One of the best things I have come across and been guided to, among the treasures left by Shaykh al-Islam, Hujjat al-Anam, Imam 'Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad, al-Alawi al-Hadrami al-Shafi'i (may Allah grant benefit by him), is this rare and precious treatise known as The Lives of Man, which embodies a statement of the situations and stages through which man must pass, namely:

1. His passage from the beginning through the loins of his male and female ancestors before his birth.
2. The period of life, from his birth to his death.
3. The period spent in the Intermediate Realm after his death, until the Day of Resurrection.
4. The period spent at the Gathering-Place after the Resurrection, and until final judgement is passed.
5. Life in the Abode of Permanence, whether in the delight of the Gardens or the flames of the Fire.

In each of these 'lives', Imam al-Haddad provides a full exposition of the stages and events which man must expect, basing his words on the revealed texts, in a way which is straightforward, clear, and refreshes the soul. The reader finds himself illuminated and guided to the truth and certitude, and is protected thereby from slipping into the shadows of misguidance. Each 'Life' is followed by an important 'After-word' based on its message.

By: Shaykh Hasanayn Muhammad Makhluf

Formerly Grand Mufti of Egypt
Member of the Senior Ulema Council

Source: Imam 'Abdallah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad, The Lives of Man, part of the "Foreword", p. xiii-xiv, translated by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, The Quilliam Press, London, 1411/1991