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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Islamic Culture and Religious Studies Book - 1 Lesson 4 : Transition To the Next World We send heartiest greetings and salutations to those who have attained the glory of martyrdom in the way of Islam! They have been examples for us, showing us the way to Freedom, Faith, Love and Adoration for the true Islam. They remained steadfast to the end and were strong enough to keep up the dignity of Islam.

A shaheed reminds us of the life after death - which is indeed the eternal life. Let us look at a brief text written by a shaheed who embraced martyrdom during the early days of the Imposed war on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Read his words carefully and try to reflect on how he saw Shahaadah. He wrote: "A human being comes to this world once and leaves this world once and that is for eternity! So why fear death? Why shouldn't one prepare oneself for death?

"Dear mother, shahaadah is another life-giving life. A shaheed gives a new, fresh spirit to Islam. Death is not an end to life but it is just a transfer to the next world, which is everlasting. "Remind yourselves! One does not perish with death; rather it is another chapter to the real life. "My beloved mother! Don't be afraid of death! A shaheed receives his continuous sustenance from the Merciful Lord and enjoys His blessings.

"I hope and pray that I attain this most beautiful status of shahaadah and may my wish of becoming a shaheed be fulfilled and may my Lord accept me." Such were the words of the shaheed. Look at how he longs to taste the sweetness of Martyrdom! This is the spirit and true commitment in attaining shahaadah in Islam. Death is a natural and inevitable conclusion to life. It is the duty of a Muslim to understand this and accept it positively instead of looking at it as an ending.

There have been numerous traditions from our Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and Aimmah (a.s.) regarding this important subject. From them we know that death is a different experience for each and every individual. If a person is much attached to worldly pleasures and materialism and has forgotten why he was created in the first place, his experience of death will of course be very different from someone who has a understood the purpose of life and become an obedient servant of Allah (S.W.T.).

There remains no doubt in anyone's mind that a non-believer will face a death that will be full of misery, torture and despair.