The word Barzakh means barrier, obstacle, or hindrance, and in a religious context it is used as a reference to a world between this world and the Hereafter which is also sometimes called ‘the world of the grave’ or ‘the world of spirits’. All religions hold the belief that man, after death, is transferred to a world between this world and the Hereafter and stays there until the day of Resurrection, although there might be some differences about the nature of life in Barzakh and the characteristics of this a world.
The Existence of Barzakh
There has been no disagreement among Muslim scholars on the existence of Barzakh (the intermediate world), because there are many verses in the Quran which either explicitly or implicitly discuss such a world, but we suffice to mention the one which is the clearest:
When death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord! Take me back, that I may act righteously in what I have left behind.’ ‘Never! These are mere words that he says.’ And before them is a Barzakh until the day they will be resurrected.1
The State of One's Life in Barzakh
Those who reside in Barzakh, whether righteous or evil, will receive a portion of the recompense for their deeds, that is, the righteous believers will enjoy the bounties of Allah therein, whereas, the evil people will be punished therein for their wrong-doings and evil conduct in this world. The Qur'an says about those who get killed in the way of Allah:
And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.2
As for the evil ones, the Qur'an says regarding the people of Pharaoh:
The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening.3
Imam Ali ibn al-Hussayn (as) said:
The grave is either one of the gardens of Paradise or one of the pits of Hell.4
Barzakh; a Means for Purification
It should also be noted that many believers, no matter how pious they are, might have committed some sins that, for some reason, have remained unforgiven until the moment of their death; and one way to purify these people of their sins is for them to face the consequences of their sins in Barzakh until they become pure and as a result, such individuals will enter Heaven on the day of Resurrection. Imam al-Sadiq (as) is reported to have said:
The Barzakh is the grave itself, which is where the punishment and the reward are given between this world and the Hereafter. We swear by Allah that we only fear of the intermediate world for you!5
The Nature of Life in Barzakh
Another important issue which is worthy of clarification is the nature of life in Barzakh and whether our life therein is physical or spiritual.
When a human being dies, his soul is placed in a subtle body which is neither completely non-material nor is it completely material; it is not completely material because it is not subject to the accidents that affect the physical body in the world of matter, and it is not completely non-material because it has some characteristics of a material body such as enjoying the physical pleasures and bounties.
Some scholars have likened the state of the soul in Barzakh to the state of it when a human being is asleep. When one is asleep and is having a dream, the soul may really experience pleasure and pain in an even sharper way than when in the physical state.
The existence of Barzah, thus, is an indisputable concept acknowledged by all divine religions, in a way that one who believes in God and His prophets also believes in Barzakh; a world to which man is transferred after he dies and stays there until the day when all people will hasten to their Lord in order for their eternal abode and fate to be decided by Allah, Mighty and Exalted.
References:
1. The Holy Qur'an, [23:100]
2. The Holy Qur'an, [3:169]
3. The Holy Qur'an, [40:46]
4. Nur-uth-Thaqalyn, the Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 553
5. Ibid.