As for those who claim, “Religion is a matter of the afterlife, we’ll deal with it once we get there” …

My purpose in writing this book is to illustrate precisely how the whole point of religion is for this worldly life.

After death, there is absolutely nothing more one can do. 

One who experiences death, and is no longer able to use his body, has lost all available options! He can no longer do anything that can provide any form of benefit to his future. He is forever stuck with whatever power, spiritual strength, etc. he was able accumulate until that point!

So, let’s assume someone claims:

“I believe in Allah. I also believe in the Rasul of Allah. What they say is the truth. But let me work for my worldly life now, and after I die, I’ll work for my life there. Everything has its place, the world for the world, and the afterlife for the afterlife. One needs a shelter in this world, and faith in the afterlife.”

This person has neither a religion, nor faith! Nor has he accepted the Rasul of Allah (saw)!

For he has not understood a single word from the teachings of the Rasul!

Faith is necessary in this world so that one can accept it and follow the recommendations of the Rasul of Allah (saw).

You don’t need faith in the afterlife! At that point everything is out in the open anyway! There is nothing to “believe” in, everything is exposed and openly seen!

Doubtless, if one has faith in the Rasul of Allah (saw) his behavior will inevitably change!

If someone you trust tells you, “If you keep going down this route you will encounter such and such dangers and eventually fall off a cliff, but if you take these precautions, you can save yourself from the dangerous abyss ahead” will it make any sense to say, “I believe you but I’ll follow your recommendations after I fall off the cliff ”!!??

Let me repeat:

The Rasul of Allah (saw) has seen the dangers awaiting us in the future with the permission of Allah, and has warned us to take certain precautions in order to be safe!

You either believe him and take his advice to protect yourself, or you take no heed and face the consequences!

In any case, there is nothing you can do after you die! This is why the Quran repeatedly and frequently reminds us:

‘Oh, if only we can go back (to our biological life on earth; as biological life is required to activate the forces within the brain) and not deny the signs of our Rabb (our intrinsic divine qualities and potential deriving from the Names that comprise our essential reality) and be among the believers’.[1]

But this is not possible!

You must take heed, understand the message of religion and follow its recommendations while in this world. Whether you do or not, the consequence is yours to face!

You will leave behind everything you own, your home, your savings, all your possessions, even your body, and start life anew…

Who wouldn’t want to be prepared for this? Who would want to wake up to this new life with no preparation and in eternal remorse and suffering?

To recap, the most primary message of the Rasul of Allah (saw) is, “Make the most of your current moment and prepare in the most optimum way with these recommendations, otherwise you will forever burn in regret!” 

You can either choose to prepare for your afterlife while you are still here in this world, or be ready to suffer indefinitely!

The choice is yours…

“And Allah did not cause them to suffer, but it was they (their constructed self, ego- identity) who caused their own suffering.”[2]