By Abu Yahya (in Urdu).	Translated by Waseem Aslam, Mahmud Ansari & Bilal Khan

We are pleased to commence the serialised publication of this hugely popular Urdu novel about the Hereafter. It was published by Abu Yahya about a year ago and has already sold more than 40,000 copies while it has been read by hundreds of thousands online. The translation started with two translators and more people joined in along the way. Their names are displayed with each individual chapter they helped out with and at the beginning of the book in the downloadable pdf file and on the 'Google reader' novel display age. This is a provisional version of the translation; the translators would greatly appreciate your feedback, so that they they can improve further the final version of the novel. You can send your feedback by clicking on contact us. We intend to upload more chapters as we translate them, inshallah.

Preface translated by Waseem Aslam, Mahmud Ansari & Bilal Khan

Preface

Some Clarifications, A Few Apologies

Voltaire (1694-1778) was amongst the most important personalities of the “Age of Enlightenment” that started in Europe. His writings and ideas laid the foundations of modern western thinking on Church & State. During his time, an earthquake struck the Portuguese city of Lisbon. A Tsunami and fire that raged through the city afterwards devastated it. A city where once millions lived was ruined. This tragedy sent shock waves throughout Europe. It had far reaching effects not only at political, economic and social levels but it also affected the philosophy and prevalent ideas of the time. As was customary then, traditional religious leadership declared it a punishment from God. However, times were changing fast. Hence there was a profound reaction. In the background of these events, Voltaire first wrote a poem titled, ‘Poem on the Lisbon Disaster’ and later, a novel, ‘Candide’. The basic message he conveyed was that in the new world, there was no room for a perception of God as portrayed by Christianity, a God who punished the guilty and the innocent indiscriminately.

Initially, Voltaire’s work faced criticism & restrictions but soon the ideas presented therein started to gain acceptance and he eventually became the predominant voice of his time. Slowly, the consequences of attributing incorrect ideas to the concept of God almost led people to denial of God’s very existence. Thereafter, an era ushered in western societies during which, taking God's name was deemed to be idiotic. Akbar Allahabadi, an Indian poet of the British-occupied India, portrayed this scenario in the following verse: The foes have reported me to the State For taking God’s name in this day and age

In the decades that followed, the concept of God regained acceptance in some shape and form; however, a concept of hereafter that would evidence perfect justice of God and provide true explanation for the inequalities of this world never received general acceptance. Voltaire had a Christian background. The concepts about hereafter in Christianity were vague and did not answer many sound questions that came to his logical mind. Hence, he became the founder of a movement for rejection of God and hereafter that has dominated the world ever since.

Fortunately, Muslims possess a book like the Qur’an that unfolds the second and the last chapter of the story of human life, i.e. the hereafter, without which it is not possible to understand the realities of this life and universe correctly. In the Muslim societies of today, there is a conflict between religious extremism and unbridled open mindedness similar to the forward thinking era of Europe. The immense benevolence of God has given me this opportunity to present to the readers, through of the medium of this novel, details of the second and the last chapter of the story of mankind before another Voltaire emerges from this conflict.

The reason for going into this detail is that the readers of Urdu literature are familiar with novels based on detective stories, romance and historical or social aspects of the society. Traditionally, only novels in these genres are written and read. In reality, the scope of novel writing is much wider. Various components of a novel like its plot, development, characters, events, dialogues etc., rely on the particular genre of novel writing on which the novel is based. ‘When Life Begins’, is an unconventional novel as it does not fall under the genres mentioned above. However, despite being unconventional, it still remains a work of fiction. Every novel is a work of fiction as it builds castles of imagination in an illusionary world. These castles may touch many heights of imagination, yet their foundations are firmly rooted in reality. My novel is a piece of fiction as far as the central character and the events surrounding it are concerned, however, the world of possibilities that this fiction introduces you to is the ultimate reality of the Universe. Unfortunately, this reality is currently concealed from the human mind and vision but the time is not far when this world will reveal itself to everyone as the ultimate truth.

For the readers, this novel would have been quite interesting even if the context was only confined to the aforementioned; however, the irony is that eventually, every reader of this novel as well as every inhabitant of the world is going to be a part of this work of fiction, destined to play the role of one of its characters. This irony has forced me to pick up the pen and venture into this field.

I aim to present to the reader a world of unseen and concealed possibilities, as a living reality in the form of fiction. It is a difficult and sensitive task as there is no physical depiction of this future world in front of us, nor can we allow our imaginations to run rampant. Fortunately, there is enough information in the teachings of our holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) for us to form a mental picture of that world, and I have tried to portray it on the same basis. In such a work, due to the requirements of novel writing, it is necessary to write dialogues and construct imaginary scenes. Nevertheless, I have kept in mind the attributes of God mentioned in the Qur’an and the sayings ascribed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), at every step of this sensitive work. In spite of the care I have exercised, it remains a sensitive matter with possibilities for errors. I hope and pray for forgiveness of the Almighty for any such mistakes, seeking his mercy and beneficence.

At this point, I would like to share with the readers the fact that initially I did not intend to make this work public. I sat down to put some of my thoughts about the Day of Judgment on paper. However, within days it took the shape of the first eight chapters. After going through them, I decided that it was not appropriate for publication. However, I asked some friends for their opinion. Their feedback, in contrast, was to the contrary. Furthermore, the writing had an extraordinary impact on them. For most, it was a wakeup call and a life changing experience; they strenuously insisted that I should complete the novel and publish it.

In spite of the insistence of my friends, I could not persuade myself to complete the novel. When the pressure from the friends began to mount, I decided to perform a special prayer for guidance ("Istikhara"). This allowed me to give my undivided attention to the project and I completed the novel. Even then, I was still not ready for its publication. However, within a few days of its completion, I found that a potentially lethal disease had knocked on the door of my worldly existence. At that juncture, I decided firmly that God willing, I would publish it.

People regard me as a scholar and a writer. In fact, I possess neither the pen of a writer nor the brain of a scholar. My whole life’s capital is a compassionate heart, and when this compassion grew in intensity, it took the form of the novel. This is my sole excuse for venturing into this delicate field. This excuse may become acceptable in the court of the Almighty if only I could assist in returning a few sheep lost from the herd back to the Guardian of this world. In today’s world, people have neither the time nor the inclination to listen to the call of an unseen world; however, may be, this work of fiction would incline them to listen to the call of their Lord. May be, because of it, some servants may return to their Master. May be, some feet taking steps towards Hell would stop and turn back. May be, it would lead to the addition of one more resident to the Paradise.
If that were to happen, it would be my reward for this work.

Call for Him, you may find his way If not, life’s journey is futile anyway

Abu Yahya

	Chapter 1: Judgement Day >>

Source: http://www.understanding-islam.org.uk