--- title: "What Is the Akhirah? The Hereafter in Islam | Islam Is Mercy" description: "Akhirah means the Hereafter: the life after death, the Day of Judgment and the eternal home that follows. Belief in it gives this life meaning." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/akhirah/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Glossary](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/) 3. What Is the Akhirah? The Hereafter in Islam # What Is the Akhirah? The Hereafter in Islam Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Akhirah means "the Hereafter" — the life that begins after death and includes resurrection, the Day of Judgment, and the eternal home in Paradise or Hell. Belief in the akhirah is one of the six articles of Muslim faith and gives this life its meaning and moral weight. ## On this page 1. Meaning 2. Why it matters 3. Example **Akhirah** (Arabic: الآخرة) is pronounced *AA-khi-rah*. It means “the last” or “the final”, and is the opposite of *dunya*, “this nearer world”. ## Meaning Muslims believe that death is not the end but a passage. After it comes a waiting stage, then the resurrection of all people, the Day of Judgment when every person’s life is weighed with perfect justice and great mercy, and finally an eternal home. All of this together is called the *akhirah*. Belief in the Last Day is one of the six articles of Muslim faith. The Qur’an contrasts the brief life of this world with the lasting life to come: > وَمَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا لَهْوٌۭ وَلَعِبٌۭ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ لَهِىَ ٱلْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٦٤﴾ > And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the \[eternal\] life, if only they knew. [Qur'an, Al-Ankaboot 29:64](https://quran.com/29?startingVerse=64&translations=20)Saheeh International ## Why it matters Belief in the *akhirah* changes how Muslims see this life. It does not make this world worthless: Muslims are taught to work, love their families, enjoy what is good and care for the earth. But it puts everything in perspective. No good deed is lost, even if no one saw it. No injustice escapes, even if the guilty seem to win here. And no suffering is meaningless, because God will repay patience. Muslims often pray a short prayer from the Qur’an asking for good in this world and good in the Hereafter (Qur’an 2:201) — holding both together. ## Example *“Think of your akhirah before you say something unkind.”* To learn more, read [What Happens After Death?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/life-after-death/) and see the related term [Jannah](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/jannah/). ## Key takeaways - Akhirah means the Hereafter — the eternal life after death. - It includes resurrection, judgment, and Paradise or Hell. - Belief in it gives this life purpose, hope and accountability. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Is%20the%20Akhirah%3F%20The%20Hereafter%20in%20Islam%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fakhirah%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fakhirah%2F&text=What%20Is%20the%20Akhirah%3F%20The%20Hereafter%20in%20Islam)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Is%20the%20Akhirah%3F%20The%20Hereafter%20in%20Islam&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fakhirah%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fakhirah%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, Al-Ankaboot 29:64](https://quran.com/29?startingVerse=64&translations=20) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Start Here ### What Happens After Death in Islam? What do Muslims believe happens after we die? The grave, the resurrection, the Day of Judgement, and the perfect justice and mercy of God. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/life-after-death/)[Start Here ### The Six Articles of Faith in Islam What do Muslims believe? The six articles of faith — God, angels, scriptures, prophets, the Last Day and divine decree — explained simply. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/six-articles-of-faith/)[Glossary ### What Is Jannah? Paradise in Islam Jannah means Paradise: the eternal home of joy and peace God has prepared for those who believe and do good — beyond anything we can imagine. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/jannah/)