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We know a lot about life, but what do we know about death? Is there life after death? What happens after we die?

In the Quran, there are methods of proof for the existence of life after death, resurrection in the grave and the realm of judgment, and heaven and hell. The Quran explains this unseen subject, which is one of the foundations of faith, by using the course of the world, material and tangible objects, and living things as evidence.

The answer to the question, “What happens after we die?” is of course based on faith in Allah, as is the case with all matters of faith. Because it is known that heaven and hell are the promises and threats of Allah. Destiny is Allah’s knowledge of everything. Prophets are the messengers of Allah, holy books are the words of Allah, and angels are the devout soldiers of Allah.

In this context, the Quran proves the existence of a creator from things, and at the same time, it enables the understanding and discovery in the minds of the attributes and names of our creator, Allah. It places the belief system of resurrection and eternal life on this definition of the creator. There are verses that give us the answer to the question of what happens after we die.

Verses 77-79 from the Yasin chapter can be given as an example of this.

اَوَ لَمْ يَرَ الْاِنْسَانُ اَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ فَاِذَا هُوَ خَص۪يمٌ مُب۪ينٌ‌ـ﴿٧٧‌ـ﴾
77- Does not man see that We created him from sperm, and behold, he becomes a clear enemy?
ضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا وَنَسِىَ خَلْقَهُۜ قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِى الْعِظَامَ وَهِىَ رَم۪يمٌ‌ـ﴿٧٨‌ـ﴾
78- He tries to make an example out of Us, forgetting his own creation, and says: “Who will revive these decayed bones?”
ُلْ يُحْي۪يهَا الَّذ۪ٓى اَنْشَاَهَٓا اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍۜ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَل۪يمٌۙ‌ـ﴿٧٩‌ـ﴾
79- Say: He who created them the first time will revive them. Indeed, He has full knowledge of every creation.

To explain these verses with a few comparisons; If a miraculous scribe were to be found, who could write three hundred thousand books, whose letters were either corrupted or ruined, on a single page, without mixing, without omissions, mistakes, or deficiencies, all together in a very beautiful manner in one hour, and if someone said to you, “This scribe will rewrite your book, which he himself wrote and which has fallen into the water, from his memory in one minute.” Would you be able to say, “He cannot do it and I do not believe it.”

Or if you see a miraculous sultan who, in order to show his power or for the sake of example and consolation, with a signal lifts mountains, transforms countries, and turns the sea into dry land, and then you see that a large stone has rolled down into a stream, blocking the way for the guests he has invited to his feast, and they cannot pass. If someone says to you, “With a signal, that person will lift that stone, no matter how large it is, or scatter it. He will not leave his guests stranded.” If you say, “He will not lift it or cannot lift it.” Or if someone re-forms a large army one day and someone says, “With a trumpet call, that person will gather the battalions whose members have dispersed for rest. The battalions will come under his order.” If you say, “I do not believe it!” You realize how crazy you are acting… Words – 81 (10th Word 9th Truth)

To summarize the answer to the question of what happens after we die; it is based on the awareness that resurrection-afterlife is proven by the logic of reaching a conclusion with evidence and that earthly equivalents of this claim are always and everywhere (such as the daily gathering and dispersal of clouds, or the annual resurrection of living things that died in the winter in the spring).

Along with these, the most important issue of humanity, such as death and the existence of life after death, is revealed not only by external-objective evidence, but also -in a way of making claims from the results- the issue of belief in the afterlife emerges as an inevitable reality from the inner, psychological states of man and social facts.

It is as follows:
Man, unlike other animals, is concerned with the world in the same way that he is concerned with his home, and just as he is concerned with his relatives, he is also seriously and naturally concerned with the human race. And just as he desires temporary permanence in this world, he desires permanence in an eternal realm to the degree of love. And just as he tries to meet the food needs of his stomach, he is compelled by nature to provide tables and food as wide as the world, perhaps extending to eternity, for the mind, heart, soul and stomach of humanity. And he has such desires and desires that nothing but eternal happiness satisfies them. In fact, as indicated in the Tenth Word, once – when I was a child – I asked myself from my imagination: “Would you like to be given a million years of life and the dominion of the world, but then fall into non-existence and nothingness? Or would you like an everlasting but humiliating and difficult body?” I saw that he desired the latter and sighed at the former. He said, “I want immortality even if it is Hell.”

Since the power of imagination, which is a servant of the human nature, is not satisfied by the pleasures of this world. Of course, the human nature, which is quite comprehensive, is naturally concerned with eternity. Although it is dependent on these boundless desires and ambitions, and the capital of a person is a partial free will and absolute poverty, how powerful, sufficient and essential a treasure is belief in the hereafter, a means of happiness and pleasure, a means of help, a resort and a means of consolation against the boundless sorrows of the world? It is such a fruit and benefit that even if one sacrifices worldly life on the way to earn it, it is still cheap. The Staff of Moses 40 (11th Ray, 8th Matter)

Comparing the effects of believing in the existence of the afterlife, one of the most important claims of the Qur’an, in social life, as shown by the Qur’an, with the social consequences of not believing in the afterlife, also shows how strong and unshakable the belief in the afterlife is based on.

For example:

The elderly, who constitute one part of man, can only find consolation against the imminent extinction of their lives and their entry into the earth, and the closing of their beautiful and lovely world, in belief in the hereafter. Otherwise, those merciful, honorable fathers and devoted, compassionate mothers would suffer such a spiritual uproar and heartbreak that the world would become a despairing prison for them and life would become a torturous torment. But belief in the hereafter tells them, “Do not worry. You have an eternal youth, a future, a bright life and an endless life await you. And you will meet with joy the children and relatives you lost. And all the good deeds you did will be preserved, and you will see their rewards.” Thus, belief in the hereafter gives them such consolation and relief that even if a hundred old ages were to gather on each of them at once, it would not make them despair.

If the young people, who constitute one-third of the human race, are overwhelmed by passions, overcome by emotions, bold, and do not always come to their senses, lose their belief in the hereafter and do not recall the torments of Hell, the property and chastity of honorable people and the comfort and dignity of the weak and elderly will be in danger in social life. For a moment’s pleasure, they will ruin the happiness of a happy home and suffer four or five years of torment in such prisons, becoming like a savage animal. If faith in the hereafter comes to his aid, he will quickly come to his senses. “Although the government spies do not see me and I can hide from them, the angels of a Sultan of Majesty who has a prison like Hell see me and record my bad deeds. I am not aimless, I am a traveler with duties. I will also grow old and weak like them,” he suddenly begins to feel compassion and respect for the men he wants to oppress. We will cut this short, contenting ourselves with the explanation of this meaning with proofs in the Risale-i Nur. The Staff of Moses42 (11th Ray, 8th Matter)