a-kh-r

Description

The Arabic root أخر (a-kh-r) fundamentally conveys the concept of lateness, posteriority, or coming after something else in time or sequence, forming the opposite of أول (first or beginning). In the Quran, this root appears most significantly in terms related to al-Akhirah (the Hereafter), referring to the next world or eternal life that comes after this temporary worldly existence (al-dunya), and serves as a central theological concept emphasizing the ultimate accountability, resurrection, and final judgment that awaits humanity. The root's various derivatives remind believers that while human life unfolds in temporal sequences of first and last, earlier and later, the ultimate significance lies in preparing for that final destination, making the concept of the Hereafter essential to Islamic eschatology and moral consciousness throughout the Quranic message.