What is the Afterworld?

The afterworld is therefore, the place where man will reap the full consequences of his deeds according to their moral nature. When we think of the afterworld, a few questions arise at this juncture: How can man apprehend the existence of this afterworld and what should he do to prepare for it? 

To answer this, let us take the example of sound. For instance, everyone knows that sound is the name of waves that cannot be seen with the naked eye and human voice is the result of the motion of our tongues and larynxes. These sounds and voices form a kind of invisible pattern that is imprinted on the atmosphere.  According to scientific theory, any sound or voice uttered by a human being, even thousands of years ago, still exists in waveform, though we do not hear or see these waves. If, however, we possessed the apparatus to detect them, they could be replayed exactly, in their original form, and many would be the historic discussion upon which we could then eavesdrop. Just as we are enveloped by a blanket of air on which, every sound and word of ours is engraved, even though we neither see the air nor the inscription, so the other world is also enveloping us on all four sides and constantly recording our intentions and designs. Our actions are being imprinted upon its fold and after death; they will be there for all to read. Imagine a record revolving mutely on its turntable. As soon as the needle falls into its groove, the silent disc bursts into music as if it had just been waiting to express the sounds recorded on it. In the same way, a ‘record’ of all our deeds is being prepared and when the Lord of the Universe utters the word of command, the whole record will be played back to us. On hearing it people will involuntarily say: ‘What a record this is! It does not leave any deed, small or large, unaccounted for!’ (The Quran 18:49)