AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The word Barzakh means something that is between two other things. Hence, the Barzakh (purgatory) is a stage between this world and the hereafter.
There are many verses in the Holy Quran that refer to such a stage, sometimes calling it the “world of the grave” and sometimes the “world of the spirits”.
One such verse is Verse 100 of Surah Al-Muminoon: “After death they will be behind a barrier until the day of their resurrection.”
Other verses that clearly prove the existence of Barzakh are those about martyrs, such as Verse 69 of Surah Al Imran in which God tells the Holy Prophet (PBUH): “Do not think of those slain for the cause of God as dead. They are alive with their Lord and receive sustenance from Him.”
In Verse 154 of Surah Al-Baqarah, God addresses all believers: “Do not say that those killed in the Way of Allah are dead, they are alive, although you are unaware.”
The Barzakh exists not only for those with exalted status, such as martyrs, but also for rebellious unbelievers, such as Pharaoh and his companions.
God says in Verse 46 of Surah Al-Ghafir, “(Before) the Fire they shall be exposed morning and evening, and on the Day when the Hour comes, (it will be said): ‘Admit the family of Pharaoh into the most terrible punishment!’”
It should not be forgotten that the hereafter is different from the Barzakh. The hereafter has an extensive meaning and refers to the world after this world. It includes the Barzakh, the Day of Resurrection and beyond. So the Barzakh is a part of the afterlife where people are placed between death and the Day of Judgment.
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