I was inspired by a recent lecture by Sheikh Yasir Qadhi called “Benefits of Believing in Life after Death” to write this post and decided to document my learning from it.
Here are the main benefits described in the lecture on YouTube (do check it out). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7OU1EQwofM&t=2168s
- Life attains meaning and purpose
Our existence is not accidental and once we die, we will not perish, in fact, we must plan and prepare for the Hereafter. We understand the wisdom behind our creation and it imbibes us with meaning and purpose.
2. A sense of accountability helps you live a life of better quality
When we believe that we are accountable for everything we do, we will automatically try and uphold good character and practices. Belief in Akhirah brings about a reduction in all evils across society.
3. Brings optimism in difficult times
This is a world of pain, suffering and anxiety. There are tragedies all around us, from the Uighur Muslims to Kashmir to Burma and so many stories that we don’t even know. We realize that the suffering is temporary and in the next life there’s going to be something better. Anxiety, depression and suicide will all go up if there’s no belief in Akhirah.
4. Academic Article in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases
A number of scientists, psychiatrists and sociologists studied the lives of over 1500 people in America and surveyed correlation between a belief in the hereafter and six key aspects: anxiety, depression, obsession compulsion, paranoia, phobia and somatization. The results confirmed the following: Belief in life after death was significantly associated with lower symptom levels on all six psychiatric symptom clusters.
5. Perfect Justice in the Next Life
In this world, innocent people do not receive complete justice. Belief in Yawm-al-Hisaab gives us peace in an unjust world. The tyrant that has mass murdered millions of people will only be killed once even if he is taken to account. In the Hereafter, justice will be truly served and we can look forward to ultimate closure.
6. When you don’t believe in Akhirah, you live in the rat race.
When you have no higher goal, your goal becomes the right here and now and you’re never happy with what you have because you always look at the bigger house or the bigger bank account or the more fame. When you believe in the Akhirah all of a sudden you realize – you know what this dunya is temporary anyway. What I have I have what I don’t have I don’t have and I have something to look forward to in the hereafter. A belief in the hereafter brings a sense of deep contentment.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever is concerned about the Hereafter, Allah will place richness in his heart, bring his affairs together, and the world will inevitably come to him. Whoever is concerned about the world, Allah will place poverty between his eyes, disorder his affairs, and he will get nothing of the world but what is decreed for him.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2465
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ كَانَتْ الْآخِرَةُ هَمَّهُ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ غِنَاهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَجَمَعَ لَهُ شَمْلَهُ وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ رَاغِمَةٌ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ الدُّنْيَا هَمَّهُ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فَقْرَهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَفَرَّقَ عَلَيْهِ شَمْلَهُ وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنْ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَا قُدِّرَ لَهُ
Footprints on the Sands of Time 