaning “barrier” in Arabic), the Day of Judgment, and subsequent life in either heaven or hell. According to the Islamic faith, the soul is immortal and continues to exist even after physical death. Thus, upon death, the soul enters a distinct realm known as barzakh, which can be understood as a transitional stage or purgatory. In barzakh, souls reside until the Day of Judgment, when all individuals, both living and deceased, will be raised to face judgment based on their actions. The Quran addresses the intermediary realm of barzakh in verse 100 of chapter 23 (Mu’minun):
وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٠٠﴾
And before them is a barrier until the day they will be resurrected.
Therefore, all those who have died will live in barzakh, where they are punished for their sins and rewarded for their good deeds until they are resurrected on the Day of Judgment.
What Is the Significance of Belief in the Afterlife?
The belief in the Resurrection and the existence of an afterlife stands as a fundamental principle in Islam. Without the concept of life after death, the notions of reward and punishment would hold no meaning. The significance of our actions would be rendered meaningless, as there would be no accountability for our deeds. The Quran underscores the concept of the hereafter, referred to as akhira in Arabic, repeatedly and with emphasis. As an illustration, Allah emphasizes this in Surah Baqarah, verse four, stating:
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾
And who believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you, and are certain of the Hereafter.
The word hereafter and the afterlife are closely related because both refer to life after death. The hereafter denotes life after Qiyamah (Judgement Day), meaning life in paradise or hell. Belief in the hereafter in the above verse is a characteristic of believers. That is, believers are those who believe in the Quran and previous Holy Scriptures (in their unaltered form) and those who are certain of the hereafter.
Verses of the Quran About the Afterlife/Hereafter
Numerous verses in the Quran shed light on the afterlife and the concept of the hereafter. Generally, the Quran underlines the superiority of the hereafter (akhira) over worldly life (dunya). It encourages us to construct our lives with a focus on the hereafter, emphasizing the importance of virtuous actions like charity, prayer, obedience to Allah’s commands, dedication to His cause, and striving to seek His pleasure. The Quran warns against becoming excessively engrossed in worldly pursuits, such as amassing wealth without utilizing it for noble purposes. Now, let us examine a selection of verses that delve into the subject of the afterlife.
The World Compared to the Hereafter Is a Play
Allah says in verse 64 of chapter 29 (Ankabut):
وَمَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ لَهِىَ ٱلْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٦٤﴾
The life of this world is nothing but diversion and play, but the abode of the Hereafter is indeed Life (itself), had they known!
True life is in the hereafter. Life in this world compared to the hereafter is like playing a game. That is why we must be careful what we do in this world. What should we do to have a better life in the hereafter? Should we isolate ourselves and become totally detached from society and engage in worship? That is not what the Quran tells us to do. The Quran tells us to strive in Allah’s way to achieve bliss and prosperity in the hereafter. In verse 19 of chapter 17 (Isra’) Allah states:
وَمَنْ أَرَادَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا ﴿١٩﴾
Whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it with an endeavour worthy of it, should he be faithful,—the endeavour of such will be well-appreciated.
Life in this world has been likened to a farm in our narrations. You will reap what you sow on this farm in the hereafter. Therefore, it is important how you live your life in this world. If it is for Allah, you will be prosperous in the hereafter. However, if one lives a life where one is occupied with carnal desires and the glamor and glitter of the world, one will not have a good and comfortable life in the hereafter. In fact, one will be doomed.
This World Is the Wares of Delusion
In verse 20 of chapter 57 (Hadid), Allah says:
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرُۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَٰدِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ ٱلْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَٰمًا ۖ وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ ۚ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ ﴿٢٠﴾
Know that the life of this world is mere diversion and play, glamour and mutual vainglory among you and rivalry for wealth and children—like rain, whose growth impresses the farmer. Then it withers and you see it turn yellow, then it becomes chaff. Whereas in the Hereafter there is forgiveness from Allah and His approval and a severe punishment. The life of this world is nothing but the wares of delusion.
Once again, this verse makes a comparison between life in this world and the hereafter. Of course, Allah again in this verse means a worldly life that is devoid of spirituality and one that is material in nature. Such a life is nothing but diversion and play. It is merely a rivalry for wealth and children. If one does not believe in Allah and lives a life in disbelief, this verse will apply to them. Allah wants to emphasize the importance of building one’s life in the hereafter. In order to do that, you must live a spiritual and Godly life in this world. One must be careful that one is not deluded by the glamor of the world because life in this world is very deceptive and delusional.
The Good Life
In one of the verses of the Quran, Allah speaks of a good life. In verse 97 of chapter 16 (Nahl), Allah says:
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٧﴾
Whoever acts righteously, [whether] male or female, should he be faithful, We shall revive him with a good life and pay them their reward by the best of what they used to do.
Is life in this world really that bad? If it is bad, then does it mean that no one can be good? No. Those who live righteously, believe in Allah and His Prophet (s), and do good deeds will be granted a good and virtuous life in this world. Good people will be rewarded in both worlds. They are the ones who receive Allah’s special mercy that we read about every day when we say Bismillah. Of course, their reward in the hereafter is much greater and perfect.
What Does Allah Mean By Prioritizing the Afterlife?
So we read in the verses above how living a life that is only concerned with worldly gains has been despised. We also explained how life in this world has value only when one has a Godly intention and does good deeds. However, why does Allah keep telling us that we must give priority to the afterlife and the hereafter? What does that even mean? Allah tells the Prophet (s):
وَلَلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ﴿٤﴾
And the Hereafter shall be better for you than the world.
There is only one way of explaining this: asceticism. Asceticism in Islam is different from what is understood in Western culture. It does not mean one should seclude oneself and devote a lifetime to worshipping God and distancing oneself from society. Asceticism in Islam means living like ordinary people but not having the love of this world in one’s heart.
For example, let us say a person is living a normal life. They are neither too rich nor poor. They live a normal life with adequate food and basic needs of life including clothing, a place to live, a car, and so forth. If such a person has a deep love for worldly riches, he will always try to gain more and more wealth and possessions in every way possible. He will be preoccupied with worldly gains to such an extent that he becomes forgetful about life in the hereafter. This person has the love of the world in his heart and the verses that talk about life in this world being a play, diversion, and a race for accumulation of wealth and children applies to him.
On the other hand, if there is a person with similar life conditions but is content with what Allah has given him in terms of wealth, food, clothing, and children, such a person does not have love for this world in his heart. He is happy with what Allah has given him and strives in His way and does everything to please Him. He looks forward to and anticipates the hereafter. We say that such a person is practicing a certain level of asceticism because he is prioritizing the afterlife over worldly life. Allah will grant such a person a good life in this world and the hereafter.
The Deeds of Those Who Do Not Believe in the Afterlife Will Not Benefit Them
Verse 147 of chapter 7 (A‘raf) reads:
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَلِقَآءِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ ۚ هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٤٧﴾
Those who deny Our signs and the encounter of the Hereafter, their works have failed. Shall they not be requited for what they used to do?
Perhaps many will say there are so many good people who do many good and charitable deeds in this world. They help the poor, build schools and hospitals, and engage in many other philanthropic activities. Will they also be punished? Allah gives us the answer in the above verse. The deeds of a person who does not believe in the afterlife and thinks that life is limited to this world will not benefit them after they die. None of those good works will grant them entry to paradise. However, our narrations have said that Allah will reward such people in this world. Moreover, they will be treated leniently concerning their punishment, inasmuch as being in the less torturous pits of hell. Nevertheless, those who do not believe in the hereafter will suffer a painful punishment:
وَأَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا ﴿١٠﴾
As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have prepared a painful punishment for them. (17:10)
Life in the World Is but a Trifling Enjoyment
Verse 26 of chapter 13 (Ra‘d) reads:
ٱللَّهُ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ وَفَرِحُوا۟ بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ إِلَّا مَتَٰعٌ ﴿٢٦﴾
Allah expands the provision for whomever He wishes, and tightens it. They boast of the life of this world, but compared with the Hereafter the life of this world is but a [trifling] enjoyment.
Allah may make someone rich and someone poor. This is all based on His wisdom. He wants to test people to see if they are grateful for what He has given them. Yet, there are some rich people who boast about their wealth and think Allah has favored them by making them rich. However, in this verse, Allah says that the life of this world compared with the hereafter is but a trifling enjoyment. That is, true pleasure is in the hereafter, in paradise. Therefore, there is no point in boasting about one’s so-called privileges in this world.
What Happens If Someone Does Not Believe in the Afterlife?
We explained how those who do not believe in the afterlife will not go to heaven. Instead, they will be punished for not believing in one of the most crucial principles of Islam and other religions. The issue of faith is highly significant. One of the first things to which Islam invites people is having faith. Thus, the first step is having faith in the core beliefs of Islam. We must believe in one God, the prophets of Allah, the Imams after the Prophet (s), and the afterlife, including life in barzakh and life during and after the Day of Judgment. It is important to note that faith alone is not enough for salvation. Faith must be reflected in one’s actions. That is why the Quran always says that those who have faith and do good deeds will receive a great reward in the hereafter.
When one does not believe in the afterlife, it would no longer make any sense to avoid sins or even do good deeds for divine recompense. Even belief in God would be undermined. Why would God want someone to be good when they believe there is no life after death and they would not be rewarded or punished? Therefore, belief in the afterlife and the hereafter is crucial because it regulates one’s conduct in this world. A person who does not believe in the afterlife would commit as many sins as they want, whether they go against the law or not. In many countries around the world, many things that Islam has made unlawful are legal. Hence, a person with atheistic tendencies would be free to indulge in those sins without feeling guilty.
Conclusion
The afterlife is one of the fundamental beliefs of all Muslims and adherents of other religions. When one dies, one will be questioned as to what one believed in, what deeds one performed, and what intentions one had for those deeds. The Quran underlines the superiority of the afterlife over life in this world. Life in the hereafter is eternal, while life in this world is transitory. It is obvious that an eternal life is more important than a passing one. The Quran mentions many verses that urge us to prioritize the hereafter over the world and to strive in Allah’s way, seeking His pleasure. We conclude that belief in the afterlife gives a sense of direction to our lives, helps us to be righteous people, deters us from doing wrong, and ultimately grants us paradise.
