Life Death and Beyond

of our life, which stretches into eternity. In this second stage of our existence, only that will prove useful to us which we had sent before us in the form of good deeds. This truth is expressed in these words in the Quran (59:18): “Believers! Fear God, and let every soul look to what it lays up for the future. Fear God: God is aware of what you do.” Old age is something from which we should take lessons, not something to complain about. Before Old Age Arrives As soon as we are born, we begin our journey towards old age. After the age of 40 or so, signs of the advent of old age become increasingly apparent. This process finally culminates in death, the event that will separate us from this world forever. And so, as a poet has very rightly said: “Prepare a boat for yourself before the storm.” Each of us should prepare a ‘boat’ for ourselves before we grow old and the ‘storm’ of death strikes us. After this, we won’t have any opportunities to make the necessary preparations for the Hereafter. The period that comes after the age of 40 is actually the best period of one’s life. By this stage, one has become more serious, more mature and more intellectually grounded. One has acquired varied experiences over many years that can help one make right decisions. The period after the age of 40 is really the best for preparing for the Hereafter. In this stage, an individual has been cut down to size, as it were. He has a more prepared mind.