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Category: Death and the Grave

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29 March 2013

A bride along with her three sisters and a brother died in a tragic car accident in Hafr Al-Batin yesterday.

She was heading to prepare for her wedding night but Allah's destiny was that night to be her first in the grave.

Her wedding dress was in the midst of the dirt and rubble.

Several witnesses said three women and the driver had their index fingers confirming shahadah, while the cell phone of one woman was reciting the Qur'an.

An officer said he heard some of them say the Shahadah.

The very last tweet of the brother before his final journey was a picture of a grave reminding people to prepare for it.

One of the witnesses said every single female's purse he opened had a Qur'an in it.

The Imam of their local Masjid said they were a pious family.

Are we ready to meet Allah in a sudden death (May Allah protect us from harm and tragedy)? If so, will it be righteous death, a good ending with Shahadah and Qur'an?

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A police officer in a Muslim country wrote the following letter to a Shaykh describing the events that led to his return to Allaah. He recalls:

Seeing accidents and crash victims was a normal part of my day, but one incident was different.

My partner and I had parked on the shoulder of the highway and began to chat. In a random second, the scene shattered to the hideous sound of metal bodies becoming one. We threw our heads back to see what had happened: a head-on collision, the result of a vehicle slipping into the lane of the oncoming traffic.

You couldn't describe the carnage. Two young men sprawled in the first car, both in critical condition. We carried them gently away from the car and rested them on the ground.

Quickly we returned to assist the owner of the second car. He was dead. Back we went to the two young men lying side by side on the pavement.

My partner began dictating the Shahaadah to them. "Say: La iIaha illAllaah (there is no god but Allaah), La iIaha illAllaah..."

... their tongues wouldn't acknowledge. They started humming the hypnotic lyrics of some song. I was terrified. My partner had experience however and he kept repeating his instruction.

I stood watching, no movement, eyes locked. Never in my life had I seen anything similar to what was going on before me. In fact, I've never actually seen someone die, and never in such a satanic way.

My partner continued to instruct them to say the Shahaadah but there was no use. The hum of their song came to a slow silence, slowly. The first one stopped and then the other. Not a stir. Dead.

We carried them to our patrol car, my partner made no effort to speak. Not a whisper between us two as we carried the corpses to the nearest hospital.

The police officer who narrated this incident fell back into normal routine, as he narrates, and started to drift from Allaah. But another event happened to him that sealed the return. He continues...

What an odd world. After some time, about six months, a strange accident took place.

A young man was moving along the highway normally, but within one of the tunnels leading to the city, he was maimed by a flat tire. To the side of the tunnel he parked and stepped to the back to remove the spare tire. The whistle of a speeding car from behind. In a second, it collided with the crippled car, the young man in-between. He fell to the ground with critical injuries.

I rushed to the scene, myself and another partner other than the first. Together we carried the young man's body into our patrol car and phoned the hospital to prepare for his arrival. He was a young adult in his blossom years. Religious, you could tell from his appearance. He was mumbling when we carried him, but in our rush, we had not paid attention to what he was saying. However, when we placed him on his back in the patrol car we could make it out. Through the pain his heart was reciting Qur'aan! He was so immersed in the recitation... Subhan Allaah, you would have never said that this person was in intense pain.

Blood had soaked his clothes crimson red, his bones had clearly snapped in several places. To tell the truth, he looked like he was staring into the eyes of death. He continued to read in his unique, tender voice. Reciting each verse in proper rhythm. In my entire life, I had never heard any recitation like it. I said to myself, I'm... I'm going to instruct him to say the Shahaadah just like I saw my friend doing; especially since I had previous experience.

My partner and I listened intently to that soft voice. I felt a shiver shock my back and up my arm, the hair stood. Suddenly, the hymn ceased. I watched silently as his hand rose softly. He had his index finger pointed upward to the heavens, saying the Shahaadah "(La iIaha illAllaah / There is no god but Allaah)." Then... his head slumped. Nothing. I jumped to the back seat, felt his hand, his heart, his breathing. He was dead!

I couldn't stop staring at him. A tear fell but I hid it in shame. I turned back to my partner and told him that the boy's life had ceased – he burst out loud crying. Seeing a man cry like that, I could not control myself and my partner faded away behind the fall of my own tears. The patrol car fogged from the emotions.

We arrived at the hospital. As we rushed through the corridors, we told all the doctors, nurses, and onlookers what had happened. So many people were affected by what we said, some stood there speechless and tearful. No one wanted to lose sight of the boy until they had been assured of the time and place he would be buried.

One of the hospital staff phoned the boys home. His brother picked up and was told of the accident. His brother told us about him: He used to go out every Monday to visit his only grandmother outside of town. Whenever he visited her, he made sure to spend time with the poor children idling the streets and the orphans. The town knew him – he was the one that would bring them the Islamic books and tapes. His dusty car would be filled with rice and sugar and even candies – couldn't forget the candies – for those families who were in need.

He would not stand for anyone to discourage him from the long journey to that town. He would always politely reply that the long drive gave him time to review his Qur'aan and listen to Islamic lectures on his cassette deck. And that with every step to the town he hoped for the reward he would find with Allaah...

So let us take lesson from these incidents and make a firm vow to start changing our lives from now on.

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Category: Death and the Grave

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HOW often do we remember death? Yes death, a harsh and fearful reality that escapes no living person. None can avoid it. The people around a dying person don’t have the ability to prevent it. Death happens every moment and it does not discriminate between the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak. Everyone is equal in front of death, because no one has any means to escape it or use intercession to avoid it or even delay it.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Say: Indeed, the death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to Allah, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. And He will then tell you what you used to do.” (Qur’an, 62:8)

“Every one is going to taste death. And We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us will you be returned.” (Qur’an, 21:35)

Our hearts tremble with fear on the thought of this indispensable reality. A person’s actions are sealed with death and what comes after that is more fearful, because will there be a place where one can flee to in order to escape the afflictions suffered in the grave? What will our reply be when we are questioned in the grave? None of us know where we will end up. Will it be Paradise whose width is like the heavens and the earth or will it be the Fire whose fuel is of men and stones?

Ibrahim Bin Adham (d. 160H) was asked about the verse: “Call upon Me and I will respond to you.” (Qur’an, 40:60) that: “We call upon Allah, but He does nor respond to us.” So Ibrahim replied:

“You know Allah; yet you do not obey Him. You recite the Qur’an; yet you do not act according to it. You know Shaytan; yet you continue agreeing with him. You claim to love Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him); yet you abandon his Sunnah. You claim to love Paradise, yet you do not work for it. You claim to fear the Fire; yet you do not stop sinning.
You say ‘indeed death is true’; yet you have not prepared for it. You busy yourselves with the faults of others; yet you do not look at your own faults. You eat the sustenance that Allah provides for you; yet you are not grateful to Him. And you bury your dead; yet you have not heeded its lesson.” (Ibn Rajab’s Al-Khushu’-fis-Salah, pg. 62)

This reality must be firmly established in our heart – the reality that life in this world is limited and has an appointed end, and that this end will surely come. Sheikh Ali Hasan Al-Halabi mentions some good reflections in his book Al-Mawt:

“The righteous will die; and the wicked will die. The warriors who fight jihad will die; and those who sit at home will die. Those who busy themselves with correct beliefs will die; and those who treat people as their slaves will die. The brave who reject injustice will die; and the cowards who seek to cling to this vile life will die. The people of lofty goals and ambitions will die; and the wretched who live for cheap enjoyment will die...So keep death in mind, and the passing on to the next life, and the number of sins that one has committed and the small amount of good that one has done. Think of the good that you would earnestly like to do at that time – then bring that forward and do it today. And think of all those things which you would desire to clear yourself of – then clear yourself from them now.” – Al-Istiqamah

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Category: Death and the Grave

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As Muslims, we believe in the punishment of the grave. There are many narrations which verify its authenticity. One such narration is: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Seek Allaah's protection from the Punishment of the Grave, since the Punishment of the Grave is a fact/true." (Saheeh: At-Tabraanee in 'al-Kabeer' from Umm Khaalid bint Khaalid ibn Sa'eed ibn al-'Aas.)

Our righteous predecessors have mentioned many stories in this regard, some of which are as follows:

Ibn Abi'd Dunya (rahimahullah) mentioned that one of his companions said, “My brother died and I saw him in a dream. I said, "How was it when you were placed in your grave?" He replied,

"Someone brought me a fiery flame and if it had not been that someone else made supplication for me, I think he would have hit me with it.” ("The Soul journey after death" an abridgement of Ibn al-Qayyim's kitabar-ruh.)

Bashar b. Ghalib (rahimahullah) said, “I saw Rabia, on whose behalf I make frequent supplication, in a dream. She said to me,

"Bashar b. Ghalib! Your gifts have been brought to me on plates of light, covered in silken cloths."

I asked, "How can that be?" She replied,

"That is what the supplication of living believers is like. When they make supplication for a dead person, that supplication is answered for them on plates of light, veiled in silken cloths. Then they are brought to the dead person for whom the supplication was said and they are told, 'This is the gift of so-and-so to you.'” ” ("The Soul journey after death" an abridgement of Ibn al-Qayyim's kitabar-ruh.)

Amr bin Dinar (rahimahullah) said “The sister of one of the men of Medina died and he buried her. When he came back from the burial, he remembered that he had left something in the grave. He asked one of his companions to help him. His companion related that they had dug up the grave and found what they were looking for. Then the man said, "Let us dig further and find out what has happened to my sister." He lifted up one of the stones covering the burial cavity and found the grave filled with fire. He replaced it and filled in the grave again. Then he returned to his mother and asked, "What was my sister really like?" She replied, "Why do you ask about her when she is dead?" He said, "Tell me." She said,

"She used to delay the prayer and she also used to go to our neighbours' doors, put her ear to them, and then tell other people what they said." ("The Soul journey after death" an abridgement of Ibn al-Qayyim's kitabar-ruh.)

One of the early Muslims said,

"We passed by a watering-place on the way to Basra. We heard the braying of a donkey and asked the people there what the braying was. They replied that it was one of the men who used to be with them whose mother had asked him for something and he had told her to bray like a donkey. Since his death, this braying had been heard every night from his grave.” ("The Soul journey after death" an abridgement of Ibn al-Qayyim's kitabar-ruh.)

The torment in the grave will vary according to the sins committed by the person in this world, whether he was a disbeliever or a disobedient Muslim. There are authentic narrations which describe this torment for the people who commit these sins. For example:

1 – Being struck with an iron hammer.

It was narrated from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“When a person is placed in his grave and his companions leave him, and he can no longer hear the sound of their sandals (footsteps), two angels come to him and make him sit up, and they ask him, ‘What did you say about this man Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?’ He says, ‘I bear witness that he is the slave of Allaah and His Messenger.’ It is said, ‘Look at your place in Hell which Allaah has replaced for you with a place in Paradise.’” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “And he sees them both. But as for the kaafir or hypocrite, he says, ‘I do not know, I used to say what the people said.’ It is said, ‘You did not know and you did not follow those who knew.’ Then he is struck a blow with an iron hammer between his ears and he screams a scream which everything around him can hear apart from the two races (of mankind and the jinn).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1222.)

2 –7: Furnishings from Hell are prepared for him; he is clothed with fire; a door to Hell is opened for him; his grave is made narrow for him; he is struck with a great hammer which, if a mountain were to be struck with it, it would turn to dust; and he is given the tidings of torment in the Hereafter. Hence he will wish that the hour would never come.

Ahmad (17803) and Abu Dawood (4753) narrated that al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib said:

"We went out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for the funeral of a man from among the Ansaar. We came to the grave and when (the deceased) was placed in the lahd, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat down and we sat around him, as if there were birds on our heads (i.e. quiet and still). In his hand he had a stick with which he was scratching the ground. Then he raised his head and said, “Seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of the grave,” two or three times. Then he mentioned the soul of the believer and how he is blessed in his grave. Then he said: “But when the disbelieving slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with black faces, bringing sackcloth, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, ‘O evil soul, come forth to the wrath of Allaah and His anger.’ Then his soul disperses inside his body, then comes out cutting the veins and nerves, like a skewer passing through wet wool. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that sackcloth, and there comes from it a stench like the foulest stench of a dead body on the face of the earth. Then they ascend and they do not pass by any group of angels but they say, ‘Who is this evil soul?’ and they say, ‘It is so and so, the son of so and so, calling him by the worst names by which he was known in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and it is not opened.” Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited (interpretation of the meaning):

“For them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle.” [al-A’raaf, 7:40]

He said: “Then Allaah says, ‘Record the book of My slave in Sijjeen in the lowest earth, and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I will return them and from it I will bring them forth once again.’ So his soul is cast down.” Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoever assigns partners to Allaah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky, and the birds had snatched him, or the wind had thrown him to a far off place.” [al-Hajj, 22:31]

He said: “Then his soul is returned to his body, and there come to him two angels who make him sit up and they say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ They say, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ Then a voice calls out from heaven, ‘Prepare for him a bed from Hell and clothe him from Hell, and open for him a gate to Hell.’ Then there comes to him some of its heat and hot winds, and his grave is constricted and compresses him until his ribs interlock. Then there comes to him a man with an ugly face and ugly clothes, and a foul stench, who says, ‘Receive the bad news, this is the day that you were promised.’ He says, ‘Who are you? Your face is a face which forebodes evil.’ He says, ‘I am your evil deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, do not let the Hour come, do not let the Hour come.’” (This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 156)

8 – Being swallowed up by the earth.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whilst a man was dragging his lower garment out of pride, the earth swallowed him up and he will continue sinking into the earth until the Day of Resurrection.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5345; Muslim, 3894)

9- The edge of the mouth being torn to the back of the head.

10- The head being smashed with a rock.

11- Being burnt in a tannoor oven

12- Swimming in a river of blood whilst being pelted with stones.

Al-Bukhaari (1386, 7047) narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub said:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) often used to ask his companions, “Has any one of you had a dream?” Then those whom Allaah willed would tell him (about their dreams). One morning he said, “Last night, two people came to me (in a dream), and woke me up and said, ‘Let’s go!’ I set out with them, and we came across a man who was lying down, with another man standing over him, holding a big rock. He threw the rock at the man's head, smashing it. The rock rolled away, and the one who had thrown it followed it, and picked it up. By the time he came back to the man, his head had been restored to its former state. Then he (the one who had thrown the rock) did the same as he had done before. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allaah! Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move on!’

So we went on, and came to a man who was lying flat on his back, with another man standing over him, holding an iron hook. He put the hook in the man's mouth and tore off that side of his face to the back (of his neck), and he tore his nose and his eye from front to back in a similar manner. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did likewise. No sooner had he finished the second side but the first side was restored to its former state, then he went back and did the same thing again. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allaah! Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move on!’

So we went on, and came to something like a tannoor (a kind of oven, lined with clay, usually used for baking bread)." (I think the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, in that oven there was much noise and voices. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) added:) "We looked into it and saw naked men and women. A flame of fire was reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried out loudly. I asked them, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me, ‘Move on!’

So we went on and came to a river. (I think he said, red like blood.) In the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had gathered many stones. Whilst the swimmer was swimming, the man who had gathered the stones approached him. The swimmer opened his mouth and the man on the bank threw a stone into it, then the swimmer carried on swimming. Each time he came back, he opened his mouth again, and the man on the bank threw another stone into his mouth. I said to my two companions, ‘Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move on, move on!’

I said to them, "I have seen many wonders this night. What do all these things mean that I have seen?’ They said, ‘We will tell you.

The first man you came across, whose head was being smashed with the rock, is the man who studies the Qur’aan, then he neither recites it nor acts upon it, and he goes to sleep, neglecting the obligatory prayers.

The (second) man you came across whose mouth, nose and ears were being torn from front to back, is the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells a lie that is so serious that it spreads all over the world.

The naked men and women whom you saw in a structure that resembled an oven are the adulterers and adulteresses.

The man you saw swimming in the river with rocks being thrown into his mouth is the one who consumed riba (usury).”

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:

“This indicates that some sinners will be punished in al-barzakh (the interval between death and the Day of Resurrection).” (Fath al-Baari, 12/445)

12- Items stolen from the war booty will be set ablaze on the one who stole them.

Al-Bukhaari (4234) and Muslim (115) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said:

“We went out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to Khaybar, and Allaah granted us victory. We did not take gold or silver as booty, but we seized goods, food and clothes, then we set out for the valley. With the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) there was a slave called Rifaa’ah ibn Zayd. When we camped in the valley, the slave of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood up and began to unpack his saddlebag, when he was struck by a stray arrow which proved fatal. We said, ‘Congratulations to him, for he is a martyr, O Messenger of Allaah.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

‘Not so, by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, for the small garment that he stole from the booty on the day of Khaybar and which was not part of his share, is burning like fire on him.’

The people were very distressed by this. Then a man brought one or two shoelaces and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I found (them) on the day of Khaybar.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘A lace of fire,’ or ‘Two laces of fire.’”

13- Along with this physical punishment there will also be a spiritual or mental punishment, which is that in the grave the kaafir will be shown what would have been his place in Paradise if he had obeyed his Lord; this will increase his regret and pain when he realizes the greatness of the blessing that he has missed out on.

Ahmad (10577) narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said:

"I attended a funeral with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O people, this ummah will be tested in their graves. When a man is buried and his friends leave him, an angel with a hammer in his hand comes and sits by him and asks, ‘What do you say about this man?’ If he is a believer, he says, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.’ He says, ‘You have spoken the truth.’ Then a door to Hell is opened for him and he says, ‘This would have been your place if you had disbelieved in your Lord, but because you believed, this is your place.’ Then a door to Paradise is opened for him and he wants to go there, but the angel says to him, ‘Calm down,’ and his grave is made wide and spacious for him. But if he is a disbeliever or a hypocrite, (the angel) says to him, ‘What do you say about this man?’ He says, ‘I do not know, I heard the people saying something.’ The angel says, ‘You did not know and you did not follow those who knew and you were not guided.’ Then a door to Paradise is opened for him and he says, ‘This would have been your position if you had believed in your Lord. But because you disbelieved, Allaah has replaced it for you with this.’ Then a gate to Hell is opened for him, and he strikes him a blow with the hammer which is heard by all of Allaah’s creation apart from the two races (of mankind and the jinn).” Some of the people said, “O Messenger of Allaah, there is no one who would have an angel standing by him holding a hammer but he would be dumbfounded.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm.” [Ibraaheem, 14:27 – interpretation of the meaning] (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in his commentary on Kitaab al-Sunnah by Ibn Abi ‘Aasim, 865)

These are some of the kinds of punishment that will befall some sinners in the grave.

Morning AND Evening

The people in their graves are actually shown their places in Paradise or Hell continuously.

Allah (Almighty) has said in the Qur’aan,

{In front of the Fire they will be brought morning and evening, and (the Sentence will be) on the Day that Judgment will be established: Cast the people of Pharaoh into the severest penalty.} (Al-Mumin, 40:46)

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said, “When any of you dies, he is shown his place morning and evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise, then he is one of them, and if he is one of the people of Hell, then he is one of them. He is told:

‘This is your place until Allah raises you on the Day of Resurrection.’”

May Allah (Almighty) make us of the righteous believers, whose grave is expanded with the delights of the hereafter. May Allah (Almighty) forgive our sins and instil steadfastness into our hearts. Aameen.

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Category: Death and the Grave

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The great blessings bestowed or the painful punishment inflicted by Allah, the High, on the believer in his grave is something that we can’t thoroughly understand, even if all the mechanisms and devices available to us were utilised for this purpose. This is partly due to the fact that we can’t perceive, look at or touch these realities in this world. For example, we can’t see the door that opens for the believer in his grave towards paradise. Furthermore, even if we were to inspect every grave in this world, we can’t hear what the animals can hear from the grave, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“The dead are being punished in their graves, and even the animals can hear the voices.”{footnote}Classed as Saheeh by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami 2369.{/footnote}

He also said:

“This Ummah will be tried in its graves. If it were not for the fear that you might not bury your dead, I would pray to Allah to make you hear what I hear.”{footnote}Saheeh Muslim and Musnad Imaam Ahmad.{/footnote}

But this is not to say that miracles don’t, won’t and can’t occur; rather what is being alluded to here is that this is not the normal perceived scientific norm. Rather, it is the divine sources, namely the Qur’aan and Sunnah, which elucidate to us the secrets hidden deep within the depths of these covered graves. It is these very divine sources that a believer wholeheartedly accepts as reality due to the various incontestable signs and facts that testify to their veracity, even if science and scientists may denounce such beliefs as being mere hypothetical superstitions. Therefore, it is belief and conviction based on knowledge which is the driving force pushing a believer to work for that day when he will be laid in an empty grave, a grave which may seem to the world as being void of life and vitality, but holds either blissful realities or painful, anguishing and distressful facts. The Prophetic Narrations which follow, mentioning the evil, hypocritical and disbelieving soul’s punishments and torture, should push us, as believers, to ask Allah with a heart full of fear, anxiety and worry for His Forgiveness and Mercy.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed, after a slave is placed in his grave, and his companions walk away from him, so that he can hear the echo of their footsteps, two angels come to him.”{footnote}Al-Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote} Then he will be “made to sit (up) in his grave.”{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“When the Kaafir is placed in his grave, an angel comes to him and rebukes him…”{footnote}Aboo Daawood.{/footnote}

“Two stern angels will come to him, rebuke him and sit him up…”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

At this critical moment the evil soul will not be blessed with tranquility and calm being bestowed upon him, rather, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) informed us, he will sit up in his grave utterly defeated, terrified and bewildered. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The man is sat up in his grave, scared and terrified.”{footnote}Ibn Maajah.{/footnote} Indeed, this is only the beginning; what follows will be even more difficult and stressful due to what his own hands have sent forth.

When interrogated by al-Munkar and an-Nakeer, the disbeliever will find himself confused and bewildered and it will only push him further into answering incorrectly. Then a little gap will be opened for him through which he will see the glimpse of Paradise which Allah has denied him, and this will only add to his sorrow and misery. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“…If he was a bad man, he will be sat up in his grave, full of fear and terror and he will be asked:

‘What did you say?’

He will say:

‘I heard the people saying such-and-such, so I said likewise.’”{footnote}Ahmad, the hadeeth is authentic.{/footnote}

They will say to him,

‘Who is your Lord?’

He will say,

‘Huh, huh, I do not know!’{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

He is told,

‘May you never know!’{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

He will be asked:

‘What did you worship?’

He says,

‘I don’t know.’

He is told,

‘You didn’t know and you didn’t care!’{footnote}Aboo Daawood.{/footnote}

And:

‘You did not know, nor did you recite (Qur'aan)!’{footnote}Recorded by Abu Dawud; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

Imagine his sorrow and pain. Having lived for so many years in the world, with the many blessings Allah (Almighty) had bestowed on him - from health to wealth and time to leisure -he did not bother to read the Qur’aan; he didn’t sincerely try to find out about its message or even to look through some of its pages. Rather, he obliviously passed by the aisle that held it in the many libraries and bookstores he had been given the chance to visit. This is because he either didn’t care about going through the religious scriptures sincerely to find the truth, or if he did, it was for a selfish purpose, a purpose that is not deserving of guidance. As for the sinful person, who may have had the Qur’aan lying somewhere within the four corners of his own home, then this very Qur’aan will be a proof against him, as we can see from the above narration. For this reason, he will be far from correctly answering the next question posed by the angels.

They will ask him,

‘What is your religion?’{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

‘In what religion were you?’{footnote}Ibn Maajah.{/footnote}

He will say,

‘Huh, huh, I do not know!’{footnote}This lengthy hadith is narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib and is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

He is asked,

‘What did you do?’

He replies,

‘I do not know.’{footnote}Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

“The disbeliever or hypocrite will be asked:

‘What did you say about this man?’

‘What do you say about this man who was sent among you?’{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

‘Who is that man?’{footnote}Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

He will say,

‘I don’t know. I used to say whatever the people were saying.’{footnote}Agreed upon.{/footnote}

‘I used to say whatever the people were saying.’{footnote}Aboo Daawood.{/footnote}

‘I heard the people saying such-and-such, and I said likewise.’{footnote}Ibn Maajah.{/footnote}

‘I heard the people saying such-and-such, and I said likewise. I do not know.’{footnote}Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami, 737.{/footnote}

He will be told,

‘You did not know and you did not care!’”{footnote}Agreed upon.{/footnote}

“He will not even know his name, but he will be told –‘Muhammad’- and he will say:

‘Huh, huh, I do not know! I heard the people saying such-and-such.’

He will be told,

‘May you never know!’”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

They will say:

‘We knew that you would not know.’

‘We knew that you would say this.’{footnote}Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami, 737.{/footnote}

“A hole will be opened for him, through which he will see paradise with its luxuries, and he will be told:

‘Look at that which Allah has taken away from you.’

Then a hole will be opened for him, through which he will see Hellfire, parts of it consuming others. He will be told:

‘This is your place in it. You used to doubt, you died doubting and you will be resurrected doubting, Allah Willing.’ Then he will be punished.”{footnote}Ahmad, the hadeeth is authentic.{/footnote}

“A door is then opened from his grave to Hell, and he is hit a blow that can be heard by every creature except the human beings and the Jinn.”{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

“Then he will be struck with an iron hammer between his two ears, and will utter a cry which will be heard by every creature around him, except for Jinn and men. Then his grave will be constricted for him until his ribs are crushed.”{footnote}Agreed upon.{/footnote}

“Then a voice will call from heaven, saying:

‘He has lied, so furnish his grave from Hell, and open for him a gate to Hell.’

Then some of its heat and venom will reach him, and his grave will be constricted until his ribs are crushed together.”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

“The earth will then be told, ‘Press him.’ So it will press him and his ribs will be crushed together. It will continue to punish him until Allah resurrects him from that place.”{footnote}Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami, 737.{/footnote}

His Bad Deeds will come in the Form of a Man

“There will come to him (or there will appear before him) a man with an ugly face, badly-dressed, and foul-smelling. He will say,

‘I bring you bad news: this is the day that you were promised.’

He will say:

‘And you, may Allah give you even worse news! Who are you? Your face brings bad news!’

He will say,

‘I am your evil deeds. By Allah, I only ever saw you reluctant to obey Allah, and ever eager to disobey Him. May Allah repay you with evil!’”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

The disbeliever will be struck with an iron chain until he is turned to dust. “Then he will be struck between his ears with an iron hammer and will utter a cry which will be heard by the whole of creation apart from Jinn and men.”{footnote}Aboo Daawood.{/footnote}

“Then there will be sent to him one who is blind, deaf and dumb, who will carry in his hand an iron rod which, if he were to beat a camel with it, would turn it to dust. He will beat him with it until he turns to dust, then Allah will restore him, then he will be beaten again. He will let out a scream that the whole creation will hear, except for men and Jinn. Then a gate will be opened for him to Hell and his grave will be furnished from Hell. He will say,

‘My Lord, may the hour never come!’”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

“And he is told, ‘Go to sleep like a bitten person.’ And his grave is made tight on him.”

The Companion, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked, "What is a bitten person?"

He replied,

"One who is bitten by creatures and snakes.”{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

This punishment will continue, while those living on the face of the earth will continue in their daily routines and chores, oblivious to the great torment and agony this person is suffering.

They won’t be able to hear his screams; if they could have, then they would no longer be able to live, and life itself would halt.

Details

Category: Death and the Grave

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The time-span exacted for the soul to be taken up into the heavens is a matter unknown to us as time holds a completely different dimension in the next life. What we do know, however, is that after the person is buried and as his friends and family walk away, the soul is returned back to the body at this stage. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“When a person is placed in his grave and his companions leave him, he can hear their footsteps."{footnote}Agreed upon{/footnote}

We also learn from the following Prophetic Narrations that the questioning of the angels will immediately begin after the burial. For, whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) buried someone, he would stand by the graveside and tell the people,

“Ask Allah to forgive your brother and give him strength, for he is being questioned right now.”{footnote}Aboo Daawood and at-Tirmidhi.{/footnote}

From Prophetic Narrations we come to learn that the righteous soul will in fact undergo a significantly different ordeal in comparison to the evil one. Let’s first go through the ordeal experienced by the righteous soul as it is interrogated by the angels and Allah Willing, thereby hope that Allah (Almighty) makes us of them, Aameen. After which we will look at how the evil soul will be questioned and punished in the grave, may Allah (Almighty) save us from such an end. Aameen.

*Throughout this section I will be predominantly mentioning certain parts of the authentic Prophetic Narration narrated by al-Baraa’ Ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) the beginning of which goes as follows:

“We went out with the Prophet (peace be upon him) to attend the funeral of one of the Ansaari men. When we reached the grave, and before the man was buried, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sat down [facing the Qiblah] and we sat down around him. We were as silent and still as if there were birds on our heads, and he had in his hand a stick with which he scratched up the earth. He began to look up towards the sky and down at the ground, and he raised and lowered his head three times. He said,

‘Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.’ – two or three times…”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

Let’s pray that Allah (Almighty) saves us from the Fitnah of the grave, Aameen.

What follows is how the two angels will come in the grave and sit the lying deceased person up in his grave after his friends and relatives have buried him and walked away from the grave.

The Righteous IS Questioned

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Then two angels come to him, sit him up…”{footnote}Agreed upon.{/footnote}

The names of these two interrogating angels that will come to a person in the grave are mentioned in the following Hadeeth: “When the deceased is buried, two black-and-blue angels come to him, one called al-Munkar and the other called an-Nakeer.”{footnote}Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami; no 737..{/footnote}

Even the righteous believer will not be saved from the questioning which will take place in the grave. This is collaborated by the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) unequivocally mentioned: “A believer is made to sit in his grave.”{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote} and by other narrations which will shortly follow.

The difference between the believer and the disbeliever in this regard will be that the believer will be calm and self-composed when the angels sit him up in the grave, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly elucidated: “The righteous man is sat up in his grave, not scared or terrified.”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote} And: “If he was a righteous man, he will be sat up in his grave, without fear or terror…”{footnote}Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

This is a distinguishing feature which Allah (Almighty) blesses his slaves with. He strengthens their souls at this difficult time and gives them conviction. This is because the one who truly fears Allah will not have to fear anything or anyone else. It is from the Mercy of Allah (the Most Kind) that He will strengthen his slave even at this most critical stage, a stage which will determine what lies ahead of him.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “When the Believer is sat up in his grave, he will bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and that is the meaning of the verse:

{Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the word that stands firm…} (Ibraaheem [14]:27){footnote}Al-Bukhaari.{/footnote}

Other narrations clearly mention the wording of the questions which the angels will pose and also the manner in which the believer will respond to these questions. I thoroughly searched and went through as many narrations as I could possibly find to ascertain the exact questions mentioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him), himself, regarding the questioning that will take place in the grave by the angels. Interestingly I found that, although commonly people have only heard of three questions that will be posed in the grave, there is also mention of a fourth one: namely regarding the Qur’aan. Yes, the Book of Allah, our guide in the life of this world which explains to us the reality of our existence and where we are heading. But what is worrying is that so many of us have failed in our duty towards it and have underestimated our obligation towards it, so much so that many of us are oblivious of the fact that we will be questioned in the grave about the Qur’aan.

The only way we can gain a thorough understanding of this topic is by going through the various authentic narrations passed down from the Prophet (peace be upon him).

And this is what we are going to venture into right now.

The Various Narrations

The following are the different wordings found in the various Prophetic Narrations which mention the questions which will be posed to the believer in the grave and how s/he will reply to them.

*As mentioned earlier, we will first go through how the believer will respond to the questions posed to him. Whereas in the next article we’ll go through how the disbeliever will incorrectly respond to the questions posed to him and the consequences he will have to face as a result of that.

***

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“…Two stern angels will come to him, [rebuke him] and sit him up,

‘Who is your Lord?’/

‘What did you use to worship?’{footnote}Narrated by Aboo Daawood from Anas; see Saheeh al-Jaami’; No 1926.{/footnote}

He will answer,

‘My Lord is Allah.’

In another narration it’s mentioned:

“Allah guides him and he says, ‘I used to worship Allah’.“{footnote}Narrated by Aboo Daawood from Anas; see Saheeh al-Jaami’; No 1926.{/footnote}

They will ask him,

‘What is your religion?’{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim..{/footnote}‘ /

‘In what [religion] were you?’{footnote}Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote} /

‘What did you used to say about Islaam?'{footnote}Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

“He will say,

‘My religion is Islaam.’{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim{/footnote} /

‘I was in Islaam.’{footnote}Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

After this he will be questioned about the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Last and Final Messenger of Allah sent to mankind. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself said:

“…As for the Fitnah of the grave, (the deceased) will be tested concerning me and asked about me…”{footnote}Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

“They will ask:

‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}/

‘Who was this man who was among you?’{footnote}Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}/

‘Who is this man?’{footnote}Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}/

‘What did you used to say about this man?’{footnote}Agree upon.{/footnote}/

"Who is your Prophet?"{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

“He will say,

‘He is the Messenger of Allah.”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standard.s of Bukhari and Muslim{/footnote}/

‘Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He brought us clear signs from Allah and we believed in him.’ /

‘Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, who brought the clear signs from Allah, so we believed in him.’”{footnote}Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}/

‘He is the slave and Messenger of Allah.’{footnote}Narrated by Aboo Daawood from Anas; see Saheeh al-Jaami’; No 1926.{/footnote}/

‘I bear witness that he is the slave and Messenger of Allah.’{footnote}Agree upon.{/footnote}/

‘He is the slave of Allah and His Messenger, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.’{footnote}Narrated by Aboo Daawood from Anas; see Saheeh al-Jaami’; No 1926.{/footnote}/

"He is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, who came with clear signs from Allah; and we believed in him."{footnote}Recorded by Ahmad; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}/

"My prophet is Muhammad."{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

The angels will say,

‘We knew that you would say this.’…{footnote}Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami; no 737.{/footnote}/

"We expected you to say this."{footnote}Recorded by at-Tirmidhi; verified to be hasan.{/footnote}

He is asked,

‘Have you seen Allah?’

He says,

‘No-one may see Allah.’{footnote}Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

“They will ask him,

‘What did you do?’

He will say,

‘I read (or recited) the Book of Allah. And I believed in it.’

He will rebuke him and ask:

‘Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet?’

This is the last of the trials to face the Believers…”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

In this way, the believing slave will past the greatest test and gain the everlasting bliss and pleasure of the Almighty. Sorrow will become something of the past; pain will cease to exist; hurt will be uplifted and sadness taken away.

Happiness upon happiness; joy upon joy -increasing as the moments pass by and as the Day of Resurrection draws close.

A Hole Opened Towards Jannah

The grave, that dark murky excavation in the ground that was once dark and unlit, will now have a hole opened in it for the believer. He will be shown that which he has been saved from and that which he has been gifted with. For it is only by knowing that which you have been saved from does one really know what they have truly gained. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“A hole will be opened for him, through which he will see the hellfire, parts of it consuming others.”{footnote}Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}/ “An opening is made (from his grave) to the Fire, so that he sees its various sections crushing each other.He is told,

"Look at that from which Allah (azza wa jall) has saved you."{footnote}Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “He is not questioned about anything else after this. He is taken to a house in the Fire, and is told,

‘This is your house which was in the Hellfire, but Allah has protected you and had mercy on you, and has exchanged it for a house in Paradise for you.’"{footnote}Narrated by Aboo Daawood from Anas; see Saheeh al-Jaami’; No 1926.{/footnote}

“Then a gate of Paradise and a gate of Hell will be opened for him, and it will be said to him:

‘This is your place if you had disobeyed Allah. But Allah has given you this instead of that.’”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

“Then a hole will be opened through which he will see paradise, with all its luxuries.”{footnote}Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}/ “Then he is shown Paradise, and he looks at its beauty and everything in it.”{footnote}Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

He is told:

‘Look at your place in Hellfire, which Allah has exchanged for a place in Paradise.’{footnote}Agreed upon.{/footnote}/ ‘Look at that which Allah, may He be Exalted, has saved you from.’{footnote}Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

“So he will look at them both…”{footnote}Agreed upon.{/footnote}

“A door is then opened from his grave (to Jannah), and he is told,

‘Look at your (future) abode.’”{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote} “He is told: ‘This is your place{footnote}Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote} in it.’{footnote} Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

In another narration it is stated: "Another opening is then made (from his grave) in the direction of Jannah; and he views its grandeur and the things (bounties) in it. He is then told,

"This will be your position. You lived with certitude (about Allah's promises); upon it you died; and upon it you will be raised when Allah (az) wills."{footnote}Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

In the lengthy Hadeeth narrated by al-Baraa’ Ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“A voice will call from Heaven:

‘My slave has spoken the truth, so furnish his grave from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to Paradise.’

Some of its breeze and scent will reach him, and his grave will be widened for him as far as the eye can see.”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}/“…Then they will expand his grave for him, seventy cubits by seventy, and illuminate it for him.”{footnote}Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani, op.cit, No 737.{/footnote}

He will also be allowed to eat from the trees of Paradise before the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The soul of a believer is a bird eating from the trees of Paradise until Allah restores it to its body on the Day of Resurrection.”{footnote}Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani. Saheeh al-Jaami;2369.{/footnote}

How Merciful our Lord is! Although the people of the world may look towards the grave of this person thinking that his life has halted after his death, that he no longer knows the meaning of joy and happiness, that he is restricted between the four walls of his grave, they know not how Allah (Almighty) can bless his servants in a way that we can’t imagine nor envisage. In a way that we can only hope and wish for. But if the believer had debts, then his soul will be tied to his debts. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“The soul of the believer is tied to his debts until they are paid off.”{footnote}Narrated and classed as Hasan by at-Tirmidhi; classed as Saheeh by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami 6655.{/footnote}

For Allah is Just and does not overlook the right owed to another. Justice is one of the distinguishing hallmarks and benchmark of Islaam and it is performed, even if that means in the next life.

Good Deeds Come in the Form of a Man

Another blessing of the Almighty is that one’s good deeds will come in the form of a handsome, well-dressed, finely-perfumed man who will bring glad tidings to the believer, as the following narration illustrates:

“There will come to him a handsome, well-dressed and finely-scented man, who will say,

‘I bring good news which will make you glad. I bring good news of the good pleasure of Allah, and Gardens wherein is eternal blessing. This is the day which you were promised.’

He will say:

‘And you, may Allah give you better news. Who are you?’

He will say,

‘I am your good deeds, and by Allah I only ever saw you hastening to obey Allah, and ever-reluctant to disobey Him, so may Allah reward you with good.’{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

What About Family?

“When he sees what is in Paradise…”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote} "...He’d want to share his achievement with his family, for surely they must be worried about him. So he asks,

‘Let me go and tell my family of this good news’,{footnote}Narrated by Aboo Daawood from Anas; see Saheeh al-Jaami’; No 1926.{/footnote}/

‘I want to go back to my family and tell them.’{footnote}Classed as Hsan by al-Albaani. Saheeh al-Jaami; 737.{/footnote}

An inner urge will make him ask:

“My Lord! Hasten the coming of the Hour, so that I may return to my family and my wealth.’

The reply of which will be:

"Be tranquil."{footnote}Recorded by Abu Dawud; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}/

‘Be patient’ (Literally, ‘Dwell here.’){footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}/

‘Remain where you are.’{footnote}Narrated by Aboo Daawood from Anas; see Saheeh al-Jaami’; No 1926.{/footnote}/

‘Sleep like the groom who should not be woken by any except those he loves most.’

“Until Allah will resurrect him from his place of rest.”{footnote}Classed as Hasan by al-Albaani. Saheeh al-Jaami; 737.{/footnote}

And then his grave, “…will be filled with greenery until the Day of Resurrection.”{footnote}Agreed upon.{/footnote}

Sleep Until the Day of Resurrection

After all of this, he will be reassured and given glad tidings:

‘You were certain (‘ala’l-Yaqeen), you died certain, and you will be raised certain, Allah Willing.’{footnote}Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}/

‘You had strong faith, you died with strong faith, and you will be resurrected with strong faith, Allah Willing.”{footnote}Narrated by Ahmad, with a Saheeh Isnaad; reported in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.{/footnote}

And: “He will not be asked about anything else.”{footnote}Narrated by Aboo Daawood from Anas; see Saheeh al-Jaami’; No 1926.{/footnote} “…Then he will be told, ‘Sleep’.”"{footnote}Classed as Hsan by al-Albaani. Saheeh al-Jaami; 737.{/footnote}

So the righteous slave will then sleep peacefully, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described:

“He is then left in the grave, and (the time passes) as if it is but a nap.”{footnote}Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.{/footnote}

But the questions remain:

What will happen to the evil soul, the disbeliever and the hypocrite?

How will they reply to these questions, and how will they be treated in return?

Click here to continue this journey.

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Back down, right into the earth.

The murky, dark, dirty and inexpensive soil beneath us shall one day be a part of us, engulfing us and freely entering within the openings of our noses and mouths as it becomes one with us. We won’t have any choice but to submit to it, as choice and free-will is something of this world and therefore will no longer be readily available to us in the grave. Towards the grave is our destination; indeed we were created from it, will be buried into it, and then will be resurrected from it. This is the promise of Allah and as believers we know that Allah’s promises are unlike the promises made by man. For, man may incessantly and repetitively without shame break his promises one after the other, but Allah (The High and Elevated) never ever ever fails in His promises. His promises will surely come to pass, whether or not we, with our limited intellects and restricted knowledge, have truly come to comprehend and grasp this reality. Allah (Almighty) made this clear to us:

{(Such is) the promise of Allah, never does Allah fail in His promise.} [Al Qur’an 39:20]

{The promise of Allah is true, and He is Exalted in Power, Wise.} [Al Qur’an 31:9]

One such promise, which Allah (the Mighty and Glorious) made to man is that after man’s death, when his soul is taken up into the heavens towards Allah (Almighty), and after Allah (Almighty) records his deed in either the Illiyeen or Sijjeen - depending on whether he accumulated good or bad deeds in this life, and the sort of life he lead - Allah (the Glorious) will return man’s soul into this world. But this time there will now be a difference as there will be a change in his destination. This time won’t be like the time before, when a person could easily traverse and venture into the valleys, path-ways and various tracks embedded in the face of this earth. Rather, he will placed inside the world, in a restricted and confined grave which Allah (the All-Powerful) had decreed for him and which awaits his occupation.

Indeed, Allah (Almighty) will come to fulfill the promise he made in Surah Taha, verse 55:

{From it (the earth) we created you, and into it we shall return you, and from it we shall bring You out once again.}

The Prophet (peace be upon him) further elucidates and elaborated that Allah (the Mighty and Powerful) will say - after the evil and disbelieving soul is brought up to Him, and his name is recorded in as-Sijjeen -:

‘Take him back to the earth, for this was my promise. I created them from it, I will return them to it, and I will resurrect them from it again.’{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

In another narration we find:

“Take him back to the earth, because I promised them that from it I create them, into it I return them, and from it I resurrect them once again.”{footnote}Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others.{/footnote}

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said:

“…The soul will be taken up to its Lord then it will be said: ‘Take it to its destiny.’”{footnote}Saheeh Muslim{/footnote}

Then, the evil soul will be thrown down into the earth, to meet what awaits him, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“He will be taken back to the earth, and his soul will be returned to his body and he will hear the footsteps of his companions as they leave him.”{footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.{/footnote}

The cold, dark excavation in the ground will now become his real home as s/he enters the stage of the hereafter and become one of its children. His or her friends walk away, oblivious and helpless; how can they help him when s/he can’t help himself? Now that which was hidden to him will become apparent and disbelief will become certitude and conviction in Allah’s promise. He will now come to know what true solitude is like, for only his deeds will be his friends. No wonder Haani’, the servant of ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) described,

“’Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) used to cry until his beard became wet when he would stand next to a grave. He was told:

‘You mention the Heaven and the Hellfire and you don’t cry, but when you mention the grave you burst into tears!’ He said, ‘I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying,

‘The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter, whoever passes it will be at ease afterwards, and if he does not pass it he will be in (the) worst condition.”

I also heard him (the Prophet, peace be upon him) saying,

“Never have I seen a sight more horrifying than the grave.”{footnote}Saheeh Muslim{/footnote}

We also find this fact collaborated by the following Prophetic Narrations in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“These graves are filled with darkness for their occupants. Allah enlightens them by me praying for them.”{footnote}Saheeh Muslim{/footnote}

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) also said,

"Seek Allaah's protection from the Punishment of the Grave, since punishment of the Grave is a fact/true."{footnote}Saheeh: At-Tabraanee in 'al-Kabeer' from Umm Khaalid bint Khaalid ibn Sa'eed ibn al-'Aas.{/footnote}

The great Tab’iee (Successor{footnote}A Successor is somebody who has met a Companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but not the Prophet (peace be upon him).{/footnote}), the student of the illustrious companion Anas Ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), Thaabit al-Bunani said, 'Once I was walking among the graves and I heard a voice behind me saying,

"Thaabit! Do not be deceived by their stillness. How many people in them are suffering!"

I turned around, but did not see anyone.'{footnote}The Soul journey after death" an abridgement of Ibn al-Qayyim's kitabar-ruh.{/footnote}

In another incident a girl died in the al-Jarif plague. Her father met her in a dream after her death and asked her to tell him about the Next World. She replied,

“My father, this is a huge subject you have raised. We know but cannot act. You can act but do not know. By Allah, one or two acts of glorification and one or two Rak'ats of the prayer in the book of my actions are preferable to me than the world and all it contains.”{footnote}The Soul journey after death" an abridgement of Ibn al-Qayyim's kitabar-ruh.{/footnote}

It is a fact, that the grave is such an abode that once one has entered its home, there will be no leaving it until the Day of Resurrection… a day in which all of one’s deeds will be scaled and the true nature of life will come forward. Then all that man did in this life will be for him or against him.

If only s/he truly knew.

The squeeze and then the Questioning begins

Some of us may have felt the sensation of being hugged so tight that it hurt, especially when as children, a certain auntie just wouldn’t let go till she gave her unwelcomed salaams by way of squeezing you so tight until you felt like you just wanted to escape from her clutches.

Well, the grave will give a similar hug to the person who enters within it but it wont be anything like the squeeze given by someone known to you, nor will it have any warmth to it. When the person is laid down in the grave and covered, the grave will press-in on the person and this is something none of us can escape. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

“If anyone could have escaped from the pressing-in of the grave it would have been Sa’d Ibn Mu’aadh, but even he was pressed by his grave before he was released.”{footnote}Ahmad, al-Musnad and at-Tirmidhi.{/footnote}

Imagine that!

Imagine being in a restricted excavation in the ground, which has no light, no ventilation and no escape.

Imagine the biting darkness which will surround you and the insects crawling around you.

Imagine the coldness of the earth which will now begin to squeeze you… and then you ask Allah (Almighty) the ability to change your ways before it’s too late. For after the squeeze, the questioning will begin; An interrogation unlike any other.

Some of us may fear being questioned because we have a lot to hide or we may feel like we haven’t prepared enough for it and have lagged behind in performing duties and deeds which we really should have performed. Whereas others, especially the likes of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), are enthusiastic and rely on Allah (Almighty) hand-in-hand with having prepared for that day.

‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that, ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) mentioned the tormentor of the grave and ‘Umar asked, “Will our mental faculties be restored to us, O Messenger of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Yes, just as they are now.” ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

“I will put a stone in his mouth.”{footnote}Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, Vol 4, with a Hasan Isnaad.{/footnote}

What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) intends here is that because he honors His Lord, Allah (Almighty) will help him give the right answers, which will silence his questioner in the grave. But the question arises: How many of us are like ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? How many of us have sacrificed our lives and devoted our energies to spreading the message of Islaam and in defending the way of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him). So how wise is it for us then to be confident in this regard?

We have more to fear, yet we must hope.

For, without hope we are doomed.

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"Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children. (It is) like a rain (Ghayth), thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment, and (there is) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure. And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." [57:20] Allah the Exalted degrades the significance of this life and belittles it by saying "that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children."

Meaning, this is the significance of this life to its people, just as He said in another Ayah,

"Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return with Him." (3:14)

Allah the Exalted also sets a parable for this life, declaring that its joys are fading and its delights are perishable, saying that life is,

"Like a rain (Ghayth)," which is the rain that comes down to mankind, after they had felt despair. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

"And He is it Who sends down the Ghayth (rain) after they have despaired." (42:28)

Allah's statement, "thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller" meaning that farmers admire the vegetation that grows in the aftermath of rain. And just as farmers admire vegetation, the disbelievers admire this life; they are the most eager to acquire the traits of life, and life is most dear to them, "afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw."

Meaning, that vegetation soon turns yellow in color, after being fresh and green. After that, the green fades away and becomes scattered pieces of dust. This is the parable of this worldly life, it starts young, then matures and then turns old and feeble. This is also the parable of mankind in this life; they are young and strong in the beginning. In this stage of life, they look youthful and handsome. Slowly, they begin growing older, their mannerism changes and their strength weakens. They then grow old and feeble; moving becomes difficult for them, while doing easy things becomes beyond their ability. Allah the Exalted said, "Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and gray hair. He creates what He wills. And He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful." (30:54)

This parable indicates the near demise of this life and the imminent end of it, while in contrast, the Hereafter is surely coming. Those who hear this parable should, therefore, be aware of the significance of the Hereafter and feel eagerness in the goodness that it contains,

"But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment, and (there is) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure. And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment."

Meaning, surely, the Hereafter that will certainly come contains two things either severe punishment or forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure.

Allah the Exalted said, "And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment."

Meaning, this life is only a form of enjoyment that deceives those who incline to it. Surely, those who recline to this life will admire it and feel that it is dear to them, so much so, that they might think that this is the only life, no life or dwelling after it.

Yet, in reality, this life is insignificant as compared to the Hereafter.

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Firstly: a good end…

A good end means when a person was guided before his death to keep away from that which angers the Lord and to repent from sin, and to focus on doing acts of worship and good deeds, and then he died in this good state. One of the indications of this is the saheeh hadeeth narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Allaah wills good for His slave, He uses him.” They said, “How does He use him?” He said, “He guides him to do good deeds before he dies.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 11625; al-Tirmidhi, 2142; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1334)

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Allaah wills good for His slave, He sweetens him.” He was asked, “What is this sweetening?” He said, “Allaah guides him to do righteous deeds before he dies, then He takes (his soul) whilst he is in that state.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 17330; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1114.)

There are signs of a good end, some of which are seen by the dying person as he is dying, and some which may be visible to other people.

Secondly:

With regard to the signs of a good end that appear to the dying person, these are things that give him the glad tidings, as he is dying, that Allaah is pleased with him. As Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, those who say: ‘Our Lord is Allaah (Alone),’ and then they stand firm, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): ‘Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!’” [Fussilat 41:30]

These glad tidings come to the believers when they are dying. (See Tafseer Ibn Sa’di, 1256.)

This is also indicated by the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6507; Muslim, 2683 from the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever loves to meet Allaah, Allaah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allaah, Allaah hates to meet him.” I said, “O Prophet of Allaah, do you mean hating death, for all of us hate death?” He said, “It is not like that; but when the believer is given the glad tidings of the mercy and pleasure of Allaah, and His Paradise, he loves to meet Allaah, And when the kaafir is given the tidings of the wrath and punishment of Allaah, he hates to meet Allaah and Allaah hates to meet him.”

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

"What this hadeeth means is that the love and hate that are referred to here are those that happen when one enters the stage in which repentance is not accepted, where the dying person is told of his situation and he is shown his destiny."

There are many signs of a good end, which the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) have derived from the texts which speak of that. These signs include the following:

1 – Uttering the shaahadah (testimony of faith) when dying, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “A person whose last words are Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah [there is no go but Allaah] will enter Paradise.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3116; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2673.)

2 – Dying with sweat on the forehead, because al-Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “The believer dies with sweat on his forehead.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 22513; al-Tirmidhi, 980; al-Nasaa’i, 1828. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.)

3 – Dying on the night or day of Friday, because the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who dies on the day of Friday or the night of Friday, but Allaah will protect him from the trial (fitnah) of the grave.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 6546; al-Tirmidhi, 1074. al-Albaani said: When all its isnaads are taken into consideration, this hadeeth is hasan or saheeh.)

4 – Dying as a fighter for the sake of Allaah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allaah. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision. They rejoice in what Allaah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty and rejoice for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind (not yet martyred) that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allaah, and that Allaah will not waste the reward of the believers” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:169]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever is killed for the sake of Allaah is a martyr, and whoever dies for the sake of Allaah is a martyr.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1915.)

5 – Dying of the plague, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The plague is martyrdom for every Muslim.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2830; Muslim, 1916.)

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), said: "I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the plague, and he told me that it is a punishment that Allaah sends upon whomsoever He will, and that Allaah has made it a mercy for the believers, for there is no one who stays in his land at the time of a plague, bearing that with patience and seeking Allaah’s reward, knowing that nothing will befall him but that which Allaah has decreed for him, but he will be given a reward like that of a martyr.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3474.)

6 – Dying of a stomach disease. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “… and whoever dies of a stomach disease is a martyr.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1915.)

7 – Dying because of being crushed by a falling wall or by drowning, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The martyrs are five: the one who dies of plague, the one who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who is crushed by a falling wall, and the one who is martyred for the sake of Allaah.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2829; Muslim, 1915.)

8 – If a woman dies as a result of childbirth, or when she is pregnant. The evidence for that includes the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (3111), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “A woman who dies with child is a martyr.” Al-Khattaabi said:

"What this means is if she dies with a child in her womb."

And Imam Ahmad narrated (17341) that ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us about the martyrs and mentioned among them, “A woman who is killed by the child in her womb attains martyrdom, and her child will drag her by his umbilical cord to Paradise.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Kitaab al-Janaa’iz, p. 39.)

9 – Death caused by burning, pleurisy and tuberculosis. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Being killed for the sake of Allaah is martyrdom; the plague is martyrdom; drowning is martyrdom; dying of a stomach disease is martyrdom; and the woman who dies in childbirth, her child will drag her by his umbilical cord to Paradise.” Abu’l-Awaam, the custodian of Bayt al-Maqdis added: and burning and tuberculosis. (Al-Albaani said: Hasan saheeh. Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1396.)

10 – Dying to defend one’s religion, one’s wealth or one’s life, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr; whoever is killed defending his religion is a martyr; whoever is killed in self-defence is a martyr.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1421.)

Al-Bukhaari (2480) and Muslim (141) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr.”

11 – Dying guarding the borders of Islam for the sake of Allaah. Muslim (1913) narrated that Salmaan al-Faarisi (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Guarding the borders of Islam for one day and one night is better than fasting and praying at night for a whole month, and if he dies (whist performing this duty), he will go on receiving the reward for this great deed and his provision (continually), and he will be spared the questioning in the grave. ”

12 – One of the signs of a good end is dying whilst doing a righteous deed, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, seeking the Countenance of Allaah thereby, and that is the last of his deeds, will enter Paradise. Whoever gives charity and that is the last of his deeds will enter Paradise.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 22813; classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Kitaab al-Janaa’iz, p. 43. See Kitaab al-Janaa’iz by al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 34.)

These are the good signs which point to a good end, but despite that we cannot be certain that a specific person is one of the people of Paradise unless the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) testified that he will go to Paradise, such as the four khaleefahs.

We ask Allaah to grant us a good end.

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Just Stop and Think

Everything around the disbeliever points out to him that there is Only One Lord Worthy of Worship and that the existence of this world is limited; but still he continues to deny. The sky, the earth and all that is in-between; the darkness of the night as the stars spectacularly glow and shine across its expansive breadth; the brightness of the day and its intricate paths; the coldness of winter; the heat of summer; the cool breezes of spring; the swaying leaves of autumn; the parks full of greenery and blossoming flowers; the lakes full of tranquil colours and the fishes therein of various beautifying features are all giving him the same message. His very existence - a spectacular creation - just couldn’t have come about by chance. If only he cared to let these evident facts and truths seep into his heart and thereby change the course of his life.

Throughout his journey in this life man faces signs upon signs, but he fails to truly comprehend and take heed from them. He continues to ignore the milestones upon the path because of an obstinate head, held up too high to take notice of the glaringly obvious and clear signs around him. His pride falsely tells him that he knows better and so he clings to the ways of his forefathers - his family ways and traditions - and his own flawed personal observances and speculations of what he thinks and deems right. Indeed, he worships his preferences. He makes himself; his mind; his desires and inclinations his Lord, his deity of worship. He may even claim to worship the trinity or various idols with different names, colours and shapes. Idols crafted by the hands of men who, like himself, were confused and only impersonated this confusion with their handiworks. The question which Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), Peace be upon him, asked his prison inmates with prophetic sincerity and words full of heartfelt compassion and wisdom has still not been answered by such people:

{O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allâh, the One, the Irresistible?} (Surah Yusuf, 12:39)

Why don’t they ponder over the fact that these ‘gods’ can’t help them and that they couldn’t even create themselves, let alone anything else! Allah (Almighty) says in the Qur’aan:

{And those whom you call upon besides Him (Allâh) cannot help You nor can they help themselves. And if you call them to guidance, they hear not and you will see them looking at you, yet they see not.} (Al-A’raaf, 7: 197-198)

{Say: (O Muhammad to those polytheists, pagans, etc.) "Call upon those whom you assert (to be associate gods) besides Allâh, they possess not even the weight of an atom (or a small ant), either in the heavens or on the earth, nor have they any share in either, nor is there for Him any supporter from among them.} (Saba’, 34:22)

Once a Hindu girl came into our prayer room in University and so I began to speak to her about Islaam and the rationality of believing in monotheism. After a while we opened up to each other and I asked her a question (to the effect of): “Please don’t get upset, I just want to ask you a question - I don’t mean to insult you, I just want an answer.” When she agreed I asked her: “If I said your mother was a cow - which I am not saying - but IF I did, how would you feel?” Her face began to change colour. I said: “Well, that’s how we feel when people refer to Allah, the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, with such a term, the usage of which you YOURSELF deem offensive when it comes to your loved and dear ones. In the same way, we find it offensive when people refer to God as a cow, for we love God more than we love our parents, in fact above anyone and anything else, He is the one that created us and our parents.” Baffled, perplexed and stunned, she fell silent. This is the nature of truth; it always shines forth and has the power to leave its opponents utterly defeated.

{Have you not looked at Him (Nimrod) who disputed with Ibrâhim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allâh), because Allâh had given Him the kingdom? When Ibrâhim (Abraham) said (to him): "My Lord (Allâh) is He who gives life and causes death." He said, "I give life and cause death." Ibrâhim (Abraham) said, "Verily! Allâh causes the sun to rise from the east; then cause it to rise from the west." So the disbeliever was utterly defeated. And Allâh guides not the people, who are Dhaalimoon (wrong-doers, etc.).} (Surah al-Baqarah, 2: 258) In this regard, I strongly recommend the reversion story of Abu ad-Darda and how he came to Islaam.

In truth, Shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the most abhorrent misdeed and sin that a human can acquire within the entire span of his life in this world. Its punishment is grave and the wrath incurred by it is severe.

Your Deadline

We must bear in mind that the time for turning back to Allah and asking His forgiveness extends up until two specific deadlines.

THE FIRST DEADLINE:

The first deadline occurs at the time of death. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah, the Lord of honor and glory, will accept the repentance of His servant till his death-rattle begins.” (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

THE SECOND DEADLINE:

When the sun rises from the West, which will occur near the end of time. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“The Hour will not be established until the sun rises from where it sets. When that happens and people see it, all of them will believe. This is when, "It shall not profit a soul to believe that never believed before, or earned some good in its belief". (Quran, 6:158) Surely, the Hour will happen when two men have spread out a piece of cloth between them, which they will neither buy or fold up. Surely, the hour will happen when someone has just finished milking his camel, but he will never drink what he milked. Surely, the hour will happen when someone is making a water reservoir which he will then never drink from. Surely, the hour will happen when one of you has raised a morsel to his mouth which he will then never eat.” (Saheeh Bukhari)

If one is not able to fix what is between him and his Lord before these two deadlines then he would have failed for eternity, the result of which will linger with him forever. Therefore, procrastinating in repenting and mending ones ways is dangerous as the knowledge of the date of both of these deadlines is with Allah and they may come upon us anywhere - at any time. We ask Allah for His Mercy and Help.

THIS IS WHY a disbeliever’s declaration of faith at the time of his death will be rejected. Some people know throughout their lives that there is a truth that needs to be searched for and followed, yet they linger on in their misguidance, procrastinating until death comes. Pharaoh was one such person. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“When Allah (‘azza wa jall) drowned Pharaoh, he said, "(Now) I believe that there is no (true) god except Him in whom the children of Israel believe!" Jibril said, "Oh Muhammad, would you have seen me as I took black dirt from the sea and stuffed it into his mouth, fearing that the Mercy might reach him.” (Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi)

This is proof that the Angel of Death actually stopped Pharaoh from retracting, for his time was up and his book of deeds closed. In this same way, when death comes to a disbeliever, the deep regret and sorrow he’ll feel at that time will have no bounds. Before death it is easy to change our ways and act upon righteous feelings and impulses but after it a person can’t change and mend ways…it will be too late. Allah (Almighty) has vividly depicted this in the Qur’aan:

“Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says, "My Lord! Send me back. Perhaps I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is a barrier until the day when they are raised up.” (Al Mu’minoon 23: 99-100)

Just Imagine

Can you imagine the Angel of Death wrenching out the soul of the enemy of Allah? How painful and agonizing the experience will be? Even worse, there will be no turning back; no chance to make amendments; no longing to meet Allah (the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth). What an aimless and wasted life! A life in which a person didn’t gain the pleasure and happiness of Allah - the One who gave man everything yet man is so ungrateful in return. Such a person wronged no other than himself and Allah will hate to meet him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“And when death descends upon an enemy of Allah, and he witnesses things (implying his imminent punishment), he wishes that his soul would never depart, and Allah hates to meet him.” (Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.)

The angels that come to take the soul towards the heavens won’t be the “Angels of Mercy”, as was the case of the righteous and pure soul. Rather, they will be as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described: “Angels of Wrath” (Ibn Hibbaan. The Hadeeth is authentic.), whom he described as having black faces. The Angels of Wrath will sit around this corrupt person as far as the eyes can see. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“…As for the disbelieving (lit. corrupt) man, when he leaves this world and enters the Hereafter, stern and harsh angels come down to him from heaven; their faces are black and they bring with them sack-cloth from hell. They sit around him, as far as the eye can see.” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Prophet (peace be upon him said),

“As for the disbeliever, angels of wrath will come to him with sackcloth. They say:

‘Come out to the wrath of Allah.'” (Ibn Hibbaan. The Hadeeth is authentic.)

When this difficult moment will come upon the disbeliever, the Angel of Death, as well as the other angels who will also be present, will say at the head of the evil person:

"Depart, Oh malicious soul that inhabited a malicious body; depart in a condemned state and receive evil tidings of boiling fluids and dirty wound discharges (to drink), and other types of suffering of similar nature - all paired together." (Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic)

This continues to be said until it leaves the body.

They will also say:

“O evil soul, come out to the anger and wrath of Allah!” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim)

They keep on saying this until (the soul) comes out. (Ibn Maajah.) Thereafter the difficult time will come upon the disbeliever, a time unlike any time that he had witnessed in this wordly life. It will be the worst day of his existence. It will be the hardest and most painful thing he has ever experienced…his soul will begin to be extracted from his body. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The soul will be dragged out of his body with as much difficulty as a many-pronged skewer being dragged through wet wool.” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim)

The disbeliever’s soul will have a rotten, putrid and foul odour to it, like the stench of the foulest rotting meat to be found on the face of the earth. This in itself is a kind of punishment for it.

“He will take it, and immediately put it into the sack-cloth; it will stink like the foulest stench of dead flesh ever witnessed on earth.” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim)

“So (the soul) comes out like the foulest stench of dead meat, and they take it to the gates of earth.” (Ibn Hibbaan. The Hadeeth is authentic.)

“He will be cursed by every angel between heaven and earth, and by every angel in heaven.” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim)

Due to his stench the people of the heavens will say,

“It is an evil soul which has come from the earth.” (Saheeh Muslim)

A Difficult Journey

The angels will then begin their journey with him up into the heavens. His treatment will be unlike the believing slave of Allah - for the disbeliever the gates of heaven will not be opened nor will he be welcomed.

When a pious person dies the souls of the believers ask him about this wicked person (whether he has died or not). They say,

“What happened to so-and –so?” He replies, “He died, didn’t he come to you?” They [the angels] say,

“He has gone to a place where he will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit. (cf. al-Qaari’ah [101]: 9)” (Ibn Hibaan and Ibn Maajah. It is authentic.)

In another version, when one of his believing acquaintances dies after him and enters into Jannah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“The souls of the believers come to him and inquire from him about their acquaintances of the dwellers of the earth. They are pleased when he says, ‘I left so and so in the dunya (the first life).’ And when he says, ‘So and so had died,’ they say (disappointedly), ‘But he was not brought to us.’” (Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic)

This is because he wont be admitted into Paradise. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “It (the disbelievers soul) is then taken up to the (first) heaven, where permission is sought for it to be admitted.” (Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic)

“(They will go on) until they reach the first heaven; they will ask for it to be opened to them, and it will not be opened”. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then recited: {…for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle (which is impossible)…} (Al-Araaf [7]: 40)” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.)

“The gates of heaven will be locked and the people of every heaven will pray to Allah not to allow his soul to ascend through their domain. They will take the soul up, and whenever they take it past a group of angels they will say: ‘Who is this evil soul?’” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim)

“It is said, ‘Who is this?’ (Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic.)

“He (an angel) replies, ‘So and so.’"

“They say: ‘It is so-and-so and son of so-and-so’ Using the worst names with which he was addressed in the world.” (Aboo Daawood.)

“It is then said, ‘Unwelcome, malicious soul that inhabited a malicious body; return in a condemned state, because the gates to the heavens will not open for you.’” (Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic)

Right Back Down Into the Grave

“Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will say:

‘Register his book in Sijjeen, in the lowest Earth.’

Then Allah will say:

‘Take him back to the earth, for this is my promise: I created them from it, I will return them to it, and I will resurrect them from it again.’”

“So his soul will be thrown down from heaven until it reaches his body.” Then he (the Prophet, peace be upon him) recited:

{…If anyone assigns partners to Allah, he is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had swopped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a far-distant place.} (Al-Hajj [22]: 31)” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.)

“Thus it is sent down from the heaven, and it enters the grave.” (Recorded in Ibn Majah, verified to be authentic)

Therefore, only bad tidings are given to it. The soul of the disbeliever is thrown down from the heaven back into his body, after his book has been registered in Sijjeen:

{Nay! Truly, the record (writing of the deeds) of the Fujjaar (disbelievers, sinners, evil-doers and wicked) is (preserved) In Sijjeen. And what will make you know what Sijjeen is? A Register Inscribed.} (Al-Mutaffifeen [83]: 7-9)

‘Sijjeen’ comes from the root word of sijn which means narrowness. After his deeds are recorded in Sijjeen his soul will be thrown back down into the earth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Then his soul will be returned to his body. He will hear the footsteps of his companions when they leave him.” {footnote}This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aaazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim{/footnote}

And then his sorrow, pain and grief will only increase…

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The time will then finally come for the righteous soul to depart from this transient, fleeting and constricted abode, a life polluted and tainted with a mixture of joy and pain, sadness and happiness. Now the time has come for the soul to become separated from the body, for the body to be left lifeless, still without motion or movement, and for the soul…to fly, to fly towards its Lord and towards the eternal abode of the Next, leaving behind a body that was swift in obeying and undertaking the commands of Allah and limbs shining forth with the signs of Ablution.

The Angel of Death will come and sit down right by the head of the believer and begin to give glad tidings to the believer at this difficult and arduous time. In this way, by the Mercy and Help of Allah, he will strengthen the slave as the slave finds himself at an intricate cross junction, the junction between life and death. The Angel of Death will declare,

‘O good, secure soul, come out to the forgiveness and pleasure of Allah.’ (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.)

Then the throes of death will begin, the very throes that Allah (Almighty) has informed and warned us of in the Qur’aan:

{And the stupor of death will come in truth: "This is what you have been avoiding!"} (Qaaf [50]:19)

For some, the soul will be extracted within seconds, for others minutes, for others hours and so on and so forth…according to the Will of Allah, Almighty. There are many stories related by our elders about how certain people experienced the throes of death for days on end, which may be due to a sin they committed. On the contrary, the good soul comes out easily, receiving many glad tidings by the Angels of Mercy. They welcome the righteous soul into the next realm by saying,

“Come out to the spirit of Allah.” (Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh, a similar hadeeth is narrated by Ibn Maajah with a Saheeh Isnaad. See al-Albaani, Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.)

And:

“‘Come out, O good soul who was in a good body! Come out praiseworthy, and receive the glad tiding of comfort and sweet scent, and a Lord who is not angry.’

They keep on saying this until (the soul) comes out…” (Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said,

“Until when his soul comes out, every angel who is between the heaven and the earth will pray for him, as will every angel in heaven. The gates of heaven will be opened for him, and the people in every level of heaven will pray to Allah to permit his soul to ascend through their domain.” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Angel of Death will then extract the good soul with great ease and care. A narrator of the famous Hadeeth of al-Baraa’ Ibn Aazib (rahimahullah) stated,

“So it (i.e. the soul) will come out like a drop of water coming out of the mouth of a waterskin, and he [the Angel of Death] will take it.” (ibid.)

He will then pass the soul onto the other angels present and the angels will be so eager that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“When (the Angel of Death) has taken the soul, other angels don’t leave it in his hand for a moment, they take it straightaway, wrap it in the shroud and scent it with the Hunoot. This is what Allah says,

{… Until when death approaches one of you, Our Messengers (Angel of Death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty.} (Al-An’aam [6]: 61)

And there emerges from the soul a scent like the finest musk to be found on the face of the earth…” (Ibid.)

“It departs with the most beautiful scent of musk. They even pass it from one angel to the next, smelling it.” (Recorded by Ibn Hibbaan and Ibn Majah; verified to be authentic.)

Such will be the beautiful scent emanating from the soul of this believer that the people of the heaven will be able to smell it! They will like this emanating scent so much that they will exclaim the following supplication,

“It is a good soul, which had come from the earth; may Allah bless you and the body which you occupied.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“…So (the soul) comes out, (smelling) like the best scent of musk. Then the angels pass the soul to one another, smelling it, until they bring it to the (first) heaven.” (Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh, a similar hadeeth is narrated by Ibn Maajah with a Saheeh Isnaad. See al-Albaani, Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.)

He also elaborated: “They take the soul up, and whenever they take it past a group of angels, they say,

‘Who is this good soul?’

And they reply, ‘It is so-and-so, the son of so-and-so.’ Using the best names with which he was addressed in this world.” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.) This proves that righteousness not only brings a good name and happiness to a person’s loved ones in this life but also in the next. What an honor for such blessed parents!

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “They say,

‘What is this beautiful scent which has come from the earth?’” (Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh, a similar hadeeth is narrated by Ibn Maajah with a Saheeh Isnaad. See al-Albaani, Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.)

And: “In every heaven the same question is asked, until they bring him to join the souls of the believers.” (Ibid.)

“They continue their ascent, and as they arrive at each one of the heavens, the same thing is said to them.” (Recorded by Ibn Hibbaan and Ibn Majah; verified to be authentic.)

The angels accompany and traverse the heavens with this soul, which is contained within paradise’s white silk, smelling of paradise’s musk, depicting its destination. After the Angels of Mercy have faithfully and diligently undertaken their role, now the people of heaven welcome the believer with a reception and welcome unseen and unknown to us in this world. Although we may have witnessed many royal grand receptions on TV, and we may have many times been welcomed by friends and family in a warm and pleasant manner, but the reception of this believer’s soul is of another kind altogether, for they will be celebrating the arrival of their beloved brother or sister in faith within their midst after a lengthy separation. Therefore, their delight will know no bound, as they begin to give this pure soul glad tidings and welcome it with more joy than the joy felt by the family of a person who has been missing for some time at the long-awaited meeting and reunion with their loved one.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘They are more overjoyed to welcome him than the family of one who has been absent, when he comes home…’ (Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh, a similar hadeeth is narrated by Ibn Maajah with a Saheeh Isnaad. See al-Albaani, Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.)

Now, the beautiful lights, lakes, delights and streams of paradise come into full view. The believer will finally feel untainted rest and repose from the hardships, difficulties, persecutions and taunts of the wicked of the world as soon as he meets his loved ones in the paradise of delights. Indeed, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described them, the “Angels of Mercy” will say as they lookout for the best interest of the believer,

‘Leave him to rest, for he has been suffering in this world.’ (Ibid.)

That which will further increase him in happiness and relief is the fact that Allah (Almighty) will make it such that the believer will be shown the Fire from which he was saved. When the believer witnesses such a horrific scene he will realize how precious and important faith really is, how vividly precise the Qur’aan is in its mentions of the Hellfire, and how great the Mercy and Help of Allah is that He did not destine him to the eternal flames of the hellfire, though his deeds are few and mistakes many.

“(They then go on) until they reach the first heaven; they ask for it to be opened, and it is opened for them. In each heaven, those who are closest to Allah will accompany him to the next heaven, until they reach the seventh heaven…” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.)

“…Then they take it up to the heaven, and ask for it to be opened for him. It is asked, ‘Who is this?’

And they say, ‘So-and-so’, so (the inhabitants of the heaven) say:

‘Welcome to the good soul, who is in a good body; enter praiseworthy and receive the good tidings of comfort and sweet scents, and a Lord who is not angry.’

And they carry on saying this until they reach the (highest) heaven where Allah, may He be Blessed and Exalted, is…” (Ibn Maajah. This Hadeeth is also to be found in al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami; no 1964, and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.)

“…Allah, may He be Exalted and Glorified, will say, ‘Register the book of my slave in ‘Illiyyoon.’”

{And what will make you know what 'Illiyyûn is? A Register Inscribed. To which bear witness those nearest (to Allâh, i.e. the angels).} (Al-Mutaffifeen [83]: 19-21)

Although we find that the term “al-‘Illiyyoon” has been literally translated as meaning “The High Places”, ‘Illiyyoon actually comes from the root word of ‘uluww, which means highness. It is a place in the seventh sky, which is the highest sky, where the souls of the believers are gathered, as the Companion of the Prophet Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) explained, and it also carries the meaning of a very high and wide place, as described by the great Mufassir, Imaam Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “…So his book will be registered in ‘Illiyyoon.” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.)

And truly, that person has gained the real, everlasting and much desired success! May Allah (Almighty) make us of those whose books will be registered in the ‘Illiyyoon by forgiving our mistakes, raising our ranks and drawing us close to Himself. Aameen!

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Many people have famously heard about the Angel of Death and that he is in charge of taking out the souls of the children of Adam at the time of death. Yet, many of us have not heard or come across the fact that there will also be other angels present at this crucial and critical time. This is proven by many Prophetic Narrations which mention that angels, other than the Angel of Death, will also come near the dying person. Depending upon whether the soul is good or evil and in accordance with what the dying person deserves, these angels will either have a good, delightful appearance or a bad, scary and frightening one. They will either bring good news and glad tidings to the dying person or will announce bad, painful and distressing news to him. In fact, these angels will be so well-equipped that they will be carrying with them necessary items of transportation which will be used for the soul’s journey up towards the heavens and towards the meeting with its Lord…and indeed what a journey it will truly be, unlike any other.

Let’s first look into how the soul of the righteous, obedient and believing servant is welcomed and treated by these special angels of Allah (Almighty), the very angels that have been delegated for the specific and momentous task of taking out a pure, believing soul. And we pray that such a reflection will push us towards performing more righteous and sincere deeds, abandoning evil and sin, thereby purifying ourselves before it’s too late.

A Heavenly Welcome

Many of us may have witnessed, whether in real life or by way of any of the various media outlets available, the royal and grand processions and feasts arranged and prepared in welcome of Kings, Queens, politicians, government officials and delegates around the world. The bright red carpet, the special spotlights, the expensive furniture, exquisite upholstery and fine robes…

But nothing can match the grand welcome and special treatment that the pious, righteous and pure soul will receive at the time of death. We have already covered how the soul will witness amazing, delightful spectacles which will instil within it eagerness and readiness to quickly jump out from its constricted cage of the physical body into a completely different life of the Barzakh.

Let’s now try and depict this unparalleled spectacle using authentic Prophetic Narrations as our guide and our imagination as our wings.

***

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “La ilaaha illa Allaah (There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah). Verily death comes with agonies.” (Al Bukhari and Ahmad)

The Arabic term used for the agonies, throes and pains felt at the moment of death by the dying person is ‘Sakaraat’. No human is spared from it, not even the Prophets of Allah who would have been the most deserving of a concession from it if this was to be the case. Therefore, it is not surprising that the believer will want to get through this difficult stage as soon as possible, as he will know that that which is soon awaiting him and is to come next will be much, much easier and will in fact contain complete, pure and untainted bliss.

Many angels, the number being as numerous as far as the eye can see and the vision can extend, will come at the time when the righteous soul’s last moments will draw near in this life. The faces of these angels will be emblazoned by a fabulous glow and a sun-like shine. The Prophet (peace be upon him) in fact referred to them as the “Angels of Mercy” and indeed, they are dispatched by the permission of Allah which shows His abounding Mercy for the slave who will at that time and moment be in utmost and dire need of Allah’s Help, Kindness and Forgiveness.

Let’s now imagine how it will feel to receive such guests of honour, the very travelling companions that will, Allah Willing, accompany us right up into the magnificent wide heavens! As mentioned before, these Angels of Mercy will be prepared for this momentous task and will be carrying with them a shroud, a piece of cloth unlike any other found in this tainted world.

Bring to mind all the times you were gifted with clothes that you really liked and appreciated. Then think about these special guests that will bring a cloth unlike any cloth gifted to you in this world, unlike any gift given to you by your close and loved ones – a cloth from Paradise. How beautiful this cloth must surely be! Let’s bring our imagination to life. Think about the most beautiful, fine, soft, delicate and elegant piece of cloth that you have seen and felt in this life… then know that this Jannah-silk-cloth will be far, far better; it will be unseen by any human eye in this world, something which won’t wear away, wont tear, wont crease, won’t discolor or become dirty …yes, it won’t have any such worldly, finite attributes and characteristics attached to it.

It will only be the soul of the believer that will be worthy of being placed within it. This is because a pure soul that strived to be pure deserves the most pure. In fact in a Prophetic Narration reported by the Prophet’s respected Companion Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), he recounted that the Prophet (peace be upon him) specifically mentioned that this cloth will be a white cloth. (The Hadeeth is mentioned by Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh, a similar hadeeth is narrated by Ibn Maajah with a Saheeh Isnaad. See al-Albaani, Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb.)

We also find that in another narration he specifically mentioned that it will be white silk{footnote}ibid.{/footnote} and we know that white signifies purity and cleanliness. As for the specific mention of the term ‘silk’, then this elucidates how comfortable and easy the ride up into the heavens will be for the believer and what a delightful experience and special treatment he will be gifted with within its delicate folds. For, the width of the heavens is great and the distance that will have to be covered will be long and the destination will be far, which will make this gift and ride even more special for the special slave of Allah. For, being special is only in following and obeying the Lord, Most Special and Unique, and in this sense the believer will have truly gained an everlasting success.

Not only will the believer’s soul be emitting an amazing aroma of musk, but the angels will also bring with them a special embalmment, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) referred to as “Hunoot” from Paradise.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When the believing slave is reaching the end of his time in this world, and starting out in the hereafter, angels with white faces which look like the sun come down to him from heaven, bringing one of the shrouds of Paradise and some of its Hunoot (embalmment)…” (This lengthy hadith narrated by al-Baraa ibn Aazib is reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, at-Tayalisi, and al-Hakim who said it is according to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim.)

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Many incidences have been related in which people ended their lives on a bad note, i.e. a sin, and so have been recounted as having died in a difficult or infamous way. This is because satan works hard at the time of death, a time which is full of tests, difficulties and infirmity, a time when a person is in-between the life of this world and the life of al-Barzakh. Satan’s intent at this stage is to evilly, sinfully and wickedly influence a dying person’s last deeds and actions. He knows that this is his final chance to make this person go astray before the dying person’s soul is taken up to meet its Lord.

For example, the son of Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal, Abdullah bin Ahmed, said: "When death approached my father, I sat with him and in my hand was a scrap of cloth with which I wanted to tie his beard and he began to drift in and out of consciousness, then he opened his eyes and said, indicating with his hand:

‘No, not yet. No, not yet.’

And he repeated it three times. After the third repetition, I said to him: ‘Oh, my father! What is this thing which you have said at this time? You fall into unconsciousness so that we say that you have gone, then you return (to consciousness) and say: "No, not yet. No, not yet."’

He said to me:

‘Oh, my son! Do you not know?’

I said: ‘No’. He said:

‘Satan – may Allah's curse be upon him – stood before me, he lowered himself on his knuckles and said to me: "Oh, Ahmad! You have eluded/escaped me." But I replied: "No, not yet, not yet until I die!”’” (The biography of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal by Salahuddin Ali Abdul Mawjood. Translated by Sameh Strauch)

Imaam al-Qurtubi mentions that a great number of pious and dependable scholars are known to have witnessed the presence of Shaytaan at death. He relates that he heard one of his own respected teachers, Imam Abul-Abbaas Ahmad bin Umar al-Qurtubi, say, “I visited the brother of our teacher, Sheikh Abu Jafar Muhammad al-Qurtubi at Cordova and found him near death. It was said to him, 'Repeat Laa ilaaha illallaah', to which he replied,

'No! No!'

When he came to, we mentioned what had occurred. He said,

'Two devils came to me, one on my left and the other on my right. One of them said, 'Die as a Jew, for verily it is the best of religions,' while the other said, 'Die as a Christian, for truly it is the best of religions.' So I answered them saying, 'No! No! How dare you say such a thing to me!'”

We should keep this enmity and hatred of his in mind whenever he tries to seduce and entice us to evil actions. We should react towards his advice in the way we would react to the advice of someone who we know hates us, wants ill for us and has been waiting for a chance to get us in our most weakest of moments. Surely, we wouldn’t lend an attentive ear to such a person. In fact, we wouldn’t even want to hear his advice through, let alone act upon it! The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Verily the Shaytaan attends with you in all your actions. He attends when you eat; if any morsel of food drops, wipe the dirt off it, and eat it instead of leaving it for the Shaytaan. After finishing, lick your fingers, because you do not know where in the food the blessing lies.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Have Positive Thoughts of Allah

Although we should keep in mind the probability of not succeeding in gaining Paradise, we should not be so fearful of the approach of death that we give up hope of Allah’s Mercy and Help. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you should die except in the state of having positive thoughts about Allah.” (Saheeh Muslim)

That is why our righteous predecessors would recommend that the dying person be reminded of his good deeds so that he has positive thoughts of Allah, the One Who is the Most Gentle, Merciful and Beneficent.

There are things that we can do right now to bring about these positive thoughts of Allah (the Most Perfect), such as preparing to meet Him by performing good, sincere deeds, having a clean slate by making much Istighfaar (seeking His forgiveness) and having a pure, sincere heart. We must remember that Allah (Almighty) knows whether or not we are sincerely working to improve ourselves and our states, just as He knows whether we are being insincere and trying to dodge, sidestep, circumvent and find a way out from His Commands and Laws. In this way, undoubtedly, the one who strives in Allah’s path and who amasses good deeds will want to ardently one day see His Lord - the very Lord for Whom he sacrificed his energies, friendships, forbidden delights and permissible indulgences, which even though were allowed by the Shariah (Canons of Islamic Law), were disliked by Allah (the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing).

Allah’s Love and Help at the Moment of Death

Allah (Almighty) loves the believer in proportion to his or her obedience to Him and His Final Messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him). For someone to attain such a lofty and aspired position is a blessing above all blessings, a gift unlike any other, an asset unlike any asset acquired within the slave’s limited and temporary existence within this life, and a refined and pure sweetness unlike any other sweetness found in this fleeting Dunya.

When Allah (the Most Merciful, the Helper, the Protector) loves a slave, He becomes protective of him, so much so that He will prevent any harm from being inflicted on him and reaching him. This is so much so that He even hesitates to take his soul at the time of death, even though it is an unavoidable thing decreed upon all human beings. The words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are the most concise and descriptive of this fact,

“Allah says: Whoever harms a Wali (ally) of Mine, I declare war against him. My 'Abd (slave/ worshipper) does not draw closer to Me with anything dearer to Me than the religious duties I have mandated upon him. And My 'Abd continues to draw closer to Me with voluntary acts (of worship) until I love him; when I love him, I become his ears with which he hears, his eyes with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Would he then ask Me for anything, I surely grant it to him; and would he seek refuge in Me, I surely shelter him.

I do not hesitate in anything I have to do as I hesitate in taking the life of My believing 'Abd: he hates death and I hate to hurt him.” (Al Bukhaari)

In fact, Allah (‘azza wa jall) makes this transition easier on a slave by showing him things which make him wish for his soul to depart more quickly and speedily. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, when death descends upon a believer, and he witnesses things (implying his forthcoming rewards), he wishes that his soul would depart (quickly), and Allah loves to meet him…” (Recorded by al-Bazzar; verified to be authentic.)

When reading about the death of the righteous predecessors of the past, I came to realize what this really means and how their love for Allah (Almighty) manifested itself in their final moments within this life. For example, when al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was dying, he asked the people to take him out to the hall. Then he said:

“O Lord, I entrust myself to you”. (Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qadisin (towards the hereafter) by Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi. Translated by Wa'il 'A.Shihab)

On his deathbed, Muadh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“Look if the day has broken. “

They looked and answered in the negative. Later on, he was informed that it was morning. Then he remarked:

“I seek refuge in Allah from a night whose morning leads to Hell-fire. Welcome to death, an absent visitor and a beloved returning while we are defected. O Lord, I used to fear You, but now I expect good from You. You know that I never loved this world nor (a) long stay in it. I used to observe fasting on extremely hot days, praying during long nights of winter, and joining scholars in their circles of knowledge.” (Ibid)

Fadala ibn Dinar (rahimahullah) said, “I was with Muhammad b. Wasi' when he was very near to death. He began to say,

"Welcome to my Lord's angels! There is no strength nor power except by Allah!"

I smelled the sweetest fragrance that I had ever smelt. Then his eyes glazed over and he died.” ("The Soul’s journey after death" an abridgement of Ibn al-Qayyim's kitabar-ruh.)

Ibn Abi Dunya mentions that on the day 'Umar b. 'Abdul-'Aziz died, he said to those with him,

'Sit with me.'

When they sat down next to him, he said,

'I am the one you commanded and I failed you. You forbade me and I rebelled.'

He said this three times. Then he said,

'But there is no god but Allah.'

Then he lifted his head and stared. They said, 'You are looking very intently, Amir al-Mu'minin.'

He replied,

'I see a presence which is neither man nor jinn.'

Then he died. (Ibid)

When Abdul Azeez ibn Sulayman al-‘Abdi (rahimahullah) died one of his companions saw him in a dream wearing a green garment with a crown of pearls on his head. He asked him how he was and what the experience of the taste of death was like and what things were like where he was. He replied,

'Do not ask about the intensity of the grief and sorrow of death! However, Allah's Mercy concealed all our faults and we encountered nothing but His Bounty.' (Ibid)

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The nature of this world’s creation is such that it is temporary; therefore, it can only offer a temporary visa to anyone who enters and resides within it. For this reason an appointment is binding upon every single individual who has had a soul breathed into him or her while s/he was in his or her mother’s womb. This appointment is the meeting of death with al-Malakul-Mowt (the Angel of Death) which will inevitably come to pass upon every single individual that has come into this world because the one who has come into it… must one day inevitably depart from it.

Today, depending on the sort of life we are living in this world, we are either looking forward to this meeting or we are denying it by making ourselves believe that it won’t really come to pass, or we are fearfully dreading it as we know it is approaching but we have not prepared well enough for it. Whatever the case, each one of us, as the minutes continue to pass us by, is unavoidably drawing closer to that final stage in our lives. We can either unsuccessfully try to run away from it or work for the day when it will come, just as many of us in the past had to sit exams, regardless of whether or not we were ready for them or wanted to undertake them, the fact of the matter was that we still had to sit them. In the same way, regardless of the fact whether we are poor or rich, healthy or sick, old or young, leader or led…none of us can escape that particular year, that certain hour, that specific minute and that unrelenting second when our souls will be extracted by this Angel of our Lord, the Most High. Allah (Almighty) has said,

Unlike other meetings, we cannot fit this appointment into our busy schedules as we wish, we cannot choose to cancel it, we cannot postpone it, nor can we combine or fit it into our other busy tasks. In fact, it will come upon us all of a sudden and this is when we will have to resign our very selves to our fate. Actions will then cease and the recompense for our deeds, whether good or bad, will begin. The feeling of the egoistic “free-will”, so easily expressed in the statement “it’s my life” will then cease to hold any real worth as our bodies will be left lifeless… without a life. The fact of the matter is, we came into this world involuntarily and we will depart from it involuntarily and the time is now, before it’s too late, to work for Islaam by giving up our souls, hearts and very lives for it.

Without a doubt, the Prophet’s Companions were ever ready to sacrifice and they forfeited all that was dear to them in this life for the spread of the Divine Message of Islaam. Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) guaranteed many of them unconditional entrance into Paradise… yet they still feared. They feared that they did not have enough provisions for the hereafter – out of their sincere humility and modesty. They were not boastfully proud of the many feats they successfully achieved in the way of Allah; they did not allow their minds to falsely claim and believe that somehow they owned Paradise, for they knew that it belongs to Allah, and Allah alone, and if He wills, He will allow them to enter into it; if He wills He has no one to stop Him from entering any of His creation into the Hellfire. This is why it is not surprising that the great Companion, Salmaan al-Faarsi (may Allah be pleased with him) was found weeping just before his death. When he was asked as to why this was so, he said:

“The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded us to have sufficient provisions for the hereafter”.{footnote}Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qadisin (towards the hereafter) by Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi. Translated by Wa'il 'A.Shihab{/footnote}

For those who have read the biography of Salmaan al-Faarsi (which can be accessed here), each page from his biography testifies to the difficult and painful terrain he traversed for the truth. He sacrificed his comforts, loved ones and homeland and jumped into a journey full of difficulties, foreign people and unknown lands. Yet, he still cried over whether he had sufficient provisions for the hereafter. Then how much more should we be crying over our states, our bankruptcy, with regards to the scale of our good deeds.

Similarly, the following is narrated on the authority of Ibn Shamasa Mahri regarding another Companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: “We went to Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) and he was about to die. He wept for a long time and turned his face towards the wall. His son said: ‘Didn’t the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) give you tidings of this?’ He (the narrator) said: He turned his face (towards the audience) and said:

‘The best thing which we can count upon is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). Verily I have passed through three phases. 

(The first one) in which I found myself averse to none else more than I was averse to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and there was no other desire stronger in me than the one that I should overpower him and kill him. Had I died in this state, I would have been definitely one of the denizens of Fire.

When Allah instilled the love of Islaam in my heart, I came to the Apostle (may peace be upon him) and said: “Stretch out your right hand so that I may pledge my allegiance to you.” He stretched out his right hand (and then) I withdrew my hand. He (the Prophet, peace be upon him) said: “What has happened to you, O 'Amr?” I replied: “I intend to lay down some condition.” He asked: “What condition do you intend to put forward?” I said: “I should be granted pardon.” He (the Prophet, may peace be upon him) observed:

“Are you not aware of the fact that Islaam wipes out all the previous (misdeeds)? Verily migration wipes out all the previous (misdeeds), and verily the pilgrimage wipes out all the previous (misdeeds).”

And then there was no one dearer to me than the Messenger of Allah and none was more sublime in my eyes than he. Never could I pluck up the courage to catch a full glimpse of his face due to its splendor. So if I am asked to describe his features, I cannot do that for I have not eyed him fully. Had I died in this state then I would have had every reason to hope that I would be among the dwellers of Paradise. Then we were responsible for certain things (in the light of which) I am unable to know what is in store for me. When I die, let neither female mourner nor fire accompany me. When you bury me, fill my grave well with earth, then stand around it for the time within which a camel is slaughtered and its meat is distributed so that I may enjoy your intimacy and (in your company) ascertain what answer I can give to the messengers (angels) of Allah.’"{footnote}Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 220{/footnote}

Many of us have also heard of the great Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee, one of the leading Jurists of his time and one of the Imams of the four popular juristic schools of thought. When he was on his deathbed al-Mazini (rahimahullah) visited him. Al-Mazini narrates what happened next: “I asked him, ‘How are you?’ He replied,

”I am leaving this world, leaving my brothers, meeting my sins, drinking the cup of death, and returning to the Almighty. But I do not know whether to Hell or Paradise my spirit will be admitted”.”{footnote}Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qadisin (towards the hereafter) by Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi. Translated by Wa'il 'A.Shihab{/footnote}

This was a person who spent his life seeking knowledge, practicing and implementing it, and in turn teaching it to the masses. This is a person whose teachings and works spread when he was alive and even until now are taught, cited and referred to…yet he still worried whether he would be admitted in the Paradise of Delights.

In truth, now is the time to take heed from the words of Hamid al-Qasyrasi (rahimahullah) when he said:

“Though we know death is certain, we have not prepared ourselves for it. Though we know paradise is definite, we have not worked for it. Though we know the hell fire is sure, we have not feared it. So why are you delighted? What are you waiting for? Death is the first visitor from the Almighty bringing good or evil tidings… get closer to your Lord.”{footnote}Ibid{/footnote}

In fact, the righteous before were mentally prepared for the hereafter as they constantly worked towards it. For example, Habib Ibn Muhammad’s (rahimahullah) wife said that Habib used to tell me,

“If I die today get so-and-so to bathe me”.{footnote}Ibid{/footnote}

She was asked if he had seen a dream of his death. She replied that he used to tell her likewise every day.

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As one sits reciting the Qur’aan, contemplating and pondering over its verses and the meanings and signs found within it, one will find that the natural innate thirst and inquisitiveness found within the heart and mind is quenched by the exquisite, unparalleled, amazing, magnificent and unmatched Words of Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Each and every human being has a chance to undertake this spiritual journey, a choice to pick up the Qur’aan…if they are willing. Satanic whispers will be abated and ailments of the heart, soul and body can be cured.

This is because each verse glows and alights right inside the heart of the believer. It is at this point that the Muslim begins to truly realise how transitory this life is, how fleeting its enjoyments are, how tainted the love and friendships found within it really are in comparison to the love and friendships the people of before acquired and gained for their Lord, from their Lord and with the people of their Lord. It begins to dawn on the dark and filthy heart that everything besides Allah (Almighty) will perish, everything is in need of Him and everything exists because of Him. In this way a light begins to shine within the heart, a light which if allowed will continue to spread over the slave’s heart until it takes over the whole of the heart and then the slave’s perception and very being will be enlightened, truths will come to light and realities will begin to hit. Everything will have a new meaning and life will begin to change for the best even if there are hardships involved. It is at this stage that whoever comes in contact with this slave of Allah begins to benefit from the light contained within his words, his actions and his very pursuits. He becomes an example for all, a light to be followed within the dark confusions and difficulties of this life.

After a slave becomes used to Allah’s remembrance, then the heart and one’s being becomes repetitively thirsty for Allah’s remembrance, without which they will die and go astray, just as a fish without water. Both the heart and the soul need continuous doses of His remembrance during the day and within the night, even if this means forsaking one’s rest and comfort. For, true rest and comfort is found facing His House, standing in front of Him, similar to how one will stand in front of Him on the Day of Judgement.

Allah (the Glorious and Subtle) says, {… Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.} [Ar-Ra’d [13]: 28]

A person becomes free from the shackles of pursuing happiness merely from the creation to by way of the creation. This continues, until one thinks of only that which pleases the Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of all of His creation that existed, exists and will exist. For, why shouldn’t one please the Generous Lord, Who not only controls our affairs in this life, but will do so also in al-Barzakh and in the abode and realm of eternity thereafter. We will always be dependent on Him and in need of His Bestowal and Mercy and we will never be able to exist without being in need of Him. If only we would realise that if it wasn’t for Allah’s Mercy, we would not have tasted the breath of life. If only we would truly realise that He alone has the power to change our destiny, if He so Wills…

In truth, when one comes to realise these realities, which so evidently call out to us by way of our very own existence, and the existence of all that is around us, then all of one’s undivided worship, obedience, submissiveness, compliance, hope, fear and love are channelled towards Him and Him alone. But this can’t occur until and unless a person begins to realise that Allah (Almighty) is above the heavens and watches and hears all that a slave thinks, does and says, after which the straight path will become acutely visible to the slave, a path unlike any other…the path of those who remember, who remember their Lord sitting, standing and on their sides.

Once a Gnostic said,

“How pitiful, the worldly people! They leave this life without ever having tasted the sweetest thing in it.”

When asked what that was, he replied,

“The love of Allah, the knowledge of Allah and the remembrance of Allah.”

It is at this point that one begins to partake in the heaven found within this lowly world, the heavenly bliss that overtakes the heart and pushes it towards the straight path, the path which leads to Allah (Almighty). As a Gnostic said, 'There are times when I say,

“If the people of Heaven have anything like this, how truly sweet their lives (are)!”'

This is when one finds true joy, a felicity which makes one’s heart fill with immeasurable delight, unbounded happiness and joyful bliss. Just as someone once said,

'There are times when the heart dances in joy (i.e. due to the remembrance of Allah).'

While in this world, this state of peace and tranquillity affects the heart in such a way that one will become ready to sacrifice everything and anyone to continue in this state. In fact, if the people knew of what they experienced, then as a Gnostic so precisely stated:

'If kings and the sons of kings knew what we had, they would try to take it from us by the sword!'

This sense of quiet, peace and contentment, regardless of the circumstances one may have to face in the world, cannot be attained except by pushing oneself towards doing good deeds, keeping one’s slate clean and by asking Allah (the Most Forgiving) for forgiveness for what one may have committed in the past. There is also another side to it – restraining oneself, even if at that moment it may seem like the hardest thing to do, even if one knows in the back of one’s mind that it will only give a temporary sense of interest, pleasure and delight. Few indeed are those who can continue on this difficult path, pushing and restraining themselves along it, keeping their mind focused on the hereafter, Allah’s pleasure and constantly reminding oneself of the transient nature of this world, all that is within it – including one’s very own self.

Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) once said,

'Truly, there is a Heaven in this world, [and] whoever does not enter it, will not enter the Heaven of the next world.'

It is not surprising then, that he said his famous quote when persecuted:

“What can my enemies do to me?
I have in my chest both my Heaven and my Garden.
If I travel they are with me, and they never leave me.
Imprisonment for me is a religious retreat [khalwa].
To be slain for me is martyrdom [shahada].
And to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey [siyaha].” (All the above quotes can be found in al-Waabil as-Sayyib by Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim.)

And as he stood within his prison cell, facing the wall he recited: 'And a wall between them is struck which has a gate. On the inside there is a mercy, on the outside punishment.' [al-Hadeed [57]: 13]

Such people are the ones that will truly be worthy of entering the paradise of delights and this is the difference between the living and the dead.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The example of the one who remembers his Lord in comparison with the one who does not remember his Lord is that of the living and the dead.” [Sahih al-Bukhari; 11:208, Muslim; 1:539]

Such people do not belong in this world, and hence are ever preparing for their journey towards their real home. When the time finally comes to meet one’s Lord, this soul, which was so quick to follow the command of its Lord, will come out easily. This extraction of the soul from the body will flow so easily, just as water flows from a glass when tilted. At this point, as the soul of the believer is extracted, it will be partaking in the action most beloved to it in this world, and that is the remembrance of Allah (the Almighty). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“The believer’s soul comes out from inside him, while he is praising Allah.” (Muslim)

This is because such people were used to calling upon Allah (the All-Hearing) within both their obligatory and supererogatory acts of worship, as they undertook the command of their Lord,

“O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance. And exalt Him morning and afternoon.” [33:41-42]

Not only will the soul come out easily, but as mentioned in the previous article, it will be emitting a fine fragrance of musk, a musk unlike any scent smelt in this world, an aroma out of this world. In most instances it will be only smelt by the angels although, as has been stated previously, there are reports of how bodies of many Muslim martyrs have been reported to smell of a musk out of this world. Just as they fragranced their tongues with the remembrance of Allah, the One Worthy of Mention, so too will Allah fragrance their souls with a heavenly aroma of musk.

As you called upon Allah throughout the night and day,

He showed you the right way,

Enlightened your heart with light...

So you realised the truth within ignorance’s night.

So begin to remember Him first,

And in this way quench your spiritual thirst,

So that when death comes your way,

You’ll be remembering your Lord incessantly too on that hard day.

Light upon light, 

Fragrance upon fragrance,

And His unmatched Grace...

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Translation

1) The stranger is not the stranger to Yemen or Shaam

But the stranger is the stranger to the grave and the coffin

2) Verily the stranger has rights for his absence

Over the residents of the dwellings & homelands.

3) Don’t chase away the outlander in his state of unfamiliarity

For time is also chasing him with hardship & distress

4) My travels are far and my provisions will not suffice me

My strength has weakened and death is calling unto me.

5) I still have sins which I know not of

Allah knows of them; those made in secret & in manifest

6) How merciful has Allah been to me by giving me respite

And I have increased in sins but Allah has always shielded me

7) The hours of my days pass by without regret

No crying, no fear, no sadness

8) I am the one who closes the doors with fatigue

on disobedience, & The Eye of Allah watches over me..

9) O’ that which was written in a moment of heedlessness

O’ the sorrow which remains in my heart is burning me.

10) Leave me to bewail myself and weep

and pass the time in sadness and remembrance.

11) Leave off your Blaming of me O’ Ye who do so..

If you were but to know my situation you would have excused me...

12) Let me cry out tears that have no ending to them

for there will be no lesson that will set me free

13) It is As though I am with that family, laying..

Upon the mattress with their hands turning me over.

14) And they came to me with a doctor that he may cure me..

But of today I think not that medicine will benefit me..

15) My sufferings increased and death began to pull at me ..

From every vein, without ease or comfort..

16) My soul was then removed from me with a gurgle..

And my saliva became bitter at that point..

17) They then shut my eyes and left me…

after a long moment of despair,…. they hurried to the purchase of the shroud

18) And he who was dearest to me got up in a hurry..

To summon the person who was to wash me..

19) He said: O’ my people we have attained a Washer who is skillful, clever, bright & intelligent..

20) So then one of the men came and removed my clothing..

He undressed me and denuded me…

21) They then placed me on top of a board

And the sound of water above me began to clean me

22) He poured the water on top of me and washed me..

Three times, before calling out to the people for the Shroud..

23) They shrouded me in a sleeveless garment..

And my provisions became the embalmment in which they embalmed me

24) They Bore me towards my journey Out of this World, Oh How Sorrowful!!

Will be this journey for which I have no provisions to take along with me.

25) Upon their shoulders, they carried me, Four….

Men, and behind me are those who come to bid me farewell

26) They set me before the mihraab then turned away from me

Behind the Imaam they went and he prayed on me then bade me farewell

27) They prayed over me a prayer consisting of neither Rukoo’ nor Sujood

Asking that Allah may have Mercy upon me.

28) They lowered me into my grave slowly

And one of them came forward to place me in the Lahd

29) He raised the garment from my face to gaze upon me

And the tears spilt from his eyes awashing me

30) Then he stood, honoring me, firm and resolute

And lined the bricks on my body then left me

31) And he said “Throw the dirt upon him and reap

The great rewards from Ar-Rahmaan, The Most Gracious”

32) In the darkness of the grave, no mother is there nor,

Is there an affectionate father, or a brother to comfort me

33) Alone….The only inhabitant of the Grave Oh how Sorrowful!!

Am I on parting the world bearing no Deeds to provision me.

34) And a sight which beheld my eye struck terror into me.

From a place of terror it came and startled me..”

35) Munkar and Nakeer, what shall I say to them?

The thought of them strikes terror into me, it causes me fear

36) And they made me to sit and put forth their questions

I have none other Than You now O Lord to deliver me!!.

37) So bestow upon me from your Mercy O Lord, How I hope in You!!

For verily I am fettered in my sins, I am confined by them

38) The relatives have divided my wealth amongst them after leaving me.

And my sins are now upon my back, burdening me

39) My wife has taken another husband in my place

And she has appointed him as overseer over my wealth and my home

40) She has made my children into servants to bid unto her needs

And my wealth has become to them a worthless means of enjoyment

41) So let not this World and its adornments deceive you.

And look at its (evil) effects in your family and homeland

42) And look at the one who collects the wealth of this Dunya in abundance

Will he depart from this world bearing other than the death shroud and embalmment?

43) Take from the dunya that which suffices you and be contented with that

Even if you were to have naught but good health

44) O ye who sow good, you will reap the fruit of your efforts.

O ye who sow evil you will find yourselves overcome with grief

45) O soul of mine, abstain from sinning and attain instead

Deeds which are Beautiful, for which Allah may be merciful towards me

46) O soul of mine, Woe upon you! Turn towards your lord in Repentance, and do that which is good

So that you will be recompensed after your death with that which is delightful

47) Lastly sending prayers upon the Chosen one, Our Sayyid (leader)

48) All praise is unto Allah, May he fill our days and nights with that which is Good, with forgiveness 

With Ihsaan and Grace.

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Humans like nice smells. This can especially be seen today in the world around us, where people go out of their way to spend hard earned money on expensive, arousing, sensational and aromatic perfumes of all kinds.

Yes, a small bottle with some colored liquid in it (sorry for being so literal and unromantic) costs many of our light pockets a hell of a lot of money. Why? Because humans - aka we - like nice smells.

The Daily Mail published an article in 2010, which states:

‘Classic fragrances are making a comeback, with sales of perfumes that evoke nostalgic memories increasing by up to 50 per cent in the past year. Why do perfumes from our past have such a powerful effect on us? Professor of Perfumes Roja Dove explains: “When we discover a scent we truly love, it will have large numbers of ingredients within it that have positive, feel-good associations. The scent itself then becomes an odour which also has positive associations, making us feel safe, secure, happy and well.”’

On the other hand, when a smelly person is within our personal range and then their ill-scent somehow reaches our noses, we cringe and move away out of distaste. Depending on the nature of the person who’s suffering, they’ll either back off in an offensive way, or pretend nothing happened in a polite and amicable manner. But even then if we, when finding ourselves in such a predicament, try to push away the frown that reflexively begins to creep into our faces, the heart and nose will continue to suffer till the person concerned goes away…Why? Because our natural instincts are averse to bad smells.

Many people do not know that the angels also have a sense of smell. I mean, they can actually smell! Yes, but it’s different from the way we smell things as they are made out of light and we are made out of clay. Therefore, we are intrinsically different in every way, even in our sensory experience. In fact, the angels are offended by what the sons and daughters of Aadam (‘alayhis-salaam) are offended by. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Anyone who eats garlic and onions or leeks should not come near our Masjid. The angels are harmed by what harms the sons of Adam.” (Saheeh Muslim)

That is why, just as humans don’t appreciate foul smells, neither do angels. Especially when it comes to garlic-onion breath, we should be careful that our mouths do not exude that which the angels dislike and are harmed by. Wherever people sit to remember Allah, talk about the things that please Him, study the Qur’aan, or pray, angels envelop them with their wings. Therefore, we should take care to clean our mouths and teeth with Miswaak before setting out for such gatherings so people and the angels are not harmed by us. Similarly, we should make sure that our bodies are clean and our clothes are not smelly either, so that those present are not disgusted by our presence.

Bad Deeds Stink

Don’t you agree that evil deeds have a bad and putrid smell? I don’t mean that you can literally smell them, but you can sense them, especially from children – just as the saying goes: “I can smell something fishy.” In this sense, our bad deeds have a smell, an effect, and so do our good deeds have a scent, an effect. Similarly, sinners have a certain look and pious people have a certain look. But this smell and this look can’t be sensed and perceived by just anyone. For example, once a man named Sawad bin Qarib passed by and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) didn't know him. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

"This is either a soothsayer or he was so in the days of jaahiliyyah."

Upon sitting before ‘Umar, Sawad said, "O commander of the faithful! You never received any of your guests the way you did (receive) me." ‘Umar said, "What we used to do in the days of jaahiliyyah is worse than this. But tell me about what I have asked you." Sawad said, "You were true, O commander of the faithful! I was a soothsayer in the days of jaahiliyyah", then he related (to) him the (i.e. his) story.

But what about those who don’t repent to Allah? Those who don’t mend their ways and never wash themselves and rid themselves from their sins, the sins which linger in their hearts and give out a bad vibe, a bad feeling for others? For example, some women leave their homes with perfume on that others can smell. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If a woman wears a perfume and then passes by people who smelled her perfume, she is then considered an adulteress. And every eye is liable to commit adultery.” (This hadith was reported by An-Nasa’i, Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban in their compilations of authentic hadiths. It was also reported by Al-Hakim who regarded it as authentic.)

The same hadith was reported by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi with the following wording: “Every eye is liable to commit adultery; and the woman who wears perfume and then passes by a gathering is such and such (i.e., she is an adulteress).” (At-Tirmidhi regarded the same hadith as authentic.) We learn from reported traditions that the best perfume for women is such that its color is apparent and scent is hidden.

On the other hand, what about those who purified themselves, physically and much more importantly, spiritually? Of course, both are completely and strikingly different in this sense and when the angels come to extract their souls each group will be emitting a different smell.

Yes, if you are a righteous believer, your body will emit a scent unlike any other in this world. It will be smelling of musk, but not like Body Shop’s musk, nor the musk found in Arab shops. It will be out of this world…and yes, the angels will smell it.

So, next time don’t just pay attention to what perfumes you are going to wear or purchase, rather also think about the good deeds you want to perform, which will add to your righteous aroma, purify you, draw the righteous near and push the evil, smelly ones away.

The question is: Which perfume do YOU think smells better and lasts longer?

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For those of you who have witnessed the death of someone, you may have noticed that the eyes face a certain fixed direction while the soul is being taken out at the moment of death. This is a phenomenon, the reality of which people without eemaan fail to understand and explain, regardless of how much they may have excelled in worldly sciences. But once again, Islaam provides the most clear, precise, true and accurate answer.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained hundreds of years ago,

“When the soul is taken, the eyes follow it.” (Saheeh Muslim)

If you look carefully, while paying special attention to the eyes, you will witness the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) words to be self-evident in the following video:

…Just as the Shaykh begins reciting a passage of the Qur’aan, Allah (Almighty) Wills to take His soul. Indeed, this is a sign of a blessed ending and Allah knows best.

Clearly, we can see in this video that the eyes followed the path the soul took as it left this world, accompanied by the angels. At that point the soul entered into the realm of the hereafter – just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) had elucidated clearly to the believers. As a matter of fact, many people have witnessed this happening to their loved ones and close friends. My uncle narrated to me that just before my grandfather died he too had quickly looked up towards a small window high up in the wall and then all of a sudden he passed away, similar to what the Shaykh can be seen doing in the above video.

Isn’t it amazing that although the Prophet (peace be upon him) was known to be the Most Truthful in his time, even now after such a lengthy period of time after his demise, the truth of his words are still clear for those who wish to reflect and open their hearts. But why is it that we blind ourselves to such signs that Allah (the Most Merciful) shows us in and within the very creation that surrounds us and is perceptible to us, be it over the internet or by way of an incident which occurs in our lives? Why is it that when we are shown a sign our hearts do not soften, our eyes do not shed tears and a sincere drive to do more good doesn’t rejuvenate within us? Why is it then that what is to come after death seems like a far-off and far-fetched reality, something not as vividly real, existent, tangible, significant and substantial as the events of this passing world, that we all know we have to leave one day? The truth is that we know the truth yet fail to let it have an effect on our hearts and in our actions. For, both of these are two different things; the people who know are not necessarily the people who implement. We must remember that this very knowledge may be used to file a case against us or for us on the Day of Reckoning. O Allah! Save us and forgive us for our mistakes. Aameen!

Dear Sisters, surely we will find ourselves in a worrying state unless we take time out to turn to Allah to clean our hearts, our very essence, purify our intentions and thoughts and strive to be from the strong believers (al-Mu’minaat). But the fact remains that unless we ponder deeply over such realities, instead of only our worldly and transient problems and needs, realization and faith won’t hit us hard as it really should.

Many times in the Qur’aan Allah mentions the action of thinking, mentioning thought and contemplation in a praiseworthy way.

{And we have also sent down unto You (O Muhammad) the Reminder and the advice (the Qur'ân), that You may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.} (An-Nahl [16]: 44)

{It is Allâh who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.} (Az-Zumar [39]: 42)

This is because the intellect can be a powerful tool, if utilized properly it will do wonders for us. But if not, this very intellect will make us do things that we will only regret. Today, Einstein is revered for his advancements in science, but what did Einstein’s brains give him if it didn’t lead him to Allah? His views about Allah (Almighty) were clearly agnostic. He said,

“I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.”{footnote}From Wikiquote; letter to an atheist (1954) as quoted in Albert Einstein: The Human Side (1982) edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman ISBN 0-691-02368-9{/footnote}

“My position concerning God is that of an agnostic.”{footnote}Albert Einstein in a letter to M. Berkowitz, 25 October 1950; Einstein Archive 59–215; from Alice Calaprice, ed., The New Quotable Einstein, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2000, p. 216.{/footnote}

Therefore, even if someone is considered clever in the worldly sense, it doesn’t mean they’ll succeed. The whole world points out to us, is screaming out to us through its very existence, that Allah (the Glorious and Mighty) exists, and that to Him is our return.

{Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, Glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.} (Aal-‘Imraan [3]: 190)

THAT IS WHY, while reading about the Hereafter, it is imperative that we allow the information to sink into us, to hit us hard, and in this way hopefully it will bring about a change into our lives. Then our intellect will be, Allah Willing, used for what it was originally created for: the worship of Allah (Almighty), and this can be done through contemplation and remembering death often, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) so sincerely commanded us to do.

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So far we have covered in detail regarding the journey the body takes after death, right up until the grave. Now we are going to move on to a completely different journey, and that is of the soul’s journey up towards the heavens and back, straight after death. It is important to understand that although in this life your body and soul are relatively always together, joint and linked, after death they will separate from each other for some time until the soul is returned to the body later on.

A Mystery Unsolved

Although scientists have and are spending a great amount of time, money and effort on researching the body, its functions and capability, they rarely research into the soul and its reality. In truth, specialists of another science have tried to grasp its realism, namely the philosophers. But even they have not and cannot do justice to this topic as the soul is a mystery, beyond the human being’s scope of comprehension.

Some refer to the soul as being the immaterial part of a person and the actuating cause of an individual life. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle wrote in depth about the soul, so much so that their theories are awarded as being the most detailed and expounded theories regarding the soul to be found in ancient philosophy. In fact, a large part of the later studies pertaining to the soul are largely derived from and heavily influenced by their works and ideas.

‘By the end of the fifth century — the time of Socrates' death — soul is standardly thought and spoken of, for instance, as the distinguishing mark of living things, as something that is the subject of emotional states and that is responsible for planning and practical thinking, and also as the bearer of such virtues as courage and justice… the soul is not only responsible for mental or psychological functions like thought, perception and desire, and is the bearer of moral qualities, but in some way or other accounts for all the vital functions that any living organism performs.'{footnote}Lorenz, Hendrik, "Ancient Theories of Soul", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2009/entries/ancient-soul/>.{/footnote}

From the above we can see that there has been a great attempt to understand and expound on the reality of this creation of Allah (Almighty), namely the soul. But only the Lord who created it knows its true ability and connection with the body within this transient life and man has indeed been given very little comprehension and knowledge of it. This is proven from the following narration:

Abdullah ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: While I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on a farm, and he was resting on a palm branch stripped of its leaves, the Jews passed by, and some of them said to others, “Ask him about the soul.” Some of them said, “What urges you to ask him about it?” Others of them said, “Don’t ask him in case he says something you dislike.” But they said, “Ask him”, so they asked him about the soul. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) kept silent and did not respond to them, and I knew that he was receiving Revelation, so I stayed where I was. When the Revelation of the verse was complete, he said (interpretation of the meaning):

{And they ask you [O Muhammad] concerning the Rooh [the spirit]. Say: The Rooh: it is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little.} [Al-Isra 17:85]

The Minor Death

One of the things that we have been given knowledge about by way of the Prophet’s words is that sleep, which is also referred to as the “minor death”, is when the soul is taken up to the heavens while it is still linked to the body and does not fully depart from it. If the soul were to depart fully, then this would be referred to as ‘death’. And truly, many people die in their sleep and others die due to a lack of sleep, as an article on the BBC website suggests:

‘Getting less than six hours sleep a night can lead to an early grave, UK and Italian researchers have warned.’{footnote}Check out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8660373.stm{/footnote}

Glory be to Allah! Indeed, there is a connection between sleep and death…That is why, although a person might be sleeping under a warm cosy duvet in a certain part of the world, within seconds… as they fall asleep… they can find themselves performing Tawaaf around the Ka’bah or flying in the heavens or seeing friends or family that are seas upon seas away. All this while s/he is oblivious of even the most nearest of things!

SubhaanAllah! The matter of the soul is a strange one, the reality of which is only fully known by Allah.

{Allah takes the souls at the time of their (owners') death, and (He also takes) those that (their owners) have not died yet - during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed, in this are signs for those who reflect.} (Az-Zumar, [39]:42)

That is why after Khuzaymah Bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he had a dream in which he was prostrating upon the Prophet's (peace be upon him) forehead, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"Indeed, a soul surely meets another soul (during sleep)." (Ahmad and others)

Therefore a living person’s soul can see and meet a living or dead person’s soul even in his or her sleep.

Keeping all of this in mind let’s now answer the following question: How much have scientists really truly fathomed about the reality of the soul?

…The very soul that is contained within our sides at this present moment.

…The very soul that has an appointed time to meet its Lord in the near future.

…The very soul that the angels will traverse with into the heavens.

The answer is: very very little indeed.

The Five Stages

The scholars have mentioned that the attachment of the soul to the body has five different stages:

1. Its attachment to it while it is still an embryo in the mother’s womb.

2. Its attachment to it after it emerges to the surface of the earth.

3. Its attachment to it during sleep. In that case, it is attached to it in one respect, and detached in another respect.

4. Its attachment to it in al-Barzakh. Even though it departs and becomes detached from it, its detachment is not complete so as to have absolutely no connection with it.

5. Its attachment to it on the Day of Reckoning, which is the most complete and inseparable attachment.

What we are now going to focus on is the 4th stage – the stage when the soul is extracted from the body and the angels take the soul and begin their journey with it up towards the heavens...

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In the following verse the term “Barzakh” is mentioned.

{Until when death approaches one of them (the polytheists), he says, "My Lord! Send me back, so that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but just a word that he speaks; and behind them is a barrier (barzakh) until the Day when they will be Resurrected.} (Quran 23:99-100)

Literally, “Barzakh” means ‘interval, gap, break, partition, bar, obstruction and isthmus’ (a relatively narrow strip of land (with water on both sides) connecting two larger land areas).

The following images give us a clear illustration of what the Barzakh actually is.

The technical meaning of barzakh with respect to the hereafter refers to the transitional stage between one’s life in this world and the eternal life in the next. Therefore, the “Barzakh” is a transitional stage between two stages, just like the isthmus – which is a narrow strip of land that forms a transition between two larger areas of land that are separated by water. We can also liken this transitional period to waiting in the train station, where we are forced to a halt before continuing on to our destination. Just as the passengers waiting in a train station know where they are heading, so to do the people in al-Barzakh know where their ultimate destination concludes. This transitional period will come to an end when the Hour (as-Saa’ah) begins, after which the people will be raised from their graves and will witness the scenes of the Day of Judgment. Even if a person’s corpse was not buried in the grave and instead the body was destroyed – for example through being burned or eaten by wild animals - they will still be in this transitional stage of al-Barzakh.

In al-Barzakh the deceased is granted some faculties, although these will be different in scope and capacity from the abilities enjoyed by humans in this life. They will be limited in a way that Allah Wills. For example, when the deceased is buried they can hear the footsteps of those who walk away from their graves after the burial. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"When a human being is laid in his grave and his companions return, and he even hears their footsteps…” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari).

Therefore, at the time of burial the believer is aware of the comforting presence of the righteous people around his grave for a period equal to the time taken to sacrifice a camel and distribute its meat. ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

“When you bury me, stay around my grave for the time it would take to sacrifice a camel and distribute its meat, so that I may be comforted by your presence until I see how I will answer the Messenger of my Lord (i.e. the angels)” (Saheeh Muslim).

As Muslims we must wholeheartedly believe in this, even if scientifically it has been proven that when a person dies all of their senses of reason cease to function, including the ability to hear. Nonetheless, we believe, as Allah (the Almighty) has described Himself:

{To Allâh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and All that is therein, and He is Able to do All things.} (Al-Maa’idah (5), 120)

Truly, he has All-Ability and is the All-Powerful; therefore, He can do what He wishes and as He wishes, even if our feeble and limited intellect cannot comprehend it.

***

At this point, in al-Barzakh, Allah (the Almighty) will give the dead body the ability to hear and understand; this offers us a lesson if we are willing to learn. This lesson is that there will come a time when the very people who cared about us will leave us behind. Indeed, there will come a time when no-one will be able to help us except Allah. Those who called upon others (intercessors either living or dead) besides Allah for help will not be able to seek their help after death, even if they were a Prophet, a Pious Saint or a Friend of Allah (Walliyy). If only man would listen to Allah’s command:

{… so invoke not anyone along with Allâh.} (Surah al-Jinn (72): 18)

Let’s make a solemn promise to ourselves that we will only call upon the One and Only True Lord alone, who is the One above the Heavens; the One who hears the cry of even the ants within the darkness of the night.

Delights or hellish terrors

The life in al-Barzakh will either be filled with delights or it will be full of Hellish terrors, anguish, pain and horror. The very grave that only a few moments ago may have seemed like a mere dark excavation in the ground will either now be one of the gardens of Paradise or one of the ditches of Hell. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“When any one of you dies, he is shown his place morning and evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise then he is one of the people of Paradise, and if he is one of the people of Hell then he is one of the people of Hell”. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Bid’ al-Khalq, 3001; Muslim, al-Jannah wa sifat na’eemihaa, 2866).

It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that a Jewish woman entered upon her and mentioned the torment of the grave, saying to her, “May Allaah protect you from the torment of the grave!” ‘Aa’ishah asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the torment of the grave and he said,

“Yes, the torment of the grave.”

‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:

“I never saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pray any prayer after that but he sought refuge with Allaah from the torment of the grave.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Janaa’iz, 1283; Muslim, al-Kusoof, 903).

An example of the torment of the grave can be found in the Qur’aan, when Allah (Almighty) said about Pharaoh’s people:

{The fire; they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon, and on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Cause Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!"} (Al-Mu’min (40):46)

Let’s turn to the learned Companion, Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) for the explanation of this verse. He said,

“The souls of the people of Pharaoh and those of their like among the disbelievers are shown the Fire morning and evening, and they are told, ‘This is your abode.’”

Imaam Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah), the famous commentator of the Qur’aan said:

“This verse is the main basis of the Sunni’s belief in the torment of al-Barzakh (which occurs) in the grave.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/82)

Al-Qurtubi said some of the scholars quoted (the following) as evidence to prove the torment of the grave, the phrase: “The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon.” (Al-Mu’min, 40:46).

A similar view was expressed by Mujaahid, ‘Ikrimah, Muqaatil and Muhammad ibn Ka’b, all of whom said that this verse is proof of the torment of the grave. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 15/319)

These verses and Prophetic Narrations indicate that the torment of the grave is real and that it is ongoing in the case of some people. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) said in this regard:

“If a person is a disbeliever (we seek refuge with Allaah), then there is no way that the delight will ever reach him, and his torment will be continuous. If a person was a sinner but he was a believer, then his torment in the grave will be commensurate with his sin, and perhaps the punishment for his sin will take less time than the time in al-Barzakh between his death and the onset of the Hour, in which case it will cease.” (al-Sharh al-Mumti’, vol. 3, p. 253).

For some, the punishment in the grave will not be continuous and it may stop all together. Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said:

“…the punishment in the grave is of two types:

1. A type which is continuous, apart from what has been narrated in some Prophetic Narrations which say that it will be reduced during the period between the two blasts of the Trumpet, and then when they are raised from their graves, when they will say:

“Woe to us! Who has raised us up from our place of sleep.” (Surah Yaa-Seen [36]:52).

Further evidence that this punishment will be continuous is seen in the (following) verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon” (Al-Mu’min (40):46)

The following Prophetic Narrations indicate this, that although the punishment can be lessened, nevertheless it will still be continuous.

The hadeeth of Samurah which was narrated by al-Bukhaari, about the dream in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw what was being done to a person who was being punished in the grave until the Day of Resurrection.

The hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas about the story of the two palm branches, where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed that the punishment (of the people in the two graves) would be reduced as long as the palm branches did not dry out. So the lessening of the punishment was connected only to the period of time that the branches remained fresh.

The hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, when he [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] came to some people whose heads were being smashed with rocks and every time they were smashed they were then restored and they have no respite from that.

The story in as-Saheeh of the man who put on two garments and strutted about in an arrogant manner, so Allaah caused the earth to swallow him up, and he will remain sinking down into it until the Day of Resurrection.

The hadeeth of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (narrated by Ahmad) about the story of the disbeliever for whom a door to Hell will be opened (in his grave) and he will look upon his place in Hell until the Hour comes. In some versions it was said that that a hole will be made in his grave and he will feel its distress and smoke until the Resurrection.

2. The second kind, which will last for a while and then stop.

This is the punishment of some sinners whose sins are not so great. They will be punished in accordance with their sins, then the punishment will be reduced, just as they will be punished in the fire then the punishment will end.

The punishment may be stopped by du’aa’, charity, seeking forgiveness or the reward of Hajj – this may reach the deceased from some of his relatives or others.” (ar-Rooh, p. 89).

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Allah (Almighty) is so gracious towards His creation, so much so that His Graciousness abounds to the extent that out intellects can’t even imagine. He is also Just in that He gives those who deserve what they deserve...and truly some deserve much much more than others.

From mankind there is a batch that deserves more, a group above the rest. Allah (the Subtle, All-Knowing) chooses them out of His infinite Wisdom and Knowledge. They are chosen in that they are given certain privileges above others, one of which is that many of them are completely saved from all stages of decomposition. In fact, on the contrary, their bodies emit a beautiful scent unlike any scent found in this world. Although doctors and scientists would declare them scientifically and technically dead, at times these people are found smiling - even after the Angel of Death has taken their souls…

{Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allâh as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.} (Aal-‘Imraan, 169.)

What follows are just some proofs, examples and incidents of how Allah (azza wa jall) can, has and does save the bodies of some of His selected servants from decomposing. I hope that from this we will learn and take example of how Allah (Almighty) helps His chosen worshippers in ways that the mind can’t grasp and the intellect can’t ever truly encompass.

The Prophets

We find proof from the authentic Sunnah that the bodies of the Prophets do not decompose.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Verily, Allah has forbidden the Earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets.” (Sunan Abî Dâwûd (1047), Sunan al-Nasâ’î (1374), and Sunan Ibn Mâjah (1636).)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The Prophets are alive in their graves, and pray… On the night of the Isra (Night Journey), I passed by Moosaa (who was) standing in his grave and praying.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The Selected Pious Ones

Az-Zarqânî (rahimahullah) has also mentioned numerous other claims that have been made regarding bodies that do not decompose, including those of the scholars who practice according to their knowledge, those who call the prayer on a voluntary basis, those who memorize the Qur’ân and act upon its teachings, those who die of plague while exhibiting forbearance, and others.

The Martyrs

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“The martyr (shaheed) has seven blessings from Allah:

he is forgiven from the moment his blood is first shed;

he will be shown his place in Paradise;

he will be spared the trial of the grave;

and he will be secure on the Day of the Greatest Terror (the Day of Judgment);

there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, one ruby of which is better than this world and all that is in it;

he will be married to seventy-two of al-hoor al-‘iyn;

and he will be permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.”

A man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah! Why will all the believers except the martyr suffer the Fitnah of the grave?” He said,

“The shining swords above the head of the martyr are Fitnah enough!" (At-Tirmidhi.)

According to Ibn `Abd al-Barr, the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in which he said, “Verily, Allah has forbidden the Earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets” also applies to the martyrs as well. He then relates an account where the Caliph Mu`âwiyah wanted to cause the spring at the base of Mount Uhud to flow. The Caliph, therefore, ordered a public statement to be made that those who had a deceased relative in the vicinity should undertake to exhume his body and relocate it. Jâbir was one of those who went forth to exhume the bodies. He said:

“We went forth and exhumed the bodies, finding them fresh and flexible…When a spade struck the finger of one of the bodies, drops of blood issued forth.”

Az-Zarqânî comments that this event took place forty years after the Battle of Uhud.

Some time ago I came across two amazing tapes (1/2) on the net that mention some recent stories (in the 90’s) regarding some of the martyrs of Bosnia. The following are certain fascinating quotations of selected parts of these two tapes, which indeed back-up and collaborate with the subject matter at hand.

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Daawood al Britaani, David Cinclair (1993, age 29)

Born and brought up in the UK, he was working as a computer consultant. One day he walked into work wearing the Islamic dress. On being asked as to why he was wearing this dress, he replied to his work colleagues, “I have become a Muslim.” One week later he was fired from his job; he then went to Bosnia with two brothers. He was travelling with two passports, as soon as he arrived in Bosnia he gave one away to a brother in need. A few months later he gave the other one away too. After four months some brothers were returning to Britain for a few months and they asked him to come with them. He refused saying,

“What is there for me to do in the lands of the disbelievers?”

He was a very quiet and calm brother, funny at the same time, and he loved guarding his brothers from the mountains in the snow and cold weather. A very fast learner of Islaam and the Arabic language, he loved to practice all of the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (peace be upon him). He used to sleep on his right hand side in a crouched position and would pray all night long and fast most of the days. The commander Aboo al-Haarith (rahmatullah ‘alyhi) said about him:

“All of us knew that brother Daawood will be the next Shaheed among us, as he was getting higher and higher and higher in his Eemaan and Taqwaa.”

The night before the operation Daawood had a dream in which he saw himself running in a place that had palaces on either side. He asked, “Who do these houses belong to?” and it was said to him, “These are the houses of the Shuhadaa’.” He asked, “Where is the house of Aboo Ibraaheem?” (A Turkish brother, whose story follows next) A voice said to him, “The house of Aboo Ibraaheem is over there.” And so, in the dream Daawood began to run towards the house of his friend Aboo Ibraaheem and then while doing so he fell down (in the dream), after which he awoke from his sleep.

In the morning there was a large operation against the Croats; during this operation, while he was running in the same manner as he had seen in his dream, he was killed with a single shot to the heart. He fell down and his body rolled down to the Croat bunkers below.

After three months his body was returned to the Mujaahideen as new; it was bleeding and smelling of musk and his body was found crouched on the right hand side.

Aboo al-Muslim at-Turkiyy (1993, age 51)

He was a Turkish brother who lived all his life in Britain but who lived the life of a disbeliever. He was married to an English woman and he did not pray or practice anything from Islaam. Then Allah (the Almighty) guided him to the straight path. He then heard about the situation in Bosnia and said to himself,

“I should go to Bosnia and I must repent to Allah and I must fight against the Serbs as maybe Allah will forgive me for all that I have done in the past.”

In one operation against the Croats, the Ameer did not pick him due to his old age. Aboo Muslim began to cry, not weep, but he began to wail like a baby until in this way he forced the Ameer to let him take part in the operation. He was shot by a dumdum bullet in his arm that broke his bone. Due to this, metal had to be placed in his arm for a period of six months. Aboo Muslim used to exercise his arm a lot and after forty-five days, the doctor said that he could now remove the metal.

Everyone was surprised that how could the metal be removed after only forty-five days. Before one of the large operations of the Croats, he saw a dream in which he saw Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) and so Aboo Muslim began to kiss his feet. Rasoolullah said to him, “Do not kiss my feet.” Then he began to kiss his hands. Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) said to him, “Do not kiss my hands.” Then Rasoolullah asked him, “What do you want, Aboo Muslim?” Aboo Muslim replied,

“O Rasoolullah, please make du’a for me that tomorrow in the operation I am killed Shaheed.”

Before the operation, the Ameer (Commander) Aboo al-Haarith (rahmatullah ‘alyhi) was picking the people to take part in this operation. He refused to let Aboo al-Muslim take part on the grounds that he was still injured and had not yet recovered. A brother that was present at that time said,

“I swear to Allah that Aboo al-Muslim cried and cried like a baby and he said to the Ameer, ‘Fear Allah, and I will hold you responsible on the day of Judgment.’ The brother said to him, ‘Do not shout and cry so loud as the enemy may hear you!” Aboo al-Muslim replied, ‘By Allah! If you do not put me in the operation Aboo al-Haarith, I will cry so loudly that the whole country will hear me.’ He said to the Ameer, ‘Put me in the operation, even if at the back as the last one in this operation.’ The Ameer said to him, ‘Are you sure, I will put you right at the back?’ He said, ‘Put me anywhere in the operation, right at the back. But include me in this operation.’ And so Aboo al-Muslim went and took part in this operation and even though he was right at the very back, the course of the fighting changed so that the back became the front and he was the second one killed in the operation by bullets in his heart.

His body was returned by the Croats after three months along with his brother from England, Daawood. It was smelling of musk and no change had come over his body. All the brothers who were there witnessed that his body had become even more beautiful and white since the last time they saw it.

Imraan at-Turki (1992)

He was a Turkish brother of American nationality and was the Ameer for all the brothers from Turkey in the frontline base camp of Bosnia. He used to go and listen to the Dars in the house of the Arab Mujaahideen and return to his Turkish brothers and give them the same Dars. He was very humble and pious. He used to search the streets looking for Bosnian orphans so that he could give them money and take care of them because at that time the Christian aid organizations were sneaking the Muslim orphans into Europe and selling them there so as to make them into disbelievers. He then heard of a Jihaad operation in a Serbian held town called “Ilyaash”. He went and joined his brothers in this operation and he was shot in the stomach five times while he was shouting:

“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar” (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest).

Many brothers testified to the smile that was found on his face when his body was found.

Aboo Khaalid al-Qatari (1993)

He was a member of the Qatar National Handball Team and came to Bosnia at the end of 1992. He used to love doing double-guard duty shifts for four hours in the cold weather. He was a very humble and very pious brother. He was of black descent, but the brothers described his face as being like a glowing lamp because of the shine and Noor (light) on his face. He had two large marks of prostration on his forehead due to prolonged prostration as he used to pray all night long. Once he was asked, “When will you return back to your home country?” And he replied,

“I want to be Shaheed here.”

Before one operation against the Croats, as soon as he was picked by the Ameer, he said to the brother next to him,

“Inshaa’Allah, this time Allah will take me as Shaheed.”

As he was travelling in a car with five other brothers, of them Wahyuddeen Misri -the Ameer of the Mujaahideen (rahmatullah alyhi), they took a wrong turning and ventured seven kilometers into enemy territory. The Croats shot at the car with anti-aircraft weapons… All of the five brothers got out and fought until they were killed. After two months, when their bodies were returned to the Mujaahideen, the brothers were able to identify four of them but they could not identify the body of Aboo Khaalid al-Qatari.

When the Bosnian army general said to them, “This is your last man”, they looked at the body and saw that the body was that of a white person with a white face and they replied, “This is not our man.” Upon looking carefully at this body, they pulled down his shirt; from below the neck downwards, it was black. They pulled up his sleeves, and they found that above the elbows, the skin was black and below the elbows, it was white. Then they pulled up his trousers where they found that his feet were white, but the skin above his ankles was black. One of the brothers commented by mentioning, as the Hadeeth of Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) goes, about the signs of the believers on the Day of Resurrection,

“The marks of Wudhoo’ were shining white on the body of Aboo Khaalid al-Qatari.”

*In the above statement, the hadeeth that the brother was referring to is the following:

Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) went to Baqi` and said, “May you be secured from punishment, O dwellers of the abode of the believers! We, Allah willing, will follow you. I wish we see my brothers.” The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah! Are not we your brothers?” Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) said, “You are my Companions, but my brothers are those who have not come into the world yet.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah! How will you recognize those of your Ummah who are not born yet?” Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) said: “Say, if a man has white-footed horses with white foreheads among horses which are pure black, will he not recognize his own horses?” They said: “Certainly, O Messenger of Allah!” Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) said: “They (my followers) will come with bright faces and white limbs because of Wudhoo’, and I will arrive at the Al-Kauthar ahead of them.” (Saheeh Muslim,)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “On the Day of Resurrection, my followers (Ummah) will be summoned ‘Al-Ghurr Al-Muhajjaloon’ from the traces of Wudhoo’.” (Al-Bukhari) Imaam an-Nawawee explains these terms:

“The word “Ghurr” is the plural of “Agharr” which means shining or white. It is used for animals (like a horse), i.e., a white mark on its face. Here, it refers to that radiance which will issue from the brows of the believers on the Day of Resurrection and which will make them prominent. Muhajjaloon is from Tahjeel which also means whiteness but it is used for that whiteness which is found on all the four or at least on three legs of a horse. Here, it refers to that light which will shine through the hands and feet of the believers because of their habit of performing Wudhoo’. This means that the believers among the Muslims will be distinguished from other communities by virtue of the radiance issuing from their faces, hands and feet on the Day of Resurrection in the same way that a horse with a white forehead is easily distinguished from other horses.”

Because of this, the illustrious companion, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) advised,

“Whoever can increase the area of his radiance should do so.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

Wahyuddeen Misri (1993)

A very experienced fighter and trainer from Afghanistan, he came to Bosnia at the very start of the war with his two brothers, Usamuddeen and Mu’taz from Peshawar. He was the Ameer (Leader, Head) of the Mujaahideen (Islamic Fighters) in Bosnia, a very professional soldier and very military minded. He was also very pious and very humble, although he was the Ameer. After the prisoner exchange in 1993, once a United Nations arbitrator asked to shake his hand, he refused by saying,

“I do not shake hands with the disbelievers.”

He was a very brave brother and after this prisoner exchange he said to his people,

“After this day, any Mujaahid that is captured by the Croats must fight until he is killed and not allow himself to be captured.”

Two weeks later he was in the same car as Aboo Khaalid al-Qatari (rahmatullah ‘alyhi) when they went into enemy territory and were ambushed by the Croats. He got out with his brothers and fought until he was killed. When his body was returned to the Mujaahideen after spending three months under the ground, it was still bleeding.

Aboo Bakr al-Libbi (1995)

This brother was of impeccable character, loving his brothers and not holding any grudges. He was also sincere in his works.

This brother was on guard duty when, by Allah’s Decree, a rocket landed right next to him. The shuffle went straight into his neck and he died shortly afterwards, within five to twenty minutes.

The brothers then buried him, not knowing which direction the Qiblah was. This is why they accidently buried him in the wrong direction, although the body has to be buried facing the Qiblah. So after a month the Shaykh said that they would have to dig him up and bury him in the right direction. The land in Bosnia is more waterlogged than the land in Britain. After a month, as they dug his grave, they found that his body was still intact and was not smelling rotten at all. Blood was still coming out from the wound in his neck. This is amazing, as dead Serbs at that time, just after one hour, would start to smell so much that one cannot even approach their bodies. After only a day they would become black; a white person would become as black as charcoal. After a week the skull would already become visible – and these bodies are on top of the ground. This brother was buried under the ground and he was completely intact!

Aboo Mujaahid al-Britaani, from Britain (10th Sep 1995, age 25)

An engineering graduate from a London university; he chose not to enter into employment after he graduated, instead he chose to be employed by Allah. It was the second year into the Bosnian war and there was a lot of shouting and screaming still going on in the Muslim community in Britain.

Aboo Mujaahid, however, was one who firmly believed that actions speak louder than words. He made his first journey to Bosnia in 1993 in an aid convoy carrying supplies of food and medicine. Over the next two years, Aboo Mujaahid hurried back and forth between Bosnia and Britain carrying valuable supplies to the brothers there. Between trips he travelled the lands of Britain reaching its smallest parts in his efforts to raise money for the cause and increase awareness amongst the Muslims there. In the summer of 1995 he postponed his marriage arrangements so as to go and fight in Bosnia. For the last two years he had been helping with aid work and now he realized that aid work without fighting was a lost cause. He arrived in Bosnia, August 1995, and joined the training camp of the Mujaahideen soon after that. One brother tells of his time at the training camp:

“Aboo Mujaahid was a brother with long hair and he had a very lively character. He was also a very generous brother and was the type of person that if any brother was in a bad mood or if brothers were feeling down for some reason, he would come and cheer them all up. He had a habit of saying, ‘Jayyid Jiddan’ (Very Good) and so the brothers, as a joke, nicknamed him ‘Aboo Jayyid Jiddan’. But he replied,

‘No, at the moment I am Aboo Jayyid (Father of Good) and when I go to the frontline then Allah Willing, I will be ‘Aboo Jayyid Jiddan’ (Aboo Very Good).’

Once I saw him praying in the Masjid and I noticed with how much concentration he was making his prayer. There was much Noor and much shine in his face. While training in the camp he performed excellently during shooting and throwing grenades.

We would sit down and learn some Du’as (Supplications) in the training camp between Maghrib and ‘Ishaa’ and there was one particular Du’a that he liked very much and so he asked me to write it down for him in both Arabic and English and so I did so. This Du’a was one that Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) used to say:

Yaa Muqallib al-Quloob! Thabbit Qalbee ‘Alaa Deenik

“O you who turns (i.e. controls) the hearts! Make my heart firm on your Deen.” (Ibn Maajah)

He liked this Du’a so much that he went away, learnt it and memorized it.

He had an injury so he left the training day for a day or two to have it seen to and then he came back. When he returned his face was shining and he said that this Du’a had done so much for him, that he liked this Du’a, it was an excellent Du’a and it helped him so much. I once asked him, ‘How long are you going to stay here in Bosnia?’ and he replied,

‘I will stay here until either we get victory or I am martyred.’

One thing which was strange about him was that he always used to say, thinking back I remember about three, four, five times a day,

‘Allah Willing, I am going to be martyred, Inshaa’Allah this time in Bosnia I am going to be martyred.’

Now, we didn’t think much of it as it was everyone’s wish to be martyred. But he used to say it all the time and he used to say it assured. Aboo Mujaahid went to the frontline base camp despite a knee injury; over there, he gave away whatever he had left of his possession, like his stereo player and clothes. It seemed like he knew that he was going to be killed. He was miraculously chosen to be in one of the attacking groups, when normally only the most experienced and well-trained brothers are chosen for these groups.

The battle began early in the morning of Sunday 10th of September, 1995. During the initial attack, one brother recalled seeing Aboo Mujaahid sitting down beside a log and shouting,

‘Laa Ilaaha Illa Allah (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah)’.

The brother then ran off towards the Serb bunkers; Allah bestowed a great victory upon the Mujaahideen and after two days the victorious groups began returning to the frontline base camp. Amidst the celebrations of the victory, Aboo Mujaahid was nowhere to be seen. The brothers assumed that he was still on the mountains with one of the guarding groups. Three days went by, four days, five days, six days and even the guarding groups returned. Then everyone became concerned. On the eighth day after the operation Aboo Hammaam, commander of the frontline base camp, sent a search party of brothers to look for Aboo Mujaahid. One brother who was in that search party describes what happened,

“The commander Aboo Hammaam (rahmatullah ‘alyhi) chose nine of us to go and look for Aboo Mujaahid. After the operation all the groups had come back and it was known who had been killed but the only news that we did not know of was where Aboo Mujaahid was. So, eight days had gone past and everyone in the camp was worried about what could have happened to Aboo Mujaahid. Maybe the Serbs had caught him, or maybe he is just lost in the mountains? Everyone had different thoughts in their minds, but personally I wasn’t sure what to think, ‘Where could Aboo Mujaahid be? Maybe he fell behind in the battle because he had an injury in his leg about three or four days before the operation started?’ So I thought, ‘Maybe he is sitting on the mountain somewhere. Or maybe he’s been captured?’ But we always hoped for the best. So we went to the bottom of the mountain by truck and walked the area where the battle had taken place. All the while, the brothers were thinking, ‘What state will Aboo Mujaahid be in?’ They were saying, ‘When we find Aboo Mujaahid, we are going to make Sujood and ask him, ‘O Aboo Mujaahid! Why didn’t you come to us in our dreams?’

Anyway, we carried on and reached the next bunker. It was then, five steps later that we noticed a body lying face down on the floor and it had a green scarf on, like the one Aboo Mujaahid used to wear. Its right arm was stretched in front of it and the index finger of its right hand was pointing up straight, just like we do in prayer. I was maybe the sixth person to get there. When I got there I saw the brothers standing around him and I had to ask the brothers, ‘Is he dead or alive?’ because I honestly could not tell if he was dead or alive because of the state that he was in. He had peace about him, even though he was lying face down, it didn’t look like he was dead. His right index finger was raised and he was holding his scarf in his other hand. He still had his rucksack on his back and his gun was lying on the floor next to him. He had been shot by a single bullet that went straight through his heart. When we picked up Aboo Mujaahid, his body was light. It wasn’t heavy and his skin was still soft. So we turned him over and put his body on a stretcher before carrying him down to the bottom of the mountain. At that point the thought that went through my mind was that the brother had been there less time than I was there in Bosnia and he intended to stay much longer than me. But only Allah knew what good he had done for him to die in such a beautiful way and these thoughts are still in our minds.”

Another brother who was in the base camp when the body of Aboo Mujaahid was brought back recalls,

“It was ‘Asr time and I was just coming back from making Wudhoo’ and I was thinking all along in my mind that what might have happened to Aboo Mujaahid. That maybe he has been captured by the Serbs? Maybe he has been injured and he is lying somewhere. Just then I saw a van and a crowd of brothers were around the van, looking through the windows. Then I knew that they had found Aboo Mujaahid. Now, as I approached the van, I smelt a very strong smell, a strong smell of perfume and this smell was out of this world. It wasn’t like anything that I had ever smelt before in my life. Commander Aboo Hammaam only allowed the British brothers to go inside the van and to see the body of Aboo Mujaahid. I went inside and I saw his body, I was unsure whether it was him at first but then I saw his watch and his American army boots and I recognized and I knew that it was Aboo Mujaahid. His body was soft, I felt it; his scarf was in one hand and on his right hand his index finger was straight, pointing up. There was dirt all over his long hair, as was expected because he had been on the mountain in rain and shine for approximately eight days.”

Six days before his body was found, Aboo Mujaahid’s sister, who was in London, saw him in a dream lying down with a white sheet covering him. A number of months later, another brother, who was a close friend of Aboo Mujaahid in the training camp, saw him in another vision. The brother describes,

“It was before Fajr time that I saw this dream. I saw myself meeting Aboo Mujaahid, so I walked up to him and I was very happy to see him. I embraced him and then I noticed that his hair was nice, clean, long and shiny. So I put my hand in his hair and began to stroke it. Whilst I was doing that I remembered when I saw his body in real life, and all the dirt and mud that was on his hair. I asked him, “How are you Aboo Mujaahid?” He replied, “I am Shaheed (have been martyred)”. Then I asked him, “What is the martyrdom like? How are you?” and he replied, “The paradise is so much fun and we are enjoying ourselves so much and we are so happy here.” He repeated the word enjoyment about three times. Just then I remembered that if he is Shaheed, then he will also know about Sayyaad (another brother who had been killed). So I asked him, “How is Sayyaad? Do you have any news about Sayyaad?” Then Aboo Mujaahid said to me, “Yes, Sayyaad is Shaheed as well.”

The above incidences, and many like it, should remind us of the fact that the Sahaabah, who had been martyred in the way of Allah (Almighty) and were in al-Barzakh, longed to tell their brothers who had not died regarding the honor which was prepared for the martyrs.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When your brothers were martyred at Uhud, Allah placed their souls inside green birds which drink from the rivers of Paradise, eat of its fruits and seek shelter in lamps of gold which are suspended in the shade of the Throne. When they saw how good their food, drink and abode were, they said:

‘Who will tell our brothers about us, that we are alive in Paradise and being amply provided for, so that they will not turn away from Jihaad or abandon war?’ Allah, may He be Exalted, said,

‘I will tell them about you.’” (Ahmad, Aboo Daawood and al-Hakeem. This Hadeeth has been classed as Saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani.)

The following is a short video proving that people who are killed in the way of Allah are found smiling, even though they are scientifically regarded as dead!

For further information and more incidents like this, you can refer to the following articles:

Indeed! our Lord (Almighty) spoke the truth when He said,

{Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allâh as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.} (Aal-‘Imraan, 169.)

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Category: Death and the Grave

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Before we look into the life of al-Barzakh (what it entails and what a believer will face therein) I would like to briefly examine the deteriorating effect of the earth on a human corpse. Currently, as you read this sentence, the process of decomposition of once living creatures is occurring all around you. However, many of us are so engrossed and deluded by the life of this world that we hate to contemplate, reflect, talk or even hear anything about the grave and the decomposition of our bodies within it.

Today, when the fear of Allah, His Accountability and Reckoning does not affect our hearts as it should, such reminders will benefit us and push us towards working for our Hereafter. Allah (the Most Gracious) says in the Qur’an: {And remind for Verily, the reminding benefits the believers.} (Adh-Dhaariyaat [51]: 55)

With this exact aim in mind I am writing this article. It is a reality that every second leads us closer to death and our new home…a dark and murky container. Allah (the Almighty) has clearly stated: {Have we not made the earth a container for the living and the dead?} (Al-Mursalaat 25 – 26)

Indeed the earth is a container for many living creatures; nevertheless many dead creatures also fill its emptiness. In this regard, we find the reality of man within the following verse: {Then He (Allah) causes him to die, and puts him in his grave;} (Abasa: 21)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the Companions: “Show due bashfulness to Allah”. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) then said: “O Messenger of Allah! We show bashfulness, thank Allah”. They were obviously taken aback by the Prophet’s statement. The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “It is not that (as you think). True bashfulness to Allah is to keep the head and what it contains (i.e. to keep the eyes, ears, tongue, etc away from sins) and to keep the abdomen (away from unlawful foods) and what is related to it (i.e. to keep the private parts and the legs, etc away from committing what is prohibited), and to remember death and decay (in the grave); and whoever seeks the Hereafter should abandon the adornments of the worldly life. Whoever does so will be the one showing due bashfulness to Allah” (At-Tirmidhi and other compilers of Hadeeth).

How many of us are guilty of immodesty towards Allah (the Almighty) in this regard? How would we feel if someone accused us of having this trait? Maybe we would frown and become troubled by this opinion - although, what really matters is how Allah (the All-Knowing) regards us. Let’s take heed from the following saying:

“Judge yourself before you are judged.”

In truth, a day is soon approaching when we will be judged. Therefore, remember death and decay, as stated in the aforementioned Prophetic narration, even if the people of the world wrongly accuse us of being morbid, strange or mentally unbalanced. Not only will this refine our modesty towards Allah, but we will also come to realize the great stations the Prophets, Shuhadaa’ (Martyrs) and chosen Slaves of Allah enjoy in this respect. Allah (the Almighty) does not allow the earth to eat away at the corpses of His chosen and selected pious slaves, something that we will cover in detail soon, Allah Willing. Such a study will make us realize the Magnanimity and Graciousness of Allah (the Almighty) towards these selected groups; May Allah (the Gracious) make us of them, Aameen.

While keeping the forthcoming information in mind, we should also have good and positive thoughts of Allah (the Almighty). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “None of you should die, except while he is (having) good thought of Allah.” (Saheeh Muslim)

What this means is that we should not give up hope in Allah’s Mercy. We should think well and positively of a Lord who is so Forgiving, Merciful and Gracious. At the same time we should be preparing to meet Him in a good state.

Surely, a bird can only fly with two wings.

***

Despite the fact that this section will include some disturbing images of insects, the purpose of this article is to open our eyes to what may await us in our graves and is not to delve into a deep, scientific study of the decomposition of a human corpse.

After a human being’s death the body is no longer given the same attention that it once enjoyed. This is because it is now an empty shell, devoid of life; hence it is of little benefit to the people. However, there are still some who benefit from the dead corpse … the scavenging insects. These insects will eagerly offer their services and aide to the slow process of decomposition of the entire body. Certain insects are attracted to dead bodies and are referred to as “carrion-eating insects”. This category includes insects such as flies, maggots, beetles and their like.

Although decomposition actually begins straight after a person dies, our aim here is to focus on the decomposition that occurs in the grave. There are five stages of decomposition that the body undergoes in the grave. Let’s begin our journey through them.

1. The Fresh Stage

This is when the body has just been buried and hence is still fresh in its appearance. At this stage no physical appearance of decomposition is present, even though its active change began a while ago when life functions came to an end, causing the beginning of the breakdown of cells and tissues.

After the mud is thrown on the corpse and the body begins to cool to the temperature of its surroundings…the scavenging insects in the soil begin to crawl towards the corpse. Once access to the body is gained they begin to lay their eggs.

2. Putrefaction

At this stage, more obvious signs of decay appear as the corpse changes in color and odour. The body experiences significant bloating due to the chemical processes involved in decomposition, which produce gases. Therefore the face and abdomen swell, forcing fecal matter out of the body. Due to the presence of bacteria in the body, which now enter the veins and interact with the blood, we begin to see red streaking on the skin that will later change into the green marbelization of the skin. In extreme cold, the body’s enzymatic breakdown (autolysis) is inactivated and bacterial activity (putrefaction) slows down.

The following image is of microscopic, intestinal bacteria.

A final process in this stage includes the skin changing from its natural color to orange or black, usually embellished with patches of mold.[1]

Here comes to light the reality of man, his existence and rank. Yet in this world he was so arrogant and boastful, denying the commands of his Lord. Today his true worth and status is evident as a host of insects increasingly invade his body.

3. Black Putrefaction

In the third stage, the body takes on a dark color. The rupture of the abdomen opens the body cavity to a greater variety of insects and scavengers.

The most obvious and abundant insect to arrive in the early stages of decomposition are the flies. They enter the body through natural openings or wounds, eventually feeding over the whole body as the tissues decay. In temperate areas, flies are the first to colonize the body and are responsible for the most dramatic consumption of the organs and tissues. In general, flies deposit their eggs almost immediately after death in the daytime. The adult flies emerge from the pupae in 12–18 days.[2]

Flies lay their eggs or larvae on the actual body, which generates a large number of maggots who live on and feed off of the fluids which exude from the corpse. Juicy maggots provide a plentiful food source for other animals, including other species of flies. At this stage there is considerable competition among the flies for access to the corpse.

The Blowfly, Chrysomya rufifacies, feeds on maggots of other flies as well as consuming decaying flesh. The larvae of the blowfly are covered with protrusions called papillae, which serve as protection against the predatory attacks of other maggots. The adult blowflies use spongy mouth parts to soak up fluids exuded from the body:

A number of wasp species lay their eggs inside the larvae of flies. The wasp larva then feeds on the maggot, eventually killing it and emerging as an adult wasp. One pupa (which is an insect in the inactive stage of development - in between larva and adult) is host to an average of 12 wasps.

Corpse Fauna - Parasitic Wasp, Brachymeria calliphorae

This black putrefaction stage lasts approximately ten to twenty days and then the bones begin to become visible. At this point, beetles arrive at the corpse. In contrast to the flies, beetles have chewing mouthparts and can manage tougher foods than the semi-liquid material that fly larvae are so efficient at exploiting.

Three types of beetle make their living out of corpses. The early arrivals tend to be predatory adults that feed on fly larvae. Some of these species lay their eggs on the corpse and the emerging larvae - which share their parents' powerful jaws - feed on fly larvae. These species include the rove beetles (Staphylinidae), and hister beetles (Histeridae). The following image is a close up of the mouth parts of a beetle.

(Electron micrograph)

Many mites, spiders, ticks, scorpions and harvestmen can feed on a corpse over the full term of its exposure to the elements. Gamasid mites like Macrocheles are common in the early stages of decomposition:

Adult moths lay their eggs on a carcass after all the fly larvae have finished with it. On hatching, their larvae look around for food on any hair that remains. Some of the familiar moth species (Tineidae) feed on hair during their larval stages. Tineid moths are therefore the final animals contributing to the decomposition of a carcass.

Monopis argillacea. Moth - Corpse Fauna.

4. Butyric Fermentation

At this stage the body begins to dry and preserve itself with organs and tissues eventually, reducing and withering away. Odours fade and the body forms an adipocere, or “grave wax” layer. After the organs and tissues are gone, the final stage of decomposition is dry decay, or skeletonization. This is the longest stage as the chemical structure of bones makes them much slower to deteriorate than soft tissue.

Late-arriving beetles tend to be specialist scavengers that feed on tougher parts, like skin and tendons, as the body dries out. The dominant late stage scavengers include the larvae of hide beetles (Dermestidae);

and ham beetles (Cleridae).

Tyroglyphid mites feed on dry skin in the later stages of decomposition.

When the corpse has dried out, two other groups of flies known as the cheese flies (Piophilidae);

and the coffin flies (Phoridae);

join the beetles and mites in cleaning up the skeleton.

The speed of bone decay greatly depends upon the environmental factors present at the burial location, including moisture, temperature and pH of the soil. In hot climates with many scavengers, skeletonization can occur as early as 9-10 days after burial. However, in most cases this process occurs over many years. Therefore, skeletonization is highly variable.

From the above information we can deduce the following:

• The transient nature of this world.
• Shyness from Allah (the Almighty) includes the remembrance of death and decay.
• The importance of asking for Shahaadah (martyrdom) from Allah (the Almighty).
• The importance of asking Allah (the Almighty) to protect us from the torment of the grave.
• The temporary nature of our dominance and supremacy on earth. Today for many of us insects are a small nuisance; we can easily get rid of them whilst they are powerless to stop us. Nevertheless, when we die the insects will be in control of our corpses whilst we will be powerless to do anything.
• We should refrain from beautifying ourselves in ways that are Haraam, for example by plucking the eyebrows, permanent tattooing, haircuts that resemble men etc. Let’s remember that our bodies will be gone and what will remain are our deeds.

_______________

References:

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The funeral of King Fahd, which was conducted in a simple manner in Riyadh earlier this month (1995), has encouraged a well-known Christian priest in Italy to embrace Islam, press reports said.

The priest, who watched the late king's funeral on satellite television, was impressed by the lack of pomp and pageantry in the royal funeral, Al-Riyadh Arabic daily reported without mentioning his name.

King Fahd was buried in Al-Oud graveyard the next day of his death after a solemn funeral ceremony attended by world leaders.

Islamic preacher Dr. Abdullah Al-Malik said the simple funeral of the king had a dramatic effect on the priest's mind, which led him to Islam.

"Although he had read several Islamic books before, they didn't have the same impact."

This is the second high-profile reversion to Islam by an Italian involving Saudi Arabia. Four years ago, Italian Ambassador to Riyadh Torquato Cardilli embraced Islam.

"The priest watched the funeral of King Fahd and another person on television and did not find any difference," Malik said. "There was only a single funeral prayer for the two and both were buried in similar graves. This great example of equality influenced the priest and prompted him to embrace Islam," Malik said.

Muslim preachers in Italy had given the priest Islamic books and cassettes in the past 15 years, but what moved him was the simplicity of the royal funeral.

"I had read several Islamic books and heard many Islamic cassettes over the past years, they never moved me. But the simple royal funeral shook me and changed my mind," Malik quoted the priest as saying.

He said he believed the king's funeral would change the mind of many others. He urged Muslim media to focus on stories related to Islam's tolerance and equality in order to attract more people to the religion.

"I will work the rest of my life for the propagation of Islam," the 62-year-old former priest said.

Badr Al-Olayan, director of the Islamic Education Foundation in Jeddah, said the priest's reversion to Islam was "very good news." He narrated the story of another Italian who came to IEF office to embrace Islam after being impressed by the large and orderly congregation of Muslims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah to perform prayers.

"How can you assemble such a large number of people by just making a call. It's impossible. Only God can do that," he quoted the Italian as saying.

Olayan urged Muslims to do more in order to take the message of Islam to other people.

Ambassador Cardilli, 60, embraced Islam on Nov. 15, 2001.

"I am fully convinced of the truth of Islam through my regular reading of God's final revelation, the Holy Qur'an," Cardilli was quoted as saying at the time.

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Normally, a human body would gradually decompose after being put in the grave for quite some time. This is a fact that nobody can disagree with because according to scientific studies, the human corpse begins to decompose after being buried in the ground for seven days.

However, by Allah’s Will and Might, there are also corpses that do not decay even though they have been buried in the graves for dozens, hundreds or even thousands of years.

In one genuine incident, from the people of Madinah it was related that during the rule of Khalifah Al-Walid bin Abdul Malik, one shocking incident occurred unexpectedly when one of the walls retaining the grave of Rasulullah (peace be upon him) caved in.

A lot of people were shocked in this incident when they saw a pair of legs coming out from one of the areas in the burial site. They were worried if they were the legs of Rasulullah (peace be upon him).

Sa’id bin Al-Musayyib immediately came forward and narrated a Hadith which mentions that the bodies of the Prophets are not allowed by Allah (swt) to remain in the grave for more than 40 days since the day of the burial, they were raised by Allah (swt) thereafter.

Then, Salim bin Abdillah bin Umar bin Khattab arrived and informed the crowd that the legs belonged to his grandfather, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).

Based on the abovementioned incident, it is evident that the bodies of Allah’s beloved, the Prophets or Messengers would not rot away in the grave. This is a fact that nobody can deny because Rasulullah (peace be upon him) had himself explained in a sahih hadith:

“Increase your ‘Selawaat’ upon me on Fridays because your selawaat would be reported to me,”

They (the companions) asked, “How can our ‘Selawaat’ be reported to you when your body would already be decomposed?”

Rasulullah (peace be upon him) answered, “Verily Allah ('azza wa jall) has made forbidden the earth (from the consumption of) the bodies of the Prophets - may Allah’s prayer be upon them.” [Sunan Abi Dawood]

At the same time, in Sahih Al-Bukhari, it was mentioned that ‘Amr bin Jamuh and Abdullah bin ‘Amir, both from the Ansar, had been buried in one grave during the Battle of Uhud, and when once the area was hit by a big flood due to very heavy rains, their grave was washed away by the current. The people of Madinah were forced to take the grave apart in order to relocate it to a safer place and the moment their grave was taken apart, the people discovered that the conditions of their corpses did not change at all, as though they had only died the day before. In actual fact, when they were digging up the grave for the relocation, it had already been 46 years since the corpses were buried in the grave, ie. since the Battle of Uhud.

By chance, one of them was found to have died from a severe wound. When he died his hand was placed over the wound and he was buried in that position. When the grave was taken apart, the people found that his corpse was still in that same position. Some of the people who were present tried to reposition the hand but to no avail, it still went back to its original position.

Al-Qurtubi believed that the non-decomposing state of the corpses of the Shuhadaa is the same whether they are the Shuhaada from the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or the Shuhadaa from the previous Umam (Nations). This opinion was based on a Hadith narrated by At-Tirmidhi, which specifically mentioned the story of As-haabul-Ukhdud which mentioned:

A heroic youth who was persevering and determined in defending the truth of his religion had died as a Shaheed, killed by the king of his time. His corpse was buried in a state in which his hands were covering his temple. When he was dug out from the grave during the rule of Khalifah Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), they found that his corpse was still intact and that his hands were in the same position as what had been described. Whereas, the event of the Ukhdood took place hundreds of years earlier, namely in the era of Fitrah (the era of no Messengers), which took place in the period between Prophet Jesus (Isa) ('alayhis-salaam) and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Meanwhile, in Sahih Muslim it is mentioned that Muslim historians had reported that when Mu’awiyah ruled, he was planning for a water channel to be built in Madinah. In order for this development to be achieved, the channel had to be routed through the middle of the Madinah cemetery. Therefore, he ordered the remains of the dead in the graves to be transferred to another place.

In the midst of the dismantling and relocation process, the people found that the corpses were still in their original states. When one of the shovels they used accidentally hit and slashed the leg of Hamzah bin Abdul Mutalib, blood was seen flowing from the cut. This occurred although he had died in the Battle of Uhud about 50 years before this incident.

The same occurred when Jabir bin Abdullah wanted to dig out the remains of his father 'Abdullah, who had become Shaheed in the Battle of Uhud, so as to relocate him to another place. The corpse of Abdillah was found to be in a state as if he was only buried the day before.

In fact, there are so many narrations to be mentioned about the undying state of the corpses of those who died as Shaheed. Nevertheless, based on the narrations, it is evident that the bodies of the Shuhadaa also do not rot away (consumed by the earth). In fact, the scholars have clarified that their condition is like that of a living body, as they are provided sustenance accordingly.

The same subject has been clearly mentiond by the Qur’an: “Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord;” [Qur’an 3:169]

According to the scholars, other than the groups mentioned above, the corpse of a Muadh-dhin (a person who calls out the Adhaan), who did his job sincerely for Allah (swt) and not out of a craving for any payment, cannot be consumed by the earth as well.

This fact is based on a Marfoo' (Traceable) Hadith which mentions: “A Muadh-dhin who is muhtasib (hoping for rewards from Allah), is like a person whose blood is flowing in the veins, and if he dies his body will not be eaten by the worms in his grave.” Meaning, his corpse will not rot away.

Other than that, those who memorize the Qur’an are also given this special favor by Allah (swt), when their bodies wont decay under the earth when they die. It has been clearly explained by Rasulullah (peace be upon him) in a hadeeth narrated by Ibn Maajah from Jaabir ibn 'Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) which says: “When a memorizer of the Qur’an dies, Allah will reveal to the earth: ‘Do not eat away his flesh.’ So the earth will reply, ‘O my Lord, how can I eat away his flesh, when Your words are inside him.’”

According to Mustafa Abi Uula, what is meant by 'the memorizer of the Qur’an' is not simply a memorizer, but one who also practices the contents of the Qur'aan.

On the contrary, for the people who are not in the groups mentioned above, their corpses will naturally decompose after they have been buried in the earth for quite some time. The decomposition process of the human corpse itself is in line with the condition the corpses go through inside the grave, where it lacks air and in which the temperature is very warm.

According to the scholars, by the Will and Might of Allah (swt), there is a part in the human body which will not be consumed by the earth. That part is called “'Ajbuz-Zanab” (a tiny bone like a mustard seed, located at the end of the joint between the waist bone and the thigh bone). It is the seed from which the sons of Adam will be resurrected from the grave on the Day of Judgement. This fact is based on the Hadith of Rasulullah (peace be upon him) narrated by Muslim and Ibnu Maajah which says: “There is no quarter of the human body which is not destroyed except something which is called ‘Ajbuz-Zanab. It is from it that his recreation will commence on the Day of Judgement.”

In another narration it has been mentioned: “It is from it that he was created and it is also from it that he will be recreated on the Day of Judgement.”

These are the differences between the four groups who are given the special favor by Allah (swt) and the rest of mankind. Logically, the non-decomposition state of these corpses, which belong to these four groups, cannot be accepted by the human mind. However by Allah’s will, all this is not impossible, in fact it will and does happen.

Nevertheless as ordinary human beings, we do still have the chance to join these caravans and enjoy this special favor given by Allah (swt). He is the Just, the Merciful and the Compassionate. The privilege of having non-decaying bodies in the grave, which also symbolizes the honor of being granted Paradise, is not exclusively given to the Prophets and Messengers only, but also to specific and special human beings. With the condition that it is the individual himself who must choose it and strive for it. Allah (swt) has provided the ways for us and we can undertake them if we wish to enjoy this privilege.

Rasulullah (saws) said in a Hadith: “A group of my Ummah will fight for the truth until near the Day of Judgment… when Jesus, the son of Mary, will descend, and the leader of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus will decline saying: "No, Verily, among you Allah has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon them." [Sahih Muslim]

When we have chosen for ourselves the group we want to follow, our corpses will not be eaten away by the earth as well, Allah Williing, and in the hereafter we will also be amongst the groups who dwell in Paradise. Aameen.

Then, what seemed strange to us before will not seem strange to us anymore, even though it is still strange to other people especially the non-Muslims and those who claime to be Muslims but are not practicing the pure and shumul (comprehensive) teachings of Islam. May Allah protect us from being amongst the groups who have gone astray and those who have gained His wrath! Aameen.

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Recall the sensation of choking. You may have first experienced it as a child when your mother forced a tight jumper over your head. Try to remember as clearly as possible how nauseous and suffocated you felt. A human being feels this way at such a time because we need to breathe. We require good ventilation and light to feel comfortable - unlike a corpse.

The raging dark winds which hover around the darkness of the night, the quiet of the living world, the stars which illuminate the way for those who carry you on their shoulders are anything but comforting to you. In fact they are implicitely telling you another story. That you are without hearing, without feeling, without thought, without need, without…life.

The grave has already been dug for you and awaits you to fill its empty, silent and gloomy chamber. This gaping hole in the ground is different from the houses you yearned for in life. It is anything but grand, luxorious and spacious. It is is simple, unmarked and isn’t lifted above the ground. In fact its depth can be measured by the eye. No windows or any kind of ventilation exist  and no doors that can be percieved by the people of this world. It is damp but don’t worry - your corpse will most probably already be emitting a slight odour that can not be concealed by any shower, deodrant or perfume of this world. But with the state that your corpse is now in, it doesn’t matter as you have no one to impress. You won’t feel thirst or hunger, so there’s no need for a fridge full of cold, refreshing drinks and delightful foods that you partook in when you were alive. You won’t need a toilet, as those who performed your ghusl tried to clean your abdomen of excrements by gently massaging your lower back awhile ago… no friend, loved one or even an enemy will want to visit or spend time with you now.

But - O Yes! You will have visitors but they will be special, rare visitors - unlike the ones who visited you when you were living.

***

Your grave is simple in compliance to the words of our dear Messenger (peace be upon him),

“Graves should not be marked or built.” (Saheeh Muslim)

We find in a hadeeth narrated by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him),

“Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed him to destroy all statues, and not to leave a grave raised high without leveling it with the ground.” (Muslim).

The believers intend to place a mark or stone on your grave later on, just so that it can be recognized and distinguished from the graves surrounding it, some of which are in fact centuries old. How quickly your neighbours have changed. How quickly your life has just stopped. If only you could go back in time, but of what use is regret now? Socialization is no longer a need for you.

They have dug your grave so that you are facing towards the Qiblah.

Today is the day when you have been placed before the Qiblah involuntarily. But how many times was the Call for Prayer (Adhaan) announced, only to find you heedless, reluctant and unwilling. You ran away from facing Allah’s home (Baytullah), but now you are in a home from which you can not run. Today you have no choice but to face the Qiblah and Allah’s accountability.

With tears flowing down their cheeks, they slowly place you in your new home on your right side, close to the grave’s wall, so as to give you support from falling back. You are now facing the Qiblah as they read:

Bismilllah wa ala millati rasoolilllah

 

"In the name of Allah and in the faith of the Messenger of Allah".

Now they undo the knots and ties on your head and feet. The time now comes…to cover you with mud.

Covered and Alone

As the mud is thrown over you the reality of your existence and the existence of everything besides Allah (the Mighty and Glorious) becomes apparent. Where is your haughtiness, your self-deluding pride, your worship of your own desires and wants today? All has gone. You are now alone, no friend to support you, no mother or father to comfort you, no siblings to depend on and above all, no time to change your ways. For those who walk on the earth deluded from the purpose of worshipping Allah! Know that the time will draw near when you will be underground, a corpse, unattended, uncared for and after a few generations…maybe altogether forgotten and unknown. Turn back to Allah, repent! Allah, the Mighty, above the heavens hears the cry of his slave that turns back to him with penitence, fear, hope and remorse. Let’s now begin to be the best Slaves of Allah that we can possibly be. Let’s fight our egos, our very desires and passions that go against the Qur’aan and the Sunnah of the Best of Mankind (peace be upon him). Let’s be women who do not fear the blame of the ridiculers. Let’s be women of calibre, conviction and patience. Let’s aim to change the world, by first changing ourselves:

{… Verily! Allâh will not change the good condition of a people until they do not change their state of themselves…} (Ar-Ra’d [13], verse 11)

All of this can be done now, but not when the mud becomes our clothes, clinging to us, filling our mouths and noses.

They Begin to Walk Away

As they stare down at and towards your newly covered grave, your corpse is no longer visible due to the dark, murky mud which now covers and engulfs your lifeless body.

As they stare down at your newly covered grave, your corpse is no longer visible due to the dark, murky mud that now covers and engulfs your lifeless body.

It is a fact that during the hard times in life, you’ll notice that sometimes the dearest of friends fails to stick by your side. This may not be done intentionally but may be due to some human weaknesses and tendencies, such as their own preoccupations, limited time or health.

The same will happen when they throw mud over us and will have completed their duty towards us in terms of our burial, something that, Allah Willing, they will be rewarded for. But, it makes sense that they will not be able to stand there forever; they’ll tire, remember an errand, or simply want to go home and let their heart heal from the impact of your separation…but the reality and fact of the matter is that they will eventually leave you alone to face your fate and in the few years to come they will only be able to recall snippets of light memories of you.

As they begin to slowly walk away from your grave, you can’t call out, “STOP! I need you! Don’t leave me. Don’t you care for and love me anymore? Have you forgotten me? Won’t you remember me anymore…?” Even if you could call out, it makes no difference… as they are unable to hear you.

Now, although you can’t request them for it, you are in need of their supplications (duas) as you lie underground all alone, without any light or any means of communication. This is because your sins may now turn against you. Therefore, you are in need of sincere supplications from within the hearts of the believers, expressed sincerely towards the Lord above. Yesterday you could have worked to increase your own good deeds, but now you are left to the graciousness of those who may remember to supplicate for you or undertake a good action that may benefit you - IF it is sanctioned by the chronicles of Islamic Law.

Before we proceed, let’s remember to say, “May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad” as it is due to his guidance that the believers will, by the Will of Allah, implement this practice. In one Prophetic Narration the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“Make dua’ of Istighfaar (Supplicate for Forgiveness) for your brother and request steadfastness for him because he is now being questioned." (Abu Dawood).

This is why, at this time, which is one of the most critical times for you, their supplications will stand to be more significant for you than the fleeting enjoyments of the world, which the people of the world so readily and hastily run after.

Indeed, their supplications may have a significant impact on what is awaiting you in the grave.

Continuous Rewards

In such a lonely place, at such a desperate time, how would it feel if you were told that some of your good deeds in life will continuously benefit and support you after your death? Even in this life, if I told you that your bank account will be continuously deposited with extra, free money - growing and adding to your balance every day, without any additional work from you - how would you feel? But remember, this world’s bank balances won’t last forever, but, Allah Willing, the Hereafter’s will.

There are only a few of your own good deeds that will continuously flow forth reward for you, even after your death. Although these good deeds maybe few in number, their rewards may turn out to be great, far more than you ever anticipated or expected.

Bring to mind the happiness you feel in your heart when you do something small and are repaid many times over for such a small exertion. Indeed, Allah is the Most Merciful, the Gracious and the Bestower. He can do much, much, much more for you - the question is: do you really want it? If so it’s not too late. Now is the chance to sow that which will be reaped by the Most Merciful in the Most Gracious of ways, Allah Willing.

Therefore, even though the life span of a Muslim is short and his/her deeds will stop after death, a Muslim may have carried out certain actions in life that will continue to benefit him/her in their grave. These actions include:

• perpetual charity;
• useful knowledge;
• a good child that prays for him/her;
• a Mosque that s/he built;
• teaching Quran to another person;
• a house s/he built for public use;
• a water fountain or a river that s/he rented and made it free for people;
• a charity that s/he gave during his/her life while s/he was in good health.

All of the above are continuously rewardable good actions even after death.

In this respect the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "After the death of a person his actions stop, except three things that he leaves behind: First, continuous charity; Second, knowledge from which some benefit may be obtained; Third, a virtuous son who makes Dua’ (prays, supplicates) on his behalf." (Muslim).

Therefore, charity will benefit the deceased, as the following Prophetic narrations also clearly illustrates:

"A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him, "My father died leaving wealth but no will, would he be pardoned if a charity is given on his behalf?", the Prophet (peace be upon him) answered: "Yes." (Muslim)

Another Hadith: "A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him, "My mother has died without making up for missed days of fasting in the month of Ramadan, can I fast for her?”, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, “Would you pay her debt if she owed someone?". The man said: "Yes", then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Then Allah is more deserving of payment in settlement of his debt." (Bukhari & Muslim).

Ibn Abbas reported that: A woman came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "My mother had vowed to perform Hajj (Pilgrimage), but she died before she could fulfill her vow, should I do it on her behalf?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, "Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Would you not pay the debt of your mother if she had owed someone? Fulfill it. Allah is more deserving of receiving payment for what is due to Allah." (Bukhari & Muslim)

Now, think about the magnanimity of the following verse:

“Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the fire and admitted to the Paradise, indeed this person attained success, and this life is only enjoyment and deception.” (Aal-‘Imraan: 175)

***

Today you’re really alone.

You can’t speak, cry or moan.

You can’t articulate your feelings or change your tone,

Forget your worldly abode, which was just a transient home.

And yes, it’s too late to payback any loan.

You just aimed to have a good education, enjoy your life,

And to eventually be a wife.

Then you became a mother, a granny and then reality hit you about this life,

When you fell ill on your death bed,

And then your funeral player was led.

Indeed, your grave is an empty shell,

Either filled with the delights of Paradise or the flames of hell.

Did you lose out in this world, when indeed you did sell,

Yourself to satan, who hates you and works to achieve and do well.

Or did you follow the way of the pious and become the one to warn and tell,

The others of Allah’s wrath and Jahannam’s hell?

Wake up and realize before the mud fills your mouth and ears,

Then you will be alone and you won’t be able to shed any tears.

The reckoning will begin,

And those living in sin,

Surely won’t win.

For Allah created man and Jinn,

To worship him alone.

So atone,

Before it’s too late to even pick up the phone,

When, yes, you’ll truly be alone.

Now’s the time: ask forgiveness from others,

For in Islaam we are all sisters and brothers.

But first and foremost, ask the Creator’s forgiveness,

And adamantly ask Him to widen and graciously bless your grave.

And from now on intend to be his devoted slave,

And to behave

Like a Muslim, so that you’ll be saved,

And your grave widened, for in it…very soon…you will be laid.

And don’t forget, always remember the words of the Noble Messenger,

When he said he was only in this life a traveller

Therefore, you too, also be in it like a mere passenger.

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Martyrs are among the believers whom Allah (SWT) has chosen because they have fulfilled their promise with Him, their commerce prospered and they eventually have won. Allah, the Ever-Living and Sustainer, bestowed on them everlasting life though we do not perceive this.

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Towards Your New Home...Underground:

The trees silently bid you farewell as the path opens way for you and your familiar surroundings surrender you to your fate. Your white shroud is being tossed and blown about by the wind, which pushes you towards your destination. Your loved ones carry you along towards your new home with a keen drive and determination to surrender you to your fate in compliance to the command of the Last Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Tears incessantly flow down their cheeks, in unison with the falling rain from the heavily laden clouds that also bid you farewell and were a witness over you within the life of this world. Yet, the darkness emitting from the clouds is unlike the darkness that will engulf you soon in your grave.

Unlike the clouds, the women of your household and your beloved sisters in faith can not follow you to your burial. This is because, as Umm Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) elucidated,

“…it was forbidden for us to follow funeral processions” (Saheeh al Bukhaari).

All they can do is watch your funeral procession from afar with tears, bidding you farewell for the last time and left with memories which will slowly fade away over time.

Your family will feel for some time the gnawing emptiness that your room and home will emit due to your lack of presence therein. They will remember your laughter, words and mannerisms. But like most people to have walked the face of this earth, you will also soon be forgotten, unless Allah wills otherwise. For Allah (Almighty) gives respect to whomsoever He wills of His slaves, as some good deeds have an ongoing heavy affect upon the balance of an individual’s good deeds.

The men of your family have hurriedly made arrangements to place you within the dark, murky soil as you were being washed and prepared for your burial. Now, you will truly be alone - your only friends the mud, insects and your deeds, be they good or evil. YES! The same soil that if it was placed over you while you were alive, would have filled your heart with fear and disgust, so much so that you would have rushed to clean, wash and rid yourself of it as soon as possible. The same insects that if they were placed in your hand or on your body, you would have reflexively flung, rid and thrown them off of yourself. The same grave that if you had been placed in you would have jumped out of it in fright, and sought shelter with your loved ones.

But now, it’s too late…

From it YOU were Created and to it YOU will Return

No-one can help you; only Allah (the Almighty) can truly help you. Finally you have come to realize that you are indeed in need of His Mercy and Help. If only you had realized before that true friendship is the friendship with the Divine and that true accomplishment is the accomplishment of fear, hope and love for Allah (the Glorious) and that everything will perish, except the Face of your Lord, the Subtle and All-Aware.

When a person dies there is reckoning without action, whereas today, for those of us who are alive, it is action without reckoning. Let’s turn towards Allah, and strive for His Deen before the earth fills our mouths and noses.

NOW the reality of Sajdah (prostration) hits you. Those who had prostrated to Allah in this world, by placing their foreheads upon the very ground in which man will be buried, had in reality openly declared war against satan. The same satan who had disobeyed his Lord in this regard and had as a result been banished; destined to the eternally raging, enormous fires of hell.

The pious Muslimah, whilst prostrating, continuously reminds herself of the fleeting nature of this world and that she is to return to the same earth towards which she prostrated repetitively during her short days in this life given by Allah, the Glorious and Merciful. If Allah had willed, He wouldn’t have created us. He (the Almighty) could have given us non-existence. But instead He (the Creator) gave us life and with that He gave us the opportunity to draw close to Him…truly something that is only gifted to a few. Ah! But man is ungrateful - man is indeed ungrateful.

Now, this very ground, upon which the Muslimah surrenders by way of prostration her very heart, body and mind has now become a new home in which she is to be surrendered. But do our Salawaat (prayers) remind us of this fact? Reality will come to light when we will be surrendered to the earth, from which we have been created and to which we will certainly be returned.

Dear Sisters, today, let’s pick up the earth and imagine being a part of it. Imagine the earth filling our ears and noses. All praise is due to Allah alone, for when we contemplate over this, we will come to realize our true worth and the Great and True Magnanimity of our Lord above.

How many of us have witnessed a death, burial or seen the corpse of another human being? If so, how many of us have been affected and reminded of the hereafter by it? If we were affected, how long did its effect linger in our hearts? Today, when we discuss death, or contemplate over it and remind others of it, we may be accused of having a strange and morbid fascination with death. Even though the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“O People! Remember much the destroyer of pleasures, death” (at-Tirmidhi).

The Messenger (peace be upon him) also said,

"Visit the sick and walk with the Janazah (funeral procession), it will remind you of the hereafter" (Muslim).

Dear Sisters, if we don’t contemplate over our reality and where we are heading, how will we effectuate the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said,

“Be in this world as a traveler or stranger” (Bukhaari).

What would you think of someone on a train, who needs help towards his destination but hates to mention and think about where he is going? How will his journey be if he does not keep his destination in mind?

SURELY, he will go astray.

***

This day had appeared so far like a dream,

Distant and remote it had truly seemed.

You hated to speak about it, frowned and deemed,

The grave and its’ accountability to be something

far and unseen.

But today you are being taken towards it.

It awaits you: dark, murky, dim and unlit.

By the angels, some within it, will be beaten and hit,

But others…will have for them their graves lit.

So don’t frown when you hear the mention of death,

For the believer awaits their good deeds, their true wealth.

By means of hard work and ignoring the disobedient’s stealth,

Also, by forsaking riches, comfort and health.

Face reality.

Look forward steadily.

Work for that day and don’t be cowardly.

Be as a Muslim should be, towards your Lord turning devotedly.

Tomorrow you may be lying in your grave,

Even if you’ve got the world under your feet and its’ riches saved.

For, the time is close when we will be asked about how we behaved,

In the life of this world, even if we were imprisoned and enslaved,

By the rules of the Kuffaar, dominated and caved.

None will be excluded, but such will be saved,

Who held high the flag of Islaam and it they passionately waved,

Within the transient life of this world…

right until they reached their grave.

Witnesses FOR or AGAINST You.

Today, we see a common trend, especially within our youth that we shouldn’t care about what others say or think about us. This idea of “Do whatever you want” and “It’s my life” and so on. It is true, that the believer should not take to heart what others say about him/her if s/he is on the straight path, in which case s/he should have thick skin and persist in overcoming its arduous struggles. However, if a person is being reprimanded for something which s/he has done against the commands of the Sharee’ah, then s/he should use this censure to change for the best. The Muslimah should have a pro-active attitude towards it and view it as being constructive criticism.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has clearly explained how the very people around us will be witnesses for or against us on the day of judgement. When a funeral procession passed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the people praised the deceased, the Prophet said,

“It has been affirmed (Paradise).”

Then when another funeral procession passed by and the people spoke badly of the deceased, the Prophet said,

“It has been affirmed (hell)”.

Rasoolullah (peace be upon him) was then asked, “O Allah's Apostle! You said it has been affirmed for both?" To which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"The testimony of the people (is accepted), (for) the believers are Allah's witnesses on the earth" (Saheeh al Bukhaari).

So remember, Allah (the Mighty and Glorious) has made the earth and the people within it witnesses for or against you. Take heed of the words a famous poet once said:

“When you were born, you were crying,

While others were very happy.

So make sure that when you die,

You are happy,

While others cry.”{footnote}Authentic Step by Step Illustrated Janazah Guide Compiled By Mohamed Ebrahim Siala{/footnote}

Today, let’s make a change before it’s too late. Let’s be sincere towards our Lord, and not fear the blame of those who falsely blame. Let’s realize our mistakes and be wise in accepting criticism when and if it is due. Let’s work for Allah’s Deen sincerely and though we seek Allah’s countenance, we must remember that He has placed witnesses over us who will speak for us or against us.

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Ibn Umar (radhiallahu 'anhum) said: Allâh's Messenger (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) took me by my shoulder and said: "Be in this life as if you were a stranger or a traveller on a path." [Reported by al-Bukhârî]

Ibn 'Umar used to say,

"If you reach the evening then do not expect to reach the morning, and if you reach the morning then do not expect to reach the evening. Take from your health before your sickness, and from your life before your death." [Reported by al-Bukhârî]

This hadîth is the foundation for limiting one's hope in this life. A believer must not take this life as a homeland or permanent residence, his heart being tranquil and resting assured within it. Rather, he must be in it as if he were on a journey, preparing himself to depart. The advice of the Prophets and their followers confirms this.

Allâh said, narrating about a believer at the time of Fir'awn that he said:

"O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the hereafter that is the home that will remain forever." [Ghafir : 39]

Alî ibn Abi Tâlib (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to say,

"Certainly this life has begun travelling away, and the hereafter has begun travelling forward, and each has its children. So be from the children of the hereafter, and don't be from the children of this life. For indeed today there is action with no account, and tomorrow there will be account with no action."

Umar ibn Abdul Azîz said in his khutbah,

"This life is not your permanent abode. Allâh has prescribed for it to come to an end and He has prescribed for its people to depart from it. How often has a thriving population been ruined for something insignificant, and how often has a joyful resident been made to depart for something insignificant. So prepare well, may Allâh have mercy on you, for the journey with the best of what you have of preparations, and take provisions, for the best of provisions is Taqwâ."

So if this life is not a permanent residence nor homeland for the believer, then the situation of the believer in it must be either one of two conditions: Either as if he were a stranger residing in a strange land with his main concern being to take provisions for his return to his real homeland; or as if he were a traveller, in no way residing in it, rather his every night and day is spent going towards his land of residence.

Due to this, the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) advised Ibn Umar to be in this life in one of these two conditions:

The first condition: That the believer abandons himself as if he were a stranger in this life, appearing to be a resident, yet really in a strange land. So his heart is not attached to this strange land. Rather, his heart is attached to his homeland that he is returning to. He is only staying in this life to fulfill his objective - preparing for the return to his homeland.

Al-Fudhayl ibn Iyyâdh said,

"A believer in this life is worried and sad. His worry is the objective of preparing himself. So whoever's condition in this life is such, then he has no concern other than taking provisions from what will benefit him during the return to his homeland. So he does not compete with the people of the land, among whom he is merely a stranger, in what they consider honorable. And he does not become worried if he seems insignificant among them."

Al-Hasan (al-Basrî) said,

"The believer is like a stranger. He does not become worried due to being insignificant in it (this life), and he does not compete for honor in it. His condition is one and the people are in another condition. When Allâh created Adam ('alayhis salâm), He made him and his wife reside in Paradise. Then he was taken out of it, yet was promised to return to it, (both) he and the righteous ones among his offspring. So the believer is always longing for his first homeland..." [2]

The second condition: That the believer lowers himself in this life as if he were a traveller, in no way residing in it. He is only moving along in one of the points of his journey until he finishes his journey to its end, which is death. Whoever's condition in this life is such, and then his main concern is obtaining the provision for the journey. He is not concerned with an abundance of the enjoyment of this life. For this reason, the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) advised a group of his Companions for their main concern in this life to be like the provision of a traveller.

One of the Salaf wrote to one of his brothers:

"Oh my brother, it appears to you as if you are a resident. However, you are really only persistently travelling, and you are moving rapidly. Death is heading towards you, and this life is passing behind you. What has passed of your life will not return to you (to rectify it) on the Day of Taghâbun (The Day of Resurrection)."

Al-Fudhayl ibn Iyyâdh said to a man, "How many (years) have passed you?" He replied, "Sixty years." He said,

"Therefore, for sixty years you have been going to your Lord and you are about to reach (Him)."

The man then said, "To Allâh we belong and to Him we are returning!" So al-Fudhayl asked,

"Do you know the meaning of that (statement)? You are saying, 'I belong to Allâh as a servant and I am going to return to Him.' So whoever knows that he belongs to Allâh as a servant and that he will return to him, then he should know that he will be stopped. And whoever knows that he will be stopped, then he should know that he will be questioned. And whoever knows that he will be questioned, then let him prepare an answer for the question."

The man asked, "So what should I do?" He said, "It is easy." The man again asked, "What is it?" al-Fudhayl said,

"Do good in what remains, then what has passed shall be forgiven. Yet, if you do evil in what remains, then you will be taken to account for what has passed as well as for what remains."

Some of the wise people said,

"Whoever made the days and nights his riding animal, then they will take him (to his destination) even if he doesn't move."

 Al-Awzâ'î wrote to one of his brothers,

"As to what follows: You have been encompassed from every side. Know that you are moving forward with each day and night. So beware of Allâh and of the standing infront of him. And your final promise will be with Him.Was-Salâm."

As for the advice of Ibn Umar, then it is based upon this Hadîth that he himself has narrated. It (his advice) includes an end to prolonged hope. And that if a person happens to reach the evening, then he should not wait for, or expect to reach the morning. And if he happens to reach the morning, then he should not wait for, or expect to reach the evening. Rather, he should assume that his end will reach him before that. With this same meaning, more than one of the scholars have explained the concept of having Zuhd (asceticism and piety) in this life.

Al-Marwathî said: It was said to Abû Abdullâh - meaning Ahmad (ibn Hanbal), "What is the meaning of having Zuhd in this life?" He said,

"Not prolonging hope too much - He who says when he wakes up, 'I will not reach the evening.'"

He said, "And Sufyân (ath-Thawrî) said likewise." It was then said to Abû Abdullâh,

"With what do we seek help in not prolonging our hope?" He replied,

"We don't know. It is only by Tawfîq (Success exclusively granted by Allâh)."

As for his (Ibn Umar's) statement: "Take from your health before your sickness, and from your life before your death." Meaning: Take advantage of being able to do righteous deeds with what remains of your health before sickness prevents you from them, and from your life before death prevents you from them.

And in another narration: "...For surely, oh servant of Allâh, you don't even know what your own name will be tomorrow." Meaning: Perhaps tomorrow you will be among the dead, not the living.

The meaning of this advice has been reported from the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) from a different perspective. In Sahîh al-Bukhârî, it is reported that Ibn Abbâs narrated that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: "There are two blessing which many people are deprived of: health and free time." [3]

And in the Mustadrak of al-Hâkim, it is reported that Ibn Abbâs narrated that the Messenger of Allâh (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said to a man while advising him: "Take advantage of five things before five other things: from your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your richness before your poverty, your free time before you become occupied, and from your life before your death." [4]

The meaning of this is that all of these things hinder the performance of deeds. Some of them personally preoccupy the person such as his poverty, richness, sickness, his old age, or his death. Others are more general such as the establishment of the Last Hour, the appearance of the Dajjâl, and other disturbing trials as is mentioned in the Hadîth:

"Take the initiative to do deeds, before trials come like a piece of a dark night (unexpectedly)." [5]

After the appearance of some of these more general events, no deeds will be of any benefit as Allâh said: "The day that some of the Signs of your Lord do come, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his Faith." [Al-An'am : 158]

In the two Sahîhs (al-Bukhârî and Muslim), Abû Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: "The Hour will not be established until the sun rises from the west. So when it rises and the people see it, they will all believe. That is when the faith of a person will not benefit him if he did not previously believe or if he did not earn good by his faith." [6]

And in Sahîh Muslim, the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: "There are three events that if they occur, the faith of a person will not benefit him if he did not previously believe or if he did not earn good by his faith: the rising of the sun from the west, the Dajjâl, and the Beast from the earth." [7]

Also in Sahîh Muslim, the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allâh will accept his repentance." [8]

Abû Mûsâ narrated that the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: "Allâh extends his hand during the night to accept the repentance of the sinner of the day, and He extends his hand during the day to accept the repentance of the sinner of the night, until the sun rises from the west." [9]

So the believer must take the initiative in performing righteous deeds before he is overtaken by the decree and prevented from doing them either by sickness or death, or by some of these signs reaching him after which no deed will be accepted.

Abû Hâzim said,

"The merchandise of the hereafter is in little demand. It is about to be spent with no one obtaining it except a few, not many."

So when a person is prevented from deeds, nothing remains for him except regret and sorrow. He will wish to return to the previous situation in which he was be able to perform deeds, yet wishing at that time will not benefit him in anything.

Allâh, the Most High says: "And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islâmic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islâm), before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped. And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur'ân, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not! Lest a person should say: 'Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allâh (i.e. I have not done what Allâh has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who mocked [at the truth!' i.e. Lâ ilâha ill-Allâh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), the Qur'ân, and Muhammad and at the faithful believers, etc.] Or (lest) he should say: 'If only Allah had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqûn (pious and righteous people)'. Or (lest) he should say when he sees the torment: 'If only I had another chance (to return to the world) then I should indeed be among the Muhsinûn (good-doers).'" [Az-Zumar : 54-58]

And He says: "Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allâh), he says: 'My Lord! Send me back, so that I may do good in that which I have left behind!' No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected." [Al-Mu'minûn : 99-100]

And He, the Mighty and Majestic, says:

"And spend (in charity) of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says: 'My Lord! If only You would give me respite for a little while (i.e. return to the worldly life), then I should give Sadaqah (i.e. Zakât) of my wealth, and be among the righteous.' [i.e. perform Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah)] And Allâh grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes. And Allâh is All-Aware of what you do." [Al-Munafiqûn : 99-100]

So since the matter is like this, it is incumbent upon the believer to take advantage of what remains from his life. In explanation of this, it is said:

"The remainder of the believer's life is priceless."

Sa'îd ibn Jubayr said,

"Each day the believer lives is a treasure."

____________

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Imaam Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) said:

“From the wonders that I see from myself and all other people is inclination towards heedlessness of what is in our hands, despite us knowing how short life is and despite us knowing the fact that increase of reward over there (the Hereafter) is tied to the deeds performed over here.

So, O soul! O you whose life is so short! Take advantage of these days of mine, and wait for the Day when all shall flee, and beware of preoccupying your heart with what it has not been created for. Carry the burdens of your soul over the times of bitterness, and tame it if refuses. Do not let it roam freely for long because indeed you are only within a pasture. Certainly, despicable is the person who lies between two rows and yet preoccupies himself with other than them.”

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Sister Rehab el Buri passed away on Sunday 6th of March 2011 at the age of 26. She died due to cancer after fighting a courageous battle against it. A section is pasted below from her blog to reflect upon and is really worth the two minute read.

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Just close your eyes and imagine,

You have just one more day to live;

One more day to show Allah,

Whether to you Jannah He should give?

To say goodbye to your family,

And all your closest friends;

To ask for forgiveness,

And try to make amends;


Just close your eyes and imagine,

Did you miss a prayer or two?

Did you please Allah, and do the things,

He asks every Muslim to do?

Just close your eyes and imagine,

Tomorrow you will be gone;

No more second chances,

To smell the mist of dawn;

Just close your eyes and imagine,

The angels are going to come,

To take your soul and ask,

In your life "what have you done"?


Just close your eyes and imagine,

The words you want to say;

But may not come out that way,

For all your deeds you'll pay;

You want to speak out, to cry out,

'Inshaa' Allah I believe';

But, silence beckons you,

No more can u deceive;

Just close your eyes and imagine,

Finally,

Your silence breaks away;

You tell the angels you believe in Allah,

And for Him, you did pray;

You say as tears are pouring down your face

'Please, Allah, forgive me,

For the sins that I committed,

Have mercy is my plea!'


Just close your eyes and imagine,

That the smell of musk surrounds you,

From your head down to your feet;

You realize Allah forgave you,

Hell fire you did defeat;

But we all know as Muslims,

When it's time for you to die;

You'll not be given a second chance,

To say a last goodbye;

So live each day as If it's your last,

And never forget to pray;

So when the angels come to ask,

You'll know the right words to say.

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This day had seemed so far away. In fact, you had never quite come to terms with the idea of being a corpse, nor of the fact that you would be prayed over. Neither had you come to terms with the fact that a day will come when you will be entirely covered in white sheets by your own beloved ones.

Now it has come to light. As they carry you towards your funeral prayer, indeed this world was a transient exam that has now ended and bids you farewell… your futile pursuits were a waste and the small good deeds you had presented are now a treasure that you are unwilling to give up - even for the whole world and all it contains.

Four people carefully place your coffin upon their shoulders as they carefully escort it towards the car. The winds bid you farewell, blowing your way for the last time as the ground awaits your arrival. This is to be your very last ride to the masjid, after which they will take you to the cemetery in order to fulfil their duty of placing you in the grave which has already been dug; it awaits your presence to fill its dark and empty home...

They gently place you into the extraordinary car that has been hired. You’re unable to get yourself up and look outside the car window for the last time, so as to see your home, your street and the familiar surroundings you had become so accustomed to since childhood...

Death came and snatched you away so unexpectedly, little did you know that you will be seized from this world so soon. Your youthful appearance, your healthy lifestyle, your ambitions, aspirations and dreams all deceived you into believing your death wasn’t going to be any time soon.

How wrong you were.

***

Indeed, the greatest calamity we face is that the Noble Messenger is no longer amongst us, just as the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: 'If one of you is afflicted with a calamity, then let him remember his calamity by me (i.e., by my death); for indeed, it is the greatest of calamities.'{footnote}Related by Ibn Sa'd, al-Darimi, and others; through other narrations that attested to it, it is authentic, as mentioned in al-Sahihah (106): 2.{/footnote} Today the Noble Messenger is no longer alive to pray over you as he had prayed over the woman who used to clean the masjid.

But there is one question, which I earnestly ask you to ponder over: If the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) had been amongst us, would he have prayed over you?

For, in the time of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), one man had stolen from the war booty and another had killed himself with an arrow – both of whom the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) did not pray the funeral prayer for and rather, ordered the Companions to pray over them.{footnote} Abu Dawood (2710), al-Nasaa’i (1959) and Ibn Maajah (2848).{/footnote} In fact, the great Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) would not offer the funeral prayer over the one that had died openly committing sins. Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) said: al-Majd (i.e. Majd al-Deen ibn Taymiyah, the grandfather of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah) said that ‘The funeral prayer should not be offered for anyone who had died openly committing sin without having repented…’{footnote}Al-Insaaf (2/535){/footnote}

***

Today, you realize how the directive commands and incentives of the Prophet [saw] are a great blessing for the believers. For it is because of the following command of the Prophet [saw] that people attend your funeral:  “Whoever attends the funeral until the prayer has been offered will have one qiraat (of reward) and whoever attends until the deceased has been buried will have two qiraats.” It was said, “What are the two qiraats?” He said: “Like two great mountains.”{footnote}Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1325; Muslim, 945.{/footnote}

Many times you were reminded that the first question on the Day of Judgment will be regarding your prayer. Now the time is up; you are unable to join the believers in their prayers… you are unable to prostrate to the Almighty... you are no longer able to exalt, praise your Lord, you are unable to whisper words of forgiveness… your forehead can no longer prostrate, it merely faces upwards – it is only to face the Lord of the worlds and all that exists within them.

Your beloved friends and dear ones pick you up and place you in front of the Imaam, who is to lead the prayer. The believers come together in three rows behind the Imaam and they are all facing the Qiblah [direction to prayer]. The Imaam stands in front of the congregation, beside your shoulder. In one standing and within only a few minutes, they complete the prayer – without any sujood [prostration] or rukoo’ [bowing].

Within this short, yet precious prayer they whisper the du’aa [supplication] taught by Muhammad, al Mustafa [saw]. This du’aa [supplication] for you is one of the greatest gifts you can be given at this stage, as they whisper in Arabic:

“O Allah, forgive our living and our dead… O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, keep him safe and sound and forgive him, honor the place where he settles and make his entrance wide; wash him with water and snow and hail, and cleanse him of sin as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. O Allah, give him a house better than his house and a family better than his family. O Allah, admit him to Paradise and protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of Hell-fire; make his grave spacious and fill it with light. O Allah, do not deprive us of the reward and do not cause us to go astray after this.”

Although the prayer was rather short, it holds immense value for you as you are in need of as many supplications as possible before a time comes when you will become as years pass apart of the earth and people forget your mention.

Now has come the time you had once dreaded – they gather round and lift you up… and each step they place on the earth, takes you closer to a home unlike any other…a small, murky excavation in the ground. The words of Uthmaan, the third Caliph of Islam, depicts a fact echoed silently by your lifeless body: ‘"If I were between Paradise and the Fire, unsure where I will be sent, I would choose to be turned into ash before finding out where I was bound."’{footnote}Abu Nu`aym, Hilya al-Awliya’ 1:92-100 #3; Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A`lam al-Nubala’ 1/2: 566-614 #4.{/footnote}

You can’t hear the crying of your loved ones or the final gentle whispers of the womenfolk of your household or friends, as the men get ready to place you into the car and drive you away to none other than the cemetery.

The moment is soon approaching when they are going to unload you into your new home, something they desire to do as soon as possible and without hesitation.

Yes: the depths of the earth… Your grave.

*Download the complete PDF (Preparing The Muslimah For The Grave (PDF)) by following the link.

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Category: Death and the Grave

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Allaah (az) says, “Everyone shall taste death. And only on the day of Resurrection you shall be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the fire and admitted to Paradise he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).”(Aal-‘Imraan 3: 175)

Such is the reality of death and what comes after it.

Every one of us shall taste it whether poor or rich; healthy or sick, old or young; leader or led and none of us can escape it.  Allaah says, “Wheresoever’s you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in a fortress built up strong and high.” (An-Nisaa 4: 78).

Death, as manifested in its character and effects is one of the mysteries that dazzles human intelligence because it has to do with the soul. Allaah says, “And they ask you (O Muhammad) concerning the spirit. Say: ‘The spirit is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little.” (Al-Israa’ 17: 85)

One of it mysteries is that you see a youth who was full of health and energy suddenly fall dead without warning; thereby making that youthfulness and energy fade away, bringing all his senses to a complete standstill. That youth might even be an erudite scholar, an eloquent author, a skilled physician or brilliant inventor but it is absolutely out of the question that this quality should prevent death from overtaking him when his time is due.

Allaah says, “When their term is reached, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment)."” (Yoonus 10: 49).

‘Amr bin Abdullah used to mount the pulpit and say,

“Many a person would see the beginning of a day but would not see it’s end. And many a person expected the morning, but would not live to see it. If only you had known your appointed time and how it comes to pass, you would have detested nursing hopes for worldly materials and its deception.”

While man enjoys his good health, playing and merrymaking, moving about in haughtiness, commanding and forbidding, death and illness suddenly attacks him, weakens his body, makes his limbs lifeless and then closes his record.

How near is death! Every day it becomes closer to us and no sooner has the book reached its appointed time that we belong among the dead. Then it becomes clear that life is really like flowers that bloom then afterwards wither or like a lamp that illuminates then afterwards dies down.

Let those who crave for this world and its pleasures ponder over these scattered graves all over the place and realize that the way to pleasures and lustful things, though decorated with beautiful roses inevitably leads to the present condition of those buried in these graves. Happiness is for him who had an informer open his eyes regarding death and its reality before he died, and whoever does not heed to the warning of the Qur’an and death, even if mountains were to thrust one another in front of him, he would not heed.

Dear Muslims! What we witness in the cemeteries is a great lesson for us. The carrier of the bier to the cemetery today is taken back there tomorrow (as a dead person) and is left there only with his deeds either good or evil.

It is also very unfortunate that in these days we see some among those who escort the deceased laughing and playing or attending the funeral for showing off. This phenomenon is due to the heedlessness that has hardened people’s hearts and made them forget the Last Day and the frightening conditions of the grave. May Allaah awaken us from this heedlessness!

It is expected of him who knows that he will die, be buried, raised up on the day of Resurrection and enter Paradise or Hell to always remember death, prepare for it and reflect on it. He is in fact expected to regard himself among the dead. This is because all that is coming is near and when the angel of death comes neither your wealth nor your people can prevent him from taking your soul.

Where are those who achieved their aims and none were comparable to them in that? They collected but could not eat what they collected; they built mansions but could not live there! We on our part are still swimming in the pool of life as if we are meant to live here forever. Uways Al-Qarnee said,

“Remember death when you sleep and always think of it when you are awake.”

Fellow Muslims! It is a fact that this world and its tribulations appear insignificant in the eyes of him who always remembers death, for, he has lofty aims and strong resolutions; he is far from hypocrisy and always yearns for the everlasting bliss in the eternal Paradise.

Remembering death does not in any way make one’s life loathsome to him; forcing him to sit in his home and leave all means of sustenance. It is rather meant to deter him from committing sins and soften his hard heart. We remember death in order to have good preparation for it and for all that follows it by doing righteous deeds, obeying Allaah and increasing one’s efforts in all acts of worship.

Abdur-Rahman ibn Mahdee said,

“If Hammaad bin Salamah is told, ‘You will die tomorrow.’ He will not be able to increase anything in his deed, because his time is full of worship and remembrance of Allaah.”

How do we prepare for death? We prepare for death by shunning all abominable things and returning trusts to their rightful owners. We prepare for death by eliminating hatred and enmity from our hearts. We prepare for death by being good to the kith and kin.

Ibn al-Mubaarak said that Saalih Al-Mariy used to say,

“If the remembrance of death leaves me for an hour my heart becomes spoilt.”

It is also said that, 

“Whoever frequently remembers death is honoured with three things: quick repentance, self-contentedness and energy in doing acts of worship; and whoever forgets death is punished with three things: delaying repentance, lack of contentedness and laziness in acts of worship.”

When will one who always follows his lustful desires and moves wantonly in his heedlessness remember death? When will one who has no regard for Allaah’s injunctions in Halaal [permissible] or Haraam [impermissible] remember death? When will one who deserts the Qur’an, doesn’t pray the Fajr Prayer, usurps people’s property unlawfully, takes usury, and commits fornication, remember death? How can one whose habit is slandering others and backbiting, whose heart is full of rancour and envy remember death?

A Choice For The Sincere

Fellow Muslims! The Prophets, whenever death came to them were given a chance of choosing between remaining in this world or of moving to that noble position. It is beyond doubt that every Prophet would select the everlasting bliss. This happened to Prophet Muhammad, as narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Aa’ishah (radh) that she said, “The Messenger of Allaah saws used to say while he was healthy, ‘No Prophet died until he saw his place in the Paradise, he was then given the choice between that place and remaining in this world.’ So when he was dying and his head was on my thigh, he fainted for a while then regained his consciousness. He stared at the ceiling, then said, ‘O Allaah! I choose the Highest Companionship.’

I then said, ‘He is not preferring us.’ It was then that I understood statement he used to tell us and it was true. She said, ‘The last word he uttered was: `Oh Allaah, I choose the Highest Companionship.’”

Two Groups

During death and its pain; in the grave and its darkness; and the Day of Resurrection and its horror people fall into two groups. A group shall remain firm; secured from fright and given glad tidings of Paradise while the other group shall suffer disgrace and ignominy.

Allaah says, “Verily, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allaah (alone) and then stood straight, on them the angel will descend (at the time of their death saying,) ‘Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised.’” (Fussilat 41: 30)   

Angels shall descend upon the believers who are sincere in their religion during death in their graves and when they are resurrected in order to assure them of security and to allay their fears of the horror of the day of judgement. The angels will be telling them,  ‘Do not fear about what you are going to meet and do not grieve over what you will be leaving behind of children, family and wealth.’

The angels will also say, ‘We have been your friends in the life of this world and (are so) in the hereafter.’ (Fussilat 41: 31) i.e. we will also be your friends in the hereafter, keeping your company in your graves and when the horn is blown, we will also assure you of security on the day of resurrection.

As for the unbelievers, when death comes to them and they start suffering its agonies, they will be subjected to ignominy and disgrace.

Allaah says, “And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands saying, “Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allaah other than the truth. And you used to reject His aayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) with disrespect.” (Al-An’aam 6: 93).    

Their sorrow shall increase so much so that they will wish to go back to this world.  Allaah says, “Until when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord send me back.’” (Al-Mu’minoon 23: 99).    

Qataadah said while commenting on this verse,

“By Allaah, he would not wish by this statement to go back to his family and wealth nor to collect the good things of this world and satisfy his desires. He would rather wish to go back and do acts of obedience to Allaah. May Allaah bless him who does in this life what the disbelievers would wish to do when he sees the torment of Hell!’

Fellow Muslims! How in need is the dying Muslim for being successful enough to say, “Laa ilaaha illa Allaah”. Mu’aadh bin Jabal narrated that the Prophet said, “Whoever has ‘La ilaha illa Allaah’ as his last words will enter Paradise.”

Ibn Al-Qayyim said,

“Dictating this word to a dying man is recommended because one who is dying experiences horrors that were unknown to him before, so it is feared that forgetfulness might overtake him since Satan is close to human beings. Moreover, uttering this statement while dying has a great effect in erasing ones misdeeds because it is a testimony of a slave of Allaah who believes in it and knows its meanings; for whose lustful desires are now dead and whose soul has become weak after its might. Then that testimony becomes his last utterance, it purifies him from all his sins because he meets with his Lord with a sincere testimony…”

The righteous predecessors also recommended that a dying person be reminded of his good deeds, so that he can have positive thoughts about his Lord. Jaabir narrated: The Messenger of Allaah saws said, “None of you should die except in the state of having positive thoughts about Allaah.” (Muslim). 

The Sunnah encourages talking about good deeds of a dead person and abstaining from talking about his misdeeds. Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Aa’isha that she narrated, ‘The Prophet saws said, “Do not abuse the dead; for they have gone to meet the consequences of their deeds.”’ 

In Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Abul-Aswad said,

“I came to Madinah while there was an epidemic there. I sat with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab. Then a funeral procession passed by and people praised its owner. ‘Umar said, “It becomes incumbent.” Then another funeral procession passed by and people also praised its owner, and ‘Umar said, “It’s incumbent;” then a third procession passed by and people spoke ill of its owner. ‘Umar also commented, “It becomes incumbent.” Then I said, “What is incumbent, O Leader of the Faithful? ‘Umar answered, “I said as the Prophet (saws) said, that,

“Any dead Muslim whom four persons testify in his favour, Allaah will make him enter Paradise,”

We said,“And three persons?” He said, “And three persons.”

We also said, “And two persons?” He said, “Yes, and two persons.”

We did not thereafter ask him of one person.”  

It should be added that those whose testimony is regarded are the people of virtue and truthfulness. The testimony of an enemy shall not be considered.

It is also recommendable that the person who washes the dead should conceal whatever defects he may see on him. It is also a right of a Muslim on his fellow Muslims to escort his funeral, pray on him and supplicate for him. In Saheeh al-Bukhari, Aboo Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whoever attends the funeral of a Muslim faithfully and hoping for the reward of Allaah and stays with him until Salaah is done on him and he is buried, he will go back home with two qeeraats, each is as big as the size of Mount Uhud; and whoever observes Salaah on him and then goes back before he is buried will get one qeeraat.”

As regards debts, the family of the deceased should hasten to pay it because a believer’s soul hangs on his debt until it is paid on his behalf. Debts of Allaah should also be promptly paid for, it is more deserving to be paid.

Ibn Mas’ood said,

“A believer has no rest until he meets Allaah.”

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Category: Death and the Grave

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(Highly recommended audio tapes detailing real life experiences: Tape 1 | Tape 2)

The Prophet, salaallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said,

"A Muslim who is killed in a battle is a martyr, (dying in) plague is martyrdom, a woman who dies while delivering a baby is a martyr." (Ahmad, Daarimee, Tiyaalisee, authenticated by Al-Albaanee.)

The Prophet (salaallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said,

"The martyrs are seven, other than the one who is killed in the Way of Allaah, ta`aalaa:

The Prophet (salaallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

[death due to] stomach ache is martyrdom."

(Tabaraanee, Ahmad, authenticated by al-Albaanee.)

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Category: Death and the Grave

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The hard floor no longer bothers you, nor do the white sheets over your face feel claustrophobic.

You are unable to move your limbs so as to gesture towards those around you, to move the sheet from your face and allow you to breathe. For just as your breathing was limited, the time which you stayed on the face of this earth was also limited. This time for you has now run out.

All bodily satisfactions and delights of this fleeting abode have now ceased to hold any value. Ah! If only you had come to realise the deceitful nature of this world and the meagre existence you led in its abode.

As you lie there, motionless and wrapped up, people from both far and near have gathered to console your family, see you for the last time and leave you to your fate. It is not really you they have come to bid farewell, rather it is your corpse they bid farewell to. This is because the minute your soul was extracted from your body you no longer suitably come under the definition of a ‘person.’ Yes, you are now a corpse whose neighbouring friends are soon to be the various insects that mother earth contains - whose very womb you are fast-approaching...

No single matter is in your control now; your last moments in this world are quickly passing. The years you spent in this world now seem short; everything of this world has broken its link with you. As for your memories, then they too will stay for a time but soon they will be wiped out as generations pass by. Yes, even the dusty albums in the attic will soon be left unattended collecting more dust - only to be viewed rarely and even they too one day will be worthless, forgotten and lost.

***

The room is packed with family, friends, neighbours and even strangers, as they gather to take you to the masjid for your funeral prayer. You are unable to receive and greet them - let alone thank them - for coming to your funeral prayer, one of the five duties of a Muslim over another Muslim (Al-Bukhaari (1240) and Muslim (2162) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The rights of one Muslim over another are five: returning the (greeting of) salaam, visiting the sick, attending funerals, accepting invitations and saying ‘Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you)’ to one who sneezes.”)

Some people you would never have expected to come have turned up for your funeral prayer, and others you would have expected to attend are... absent. Their excuses, whether valid or not, hold no significance for you at this point. Now the reality has surfaced: each soul will be given its due and no soul will avail another, unless Allah, the Glorious, Wills. How true the Words of Our Lord are! Then in the end unto Him will be your return. Then He will inform you of that which you used to do. (Surat al An’aam [6]:60)

What matters now is whether or not forty believing men have gathered for your funeral prayer, something which now holds weighty importance for you as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “There is no Muslim man who dies and forty men who do not associate anything with Allaah pray the funeral prayer for him, but Allaah will accept their intercession for him.” (Narrated by Muslim)

Some of your dear family members and friends cry nearby; if only they knew that more than their tears, you are in need of their supplications to the Lord of the heavens and the earth to make you pass the test awaiting you in the grave and to make easy your standing on the Day of Judgement in front of Allah, the Almighty, the Just and Swift in taking to account. If only you could arise and inform your friends and loved ones that what has happened to you will surely happen to them. That Allah, He is the Irresistible, Supreme over His slaves, and He sends guardians (angels guarding and writing all of one's good and bad deeds) over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our Messengers (angel of death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. Then they are returned to Allâh, their Maulâ [true Master (God), the Just Lord (to reward them)]. Surely, His is the judgement and He is the Swiftest in taking account. (Surat al A’naam [6]:61-62)

In the room in which your dead body lies, people are murmuring and whispering with one another. Even outside people are standing in circles with their heads lowered and in deep discussion. If only you could come secretly and listen to what they are saying, for their discussions will play a vital role in determining where your next home is. This is because Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A funeral passed by and they spoke well of him, and the Prophet (may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is guaranteed.” Then another passed by and they spoke ill of him, and he said: “It is guaranteed.” ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “What is guaranteed?” He said: “The one of whom you spoke well, Paradise is guaranteed for him, and the one of whom you spoke ill, Hell is guaranteed for him. You are the witnesses of Allaah on earth.” (Agreed upon)

Today, you are in need of the praises of people and their recognition of any good you performed. But do you know what the most worrying thing is? You have no control over who says what. In truth, even if you could listen to their conversation, your time has now finished and you can no longer go back in time and fix your past record. You cannot multiply the good deeds you have done - even if you earnestly desire to do so...

You are at fault; the words of Allah [azza wa jall] were present within the copy of the Qur’aan that lay for months on your bookshelf without being read. If only you had realised that an appointed term awaited you, if only you had realised that the pursuit, aspiration and desire for Paradise will surely be rewarded by the Most High: And no person can ever die except by Allah’s leave and at an appointed term. And whoever desires a reward in (this) world, We shall give him of it; and whoever desires a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give him thereof... (Surat aal Imraan [3]:145)

Today, the truth is evident and manifest: “...and whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).” (Surat aal Imraan [3]:185)

The believers gather to pray your first and final funeral prayer, whilst your non-Muslim friends leave you to your fate as they go back home and accept that you will no longer be around.

Yes, you will not pray but will be prayed over.

*Download the complete PDF (Preparing The Muslimah For The Grave (PDF)) by following the link.

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There you lie; within 30 minutes your body temperature has now decreased. Your blood has become stagnant; it misses the days when it would gush forth, pumping from the heart to the rest of the body, adding life to life.

The heart that was once a junction, pumping blood around your body, has now cut off all roots and has lost its movement – its very beat. Those tunnels, which we refer to as veins, are now silent: with no life and no energy. Your veins now evidently manifest themselves as they come to the surface, visible for everyone – but you. The lack of oxygen in your blood has caused your body to stiffen; a process which is also referred to as ‘rigor mortis’. The cold plank below your cold body doesn’t help. No, you can’t seek an appointment with your GP nor can you visit the hospital. The GP has forever closed your file and the hospital is no longer in need of your records.

The tongue that once would speak so proudly and freely has now been quietened by the throes of death.  How can you speak - when you can no longer breathe? Your silence is deafening. Your thoughts, feelings, sensations and emotions now hold no meaning and have no reality.

The eyes that Allah commanded you to guard are now unusable. Passing to your right and your left are some of the most beloved people to you. Yet you are unable to
open your eyes to have a last look towards them. And how can you open your eyes to see them, since it was they themselves who closed them? Yes, the same family that would become anxious if you overslept have now closed your eyes forever in obedience to the command of the Rasool (sallallahu a’lyhi wasallam):

Umm Salamah said, "Allah's Messenger (sallallahu a’lyhi wa sallam) came in and found Aboo Salamah's eyes staring. He closed them and said, 'Verily when the soul is snatched, the eyes follow it…'” (Saheeh Muslim)

A thin cloudy film has developed over your eyes within only three hours of your death. The very eyes by which you observed the world day in, day out, have now forever lost their function. Ah, and what about your skin?

How many people flaunt the beauty Allah has commanded them to cover with the covering of modesty, dignity and respect? If only they could see you.

Your skin, within only 48 hours of your death, has begun to breed bacteria. The tinge – which began in your lower stomach, has now spread outwards, affecting your hands and feet last- as your skin now has an evidently greenish tone and a marble-like appearance.

Surely the signs are clear – it is time to hand you over to the earth, from which you were created and to which you are - without a doubt - returning.

*Download the complete PDF (Preparing The Muslimah For The Grave (PDF)) by following the link.

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Category: Death and the Grave

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The most beloved people to you are the most intent in getting your burial underway. They have organised the place and time to wash you and have prepared the necessary items to shroud you. Do not hate them, since they are only following the command of the Prophet (sallallahu a’lyhi wasallam),

“The corpse of a Muslim should not remain withheld among the family (without being buried).” (Abu Dawud)

In fact, burying the dead is a natural instinct Allah (azza wa jal) has intrinsically placed in the heart of man – and you are no exception to that rule. Today is that day when you will be washed and you will not be able to show nor feel any embarrassment.

You are truly left to the mercy of your beloveds...

The cool water starts to run from the tap and hot water is also at hand. Islaam has given you respect even after your death- your private parts are covered.  Your beloveds lie you down in a sloping position on a cold plank of wood, in this way the water that is used to wash you and whatever comes out of your body flows down.

Your head is raised and they sit you in a semi sitting position. One of the washers passes her hand over your abdomen gently allowing anything withheld therein (such as excrements) to come out. If only you knew that the food you ate only yesterday would be taken out in this manner…

They pour water over your body allowing the excrements to overflow and be removed. A washer uses a coarse piece of cloth, cleaning your stool, urine and anus with water. SubhanAllah, what did you know that this sister of yours would help you in this way, for now you cannot thank her, but her reward lies with Allah, inshAllah..

The “bismillah” (in the name of Allah) is uttered and they do wudhu (ablution) on you and for you; this is your last ablution forever - today you learn the beauty of  ablution, but it’s too late to add more wudhus to your list of good deeds, since your book of deeds has been forever closed and now you must face the result of the exam you sat in this temporal and passing abode.

Your teeth and nostrils are cleaned with the utmost care and your head is washed with fragranced soap. They turn your body to its left side then wash the whole right side of your body (the neck -> right hand -> right shoulder -> right half of the chest ->the right thigh -> right leg -> right foot). They roll you to the right side and the left side of your back is washed the same way. They repeat this procedure 3 times and up to 7 times if need be. In the last wash they use camphor, or something scented; this scent overcomes the stench that was starting to emit from your body, aiding your body to remain stiff, fragrant and cool. Today has become clearer for you Islaam's beautiful etiquettes of cleanliness and burial; your love for the Rasool’s [saws]way is an asset which you hold dearly as a beloved friend, as they prepare you for the grave.

Some perfume is applied to your head, forehead, nose, hands, knees, eyes, armpits, and perfumed cotton is placed on the front and rear openings. Your long nails are cut and the hair from your armpits is removed. Both are kept – since they are going to be one of the few things that will accompany you in your shroud, when all others will leave you… Your hair is braided into 3 braids falling down backwards.

Throughout your life you had amassed many commodities and wealth: a house, jewellery, clothes, car, mobile, laptop… and the list goes on. Your family has also prepared for you a provision, but it does not include any of these things that you worked so hard to gain and were so attached to… Rather your wealth will be inherited by your family - and your friends will easily make new friends. But what your family do give you to take along as your worldly asset is something that many women underestimate the significance and need for - especially during the hot and summery months…

It is nothing but pieces of cloth, the same cloth that the Lord of the Worlds commanded you to cover with, and the same cloth that is a means by which a woman’s bodily honour, dignity and respect is preserved. Yes, there is a difference between the former kind of cloth which Allah commanded you to cover with, giving you free-will to choose to obey Him or the accursed satan [nb: satan only wants bad for you], and the second type - your shroud.

Even if you do not accept the former covering in your life, you now have no choice over the latter. Your shroud is white, as described by the Prophet (sallallahu a’lyhi wa sallam), "Wear white clothes, since they are the best of your clothes, and shroud your dead with them." (At-Tirmidhi)

They prepare the following five pieces of cloth to cover you from head to toe, and your face will not be revealed, since there is no longer a need for you to breathe nor see the world. Also, as you will be taken soon to the Masjid for the funeral prayer, your dignity and respect as a Muslimah must be preserved - even if you didn't think so when you were alive. The following five pieces of cloth are used to cover you:

*A loincloth

*A veil

*A shirt

*2 shrouds

They lovingly apply rose water or perfume on your shroud, since this is the best they can scent you- before you are handed down to the earth, and after which the soil's redolence will emanate into your shroud... right into your being.

They begin to tie the open cloth, starting from your head and then working down to the legs. Take your last look into this world; by Allah, its joys have come to an end! All friendships that were other than for the sake of Allah have blown away. The realities of the heavens have come alight and the lowly world has shown its dark colours of deception and betrayal. Truly they succeeded who were travellers in this world. You feel like screaming: 'O Believers! Wake up! Wake up before your soul is snatched away and your body is handed over to the grave as I am going to be,' yet they can't hear you, since you can't really speak nor think. This is because when the angel of death took out your soul, all your senses at that point came to an end.

Kissing your face for the last time, they slowly begin to cover your face and your whole body. Now you resemble a cocoon; lying there as naked as the day you were born, and it is only these sheets which guard your respect, honour and dignity.

Time has come for the believers to pray over you for the first and the last time.

Yes: it's time for your funeral prayer.

*Download the complete PDF (Preparing The Muslimah For The Grave (PDF)) by following the link.

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Your time is up; your body lies motionless, within a few seconds the angel of death has seized your soul. How can you describe the painful separation your body underwent as the soul was taken out from the body? The many years you lived in the world, your body and soul had become one and you never realised the difference between the two. As the soul was being extracted from your body, every single vein in your body screamed in pain.

You have now come to realise the true impact of the words of the Prophet (sallallahu a’lyhi wa sallam) , when he described the evil as well as the disbelieving souls’ reaction towards the angel of death, “…it becomes terrified, and clings to the body; but he extracts it (by force), like a skewer is pulled from wet wool, causing the veins and nerves to burst...” (Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others)

You tried your utmost to cling to this world; yet the angel of death is an obedient slave of Allah, hence he does not leave until he has seized your soul. At that moment the earth, with all its joys and treasures, closed its doors to you forever. You have no choice, you must vacate your presence in this world as your test is over and others have been assigned your space. Your destination awaits you and there is no turning back. The words of th e Almighty (subhanahu wa ta’la) have surely proven to be true,

{And the agony of death comes, in truth; that is what you wished to avoid.} [50:19]

The soul is now traversing the realms above and its destination is towards the Lord of the Worlds. On the other hand, your body has now started its journey towards the loneliness and darkness of the grave.

The word ‘body’ does not accurately describe your state.

You are now a corpse upon whom the process of decomposition has been levied.

*Download the complete PDF (Preparing The Muslimah For The Grave (PDF)) by following the link.

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Category: The Hell Fire

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Category: The Hell Fire

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Category: The Hell Fire

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HELL FIRE EXISTS:

When Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) created Universe, He created Paradise and Hell. They will never come to an end or cease to exist. Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) created Paradise and Hell before the rest of creation, and He created inhabitants for each of them.

Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says in Quran:

About Paradise: “...for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for al-Muttaqun” (3:133)

About Hell-fire: “And fear the fire, which is prepared for the disbelievers” (3:131)

The Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: “When Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) created Paradise and Hell, He sent Jibreel to Paradise, saying “Go and look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants”. So he went and looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants.... then He sent him to Hellfire saying, “Go and look at it and what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants”, so he looked at it and saw that it was in layers, one above the other....” [Muslim, Abu Dawood]

Allah’s Apostle (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) also said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

WHEN PEOPLE DIE THEY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING:

Messenger of Allah (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said, “When anyone of you dies, he will be shown his position morning and evening. If he is one of the people of Paradise then he will be one of the people of Paradise, and if he is one of the people of Hell, then he will be one of the people of Hell, and he will be told, “This is your position, until Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) resurrects you on the Day of Resurrection”. [Sahih Muslim, al-Bukhari]

* Everyone has a position in Hell and a position in Paradise. In the grave, the angels tell a person going to Paradise, ‘This had been your abode, had you done evil but look at your right side,’ and the person will see a window opening to Paradise. Opposite is true for a disbeliever.

That’s why, the Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: "No one dies except that he knows whether he is going to be in Hell or Heaven."

HOW DOES A PERSON KNOW THAT?

Some scholars say that you already know that because of your deeds.

Other scholars say that the Angel of Death tells you where you are going.

RASOOL-ALLAH SAW HELL-FIRE IN HIS LIFE:

No one among the common people has ever seen Hell-fire. The Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) was shown it in Isra’ wa al-Mi'raaj. Other proof of Prophet seeing Hell-fire (and Paradise) is several, including this Hadith that Prophet said after prayer: “Paradise and Hell were shown to me. Paradise was brought close to me, so that I tried to take fruit from it but I could not reach it. Hell was shown to me, and was brought so close that I stepped back for fear that it would touch me.” (Sahih al-Jaami’)

DESCRIPTION OF HELL-FIRE:

In Isra’ wa al-Mi'raaj, the Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem to the Heavens. Over there he saw Paradise and Hell along with meeting earlier Prophets of Allah (peace be upon them).

THE GUARDIANS OF HELL-FIRE:

The guardians of the Hell-fire are 19 angels. Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says: “Soon I will cast him into Hellfire. And what will explain to you what Hellfire is? Naught does it permit to endure, and naught does it leave alone! Darkening and changing the color of man! Over it are nineteen [angels as guardians and keepers of Hell]” (74:26-30)

The number was mentioned only to create test for the disbelievers who thought that they could easily overcome such a small number. They thought they would be able to fight them and kill them and then run away from Hell-fire. However, we know that angels are not like human beings. Disbelievers of Mecca underestimated the abilities of the angels. Jibril has six hundred wings and one angel can flip the Earth on its one wing (by the will of Allah) as we know from the story of the Prophet Lut (’alayhis salaam). Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says: “And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire, and We have fixed their numbers [19] only as a trial for the disbelievers..” (74:31)

Maalik is the name of the angel who is the in charge of Hell-fire.

THE ENORMITY OF HELL-FIRE:

In basic terms, the area of Hell-fire to torture just one disbeliever will be equivalent to a couple of football fields!
Hell-fire is huge!

1- Some companions were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) and they heard the sound of something falling. The Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said, “Do you know what that was?” We said, “Allah and His Messenger know best”.
He said, “That was a stone that was thrown into Hell seventy years ago and it was falling through Hell until now”. (Muslim)

*Here we should remember that 70 years of Allah are equivalent to approximately 70,000 of our calendar.

2- Those who will enter Hell will be many, and one of them will be so huge that his molars will be as big as Mount Uhud, and the distance between his shoulders will be equivalent to three days walking. Nevertheless, Hell will accommodate the huge number of evildoers who have existed throughout history, in spite of their huge size, and there will still be room for more, as Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says in the Quran:

“On the Day when We will say to Hell: “Are you filled?” It will say: “Are there any more to come?” (50:30)

3- The Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said, “Hell will be brought forth that Day by means of seventy thousand ropes, each of which will be held by seventy thousand angels.” (Muslim)

We can only image the vastness of this terrifying creation that requires such a huge number of strong and powerful angels whose strength is known only to  Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala)!

4- The sun and the moon will be like tiny stones in Hell-fire. The Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said:

“The sun and moon will be two rolled-up bulls in Hell on the Day of Resurrection” (Bayhiqi: Sheikh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaani narrated this hadeeth in Silsilah al-ahadeeth as-Sahihah)

THE LEVELS OF HELL:

While the levels of Paradise are called darjaat, the levels of Hell-fire are called darkaat.

The hypocrites will be in the lowest depth which will be the worst abode and greater in the intensity of heat. Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says in the Quran: “Verily the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths [grade] of the Fire"(4:145)

Abu Talib will be in the highest level (which will be the lowest in punishment) of Hell-fire: The Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said about him, “He is in a shallow fire, if it had not been for me he would have been in the bottom of the (Hell) Fire.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

However, this will be not satisfying either because the Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: “The person who will have the least punishment from amongst the Hell Fire people on the Day of Resurrection, will be a man under whose arch of the feet a smoldering ember will be placed so that his brain will boil because of it.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

THE DOORS OF HELL-FIRE:

The Hell-fire has 7 doors and Paradise has 8 doors. Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says “And surely, Hell is the promised place for them all. It has seven doors, for each of these doors is a [special] class [of sinners] assigned”. (15:43-44)

FUEL OF HELL FIRE:

There is always something that is needed to keep the fire going. The fire is destructive in its nature, so it needs to consume something to keep itself going. The fuel of the Hell-fire will be Kuffaar as Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says: “… then fear the Fire [hell] whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers” (2:24)

The Kuffaar, their idols and the stones will keep fire going. The fire will consume the skin and flesh of its inhabitants, but with the Will of Allah, their skin and flesh will 

The disbelievers in the Hell-fire will be dragged on their faces in humiliation. Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says in Quran: “On the day when they are dragged into the Fire upon their faces; taste the touch of Fire. Surely, We have created everything according to a measure” [Surah Al-Qamar: 48]

The Face is a very honorable part of human body. If it is hurt and insulted, it is worse than others parts of the body. Therefore, this would be a great disgrace for those who rejected the signs of Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) in this life.

Allah says in Surah Al-Waqiyyah: 41-45:  "The Companions of the Left Hand-what will be the Companions of the Left Hand? (They will be) in the midst of a fierce Blast of Fire and in Boiling Water. And in the shades of Black Smoke: Nothing (will there be) to refresh nor to please: For that they were wont to be indulged before that in wealth (and luxury)."

The Hell-fire is 70 times hotter than present fire (in the world). Therefore, we cannot even imagine its devastating ability.

The intensely hot winds blow in the hell-fire and are called Samoom.

The super-heated (boiling) water is available in hell-fire to drink and is called Hameem.

The Hell-fire will have shade of smoke and is called Yahmoom.

Ad-Daree' is a thorny plant, which will be the food of the people of Hell and will be of no benefit whatsoever to them, and they will not enjoy it in the least; this is one of the forms of punishment that they will suffer.

Az-Zaqqoom: Allah says: “Verily the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinful, like molten brass, it will boil in their insides, like the boiling of scalding water.” (44:43-46). The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: “If one drop from Az-Zaqqum were to land on this world, the people of earth and all their means of sustenance would be destroyed. So how must it be for the one who must eat it?” [Tirmidhi]

Al-Ghasleen and al-Ghassaaq [festering pus that oozes out of the skin of the people of Hell]. Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says: “So no friend has he here this Day, Nor has he any food except corruption [or filth] from the washing of wounds [al-Ghasleen], which none do eat but those in sin”. (69:35-37)

Al-Muhl: Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: “It (al-Muhl) is like boiling oil, and when it is brought near a person’s face, the skin of the face falls off into it.” [Tirmidhi]

The garments of melted copper tar: Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says in the Quran: “And you will see the sinners that Day bound together in fetters. Their garments of liquid pitch and their faces covered with Fire”. (14:49-50)

For disbelievers, most torment will be on their faces because that would cause them most humiliation.

People will be chained to add to their agony.

“The molar of the kaafir or the eye-tooth of the kaafir, will be like Uhud, and the thickness of his skin will be like a journey of three (days)”. (Muslim)

“The kaafir’s skin will be forty-two cubits thick and his molar will be like Uhud and the space he occupies will be as wide as the distance between Makkah and Madinah.” (Tirmidhi)

Hell-fire keeps consuming itself because of its destructive nature.

Every time the temperature goes down Allah adds more fire to it.

The effect of Hell-fire is Summer and Winter. The Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: “Hell complained to its Rabb, saying “O my Rabb, some parts of me have consumed others.” So He allowed it to exhale twice, once in the winter and once in the summer. That is why you find extreme heat (in the summer) and extreme cold (in the winter)”. [Sahih Bukhari]

Hell-fire sees and speaks. As mentioned in the Quran, it asks for more dwellers. It makes a whizzing sound; Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says: “When it sees them from a place far off they will hear its fury and its roaring.” (25:12)

CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE IN HELL-FIRE:

The Disbelievers will not be able to escape from the punishment of Hell-fire.

"Shaytaan will be in the Hell-fire: “He [Shaytaan} only invites his adherents that they may become Companions of the blazing Fire” (35:6)

Among those who are mentioned by name (in authentic traditions) to be in hell are Abu Lahab, ‘Amr Ibn Luhai al-Khuza’i, Fir’aun and others.

The hypocrites will be in the lowest depth as mentioned in Quran.

Confirmation of hell that is based on description includes every unbeliever, polytheist, or hypocrite. Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) says in the Quran: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter.” (3:85). These people will abide in hell-fire forever.

People of Hell-fire will also be the Leaders who lead people astray.

The Arrogant: Hell said, “The arrogant and proud will enter me.” [Sahih Muslim] The worst of arrogants are disbelievers whose pride keeps them from accepting the message of Allah, such as in the case of Abu Jahl.

The Muslims whose sins outweigh their good deeds (but the Muslims, if they were sincere, will be able to get out of the Fire by the Mercy of Allah or through the intercessions of the Prophet Mohammad (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam)).

The punishment of the mushrikeen, tyrants and picture-makers will be severe. Imam Ahmad reports that the Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: “On the Day of Resurrection a neck will stretch forth from Hell; it will have two eyes to see, two ears to hear, and a tongue to speak. It will say, “I have been appointed to take care of three types of people: every arrogant tyrant, every person who called on some deity other than Allah and those who made pictures”

IMPORTANT!!!

A person should never point at someone and say he/she is “doomed to Hell-fire”. This is a matter only in Allah’s hand. We are not supposed to judge who is going to Paradise and who is going to Hell-fire.

The only thing we can say about someone like a tyrant kafir is something like, “If this person continues to spread wickedness and dies on it, he will go to Hell-fire.” And this is only because of Allah’s statement in the Quran that anyone who dies on kufr the curse of Allah, His angels and of the People is on him (as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqrah).

THE LAST ONE AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HELL-FIRE TO ENTER JANNAH:

Reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet (salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said:
"Some of the people will stay in Hell (be destroyed) because of their (evil) deeds, and some will be cut or torn by the hooks (and fall into Hell) and some will be punished and then relieved. When Allah has finished His Judgments among the people, He will take whomever He will out of Hell through His Mercy.

He will then order the angels to take out of the Fire all those who used to worship none but Allah from among those whom Allah wanted to be merciful to and those who testified (in the world) that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah. The angels will recognize them in the Fire by the marks of prostration (on their foreheads), for the Fire will eat up all the human body except the mark caused by prostration as Allah has forbidden the Fire to eat the mark of prostration. They will come out of the (Hell) Fire, completely burnt and then the water of life will be poured over them and they will grow under it as does a seed that comes in the mud of the torrent.

Then Allah will finish the judgments among the people, and there will remain one man facing the (Hell) Fire and he will be the last person among the people of Hell to enter Paradise."

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The one who combines obedience to her Lord, doing the obligatory duties that are enjoined upon her, and avoiding the haraam things that she is forbidden to do, with obedience to her husband, has glad tidings from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that she will be highly honored when she enters Paradise.

According to the hadeeth: "If a woman prays her five (daily prayers), fasts her month (Ramadaan), guards her chastity and obeys her husband, it will be said to her: Enter Paradise by whichever of the gates of Paradise you wish." (Narrated by Ahmad (1664) and others; classed as hasan by al-Albaani because of another report in Saheeh al-Targheeb, as stated by al-Arna'oot in Takhreej al-Musnad.)

*Please click here if you can't see the above video.

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Ibn al-Qayyim said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:

"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.

And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.

And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.

And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.

And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.

And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.

And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.

And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.

And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.

And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.

And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.

And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.

And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.

And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.

And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.

And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.

And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.

And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.

And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-'Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.

And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.

And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.

And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.

And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face - free from any resemblance or likeness to anything - as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: 'O People of Paradise! Your Lord - Blessed and Exalted - requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!' So they will say: 'We hear and obey!'

Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet - and none of them will turn down the request of the caller - the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: 'O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!' So they will say: 'And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?'

And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller - Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names - has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: 'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!' So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: 'O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!' So the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will laugh to them and say: 'O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!'

So, they will all give the same response: 'We are pleased, so be pleased with us!' So, He will say: 'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!' So, they will all give the same response: 'Show us your Face so that we may look at it!' So, the Lord - Mighty and Majestic - will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah - the Exalted - had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.

And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord - the Exalted - will speak to him and say: 'Do you remember the day that you did this and that?' and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: 'O Lord! Will you not forgive me?' So, He will say: 'Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.'

So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife...

{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord...} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)

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Certainly the ultimate goal of every Muslim is Paradise  As with all aspects of the Unseen, it can be only imagined through analogy, yet its realities are far beyond description in any human language. Allah (subhaanahu wa ta`aala) has prepared for His servants, "What no eye has seen and no ear has heard and has never occurred to a human heart." [al-Bukhaari, Muslim and others] This eternal home is not limited to what is described here of material and spiritual enjoyments, for it includes "all the soul has longed for" and finally, the greatest and most complete pleasure beyond all imagination - the presence and nearness of the Creator Himself.

Who are the inheritors of such blessing? Who are the souls worthy of such reward?

It is common belief among Muslims today that anyone who professes "La Ilaha ill-Allah" and "Muhammadun Rasoolullah" will enter Paradise. Yet this testimony is more than a statement of the tongue. It is an oath, a commitment that must be fulfilled. It has conditions and requirements which affect all aspects of life. It concerns authority - what actually governs our behaviour and deeds. The Arabs of Quraish who refused to pronounce this kalimah did so because they fully understood its implications. Yet Muslims repeat it today without a second thought, their actions and lifestyles bearing witness to something totally different. And they expect Paradise!

In the Qur'aan, Allah (Almighty) has warned against complacency in religion like that of the Jews and Christians who mistakenly claim that God has favoured them over others and that Paradise is theirs alone: "It is not by your wishes, nor the wishes of the People of the Scriptures. Whoever does a wrong shall be punished for it, and he will not find other than Allah as a protector or helper."

Yet many of today's Muslims consider themselves a chosen people, while neglecting the commands of their Lord, turning their backs on the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace be upon him) and insisting on a secular life far from the blessings of divine law... perhaps even going so far as to deny certain aspects of that law. Customs and traditions, materialism, man-made social systems, national leaders and even their own inclinations are now sharing the authority which rightfully belongs exclusively to our Creator, Owner of the Day of Judgment.

The reward of Paradise is too great not to have a price. That price is true faith which is proven by obedience to Allah and His Messenger. The Qur'aan states, "And whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while being a believer - those are the ones whose effort is appreciated [by Allah]." [ 17:19 ]

We must return to the Qur'aan, not simply in an emotional or academic manner, but with a sense of instruction for obedience and action. We must find out what kind of people Allah has asked us to be and then become as such.

This is the road to Paradise.

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Describing Paradise, Allaah - the Most High - said: "Indeed Allaah will enter those who believe and do righteous and correct actions into Paradise, beneath which rivers flow. Wherein they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls and their garments will be made of silk." [Soorah al-Hajj 24:23].

"Indeed the pious and obedient ones will be in Paradise, amongst gardens and water-springs. It will be said to them: Enter! In peace and safety. And We shall remove from their hearts any ill-feeling, so that they will be like brothers, facing each other on thrones. No sense of hardship will touch them, and they will be of those who never leave." [Soorah al-Hijr 15:45-46].

Paradise: that precious sanctity to which, throughout the ages, the Believers run towards.

Paradise: a burning fame that was in the hearts of our Salafus-Salih (Pious Predecessors), a flame that spurred them to aim for the highest examples of valour in jihaad and sacrifice.

Paradise: that noble goal which aspiring eyes are fixed towards and which yearning souls long for, in all times and in all places. They find worldly afflictions agreeable to them for the sake of achieving Paradise. Indeed, to enter into it and remain in it is considered the greatest goal for the Believers, and it is a hope which is kept in view throughout life's journey. How often has Paradise been the incentive and a motivation for goodness and truth, despite the dangers, afflictions and thorns that lie along the path - even if it involves certain death.

This was the case in the days of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam), as Anas (radhiallahu 'anhu) related: Once Allaah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions proceeded towards Badr and arrived there before the disbelievers of Makkah. When the disbelievers arrived Allaah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "None of you shall proceed ahead of me in anything." The disbelievers then advanced towards us and Allaah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Rise-up to enter Paradise, whose width is equal to the heavens and the earth."

'Umayr ibn al-Humaam al-Ansaaree (radiallahu 'anhu) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Is Paradise equal in width to the heavens and the earth?" He said: "Yes!" `Umayr then exclaimed words of astonishment and excitement, so Allaah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) asked him: "What made you say these words of astonishment and excitement?" He replied, "O Messenger of Allaah! Nothing but the desire to be amongst its inhabitants." Allaah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) then said: "Indeed, you are surely from amongst its inhabitants." So `Umayr then took some dates from his bag and began to eat them. Then he said:

"If I were to live until I have eaten all the dates, then indeed this life would be too long. He threw away the remaining dates which were with him and he fought until he was killed." [Related by Muslim (no. 1901)]

This was also the stance taken in later times:

Abu Moosaa al-Ash'aree (radiallahu'anhu), whilst in the presence of his enemy, narrated: Allaah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Indeed, the gates of Paradise are beneath the shade of swords." A man who was in a shabby condition got up and said: "Abu Moosaa! Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)?" So he said: "Yes!" He returned to his friend and said:

"I bid you salaam (a farewell greeting of peace)."

Then he broke the sheath of his sword, threw it away, then rushed it into the thick of the enemy and fought them until he was slain. [Muslim (no. 1902) and at-Tirmidhee (no. 1659)] (From the book: Jannah (pp.5-6) of Shaykh `Alee Hasan)

Imaam ash-Shaafi`ee (d.204H) - rahimahullaah - said:

"O my soul! It is not, except a few days of patience;

As if the extent were but a few dreams.

O my soul! Pass quickly on through this world;

And leave it, for indeed life lies ahead of it."

[Related by Ibn Rajab in Fadl `Ilmus-Salaf (p.63)]

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Allah has said in the Quran (translation of meaning): “And give good news (O Muhammad) to those who believe and do good deeds, that they will have gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow....” (Quran 2:25)

Allah has also said (interpretation): “Race one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and for Paradise, whose width is as the width of the heavens and the earth, which has been prepared for those who believe in God and His messengers....” (Quran 57:21)

Allah has said in the Quran (translation of meaning): “But those who believe and do good deeds, We will admit them to gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow, lasting in them forever....” (Quran 4:57)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us that the lowest in rank among the dwellers of Paradise will have ten times the like of this world, and he or she will have whatever he or she desires and ten times like it. Also, the Prophet Muhammad said: "A space in Paradise equivalent to the size of a foot would be better than the world and what is in it." He also said: "In Paradise there are things which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has thought of." He also said: "The most miserable man in the world of those meant for Paradise will be dipped once in Paradise. Then he will be asked, “Son of Adam, did you ever face any misery? Did you ever experience any hardship?” So he will say, “No, by God, O Lord! I never faced any misery, and I never experienced any hardship.”"

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that a caller will call out in Paradise when people enter it: “Indeed may you be healthy and never be sick again, may you live and never die again, may you be young and never grow feeble again, may you enjoy, and never feel sorrow and regret again.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Allah says (interpretation of meaning): “They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin. But only the saying of: Peace! Peace!” (Quran 56:25-26)

There will be no enmity between people nor ill-feelings: “And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world).” (Quran 7:43)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There will be no hatred or resentment among them, their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify God, morning and evening.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

People will have the best of companions in the Hereafter, who were also the best people in the world: “And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor – of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions!” (Quran 4:69)

“Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears Allah.” (Quran 4:77)

As for Paradise, people will live forever. Allah says (translation of meaning): “...its provision is eternal and so is its shade…” (Quran 13:35)

“What is with you must vanish, and what is with Allah will endure …” (Quran 16:96)

“(It will be said to them): This is Our Provision, which will never finish” (Quran 38:54)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The space of the bow of any one of you in Paradise is better than all that the sun rises upon” (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh 3/85, no. 5615)

The wine of Paradise, as described by its Creator, is: “Crystal-white, delicious to those who drink (thereof), free from intoxication, nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom” (Quran 37:46-47)

The water of Paradise does not become brackish, and its milk never changes in flavor: “... rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes ...” (Quran 47:15)

The women of Paradise are pure and free from menstruation, postnatal bleeding and all the other impurities suffered by women in this world, and all are free from stool and feces. Allah says (interpretation of meaning): “... and they shall have therein purified mates having no menses, urine, stools, etc.” (Quran 2:25)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) answered a person when they asked how the people of Paradise will relieve themselves: “They relieve themselves by perspiring through their skins, and its fragrance will be that of musk, and all stomachs will have become lean.” (Ibn Hibbaan)

What we have mentioned has been a mere comparison in order to understand the nature of Paradise, but as Allah said, its delights are truly hidden: “No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do.” (The Quran, 32:17)

Paradise: There is Nothing Like It

The delights of Paradise surpass the imagination and defy description. They are like nothing known to the people of this world; no matter how advanced we may become, what we achieve is as nothing in comparison with the joys of the Hereafter. As is mentioned in several reports, there is nothing like Paradise: “It is sparkling light, aromatic plants, a lofty palace, a flowing river, ripe fruit, a beautiful wife and abundant clothing, in an eternal abode of radiant joy, in beautiful soundly-constructed high houses”. (Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan)

The Sahabah asked the Prophet about the buildings of Paradise and he replied with a wonderful description: “Bricks of gold and silver, and mortar of fragrant musk, pebbles of pearl and sapphire, and soil of saffron. Whoever enters it is filled with joy and will never feel miserable; he will live there forever and never die; their clothes will never wear out and their youth will never fade.” (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, ad-Daarimee)

Allah says (explanation of meaning): “And when you look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot be imagined), and a great dominion” (Quran 76:20)

The Prophet said that Allah said: “I have prepared for My slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart can imagine.” Recite if you wish:

“No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.” (Quran 32:17)

In another report:

“Never mind what Allah has told you; what He has not told you is even greater.” (Saheeh Muslim)

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Who Are the People of Paradise?

We could go on and on, for the ahadeeth are vast in numbers, about the Prophet's descriptions of Paradise. But a place that has houses built with gold and silver bricks: where its dirt is made of rubies and sapphires and its inhabitants wear only the finest silk garments, sounds like a pretty exclusive neighborhood to me. Who are these people who will be allowed to live in this enchanting place? The Jews say the Jews. The Christians say the Christians. But Allah says, "And they say: 'None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.' Those are their (vain) desires. Say, 'Produce your proof if you are truthful.' [2:111]

He also says, "(Namely) those whose lives the angels take in a state of purity, saying (to them), 'Peace be on you, enter you the Garden, because of (the good) which you did (in the world)." [16:32]

Always in the Qur'an when Allah mentions those who will attain Paradise, He mentions the believers, not the Muslims. He, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "Indeed the Muttaqoon will be amongst the Gardens and water-springs." [15:45]

He also says, "Verily, the Muttaqoon will be in a place of security, among Gardens and Springs, dressed in fine silk and (also) in thick silk, facing each other. This is how it shall be, and We shall marry them to Houris with wide, lovely eyes. They will request therein for every kind of fruit in peace and security." [44:51-55]

So who are the believers and how do we become one of them? Allah says, "They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and they strive with one another in hastening to good deeds, and those are among the good." [3:114]

He, subhanahu wa ta'ala, also says of the believers, "But the Apostle and those who believe with him strive hard with their property and their persons; and these it is who shall have the good things and these it is who shall be successful." [9:88]

He goes on to say, "Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain, which you have concluded: that is the achievement supreme." [9:111]

Of the believers, He also says, "But those who have faith and work righteousness, they are companions of the Garden: Therein shall they abide (forever)." [2:82]

O slaves of Allah! Know that being among this illustrious group of people who will live in this place of tranquillity and bliss is not something easily attained. Allah says, "Or do you think that you shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Apostle and those of faith who were with him cried, 'When (will come) the help of Allah?' Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!" [2:214]

What Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, convey to us is that the people of Paradise are the God-conscious, and the God-fearing. Not everyone, who says, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, just as not everyone who professes the Shahadah, will enter Paradise.

Only those who fear Allah as He ought to be feared, and are motivated by that fear to do acts of righteousness will attain success. The one who is conscious of His Lord, in every aspect of his life, and turns to Him in true submission, will have purchased for himself safety and security on a day when there will be none, except with Allah. He does not cause a soul to suffer fear twice, the fear of Him in this world, and the fear on The Day of Judgment. About this, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Allah says, 'I do not combine for my servants two states of fear, or two states of safety. So if he feels safe from Me in this world I will cause him to fear on The Day of Judgment, and if he fears Me in the world, I will cause him to be safe on The Day of Judgment.'" (Sahih al-Jami)

It is important, therefore, that Muslims know the characters of those who will be the inheritors of Paradise. But it is unfortunate that many of today's Muslims understand that it is enough for one to pronounce the Shahadah by his tongue for him to be entitled to enter Paradise regardless of whether he lived according to Islam or not! But the Shahadah means and requires more than the mere utterance of it. Actually this fact is one of the most mentioned aspects of Islam in the Qur'an and Sunnah. The essence of Eman is deed. Deeds of the heart and deeds of the tongue and other body parts. Deeds that are to be continued till one leaves this world. That was the reason why the Arabs of Makkah refused to pronounce it. They fully appreciated its implication. They knew it concerned authority and understood that they had to govern their deeds and lives with it. Yet many of those who repeat it today lead life styles that do not resemble those described in the Qur'an and practiced by the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, and his companions. The Qur'an warns us that deeds are the basis on which we are to be judged, not only the utterance of the Shahadah, "It is not by your wishes nor the wishes of the People of the Book: whoever does wrong shall be punished for it, and he will find none other than Allah as a protector or helper." [4:123]

So entering Paradise requires that we live as believers and die as Muslims. That takes knowledge, dedication and determination to see it through to its completion. The fist step is belief in Allah and His Messenger, and the flip side to that is leaving all acts of shirk; this means directing all acts of ibadah to none but Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, whether it be wearing talismans, supplicating to others than Allah or simply showing off. The next step is obeying Allah and His Messenger, avoiding bid'ah and innovations, and carrying out all compulsory acts of worship that He has prescribed. Once we are steadfast and regular in what we must do, we can then proceed to the next level of eman and worship, by doing the things that we have been encouraged to do. By increasing out acts of worship, and remembrance of Allah we will leave off sin and help safeguard ourselves from a Fire, the fuel of which is men and stones.

We Should Also Strive to:

• Protect our minds from thoughts, which are evil, because evil actions begin with evil thoughts.
• Protect our eyes by lowering our gazes and not looking at forbidden things.
• Protect our ears from lewd or evil speech where there is sin. We should also avoid listening to lies, gossip, music, slander, or blasphemy.
• Protect our tongues by saying always what is correct and true, and keeping it moist with the remembrance of Allah, and keeping away from backbiting and other evil speech.
• Protect our stomachs by eating the halal and keeping away from the haram. We should beware of eating usury, carrion, and swine or drinking intoxicants or taking drugs.
• Protect our hands from taking what does not belong to us, or from doing harm to another Muslim.
• Protect our legs from taking us to evil and corruption and an ultimate doom.
• Protect our private parts from unlawful sexual intercourse.
• Protect our wealth by not squandering it or holding on to it too tightly.
• Protect our oaths, witnesses and trusts by not breaching or breaking a contract or pledge knowingly. We should not exceed our agreements, testify to falsehood or break our trusts.
• Protect our families and children by keeping them away from the things that may be harmful and that may corrupt their minds and their souls.

Now, it is true that only Allah knows who the believers are, but that should not stop us from striving to be among their numbers. For the believers will have eternal bliss and complete success, because of the things that they did in this life. Allah says,

"So no soul knows the delight of the eyes which is hidden for them; a reward for what they did." [32:17]

We now stand at the start of the race, so let us run forward quickly to the finish line, where the gates of Paradise will be open for those who strive as they should. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, who said, "Paradise is surrounded by hardship and the Hellfire is surround by wishes and desires," has described the road to eternal bliss. (Sahih al-Jami)

Despite this, Allah and His Messenger have left breadcrumbs along the path, for us to follow to make our journey easier. All roads may lead to Rome, but not all paths lead to Allah and His Paradise. We must plan our journey by using only the road map given to us by Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam.

Ways That Lead To Paradise:

Belief and Righteous Deeds are two of the best routes to Jannah (Paradise). The door of righteous deeds is wide and the ways of obtaining rewards are vast, as Allah says, "And those who believe and do good deeds they are the inhabitants of Paradise, in it they shall abide." [2:82]

Taqwa is the fear of the Most Merciful, and acting in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. That is, hoping for the reward of Allah and avoiding disobedience of His Guidance and fearing His Punishment. For Allah says, "Surely those of taqwa shall be in the midst of Gardens and fountains." [15:45]

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, also said, "The most common thing which leads people to Paradise is taqwa of Allah and good conduct, and the most common thing which leads people to the Hell Fire is the mouth and the private parts." (Tirmidhi)

Obedience of Allah and His Messenger is a sure way to Paradise. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will cause him to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and whoever turns back, He will chastise him with a painful chastisement." [48:17]

Allah's Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, also said, "All of my followers will enter Paradise except those who refuse." It was asked, "O Messenger of Allah, who would refuse?" He said, "He who obeys me enters Paradise and he who disobeys me has refused." (Bukhari)

Fighting in the Path of Allah with one's goods and soul. For Allah says, "O you who believe, shall I lead you to a merchandise which may deliver you from a painful chastisement? You shall believe in Allah and His Messenger, and struggle hard in Allah's Cause with your property and your lives; that is better for you, if you but knew! He will forgive you your sins and cause you to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and goodly dwellings in Gardens of perpetuity; that is the mighty achievement." [61:10-12]

Repentance erases what came before it as the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "The one who repents form sin is like the one who never sinned." (Sahih Al-Jami) And Allah says, "Except such as repent and believe and do good, these shall enter the Garden, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly in any way." [19:60]

There are countless other means, from building a mosque to seeking Islamic knowledge to obeying our husbands and raising righteous children. All it takes is our time and sincere efforts. With all that Allah has described, it may seem daunting to us at time,, that we will ever make it. Eman rises and falls, and with it our good deeds. But we should never lose hope in Allah, for the only one who loses hope in Allah is the one who disbelieves. So even though we may feel that we are at the bottom of the pile, the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, gives us hope. He said, "Mousa, alayhes salam, asked his Lord, 'Who amongst the inhabitants of Paradise will be the lowest in rank?' He, subhanahu wa ta'ala, said, 'He is a man who will come after the people have entered Paradise and it will be said to him: Enter Paradise.' He will say, 'How my Lord? Indeed, the people have settled in their apartments and taken their shares.' It will be asked of him, 'Would you be pleased if there was a kingdom for you like the kingdoms of the earth?' He will say, 'I would be pleased, my Lord.' He will say, 'And for you is the like of that, and the like of it, and the like of it.' He will say at the fifth time, 'I am pleased, my Lord.' He will say, 'This is for you and ten times like it, and for you is what you desire for yourself and what is pleasurable to your eye.' He will say, "I am pleased my Lord." (Muslim)

This is what Allah has for the least among us. But despite all the glorious castles, the beautiful clothes and mates we will posses, inshaa'Allah, He still has in store for the believers the greatest honor awaiting them in Paradise. Suhaib ibn Sinan narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "When the inmates of Paradise enter Paradise and the inmates of Hellfire will enter Hell, the announcer will say, 'O people of Paradise, verily you have a promise with Allah and He wishes to fulfill His promise to you.' They will ask, 'What is His promise? Has He not made our balances heavy (with good deed), whitened our faces, admitted us into Paradise, and delivered us from the Hellfire?' Then the screen will be removed and they will look towards Him. By Allah He will not give them a thing more beloved to them and more comforting to their eyes, than the gaze of Himself." (Sahih al-Jami)

We were created in Paradise, we came out of it and we will inshaa'Allah go back to it. It is our destination and we shall reach it. But we have to do what Allah has asked us to do, for Paradise is not cheap. The price is true eman that is shown in obedience to Allah according to the sunnah of his Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. The companions understood that. Their efforts were all for the life of the Hereafter and they gave only what was necessary to this worldly life. As Muslims, everything we do, can be, and should be worship of Allah. Whether we're working at the office to provide for our families; cooking a meal; raising our children, or simply resting, through remembrance of Allah and supplication, we can transform these earthly necessities into fruits that will bear for us in the life of the Hereafter.

So let us keep our eyes on the prize, and strive hard for it, for Allah says,

"And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good." [29:69]

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"And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as he ought to strive and he is a believer; (as for) these, their striving shall surely be accepted." [17:19]

Recently I took a trip to see my Dad, who happens to be a non-Muslim, in order for him to meet the latest addition to our family, and in order for me to yet again try to convince him that he should accept Islam. While I was there, however, I found out something about him that I never knew before. My father is a workaholic. This man works seven days a week, sometimes 10-to-12 hours a day. The saddest part being, that his labour is all for nothing, for Allah says, "(These are) they whose labour is lost in this world's life and they think that they are well-versed in skill of the work of hands." [18:104]

Now, even though the situation with my Dad threw me for a loop, it really got me thinking. How many of us, Muslims, are in the very same predicament as my father? How many of us are working hard for the life of this world, at the cost of the Hereafter? How many of us are putting in 40-plus hours a week at our jobs, and other recreational activities, while putting in only the smallest amounts of time when it comes to our Deen? Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says that truly Man shall earn what he strives for. The question now is what are we truly striving and working for?

Maybe it's because at the end of the week, we are rewarded with something tangible for our efforts, a check we can see and touch. The Hereafter, although being equally as real, is at the same time, mystifying and ethereal in its nature. It's a delayed gratification, which makes it harder to earn.

Our wages for our efforts in the deen will not be paid in full until we exit the life of this world. For Allah says, "Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life). For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception." [3:185]

Our final destination is the life of the Hereafter. Where we end up, Jannah (Paradise) or Jahannam (Hell-fire) depends on what we worked towards in this life. Paradise is the aim and the hope of every Muslim. But like trying to attain any goal, in order to achieve success, one must have a well-defined plan, and it must be implemented to be successful. Allah says, "O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seek means of nearness to Him and strive hard in His way that you may be successful." [5:35]

To prepare for our journey, we need to find out what our destination is like; who are its people, and most importantly, how to get there.

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, told us that within Paradise are things that no eyes have ever seen, nor ears have ever heard, and that things in it are beyond our imagination and comprehension, but we all have our own personal ideas of what eternal bliss would probably be like. I remember a few years ago, I overheard my niece and my nephew discussing the landscape, and the privileges of living in Jannah. My nephew was telling my niece that in Jannah, they would be able to eat all the candy that they wanted and that there would be streams of chocolate and trees of ice cream. I always tell people that Paradise for me would be being able to eat all the cheesecake and chocolate that I wanted, without gaining a pound. But what Allah has in store for the believers is so much more than this. He, in His Book, and through His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, has given us a clear picture of our goal, so that we can keep it in front of us at all times. By keeping our eyes on the prize, no matter our hardships in this worldly life, we can strive that much harder to attain it.

Allah says, "And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as he ought to strive and he is a believer; (as for) these, their striving shall surely be accepted." [17:19]

Allah has also described Paradise in many places in the Qur'an, so let us now take a look at what He has in store for the believers.

Description in the Qur'an of Paradise

"The description of Paradise which the Muttaqoon have been promised is that in it are rivers of water, the taste and smell of which are never changed. Rivers of milk the taste of which will remain unchanged. Rivers of wine that will be delicious to those who drink from it and rivers of clear, pure honey. For them will be every kind of fruit and forgiveness form their Lord." [47:15]

"And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient. Reclining on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold, (as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon). The shade will be close upon them, and bunches of fruit will hang low within their reach. Vessels of silver and cups of crystal will be passed around amongst them, crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure of them according to their wishes. They will be given a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabeel, and a fountain called Salsabeel. Around them will (serve) boys of perpetual youth. If you see them, you would think they are scattered pearls. When you look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot be imagined), and a Great Dominion. Their garments will be of fine green silk and gold embroidery. They will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a pure drink." [76:12-21]

"And those foremost (In Tawheed and obedience to Allah and His Messenger in this life) will be foremost (in Paradise). They will be those nearest to Allah in the Gardens of Delight. A multitude of those (the foremost) will be from the first generation (who embraced Islam) and a few of those (the foremost) will be from the later (generations). They will be reclining, face to face, on thrones woven with gold and precious stones. They will be served by immortal boys, with cups and jugs, and a glass from the flowing wine, from which they will have neither any headache, nor any intoxication. They will have fruit from which they may choose, and the flesh of fowls that they desire. There will be Houris with wide, lovely eyes (as wives for the pious), like preserved pearls, a reward for deeds that they used to do. They will hear no vain or sinful speech (like backbiting, etc.) but only the saying of: Salam, Salam, (greetings of peace). And those on the Right Hand, who will be those on the Right Hand? They will be among thorn-less lote-trees among Talh (banana trees) with fruits piled one above another, in long-extended shade, by constantly flowing water, and fruit in plenty, whose season is not limited, and their supply will not be cut off. They will be on couches or thrones raised high. Verily, We have created for them (maidens) of equal age, loving (their husbands only). For those on the Right Hand." [56:10-38]

"Verily, the dwellers of Paradise that Day, will be busy in joyful things. They and their wives will be in pleasant shade, reclining on thrones. They will have therein fruits (of all kinds), and all that they will ask for. (It will be said to them): "Salamun" (Peace be on you), a Word from the Lord, Most Merciful." [36:55-58]}

Can you imagine?

Wearing the finest silk clothing and sitting on chairs made of gold and precious stones? Those who disbelieve in the words of Allah, say that this is all a fairy-tale, made up by a would-be prophet. But we know, that Allah is the Truthful and that His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, spoke only what was revealed to from the Most Truthful. And even though Allah describes Paradise for us in the Qur'an, He still says, "So no soul knows the delights of the eyes which is hidden for them; a reward for what they did." [32:17]

Apart from the Qur'anic descriptions of Paradise, the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, would often describe Paradise to his companions. His descriptions were often so vivid and moving, that many-a-companion would hurriedly rush towards it. This was the case, as Anas narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, and his companions proceeded towards Badr and arrived there before the disbelievers (of Makkah). When the disbelievers arrived, the Messenger of Allah said, "None of you should step forward ahead of me to do anything." Then the disbelievers advanced (towards us), and the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Rise to enter Paradise whose width is equal to the Heavens and the Earth." Umayr Ibnul Humam al-Ansari asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is Paradise equal in width to the heavens and the earth?" He, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Yes." Umayr said, "Bak'hin! Bak'hin!" (An Arabic word denoting excitement and astonishment) The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, asked him, "What made you say these words: Bak'hin, Bak'hin?" He said, "Messenger of Allah, nothing but the desire to be amongst its residents." He, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "You are surely among its residents." He then took some dates form his bag and began to eat them. Then he said, "If I were to live until I had eaten all of the dates, indeed this life would be too long." Anas then said,

"He threw away the remaining dates he had with him. He then fought (the disbelievers) until he was killed." (Muslim)

What words could have inspired Umair and others like him to long for, and to pay the ultimate price for a place in Paradise? Let's now take a look at what the Messenger of Allah, had to say about Paradise.

Description of Paradise in the Hadeeth

Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "The people of Paradise will look at the dwellers of lofty mansions (i.e. a superior place in Paradise) in the same way as one looks at a brilliant star, far away in the East or in the West of the horizon. This is because of their superiority over one another (in reward)." One of the people asked, "O Allah's Messenger, are these lofty mansions for the Prophets which no one else can reach?" The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, replied, "No! By Allah, in whose Hands is my life, these are for men who believe in Allah and also believe in the Messenger." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Musa al-Ash'ari narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Verily, for the believers in Paradise, are tents made of a single hollow pear. The length of which would be sixty miles long from all sides, their wives being therein. The believer will go around them (i.e., visit them) and they will not be able to see each other." (Sahih al-Jami)

Abu Hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "There is not a tree in Paradise, except that its trunk is made of gold." (Sahih al-Jami)

Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Verily in Paradise there is a market in which (the inhabitants of Paradise) will come to every Friday. The North wind will blow and scatter fragrances on their faces and on their clothes. This will add to their beauty and their attractiveness. They will then go back to their families after having an added luster to their beauty and their attractiveness. Their families will say to them, 'By Allah you have been increased in beauty and loveliness after leaving us,' and they will say, 'By Allah you too have increased in beauty and attractiveness after us.'" (Muslim)

Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "(I saw in a dream that) I entered Paradise, and behold, there was a palace built of gold. I asked, 'Whose is this palace?' They (the angels) replied, 'For a man from the Quraysh.' So I thought it might be I, so I asked, 'And who is he?' They said, 'Umar Ibnul Khattab.' Nothing stopped me form entering it except your Ghirah (sense of honor)." Umar said, "My Ghirah would never be offended by you, O Messenger of Allah." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Anas ibn Malik said that Allah's Apostle sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "I entered Paradise and found myself by a river, by its edges were tents of pearls. Then I tapped with my hands where the water was running, and there was then a beautiful smell of Musk. I asked, 'What is this O Gabriel?' He said, 'This is Kawthar (river in Paradise) which Allah has given to you.'" (Sahih al-Jami)

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Category: The Paradise of Delights

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Ten different phrases that are short, easy, and light, but will give you what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what no mind has imagined.

1 - "Whoever says: 'Glorified is Allah, the Most Great, and praised is He' [Subhan Allah al-'Adhim wa bi-Hamdih] will have a date palm planted for him in Paradise." ['Sahih al-Jami'' #5531]

2 - "Whoever is stricken with sadness, grief, sickness or hardship and says: 'Allah is my Lord, without any partners' [Allahu Rabbi, la sharika lah], then it will be removed from him." ['Sahih al-Jami'' #6040]

3 - "Whoever ate something, then said: ‘Praise be to Allah who has fed me this food and provided it for me, without any strength or power on my part’ [al-Hamdu lillah aladhi at'amani hadha wa Razaqnih bi ghayr hawlin minni wa la quwwa] is forgiven his past and future sins. And whoever wears a garment and says: ‘Praise be to Allah who has clothed me with this garment and provided it for me without any strength or power on my part' [al-Hamdu lillah aladhi kasani hadha at-thawb wa Razaqnih bi ghayr hawlin minni wa la quwwa] is forgiven his past and future sins.” ['Sahih al-Jami'' #6086]

4 - "Whoever enters the marketplace and says: 'There is none worthy of worship except Allah who has no partners, for Him is the Dominion, and for Him is all Praise, He brings life and He causes death, and He is Alive and does not die, in His Hand is all good, and He is able to do all things,' [La ilaha ill-Allah, Wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-Mulk, wa lahul-Hamd, yuhyiyy wa yumit, wa Huwa Hayyun la yamut, bi Yadihil-Khayr wa Huwa 'ala kulli shay'in Qadir] then Allah will write one million good deeds for him, and will wipe away one million of his bad deeds, and will raise him one million levels and will build a home for him in Paradise." ['Sahih al-Jami'' #6231]

5 - "Whoever controls his anger when he is able to act upon it, then Allah will call him to come in front of all of the Creation so that he would let him choose from the Hur al-'Ayn and marry from them whomever he pleases." ['Sahih al-Jami'' #6518]

6 - "Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times: [Allahumma inni as'aluk al-Jannah], then Paradise will say: "O Allah! Enter him into Paradise!" And whoever seeks protection with Allah from the Fire three times [Allahumma najjini min an-Nar], the Fire will say: "O Allah! Protect him from the Fire!"" [Reported by at-Tirmidhi, and it is authentic]

7 - "Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and the believing women, Allah writes for him - for every believing man and woman - a good deed." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad, and it is authentic]

8 - ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud said: "Whoever reads 'al-Mulk' (chapter 67 of the Qur'an) every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave. At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), we used to call it al-mani’ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allah, it is a chapter which - whoever recites it every night - has done very well." ['Sahih at-Targhib wat-Tarhib' #1475]

9 - “Whoever asks Allah sincerely for martyrdom: [Allahumma inni as'aluk ash-shahadah], Allah will cause him to reach the status of the martyrs even if he dies in his bed.” ['Sahih al-Bukhari' #1909]

10 - "No one witnesses that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and that I am Allah's Messenger - truthfully, from his heart - except that Allah makes the Fire of Hell forbidden to touch him." [Reported by Muslim, Ahmad, and al-Bayhaqi]