The root of 'Maad' (Hereafter) is 'Aud'

The root of 'Maad' (Hereafter) is 'Aud' which means to return or to come back. As on the Day of Resurrection souls will be made to return to their bodies, it is called Maad. 'Maad' is one of the principles of the Holy religion of Islam and to have faith in it is absolutely essential or obligatory and it is that everyone will, after his death, become alive again and would be rewarded or punished according to ones belief and deeds. 'Maad' which begins with death and then passes through grave and then Barzakh and then Qiyamat-e-Kubra (the great resurrection) and ends with either Paradise or Hell cannot be comprehended by the apparent senses and even though the occurring of the original 'Maad' or Resurrection is proved by logic or brain (the details of which will be discussed later on), it is impossible for one to ponder in solitude over it and to understand what will happen after death, and through which stages one will have to pass. For understanding this, there is no way except to rely on and take help from divine revelation because man wherever he is, his power of understanding cannot cross the limits of his world. For example, it is impossible for a baby in the womb to get the idea of the outside world and to fathom its vastness. Similarly it is also beyond his powers to understand the endlessness of the space and to know about the things therein. Likewise, the man who lives in this world like a captive of matter and nature cannot have the ability to understand the world of

angels and spirits, which is hidden from him. To reach that state will be possible only after getting freedom from this material world. In short, a man who is living in this material world, can never be able to know the details of the world after death, unless he puts faith and trusts in the truths made known by the Creator of this Universe. Characteristics of the Hereafter have nothing to do with Intellect So if anyone says, "It is far from my brain that such and such thing will happen after death," then his saying so is absolutely unacceptable because the conditions and events after death have no relation with the bodily brain. Even if all the thinkers and philosophers join together and make collective efforts to understand the conditions beyond death (in the other world) through the materials available to them in this earthly life they can never succeed in their manoeuvrings. So if we do have any source, it is only those things and those words, which the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.s.) and His Holy Progeny have shown to us. Hence we also confirm them, as all of those great persons who are Infallible are those to whom God Almighty, the Lord of the Universe sends Revelation. Does a Dead Body Talk? This discussion will prove that the doubts and distrusts expressed by some senseless people are totally baseless. For example, they say that the body of a man who has died is just like dust and stone or like dry wood and so how can it be questioned in a grave? In other words, can stones talk? If we fill up the mouth of a dead body with something and, on the next day, open his grave and see we will find that nothing has gone out of that mouth. (The answer to this question will be given soon). Talking is not Limited to the Tongue Possibilities and probabilities are essential to intellect. An intelligent man (having brain) hears a thing and if it is impossible according to intelligence, he doubts it's being either true or untrue. But if the one from whom he heard that thing is an infallible person then the

25former will at once say that whatever he has said is true. But if the hearer is unwise and ignorant he would exclaim, "What kind of talks are these, which we fail to understand!" So not to accept the words of the infallible would be based on senselessness and foolishness. Such a fellow is like a quadruped but has two feet whose senses are limited only to eating, sleeping and intercourse with the opposite sex. Obviously if it is told to an ox or an ass that an angel appears before our eyes at the time of death or that there will be a questioning in our graves, they will not be able to agree because their intelligence is limited and cannot go far from their bellies and genitals. Only a higher level of soul can accept such news and matters. There is no scope here to deal at length and with full details. Therefore, we mention briefly what has been narrated by Ahle Bayt regarding what happens right from the first stage (death) up to the last one (Resurrection). Death: The First Station Truth About Death: The dislocation or the breaking of the relationship between body and soul is called death. Several examples have been quoted to explain this connection. Some say it is like the relation between a ship and its captain wherein death snatches away the ship from the control and authority of the captain. You say: My hand, my leg and my eye. This means 'I' (my) is something other than the said hand, leg and eye. When you say: I walked, it is true that you moved but you walked through your legs. This shows that 'You' are something other than the limb called leg. Likewise, you say: I saw, I heard, I said. In all these three sentences the word 'I' (my) refers to a person and this person is the same as your soul which becomes manifest through the said scenes and which has been expressed through the above sentences. It is the soul that sees and hears but through the eyeballs in the eyes and the holes in the ears respectively. These eyes and ears are, of course, the means of seeing and hearing. Soul is a lamp lighted by God's Might in the dark house of body, which shows its light through eyes, ears and other organs.

What is Death? Shifting of the lamp from one place to another place. For instance, suppose there is a hut having many holes. If a lamp is placed in it, its light would be emitted through those holes. But as soon as that lamp is moved out of that hut it will make the hut dark. Similarly, so long as the lamp of soul remains in the body it manifests its existence known through the light, which comes out from limbs like eyes and ears etc. But as soon as this lamp of soul is removed from the body, all its manifestations also cease and the body becomes dark. This is Death. This was just and explanatory example. Otherwise… The Soul Neither Enters the Body nor Gets Out of it It must be understood that the relation between the soul and the body is not by way of Hulool (penetrative migration). It is not like the entrance of water in a utensil or of air in vacuum. It also cannot be said that it remains out of body or it goes out of it at the time of death because soul is essence, not matter. There is no question of its entering or vacating. The only thing is that its relation with body is such that it remains fully attentive to the body. Death disconnects this relation. It is also obligatory for us to believe that death occurs by the command of God. The same Power, which had, established this relation in the womb, at the last moment of the worldly life, disconnects this relation between the body and soul. Only He is the bestower of life and death. The Holy Quran says, God gives life and only God causes death also. (39:42) Some common people are very angry with Izra'eel (The angel of death). They do not even like to hear his name. They even condemn him though they know that these angels do not do anything of their own wish or authority. They have been employed by the Lord of the Universe and hence do everything by His order or command.

How the soul is taken How soul is retrieved from body has been narrated in the traditions about the Me'raj (ascension) of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.). In short, there is a board in front of Izra'eel, which contains names of all the people. The name of the person whose time for death arrives is removed from that board and Israel at once takes possession of his or her soul. It is also possible that names of thousands of people may be wiped out at one moment whereupon Israel takes the souls of all of them instantly. This is not astonishing. It is just like a gust of breeze blowing off thousands of lamps in a split second. All of it is by the power of the Almighty. Doubtlessly it is Israel who snatches souls but, as a matter of fact, it is only God Who causes it because it is only His command and Will. Who causes death? God, Izra'eel or the angels? Here comes up a question: Who takes away the soul? It is God or Izra'eel or the angels? There are three verses about this in the Holy Quran. At one place it says: God causes Death. At another place it is mentioned that: The angel of death takes away the soul. (Surah Sajdah 32:11)[1]. On yet another occasion it is mentioned: Angels collect the souls. (Surah Nisa 4:97)[2]. The fact is that all these statements are true because, the angel of death and his subordinate angels collect souls as commanded by God Almighty. Doubtlessly it is just like this: A king, through his army and its chiefs, conquers a country. It is correct to say that such and such army won such and such territory. Similarly, it is also correct to mention that such and such commander captured such and such country. But in both the statements the fact remains that the country has been conquered by the king who owns, manages and directs the affairs of his state through officers and personnel under his command. This example also is only for making the matter understandable. Otherwise such examples cannot fully describe and explain the power of the Almighty. [1] Say: The angel of death who is given charge of you shall cause you to die, then to your Lord you shall be brought back.   [2] Surely (as for) those whom the angels cause to die while they are unjust to their souls, they shall say: In what state were you? They shall say: We were weak in the earth. They shall say: Was not Allah's earth spacious, so that you should have migrated therein? So these it is whose abode is hell, and it is an evil resort.