This world is essentially a world of cultivation, and all human beings are in the process of being cultivated. Interestingly, it seems as though the world is a fertile agricultural environment, where any seed sown will grow. In this world, not only do the righteous progress, but the misguided—those who sow bad seeds—also undergo their own stages in the system of this world.
Despite the differences between the system of this world and the system of the Hereafter, there is no doubt that a close connection exists between the two. The relationship between this world and the Hereafter is like two parts of a single life or two seasons of a year. In one season, one must sow, and in another, one must harvest: essentially, one is the time for sowing the crop, and the other is the time for harvesting it. One is the seed, and the other is the fruit; one is the action, and the other is the result of the action. This is how Heaven and Hell in the Hereafter are created.
In this regard, the eleventh Imam of the Shia, Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), says: “… Death comes suddenly and without warning. Whoever sows good deeds will reap joy and happiness, and whoever sows evil will reap regret and remorse. The farmer will receive what he has sown…”
… death comes suddenly. Whoever sows good will harvest joy, and whoever sows evil will harvest regret. Every farmer reaps what he has sown…” [1]
(Adapted from the collected works of Professor Motahari, with summarizations and additions)
Footnotes:
[1] (Tuhaf al-Uqoul, page 489)