The importance of believing in the hereafter (Akhira or life after death) in a young Muslim’s life.

• When you are young (we will assume this to include ages of 15 to 35), the notion that “you are invincible and can do whatever you want”, “it is your life”, “your one life to live and no one can tell you otherwise” -is a feeling associated with various factors. Aside from the physiological (bodily) changes that have now occurred giving you access to strength, sexual capacity and other seemingly limitless doses of energy, there is a need to express these new found gifts.

 The Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "Whoever resembles a people is one of them." (Recorded by Abu Dawood)

• Our youth today are inundated through the media and popular secular, western culture with notions that ‘You Only Live Once’ (YOLO). This is the only time you have to enjoy the gifts you have been given as a youth; you should not waste a single minute thinking of why and why not, but should concentrate on exploring, expressing, experiencing and enjoying to the fullest degree possible. The same media and pop culture also casually let’s everyone know that going to heaven is a given for everyone and this transitory life has a God that loves us very much anyway and would not want us to limit ourselves by not experiencing the best this worldly life has to offer.

 

• Iblis (Satan) has a remarkable way of making sinful indulgence (prohibited in the Quran) wonderfully inviting knowing that it is to our human soul’s detriment in this life and the next. The Quran and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (pbuh) provide ample ways of making sure we get the most out of this worldly life without compromising the status of the future spiritual life and falling for the lies of Iblis. There are numerous aayah and surah’s on the reasons why man has been created, the torment of the grave, the day of Qiyamah and judgment, the importance of seeking forgiveness, enjoining good and shunning evil. These, amongst many other teachings found in the wisdom of the glorious Quran and the hadiths and teachings of the most perfect human to have ever lived (Prophet Muhammad pbuh), are important shields from the weapons that Iblis will throw at us from time to time.

 

• Equally important in the life of a young Muslim is the thought that at every given moment from birth until death, a person is being watched by Allah’s angels 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With no commercial or bathroom breaks, everything you do is recorded with HD clarity better than any hidden camera! The knowledge and feeling of constantly being watched all the time has a remarkable way of curbing indulgence. Sinful indulgence is not easily committed by one who has a soul that knows it is being watched by a superior being who will exact judgement in full. Imagine breaking the law right in front of a policeman, judge and jury knowing they are witnesses to your misdeeds! Sinful indulgence has far reaching negative consequences on our present worldly lives from social, economic, emotional and sometimes physical perspectives which outweigh the temporary euphoria experience at the point of the indulgence. Allah’s way of protecting us from these negative consequences in this life is to make sure we are aware it will have an impact on the comfort of our hereafter. Let us all try to strengthen our Eeman by having a conscious awareness of the life after death.

 

NB: Reference has been made to the Surahs of the Quran in this article. Indeed benefitting and growing spiritually as a Muslim requires us to have a robust and avid reading culture, particularly of our two most central books. This will be the topic of my next article insha’Allah.

 

photo credit: Mohammed Abdifatah

---