Life after death is the last of the basic principles of Islam. Belief in Akhirah is very important and is vital for Muslims. Out life on earth is temporary and is meant to be a preparation for Akhirah which is never ending. There are different terms used for Akhirah in the Holy Quran, but the future or the next life, is the real meaning conveyed by all those terms. Death, in the light of the plain teachings of Quran, is not the end of man's life; it only opens the door to another, a higher from of life. Just as from the small life-germ grows the man, and he does not lose his individuality for all the changes which he undergoes, so from this man is made the higher man, his attributes being changed and he himself being made to grow into what he cannot conceive at present.

Importance of Faith in Future Life
The Holy Quran accords to faith in the future life an importance which is the next only to faith in God. Very often all the doctrines of faith are summed up, as amounting to belief in God and the Future life. The greater the faith in the good or bad consequences of a deed, the greater is the incentive which urges a man to or withhold him for that deed. Now a belief in life after death implies that every deed, however secretly it may be done, must bear fruit and therefore this belief is both the greatest impetus towards good and noble, and the greatest restraint upon evil or irresponsible, deeds. A deep consciousness of the consequences of a deed, consequences which must follow even after death, is thus engendered by a belief in a life after death.

But more than this, such a belief purifies the motives with which a deed is done. It makes a man work with the most selfless of motives, for he seeks no reward for what he does; his work is for higher and nobler ends relating to the life beyond the grave.

The Holy Quran not only speaks of a life after death which opens out before man a new world of advancement, before which the progress of this life sinks into insignificance; it also shows that the basis of that life is laid in this our life on earth. The hereafter is not a mystery beyond the grave; it begins in this life. For the good, the heavenly life, and for the wicked, a life in hell, begins even here.

Resurrection is not a dogma, in which a man is required to believe, for his salvation in another life, rather is it a principle of human life, a principle which makes that life more serious and more useful, while at the same time awakening in him the consciousness of a life that is higher. The man who sincerely believes in Resurrection, will try utmost to take advantage of every opportunity that is offered to him to live his life to the best purpose; he will do his best to do any good that he possibly can to the creatures of God, and he will shun every evil deed so far as lies in his power. Thus a belief in the Resurrection is needed in the first place to make this lower life worth living. Without such a belief, life loses not only its point, leaving man without any real and abiding aim, but in addition, all incentive to do good and eschew evil.

To prepare ourselves for this day of test, we need to follow the guidance given through the Prophets. Without life after death, there would have been no need for Prophet and Messengers.

So. the safe course to follow is to believe in all the prophets and messengers told people to believe. Not to care about Akhirah is a serious failing. We are certain that all human beings die, so it is quite reasonable to prepare for that eternal life which no doubt will follow death. We can do this if we follow the guidance given to Muhammad by Allah. This is the safest course of our success in the Akhirah.