The Journey Continues: Barzakh and Beyond

The literal meaning of Barzakh to be a veil or a “curtain” which lies between two things, preventing them from meeting each other. In the context of the different phases of life, Barzakh is the state of existence between the life of this world and the Hereafter; the “curtain” which Allah has placed between the two worlds. It as being a period beginning from death until the Day of Judgment (Bihar al-Anwar); indeed, as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an itself, "Before us is a barrier (Barzakh) until the Day we are raised (23:100). This verse is a clear indication that man certainly has a life after death but before the Day of Judgment.
The exact nature of this life and what it will entail, we do not know, but our Imams have enlightened us of it to some degree through their various Hadiths.
Sometimes a dead person is faced with trouble and difficulty when, suddenly, Allah grants him peace and prosperity. It is said unto him: “This is so because your such and such brother in faith has recited prayers on your behalf. A person asked him, ‘Can two dead persons be included in the same prayer?'” The Imam replied: “Yes, you can do so, for verily the dead man becomes happy when this prayer reaches him through you… Perform prayers, fasting, pilgrimage, give alms and do other good deeds on their behalf, for these enter his grave and is also written in his scrolls of deeds (Nam-e A’maal).