Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

"The word ma'ad is derived from the verb ada or awd signifies to return to a place, and thus ma'ad means the ultimate place of one's returning. It is also treated as a synonym of raja'a, which is also used in the Koran (2:28) to indicate return to God: "Then He will make you die, then He will make you live, then you will be brought back to Him (ilayhi turjaun)". Its verbal form ada denotes to recommence or reiterate. This is the sense which it has in verses where this root is associated with that of raja'a: "God begins (yabda'u) creation, then He repeats it (yu'iduhu); then you will be brought back to Him" (30:11). The word ma'ad is used once in the Koran: "Most surely He Who has made the Koran binding on you will bring you back to a place of return" (28:85). And the place of return is hereafter

The barzakh denotes the first realm where the soul returns after death, and reached ultimately to akhira (hereafter). In short, the life after death is called ma'ad or the ultimate place of one's returning. To relieve the soul from the sufferings of the ma'ad, a special chhanta is given, known as the Ma'adan Chhanta, (the chhanta of ma'ad), which is taken once in a life as well as it is to be given to the dead body before burial.