The Hereafter begins with death. To fully understand the concept of belief in the Hereafter, it is necessary to understand death and the life of the grave. There are two types of death on the way to the afterlife. Believer and non-believer.
There are two destinations in the Hereafter: Heaven or Hell. And there are two outcomes: the Mercy of Almighty Allah or His anger. Belief in the Hereafter is one of the fundamental principles of Islam.
As much as we understand the reality of life and death, we must also accept and believe in the reality of the Hereafter.
Like every living being, humans also have a limited lifetime. When the time determined by Allah comes, every human being will taste death. Everything except Allah is mortal. (Al-Qasas 88). Our Almighty Lord also says:
“Tell them: ‘That death which you escape will surely meet you. Then you will be returned to Allah, the Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of what you used to do.’” (Al-Jumu'ah 8)
For a believer, if a life pleasing to Allah is lived, death is not an end or a decay.
In fact, it is more important to see death not as a removal, but as awakening to eternal life. Because humans have been sent to this world for a test, and this test will continue until the moment of their death.
In essence, death is just a door to pass through, leaving behind the troubles and chaos of this world to reach eternal happiness.
THE AFTERLIFE IS THE TRUE LIFE
Allah Almighty compares worldly life to a game and entertainment. He says it is a place of empty boasting and adds: "The life of this world is nothing but deception and distraction." (Hadid 20)
Our Creator informs us with absolute certainty that the true life is the life of the Hereafter (Ahqaf 64). Since the Hereafter is both better and eternal, He questions with what logic we choose the world instead. (A'la 16-17)
What right, what reason, and what courage do we have to prefer this world, which will meet everyone with death until the Day of Judgment, over the Hereafter?
Since we were not the first humans, those before us clearly saw what happens to people in this world. Those who come here leave, and those who leave do not return. That place they go to and never return from is the Hereafter.
The Hereafter has many names. In the Noble Qur'an, the name "Hereafter/Akhirah" is mentioned directly in 110 places. The Hereafter is given many names based on the states and events that will occur within it. The Qur'an introduces that day with the following attributes:
The Day of the Hereafter is the Day of Resurrection for the dead. On that day, people will rise from their graves and be brought before the Lord of all worlds. That day is when the scales of justice will be set, and the servants will be judged by Almighty Allah. It is the day when everyone will receive the full reward or punishment for what they did in the world. That day is the day of meeting Almighty and Glorious Allah. It is the day when the good people are separated from the evil, and all disagreements and differences are settled.
That day is the day when all of Allah the Almighty's promises and warnings come to pass. It is the day when all the prophets and the believers who followed them will be proven right.
That day is the day when disbelievers and sinners will cry out in regret. It is the day so terrifying that even children will grow old from its horror. On that day, everyone will be overwhelmed by their own troubles; fathers will escape their children, husbands will turn away from their wives, and friends will escape from friends.
That day is a day when worldly wealth and power will be no benefit. Indeed, the Hereafter is the day when true life begins.
