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Reflections on death

First of all, Allah introduced “death” before life because it is through death (here) that we can make it to the real life. Death is a transition from this lower life to the higher one or from this artificial life to the real one, to this short and temporal life to the eternal one. Death is a gateway to the Hereafter, not death in the negative meaning. Death has two meanings:

1. It means Ending, ter­mination which means our life terminates, as many think.

2. But death in the Qur`anic context means Continuation of life (real life) as the Qur`an states:

And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Here­after –is the eternal life, if only they knew.” Qur`an 29:64

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The literal meaning of death is separation of the soul (which is in­carcerated in the body). At the time of death, this soul will free itself. The body dies but the soul does not die. So, when we say death, it means the physical death and not the spiritual death. The soul never perishes ever since Allah created it. It travels through certain transi­tions. It goes through six stations. The same body that perishes will be resurrected tomorrow.

And he presents for us an exam­ple and forgets his [own] creation. He says, “Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrat­ed?” 36:78

Say, “He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing.” 36:79

In line with the above two verses, a man came to the prophet while crushing some bones into powder and said “O Messenger of Allah, you are alleging that Allah will resurrect these bones and bring them back to life again?” Allah instructed the prophet to say yes to him and the verse was revealed.

Regarding the inevitable reality of death, Allah states: And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.” Qur`an 50:19

And the Horn will be blown. That is the Day of [carrying out] the threat.” Qur`an 50:20

And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness. Qur`an 50:21

[It will be said], “You were certainly in unmindfulness of this, and We have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp.” Qur`an 50:22

Everybody wants to know what will happen to us during death and after death. The concept of death is unknown not just to the ordinary people but to scholars, philosophers, thinkers. We don’t know where we will go, what will happen, and how we will feel? will we be in a state of consciousness or unconsciousness?

These questions are asked by many people. Some people think about death for the entire aspect of their lives, others anticipate death, while some fear death. Prophet Muhammad (s) while in the pos­ture of Sujood (the last Sujood) will say “Allahumma Hawwil Alaa Mohammadin Sakaraatil Mawt” “O God, ease for Muhammad the stupor, intoxication, suffering, pain of death.”

One of the prayers recommend­ed for us during the last Sujood of our daily prayers is:

“Allahumma Inni as-Aluka Raa-hata Indal Mawt..”

O Allah, I ask You for comfort, peace at the moment of death”. This supplication is important because the Qur`an said:

“And the pain or intoxication of death will bring the truth…”

“…that is what you were trying to avoid.” 50:19

You tried to avoid this moment but now it is happening.

What will happen after

death?

There are some answers to these questions, but these answers are still unclear. They are not solid. Strange

1. First experience (We are going to meet or see the unexpected, things we never thought of, strange things)

The abode of the hereafter is still unknown. The Qur`an says: And there will appear to them from Allah that which they had not taken into account (what they never thought). Qur`an 39:47

It means at the time of death, we going to experience things that never crossed our minds, things that are unheard off, nobody told us about them etc. You are going to experience things that you never thought of.

2. The second experience (Pain/agony)

The process of death is extreme­ly painful. Some Ahadith describe death as Nazh fighting of the soul because we want to grab our soul, and the Angel wants to take it out. So, there will be a fight. Eventually, the Angel of Death is going to be successful. This is called Nazh to take something by force which is painful.

The hadith says if a person washes the body of the dead, if God allows him to hear what the dead is saying to him, you will never wash any dead body again. “Please be gentle with me. Dont touch me again after this”

“When my soul is leaving my body, I felt that when it passes through I feel as if every part of my limb is been severed from me”

Sakra (Pain)

The Quran calls the moment of death Sakra-the stupor, because we get confused. We don’t know what’s happening.

Sakra in the vocabulary of the Qur`an means intoxication. It means we don’t actually know what is happening. In reality Sakra means suffering. Imam Zainul Aabideen (as) says the three tough­est moments of one`s life are:

1. The moment of death

2. Life in the grave

3. Resurrection from the grave

These are the extremely pain­ful moments, and we have to prepare ourselves. How do we prepare?

3. The third experience (Feel)

After Death, we feel everything. We feel the washing of our bodies, enshrouding, burial, we see those who are preparing us for burial, which is why we have Talqeen to remind the dead person of what he/she should say to the two An­gels who come to him/her to ask certain questions.

“Innal mayyita layasmau hafka ann-nahaali alaa kabrihi “when they lower us in our graves, anyone who passes by the grave we can hear the steps of their shoes”

4. Second experience (Iso­lation)

There is Wahshatul Qabr the sol­itude, darkness, loneliness, isolation of the grave”. After an hour or half an hour everybody is going to leave. Those who mourn us, those who will be happy etc are going to leave. “Warham Fee Zaalikal Baitil Jaded Urbatee” “O Allah, bestow your mercy and help upon me in that new house” and that new house is dark. The prophet said “that house could either be a garden of paradise or a pit of fire.

“Al-kabr immaa rawdah min riyaadil Jannat aw hufratun min hufratin neeraan”

It all depends on what we do here on earth, your faith here, reaching out to others, you will not worry if your life was based on worship, reaching out to people, building yourself, society etc. if we fail by hurting people, cheating, backbiting, injustice, murder, etc, it is going to be a pit of fire. One day the prophet was burying Han­zala and said I saw the Angels wash Hanzala when he lowered him in the grave, the mother who was standing by said you are so lucky Hanzala the prophet is burying you with his hands, so “Hanee-an Lakal Jannah” you are granted paradise. The prophet raised his head and called the mother laa Tuhattimi Alalllaahil Jannah “do not expedite him to Jannah immediately”, there are stations that he would pass be­fore, she said but you are burying him? The prophet yes, i am burying him, now the grave is going to squeeze him (Asratul Qabr,). Your wealth will help you here but not there. Your wealth, energy, resourc­es, knowledge etc will be reclaimed there if you use them here on the way of Allah and His Messenger.

The writer is an Islamic scholar and International Affairs Analyst

BY ANAS SANDOW

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