Throughout history, seekers have been captivated by the subject of what awaits them beyond this life, particularly in the context of Islamic mysticism. Jalal al-Din Rumi, Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, and Abdul Qadir al-Jilani are three prominent individuals whose ideas influenced Islamic mysticism and still move people all over the world. They are among the most important voices to think thoroughly about the afterlife. Despite coming from various backgrounds and times, their teachings share a fundamental truth: the hereafter is a spiritual reality that starts in the present rather than just a future occurrence. Let’s examine the ways in which these sages imagined the afterlife.

Rumi: Death as a Chance to See Your Loved One Again

Death, according to Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207–1273), is a metamorphosis—an awakening to divine love—rather than an end. Metaphors of death as a joyful return to the source abound in his poetic masterpiece, the Mathnawi. He writes:

“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”

“When the soul leaves the body, it enters a garden far greater than any it ever imagined.”

To Rumi, the physical death of the body is akin to a bird released from its cage. After being imprisoned in the physical realm, the soul soars to its everlasting home. The Qur’anic promise of baqa (everlasting life) for those who approach God is the foundation of this vision.

According to Rumi, all things and the afterlife are driven by love. Heaven is a condition of being—unification with the Divine Beloved—rather than just a place. Hell is also a burning sadness for not being closer to that love rather than a punishment from an outside judgement.

“To hear things our minds can’t comprehend, the soul has been endowed with its own ears.” —Rumi

His vision of the afterlife is thus intimately tied to the inner state of the soul. Those who have cultivated divine love in this world will taste its fruits in the next, for the afterlife is the unfolding of our truest inner condition.

Imam al-Ghazali: The Stages of the Soul’s Journey

Theologian, philosopher, and Sufi master Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058–1111) took a logical and comprehensive approach to the afterlife. He explains the afterlife as a continuation of the soul’s journey through three phases in his well-known work Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences): alam al-dunya (the world of matter), alam al-barzakh (the intermediate realm), and alam al-akhirah (the eternal realm).

Al-Ghazali likens death to birth: just as a baby leaves the womb to enter the vast world, so does the soul leave the body to enter a greater realm of existence. He emphasizes that the reality of the afterlife is already mirrored in our inner world. Just as we dream while asleep and encounter worlds unseen by the waking eye, so too will we enter the unseen realm when our physical senses shut down.

“Death is a bridge that leads the lover to the Beloved.”

—Al-Ghazali

In al-Munqidh min al-Dalal (Deliverance from Error), al-Ghazali recounts his own spiritual crisis and awakening. Through this trip, he came to understand that understanding the afterlife requires more than just academic knowledge. He claims that surrender to spiritual guidance and inner purification are the prerequisites for true understanding.

He groups the inhabitants of the afterlife according to the condition of their souls: those who are purged will rejoice and be nearer to God, whereas those who are unwell will suffer from loneliness and suffering. According to al-Ghazali, however, even hell serves a therapeutic purpose. It is a purifying that eventually gets certain souls closer to their place of origin rather than unending agony for everyone.

The Saintly Guide and Intercessor Abdul Qadir al-Jilani

The founder of the Qadiriyya Sufi order, Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (1077–1166), is frequently recalled for his stirring lectures, spiritual leadership, and empathetic appeal for inside change. His beliefs about the hereafter are based mostly on Hadith and verses from the Qur’an, but they are also enlightened by a mystical perception of God’s closeness and mercy. Al-Jilani exhorts believers to live in perpetual awareness of the hereafter in his teachings compiled in Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen) and Al-Fath al-Rabbani (The Sublime Revelation). He views death as the removing of the veil that blinds the soul in this world, the exposing of reality, rather than as annihilation. “You are asleep, and when you die, you will awaken.”

—Abdul Qadir al-Jilani

To al-Jilani, the soul’s final destination depends on its level of submission. He divides people into four groups:

The heedless, who live only for the world;

The striving, who repent but struggle;

The near, who love and obey sincerely;

The elect, whose hearts are absorbed in God.

He promises that for the latter two, death is a friend—not a terror. The grave becomes a garden, and the angels greet them with light. Al-Jilani also emphasizes the role of shafa‘ah (intercession), especially by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the righteous saints. He asserts that no sinner should give up hope of salvation because God’s mercy surpasses His anger.

One Vision: Realising the Truth

Rumi, al-Ghazali, and al-Jilani all concur on a few fundamental facts, despite their variations in tone and focus: Death is a transition, not an end.

Through our hearts and actions, the afterlife begins right now.

The keys to a blessed eternity are purification, love, and knowledge.

The Divine is infinitely merciful, always ready to receive the returning soul.

According to their teachings, death should not be viewed as something to be feared but rather as the soul’s planned return home. They contend that for individuals who live with spiritual awareness, the veil of the hereafter is already thin.

As Rumi so eloquently states, “Why should I be afraid of dying? I am alive in God when I die to myself.

Conclusion: Considering Eternity in Everyday Life

The afterlife is frequently reduced to abstraction or dogma in our contemporary society. However, it takes on a much more urgent and personal quality when handled by Rumi, al-Ghazali, and al-Jilani. It is a reality to strive towards, a horizon that asks us to awaken right now, rather than just a doctrine to believe in. Their message is clear: prepare for the afterlife not by fearing death but by deepening your love, purifying your soul, and seeking nearness to the Divine. Because we eventually find our true place. And for those who keep this in mind, the afterlife is a live presence that influences every moment of the present rather than a far-off tomorrow.

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