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Category: Death and the Grave

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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Category: Death and the Grave

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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Category: Death and the Grave

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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Category: Death and the Grave

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!