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People sometimes say, “I will see you on the other side.” But how certain can one be of this other plane of existence? Where exactly is that “other side”, and how can you be sure you will reach it? Everything begins with a fundamental truth: those whom we have buried from our loved ones are not truly dead. They have merely passed into a special realm known as the Barzakh, a stage of existence between this life and the Hereafter. In that world, the souls of the deceased continue to live: some in peace, others in torment. The souls of martyrs may dwell in the bodies of green birds, flying freely in Paradise, while others may suffer and drown in rivers of blood. Some are reunited with long-deceased loved ones in beautiful homes, while others are subject to terrifying punishment at the hand of the Angels. What is this realm? Who resides within it? And how does knowledge of this world affect the understanding of our current location? To reflect on the Barzakh is to reflect on our ultimate return to Allah and to reconsider the spiritual path we are on today in a world that is plagued with injustice and confusion.
Imam Omar Suleiman is the Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, and an Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at SMU (Southern Methodist University). He is also the Resident Scholar at Valley Ranch Islamic Center and Co-Chair of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square. He holds a Bachelors in Accounting, a Bachelors in Islamic Law, a Masters in Islamic Finance, a Masters in Political History, and is currently pursuing a PhD. in Islamic Thought and Civilization from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.