INTRODUCTION of the book

 In most cases, human beings have objectives to achieve and targets to attain during their lifetimes; this applies even to those heedless ones whose sole aim in life is enjoyment and seeking pleasure; such heedless people are in for a big surprise on the Resurrection Day before their entering into Hell: the Lord God will tell them the following: "Did you think that We created you in vain, and that to Us you will not be returned?” So Exalted is God, the King, the True. There is no God but He, the Lord of the Noble Throne." (23:115-116). Yet, the fate of such heedless people may change if, before the time for their death comes, they take heed of the fact their souls have two bodies: the earthly one made of mud/dust in this world and the new, eternal which must be put into consideration within piety, monotheism, and good deeds so that one's fate will be in Paradise forever instead of Hell for eternity. We provide some details in the points below.

Firstly: the human physical body known to us:

1- It is absurd to confine one's objectives and targets to this transient world and to one's physical body's pleasures, comfort, and beauty. One grows older and uglier with the passage of time; this is an undeniable and unchangeable fact: "Whomever We grant old age, We reverse his development. Do they not understand?" (36:68). Old persons see photos of themselves in younger, happier days and bemoan and lament the loss of their youth and beauty; they sense that death is drawing nearer to their frail, diseased bodies which are about to collapse; they are walking corpses; their bodies are about to die and decompose into unsightly corpses. This is in contrast to exerting much efforts to beautify their youthful bodies in the past.

2- The real person is the soul and not the physical body; the dead soul returns to its original place (i.e., Barsakh) and the dead body returns to its origin: dust. This is why when one of the sons of Adam murdered his innocent brother, he knew that the dead body was a corpse (which will return to the earth's dust from which it was created) and not his brother; the true brother is the dead soul which departed the body and returned to Barsakh; this is among the miraculous linguistic features of the Quran within the meticulous choice of diction (i.e., words and terms). Adam and his wife and the rest of their progeny were still alive at the time, and the murderer did not know what to do with the corpse until a raven taught him how to bury the corpse: "Then God sent a raven digging the ground, to show him how to cover his brother's corpse. He said, “Woe to me! I was unable to be like this raven, and bury my brother's corpse.” So he became full of regrets." (5:31).

Secondly: the human soul:

1- The soul is the real human being and not the earthly garment of flesh it wears during its temporary existence on earth. The human soul is an ethereal, metaphysical Barsakh creature; it came from Barsakh to be born in human flesh to be tested in this world, and when the duration of its test (i.e., its lifetime on earth) ends, the soul leaves the physical body forever and return to Barsakh, while carrying its Record/Book of Deeds, until the Resurrection Day when it will be judged by the Lord God to begin its eternity either in Hell or in Paradise. For more details about this topic, we refer readers to our two books, in English, titled "The Book of Death" and "The Book of Barsakh", found on these links respectively:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=120

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=138

These two books of ours are available in French on the following two links respectively:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=130

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=155

2- Each human soul has its preordained duration of the test of life on earth while being clothed in human flesh, and it has absolute freedom of action and of choice regarding (dis)belief and (mis)guidance. No soul can postpone its predetermined time of death; the souls are breathed into human embryos, and the human babies enter into weak/strong phases of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and the senile old age: "God is He Who created you weak, then after weakness gave you strength, then after strength gave you weakness and gray hair. He creates whatever He wills. He is the Omniscient, the Omnipotent." (30:54). And then, the human bodies (or the flesh garments of the souls) die and return to dust from which it was created and souls return to Barsakh. 

Thirdly: the decomposed, dead body:

1- When souls leave the bodies forever, the dead bodies (or garments of flesh worn temporarily by the souls) decompose and became unsightly and nauseating; no one would bear to smell or look at them; dead bodies must be buried to be left to decompose and return to dust without harming the living people.

2- This should teach us never to be deceived by the physical charms of others or by the beauty of human bodies of any people; the dead bodies decompose into unsightly, moldy, garbage-like, feces-like masses which would make living people vomit if they see or smell them.

3- Even living human bodies should be considered as moving corpses or mobile pieces of clay; they need care all the time; they need to be cleaned, beautified, fed, and protected. Or else, they will be infected and diseased. The beauty of (fe)male human bodies is temporary and short-lived; it lasts only during the stage of youth; the human body organs under the skin are not a good sight to be seen and it would make one puke even if the outer skin/cover is beautiful to feel and touch. Let alone seeing decomposed corpses of men and women.   

Fourthly: the soul's new, eternal body of the Hereafter is woven and composed of one's good or bad deeds:

1- Hence, according to the above point, it is absurd to confine one's objectives in life to one's physical body's pleasures since the existence of human bodies are temporary. One cannot trust one's body and bet on it that focusing on it will result in happiness. The only riskless bet/wager is to shift one's focus and objectives all the time towards the good deeds within monotheistic belief in the Lord God and in the Hereafter so that one earns the radiant, eternal body for one's soul in Paradise. Yet, this does not mean to lead an ascetic life on earth; rather, we mean that one can enjoy permissible items in this world without excesses or extravagance while being grateful and thankful to the Lord God for the bounties He has bestowed on us. Good deeds within piety and monotheism includes sincere, devoted acts of worship dedicated only to Allah and good treatment and peaceful dealings with peaceful people. Thus, good deeds within monotheism and righteousness make people fit for entering into Paradise; good souls will receive eternal, radiant bodies in the Hereafter which will allow them to enjoy Paradise pleasures forever: "Those who believe and do good works - We will admit them into the company of the righteous." (29:9); "But as for you, O comforted soul. Return to your Lord, pleased and accepted. Enter among My servants. Enter into My Paradise." (89:27-30); "...Rivers will flow beneath them. And they will say, “Praise be to God, who has guided us to this. Had God not guided us, we would never be guided. The messengers of our Lord did come with the truth.” And it will be proclaimed to them, “This is the Garden you are made to inherit, on account of what you used to do.”" (7:43).    

2- In contrast, losers who wasted their short lifetimes on earth will regret it after it is too late for them because they did not offer enough good deeds which would have woven their eternal bodies fit for Paradise: "He will say, “If only I had forwarded for my life.”" (89:24); they spent their lifetimes in sins and disobedience as they worshiped their physical bodies; their sins and misdeeds will be woven into eternal bodies fit only for Hell-fire torment forever their sins will turn into raging fire which will burn them for eternity: "So the evils of their deeds assailed them..." (16:34); "On the Day when the punishment will envelop them, from above them, and from beneath their feet, He will say, “Taste what you used to do!”" (29:55).

3- Hence, if one's soul will enter into Paradise, one's good deeds will turn into the Light and the pleasures of Paradise enjoyed forever within an eternal, radiant body. If one's soul will enter into Hell, one's sins and misdeeds will turn into darkness, torment, and raging fire within eternal suffering within an eternal, ugly body which will never die. 

4- This means there are two bodies for each human soul: (1) the temporary physical body of flesh during the lifetime of the soul on earth which will die and decompose to turn into dust from which it is created, and (2) the eternal body of the Hereafter woven of one's deeds chosen freely on earth as per one's free will; such deeds fill the Book of Deeds and the time-frame of one's lifetime on earth. One's deeds and faith will determine the type of one's eternal body either in Hell or in Paradise. 

Fifthly: the soul's new, eternal body is linked to the element of time:

 Time is the fourth dimension of matter a per the theory of relativity; time envelopes the whole universe though we cannot see time; our souls cannot escape time unless during sleep/coma or through death. The pace of time is unstoppable and it moves forward and never turns back; one cannot retrieve or relive the lost/past seconds (let alone past months or years). Of course, when one's soul wear human flesh to be tested on earth, the predetermined duration of the test is decided by the Lord God; when its duration on earth ends, the soul leaves the body for good and return to Barsakh while the dead body returns to the earth. Life is like a one-way train/vehicle heading to one destination: death. When the time comes to anyone, they descend into their stop: death. Souls of dead human being remain in Barsakh tombs in a state of senselessness, timelessness, and motionlessness. When the Hour takes place, the (meta)physical levels/realms of the universe will be destroyed; the observable universe will be destroyed with its earth, stars, planets, galaxies,...etc. A New, Eternal Realm will emerge for the Resurrection Day and Judgment when resurrected human souls will meet with the Lord God. The moving time on earth will be no longer there; eternity or static time of the Last Day will replace it; the eternal souls will live without dying, some in Hell and some in Paradise as per the nature of their eternal bodies woven of their bad/good deeds performed when souls had full freedom during their lifetimes on earth. Time is the most important dimension of our physical existence on earth because it is the invisible container carrying the deeds of our souls recorded by angels; our deeds will be the basis of our eternal bodies of the Hereafter. The earthly body of flesh will be lost forever after one's death.     

Sixthly: the angels who record the deeds of human beings/souls fill the Book of Deeds as per the element of time:

1- The human souls who are breathed into human flesh carry two containers: the physical body and time; i.e., one's deeds performed during one's test's duration on earth are recorded by the angels in the Book of Deeds. Of course, one's soul et temporary relief from the confinement of the human flesh during sleep/coma and one's soul leaves the earthly body forever in death. Once one dies when the duration of one's soul's test would end, the Book of Deed of one's soul is closed/sealed forever after it has documented the deeds of every (femto)second of one's lifetime. This Book of Deeds record our good/bad actions, intentions, thoughts, faiths, words,...etc.

2- There are two angels assigned to each living human being to record their deeds, events, words...etc. as if in a video recorder. The Book of Deeds is like an archive of one's lifetime: "He has a succession; before him and behind him, watching him as per God’s command..." (13:10); "When the tombs are strewn around. Each soul will know what it has advanced, and what it has deferred. O man! What deluded you concerning your Lord, the Most Generous? He Who created you, and formed you, and proportioned you? In whatever shape He willed, He assembled you. But you reject the religion. Though over you are watchers. Honest recorders. They know everything you do." (82:4-12)

Seventhly: the relation between the soul's physical, temporary body on earth and its new, eternal body of the Hereafter:

1-The more one's lifetime passes, it decreases; in contrast, its Book of Deeds is filled with the passage of time; hence, the container of time increases while the lifetime assigned to the soul deceases. Eventually death will occur to the earthly body of flesh and the soul returns to Barsakh until the Resurrection Day when it will be clothed in, or united with, its eternal body woven of its recorded good or bad deeds.

2- Let us exemplify the above point here: the soul of a man is assigned to a duration of life on earth for 70 years; once he is born, his lifetime is 70 years minus one minute; the countdown has begun for the assigned time of his death; a month later, his age is 70 years minus one minute...etc. Thus, with each passing second, one's allotted lifetime deceases and such seconds (with our thoughts, deeds, and words) are recorded in the container of time (or the Book of Deeds of the soul) by the two angels assigned for each human soul. "God created you from dust, then from a small drop; then He made you pairs. No female conceives, or delivers, except with His knowledge. No living thing advances in years, or its life is shortened, except it be in a Record. That is surely easy for God." (35:11).

3- Thus, the dead souls remain in Barsakh tombs until the Resurrection Day when they will be united with their eternal bodies woven by the Book of Deeds or container of time of each soul; this eternal body will fit for either Hell or Paradise as per the quality of deeds (good ones or sins) and faith (monotheism or polytheism).

4- Each passing second is irretrievable; it cannot be restored by us who are mortals living on earth; these seconds are recorded as if in a video by angels in the Book of Deeds which is closed down when the soul leaves the earthly body for good (i.e., death). The soul lost the physical body of clay forever; it will remain in its metaphysical Barsakh tomb until united with its new, eternal body on the Last Day to enter either into Hell or Paradise for eternity. The souls will never die again.

Eighthly: the threshold of death and the decisive moment between both bodies of each of the human souls:

1- When one dies, the human flesh decompose and turn eventually into dust inside tombs; it is like a worn-out, tattered dress that will never be needed again since the new, eternal body in the Hereafter will be woven of one's deeds recorded by angels in the Book of Deeds. This Book of Deeds will be sealed or closed down forever; it will be archived; this will be the archive of one's lifetime; no one can alter it, omit anything from it, or add anything to it. The devilish Sunnite hadith of (After a man dies, his deeds can continue only in three cases:..., ..., &...) is false and deceitful; it contradicts the Quran.  

2- This means that upon the moment of dying, or within the threshold of death, there will be a decisive moment between both bodies of each of the human souls; time on earth (which is the fourth dimension of matter) will vanish in relation to the soul of the dying person; the soul's relation with its physical body of flesh is severed forever as the angels of death take the soul from it. The soul waits in the Barsakh tomb of timelessness, motionlessness, and senselessness until the Last Day when it will be united with its new, eternal body woven of its deeds recorded previously in the archive or Book of Deeds.

3- No one died and returned to life to narrate to the living people what the moment of dying looks like; we beg our readers to excuse us for having to write the word 'moment' of dying; the human tongues cannot express how the dying souls are separated forever from the sense of time on earth. We and our readers can imagine, with our limited capacity of the human mind, the decisive moment or the threshold of death (e.g., when someone dies in bed and angels of death takes his/her soul) (http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=20244) when we ponder deeply on the following verses: "So when it has reached Al-Hulqoom. As you are looking on. We are nearer to it than you are, but you do not see. If you are not indebted. Then bring it back, if you are truthful." (56:83-87); "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back. That I may do right in what I have neglected.” By no means! It is just a word that he utters. And behind them is a Barsakh/barrier, until the Day they are resurrected." (23:99-100); "But God will not delay a soul when its time has come. God is Informed of what you do." (63:11); "If only you could see, as the angels take away those who disbelieve, striking their faces and their bottoms: “Taste the torment of the Burning.” That is because of what your hands have committed, and because God is not unjust to the servants.”" (8:50-51); "How about when the angels take them at death, beating their faces and their bottoms?" (47:27); "Who commits graver injustice than someone who invents falsehood against God, or says, “It was revealed to me,” when nothing was revealed to him, or says, “I will reveal the like of what God revealed”? If only you could see the unjust ones in the floods of death, as the angels with arms outstretched: “Give up your souls. Today you are being repaid with the torment of shame for having said about God other than the Truth, and for being too proud to accept His Verses.”" (6:93); "And do not say of those who are killed in the cause of God, “Dead.” Rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive." (2:154); "Do not consider those killed in the cause of God as dead. In fact, they are alive, at their Lord, well provided for. Delighting in what God has given them out of His Grace, and happy for those who have not yet joined them; that they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. They rejoice in Grace from God, and Bounty, and that God will not waste the reward of the believers." (3:169-171); "I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me. It was said, “Enter Paradise.” He said, “If only my people knew. How my Lord has forgiven me, and made me one of the honored." (36:25-27). Thus, the dying person feels that the soul leaves the body and it passes through the threshold of the Barsakh realm while wearing its eternal body woven of the deeds of that soul. Family members sit/stand around the deathbed and cannot see or do anything; they cannot revive or save the dying person who sees, for the very first time, the angels of death addressing the soul; the dying person loses his/her freedom & they succumb to a supreme power. Most people are heedless of the Barsakh metaphysical level and of the Hereafter; the arrogant sinners will beseech, in vain, to be given a second chance of life to perform good deeds. The angels of death beats and rebukes the souls of the sinners. The angels of death bring glad tidings of Paradise to the souls of the pious monotheists. Dead souls remain in timeless Barsakh level; the exception is for souls of those who got killed for God's sake; i.e., while serving the cause of the Lord God; these souls will enter into the blissful pleasures of a Barsakh Paradise and the living people on earth cannot feel/sense or see this (for more details, see our article in English:  http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=18682).    

Ninthly: the souls and their new, eternal bodies on the Resurrection Day:

  The dead body decomposes and returns to earth; the dead soul is clothed with the container of its test-time (or duration on earth) in the Hereafter as per deeds archived by the angels in the Book of Deeds (which has recorded, as if in a videotape, the soul's words, actions, thoughts, faith,...etc.) which is sealed upon death to its soul in Barsakh. This eternal body of the resurrected soul on the Day of Judgment will enable it to never experience death either in Hell or in Paradise. The result of this test of life is irrevocable and this means that sinners will feel remorse in vain inside the Hell torment forever since they were heedless, on earth, about their real future and Eternal Life; their focus was on the pleasures, comfort, and beauty of the temporary bodies of flesh. 

Tenthly: the meaning of Islam as a secular religion:

1- On the Resurrection Day, eternal bodies of the resurrected souls will read/see their Book of Deeds; it records all one's deeds/words which 'fly' or get copied/printed in this Book of Deeds by the angels: "For every person We have attached his fate to his neck. And on the Day of Resurrection, We will bring out for him a book which he will find spread open. “Read your book; today there will be none but yourself to call you to judge.” Whoever is guided - is guided for his own good. And whoever goes astray - goes astray to his detriment. No burdened soul carries the burdens of another, nor do We ever punish until We have sent a messenger." (17:13-15).

2- This means each individual is fully and personally responsible for filling the container of its time (i.e., the Book of Deeds) within freedom of choice and free will granted to free agents known as the human beings. The pious ones fill it with monotheism and good deeds (which include acts of worship). This personal responsibility indicates clearly that Islam is a secular religion; i.e., there is no room for clergymen and religious institutions of any type within Islam. This means that falsehoods/fabrications such as sheikhs, imams, Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt, Qom in Iran,...etc. have nothing to do with Islam and they are never linked to the True Religion of the Lord God. True Islam is the Quran and how you understand and apply it in your life; you are the only one responsible for this; there are no mediators or intercessors between you and your Dominant Lord God.

3- Hence, in Islam, there are no myths of intercession or intercessors (see our book, in English, titled "Intercession between Islam and the Muhammadans " found on this link:   http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=119); in Islam, there are no indulgences typical of the Catholic Church of the Middle-Ages. Losers will fill their Book of Deeds with sins and polytheism and heedlessness; on the Last Day, their bodies will testify against them and expose their deeds and sins: "On the Day when their tongues, and their hands, and their feet will testify against them regarding what they used to do." (24:24). In contrast, a truly Muslim man/woman is responsible for the monotheistic faith and good deeds found in their Book of Deeds; one's good deeds are the only means of intercession by the two angels (who recorded one's deeds) for those pious monotheists who deserve to enter into Paradise. One will see these two angels only in the Last Day: "We created the human being, and We know what his soul whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. As the two receivers receive, seated to the right and to the left. Not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him, ready. The daze of death has come in truth: “This is what you tried to evade.” And the Trumpet is blown: “This is the Promised Day.” And every soul will come forward, accompanied by a driver and a witness. “You were in neglect of this, so We lifted your screen from you, and your vision today is keen.”" (50:16-22).

Lastly: we address the following to each one among our dear readers:

1- Your soul has two bodies or garments; the temporary garment of the physical, earthly body and the eternal one which will clothe your soul in the Hereafter which will be woven of your deeds chosen as per your own free will because the Lord God created you as a free agent. 

2- This means your soul's eternal body will be based on your (mis)deeds and your false/true faith (chosen within this transient world) leading you to either Hell or Paradise. You are the one responsible for filling your Record/Book of Deeds within your free choices made as per your own free will: "...Every person is hostage to what he has earned." (52:21); ''Every soul is hostage to what it has earned." (74:38). 

3- This is why hundreds of Quranic verses describe Hell and Paradise to warn, remind, preach, and advise you before it is too late (i.e., before your death) so that you will weave for your eternal soul a radiant body in the Hereafter and so that you would not fall into the worship of the temporary human body and this would make you heedless about your real future and Eternal Life after the Resurrection Day.

4- The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran: "They will be presented before your Lord in a row. ''You have come to Us as We created you the first time. Although you claimed We would not set a meeting for you." And the Book will be placed, and you will see the sinners fearful of its contents. And they will say, “Woe to us! What is with this Book that leaves nothing, small or big, but it has enumerated it?” They will find everything they had done present. Your Lord does not wrong anyone." (18:48-49). As always, the Lord God says nothing but the Absolute Truth.