Page 10 - Pakistan Link - November 19, 2021

P10 – PAKISTAN LINK – NOVEMBER 19, 2021 OPINION
n By Dr Aslam Abdullah Life after Death in the Qur’an and Ahadith ‘What is your religion?’ He replies,
Fontana, CA ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask him,
‘Who is this man sent among you?’
eath is a reality, and the He replies, ‘The Messenger of Allah.
COVID-19 pandemic has Then a Voice from on high declares,
Dturned it into an every- ‘My slave has spoken the truth, so
day experience. Approximately spread out carpets from the Garden
150,000 people die for him and open a gate of the Gar-
daily. CAVID-19 den for him!’
has added 4,000 “Then some of its fragrance and
more daily deaths perfume comes to him, his grave is
in this tally since expanded for him as far as the eye
March. can see, and a man with beautiful
Yet, it’s a reality garments and a fragrant scent comes
that most people do to him and says, ‘Rejoice in what de-
not want to acknowledge. They see lights you for this is the day prom-
death happening to others, but do ised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you? Yours
not imagine themselves to be in the is a face which presages good.’ He re-
queue. This article gives a detailed plies, ‘I am your good actions.’ Then
account of death and life after death, he says, ‘O Lord, let the Last Hour
as explained in the primary source come soon so that I may rejoin my
of Islam, the Qur’an, and the sec- family and my property!’
ondary source, the hadith or sayings “When an unbeliever is about
attributed to Prophet Muhammad. to depart from this world and go
No one has returned from graves to forward into the Next World, an-
verify any of the details. Death is a gels with black faces descend from
reality, but life’s accounts after death In early Judaism, as docu- universe. into the presence of Allah, and then the heavens carrying rough hair-
are matters of a belief system based mented in the Torah, there is a place Life after the Day of Judgment it returns and sees the washing of cloth and sit around him in throngs
on assumptions and conjectures called Sheol to which one goes down is not a mystery or an enigma. But the body, the shrouding, and the fu- stretching as far as the eye can see.
rooted in the scripture of Islam and following this Life. In later Judaism, the status of the soul before that neral procession. It says either, ‘Take Then the Angel of Death comes and
the sayings of the prophet. the notion of a spiritual life after phase is a mystery that only conjec- me forward! Take me forward!’ or sits at his head and says, ‘Foul soul,
Life is beautiful. Can one say death developed. tures have tried to explain. ‘Where are you taking me?’ The liv- come out to the wrath and anger of
the same thing about death? No one Islam describes death as the In Islamic belief, the soul and ing, of course, hears none of this. Allah!’ Then his soul divides up in
born was, is, and will live forever. beginning of a new life that will the body are together in this Life ex- The soul comes back and stays float- his body and drags out like a skewer
But no dead has ever returned to achieve its eternity after the Day of cept during sleep when the soul may ing above the body, and when the out of wet wool. Then the angel takes
tell what happens after death. Only Judgment. leave the body and come back in the corpse is in the grave, it places itself hold of it. When he has grasped it,
the dead experience the end. They The common notion among all morning, or Allah may take the soul between the body and the shroud to the other angels do not leave it in
are unable to tell others they are these five concepts is the living of at that time. “It is God [alone that answer the questions. his hand even for the twinkling of
gone. Only those who are alive see the soul after physical death. But all has this power.- He] who causes all At the grave of a believer, an eye. They take it and wrap it in
the dead. Yet, almost every religion these concepts are conjectural as no human beings to die at the time of Prophet Muhammad used to say, the rough hair-cloth, and a stench
has its understanding of Life after dead has returned to tell the journey their [bodily] death, and [causes to “Seek forgiveness for your (Muslim) comes out of it like the worst stench
Death. after death. Religious texts are the be as dead], during their sleep, those brother and pray for his steadfast- of a corpse on the face of the earth.’
The world’s 4,300 religions primary source of our theoretical that have not yet died: thus, He ness since angels are questioning “Then they take it up, and
promote five major ideas about Life understanding of the soul and Life withholds [from Life] those upon him” [Abu Dawud] whenever they take it past a com-
after Death. The concept of reincar- after Death. Only science describes whom He has decreed death, and The angels pray for the believ- pany of angels, they ask, ‘Who is
nation was one of the earliest ideas with certainty what death is. It is lets the others go free for a term set er’s soul, just as people pray over the this foul soul?’ and the angels with
developed. Human beings perish the permanent cessation of all bio- [by Him]. In [all] this, behold, there body on earth. The soul hears the re- the soul reply, ‘So-and-so, the son of
physically, but their souls survive logical functions that sustain a living are messages indeed for people who ceding footsteps of the people who so-and-so,’ using the worst names by
in different forms and shapes unless organism that begins to decompose think! (39:42) followed the funeral until the burial which people used to call him in this
they join the divine spirit. Hinduism shortly after death. It is a process oc- This part of our journey comes is complete. world. They bring him to the lowest
and many other polytheistic reli- curring in all living organisms. to an end with our death. No one The following statement of heaven and ask for the gate to open
gious traditions believe in this idea. In Islam, death is the termina- knows where, how, and when one Prophet Muhammad explains the for him. It does not get opened.’
Hindusim describes death tion of worldly Life. It is a separa- will die. process: “When the believer is about “The Messenger of Allah, may
as the individual eternal spiritual tion of the soul from the body and “Verily, the knowledge of the to depart from this world and go Allah bless him and grant him
soul exiting the temporary material a transfer from this world to the af- Hour is with Allah (alone). He who forward into the Next World, an- peace, then recited,
body. The soul exits this body when terlife. sends down rain, and He who knows gels with faces as bright as the sun ‘The gates of heaven will not
the body can no longer sustain the Muslim scholars discuss in what is in the wombs, nor does any- descend from the heavens and sit open to them, nor will they enter
conscious self (Life), which may be detail as what happens before, dur- one know what it is that he will earn around him in throngs stretching the Garden until the camel passes
due to mental or physical reasons, or ing, and after death. However, what on the morrow. Nor does anyone as far as the eye can see. Then the through the eye of the needle.’ (7:40)
more accurately, the inability to act exactly happens is not empirically know in what land he is to die. Ver- Angel of Death comes and sits at his Then Allah, the Mighty and
on one’s material desires. known, and different scholars may ily, with Allah is full knowledge and head and says, “Good soul, come Majestic, will say, ‘Register his book
Bhagavad-Gītā, the holy text end up with different conclusions. He is acquainted (with all things).” out to forgiveness and pleasure from in Sijjin in the lowest earth.’ Then
of Hinduism in chapter 2 verse 20, However, one canonical idea is that (31:34) Izrael, the angel of death, re- Allah!” Then his soul emerges like his soul is flung down. The Prophet,
describes the soul in the following the angel of death (Arabic: Malak al- moves the soul out of the body and a drop of water flows from a water- then recited,
words: Maut) appears to the dying to take takes it to a place called the Barzakh. skin, and the angel takes hold of it. ‘Whoever associates anything
“For the soul, there is neither out their souls. The sinners’ souls “Say: ‘The Angel of Death, When he has grasped it, the other with Allah, it is as though he has
birth nor death at any time. It has leave most painfully while the righ- put in charge of you, will (duly) angels do not leave it in his hand fallen from heaven and the birds
not come into being, does not come teous leave comfortably. take your souls. Then shall you be even for the twinkling of an eye. snatch him away, or the wind sweeps
into being, and will not come into Later, the idea of two angels brought back to your Lord.” (32:11) They take it and place it in a per- him headlong into a place far away.’
being. It is unborn, eternal, ever- – Munkar and Nakir, appeared in “Wherever you are, death will fumed shroud and fragrance issues (22:31)
existing, and primeval. It does not Islamic literature. The two angels find you out, even if you are in from it like the sweetest scent of “Then his soul returns to his
perish when the body perishes.” come to question the dead to test towers built up durable and high! musk found on the face of the earth.’ body and two angels come and say to
It further elaborates in chapter their faith. If the answers are correct, “(4:78) “Then they bear it upwards, him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies,
2 verse 13: “As the embodied soul the soul lives in peace and comfort For those who led a life of evil, and whenever they take it past a ‘Alas, alas, I do not know!’ Then a
continuously passes, in this body, while the disbelievers fail suffering the removal of the soul is tight and company of angels, they ask, ‘Who is voice calls from on high, ‘My slave is
from boyhood to youth to old age, punishments. The stage between stressful. But the soul of people who this good soul?’ and the angels with not telling the truth. Spread out car-
the soul similarly passes into an- death and the Day of Judgment is live a good life yearns to meet its the soul reply, ‘So-and-so, the son of pets from the fire for him, and open
other body at death. A sober person called the Life of barzakh, literally Lord and leaves the body with ease. so-and-so,’ using the best names by its gate for him. A hot blast from it
is not bewildered by such a change.” meaning a curtain between the cur- Then it ascends amid rows of an- which people used to call him in this comes to him, and his grave is made
Buddhism believes that the rent and the future state. gels, but those who are there cannot world. They bring him to the lowest narrow for him pressing his ribs.
body disintegrates, but the soul be- Believing in an afterlife is one see or smell this. The disbelieving heaven and ask for the gate to open A voice says, ‘Grieve on account of
comes part of the universe wander- of the articles of faith in Islam. The deceased is questioned, punished, for him. The angels near Allah from what has brought you disgrace for
ing in the infinity. In Buddhism, Qur’an talks about the Day of Judg- beaten, and wails and cries out. All each of the heavens accompany him this is the day promised.’ He asks,
death is a reminder of the value of ment and Heaven and Hell but gives this happens while he/she lies dead, to the subsequent heaven until he ‘Who are you? Yours is a face which
being born as a human being, which little details of what happens to the and the family is around them, but reaches to the domain where Allah presages evil.’ He replies, ‘I am your
is the only state in which one can at- soul after death as it concurs with no one can hear or see it. the Great is. Allah, the Mighty and bad actions.’ Then he says, ‘O Lord,
tain enlightenment. the physical disintegration of the As explained by Islamic tra- Majestic, says, ‘Register the book do not let the Last Hour come!’”
Purgatory is where the soul body. However, the statements at- ditions, the soul after leaving the of My slave in ‘Illiyun and take him This grave or interspace is part
rests until purified before return- tributed to Prophet Muhammad body returns to its pure state. The back to earth. I created them from of our journey. It separates heaven
ing to God, an idea promoted by called Ahadith, describe the phase relatives in the Next World who are it, and I return them to it, and I will and earth, this world and the Next
the Roman Catholic Church. Other of punishment and reward that be- people of the Garden, come to meet bring them forth from it again.’ World or the period between death
Christians believe that after death, gins immediately after the burial. it with yearning and great joy. They “His soul then returns to his and resurrection. The reward or
they will be taken into God’s pres- The Qur’an gives the rationale of the ask it about the condition of still body, and two angels come to him. punishment of the grave, as ex-
ence and judged for the deeds they Day of Judgment and explains that it alive and ‘suffering’ in this world. They make him sit up and say to plained by the books of Hadith, is
have done or failed to do during is the only logical and rational out- The angels then bear the soul from him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, not the same as that of the Hereafter,
their lifetime. come of divine laws spread in the one heaven to the next until it comes ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They ask him, DEATH, P11
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