Basic Beliefs of Islam

Chapter 17 : Stages of Human Existence

The spectum of human existence

In the above sketch, human essence from womb to tomb and thereafter, has been drawn to explain the various events that happen one after the other.

This precisely shows that our stay in this physical world is extremely shor t in comparison to the pre-birth and after-death existence. We have lived millions of years somewhere in some form before we were conceived in mother 's womb and will live millions of years somewhere in some form when we will be thrown into the ear th's womb.

From there, we will rise to proceed to the final destination which will be beyond the limits of time. The Holy Quran invites to think that, how this shor t stay in this physical world, is going to shape our endless and eternal life.

Womb to Tomb and thereafter

The following chart has been prepared with the help of the Holy Quran which gives a precise record of events that occur from womb to tomb and thereafter. The Quran has described these stages in various places which are easily understandable to men of average intellect. It has been simply summarized in a map to show that these facts are in strict accordance with what has been discovered by scientists and what will be discovered much later on.

Science progresses by observation, experiments, and exploration. But Unfor tunately in many cases, these accurate modes of perceptions are flawed by wrong interpretation. An honest researcher in science can testify these clearly-defined stages of human existence.

From this self-explanatory map, a man of rational thinking can easily arrive at the following conclusions.

1 - Allah Subhanahu taala has first created the souls and kept them in a specific place.

2 - The soul was introduced in an organic body after the process of fertilization. The body with soul stayed in the mother 's womb for 9 months from where it arrives in the physical world at the time of birth.

3 - The life in the physical world is an infinitesimal por tion of the actual life.

4 - Death is not the end of life but the beginning of the second phase of the eternal life. Death separates the body from the soul.

5 - After experiencing death, the departed soul of every man and woman continues to live in a place which is conditioned in accordance with his/her performance in the world. This intermediate place which is a bridge between the first physical world and the second meta-physical world is known as the Barzakh.

6 - The stay in Barzakh may be pretty long but definitely not permanent. The soul will remain at this station from the time of the death until the end of the world / beginning of the new world, i.e., the day of Qiyamath / the resurrection day.

7 - The world will end at a definite time which only Allah knows. The entire universe and everything in it will be annihilated. Thereafter i.e., after the execution of the Qiyamah and total annihilation of the universe, Allah will then resurrect the entire human race that has ever existed anywhere and at any time for final judgment. This will be the most impor tant day for every soul.

PARADISE

Allah (swt) created all the souls and housed them altogether in a place known as Alam-e-Arwah and asked the whole bulk of souls - Am I not your Lord All souls responded, saying, Yes! you are our Lord.

Single diploid cell resulted from fusion of a male and female gamete. The zygote divides, and specialized cell lines develop which eventually results in offspring.

Every man and woman who was born in this world will acquire the final and eternal life which he or she will spend in a place known as Jannat or Jahannum. Phases of life.

As the map of life shows, we have various stages and phases of life.

1 - Life before birth. 2 - Life in this world. 3 - Life after death. 4 - Life after resurrection.