Meaning & Origin

The Arabic word, الآخرة – Al-Akhirah, is an Islamic term referring to the life after death. It comes from the root term Al-Akhir, which meaning last, ultimate, end, or close.

Concept in the Quran.

According to the Quranic education, the Day of Judgment occurs when the earthly or temporal world (dunya) ends, the deceased rise from their graves, and God pronounces judgment, condemning them eternally to either the delights of Jannah (paradise) or the fires of Jahannam (Hell). 

The Reality of Resurrection.

The Qur’an regularly utilizes the metaphor of rain to explain how the dead can be resurrected. Allah can resurrect the dead in the same way as dead land becomes covered in greenery following a rainstorm. Concerning Allah’s ability to bring forth the resurrection, the Qur’anic reasoning is that if He can create not only humans but the entire world, why should it be difficult for Him to renew them? Some prophets, notably Prophet Ibrahim (as), witnessed how Allah resurrected the dead. Similarly, the account of the cave companions (Surah al-Kahf) is presented as historical evidence that humans can be resurrected after around three hundred years of sleep.

A Comparison with Dunya

A helpful comparison for contrasting the two realms – Dunya and Akhirah – is a fetus developing inside the mother’s womb and then living outside the womb after birth. A fetus’ existence is restricted to its mother’s womb, and its sensory experience and information are limited. If someone told the embryo that there is a large, expanding world outside the mother’s womb full of activities, people, food, pleasures, and sightseeing, the fetus would have a hard time seeing it since they have no context for what we are saying. Similarly, life beyond death, or the Akhirah, is enormous and contains more than we have seen or can ever imagine.

Significance in Islam

The term ایمان بالاخرۃ, or Iman-bil-Akhirah, the belief in life after death, is significant because it links to the six essential pillars of Islam;

Belief in Tawhid (the Oneness of God).

Believe in Angels

Belief in four divine books (the Quran, Torah, Gospel, and Psalm)

Believe in the Prophets and Messengers.

Belief in predestination

Belief in Al-Akhira aims to establish true justice. In this world, the upright suffer and are not adequately compensated for their actions. Similarly, evil people are triumphant and regularly avoid punishment for their crimes. Allah, the Just, wants everyone to obtain perfect justice and compensation. This planet is known as Dar al-Imtihan (a place of trial or examination) (Surah al-Mulk 67:1-2).

Important Events:

To stimulate and reinforce believers’ confidence, the Quran and Ahadith provide a detailed explanation of all the events that will take place in the Hereafter. The Quran uses numerous analogies to convey the horror and devastation of the Day when Dunya’s life dimension ends and Akhirah begins. Some of these terms are:

Barzakh

The Arabic word Barzakh means “separate” or “barrier.” According to Islam, Barzakh is a world that exists outside of the dunya and the hereafter. It stands between them as a barrier. Specifically, the Quran refers to the time between a person’s death and their resurrection on the Day of Judgment. 

Trumpets are sounding

This Sur, or Trumpet, will produce a frightening and continuous sound that will last until all creations have died. The Qur’an and Sunnah state that the trumpet will sound twice on the Day of Judgment.

The first trumpet is known as natkhat-us-saaq, which translates as “the trumpet of faint.” When this trumpet sounds, all angels in the skies, as well as Jinns, humans, and animals on Earth, will become unconscious and descend to the ground.

The second trumpet is known as the “trumpet of Resurrection,” or nafahat-ul-bath. Bath means “to rise.” The dead shall rise and stand as soon as this trumpet sounds (Maarif ul Quran).

Judgment Day

On the Day of Judgment, each person will be held accountable for their life experiences, acts, and beliefs. The righteous will obtain heaven, while the wicked will face hellfire. Regarding the judgment, there will be three categories of people:

A group of pious believers will be rewarded with their record of actions in the right hand, and they will joyfully enter paradise.

Infidels will be tortured in their graves before the Day of Judgment, as well as in hell. They will receive their life’s record of deeds in their left hand.

“The people of disobedience,” or rebellious Muslims who have sinned, may be tortured in accordance with their offenses in order to be “purified from evil.”

Conclusion

To summarize, Akhirah is a basic idea in Islamic belief that refers to the hereafter and each individual’s ultimate destiny. It includes the Day of Judgment, the Day of Resurrection, and eternal life beyond.

Muslims believe that the Akhirah is a reality that exists alongside this life and that one’s acts in this life impact their fate in the next. As a result, striving for righteousness and good acts, while avoiding sin and transgression, is critical for success in the Akhirah. The belief in the Akhirah is a fundamental principle of Islam that gives Muslims a feeling of purpose, accountability and hope for the future.