DEATH RELATED

Where do I go after death? Would I return once again? What was the aim of my creation? Is it necessary to ponder upon these points? What is imminent would definitely come to pass; so why to worry about it? Imagination of death and the events after it make one�s life disagreeable, so why should I worry about it and lose sleep over it?

Yes, these questions arose throughout the ages and occupied the minds of people in the past and still do so; and are on the verge of getting convincing replies. Therefore intellectuals and philosophers tried to answer these questions to realize the truth; satisfy themselves and that they may hand over the conclusions of their researches to others.

Divine messengers believed in resurrection and based the foundation of their call on it. In heavenly religions, life after death is considered a necessary principle of faith and hundreds and thousands of books are written in different languages on this subject. The Messenger of Allah (S) and the Holy Imams (as) hold a very eminent position in propagating and proving faith in resurrection. The Holy Quran has stressed on this matter more than other heavenly scriptures, and has explained its various aspects in many verses. Deep contemplation on the verses of this heavenly Book, along with their interpretation through the sayings of the Messenger of Allah (S) and the Holy Imams (as) can enable us to understand life after death, which is an unseen world; as without that it would have been impossible for us to do so. That is why we have based this book on verses of Quran; with the hope that it would be useful for all those who are in search of truth and especially that it may benefit the youth.

Before actual discussion, we think that it is necessary to mention some features about the two convergent views on resurrection: the view of believers and the view of disbelievers.

Life, according to the two views

Faith in resurrection sometimes does not go beyond the limit of words and imagination, as it is not actual faith and does not have the qualities of the world and the hereafter and sometimes it goes beyond the stage of meaning and reaches to genuine faith. This is in fact true faith in resurrection and it will have the traces of the world and the hereafter with it according to the resolution of the person in carrying out the duties made incumbent on him and depending on the strength of his faith.

Views of the Believers about resurrection

Those who have real faith in resurrection do not consider their lives limited to a few years in this world; on the contrary, they have a broad view and they know that it is only a beginning; and that it is going to continue forever in the hereafter.

They don�t regard death as annihilation and the end of life; on the contrary they consider it to be a means of being transferred to the world of the hereafter and an eternal life in that world. They consider themselves to be travelers, who have come into this world to equip themselves for the perpetual life of the hereafter. Such persons, just as they follow a detailed plan and make efforts in this limited life of the world, in the same way they are also not unmindful of their life in the hereafter. They consider the world to be a harvest field for the hereafter and consider their lives to be the best provision of obtaining the means of building a prosperous after life. They do not waste the most valuable capital in useless ways, lest they should face regret on the day of resurrection.

They know this and they believe in the sayings of the prophets that man is a being having a free will and is answerable for his good and bad deeds in the hereafter. His success and misfortune in the hereafter will depend on his beliefs and morals in this world. Paradise and the bounties of Paradise and Hell and the chastisements of Hell in the hereafter will be based on his good or bad deeds in this world. Such a person would be aware of his duties, have a good nature, is a well-wisher, trustworthy, truthful and justice loving. And he will avoid bad morals and evil deeds.

In face of the calamities of the world and difficulties of life, which are there for everyone, whether one likes them or not, he does not evade and does not protest; on the contrary he remains absolutely patient and says: Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.

During old age and the last period of his life, he does not abandon patience and hope; and he is not afraid of death as he has the good news of the future and he knows where he is going.

In this condition, faith in resurrection does not impel man to go into isolation and give up social duties; on the contrary it prepares him to obtain knowledge, and to discover the secrets of nature, his life, population of the world, social service, defense of human values and martyrdom; since it is with faith in resurrection and rewards of the hereafter that sacrificing one�s life in the path of truth can be justified. How peaceful and pleasing is life in the shade of belief in resurrection! Alas, if all the people had faith in hereafter and accounting of deeds! What is the beauty in such a supposed world?

Views of the Un-Believers about resurrection

But what is the life of the deniers of resurrection like? It is very short and death means the end of life and decline into the valley of non-existence. For them, life in this world is regrettably full of sorrow and grief; it is futile and aimless and without logical justification. During calamities, the denier of resurrection is discouraged by difficulties of life that befall everyone intentionally or unintentionally and he is not comfortable in them. And any sort of pleading is also not effective. Sometimes, in order to comfort his inward pains, he resorts to alcoholic drinks and other drugs, so that he may for some time forget himself and his painful thoughts. But temporary intoxication is also of no use.

Sometimes he is so much affected by the severity of discomfort and feelings of discouragements that he commits suicide. When a denier of resurrection witnesses injustice of oppressors on himself or others, and their successful escape from legal punishments, he becomes despondent and is convinced that there is no justice in this world and no sort of reward and punishment. Denial of resurrection necessitates that practicing good morals, doing good to others, defending the rights of the deprived, sacrifice and martyrdom in defense of truth etc. should not have rational justification and practical cover.

The most difficult period of the life of a denier in resurrection is when he is down with an incurable disease or extreme old age when he knows that death is imminent; at that time he despairs of life and can only imagine himself falling into a deep oblivion of nothingness. Alas! How terrifying is the imagination of annihilation into nothingness and inexistence! How difficult and unbearable is life without faith in resurrection! The cause of most oppressions, battles, and violation of rights, killings and murders, crimes, cruelties, corruptions is denial in resurrection. If all the people of the world become deniers in resurrection, accounting, rewards and punishments; what a terrible world it would be!

Evidences of resurrection

Resurrection is one of the important and difficult problems of philosophy and scholasticism. In books of scholastic theology, it is discussed in detail and hundreds of books are written on this subject. Since the books of this present series are supposed to be compact and simple, we would try to prove this belief through basic arguments that may be clearly understood by all:

1) Nature

Nature is in the meaning of a special creation. Innate features are matters of natural characteristics embedded in the nature of human beings, which arise from the conscience of every perfect human being and do not need reasoning and evidence. Attention to conscience and waking up of nature to accept them is sufficient. Recognition of beauty is natural.

Every sane and mature person can understand beauty. He considers some things to be beautiful and some he finds lacking in beauty. All are having this nature, although it is possible that there might be difference in their applications and manner. The goodness of equitability, truthfulness and the evil of injustice and falsehood and betrayal of truth are also like this. The origin of attention to God, humility to Him and His worship are also natural matters present in the being of every human.

Awakening of the nature in faith in them is sufficient, although it is possible that some persons would commit a mistake in recognition of its aims and get deviated; such as the origin of idol worship, which came into being in this way.

Misunderstanding of idolaters and followers of nonsense lies in the fact that in specifying the applicability or sense of God, about which the innate nature testifies, they fell into an illusion and in ignorance went into deviation.

Desire for perpetuity and life after death is also an established matter and is present in the innate being of every man and from that springs the God-given source and it shows its effects; even though throughout history and in some communities and sects, they are mixed with a number of nonsensical matters.

2) History

All this leads us to conclude that belief in the perpetuity of human soul and life after death is deeply rooted in human history and even in pre-historic man and communities that are now extinct.

So much so, that history and excavations of ancient graveyards show and archeological studies like the pyramids of Egypt and other communities and nations, which have come down to us that most people of the past had belief in perpetuity of soul and life after death. Therefore they buried their dead with their personal effects, belongings and things, which they might need; continued to perform rituals to honor the dead for a long period of time and sending offerings and charities on their behalf.

Since Sumerians (524 B.C.) buried with their dead, provisions and objects of their use, we can conclude that they had belief in life after death. 1

The body, Egyptians believed, was inhabited by a small replica of itself called the �ka�, and also by a soul that dwelt in the body like a bird flitting among trees. All of these: body, ka and soul � survived the appearance of death; they could escape mortality for a time in proportion as the flesh was preserved from decay; but if they came to Osiris clean of all sin they would be permitted to live forever in the �Happy Field of Food� � those heavenly gardens where there would always be abundance and security. 2

The Mycenaean himself, as well as most of his art, is found in the tombs; for he folded and buried his dead in uncomfortable jars, and seldom cremated them as the Heroic Age would do. Apparently he believed in a future life, for many objects of use and value were placed in the graves. 3

According to Egyptian belief, these Elysian Fields, however, could be reached only through the services of a ferryman, an Egyptian prototype of Charon; and this old gentleman would receive into his boat only such men and women as had done no evil in their lives. Or Osiris would question the dead, weighing each candidate�s heart in the scale against a feather to test his truthfulness. Those who failed in this final examination would be condemned to lie forever in their tombs, hungering and thirsting, fed upon by hideous crocodiles, and never coming forth to see the sun. 4

From what is stated above and from hundreds of other examples, we can conclude that belief in life after death is an ancient phenomenon present in the innate nature of man, in such a way that the ancient man even through his simple understanding was able to obtain and have faith in it. Although priests and temple assistants had role in promoting this belief and in order to misuse it, invented nonsense and rumors, but the actual belief in life after death was not their creation; on the contrary they took advantage of the belief present in the innate nature of man. Will Durant writes in this regard as follows:

The priest did not create religion, he merely used it, as a statesman uses the impulses and customs of mankind; religion arises not out of sacerdotal invention or chicanery, but out of the persistent wonder, fear, insecurity, hopefulness and loneliness of men. 5

Although prophets throughout the history of whom Prophet Adam (as) was the first; and who is also called as the father of humanity had a role in formation of belief in God and life after death, but they did not invent this belief; on the contrary they only tried to awaken the innate nature of man, to strengthen the beliefs and to purify and train the self. And since their call was based on innate nature they also had divine support.

Therefore it can be said: Since belief in resurrection existed throughout the ages in the nature of human beings, it can be counted as an innate and original belief. It should also be mentioned that we don�t claim that all human beings in all the ages had belief in life after death and acted according to it. On the contrary, throughout the ages and even today there are persons who because of ignorance, rebellion and selfish desires suppress their human nature in their acts; sometimes they almost deny resurrection verbally. As attributed to Assyrians and ancient Babylonians that they had no faith in resurrection, heaven or hell. 6

But this type of doubts even leading to verbal denial is natural and it does not harm faith in resurrection in any way. Deniers of resurrection have no evidence to support their claim. On the contrary since their reality had not become clear to them and the selfish desires overcame them, they denied resurrection till they became free from following the base desires. And in the terminology it can be said that they preferred immediate joy instead of the promise of future enjoyments.

Saddest of all is a poem engraved upon a slab now in the Leyden Museum, and dating back to 2200 B.C. Carpe diem, it sings: None cometh from thence. That he may tell us how they fare; that we may content our hearts; until we too depart to the place whither they have gone. 7

Will Durant has presented the above statement in his book as an evidence of denial of resurrection while the fact is that it does not at all show any such denial; on the contrary the opening lines say that no one has returned from that side to explain its existence to us; he has expressed doubt about it and has preferred immediate pleasure to the promise of Paradise and said that he wanted instant happiness. Today also we see most deniers of resurrection using the same argumentation.

3) Desire for Perpetuity

One of the signs of nature is to desire perpetuity and inclination to live forever. Man always makes efforts to continue to live as long as possible. And since he knows that his death is imminent, he tries to leave behind his influence. He trains his children, writes books, performs acts of charity, and makes bequests with regard to commemoration assemblies and offerings at the place of his burial. He wants his plans and aspirations to endure forever and sometimes he even gives up his life to defend them.

All these are signs of a desire for perpetuity and eternality. If he considered death as the end of his life and annihilation, what will be the use of commemoration assemblies, presence of children and a respectable place of burial?

If he has faith in death of annihilation, how will he justify sacrificing his life for the defense of his views and aims. All this leads us to conclude that desire to live forever after the death is present in the being of every man and it is a natural factor. These natural desires must be beyond investigation and if not, the presence of such desires in man would be meaningless and none of the actions of the all-knowing and wise God is meaningless.

4) Immortality

In the discussion of knowing God, it was proved that the wide world is having the being of God, who is the creator and controller of the creatures. His knowledge, power and wisdom were also proved and also that He never does anything illogical and aimless. But His aim in the creation of the world was not to satisfy any of His needs since He is needless; on the contrary His aim was to benefit and perfect. He bestows perfection to every phenomenon according to its capability. His gracefulness is in His being and miserliness is not present therein. Between the phenomena of the world, man is having an extraordinary and a distinctive position in his capability.

His body is from the material world and his soul is from the spiritual and the celestial world. The material world, throughout years and extremely long centuries, has developed the capacity through perfections of actions and reactions so that it may assume the form of an astounding man. His physical constitution is composed of digestive system, organs of hearing, sight, smell, speech, reproduction, blood circulation and other organs, which operate through astonishing niceties, some of which are mentioned in books of science.

More important than all this is especially the creation of the celestial soul of man; his reasoning power and intelligence; and an extraordinary mechanism of his thinking faculty consisting of his learning ability and memory retention. Man is created in such a way that he is able to remove the curtain from the secrets of the world through contemplation, reasoning and his experience and controls the material world one after another. He inhabits the world and makes it useful for himself and other human beings.

Therefore, all the phenomena of the material world, different types of plants and animal, earth, mines, atmosphere, light and elements are practically at the disposal of man and he has the power to control and use them at present or in the future.

In conclusion, we can define man as the by-product of rotation and search of the material world and the pick of the whole lot of the system of creation. Aim of creation of the world should also be searched in him.

Now this important question arises that can we consider that the aim of creation of this world and most important of all, creation of man whose life is at the most a hundred years, which is filled with various types of hardships, calamities and unhappiness is short in comparison to the seeking of pleasures and to say: Death is the end of life of man and his complete annihilation? Your reply is an absolutely negative. If it was so, creation and running of the material world; its coming into existence and life of man would all have been meaningless. An absurd action is not expected from any sane person; how can we expect it from the Almighty Allah, who is all-powerful, all-knowing, wise and needless?

Therefore it can be said that man is created for an everlasting life in the hereafter and not for destruction and annihilation. The aim of the Almighty Allah in creation of man is that he should live in this world and train himself in good manners and good deeds and prepare for an everlasting good life in the hereafter. He created him with this aim, equipped him with ability for perfection programmed for his personal success of the hereafter. He also sent prophets to guide man. In this way, creation of world and man can be justified rationally.

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَآءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ‏

�We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for a (mere) play� (Al-Anbiya� 21:16)

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَكُمْ عَبَثاً وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ

"Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?" (Al- Momanoon 23:115)

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَوَ تِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَأَتِيَةٌ فَاصْفَحِ الصَّفْحَ الْجَمِيلَ

�We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, but for just ends. And the Hour is surely coming ��.� (Al-Hijr 15:85)

5) Reward and punishment

In the discussion about the cognition of God, it was proved that the Almighty Allah is just and the creation of man and the world was based on justice. He bestows perfection to everything according to its capacity and does not allow the right of any phenomenon or man to be violated. Since injustice is due to ignorance or needfulness of one who commits it and the creator of the world is pure from every defect.

Injustice is an evil deed, and the Almighty Allah never commits an evil deed. Not only the Almighty Allah does not commit injustice, on the contrary He also desires to be kind and just to man. And He has not allowed them to act unjustly with each other. In the Holy Quran He says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَنِ وَإِيتَآىِ ذِى الْقُرْبَى‏ وَيَنْهَى‏ عَنِ الْفَحْشَآءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْىِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ‏

�Verily, Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed ....�(An-Nahl 16:90)

The Almighty Allah has fixed laws and duties for the purification of the life of man, which is surrounded by injustice and oppression, so that he may lead a life of peace and success. And through the messenger prophets and His selected representatives they should be kind to each other and keep away from injustice and sins. He has fixed good rewards for the doers of good, and decreed severe punishments for oppressors and sinners. But regrettably all people are not same with regard to social duties; they are of two types: one is group of those who are aware of their duties, well-wisher and righteous; they neither oppress others and nor cause harm to anyone.

On the contrary, they are seekers of justice for those whose rights have been violated and those who have been oppressed. So much so that those who tread this path have to face deprivations, are subjected to imprisonments and cast themselves into dangers. They are good natured, trustworthy, truthful, having a good character, helpful and who are cognizant of truth.

Another group is of those who live in such a way in this world, but they are not rewarded for their good deeds in the world. And sometimes, as a result of their good behavior, they even have to face deprivation and numerous hardships. As a result of truthfulness and seeking justice they are subjected to torture and imprisonment at the hands of tyrants and oppressors and sometimes they sacrifice their lives. Should there not be another world where the doers of good receive rewards for their good deeds. If the hereafter and good rewards had not been there, would it have been according to the justice of the Almighty Allah?

If earth is the end of life, what will be the rational justification of righteousness and piety and holy war (Jihad) and martyrdom on the path of seeking justice?

Another group is that of oppressors; who have no qualms in causing harm to others and in violating the rights of people. They are power hungry, tyrannical and greedy. They prefer their own good and the good of those who are related to them over the good of others. They do not refrain from any injustice in order to gain power and wealth. They subject their opponents to prison and torture and even eliminate them: they usurp their properties and do not refrain from any crime.

Not only individuals, they even eliminate communities and nations through imperialism and dictatorship. They have no qualms about committing even the most shameless crimes. On the contrary, they enjoy it and exalt themselves. Such criminals were numerous throughout history and are still present in the world. Although some of them received some punishment in this world, but it was definitely less than the crime that they committed, but most of them did not receive any punishment for their crimes.

The righteous and sinners will be rewarded and punished according to their good deeds and crimes after a short while. Should not there be a world, where each of them is exactly accounted for with regard to his or her deeds? And that the doers of good receive his or her rewards and the sinners are punished in accordance to their crimes? If the world of the hereafter had not been there, what would have been the rational justification of the creation of this world, which is full of injustice and crime? Is this compatible with divine justice?

If there is no other world of reward and punishment, why God has commanded observing justice and refraining from injustice? What is the decision of your intellects with regard to this?

All would definitely reply: The righteous and sinners are not equal. There is another world after this world, in which the deeds of people will be verified. The righteous will be given a good recompense and sinners will be awarded a severe punishment. The same thing is implied in the verses of the Holy Quran:

أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِى الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ

�Shall We treat those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the same as those who do mischief on earth? Shall We treat those who guard against evil, the same as those who turn aside from the right?� (Sad 38:28)

أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُواْ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَ عَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَآءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ‏ * وَخَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِ‏ّ وَلِتُجْزَى‏ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ‏

"Or do those who commit ill-deeds suppose that We shall make them as those who believe and do good works, the same in life and death? Bad is their judgment! (21) And Allah hath created the heavens and the earth with truth, and that every soul may be repaid what it hath earned. And they will not be wronged" (Al-Jathia 45:21-22)

6) Abstract nature of the soul

To prove the perpetuity of the soul of man and life after death we can reason through various justifications and one of them is through abstraction of human soul. The abstract nature of human self is a difficult philosophical problem. This important matter is studied in detail in books of philosophy like: Asfar, Risala Tasawwur wa Tasdeeq and other books of Mulla Sadra as well as in the commentary on Zaadul Musafir and Isharaat of Abu Ali Sina and Sharh Manzuma of Mulla Hadi Sabzawari. In this brief writing, we cannot explain this matter in detail, but we shall discuss some evidences of the same. Before the actual discussion, it is necessary to mention some points in brief.

Meaning of Abstractness

Existent beings are of two types: material and abstract. Material beings are as follows: non-living things like stone, dust, different kinds of minerals, metals, chemicals, pigments, water etc; in this category are included gases, energy and even rays of light are considered material things and in the same way, plants and animals also fall into this category as they are also supposed to have souls called animal soul. Material things possess the following qualities: quantity, space, time, movement, change, remoteness and proximity, survival and decay.

Such factors are the signs of the material existing beings. Material matters can be perceived through one of the senses or their presence can be discovered through experimentation. The second type is the abstract things: like God; angels are supernatural beings and they do not possess qualities of material beings like place, time, quantity, movement, change, survival and decay. To be abstract is to mean lacking in material qualities.

Questioning in the Grave

Muslims believe that after the dead is buried in the grave, divinely appointed interrogating angels arrive and ask the deceased about his faith and beliefs; if he had been a righteous believer, a door to Paradise is opened before him and he would enjoy the bounties of Paradise till Judgment Day; and if he had been a disbeliever or an oppressor, a door to Hell will opened before him and he will continue to suffer the chastisement of Hell till Judgment Day. In fact there is no doubt in this, because a large number of traditions are recorded about it and we present some of them by way of examples.

Imam Musa Kazim (as) has narrated from his father, Imam Ja�far Sadiq (as), that he said:

�When a believer dies, seventy thousand angels participate in his funeral; when he enters the grave, Munkir and Nakeer come to him and pose questions to him; they ask him:

The believer replies: �My Lord is Allah, my prophet is Muhammad, and my religion is Islam.�

At that moment the grave is expanded as far as the eye can see and the foods of Paradise will be brought there for him and the breeze of Paradise will welcome him. It is this, which is mentioned in the Holy Quran:

فَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ * فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍ‏

"Then if he is one of those drawn nigh (to Allah) (88) (There is for him) Rest and Satisfaction, and a Garden of Delights� (Al-Waqia 56:88-89)

�When a disbeliever dies, seventy thousand angels of Hell accompany him to the grave. In this condition the dead person will plead to them in a voice, which would be audible to all except humans and jinns: �If only I had been able to return to the world and had become of the faithful.� And he says: �Send me back to the world, perhaps I may do good in that, which I have left.� Angels of Hell would say: �By no means! It is a (mere) word that you speak,� and one of the angels would say: �If you are sent back to the world, you will again do the same.�

When his dead body is interred and people go away from there, Nakeer and Munkar come to him in the most terrible form and they raise him up for questioning. They ask him:

Since the disbeliever had no sincere faith in them, he would stammer and fail to reply. Thus those two angels would lash him in a punishment that everything will be terrified of it. They would ask him: �Who is your god? What is your religion? And who is your prophet?� He would reply: �I don�t know.� So they would tell him: �Neither you know, nor you were guided to the right path.� Thus a door would be opened to Hell before him and the scalding fluids of Hell would come down to him. It is about this that is mentioned in the Holy Quran:

وَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ الضَّآلِّينَ * فَنُزُلٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ

�And if he is one of the rejecters, the erring ones (92) He shall have an entertainment of boiling water� (Al-Waqia 56:92-93)

�When the corpse is interred, two angels, named Munkir and Nakeer arrive. Their first questions to the dead are about God, prophet and caliphs. If it replies correctly, it is given salvation and if it is unable to reply correctly, they punish it.� 3

Tens of other traditions also mention the same points, but quoting all of them here would prolong the discussion.

Squeeze of the Grave

Squeeze of the Grave is a painful event, which is mentioned in some traditions and the Infallibles (as) have also informed about it. For example:

�O people, events occurring after death are more severe than death itself. Beware of the squeeze of the grave and the darkness and loneliness in it. The grave calls out every day: I am the house of strangeness, a house of dust, abode of loneliness and the house of stinging creatures. Grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hell. When a believer is buried, the grave says: Welcome, previously I was desirous that you would walk to me, now that you are entrusted to me, you will see how I behave with you. At that moment the grave will be expanded as far as the eye can see.

But when a disbeliever is buried, the earth says: You are not welcome. Before this I detested your coming to me. Now that you are in my custody, you will see how I deal with you. At that moment he would be squeezed in such a way that his bones will merge into each other. A life of hardships that the Almighty Allah has promised to the disbelievers in the grave includes ninety-nine large serpents who will chew his flesh and crush his bones.

This will continue till Judgment Day. If one of those large serpents were to blow on the earth, nothing would ever grow on it again. O people, protect your weak selves and bodies that have lived in a tender way. Protect your bodies from the hardships, which they are unable to bear. Do that which the Almighty Allah likes and keep away from acts, which He has prohibited.� 4

The Holy Prophet (S) remarked about cause of the squeeze of grave that Saad had to suffer:

It is because of such traditions that most scholars have concluded that faith in questioning of grave is a fundamental principle of Islamic faith. Mulla Mohsin Faiz Kashani writes:

Questioning, and punishment and reward of the grave is one of the necessary fundamentals of Islamic faith since there are a large number of traditions in this regard in Shia and Sunni sources, which remove every kind of doubt about it. 7

Chastisement of the grave is definite and imminent and also an inordinate number of traditions have come down about it from Ahle Bayt (as). 8

The chastisement of Purgatory (Barzakh) and its rewards are matters on which Muslims have consensus. 9

Therefore questioning and chastisement of the grave should not be doubted about; however its actual process requires discussion and research.

Whether man would hear the questions posed by the angels through these same worldly ears and would he reply through this same tongue or it is through some other types?

How is it possible for a body, which has lost the functioning of the heart, brain, organs, ears, eyes, tongue and other limbs and which has cooled down to hear the questions of the angels with the ears and how is it possible to answer them with the tongue?

Moreover, angels who are from the non-material spiritual world would they ask with the same worldly tongue so that the dead person may hear them with the same worldly ears and reply with the same tongue? Speaking of the angels is of another kind, which cannot be heard by worldly ears. Jibraeel used speak to the Prophet, but those around him were unable to hear it.

The Holy Prophet (S) used to hear Jibraeel through his inward ears and spoke to him with his inward tongue. Questioning of the angels must also be of this type. Angels speak to the abstract soul of man. He also hears the questions of the angels through his spiritual ears and replies with his inward tongue. That is why, if voice control is overlooked in the grave, he will not have to control it.

Rewards and punishments of grave should also be of such kind. This dusty grave, which is not expanded and a door is not opened from Paradise in his direction, so that bounties of Paradise may arrive there. Since the useless body of the dead also does not need nutrition. Therefore the grave should be related to the soul and its abode. Chastisements of the grave should also be of the same type. In this pit, where the corpse was buried, there is neither scorpion nor huge vipers or stinging creatures; even if they were present and were also to sting the dead body, what can a lifeless body feel? Therefore harmful creatures of the grave should be such that they can hurt the soul of the dead and only this much is sufficient in the chastisement of the grave. Spiritual and sensual punishment is definitely more severe than physical chastisements.

In physical chastisements also, that which suffers is actually the soul. In this earthly grave, no squeeze and fire of Hell is experienced, therefore the grave mentioned in the traditions must be some other place.

That grave is the abode of the soul and not the body; therefore it can be said that the first grave implies the abode of the soul after death; that is the beginning of entry into the Purgatory (Barzakh). But since this transfer is contemporary with the entry of the body into the earthly grave, it is interpreted as grave. Therefore one who drowns or one whose body is cut up into pieces, or one who is burnt or becomes dust, he also has to face questioning of the grave and would feel the pleasures of Paradise and the punishments of Hell.

The Messenger of Allah (S) said: �Grave is the first stage of the hereafter. If man is able to get salvation in that stage, the later stages would be easier for him, but if he is unable to get salvation in that stage, he would be more unlikely to get salvation after that.�10

وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى‏ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ‏

"��and behind them is a barrier (barzakh) until the day when they are raised" (Al-Mu�menoon 23:100)

�Barzakh is the grave. Indeed for them there is a hard life there. By Allah, the grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hell.�11

�Grave in most traditions implies the world of Barzakh, where the soul of man is transferred.�12

Allamah Tabatabai has written in the marginal notes of Biharul Anwar as follows:

Perhaps it implies that after death, man would not be destroyed completely. On the contrary, it implies another life other than the life he has lost. As the Messenger of Allah (S) has said: �And indeed they would be transferred from one abode to another�. But the traditional report which apparently states that in the grave, the soul would re-enter the body of the dead upto his knees, is figurative. For questioning in the grave since the statements in these same traditions are from the sayings of the angels that they would tell the believer: �Go to sleep like a bride,� is figurative for the stay of the believer in the grave waiting for Qiyamat. 13

Purgatory (Barzakh)

It is learnt from a large number of verses of Quran and traditions that death is not the end of the life of man, on the contrary, after death he is transferred to another world called Barzakh and he continues his life there. The world of Barzakh is between the perceptive world of this life and the world of the hereafter and complete gathering.

The world of Barzakh begins from the grave and it continues till the complete gathering and the establishment of Judgment Day. In the beginning we would present some verses of Quran with regard to Barzakh as examples:

حَتَّى‏ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ‏ * لَعَلِّى أَعْمَلُ صَلِحاً فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى‏ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ‏

"(In Falsehood will they be) Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life) (99) That I may do right in that which I have left behind! But nay! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is a barrier (barzakh) until the day when they are raised" (Al-Mu�menoon 23:99-100)

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَتاً بَلْ أَحْيَآءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ‏ * فَرِحِينَ بِمَآ ءَاتَهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُواْ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ‏

�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� (169) �They rejoice what Allah has bestowed upon them from His bounties. Rejoicing 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." (Al Imran 3:169-170)

In these verses, it is clearly mentioned that martyrs are alive after death and it cannot be interpreted as immortality of their name and cause, although life after death is different from the life of the world. If we accept life after death for the martyrs, we would have to accept life for all the other people as well. The difference of martyrs to other people is that the martyrs are sustained by their Lord in that elevated stage. They receive sustenance from the Almighty Allah.

Therefore, it must be said: All the people are also alive after death and they are transferred to a world called Barzakh and they continue their life there. Numerous traditions also imply this point; for example:

Abu Walad says: I asked Imam Ja�far Sadiq (as): �May I be your ransom, it is narrated that after death the souls of the believers will be placed in the gizzard of green colored birds. And they will circulate around the throne of Almighty.�

�No, it is not so. The believer is more exalted that his soul should be placed in the gizzard of fowls. On the contrary, the souls of believers will be in bodies like the bodies of this world.�1

I said: �They say that they would be placed in crops of green birds, in the lanterns hanging below the Arsh.�

�Glory be to Allah! A believer is more respectable than that his soul should be placed in crop of birds. O Yunus, when the death of a believer approaches, the Holy Prophet (S), Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain (as) and the proximate angels of the Almighty Allah appear to him and when the Almighty Allah captures his soul, He places it in a body, which is like the worldly body. Thus he eats and drinks. When the fresh soul enters it, they recognize him in the same form as he was having in the world.�2

�Souls of believers live in form of bodies between the trees of Paradise. They introduce and speak to each other. When a new soul enters, they remark to each other: Leave him/her; he just escaped a great terror. After that they ask him: How is so-and-so person? If he replies: He is alive. They hope for his salvation and if he says that he is dead, they say: He has gone into perdition.�3

Such traditions and some traditions we mentioned in the discussion of grave show that that the souls of man after death are transferred to a world called Barzakh. And in that world they possess a physical body, which is exactly like the body of this world, in such a way that those who know him would recognize him and speak to him.

Therefore the soul of man in Barzakh has a body, but it is not the body of the world, since if it had been worldly, it would not have been of the Barzakh and the hereafter.

Barzakhi Body

Now the question arises that where is the body of Barzakh located and how it comes into being till the soul of the dead after separating from the worldly body, is placed in it? Do previously created bodies exist in the world of Barzakh without any owners so that the soul may choose one for itself? Or that the soul has a Barzakhi body in the world, and after death it is taken along with it?

The first possibility is untenable, because on the basis of this supposition, the Barzakhi body is not a worldly body, through which man performs good deeds and commits evil deeds, in order to become eligible for good rewards or bad consequences. Additionally, what need does the soul of man have �along with perfect abstractness and after leaving the worldly body� that it should be placed in a pre-fabricated Barzakhi body, which is also not his worldly body?

Thus on the basis of this and traditions mentioned above, it can be said that the soul of man in this world itself has a Barzakhi body, which he takes away with itself to the world of Barzakh. The greatest philosophers of Islam, like Mulla Sadra, have this belief and they have defended it. But imagining and testifying it is very difficult. In my view, it is best to leave the decision of this important matter to Mulla Sadra, who is among the most senior scholars on this topic and directly refer to his statement. This great philosopher has investigated all the dimensions of this problem at various places in his Asfar and has expressed his view about it. To mention all of them in this brief writing is impossible. Here we shall mention two of his statements:

Some say: Souls of human beings were created before their bodies and they are infinitely pre-existent and non-material. Whenever a matter from the world becomes capable to accept the soul, a soul is placed in it and benefits from it in gaining perfections, like a sailor who guides the ship and conveys it to its destination. And when he does not need it or the ship becomes useless and old, he abandons it. But researchers from Islamic philosophers, for example Sadruddin Shirazi considers this view absurd. He refutes this theory as follows:

If the soul of man had been pre-existing infinitely, it should have been perfect and defect-less in the stage of being and free from materiality and if it was perfect, it would not have been in need of association with the body, and use of vegetative and animal instruments and capacities. Moreover, if the abstract was perfect and infinitely pre-existing, the human form would have been limited to one person, since multiplicity is a sign of matter.4

He considers the soul of man to be a thing created by the body; that when the matter of the body of man by substantial motion (Harkat Jauhari) and bodily changes reaches to a limit where it is able to accept the human soul; its last form of physical matter changes into the human soul. In this regard he writes:

From the aspect of being created and control of body, the human soul is physical and from the aspect of survival and intellect, it is spiritual.5

The connection of the soul to the body is accidental from the aspect of being and identification of the occurrence, but it is not so from the aspect of survival. The soul of man in the beginning of creation was having the quality of material natures as it was in need of vague matter. The soul, in the beginning of creation, is also in need of vague bodily matter, since the body of man throughout his life, is under constant change and variable quantum. Therefore the person of man, although it is a single individual from the aspect of spirituality and not more; but from the aspect of physicality in the sense of substance and not in the sense of kind or sort � is a not a single person.6

The soul of man is having ranks and personal and existential signs, some of which are from the world of command and destiny. Thus the Holy Quran says:

"�.. Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)" (Al-Isra 17:85)

Some of it is from the world of creation and forms; hence it is mentioned in Quran:

مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى‏

"From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time� (At-Taha 20:55)

Thus incidentality and invention is among the signs of some ranks of the soul. Therefore we say: Since the soul of man itself has progressed from the first creation to another creation on the path of development as the Quran has mentioned:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لِأَدَمَ

�It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels prostrate to Adam, and they prostrate; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those who prostrate� (Al-A�raaf 7:11)

Thus when he progressed from the world of creation and arose to the world of command its being became the being of a separate intellectuality which had no need of the body and its actions and capacities. Therefore with regard to the soul, it must be said: From the aspect of incidentally, it is physical but from the aspect of survival it is spiritual.7

1. The human soul is not created as an infinitely pre-existing and an abstract thing; on the contrary it is a newly created phenomenon from the physical phenomenon. In the sense that when the matter of the body of man, through substantial motion reached to a stage of perfection where it became capable to accept the human soul, the last physical form changed into the abstract human soul. However, the soul at this time is still having potentiality related to the perception of sciences. It can become further perfect along with the body and could actively change the capacity to perceive sciences and generalities.

Thus man consists of a physical body and an abstract celestial soul and the two are integrated and possess a single existence and identity.

2. The human soul from the aspect of incidentality and development of the being is having ranks of existence. Its lowest stage is that which has a connection with a material and physical body and is considered to be from the world of creation, as mentioned in Quran; and its highest stage is abstract and celestial and it is considered to be from the world of command.

3. It is correct that human soul is in need of a physical body in its incidentality, continuation of its existence and its development, is in need of a physical body, but the body with regard to its need is not permanent and unchangeable, on the contrary, it is a fluid body, which is situated between two limits: in the beginning of which is childhood and in the end is the end of worldly life. Even though the fluids of the human body due to the effect of nutrition are under constant and continuous change, but this matter does not damage the individuality of the soul and the physical body.

Abode of Barzakh and Life in it

Barzakh implies distance between two things. The world of Barzakh is distance between this world; and the hereafter and final gathering.

Umar bin Yazid says: I asked Imam Ja�far Sadiq (as): What is Barzakh? He replied: Barzakh begins from the time of death and burial in the grave and continues till Judgment Day.11

The man in his journey through creation has to cross a number of worlds. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran that:

يَآ أَيُّهَا الْإِنسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَى‏ رَبِّكَ كَدْحاً فَمُلاَقِيهِ

�O thou man! Verily thou art ever toiling on towards thy Lord- painfully toiling,- but thou shalt meet Him� (Al-Inshiqaaq 84:6)

Hence the final destination of man is God, whereas this world is the tillage for the hereafter. The second journey is that of the grave and the world of Barzakh, which is to occur immediately after death without any time gap. The world of Barzakh is such that its inhabitants are not having a materiality, but they do have a body. They possess quantity, form, length and breadth etc. From the aspect of existence, it is a world, which is above and encompassing this world of nature.

Life in Barzakh would be in accordance to the way a person lived in this world. The world of Barzakh is a world of abstractness, whose existence is proved in the neo-platonic philosophy. Therefore it would occur after this world and before the existence of abstract intellects and that is why it is called Barzakh.

But it is necessary to note that this �before-ness�, �after-ness� and �middle-ness� is not of time and space; that it can be asked: Where is Barzakh? Is it located in this world or on some other planet or somewhere else? When has it come into existence or will come into existence? The reply is that time and space are signs of material things; while the fact is that Barzakh is a world, which is above the world and which encompasses it.

Human beings in the world of Barzakh have an opposite life: They enjoy some of the best bounties and spend their lives in happiness and comfort, but others are not same as far as the suffering of the punishment of Barzakh is concerned: Some are punished with the most severe punishment and some with lighter. In other words, the life of some is an example of the life of the hereafter and according to the interpretation of the traditions of the grave, it is a garden from the gardens of Paradise or it is a pit from the pits of Hell.

Aim of Punishment and Rewards of Barzakh

It is necessary to note that different bounties and punishments of Barzakh are shaped through beliefs, morals and deeds of man in the world. On the contrary, it is the good or bad deeds of man that assume the form of bounties and punishments of Barzakh as mentioned in verses of Quran and traditions:

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَراً وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَداً بَعِيداً

�On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done, and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil��."(Aale-Imran 3:30)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَ لَ الْيَتَمَى ظُلْماً إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِى بُطُونِهِمْ نَاراً وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيراً

�Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, eat up a Fire into their own bodies: They will soon be enduring a Blazing Fire� (An-Nisa 4:10)

�The deeds of people in the world would become visible to them in the hereafter.�12

�When the dead body is placed in the grave, a person appears in it and says: We were three persons: your sustenance is over and the span of your life has ended. Your relatives have also abandoned you and gone away. I am your deeds and I would remain with you forever, but you considered me most unimportant in the world.�13

�On the last day of his worldly life and the first day of his entry into the world of the hereafter, man will see his wealth, children and deeds. Thus, he will address his wealth and say: �I put myself into great hardships for your sake and was greedy. What help can you render to me today?� His wealth will reply: �Take your burial shroud from me.� Then, he will address his children: �I had been fond of you and throughout my life I took good care of you. What help can you render to me today?� They will reply: �We will give you a proper burial.� Then, he will ask his deeds: �I was shortcoming in observing you and you were difficult for me. What will do about me?�

His deeds will reply: �We will be there with you in the grave and on the Judgment Day till you are presented before your Lord.� Thus, if he is a friend of Allah (i.e. a believer), a fragrant, handsome and a well-dressed person will appear and say: �Glad tidings to you of �happiness and bounty� (Rooh wa Raihan) and Paradise. Blessed be your arrival. You are welcome!� The man will ask: �Who are you?� He will be replied: �I am your good deeds. I have come with you from the world and I will accompany you till Paradise.��14

Perpetual Charity

As long as one is alive one is able to perform good deeds and practice the best of morals in order to make them as provisions for his life after death and that he may enjoy the hereafter. But by the occurrence of his death, the file of his deeds would be closed and he would be unable to do anything in the world.

But according to traditions, if man had performed the good deeds with regularity and with the intention of seeking divine proximity, he would enjoy their rewards after death in the world of Barzakh also. Some of those deeds are mentioned in traditions.

�There are six things whose rewards man would enjoy even after his death; a righteous son who prays for his salvation, the copy of Quran from which he used to read, a well which he had dug for public, trees that he had planted, canals of water that he had endowed as charity and the good practice, which he had established and which people continue to follow.�15

�After death man is not rewarded except for one of the following three: A charity which he had founded; the reward of this charity will reach him till Judgment Day; a good custom that he has established, which is followed by others; and that he leaves a righteous son that prays for his salvation.�16

�When the believer dies, his deeds are over except three things: the charity left behind which continues after his death, a knowledge from which people benefit and a righteous son who prays for him.�17

�When the believer dies leaving behind some knowledge (in writing); on Judgment Day those pages of knowledge would act as shields against the fire of Hell. And for each letter written in those pages, the Almighty Allah would bestow him a city seven times the size of this world.�18

One who teaches a good deed to someone would be rewarded equally as the one who is taught.

Abu Basir says: I asked the Imam: �What if the person who has learnt it, teaches it to others?�

The person to teach him first would be rewarded with the same rewards as all those who are subsequently taught it.

�One who teaches a good deed to another would be rewarded equally as the one who is taught; without there being any decrease in the reward of the doer of the act. And one who teaches an evil deed to another, would be punished with the same punishment that the actual doer would be punished without there being any decrease in the punishment of the one he has taught.�20

Classes of Barzakh

First group: Disbelievers and oppressors, who had no faith in the Almighty Allah, the Prophet and Resurrection during their life of the world. They considered themselves to be free and acted according to their whims and did not refrain from committing any evil. They would have a very hard life in Barzakh and they would be punished with different kinds of punishments. But they are nothing in comparison to the punishments of Hell.

Second group: Those who had faith in the Almighty Allah, the Prophet and Resurrection and who acted on their religious duties and refrained from prohibited acts. They would have a good life in Barzakh and would be bestowed with blessings, which would be a sample of the blessings reserved for them in Paradise.

Third group: Those who had faith in the Almighty Allah, the Prophet and Resurrection, and who performed their religious duties; but sometimes in carelessness they omitted an obligatory duty or committed unlawful act; but before death they repented for their sins and sought divine forgiveness; they would also not be punished in Barzakh.

Fourth group: Those who had faith in the Almighty Allah, the Prophet and Resurrection, and who performed their religious duties; but sometimes in carelessness they omitted an obligatory duty or committed unlawful act; but they died without repenting for their sins and seeking divine forgiveness. They would be punished in Barzakh in proportion to their sins and through it would be purified and on Judgment Day they would get the intercession of the Holy Prophet.

Punishments of Barzakh

It is certain that there are different types of chastisements in Barzakh, but their exact quality is unknown to us. Since we are aware about the punishments and pleasures of the world and are not able to comprehend the matters of Barzakh and hereafter exactly as they are.

In some traditions, the world of Barzakh and its pleasures and hardships are compared different types of happy and terrifying dreams.

Sometimes in dream man sees different animals and stinging creatures and they attack him and he is pained due to their stings; he screams for help and due to the severity of discomfort perspires in profusion, while his body is in bed and has not suffered any damage. Sometimes he also sees pleasant and sweet dreams and he enjoys seeing them although his body derives no such enjoyment. Barzakh and the pleasures of man in the world of Barzakh can be of such type.

�Death is the same sleep, which comes in search of you every night; with the difference that the duration of death is longer and you would not wake up till Judgment Day. Some people see dreams during sleep, which are extremely pleasing and so enjoyable that it is impossible to describe their pleasure. Others see terrifying matters, whose pain and discomfort is beyond computation. Thus what is the condition of pleasure and dread in a dream? Death is also like that; so prepare yourself for it.�22

In this tradition, Barzakh is compared to sleep. Although with the important difference that Barzakh is not sleep; on the contrary with regard to the life of this world, it is a sort of awakening.

Visions in the world of Barzakh are factual matters and it is from this aspect that feelings of pleasure and pain in them would also be extremely deeper and more lucid. Since in Barzakh, the connection between the soul and its material body is cut off, its memory and imagination becomes stronger. Its attention to the soul increases and it sees the good and bad qualities and its good and bad character inside its own being very clearly.

Bounties and Punishment of Barzakh

One, who is attentive to his inner conscience in this world, would see that it is filled with different types of harmful and beastly things like lust, anger, deceit, jealousy, enmity, pride and selfishness.

These same qualities continue to attack and sting. Except that most people are deprived of this vision of their inner self since they are involved in worldly matters and that which they can perceive through the senses. But when the curtain of unawareness is removed from the inner vision of man and he is placed in the grave, he would see them exactly and directly as personified in their appropriate forms.

In the same condition, he sees that he is surrounded by scorpions and snakes and they are stinging him. In such a way that they are the same vices and bad qualities that he possessed in his inner self in the world and in Barzakh they have appeared in their real forms, because the inner matters possess their appropriate forms. And this is the punishment of a sinful person in the grave. The opposite circumstances would be there for one who has faith and is righteous.23

Pleasures and punishments related to the grave are not imaginary and lacking in an outward existence. Anyone who has such a belief is deviated. On the contrary, the matters of the grave, from the aspect of being are more powerful than the matters of worldly perception, because worldly forms in physical material are in the lowest stage of existence, whereas the form of existence in the grave, which are established for the soul of man, and as compared to worldly life, possess a more dignified existence and cannot be compared to worldly forms and in the same way, the two cannot be said to be same from the aspect of strength and weakness.

In addition to this, both are perceptions of soul: one of them is perceived through the tools and physical strength and the other is felt through its own self; therefore it can be said: World and the hereafter are two conditions of the soul and that the make of the hereafter is in fact the exit of the soul from the filth and dust of physical form.24

An Incident by Allamah Tabatabai

He says: A gnostic named Shaykh Abud lived in a corner of a room in the courtyard of the mausoleum of Amirul Momineen (as) and he used to be occupied in his own circumstances. He rarely interacted with others and spent most of his time in worship and meditation. Sometimes he went to the Wadius Salam graveyard and spent hours there in meditation. When a dead body was brought for burial, he used to go to the grave and stare inside it.

One day as he was returning from the graveyard, a person asked: Shaykh Abud, what is the news about Wadius Salam? He replied: No matter how much I searched in the graves, I could not find any snakes or scorpions; so I asked one of the graves: They say that you have snakes, scorpions and harmful creatures, but I don�t see any such thing? The grave replied: We don�t have snakes and scorpions, but it is the men who bring snakes and scorpions with them from the world.

Siraat Bridge

Siraat is in the meaning of a �path�. The pathway between two houses is called as Siraat, which is mostly marked with a sign. But the words of �Siraat� and �path� are also sometimes used for things other than pathways related to space or place. It is often said: Path of life, path of prosperity, path of progress�and this term is also used in the sense of the medium of reaching ones destination.

In this world, willingly or unwillingly, man is headed to death and the world of the hereafter.

يَآ أَيُّهَا الْإِنسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَى‏ رَبِّكَ كَدْحاً فَمُلاَقِيهِ

�O thou man! Verily thou art ever toiling on towards thy Lord- painfully toiling,- but thou shalt meet Him� (Al-Inshiqaaq 84:6)

The distance between birth to death and all beliefs, views, morals, speech, character and behavior of man, during this period is a real route, but it is not confined to space; and willingly or unwillingly, one has to traverse it. It can be called as the path or way of life.

In order to traverse this path, man walks on a straight line which is the shortest, smoothest and easiest and free of danger way and in the Holy Quran it is called the straight path (Siraat Mustaqeem). Or he deviates from the straight path, going into valleys of misguidance and continues to wander aimlessly.

The Holy Quran has introduced worship of only one God and submission to His commands, according to pure nature of man and to which the divine prophets have called people as the straight path (Siraat Mustaqeem).

إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ‏

�It is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a Way that is straight.' (Aale-Imran 3:51)

وَهَذَا صِرَطُ رَبِّكَ مُسْتَقِيماً قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْأَيَتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

�And this is the path of your Lord, (a) right (path); indeed We have made the communications clear for a people who mind� (Al-An�aam 6:126)

قُلْ إِنَّنِي هَدَانِي رَبِّي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

�Say: Surely, (as for) me, my Lord has guided me to the right path; (to) a most right religion, the faith of Ibrahim the upright one, and he was not the polytheists� (161) �Say (O Muhammad): �Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the �Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).�� (Al-An�aam 6:161-162)

قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَينِى رَبِّى إِلَى‏ صِرَ طٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ دِيناً قِيَماً مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفاً وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ * قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ

"Did I not enjoin on you, O ye children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed� (60) And that you should serve Me; this is the right way� (Yasin 36:60-61)

Therefore, the straight path (Siraat Mustaqeem) can be interpreted as referring to Almighty Allah and entry into Paradise from: the right beliefs, good morals, laws and rules of Shariat sent through divine prophets. The straight path (Siraat Mustaqeem) is one, not more and every other way other than it is deviated. The Holy Quran says in the following verses:

وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْأَخِرَةِ عَنِ الصِّرَطِ لَنَكِبُونَ

"And most surely those who do not believe in the hereafter are deviating from the way� (Al-Mu�menoon 23:74)

وَمَنْ يَتَبَدَّلِ الكُفْرَ بِالإيمَنِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ الْسَّبِيلِ‏

"�. And whoever adopts unbelief instead of faith, he indeed has lost the right direction of the way� (Al-Baqarrah 2:108)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُواْ يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ‏

"Lo! those who wander from the way of Allah have an awful doom, for as much as they forgot the Day of Reckoning" (Sad 38:26)

احْشُرُواْ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ وَأَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ يَعْبُدُونَ‏ * مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَاهْدُوهُمْ إِلَى‏ صِرَاطِ الْجَحِيمِ

"Bring ye up", it shall be said, "The wrong-doers and their wives, and the things they worshipped� (22) "Besides Allah, and lead them to the Way to the (Fierce) Fire� (As-Saffat 37:22-23)

Therefore the Siraat is the way of life, which begins in this world and continues till Judgment Day. This way can be divided into two: straight path and wayward path. The straight path is a collection of right beliefs, good morals, laws and rules of Shariat and wayward paths consist of invalid beliefs, bad morals and unethical speech and action, which are against Shariat.

The seeker of this way is a man who through his free will, chooses one of these two paths and walks on them.

These paths are real and not notional. Every person by choosing the type of faith, morals and intentions in his inner being or in path of humanity performs servitude to gain divine proximity, perfection and illumination. Or he proceeds on path of bestiality and darkness and seeks distance from Allah to fall into terrifying valleys of materialism. Every person in this world treads on one of these paths, even though he might be unaware of it.

The same path continues after death in the world of Barzakh and Qiyamat and it end either at Paradise or Hell; in other words it can be said: Siraat in Qiyamat is the unseen version of this same worldly Siraat, which would become clear there. The same meaning is indicated in traditions.

�It is the path of divine recognition and knowing Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. Siraat is of two types: Siraat in the world and Siraat in hereafter. As for Siraat in the world it denotes obedience of the Imam whose obedience is necessary; whoever recognizes him in the world and follows his commands, would be able to cross the Siraat in hereafter which is like a bridge over Hell. And one who does not recognize him in the world (and does not benefit from his guidance) he would stumble in the hereafter and fall into Hell.�1

�True paths are two: One is in this world and another in the Hereafter. The Siraat Mustaqeem in this world is one, which does not contain excessiveness, defects and shortcomings. It is the straight road, which never drifts to untruth. Siraat of Hereafter is one, which leads the faithful believer straight to Paradise. Those following this path, will never turn from Paradise towards Hell, but will reach it straight away.�2

Jibraeel (Gabriel) came down to me and said: �Shall I not give you glad tidings of Paradise, through which you may cross the path (Siraat)?� I asked: �Why not!� He said: �You will cross it by effulgence (Noor) of Allah; and Ali by your effulgence (Noor), which is effulgence (Noor) of Allah. And your community will cross it through effulgence (Noor) of Ali, which is your effulgence (Noor); and one who is not given a light by the Almighty Allah would have no light.� 3

Siraat literary means a pathway and that is why religion is called Siraat, since it is the way of gaining divine rewards and for the same reason guardianship (Wilayat) and following Imam Ali (as) and the Holy Imams (as) is called Siraat. Therefore Amirul Momineen (as) said: I am the straight path (Siraat Mustaqeem) of Allah and a stable handle which will not break.� He means to say that his recognition and attachment to him is the path to Almighty Allah .4

�Different types of people would cross the Siraat Bridge. Siraat is finer than hair and sharper than sword. Some would pass over it like a flash of lightning and some would gallop over it like a horse, some would crawl over it on their four limbs and chests; some would traverse it on foot; some would be hanging from it; sometimes the fire of Hell would apprehend them and sometimes it would leave them.� 5

Therefore the crossing of Siraat Bridge is not same for all. On the contrary it depends on their cognition of religion and Shariat and is subject to their familiarity with the law of Shariah and avoidance of disobedience and sins.

The accurate recognition of the straight path; honesty, sincerity for it and being bound to it and absence of deviation from it is a difficult job. That is why it requires divine help; and that is why Muslims in all obligatory and recommended prayers always beseech Almighty Allah to keep them on the straight path:

Barzakhi Body in Different Opinions

Mulla Sadra is of the view that the Barzakhi body is an advanced stage of this same worldly body, which after death is transferred to the world of Barzakh along with the soul of man. With regard to this, he writes:

We should know that man is a compound of the soul and body, and these two, in spite of differences from the aspect of status and position are present in a single existence. In such a way that it can be said that they are a single, which has two stages and two-sided existence. One of its stages is having change, it becomes old and it perishes, but this stage is a secondary dimension of man and not his primary aspect. Another stage of the body, which is also his reality; is permanent and everlasting.

As much the human soul becomes more perfect in its being the body which is connected to it also becomes finer and lighter and its contact with the soul becomes stronger and union of the two becomes more intense; in such a way that when it rises to the stage of the intellectual existence, the soul and the body become a single reality in every sense. Some philosophers are of the view that worldly change and existence of the soul in spite of its supernatural existence is that the worldly body is taken up by it.

In the same way, as man comes out of his garments and becomes naked. But this belief is not correct. Their misunderstanding is due to the fact that they think that the natural body of man, which is directly under the control and will of the soul, is the same material body which is separated and released from it. But this belief is incorrect.

This material body is not directly under the control of the soul, on the contrary its ranks as refuse and staying under the filths and dirt of human body or by the rank of sheep wool and the horn and hooves of cow, sheep and camels that are not part of their actual body and according to another view, the created body of man is also same. The material body can be considered to be in the rank of a house that a man constructs in order to protect himself from summer and winter and to fulfill his other needs. He lives in it, but it is not a part of his body.

The actual human body is same that within it runs the effulgence of perception and innate life, and not a body with supposed feeling and life. The relation of the actual body to the soul is like the relation of light to the sun, which was always with it and had never been separated from it. If life of this cut-off body had been a part of its being, it would not have decomposed and abandoned after death.

Summarily, the soul in the stages of abstraction is an external phenomenon, which in the beginning can be perceived through apparent senses. After that it is stored in memory and in the end it assumes the form of a rational thing. According to philosophers:

Every perception having a kind of abstraction with itself and its stages of perceptions are according to the stages of abstraction; is also in the same meaning; and that it is said: Abstraction of a perceptive thing is not in this meaning; that in abstraction of some qualities of the perceptive thing are cut off and some of them remain.

On the contrary, abstraction means: transformation of insignificant and defective into a loftier and nobler existence. In the same way, the being of man and his transfer from the world to the hereafter is nothing other than that his worldly constitution is changed into the life of the hereafter. In the same way, the perfection of the human soul and the actualization of his intellect is not that some of his capacities like feelings etc, should be taken from him and his intellect remains intact, on the contrary as much he is perfected and his being scales higher stages, his capacities also become perfect and exalted. Since as much the being of a thing is exalted, as much its multiplicity and separation decreased and weakens and its unity and cohesion becomes stronger.8

The body of man is having two aspects: one is internal or hidden and the other is external or apparent. The external aspect is the same which has feelings and which is visible. And it is considered as a part of created things and events and is a specialty of this worldly constitution and it is worthy of enduring and permanent, because since the parts of this world continue forever to exist, spoil, change and transform, they do not remain in one condition forever, the apparent elemental body of man also (as mentioned in the third essay) continue forever to exist, spoil, change and transform, they do not remain in one condition forever and are always changing. It is that if we were not changing we would die and would be scattered from each other. This is matter is evident and does not need reasoning.

However his internal aspect, which in fact is the reality of this same body, and is considered to be part of man and his identity and without that the role and identity of man cannot be imagined. That is why a person perceives him by realization and not through his eyes and in no condition is he separated from it. So much so that even in sleep, he is not unaware of it.

It is correct that to scale the heights of perfection, our real soul in the beginning is needful of this elemental worldly body and beastly soul and for our satiation and formation in this world, which is one of the stages of perfection of man, on the contrary, our best excursion of perfection is a necessity in this world and we don�t have any other causes.

We cannot but make use of them, and according to the necessity, we should maintain them as pure and healthy. And due to this we do not have the right to erase it, but we should know that our soul and reality, on the contrary the body with which our soul is associated, is other than this apparent body, which is visible and an instrument of the soul; because as we stated in the third essay � our knowledge develops connection with dimensions and apparent aspects of the things and not their reality and beings.

And the reality of the body is that it is having the rank of the soul and the position of inner capacities of man. And anyone who refers to his own realization will nicely understand that he is a body whose soul is related to it even though in absence of eyes or other observational aspects, he may not know this physical constitution and apparent dimensions of his body as in the dream, when the eyes, ears all apparent senses of man are closed and the person understands himself through his inner realization; that he sees with the eyes and hears through the ears and in the same way all the parts of the body perform their functions, whereas others are unaware of his condition and they observe a motionless body and have no knowledge of his inner aspect. But in his dream, a man sees and feels everything as clearly as he sees in the waking world.

Compare the world of Barzakh to the world of dreams and know that the Almighty Allah has made the dreams and whatever is seen in dreams as examples of Barzakh, so that the imagination of the world of Barzakh becomes possible for us, even though the world of Barzakh with regard to this world is like awakening is to sleep.

In other words, the human body has two aspects: One is changeable, destructible and renewable and such that it never remains in the same form and cutting off its parts do not kill it. And another is permanent and everlasting; the first is the branch and the second is the root. The first is latitude and the second is essence. And as much as the soul scales the stages of perfection and becomes exalted, the real bodily aspect becomes cleaner, stronger and finer and its attachment to the soul increases and the unity between the spiritual and physical aspect becomes more intense and strong.

Like you see so-and-so person dead and after some days his soul-less body decomposes. This skin and form is his real body and is considered as an happening and event of this natural world, which is always under change and transformation and which does not remain in the same form even for an hour, because this world is the world of being, decay, change and renewal.

When the lifespan of that man comes to an end and in the vessel of time with us he is not renewed and created, therefore the body, which was in the position of his dimensions and which had the necessity of endurance in incidentality and renewal; its aged parts wither away and are replaced by new parts. And when due to death he does not get new parts, necessarily his old parts decay and do not endure for another day in this world.

But that original essence is safe and the essence of life and that which was the abode of spiritual capacities, perceptive powers and activity of man remain with him. That essence is the reality of this worldly elemental body, which is the cause of the activity and identity of the soul and the soul by the command of the Lord initially becomes attached to it than using the apparent body passes the stages of perfection; but is dependent on it for its motion till it completes its excursion; and after that by the command of the Almighty that Barzakhi body is separated from this elemental body.10

Gathering of Humans (Hashr)

In some traditions, it has come that human beings would assemble in Qiyamat in various forms. Mu�adh bin Jabal asked the Messenger of Allah (S) about the interpretation of the verse of Quran that reads:

يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى الصُّورِ فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجاً

The Day when the Trumpet will be blown, and you shall come forth in crowds (groups)" (An-Naba 78:18)

Ten groups from my Ummah would be distinguished from others and they would be gathered in different forms: some would come in form of monkeys and pigs in Qiyamat. Some would be brought upside down; they would be dragging their shoulders. Some would be presented blind and they would also walk in the same way.

Some would be brought deaf and dumb and they would not understand anything. Some would come chewing their tongues while it would be hanging on their chests and blood and puss would be flowing from their mouths and the folks of the gathering would be disgusted with them.

Some would have their limbs cut off. Some would be crucified on branches of fire. Some would stink more than carrion. Some would be dressed in clothes that would be dyed in tar and it would be sticking to their bodies.

Those who would be brought in the form of monkeys are actually those who spread mischief through lies and rumors. Those who would be brought in the form of pigs would be those who made money through unlawful means. Those who move on their faces would be those took usury. Those who would be brought deaf and dumb would be those who were conceited.

Those chewing their tongues would in fact be religious scholars and judges, whose actions were opposed to their words.

Those who would have their limbs cut off would be those who had harassed their neighbors.

Those stinking more than carrion would be those who followed the unlawful carnal desires and who did not pay the share of Allah and the poor from their wealth.

Those who would come with their clothes smeared in tar would be the conceited and arrogant ones. 1

The proud would be brought on Judgment Day in the form of small ants and they would be trampled by the folks of gathering till the accounting of the people is over. 2

One who cheats Muslims in trade is not from us (a Muslim) and on Judgment Day he would be raised with the Jews, since they were also habitual cheaters. 3

From the abovementioned traditions and tens of other such reports, it can be concluded that some people would be raised on Judgment Day in the form of animals. It is said that it does not imply that their form and worldly body would be changed into the form and worldly body of animals, as it was previously stated that man after death would come in Barzakh and Qiyamat with the same body that he possessed in the world. In such a way that whoever sees him would remark: It is the same so and so person who was there in the world. On the contrary, it implies that the being of such persons would change into the being of animal and they would really be brought as animals.

Even though their forms would be human, since in the world the animal manners and powers have completely dominated them, internally they have turned into animals, but others would be unaware of this; but since Judgment Day is the day when the inner being of man would be exposed, their being animals would also become apparent, although they would be there in human forms, since there is beastliness of animals in their beings and not in form or make-up.

Scroll of Deeds

It can be concluded from verses of Quran and traditions that all good and bad deeds, words, beliefs and views of man are recorded in a scroll by the angels appointed on him by the Almighty Allah.

وَ إِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ * كِرَاماً كَاتِبِينَ * يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ‏

�But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you (10) Kind and honorable,- Writing down (your deeds)(11) They know (and understand) all that ye do� (Al-Infitar 82:10-12)

وَ كُلَّ إِنسَنٍ أَلْزَمْنَهُ طَئِرَهُ فِى عُنُقِهِ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَمَةِ كِتَباً يَلْقَهُ مَنشُوراً * اِقْرَأْ كِتَبَكَ كَفَى‏ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيباً

�And We have made every man's actions to cling to his neck, and We will bring forth to him on the resurrection day a book which he will find wide open: (13) �Read your book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day� (Al-Isra� 17:13-14)

Raghib Isfahani has interpreted �bird� as good and bad deeds, which a person performs or commits. 1

According to verses of Quran, angels appointed by Allah on each man make two scrolls: scroll of good deeds and scroll of evil deeds. Scrolls related to him would be hung from his neck, so that on Judgment Day he may read it and become aware of his character.

�Book� implies a written thing. Writing in general parlance among us is interpreted as inscribing of letters, words and sentences, which prove a particular meaning according to social consonance inscribed on sheets of paper or any other tablet, which is capable to preserve those inscriptions. So that in future he can read it himself and other who are aware of the situation may also know what is written therein. But in any case, the reasoning of these writings and words is nominal and conventional and not actual or real.

Now the question that arises is that whether the writing of angels and preparation of the scroll of deeds from human beings is also of the same kind or some other kind? Would they rely on these same writings of lines and pictures? Would all these deeds be written on sheets of paper or other tablets? And would these be hung from necks of people, so that they may remain till Judgment Day? Such a supposition is basically unimaginable. Apart from this, it is not compatible with the contents of some Quranic verses, since it is concluded from verses and traditions that in Qiyamat, man would see his actual good and bad deeds and not their written records.

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَراً وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَداً بَعِيداً وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَ اللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

�On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done, and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself. And Allah is full of kindness to those that serve Him." (Aale-Imran 3:30)

وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَبُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَهَا وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِراً وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَداً

�And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful (persons) in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: and your Lord does not deal unjustly with anyone� (Al-Kahf 18:49)

1. In Qiyamat, the actual good and bad deeds of man would be presented before him and he would observe them and not a record of them.

2. The bad character of man (which was in his conscience) would not be separated from him and a desire to be separated from it would be useless.

3. All the good and bad deeds of man would be recorded in the scroll of deeds and even the smallest act would not be missed. He would see them (gathered) at a single place and would be astounded by it.

Abul Jarud has narrated from Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) that he said in the interpretation of the verse:

وَ كُلَّ إِنسَنٍ أَلْزَمْنَهُ طَئِرَهُ فِى عُنُقِهِ

�And We have made every man's actions to cling to his neck�..� (Al-Isra� 17:13)

The good and bad deeds of man would accompany him and it would not be possible to be separated from them, till the scroll of his deeds is given to him in Qiyamat. 2

When the Judgment Day would be established, the scroll of deeds of every man would be given to him. At that time he would be told: Read your book.

The Almighty Allah would remind him of every act. Thus he would remember whatever he had done all through his life, even though it might be in the blink of an eye, or a word that he spoke or a step that he took; as if he has committed it that very moment.

يَوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَهَا

�� Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof�� (Al-Kahf 18:49)

On the last day of his worldly life and the first day of his entry into the world of the hereafter, the man would see his wealth, children and deeds. Thus he would address his wealth and say: I put myself into great hardships for your sake and was greedy; what help can you render to me today? His wealth would reply: Take your burial shroud from me. Then he would address his children: I had been fond of you and throughout my life, I took good care of you; what help can you render to me today? They would reply: We would give you a proper burial. Then he would ask his deeds: I was shortcoming in observing you and you were difficult for me; what will you do about me?

His deeds would reply: I would be there with you in the grave and on the Judgment Day, till you are presented before your Lord. Thus if he is a believer, a fragrant, handsome and a well-dressed person would appear and say: Glad tidings to you of �happiness and bounty� (Rooh wa Raihan) and Paradise. Blessed be your arrival; you are welcome! The dead man would ask: Who are you? He replies: I am your good deeds. I have come with from the world and I would accompany you till Paradise.� 4

Therefore, true and false beliefs, good and bad morals, good and bad character are present in the inner being of man in this world also but due to worldly preoccupations, he is unaware of their existence. But in Qiyamat, when the curtain would be removed from his conscience, he would find all of them with himself at one and the same time. He would exclaim due to this astounding phenomenon and he would be told: Just as you were unaware of this matter in the world, We removed the curtain from your eyes and today your eyesight has become very sharp. 5

At this point, a question arises that the good and bad actions and words of man in the world are transient; that is they occur and then pass away; how can it be imagined that they would remain till Judgment Day? For example Prayer consists of Takbiratul Ihram, recitation of Surah Hamd and another Surah, genuflection and prostration, Tashahud and salutation and all of them are transient phenomena, and they cannot remain forever; all the good and bad deeds are of the same kind.

It is better that to solve this difficulty through the statements of a scholar who is well versed with this subject. He writes:

Everything a sane person can understand through his senses would leave an imprint on his soul and it would be stored in the treasure-trove of his perceptions. In the same way, every good or bad deed that he commits, no matter how small it is, its effect is recorded in the scroll of the soul; especially the acts, which become a habit and a second nature as a result of repetition. He same nature would lead one to either remain in Paradise or Hell forever.

Since the carnal habits change into an elemental form that they affect the invention of spiritual bounties and punishments. If the effect of acts and words on the soul had not been permanent and lasting, and do not intensify gradually in such a way that they become a part of that person�s nature, no one would have been able to master any art.

Punishment, discipline, training and education of children would also have been useless. And it would have made man same from the time of his childhood till the end of his life and no difference would have been possible. In that case, religious duties (for purification and training of the soul) would be useless and absurd.

And if habits had no permanence and essence and they had not been everlasting, the enduring of the people of Paradise in bounties and the living of the folks of Hell in punishment forever would have been absurd.

If the source of reward and punishment had been the deeds of man themselves, in the circumstances that actions and words are destroyed, it would necessitate that the effect would remain without the presence of the cause; and this is not correct. Physical action, which occurred in a limited time, how can it be the source of everlasting recompense? Such justifications do not befit the Almighty Allah.6

Scale Of Deeds

According to verse of Quran and traditions of the Infallibles, it can be concluded that in Qiyamat, a scale would be established in order to weigh the good and bad deeds of people. Weighing of deeds is an Islamic principle and it is a part of accounting.

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَزِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَمَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئاً وَ إِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى‏ بِنَا حَسِبِينَ

�And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account� (Al-Anbiya� 21:47)

Balance (Mizan) is an instrument of fixing the quantity of goods and commodities. This instrument has been common in different nations and communities in various forms, although mostly it is constructed from tangible materials and bodies are weighed through it, but it is not restricted only to material affairs; on the contrary in reality it is used in other matters as well.

The science of logic used to discriminate between right and wrong judgment, is also called as the �science of balance�. In the exposition of the quantum of consciousness, memory, sciences, information, people use the written and oral experiments and name them as �balance of exposing the reality�, and other matters of this type. Therefore the implication of �balance� does necessarily have to be something material.

Since the balance of Qiyamat is also same, because it is a medium to identify faith and principles of belief, good and bad morals, righteous and evils deeds, it cannot be a worldly and a physical matter.

Can prayer, fasting, sincerity, piety, faith, truthfulness, trustworthiness be weighed on a worldly balance?

A person asked Imam Ja�far Sadiq (as): �Would the deeds of people not be weighed in Qiyamat?�

�No, since deeds have no body; that which would be weighed in the balance would be its quality (effect). One who wants to find the weight or quantity of something needs a balance. While the fact is that nothing is hidden from the Almighty Allah.�

So, the person asked: �Then what is the meaning of the weighing of deeds?�

��.. those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, �..� (Al-Araf 7:8)

Therefore the balance of deeds in Qiyamat is not like the usual balances, which have a worldly body; on the contrary it should be of another kind. It is possible to choose between two causes in the interpretation of balance in Qiyamat:

First reason: It is that balance consists of correct beliefs, ethical values and laws of the Shariat, which are in fact the straight path, wayfaring on the path of Allah and attainment of the lofty stages of humanity. Therefore, in Qiyamat, the deeds of every man would be weighed on the criterion of Shariat and rewarded accordingly. The same point is indicated in traditions:

�Justice is the balance of God on the earth, one who acts on it would be admitted in Paradise and one who leaves it, would be thrown into Hell.� 2

�One who recites the formula of �there is no god except Allah,� with sincerity would be admitted in Paradise and sincerity lies in the fact that the testimony of �there is no god except Allah,� should prevent him from committing of prohibited acts.� 3

�Prayer is the balance; one who fulfills its rights would be recompensed completely.� 4

�Nothing is placed in the balance of deeds of the people in Qiyamat, which is superior to good behavior.� 5

�One who meets the Almighty Allah with the following ten things would be admitted to Paradise: Testimony of �there is no god but Allah,�; testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; confession of all that has come from the Almighty Allah; establishing of prayer; paying of Zakat; fasting in the month of Ramadhan; Hajj of the Holy Kaaba; acceptance of the guardianship (Wilayat) of the holy personalities (Awliya) of Allah; immunity from enemies of Allah and refraining from alcohol.� 6

Second reason: It is that balance of deeds is in fact the holy reflection of deeds and views of prophets and infallible Imams. Since these holy personalities are guides of humanity, they themselves acted in accordance to laws of Shariat and practiced the best of morals in such a way that perfections of humanity were personified in them. They also called the people to same beliefs and morals. Hence all beliefs, acts, morals and traits of character can be judged on their criterion; thus they are considered to be the balance of deeds. The same interpretation is mentioned in some traditional reports.

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَزِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَمَةِ

�And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection�..� (Al-Anbiya� 21:47)

�I am the balance of knowledge and Ali is the two pans of balance, Hasan and Husain are its cords and Fatima is the connecting rod between them and the Imams after Hasan and Husain would be the criterion of recognition of their friends and their enemies.� 10

Therefore the holy beings of prophets and their infallible successors can also be interpreted as the balance to weigh the deeds of the people of the community, but think upon it for a moment and you will see that that the second reason also returns to the first cause, since the beings of the prophets and successors are personification of beliefs, morals and good character of religion, they are introduced as balance; thus the balance is in fact a criterion to weigh beliefs and deeds and laws of religion. And the deeds of every person can be weighed in it and he could be rewarded and punished accordingly. In this weighing, beliefs and deeds of a person would be placed in one pan and the other pan contains all beliefs, morals and laws of religion.

From some verses of Quran it can be concluded that man has not one, but many balances.

وَ الْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَ زِينُهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ‏ * وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَ زِينُهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ بَِايَتِنَا يَظْلِمُونَ‏

�The balance that day will be true (to nicety): those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper (8) Those whose scale will be light, will be their souls in perdition, for that they wrongfully treated Our signs� (Al-Araf 7:8-9)

In this verse, the point mentioned is about the heaviness of the balances of some people and the lightness of the balances of others. It can be concluded that every person would have a number of balances. Perhaps it would be from the aspect that the beliefs would be weighed in one balance, while morals would be weighed in another and deeds would be weighed in yet another balance; thus if each belief is weighed against the correct belief, and every deed is weighed against proper deeds and every moral is weighed against right morals all in different balances, each person would have a number of balances.

Process of Weighing The Deeds

The background of the heaviness and lightness of the pan of balance is obtained in this world through beliefs, morals, character and speech of man: correct beliefs make the self-illuminated, and one who has a stronger faith has more illuminated self. Even though good morals and nice manners are also of the same sort, good deeds, worship and other charitable acts are accidental and they do not endure, but through sincerity and good intention assume the form of a second nature and illuminate and polish the self of man and strengthen his human aspects and make the pan of his deeds heavier.

On the other hand, false beliefs, morals and evil deeds make the soul dark and terrifying; his aspect of humanity is weakened and the aspect of his bestiality is strengthened and so much so that sometimes in his inner being, he assumes the form of a carnivorous beast and the pan of his humanity becomes light.

All these acts, reactions and changes occur in this world and inside the self, but he himself is unaware of them, till on Judgment Day the curtain would be removed from his eyes.

He would see all of them with his own eyes. At that time he would find the pan of balance of his self either light or heavy.

Paradise and its Bounties

Paradise means a better world, a place with a pleasing atmosphere and full of varying bounties, in which the righteous would live after death. The Holy Quran has mentioned it as �Garden�, which denotes a place full of greenery and trees. In Quran, there are numerous verses, which promise Paradise to the believers and enumerate its different beauties and bounties; some of which are as follows:

وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَرُ كُلَّمَا رُزِقُواْ مِنْهَا مِنْ ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزْقاً قَالُواْ هَذَا الَّذِى رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَأُتُواْ بِهِ مُتَشَبِهاً وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَ جٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَلِدُونَ‏

�And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide� (Al-Baqarah 2:25)

لَكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْاْ رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّتٌ تَجْرِى مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَرُ خَلِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلاً مِّنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّلْأَبْرَارِ

�But as to those who are careful of (their duty to) their Lord, they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding in them; an entertainment from their Lord, and that which is with Allah is best for the righteous� (Aale �Imraan 3:198)

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَتِ جَنَّتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَرُ خَلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِى جَنَّتِ عَدْنٍ وَ رِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ذَ لِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ‏

�Allah hath promised to Believers, men and women, gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss. But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah: that is the supreme felicity� (At-Tawbah 9:72)

مَّثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِى وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ تِجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَرُ أُكُلُهَا دَآئِمٌ وَ ظِلُّهَا تِلْكَ عُقْبَى الَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ وَّ عُقْبَى الْكَفِرينَ النَّارُ

�The parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised! beneath it flow rivers: perpetual is the enjoyment thereof and the shade therein: such is the end of the Righteous; and the end of Unbelievers in the Fire� (Ar-Rad 13:35)

جَنَّتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَرُ لَهُمْ فِيهَا مَا يَشَآءُونَ كَذَلِكَ يَجْزِى اللَّهُ الْمُتَّقِينَ

�Gardens of Eternity which they will enter: beneath them flow (pleasant) rivers: they will have therein all that they wish: thus doth Allah reward the righteous� (An-Nahl 16:31)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلاً * أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ جَنَّتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الْانْهَرُ يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَيَلْبَسُونَ ثِيَاباً خُضْراً مِّن سُندُسٍ وَ إِسْتَبْرَقٍ مُّتَّكِئِينَ فِيهَا عَلَى الْأَرآئِكِ نِعْمَ الثَّوَابُ وَ حَسُنَتْ مُرْتَفَقاً

�Surely (as for) those who believe and do good, we dot waste the reward of him who does a good work� (30)"For them will be Gardens of Eternity: beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade. They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a couch to recline on" (Al-Kahf 18:30-31)

فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّآ أُخْفِىَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَآءً بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ‏

�No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do� (As-Sajda 32:17)

الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ * ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ أَنتُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ تُحْبَرُونَ‏ * يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِصِحَافٍ مِّن ذَهَبٍ وَ أَكْوَابٍ وَ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ الْأَنفُسُ وَتَلَذُّ الْأَعْيُنُ وَأَنتُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ‏ * وَتِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِى أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ‏ * لَكُمْ فِيهَا فَاكِهَةٌ كَثِيرَةٌ مِّنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ‏

" (you) who believed in Our aayaat and were Muslims (69)Enter Paradise you and your wives in happiness" (70)"Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them, (there will be) therein all that the one's inner-selves could desire, all that the eyes could delight in, and you will abide therein forever (71)This is the Paradise which you have been made to inherit because of your deeds which you used to do (in the life of this world)(72) Therein for you will be fruits in plenty, of which you will eat (as you desire)" (Az-Zukhuf 43:69-73)

مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِى وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ فِيهَآ أَنْهَارٌ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ وَ أَنْهَارٌ مِّن لَّبَنٍ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ خَمْرٍ لَّذَّةٍ لِّلشَّارِبِينَ وَ أَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفّىً وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِ‏ّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَالِدٌ فِى النَّارِ

"The description of Paradise which the Muttaq�n (pious) have been promised is that in it are rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey (clear and pure) therein for them is every kind of fruit; and forgiveness from their Lord. (Are these) like those who shall dwell for ever in the Fire,�..� (Muhammad 47:15)

سَابِقُواْ إِلَى‏ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَآءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ

�Race one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whereof the breadth is as the breadth of the heavens and the earth; it is prepared for those who believe in Allah and His apostles .�� (Al-Hadid 57:21)

إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ يَشْرَبُونَ مِن كَأْسٍ كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا كَافُوراً * عَيْناً يَشْرَبُ بِهَا عِبَادُ اللَّهِ يُفَجِّرُونَهَا تَفْجِيراً

"Verily the Abraar (pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil) will drink a cup (of wine) mixed with water from a spring in Paradise called Kafoor(5)A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah will drink, causing it to gush forth abundantly"(Al-Insan 76:5-6)

وَ جَزَاهُم بِمَا صَبَرُواْ جَنَّةً وَحَرِيراً * مُّتَّكِئِينَ فِيهَا عَلَى الْأَرَآئِكِ لَا يَرَوْنَ فِيهَا شَمْساً وَلَا زَمْهَرِيراً * وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلَالُهَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوفُهَا تَذْلِيلًا * وَيُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بَِانِيَةٍ مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَأَكْوَابٍ كَانَتْ قَوَارِيرَاْ * قَوَارِيرَاْ مِن فِضَّةٍ قَدَّرُوهَا تَقْدِيراً * وَيُسْقَوْنَ فِيهَا كَأْساً كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنجَبِيلاً * عَيْناً فِيهَا تُسَمَّى‏ سَلْسَبِيلًا * وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُّخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤاً مَّنثُوراً * وَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيماً وَ مُلْكاً كَبِيراً * عَالِيَهُمْ ثِيَابُ سُندُسٍ خُضْرٌ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٌ وَحُلُّواْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن فِضَّةٍ وَ سَقَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ شَرَاباً طَهُوراً

�And reward them, because they were patient, with garden and silk (12) �Reclining in the (Garden) on raised thrones, they will see there neither the sun's (excessive heat) nor (the moon's) excessive cold (13) And the shades of the (Garden) will come low over them, and the bunches (of fruit), there, will hang low in humility (14) And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver and goblets of crystal (15) Crystal-clear, made of silver: they will determine the measure thereof (according to their wishes) (16) And they will be given to drink there of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Zanjabil (17) A fountain there, called Salsabil (18) And round about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness): If thou seest them, thou wouldst think them scattered Pearls (19) And when thou lookest, it is there thou wilt see a Bliss and a Realm Magnificent (20) Upon them will be green Garments of fine silk and heavy brocade, and they will be adorned with Bracelets of silver; and their Lord will give to them to drink of a Wine Pure and Holy " (Al-Insan 76:12-21)

The above verses describe Paradise as a place of extremely high standards and pleasing atmosphere in which different types of bounties are ready. They include verdant trees below which streams of sweet water flow; different delicious and fragrance fruits, which would be obtained without any efforts; brooks of clean milk and honey and pure wine flow there; whenever they want they can drink from it; fowl meat is ready for them; they recline on comfortable sofas in beautiful palaces and handsome servants continuously go around them entertaining them.

They wear dresses of fine and soft garments and stroll in the gardens of Paradise; there would be Houries of Paradise for them, who are extremely beautiful and no man has touched them before this and they have not even looked at any man, except their consorts; and the righteous believers would have to just mention whatever he wants and it would be made available to him in Paradise.

It is mentioned that the above mentioned bounties are similar to the bounties of the world and it is necessary to accept this fact, but it is not necessary that we should consider them exactly as worldly examples having all worldly aspects and defects; if it had been so, Paradise would have been a part of the world, and not of hereafter. In the circumstance that hereafter is a very lofty, world which is not in the whole world; matters of the hereafter are pure of the defects of the matters of the world.

In some verses and traditions also the same excellence is mentioned and below we present some of them by way of examples:

The foods in the world are tasty, but along with it they have additional matters which must necessarily be expelled in urine and feces; but the foods of Paradise do not create excrement. Fruits of the world have to be picked, but the branches of fruits of Paradise would themselves come to the believer:

وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلَالُهَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوفُهَا تَذْلِيلًا

�And the shades of the (Garden) will come low over them, and the bunches (of fruit), there, will hang low in humility� (Al-Insan 76:14)

Waters and milk of the world are prone to go bad if they are left for a long time, and their taste undergoes a change, but the water and milk of Paradise do not go bad:

فِيهَآ أَنْهَارٌ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ وَ أَنْهَارٌ مِّن لَّبَنٍ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ

"�..therein it are rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changed��.� (Muhammad 47:15)

Worldly drinks are tasty, but they also lead to intoxication and addiction; as opposed to drinks of Paradise, which are tasty but are pure of the defects of the worldly drinks.

Whatever is mentioned especially concerns bounties whose corrupted versions are found in the world; but it can be concluded from Quran that in Paradise there would be numerous bounties, which are much more superior and so extraordinary that they were neither heard nor seen. Nor the human heart had ever imagined them. The Holy Quran says:

فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّآ أُخْفِىَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ

�So no soul knows what is hidden for them of that which will refresh the eyes �..�(As-Sajda 32:17)

�There are such bounties in Paradise that neither the human eye has seen them nor the human heart has imagined.� 1

Bounties of Paradise would come in search of the believer and not that the believer has to go out in search of them. Amirul Momineen (as) said:

�Tooba is a tree in Paradise; its roots are in the house of the Messenger of Allah (S), and it will have a branch in the house of every believer; whenever a believer desires something, it would be given to him by that branch.� 2

The folks of Paradise would remain in perpetual youth and elegance. Senility, disease, weakness, pain, sorrow, jealousy enmity and worry have no place in Paradise. People of Paradise would enjoy the different types of foods, but would not produce any excrement. They would live in Paradise forever and death will never come to them.

The late Mulla Mohsin Faiz Kashani has mentioned the difference between the bounties of Paradise and the bounties of the world:

Desire of man is under the control of things, which are beyond existence but the matters of Paradise would be under the control of the folks of Paradise. Whatever they desire would be given to them only by wishing for it. The Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

وَ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ الْأَنفُسُ وَتَلَذُّ الْأَعْيُنُ

"�. therein shall be what their souls yearn after and (wherein) the eyes shall delight�.. � (Az-Zukhuf 43:71)

Thus whatever they intend would be given to them immediately and not that what is present at that time. 3 Another difference is that the growth of the hereafter is the growth of effulgence, perception, divine proximity, life and appearance; matters of the hereafter are alive and perceptible.

As mentioned in traditions, different fruits would tell the folks of Paradise: �O Wali of Allah, eat me before you are inclined to something else.� And when the believer sits on his throne, it would become extremely elated. And it is mentioned in Quran that:

وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِىَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ

��.. as for the next abode, that most surely is the life, did they but knew� (Al-�Ankaboot 29:64)

Grades of Paradise

Paradise has different grades and ranks. The bounties of Paradise are also not same for all the people of Paradise. All folks of Paradise are not confined to the same place.

Some are placed in lofty positions and some inhabit the lower grades and some occupy the middle stages.

�It has more and higher grades; it has different kinds of abodes and its bounties are never exhausted. Its inhabitants never depart and one who lives therein never becomes aged, its folks never fall in any need.� 5

هُمْ دَرَجَتٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ‏

�There are (varying) grades with Allah, and Allah sees what they do� (Aale �Imraan 3:163)

لَا يَسْتَوِى الْقَعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ غَيْرُ أُوْلِى الضَّرَرِ وَ الْمُجَهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَ لِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً وَكُلّاً وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى وَفَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَهِدِينَ عَلَى الْقَعِدِينَ أَجْراً عَظِيماً

"Not equal are those of the believers who sit [at home] except those who are disabled [by injury or are blind or lame, etc] and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit [at home]. Unto each, Allah has promised good [Paradise] but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit [at home] by a huge reward". (An-Nisa 4:95)

يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ

�� Allah will rise up, to (suitable) ranks (and degrees), those of you who believe and who have been granted (mystic) Knowledge. And Allah is well-acquainted with all ye do� (Al-Mujadila 58:11)

وَلِكُلٍ‏ّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِّمَّا عَمِلُواْ وَلِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَ هُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ‏

"And for all are degrees according to what they did, and that He may pay them back fully their deeds and they shall not be wronged" (Al-Ahqaf 46:19)

وَ رِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ذَ لِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ‏

��But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah: that is the supreme felicity� (At-Tawbah 9:72)

Therefore all the believers would go to Paradise and enjoy the bounties of Paradise; but the abode of Paradise is not same for them all, neither the bounties that they would enjoy. On the contrary there are so many differences between them that our limited intellect cannot understand them all. It is possible that these differences are due to the following reasons:

One: How much divine recognition they have and what are their religious beliefs.

Although the people of Paradise would get whatever they intend or wish for, immediately:

وَ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ الْأَنفُسُ وَتَلَذُّ الْأَعْيُنُ

"�. therein shall be what their souls yearn after and (wherein) the eyes shall delight�.. � (Az-Zukhuf 43:71)

But the desires of all the people are not same; on the contrary they are dependent on their cognition and faith.

Access to Paradise and Enjoying Its Bounties

Paradise is earned in this same world through faith and correct beliefs, good ethics and deeds and through keeping away from sins and it would become clear in the world of the hereafter. Paradise and its bounties are as a result of the deeds of the world; on the contrary they would be the deeds themselves.

�Allah, the exalted and the blessed said: My true servants, enjoy the bounties of My worship in this world, as you will enjoy the same in the world of the hereafter.�6

�In Paradise there are transparent palaces of glass, which would be occupied by those from my nation, who speak nicely with others, who feed the poor, greet aloud and during the night when people sleep, they are occupied in prayers.� 7

�Be blessed through reciting and acting on the Holy Quran. Indeed the Almighty Allah has created Paradise with bricks of gold and silver. Its mortar is musk; its sand is saffron and emeralds its pebbles. He has made the stages of Paradise as numerous as the verses of Quran. One who recited the Quran in the world (and acted on it) on Judgment Day he would be told: Recite and continue to climb and anyone who enters Paradise would not be higher than him, except the prophets and the truthful ones.� 8

�When on the night of ascension I entered Paradise, I beheld a white plain where a number of angels were building palaces of gold and silver bricks. Now they plied their work, and then they stood idle. I asked them why their labors were interrupted. They replied, �We wait to be paid for our labors.� �What payments?� I asked. They answered, �The recital on earth by believers of such ascriptions as: Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god except Allah, and Allah is the greatest. Whenever they pronounce these ascriptions, we build; but when they cease, our work also ceases.� 9

�Generosity is a tree of the trees of Paradise, with branches hanging in the world; one who is generous is taken hold by one of those branches and taken to Paradise. And miserliness is a tree from the trees of Hell; it has branches in the world; thus one who is miserly takes up one of its branches and enters Hell.� 10

وَ أَطيعُوا اللَّهَ وَ الرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ * وَ سارِعُوا إِلى‏ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَ جَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّماواتُ وَ الْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقينَ * الَّذينَ يُنْفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَ الضَّرَّاءِ وَ الْكاظِمينَ الْغَيْظَ وَ الْعافينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَ اللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنينَ * وَ الَّذينَ إِذا فَعَلُوا فاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَ مَنْ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَ لَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلى‏ ما فَعَلُوا وَ هُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ * أُولئِكَ جَزاؤُهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْري مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهارُ خالِدينَ فيها وَ نِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعامِلينَ

�And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy� (132) Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous (133) Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;- for Allah loves those who do good (134) And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins,- and who can forgive sins except Allah?- and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done(135) For such the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath,- an eternal dwelling: How excellent a recompense for those who work (and strive)� (Aal �Imraan 3:132-136)

That which is mentioned here was about the perfect Paradise, but as for the Paradise of morals, good qualities and the Paradise of meeting the Lord; it is another thing, to explain which is beyond the aim of this brief treatise.

Our final statement is: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah pity my old age, the termination of my days, the approach of my death and my feebleness, my poverty and the scarcity of resources! Pity me when my trace disappears from the world, my memory is wined off from among the creatures and I be one who is forgotten!

My Lord, pity me at my resurrection and my rising (from the grave). On that day, let my place be with Your friends, my exit among Your friends and my dwelling in Your neighborhood, O Lord, of the Worlds! O my God, discontinue Your goodness in my life and do not cut off Your favors on me at my death Oh, the most merciful of the merciful ones.

Could you please explain what happens to believers and non-believers when they die?

Death is a stage which occurs when the spirit departs from the body to make it lifeless. As Muslims, we believe in the resurrection when the body and the spirit will be reunited in the hereafter. This life is a stage for action, but the life to come after the resurrection is a stage of reward. Human beings will either be in pure happiness or in total misery. It is part of the basic Islamic beliefs that after resurrection, we will account for our deeds and we will be judged accordingly. Those on whom Allah bestows His mercy will be in heaven, while those who are denied it will abide in hell, the place of absolute misery.

It is also clearly stated by the Prophet that the deeds of even the best person will not be enough to send him to heaven without Allah's grace. Allah's grace is guaranteed by none other than Allah Himself to those who believe in Him and do well in their lives. However, the time between a person's death and resurrection is an intermediate stage of life of "barzakh", which means intermediate stage. Relying on authentic Hadiths, scholars mention that angels are sent to people in their graves to question them about their beliefs.

In a Hadith related by Imam Ahmad, the Prophet tells us that when a believer is buried, his prayers sit over his head, fasting to his right, zakah to his left and other good deeds are positioned below his feet. Each prevents any harm from coming to him from that direction. He is then sat up and asked about his view of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

A believer will say: "Muhammad (peace be upon him), I believe that he was Allah's messenger who came with the message of the truth from Allah." He is then reassured of his fate by the questioning angels and his place is pointed out to him. A wide expanse is opened to him in his grave and he is given light. His body is then returned to its state�.

The Hadith mentions the opposite of all this in the case of a non-believer. At the end, we are told that his grave is made too narrow for him that his ribs almost crack. That is the hard life mentioned in the Qur'an. All this applies to people who are buried, cremated, drowned or eaten up by wild beasts. It is easy for Allah to resurrect these in the same way as He resurrects those who are buried.

In the grave each person is shown where he will be when raised again as per following hadith.

Ibn Umar reported that Allaah's Prophet (SAW) said: When a person dies, he is shown his seat morning and evening. If he is one amongst the inmates of Paradise (he is shown his seat) in Paradise and if he is one amongst the denizens of Hell-Fire (he is shown his seat) in the Hell-Fire. Then it is said to him: That is your seat where you would be sent on the Day of Resurrection. (Muslim 6858).

According to al-Muwatta of Imaam Maalik and as-Sunaan, Abu Dawood, "Ka'b ibn Maalik said the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Verily the soul of the believer is a bird hanging on to the trees of Paradise, until Allah Swt returns it to its body on the day of Resurrection"

According to Islamic beliefs, a person will be held accountable for all his deeds after the person moves on to the next life. According to hadith, the following are first of the many questions that a person will be asked.

A person�s first stage of reckoning will be in the grave where he will be asked three questions. Allah will help reinforce the person�s answers based on his deeds in this world. The three questions are the following:

[Based on the hadith Narrated by al-Baraa� ibn �Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him), which was narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (4753) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2979.]

The second stage of the person�s reckoning will be on the Day of Resurrection when he will be brought to account for every major and minor action, even though he has already been brought to account for that in the grave. The first thing for which he will be brought to account for then will be his prayer.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The first thing among their deeds for which the people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows best, �Look at My slave�s prayer, is it complete or lacking?� If it is complete, it will be recorded as complete, but if it is lacking, He will say, �Look and see whether my slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.� If he had done voluntary prayers, He will say, �Complete the obligatory prayers of My slave from his voluntary prayers.� Then the rest of his deeds will be examined in a similar manner.� (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 864; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 770).

My aqeedah is that after the body is dead, it is of no use and they cannot hear. But according to hadith, there is punishment in the grave. Does this mean that the body is still alive?

Also in the Quran it is mentioned that martyrs don�t die? Also it is reported in a hadith in Muslim that when prophet (saw) addresses the body of Abu Jahl, Umaya and others. Umar (ra) asks him �how can the dead hear�, to which the prophet (saw) replies that �they can hear but cannot reply� kindly answer my question with detail

1 � What is mentioned in the question, that the dead do not hear anything that the living say is true and is correct. Allah says (interpretation of the meanings):

�Neither are the living and the dead alike. Surely Allah makes whom He pleases hear, and you cannot make those hear who are in the graves�(Faatir 35:22)

�For verily thou (Muhammad) canst not make the dead to hear, nor canst thou make the deaf to hear the call when they have turned to flee� (Ar-Room 30:52)

2 � The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa�l-Jamaa�ah is that there is torment and punishment in the grave and life in al-barzakh (the interval between death and the Day of Resurrection), and there is blessing and pleasure, according to the status of the deceased. The evidence for that is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

�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�awn�s (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!� (Al-Ghaafir 40:46)

Allah states here that the people of Pharaoh are exposed to torment morning and afternoon even though they are dead. From this aayah, the scholars affirmed that the torment of the grave is real.

This aayah is the main basis of the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah in the torment of al-barzakh, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

�The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon�.� (Al-Ghaafir 40:46)

According to the hadeeth of �Aa�ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray in his salaah (prayer), �Allahumma inni a�oodhu bika min �adhaab il-qabr, wa a�oodhu bika min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal, wa a�oodhu bika min fitnat il-mahyaa wa fitnat il-mamaat, Allahumma ini a�oodhu bika min al-ma�tham wa�l-maghram (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave, I seek refuge in You from the tribulation of the Dajjaal, I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death, O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sin and loss).� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 798; Muslim, 589)

The relevant point in this hadeeth is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave. This is one of the pieces of evidence that confirm the torment of the grave. No one disputed the torment of the grave apart from the Mu�tazilah and some other groups who are not worth paying attention to.

3 � With regard to the hadeeth which describes the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) addressing the dead bodies of the mushrikeen on the day of the battle of Badr, it is to be understood that this was a unique case, where Allah brought them back to life so that His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) might rebuke them and humiliate them.

(a) It was narrated that Ibn �Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: �The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood over the well of Badr [into which the bodies of the mushrikeen had been thrown] and said, �Have you found the promise of your Lord to be true?� Then he said, �They can hear what I am saying now.�� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3980; Muslim, 932)

(b) It was narrated that Abu Talhah said: � Umar said, �O Messenger of Allah, why are you speaking to bodies that have no souls?� The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, you do not hear what I am saying any better than they do.�� Qutaadah said: Allah brought them back to life so that they could hear what he was saying, so that they might be rebuked and feel regret and shame. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3976; Muslim, 2875. See Fath al-Baari, 7/304)

The relevant point here is that Allah caused the people in the well to hear the words of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), so that they might be humiliated. But it is not correct to deduce from this hadeeth that the dead can hear everything, because this applied only to the people in the well. Some scholars made an exception and said that the dead can hear the salaam, but this is a view for which clear sound evidence is lacking.

4 � According to the most correct scholarly view, the torment of the grave befalls both the soul and the body.

�The view of the salaf (earliest generations) of this ummah and its imams is that the torment or blessing (of the grave) happens to the soul of the deceased and his body. After it departs from the body, the soul continues to be blessed or punished, and it is also connected to the body from time to time, so that the blessing or torment befalls the body as well as the soul.�

Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) was asked about this matter, and we will quote his reply in full:

�Indeed, the torment and blessing happen to both the soul and the body, according to the consensus of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa�l-Jamaa�ah. The soul is blessed or tormented separately from the body, and it is blessed or tormented in connection with the body. The body is connected to it, so in this case the blessing or torment happens to them both, and it may happen to the soul separately from the body.

The view of the salaf and imams of this ummah is that when a person dies, he will be in a state of blessing or torment, and that happens to his soul and his body. After the soul has departed from the body, it remains in a state of blessing or torment, and that is sometimes connected to the body and the blessing or torment happens to them both. Then when the Day of Resurrection comes, the souls will be returned to their bodies and they will rise from their graves to meet the Lord of the Worlds. The physical resurrection is a matter upon which the Muslims, Jews and Christians are agreed.� (al-Rooh, p. 51, 52)

The scholars likened that to dreams when one is asleep, for a person may dream that he is going and traveling, and he may feel happiness or grief and sorrow while he is sleeping, and that is when he is in his place and in this world. So it is more apt that things should be different in the life of al-barzakh which is completely different from the life of this world and the life of the Hereafter.

�If it is said, we see the deceased and how he is in his grave, so how can he be questioned, made to sit up and beaten with iron rods, when no mark is left on him?

The answer is that this is not impossible, and indeed there is a similar case in our regular lives, that of the sleeper who feels joy or pain of which we feel nothing. A person who is awake may also feel joy or pain because of something he hears or thinks about, and those who are sitting with him feel nothing of that. Similarly, Jibrael used to come to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and tell him of the Waheeh (Revelation), and the people present were unaware of it. All of that is clear and evident.� (Sharh Muslim, 17/201)

�When a person sleeps, he may feel joy or pain, and that happens to his soul and his body. He may dream that someone is beating him and wake up with pain in his body, or he may dream that he is being fed some good food, then wake up with the food in his mouth. This is something that really happens.

If the body and soul of a sleeping person can experience joy and pain that are not felt by the person next to him, and a sleeper may even cry out because of the intensity of pain or fear of what is happening to him, and those who are awake can hear him, and he may speak, reciting Quran or dhikr, or talking to someone, and those who are awake can hear that, even though he is asleep with his eyes closed, and he does not hear them if they speak to him �

then how can we deny that the one who is buried in his grave also feels things, when the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has told us that he �hears the sound of their footsteps� and �You do not hear what I say any better than they do�?

The heart is akin to the grave, hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, when he missed �Asr on the day of al-Khandaq: �May Allah fill their hearts and graves with fire.� And Allah differentiated between them (graves and hearts) in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

�Does he not know,- when that which is in the graves is scattered abroad (9) And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known� (Al-Adyat 100:9-10)

We cannot say that the blessing or torment that the dead experience is like that which a sleeper experiences when he dreams, rather that blessing or torment is more complete and more far-reaching; it is a real blessing and a real torment. But this example is given to show that this is possible.

If someone were to say that the dead person does not move in his grave, and the soil does not change, and so on, this matter may be explained in more detail, but that would take too long to explain here. And Allah knows best. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. (Majmoo� al-Fataawa, 4/275, 276)

The issue of the dead people�s ability to hear the living human beings is a matter of difference of opinions among Muslim scholars. Here is a summary of the opposite sides:

The majority of the scholars from the Hanafi School of Thought argue that the dead people do not have the ability to hear. They base their opinion on the Quran in Surah ar-Rum (30) verse 52 and Surah Fatir (35) verse 22. Thats why, they don�t believe in giving Talqeen (or certain dictation and instruction) to the deceased person.

Other Muslim scholars argue that deceased people in general are able to hear. They base their opinions on the Hadiths narrated in Bukhari and Muslim, the meaning of which is that after the victory of the Muslims over the non-believers in the battle of Badr, prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shouted at some of the deceased people who were thrown in a well. At this moment, the companions of the prophet asked him how he talks to bodies who have no souls, he replied to them that they (the deceased) can hear him as much as the companions can hear him, but they are simply not able to respond. Since this statement apparently contradicts with the Quranic verses we mentioned previously, the scholars who argue that the deceased do have the ability to hear, state that Allah means in the previously stated verses that the prophet should not talk to the deceased unless Allah wishes him to do so, or that the prophet should not talk to them something beneficial.

On the other side of the issue, the scholars who argue that the deceased cannot hear argue that the event in Badr that occurred with the prophet (peace be upon him) did happen but it was an exception to the rule, and specific to the ability of the prophet himself and not to the public. The conclusion is: the deceased are usually able to hear when Allah wishes them to hear what He wants them to hear. Since He is All Powerful, he can create this ability in their bodies. Thank you for asking and God knows best.

In our part of the world, when a person dies, particularly in old age, his family follows a number of traditions such as bring a number of people from a local Qur'anic school to read the Qur'an near his grave. They take turns in order to maintain a 24 hour Qur'anic recitation until the following Friday. The deceased's family believes that by so doing, they prevent the angels from questioning their relatives in the grave until Friday when Allah forgives him.

How is to celebrate Teeja (Third Day), Saatiwan (Sevent Day), Daswan (Tehnth Day), Chaleeswan (Fortieth Day) and Barsi (One year) for the dead.

The reciters are well catered for with food and drink and clothes, and given some money at the end of their task. Other duties are also fulfilled at particular intervals, such as the third, tenth and fortieth days of the death of the person concerned. If the deceased has some married sons, their fathers-in-law are duty bound to bring clothes to all member of the deceased person's family. Every Thursday and on anniversaries of the death of the person concerned, his more dutiful children serve food to a number of poor people who are called in to recite the Qur'an on his behalf. Could you please comment on these traditions?

I have given a detailed answer on what actions may be of benefit to a deceased person, when performed by his relatives. I said that Allah may well credit to the deceased person the reward of any sadaqah or charitable donation or recitation of the Qur'an or pilgrimage made on his behalf. Allah also answers any supplication by living people to forgive the dead person and bestow His mercy on him. However, all that should be spontaneous, done with sincerity of purpose and purity of intention. It must have the right motivation and the proper method of Islamic worship. Thus, to gather students or teachers of the local Qur'anic school to recite the Qur'an for the deceased and then to reward them financially is not acceptable.

Celebrating Teeja (Third Day), Saatiwan (Seventh Day), Daswan (Tenth Day), Chaleeswan (Fortieth Day) and Barsi (One year) for the dead are all innovations and nothing such was ever done for prophet, Sahabas, Tabaeen and Taba Tabaeen. People should neither celebrate nor attend such innovations. And Allah knows the best.

To imagine that people can prevent the angels from accomplishing a task Allah has assigned to them is totally mistaken. To give financial reward to a person in return for his recitation of the Qur'an for any purpose is not permissible. Indeed it is forbidden to both the reciter and the one who employs him to do so. The reciter may not receive wages for his recitation and the other person commits an offense by hiring him for that purpose. Having weekly, monthly or 40-day or yearly anniversaries, when you perform certain tasks, is also an innovation. Although the tasks performed are aspects of Islamic worship, it is not permissible to institutionalize them in the way they have been in your area.

As you realize, these traditions place a financial burden on relatives, but they do not earn them any reward in return. It is far better for the relatives of a deceased person to pray Allah to forgive him as often as they wish, without conforming to any social traditions associating such an action with a passage of so many days or years after his death. All these habits you have mentioned are totally unacceptable and completely un-Islamic.

What sort of pain is associated with death, how does it start and how long does it last? Will the angels of death be visible to us and do they show us the place to which we will be taken? Is it necessary to recite the "kalimah" to a dying person? Why do we apply honey to his lips? Does the spirit hear or see people after a person has died? Does it feel pain if the body is moved or touched? Does the pain vary from one person to another?

As you are aware, man is made of the combination of spirit and body. As long as they are united, he is alive. Once the spirit departs from the body, that human being dies. What causes this separation is Allah's will, since He has given each one of us a specific life duration, at the end of which we die. It is to be expected that the departure of the spirit from the body may be associated with pain which is different from the pain one experiences during an illness. No one, however, can describe this pain, since those who die do not return to this life. We have a Hadith from which we infer that the experience of this separation varies according to whether or not the dying person is a believer.

Abu Hurairah quotes the Prophet as saying: "When a believer is about to die, the angels come to him with a white sheet of silk and say: Come out, good soul, well pleased and well pleasing to a world of mercy and roses and to meet a Lord who is not displeased. It comes out with an odor which is more pleasant than musk. The angels hand him over one to the other until they get him to the door of heaven where its angels say: What a pleasant smell has come to you from earth. They bring him over to meet the spirits of believers who are more joyful to meet him than any one of you when he meets a dear relative who has come back after a long absence. When a disbeliever is about to die, the angels who administer torture come to him with rugs and say: Come out, you spirit, displeased to receive divine punishment. It comes out smelling like a most rotten corpse and they take it to the earth gate where the angels say: What a rotten soul. Then they throw him with the spirits of disbelievers�. Related by Al Nassaie, and by Muslim in an abridged form.

Let me point out, however, that suffering extreme anguish at the time of death is not indicative of any judgment on the person concerned. It must never be assumed that a person who dies a very calm and peaceful death is in a position of favor, or that a person who suffers much anguish is in a position of disfavor. The Prophet himself endured much pain at the time of his death. This has made Lady Aisha say: "I do not envy anyone a peaceful death after having seen what God's Messenger has endured" (Related by Al Bukhari).

We certainly try to get a dying person to say the "kalimah", or repeat the declaration that he or she believes in the Oneness of Allah and in the message of Muhammad (peace be upon him). As for putting honey on the lips of a dying person, this is something that I know nothing of. As for the rest of your questions, I think the best answer is to quote you this authentic Hadith:

"Anas quotes the Prophet as saying: �When a deceased person is placed in his grave and his relatives and friends leave, he hears the sound of their shoes. Two angels come to him and sit him up and question him. They ask him: What was your view of this man, Muhammad? If the person was a believer, he would say: I bear witness that he is Allah's servant and Messenger. They say to him: Look at your position which you would have had in hell, Allah has replaced it for you with a position in heaven. He sees both positions.

When a disbeliever or a hypocrite is asked what used to be his view of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he would answer: I do not know. I used to say what other people said. The two angels say to him: May you never know and never tell. He is then struck with an iron hammer in between his ears. He makes a cry which is heard by all creatures with the exception of human beings and jinn." (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) As for the question whether a deceased person feels pain, the answer is that the body loses its senses after the spirit departs.

After death, until Yaum Al-Qiyama, are the human beings reborn in any other form?

When the son of Adam dies, his body disintegrates and vanishes apart from the tailbone, which is a bone at the base of the spine. When the Resurrection begins, Allah will cause the bodies to grow by means of rain from the earth which will make these bones grow until each person�s body is restored to the way it was before he died.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: �The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, �What is between the two Trumpet-blasts will be forty.� Somebody asked, �Forty days?� But I could not answer. Then he asked, �Forty months?� But I could not answer. Then he asked, �Forty years?� But I could not answer.� Abu Hurayrah added, �Then (after this period) Allah will send water from the sky and then the dead bodies will grow like vegetation grows. There is nothing of the human body that does not decay except one bone; that is the little bone at the end of the coccyx from which the human body will be recreated on the Day of Resurrection.�

�The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, �What is between the two Trumpet-blasts will be forty.� Somebody asked, �Forty days?� But I could not answer�� What is meant is that he refused to specify whether it would be forty days, or years, or months. Rather what he was sure of was that it would be just forty. It is explained in another report narrated by someone other than Muslim, which says that it will be forty years.

The phrase �the little bone at the end of the coccyx� refers to the small bone at the base of the spine, which is the end of the coccyx. This is the first part of a person that is created, and it is what will be left of him so that he will be created anew from it.

When a person comes forth from his grave and is gathered and brought to account, his body will remain the same as it was before he died. Then when the people of Paradise enter Paradise and the people of Hell enter Hell, Allah will change their forms.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The distance between the shoulders of the kaafir [in Hell] will be that of three days� swift travelling.� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6186; Muslim, 2852).

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The molar of the kaafir � or the eyetooth of the kaafir � will be like Uhud, and his skin will be as thick as three days� travelling.� (Narrated by Muslim, 2851).

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The first group to enter Paradise will look like the moon when it is full; then those who follow them will look like the brightest star in the sky. They will not urinate or defecate, spit or blow their noses. Their combs will be of gold, their sweat will be musk, their incense burners will be of aloes-wood. Their wives will be al-hoor al-�iyn and they will all look alike, like their father Adam, sixty cubits tall.� (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3149; Muslim, 2834)

It was narrated from Mu�aadh ibn Jabal that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The people of Paradise will enter Paradise hairless and beardless, with kohl-rimmed eyes, all thirty or thirty-three years old.� (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2545).

This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami�, 8072.

Question: When a person dies and is buried on the following day, does his soul remain suspended before the burial? What happens to it?

Imam Ahmad (17803) narrated that al-Bara� ibn �Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

�Verily, when the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him angels from heaven with white faces, as if their faces are the sun. They bring with them one of the shrouds of Paradise and some of the perfume of Paradise. They sit with him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death (peace be upon him) comes to him and sits by his head and says, �O pure soul, come out to the forgiveness and pleasure of Allah.� Then his soul comes flowing out like a drop of water flowing from a cup. Then he takes the soul, and no sooner does he seize it but they take it and place it in that shroud and perfume. Then out of it comes the most excellent fragrance of musk to be found on the face of the earth. Then they ascend with it and they do not pass by any group of angels but the angels ask, �Who is this pure soul?� and they reply, �It is So and so the son of So and so� � using the best names by which he was known on earth. Then they bring it to the lowest heaven, and ask for it to be opened, and it is opened for him. Those who are of high rank in each heaven accompany it until they approach the next heaven, and so it goes until it reaches the seventh heaven. Then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: �Record the book of My slave in �Illiyoon (the highest heaven) and take him back to the earth, for I created them from it, and I shall return them to it, then I shall take them out from it again.� Then his soul is returned to his body and two angels come and make him sit up�

Then the hadith mentions the questioning in the grave, then it mentions how the soul of the disbeliever is taken, then it says:

�Then they ascend with it and they do not pass by any group of angels but the angels ask, �Who is this evil soul?� and they reply, �It is So and so the son of So and so� � using the worst names by which he was known on earth. Then they bring it to the lowest heaven, and ask for it to be opened, and it is not opened for him.� Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited (interpretation of the meaning):

�To those who reject Our signs and treat them with arrogance, no opening will there be of the gates of heaven, nor will they enter the garden, until the camel can pass through the eye of the needle�.� (Al-Araf 7:40)

Then he said, �Then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: �Record the book of My slave in Sijjeen (the lowest Hell) in the lowest earth. Then his soul is cast down.� Then he recited (interpretation of the meaning):

�Turn unto Allah (only), not ascribing partners unto Him, for whoso ascribes partners unto Allah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky and the birds had snatched him or the wind had blown him to a far off place� (Al Hajj 22:31)

He said, �Then his soul is returned to his body and two angels come and make him sit up� Then it mentions the questioning in the grave.

This hadith indicates that the soul will remain after it departs the body, contrary to the misguided teachings of the mutakallimeen (Muslim philosophers); and that it will ascend and descend, contrary to the misguided teachings of the philosophers; and that it will be returned to the body; and that the deceased will be questioned, then he will be subjected to bliss or punishment.

Ibn Maajah (4262) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

�Angels come to the dying person and if the man was righteous, they say: �Come out, O good soul that was in a good body, come out praiseworthy and receive the glad tidings of mercy and fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry.� And this is repeated until it comes out, then it is taken up to heaven, and it is opened for it, and it is asked, �Who is this?� They say: �[It is] So and so.� It is said: �Welcome to the good soul that was in a good body. Enter praiseworthy and receive the glad tidings of mercy and fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry.� And this is repeated until it is brought to the heaven above which is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. But if the man was evil, they say: �Come out O evil soul that was in an evil body. Come out blameworthy and receive the tidings of boiling water and dirty wound discharges, and other torments of similar kind, all together [cf. Saad 38:58]. And this is repeated until it comes out, then it is taken up to heaven and it is not opened for it. And it is said: �No welcome to the evil soul that was in an evil body. Go back blameworthy, for the gates of heaven will not be opened to you.� So it is sent back down from heaven, then it goes to the grave.� Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

These two hadiths describe what happens to the soul after death and before burial: if the person was a believer, then the angels give him glad tidings, before taking his soul, of the forgiveness and good pleasure of Allah, then they perfume it, then they take it up, in a blessed state, to its Lord, may He be glorified.

Then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: ��Record the book of My slave in �Illiyoon (the highest heaven) and take him back to the earth.�

So the soul is returned to the body in which it was, then the individual is questioned in the grave; Allah makes him steadfast at the time of questioning, and makes his grave spacious for him, as far as his eyes can see.

But if it is the soul of a disbeliever, then the angels give him the tidings of hell and divine wrath, then they take his soul up, cursed, humiliated and afraid, and the gates of heaven are not opened for it, then it is thrown back down to earth, then it is returned to its body, then the individual is tormented in his grave and it is compressed on him, and there comes to him the heat and smoke of Hell.

With regard to the period between the departure of the soul and burial and questioning in the grave, for the believer it is the first stage of eternal happiness, as he is given the glad tidings of Paradise and eternal bliss, and his book is recorded in �Illiyoon (the highest heaven); then his soul will rejoice and be happy, and will never feel misery again.

But for the disbeliever, it is the first stage of eternal torment, as Allah is angry with him and does not give permission for the gates of heaven or the gates of mercy to be opened to him, and his book is recorded in Sijjeen (the lowest Hell); then his soul will be wretched and he will never feel happy again.

All the saheeh, mutwawaatir hadiths indicate that the soul will return to the body; the idea that the questioning will involve the body without the soul was suggested by some scholars, but the majority disagreed with that. Similarly, the idea that the questioning will involve the soul without the body was suggested by Ibn Maysarah and Ibn Hazm, but if that were the case, the grave would have nothing to do with the soul.

See also: Fataawa Noor �ala ad-Darb by Shaykh al-�Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) (4/310-311)

These matters are matters of the unseen which the Muslim must accept, and not question how they are, for no one knows how the life of al-barzakh [the period between death and the Resurrection] is except Allah.

The death of a person signals the departure of the soul from the body; when he is buried in his grave, is the soul returned to his body, or where does it go? If the soul is returned to the body in the grave, how does that happen?

It is proven from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that when a person dies, his soul is returned to him in his grave, and he is questioned about his Lord, his religion and his Prophet. Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter (cf. Ibraaheem 14:27), so the believer will say: My Lord is Allah, my religion is Islam and my Prophet is Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

As for the disbeliever or the hypocrite, when he is questioned he will say: Oh, oh, I do not know; I heard the people saying something, so I said it too.

This return of the soul to the body in the grave will not be like when a person�s soul is in his body in this world, because that is the life of al-barzakh and we do not know how it is, because we have not been told about the nature of that life. With regard to all matters of the hereafter of which we have not been told, what we are required to do with regard to such matters is to accept them and not enquire any further, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

�And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned by Allah� (Al-Isra� 17:36)

Where do Martyrs go after death? And will they be judged for their good and bad deeds?

Martyrs in Islam are the ones who sacrifice their lives for the sake of Allah Almighty for a good cause in a battle field or operation. Let us look at what Allah Almighty Said about Martyrs when they die:

�And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah: "They are dead" Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not� (Al-Baqarah 2:154)

�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� (169)�They rejoice what Allah has bestowed upon them from His bounties. Rejoicing 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." (170)�They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allah, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers� (Aal �Imraan 3:169-171)

The above Noble Verses clearly state that Muslims must not think that Martyrs are dead. They are raised to Allah Almighty in Heaven, and they are rejoicing the Bounty and Grace that is provided by Allah Almighty to them.

According to the next section below, yes they will be judged. But Allah Almighty is dynamic in His Judgement. He forgives certain sins to different people depending on how good they were in life. Every human being will be treated uniquely. Let us look at what Allah Almighty Said in the Noble Quran:

Allah Almighty Said: �O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam� (Aale-Imran 3:102)

He also Said: He also Said: "Truly, the religion with All�h is Isl�m. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ay�t (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of All�h, then surely, All�h is Swift in calling to account " (Aale-Imran 3:19)

"Say: O My Slaves who have transgressed against themselves [by committing evil deeds and sins]! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-forgiving, All-Merciful"(Az-Zumr 39:53)

The use of the word "Say" in this Noble Verse means that Allah Almighty wants us to always remind each others by reciting this Noble Verse to those who need it.

�Verily, Allah forgives not that rivals should be set up in the worship with Him. He forgives save that (anything else) to whom He pleases and whoever set up rivals with Allah he has indeed done a tremendous sin� (An-Nisa 4:48)

In the above Noble Verses, we clearly see that Allah Almighty accepts nothing from a person after death but his belief in Islam and He is Willing to forgive our sins.

After death, what would prevent a Muslim from entering Heaven? Also, how long will the Disbelievers stay in Hell?

Allah Almighty Said: �O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam� (Aale-Imran 3:102)

He also Said: "Truly, the religion with All�h is Isl�m. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ay�t (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of All�h, then surely, All�h is Swift in calling to account " (Aale-Imran 3:19)

The use of the word "Say" in this Noble Verse means that Allah Almighty wants us to always remind each others by reciting this Noble Verse to those who need it.

In the above Noble Verses, we clearly see that Allah Almighty accepts nothing from a person after death but his belief in Islam and He is Willing to forgive our sins.

Will Muslims and non-Muslims be treated equally in punishment? Also, how long will the Disbelievers stay in Hell?

Well, it appears from all of the above Noble Verses that Allah Almighty Will punish everyone for the bad deeds that they committed. He Will forgive certain bad deeds, but in general, everyone will receive a punishment.

It also appears that Muslims, no matter how bad they were, will win Paradise as their Ultimate Reward after they receive their punishment.

As for the Disbelievers, beside from the punishment of their bad deeds that they committed in life, it seems that Allah Almighty Will give them extra punishment for disbelieving in Him or in Joining partners with Him, such as Paganism and Trinity;

�Indeed they do blaspheme those who say that Allah is Jesus, the son of Mary, but Jesus said "O children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord". Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him heaven and the fire will be his abode. For evil-doers there will be no helpers�. (Al-Maidah 5:72)

Frankly, I do not know how long this punishment will last. Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran Said that it will last for Eternity and that He will Forget about the Disbelievers in Hell;

"Taste ye then - for ye forgot the Meeting of this Day of yours, and We too will forget you - taste ye the Penalty of Eternity for your (evil) deeds!" (As-Sajda 32:14)

But since He, the Almighty, defined Himself as the Only One Who Has no beginning and no end, then the definition of "Eternity" or "Forever" might be different for Him:

�He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things� (Al-Hadid 57:3)

�And truly, unto Us (belong) the last (Hereafter) and the first (this world)� (Al-Lail 92:13)

�But to All�h belongs the last (Hereafter) and the first (the world)� (An-Najm 53:25)

You see, eternity for us is limited to amount of time we exist on earth. When I for instance say "I will continue to breath for eternity or forever", then all I am really saying is "I will always breath for as long as I live."

So in reality, "Eternity" and "Forever" have ends. They don't go on and on without an end. So when Allah Almighty Says that He will punish the Disbelievers for eternity, then He might be referring to our eternity, since as I said, only Him, the Almighty, has no end.

But I honestly don't know the answer. No one does. Even in Christianity and Judaism, the length of time of the punishment of Hell to the Disbelievers is not defined, and the word "Eternity" is used in the Bible for the punishment in Hell. So, could the Bible's Eternity have an end? No one really knows.

What is the ruling concerning a person who died and he did not pray, although his parents were Muslims? How should he be dealt with concerning the washing of his body, shrouding, prayer, burial, supplications and asking for mercy upon him?

Any sane adult person who dies and does not pray, given that he knows the Islamic ruling about prayer, is a disbeliever. He is not to be washed nor should he be prayed over. He is not to be buried in the Muslim cemetery. His Muslim relatives do not inherit from him. In fact, his wealth is to be given to the state treasury according to the strongest opinion among the scholars. This is based on the authentic hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"Between a person and kufr (disbelief) and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of the prayer."

This was recorded by Imam Muslim in his Sahih. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said,

"The covenant dividing us and them is the prayer. Whoever abandons it has committed kufr (apostasy)."

This was recorded by Ahmad and the Compilers of the Sunan with an authentic chain from the Hadith of Buraidah. Abdullah ibn Shaqeeq al-Aqeely, one of the Noble Followers, stated, "The Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not consider the abandonment of any act as kufr except the [abandonment of] prayer." There are many Ahadith and reports with that meaning. This is concerning the one who does not pray out of laziness. The one who refuses to accept it as being obligatory is an apostatizing disbeliever according to all of the scholars of Islam. We ask Allah to make the affairs of the Muslims good and lead them to follow the Straight Path. He is the All-Hearing, the Responder.

Added to above

The above ruling is of Ahle-Hadith, however other school of thought think that if somebody has accepted by heart and said Kalima Tayyaba (La Illaha Illahah, Mohammad ur Rasollullah�, then he/she is Muslim but has earned sin of not praying.

Having said that, we must add that if a person denies the obligation to pray, or fast, or pay Zakah, or make Hajj, then he goes out of the fold of Islam. However, that is different from someone who simply refuses to pray out of laziness; he will be still considered a Muslim if he does not deny the obligation of prayer

Thus a Muslim cannot be labeled a disbeliever or kafir unless he totally denies the obligation of prayer. However, if a Muslim abandons prayer out of laziness, he is not considered a kafir according to the majority of Muslim scholars, but rather a sinner.

13. THE MURDERER AND THE MURDERED WILL BE IN HELL

The Prophet (peace be on him) considered a Muslim's fighting another Muslim to be a door to unbelief and a deed pertaining to pre-Islamic jahiliyyah, during which people used to wage wars and shed blood over a camel or a horse. He said, "Insulting the Muslim is wickedness and fighting him is unbelief." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) "Do not become unbelievers after I pass away, killing one another." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

He further said, 'When two Muslims draw weapons against each other, they are at the brink of Hell. If one of them kills the other, they both enter it together.' Someone asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, this one the murderer, but what was the fault of the murdered?' He replied, 'He was eager to kill the other' (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Because of this the Prophet (peace be on him) forbade any act which might lead to murder or to a fight, even pointing a weapon, saying, �None of you should point a weapon at his brother. Perhaps Satan may make his hand slip and then he will fall into the pit of Fire�. (Reported by al-Bukhari)

He also said, �If anyone points a piece of iron at his brother, the angels curse him until he stops doing it, even if he is his real brother� (Reported by Muslim)

He even went so far as to say, "It is not permissible for the Muslim to frighten his brother." (Reported by Abu Daoud as well as by al-Tabarani on reliable authority.)

The sin of murder is not limited to the murderer alone. Each individual who participated in this crime, by deed, or by word, will be the recipient of Allah's punishment in proportion to his share in it; even a person who happened to be at the scene of the murder will receive a share of the sin. A hadith states, �None of you should remain in a place where a man is being killed unjustly, for the curse (of Allah) descends on anyone who was present and did not defend him�. (Reported by al-Tabarani and by al-Bayhaqi on good authority.)

Can we say that those who died in communal riots met their death as predetermined by Allah? If not, why?

Of course these deaths have been predetermined by Allah. Indeed, every death is so predetermined. How else can you describe a man's death in car accident, or by drowning, or in a fire? I feel that the word "predetermined" does not seem to carry its proper sense to you. When we say that a death is predetermined, it does not mean that Allah has caused the events leading to it. Allah does not cause the car accident which kills a driver. Indeed, one of the two drivers causes the accident by making a serious mistake. The death of anyone who is killed, as a result, is predetermined by Allah in the sense that He has willed that those people die at the particular moment.

Every person's life-span is determined by Allah, when he is still a fetus in his mother's belly. Allah also knows how every person is to meet his or her death. He does not, however, intervene to cause an accident, fire or a disturbance. It is people who do that and their actions lead to their natural results. Allah has set natural phenomena in operation. He has made fire burn almost all types of objects. He has enabled water to drown a person who swallows it and does not swim. When a person is burned, Allah does not cause his burning, except in the sense that He has given the fire the quality of burning. He does not pick a person up and throw him in the fire to cause his death. When that person happens to be in the midst of fire, he is burnt. Allah has determined his life-span and has known the cause of his death.

15. WHAT IS AL-WANEESAH

When we were asked about al-waneesah we were told that it means staying overnight at the grave on the first night after the burial, to give comfort to the deceased, as they claim. This is a kind of reprehensible innovation (bid�ah) which has no basis in the actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or of his companions. If it were something good they would have done it before us. Because no such thing has been narrated to us from them, even though so many people died during their lifetime, it may be understood that there is nothing good in this practice.

The basic principle concerning acts of worship is to follow only that which is narrated in the Quran and Sunnah, and not to introduce new and innovated forms of worship. Allah can only be worshipped in the manner that He has prescribed in His Book or on the lips of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

There is no reward for doing acts of bid�ah, rather they will be rejected and thrown back at the one who does them, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours [Islam] that is not part of it, will have it rejected.� Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 2697; Muslim, 1718).

It is also misguidance, as he said: �The worst of matters are those which are newly-innovated. Every innovation is a going astray.� Narrated by Muslim, 867. Al-Nasaa�i (1578) added: �And every going astray will be in the Fire.�

There is the fear that fitnah (trials, afflictions) will befall the person who practices this innovation, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

�And let those who oppose the Messenger�s (Muhammad�s) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements) (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant) should befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them� (An-Noor 24:63)

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary: �Let those who go against the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), which is his way, his path, his Sunnah and his sharee�ah, beware, Words and deeds will be weighed against his words and deeds; whatever is in accordance with them will be accepted, and whatever goes against them will be rejected and thrown back at the one who says or does them, no matter who he is, as it was proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours [Islam] will have it rejected.�

It is authentically reported that when a person is buried after death, angels come to question him about his faith. How does this occur if the deceased has been cremated, drowned or fed to the vultures?

You seem to accept that a person who is dead and buried may be asked by angels and he may answer them. Perhaps you find it easy to imagine the possibility of the deceased person's spirit being returned to his body to face this questioning. But can anyone tell us how this happens? If you think about it very carefully, you will inevitably end up saying that it is something Allah does, and it is easy for Him, because He is able to accomplish His purpose, whatever it is.

Fine, the same applies to a person whose body is cremated, drowned, eaten up by wild beasts or birds of prey. Why should it be any different? It is easy for Allah to reassemble that person and give him his spirit back to answer questions, if a return of the spirit is necessary for the purpose. The simple answer is that we do not know how all this happens. It is a matter about which Allah has chosen not to give us details.

With respect to the questioning of a deceased person who is drowned, eaten or cremated, than if Allah can return soul to a dead normal body, then He can also without any doubt collect all the cells of drowned, eaten or cremated body for questioning. People doubt the same for the day of judgment, but Allah replies in Quran:

�Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? (3) Yes, We are Able to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers� (Al-Qiyamah 75:3-4)

The deceased is questioned for his destination just after one�s death (with very little time lapse which nobody knows). His soul place (Illiyoon or Sijjeen), comforts and punishments depends on one�s correct replies. However it should be kept in mind that it is not possible that you memorize its replies and then you will go through the questioning.

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained all this in the lengthy hadeeth of al-Baraa� ibn �Aazib:

�When the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with white faces like the sun, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They bring with them shrouds from Paradise and perfumes from Paradise. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, �O good soul, come forth to forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure.� Then it comes out easily like a drop of water from the mouth of a waterskin. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that shroud with that perfume, and there comes from it a fragrance like the finest musk 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 good soul?� and they say, �It is So and so the son of So and so, calling him by the best 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 opened, and (the soul) is welcomed and accompanied to the next heaven by those who are closest to Allah, until they reach the seventh heaven. Then Allah says: �Record the book of My slave in �Illiyoon in the seventh heaven, 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 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, �Allah.� They say, �What is your religion?� He says, �My religion is Islam.� They say, �Who is this man who was sent among you?� He says, �He is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).� They say, �What did you do?� He says, �I read the Book of Allah and I believed in it.� Then a voice calls out from heaven, �My slave has spoken the truth, so prepare for him a bed from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to Paradise.� Then there comes to him some of its fragrance, and his grave is made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, �Receive the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.� He says, �Who are you? Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.� He says, �I am your righteous deeds.� He says, �O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to my family and my wealth.��

�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 Allah 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 Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

��. and whoever assigns partners to Allah, 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.��

Narrated by Ahmad, 18557; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami�, no. 1676

What do you think about aisaal-e sawaab or quran khwani? Is it is written in any hadith?

Allah says:
"And those who came (into the faith) after them say: Our Lord Forgive us and our brethren who were before us in the faith, and place not in our hearts any rancor toward those who believe. Our Lord! Thou art Full of Pity, Merciful�. (Al-Hashr 59:10)

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

"The Sunnah of the Prophet and his companions, as reported in the sources, is to offer supplications and pray for the deceased. The Qur'an reminds us that we should pray for all the believers who have passed on before us. Besides offering supplications, there is no record in the sources that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) and his Companions were in the habit of reading the Qur'an and sending rewards to their loved ones who had passed away.

However, the Prophet was asked on a number of occasions by individuals whether they were allowed to perform Hajj and give charity on behalf of their deceased parents. His answer to such questions always was in the affirmative. In other words, he did not stop people from making Hajj or giving charity on behalf of their deceased parents or relatives.

Scholars who reflected on the above traditions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) posed the question: Does this apply only to Hajj and charity? Or does it extend beyond these to include all acts of devotion and worship such as reading the Qur'an and performing nafl (supererogatory) prayers, etc.?

One group of scholars said it was only limited to Hajj and charity and could not be extended to acts of worship such as prayers and reading of the Qur'an. This view is held by a number of scholars from various accepted schools of jurisprudence. However, another group of scholars, belonging to all of the major schools, said: There is no reason to exclude reading of the Qur'an and prayers from the above permission granted by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Accordingly, they are of the opinion that a person is allowed to read the Qur'an and pray to Allah to send the rewards to their deceased parents and relatives. However, this group explicitly prohibits the practice of hiring people to read the Qur'an, or making a ritual of gathering to read the Qur'an on a set date after death. Such a practice would amount to introducing a bid`ah (innovation).

The view that reading the Qur'an and donating the rewards to one's deceased parents and relatives is permitted has been authenticated by scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah. However, he reminds us that the Sunnah of the Prophet and his companions as limited to offering du`as (supplications) for the deceased ones."
Shaykh Ibn al-Fowzaan sates:
Gathering the people to read the Qur�an to attain its benefit, gifts or reward to the deceased, (then) there is no evidence for this in this manner, rather, it is an innovation. And from one angle, every innovation is misguidance and from another angle, if the reciters were reciting for money as in the case with many from amongst them, then there is no reward for this as they did not recite the Qur.aan for the Sake of Allah ('Azza wa Jall), rather, the recitation was for money.

You have mentioned in the past that it is not proper that the relatives of a deceased person stay at a particular house or place for people to come and offer their condolences. In a book on Hadith I have read that when the news of the martyrdom of Zaid ibn Harithah and Jaffer ibn Abu Talib reached Madinah, the Prophet sat in the mosque and grief could be seen in his face. Muhammad Ali commenting on this Hadith says: "To sit in some place so that people may come and express their sympathy with and console the bereaved family, is, therefore, in accordance with the Prophet's practice." Please clarify.

The Hadith you have quoted mentions only that the Prophet sat in the mosque, but there is no mention in the Hadith itself that he sat there for the purpose of receiving condolences by his companions. We cannot conclude from that Hadith anything more than the fact that, on receiving the sorry news of the death of his commanders, the Prophet announced that to his companions and made himself available. He sat in the mosque, feeling very sad. It was only natural that his companions, particularly those who were close to him, should come to find out whether he was planning anything to support the Muslim army which suffered a defeat. Again, it is natural that those who arrived in the mosque should offer their condolences to the Prophet.

This is exactly what I have said, that the offering of condolences should be left to the time when we meet the relatives of the deceased [ which may be immediately upon hearing the news of the death].

Had the Prophet encouraged, or even permitted, the organizing of any type of function, or the assembly of the relatives in a particular place for people to come at a particular time to offer their condolences, as happens in many Muslim societies these days, these practices would have been followed each time one of the Muslims in Madinah died. It would have been reported to us, particularly since a good number of the Prophet's companions died in wars or in time of peace in those ten years when he founded the Muslim state in Madinah.

Muhammad Ali has based his conclusion on this single incident, which does not suggest what he has concluded. May I ask whether this Muhammad Ali is the same as the Quadiani person who has translated the Qur'an? If so, then you should not take what he says because he is not a proper source from which to learn about Islam.

If a person offers a sacrifice on behalf of his deceased father or gives charity on his behalf or prays for him, and visits his grave, will he be aware that it is from his son so-and-so?

What is indicated by the Islamic texts is that the deceased benefits from charity given by the living on his behalf, and his prayers for him. Offering a sacrifice on his behalf is a kind of charity, so if the giver is sincere in giving charity on behalf of the deceased and in praying for him, then the deceased will benefit from that, and the one who prays for him or gives charity on his behalf will be rewarded, by the grace and mercy of Allah. It is sufficient for him that Allah knows of his sincerity and good deed, and He will reward both parties. But as for the deceased being aware of the identity of the one who is doing him this favour, there is no shar�i evidence concerning that as far as we know. It is a matter of the unseen, and cannot be known except through revelation from Allah to His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah sent blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End quote

Is it allowed to cry for someone after they die? If the crying includes wailing, slapping the cheeks and tearing the clothes, is the deceased affected by it?

Different societies have different customs and traditions associated with death in the family. In non-Islamic societies, there are visible signs of mourning which are supposed to convey grief. People, especially women, should wear black for a certain period, according to the degree of their relation with the deceased. Men may wear a black tie, etc. In certain communities, death is marked by loud crying and tearing of clothes, etc. All this is forbidden in Islam. This does not preclude that people may grieve for their deceased and they may express their grief with shedding tears. This sort of crying must not be accompanied by wailing. That is un-Islamic. The maximum period of mourning for a woman is three days, if the deceased is a very close relation to her, but not her husband.

In other words, mourning for a deceased father, son or brother may be only over a period of three days, after that, she must show her acceptance of Allah's verdict. We have a report of two cases of the Prophet's wives, Um Habiba and Zainab. The first lost her father, Abu Sufian, and the other lost her brother. After three days, in each case, each of them requested perfume to wear.

Both of them said that they had no desire whatsoever to wear perfume, but they had heard the Prophet saying: "It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the day of judgement to be in mourning for any deceased person for over three nights, except for her husband when the period of mourning is four months and ten days." (Sahih Bukhari).

As you realize, this is the length of the waiting period of a widow. During her waiting period, she must not wear make-up.

Mourning for the Dead

Among the customs of jahiliyyah which were denounced by Islam was the extreme wailing, lamenting, and showing excessive grief for the dead.

The Believer should receive death, as he receives any other calamity which may befall him, with patience and dignity, repeating the ayah, �To Allah we belong and to Him do we return� (Al-Baqarah 2:156)

The pre-Islamic manner of mourning for the dead is strictly forbidden to the Muslim. The Prophet (peace be on him) declared, " He who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes, and cries out in the manner of jahiliyyah is not of us." (Reported by al-Bukhari.)

The Muslim is not permitted to wear a mourning band, discard his adornment, or change his usual attire to express his sorrow and grief. (The wearing of black as a sign of mourning is prohibited in Islam, even in the case of a widow in mourning for her husband.)
However, a wife must observe a mourning period ('iddah) of four months and ten days for her deceased husband in loyalty to the sacred ties of marriage; in Islam this period is considered an extension of her previous marriage and she is not allowed to receive any new proposals of marriage during this period. Thus, she is required to refrain from adorning herself during that time both as a sign of mourning and in order to keep the thought of remarriage out of her own mind and that of her potential suitors.

However, if the deceased is someone other than her husband, for example, her father, brother or son, it is haram for her to mourn for more the three days.

The period of mourning for the deceased husband is obligatory and should not be violated. A woman came to the Prophet (peace be on him) and said, "My daughter's husband has died, and her eye is infected. May she use kohl?" (In addition to being an adornment, kohl also possesses medicinal value for the eye.) The Prophet (peace be on him) said, No, and repeated it twice or thrice. (Reported in the Book of Divorce in al-Bukhari's Sahih. The narration here is that of Umm Habeebah, and Zainab's narrative is similar.)

This demonstrates that adorning or beautifying herself during the prescribed period of iddah is prohibited to the widow. As grief and the expression of it are natural, she may mourn and weep but without wailing and shouting. Upon the death of Khalid bin Walleed, 'Umar heard some women weeping. Some people wanted to stop them from it but 'Umar said, "Let them weep for Abu Sulayman (the name by which Khalid was called), as long as they do not throw dust on their heads or start crying out."

Neither lamenting nor wailing is allowed. Tearing clothing, slapping one's cheeks and similar deeds are also not allowed. It is confirmed in the Sahihs of al-Bukhari and Muslim from ibn Masud that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"Not from us is the one who slaps the cheeks, tears the front opening of the shirt or makes the calls of the Days of Ignorance."

It is also confirmed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed the wailer and its audience.It is also authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,"The deceased is punished in his grave due to the wailing over him"

In another narration, it states,"The deceased is punished due to the crying of the family over him."

You have written in the past on the worship of graves and saints. On occasions you have touched on the practice known as Urs in some parts of India (and Pakistan). I am sending you a leaflet inviting people to come to such Urs. I will be grateful for your comments.

Thank you very much for enclosing the leaflet which is published in four languages and which tells of an occasion named "Urs Mubarak" and defined as "death anniversary". It is one week-long commemoration of someone whose exact name is difficult to identify, because it is mixed with so many titles. He is described as Sultan-Ul-Hind Hazrat Khawajah Moinuddin Hassan Sanjari Chishti Summa Ajmeri Ghareeb Nawaz.

The leaflet calls on the recipients to come over with members of their families. The reason for which a gathering and big occasion which, incidentally, takes all the duties and Sunnahs of pilgrimage is to achieve the fulfillment of people's "heartfelt desires and cherished wishes." How is this done? Simply because the said Khawajah "after his sad demise" continued to hold a highly revered position and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage for the people of the world at large".

The writer of the leaflet who calls himself Afsar Ahmad Niazi wants those who cannot attend the death anniversary to let him know their "inner hearty desires so that he may be able to beseech on their behalf and entreat Khawajah Sahib to pray for fulfillment of their innermost desires."

At the end of the leaflet he solicits donations. I feel very sad that such practices still continue in parts of the Muslim world. Basically, such a practice is an outright indictment of the state into which Muslims of the world have sunk. People are encouraged to travel from their homes to take part in this week-long deception. Even if that man, Khawajah Moinuddin, was a highly religious person, or a great scholar or a great servant of Islam, why should his death be celebrated?

People normally celebrate the birth of a child, but they are sad when someone dies. In this instance, we are told that it is the death anniversary of the man which is celebrated over a week. If that man had any great contribution to the cause of Islam, I am not aware of it. He was no scholar of standing. Otherwise, his writings would have earned him recognition in other parts of the Muslim world. We are told that after his death, he continued to hold a highly respected position. With whom?

The only position that counts after one's death is the man's position with Allah. How could anyone tell of the position someone is given by Allah after his death? The Prophet himself says: "I myself, Allah's messenger, do not know what will happen to me in the hereafter."

Allah instructs His messenger in the Qur'an to say to people: "....I do not know what will become of me or you...." (Al-Ahqaf 46:9)

Now if Allah's messenger has not been given this sort of information about himself, how do these people claim to know about their man? Moreover, the leaflet speaks of the man's tomb, becoming "a place of pilgrimage". We know only one place of pilgrimage, namely, the Kaaba, the first house ever erected for the worship of Allah.

Moreover, the Prophet says that there are only three mosques in the Muslim world to which people may travel. These are : The Haram in Makkah, i.e. Kaaba, the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah and Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. When we visit Madinah, we make our intention clear that we are going there to visit the mosque. We certainly greet the Prophet, but we do not undertake the journey to visit his tomb or grave.

If people travel in order to visit the tomb of this man, which is said to be a place of pilgrimage, then that is the beginning of the worship of graves. This is one of the worst types of shirk, or associating partners with Allah.

Now we come to the crunch. What is the purpose of such a visit? Is it to have innermost desire fulfilled? In other words, there is a temptation to people from all over the world to come over, spend their money, indulge in unacceptable practices, merely to have their wishes fulfilled. How?

The key to the answer to this question is best expressed in the suggestion made by the writer of the leaflet to those who cannot attend. He wants them to communicate their desires to him and he would beseech the dead man to pray Allah on their behalf. So, we have a living man entreating a dead man to speak to Allah on behalf of people. How absurd! This is a preposterous suggestion which flies in the face of the teachings of the Prophet and Qur'anic revelations.

The Prophet tells us in a most authentic Hadith that when a human being dies, he cannot avail himself of anything, let alone be of any avail to others. He says: "When a human being dies, all his actions come to a complete termination, except in one of three ways: A continuing act of charity, a useful contribution to knowledge or a dutiful child who makes supplication to Allah on his behalf."

In other words, the living can be of avail to the dead, but not the reverse. This man who wrote the pamphlet wants to appeal to a dead person to intervene with Allah. Let me tell everybody who has ever contemplated going on such a journey that if there is a sure way of not having one's wish fulfilled, this is the one. The reason is that by asking the dead man to entreat Allah on his behalf, he is associating that dead man with Allah as a partner.

In a Qudsi Hadith, Allah says: "I am the least in need of a partner. If anyone associates a partner with Me, I abandon him to that partner." If we try to apply this sacred or Qudsi Hadith to this situation, we conclude that Allah would abandon those who attend this Urs and those who organize it to a dead man to answer their prayers. What can a dead man do?

He cannot defend himself against worms and other insects which eat up his flesh. If anyone has a dear wish which he or she wishes to have fulfilled, there is only one way of seeking Allah's help, namely, to pray Him directly.

Allah says in the Qur'an: "Your Lord says: Pray Me and I will answer you...." (Al-Ghafir 40:60). He also says in the Qur'an: "When My servants ask you about Me, I am near, I respond to the supplication of anyone who prays Me. Let them, then, respond to Me and believe in Me so that they may be rightly guided." (Al-Baqqarah 2;186)

Note here how Allah has phrased this verse. He is first addressing the Prophet who may be asked by people about Allah. He does not say to the Prophet: Tell My servants that I am near. He answers them directly "When My servants ask you about Me, I am near."

With this direct answer all that we need is to address our supplication to Allah directly. What is important is to strive to be a good Muslim. Let us repent of our sins, fulfill our duties and make our supplication to Allah. This is the surest way of having it answered. We will never need Niazi or his dead man, or indeed any person, dead or alive, to intervene for us [ Save Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, on the day of Judgment]. Allah is our Lord and we pray Him directly. Urs: Graves and saints.

Can a person be considered as a shaheed (martyr) if he dies whilst on a business trip by sea?

Answer: Praise be to Allah.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who traveled by sea for the purpose of trade, and he was drowned � did he die as a shaheed?

He replied, yes, he died as a shaheed, so long as he was not travelling for sinful purposes. For it was narrated in a saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The one who drowns is a shaheed, the one who dies of a stomach disease is a shaheed, the one who is burnt to death is a shaheed, the one who dies of the plague is a shaheed, the woman who dies giving birth is a shaheed, and the one who is crushed by a collapsing building is a shaheed.�

And people killed in other ways were also mentioned. Travelling by sea for the purpose of trade is permissible, if one thinks it is most likely to be safe. If it is not safe then he should not travel for the purpose of trade; if he did that [i.e., traveled when it was not safe to do so], then he has contributed to his own death, and in such a case we cannot say that he was a shaheed. And Allah knows best.

The basic criteria for those who can not enter paradise has been given by God in Quran is as follows.

�Verily, those who disbelieve [religion of Isl�m, the Qur'�n and Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and Al-Mushrik�n will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures� (Al-Bayyanah 98:6)

I have faced so many difficulties in my life that it has made me hate this life. Every time I turned to Allah, I pleaded for Him to take my life away from me at the earliest. This is my wish until now as I do not see any solutions to my problems except death; it is the only thing that can save me from this punishment. Is this behavior forbidden for me?

When a person wishes for death because of something that has afflicted him, he is doing something that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has prohibited. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

"None of you should hope for death because of some harm that has come to him. If he has wish such, he should say, 'O Allah, give me life if You know that life is better for me. And give me death if You know that death is better for me."

Therefore, it is not allowed for anyone to wish for death because of some harm, hardship or difficulty that has come to him. In fact, he should have patience and expect a reward from Allah for what he is passing through. He should also wait for relief to come, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) has said,

"Know that victory comes with patience, relief with distress and ease with hardship."

The one who is afflicted with any affliction should know that those afflictions expiate some of the sins that he has committed. No believer is afflicted with any kind of worry, grief or pain except that Allah expiates sins for him due to that, even the pricking of a thorn. When the person has patience and expects rewards from Allah, he reaches the stage of being among the patient. This stage is a very elevated stage. Allah has stated about its inhabitants,

And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient (155) Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return" (Al-Baqara 2:155-156).

The woman in the question feels that there is no solution for her problems except death. I believe that this is a mistaken view. Death does not solve any problems. In fact, the situation of adversity may get even worse. How many humans die while being afflicted with pain and problems but they had been wronging themselves and did not give their sins and repent to Allah. Then his death is just a quicker coming of his punishment. If he remained alive, perhaps Allah would have guide him to repentance, seeking forgiveness, patience, facing the problem and expecting relief. This all would have been good for him.

Therefore, you, the questioner, must be patient and expect relief from Allah. Allah says in His book,

"So, verily, with the hardship there is relief. (5) Verily, with the hardship, there is relief" (An-Nashrah 94:5-6).

"Know that victory comes with patience, relief with distress and ease with hardship."'

How can we reconcile between the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), �There is no slave who says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah then dies believing in that but he will enter Paradise,� and the idea that the mushrikeen and hypocrites will abide in Hell forever even though they said Laa ilaaha ill-Allah?.

The hadeeth indicates that the one who says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah is a true believer, but he is tempted by his whims and desires, so he does some acts of disobedience or major sins such as stealing etc.

The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah is that the destiny of the believer, even if he commits a major sin, is Paradise. Whatever punishment may come before Paradise is up to Allah: if He wills, He will punish him, and if He wills, He will forgive him. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

�Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills....� [An-Nisa� 4:48]

So all those who committed sins � even if they were major sins � if the sins were less than kufr, they will not be prevented from entering Paradise. For the destiny of the one who did them is Paradise, but he may be punished for the sins that he committed, or Allah may forgive him. The matter rests with Allah. As for the hypocrites and followers of bid�ahs which put a person beyond the pale of Islam, they did not really say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah meaning it from the heart, because this hypocrisy which led to kufr is the opposite of sincerity, and sincerity is essential to saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah.

If a person says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, but he believes that there is no God, or he believes that there is another god alongside Allah who controls the universe, or he believes that all the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) apostatized after his death, or other bid�ahs that put a person beyond the pale of Islam, then such people are not sincere in their saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, because their bid�ah goes against the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): �Whoever bears witness that there is no god except Allah or says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, will enter Paradise.�

The Shahaadatayn must be spoken with sincerity. Listen to what Allah says concerning the munaafiqeen (interpretation of the meaning):

�....And when they [the hypocrites] stand up for As-Salaah (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little� [An-Nisa� 4:142]

�Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them� [An-Nisa� 4:145]

�When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad), they say: �We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah� Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed� [Al-Munaafiqoon 63:1 � interpretation of the meaning]

That is although Munafaqeen say to prophet that they confirm that he is prophet of Allah but Allah testifies that this is merely verbal testimony, and actually they are lying when they say, �We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah�. For they mention Allah and bear witness to His Messenger, but their hearts are devoid of that which is uttered by their lips.

Is it permissible in Islam for Muslims living in the West to bury their dead in non-Muslim cemeteries? Jazakum Allah khayran.

Burial is prescribed for the bodies of the deceased. Muslims are buried in Muslim cemeteries, and in Muslim countries there is no problem regarding this issue. However, in non-Muslim countries, there is the issue of whether it is permissible to bury Muslims in non-Muslim cemeteries or not.

In response to the question in point, The European Council for Fatwa and Research issued the following Fatwa:

There are certain determined legal rulings concerning the Muslim on his death, such as washing him, wrapping him with a shroud, performing the janazah or funeral prayer for him, in addition to burying him in a Muslim cemetery. That is because Muslims have their own way of burying the dead and preparing graves, such as simplicity, facing Qiblah, and avoiding the imitation of polytheists, the affluent, and the like.

It is known that every religious community has its own cemeteries; Jews have their own cemeteries, as do Christians and pagans; therefore, it is natural that Muslims have their own cemeteries too. Muslims living in non-Muslim countries should try, through approved channels, to have their own cemeteries whenever possible, for that would enhance their presence and preserve their personality. If they fail to have their own separate cemetery, they should at least have a specific and exclusive spot within the cemetery of non-Muslims wherein they can bury their dead.

If even both alternatives are not available and a Muslim dies, he may be buried anywhere possible, even if in the cemetery of non-Muslims, for Allah does not burden a person beyond his ability. In this case, burying the Muslim in a cemetery of non-Muslims would not cause him any harm, for what will benefit the Muslim in the Hereafter will be his endeavor and righteous deeds and not the spot where he is buried. Almighty Allah says, �And man can have nothing but what he strives for�� (An-Najm 53:39). Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: �Land does not sanctify anybody, but a person�s own deeds sanctify him.� ( Mentioned by Malik in al-Muwatta' (no. 2232) with the word �man� instead of �person�.)

Besides, burying the deceased in the place where he or she dies is the practice primarily recommended by the Shari`ah, and it is easier than transferring the dead to Muslim countries, as some Muslims do, which causes difficulties and costs a lot of money needlessly.

If the Islamic cemetery is far from the residence of the deceased�s family, it will not be an acceptable excuse to bury him in a (nearby) non-Muslim cemetery, for visiting cemeteries is primarily recommended for the benefit of the visitor to receive admonition and learn a lesson, as this is confirmed in the hadith: �I commanded you not to visit graves, but now I strongly recommend visiting them, for that makes the heart tender and the eye shed tears and it reminds of the Hereafter.� (Reported by Ahmad and Al-Hakim on the authority of Anas)

A Muslim can pray for the dead person and ask forgiveness for him, and, by the Grace of Allah, the reward thereof will reach him wherever the supplicant or the seeker of forgiveness for him may be."

It is highly recommended that when a person dies, people should hasten to bury him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: �You should hasten in burying any deceased person. If he/she was a good person, then you are advancing him/her towards a good thing; if, however, he/she was a bad person then you are getting rid of an evil.�

Therefore, burial should be in the place where a person dies as transforming the corpse to another place will take time and hence delay the burial.

However, if in such situations as where there is no cemetery for Muslims or when the shipping of the dead body is easy and not expensive, then the corpse can be transported to his Muslim country.

Is a person who dies as the result of being struck by a car regarded as a martyr?

The one who dies as the result of being struck by a car may attain the reward of a martyr in two cases:

1 � If he dies as the result of bleeding in his stomach, in which case he would be called al-mabtoon (one who is stricken with a disease or injury in the stomach), whether he was in a car or walking or standing, and he was struck by a car. This is according to the view of some scholars, who say that the mabtoon is the one who dies because of any trouble in the stomach, no matter what it is.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �The martyrs are five: the one who dies of the plague; the one who dies of stomach trouble (al-mabtoon); the one who drowns; the one who is crushed by a falling wall; and the martyr who dies for the sake of Allah .� Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2674; Muslim, 1914.

In an addition narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1846), Abu Dawood (311) and Ibn Maajah (2803) it says: �� and the one who dies of pleurisy, and the woman who dies together (with her baby).�

Al-Nawawi said: � According to another report: �The plague is martyrdom for every Muslim.�

Al-mabtoon is the one who suffers from a stomach complaint, namely diarrhea. Al-Qaadi said: It was said that it is dropsy and swelling of the stomach. And it was said that it refers to the one who suffers from a stomach complaint. And it was said that it refers to the one who dies of a stomach complaint of any kind.

The one who drowns is the one who dies from drowning in water; the one who is crushed by a falling wall means the one who dies beneath it; the one who dies of pleurisy is the one who suffers from inflammation in his side, internally. Burning refers to the one who dies in a fire. The women who dies together (with her baby) refers to a woman who dies during pregnancy along with her child, or it was said: one who dies a virgin. The former is the correct view.

2 � If the person dies as the result of a crash, whether he died inside the car or outside. This may be likened to the one who is crushed by a falling wall, mentioned in the hadeeth quoted above.

Some people say that a person who dies as the result of a car accident is a martyr and he will have a reward like that of the martyrs. Is this correct or not?

We hope that he will be a martyr, because this is like the Muslim who dies under a falling wall. It was narrated in a saheeh report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that such a person is a martyr. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa�imah, 8/375.

The bounty of Allah is immense, and we hope that this person will be a martyr, but we cannot be certain of that.

We ask Allah to give us a good end, and to protect us from a bad death. And Allah knows best.

What is the ruling on one who commits suicide? What is his position before his Lord?

Suicide is a major sin. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated that the one who commits suicide will be punished with something like that with which he killed himself.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Whoever throws himself down from a mountain and kills himself will be in the Fire of Hell, throwing himself down therein for ever and ever. Whoever takes poison and kills himself, his poison will be in his hand and he will be sipping it in the Fire of Hell for ever and ever. Whoever kills himself with a piece of iron, that piece of iron will be in his hand and he will be stabbing himself in the stomach with it in the Fire of Hell, for ever and ever.� Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5442; Muslim, 109.

It was narrated from Thaabit ibn al-Dahhaak (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Whoever kills himself with something in this world will be punished with it on the Day of Resurrection.� Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5700; Muslim, 110.

It was narrated that Jundub ibn �Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: �Among those who came before you there was a man who was wounded and he panicked, so he took a knife and cut his hand with it, and the blood did not stop flowing until he died. Allah said: �My slave hastened to bring about his demise; I have forbidden Paradise to him.� Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3276; Muslim, 113.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who had committed suicide, as a punishment to him and so as to deter others from doing what he had done. But he gave the people permission to offer the funeral prayer for him, so it is Sunnah for the people of knowledge and virtue not to offer the funeral prayer for one who has committed suicide, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

It was narrated that Jaabir ibn Samurah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: �A man who had killed himself with a broad arrow-head was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he did not offer the funeral prayer for him�. Narrated by Muslim, 978.

This hadeeth is evidence for those who say that the funeral prayer should not be offered for one who killed himself because of his sin. This is the view of �Umar ibn �Abd al-�Azeez and al-Awzaa�i. But al-Hasan, al-Nakha�i, Qataadah, Maalik, Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa�i and the majority of scholars said that the funeral prayer should be offered for him. They responded to this hadeeth by pointing out that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not offer the funeral prayer for him himself so as to deter the people from doing something similar, but the Sahaabah offered the funeral prayer for him. End quote.

If it is proven that somebody did commit suicide, it does not mean, that you should not pray for mercy and forgiveness for him/her, rather you must do that because he/she needs that. Suicide is not kufr that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam as some people think, rather it is a major sin that is subject to the will of Allah on the Day of Resurrection: if He wills, He will forgive it, and if He wills He will punish for it. And Allah knows best.

How should supplication be offered for the deceased after burying him and levelling the soil on the grave -- sitting or standing? Which of them is better?

The Sunnah for the one who wants to offer supplication for the deceased after he has been buried and the soil has been levelled over him is to offer supplication whilst standing. The basic principle concerning that is the report narrated by Abu Dawood with his isnaad from �Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished burying the deceased person, he would stand over him and say: �Ask for forgiveness for your brother and ask that he be made steadfast, for right now he is being questioned.� Abu Dawood and al-Mundhiri remained silent about it. It was also narrated by al-Haakim who classed it as saheeh, and by al-Bazzaar who said: It was not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except through this isnaad.

And Allah is the source of strength. They Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End quote.

What is the philosophy behind bathing the dead body and the bath for one who has touched the dead body? What is the reason that when a person dies he should be given a bath in a special way and before being bathed, if a person touches the dead body he also has to take a ritual bath (Ghusl)?

The necessity of ritual bath to the dead body, one of its reasons could be that as all communities respect the living human being, the same respect is must be given for its handing over to its final destination from this world.

Islam accords most respect to the dead by bathing, wrapping body in un sewed white sheets, offering �Salat Janaza� and then burying in a grave.

Islam gives more importance and value to a dead Muslim body, then any other religion. Dead person is always respected even somebody knows him/her or not and attended its prayers, and even go to grave yard for final sub mission to Allah. Even Muslim respect the grave and grave yard and friends and relatives visit them and pray for their forgiveness.

So to give bath, shrouding and burying a dead body is the sign of a respect for him, such a respect in which is a satisfactory and consoled feeling for friends and relatives.

According to Islamic point of view, death is not the complete end of the life of a person but instead it is entering to another kind of life of a new world, and it is one of the step to get the blessing of Most Merciful (Allah).

Of course, prophet doing all this bathing, praying salat and putting in grave by the guidance of Allah, then it will be His decision, how He treat him/her in grave, but for us, we must give the respect as He desired.

Now taking the bath of a person who touches the dead body, When a person dies, there is sadness and depression in the near and dear ones and they cannot absorb the shock of at random separation, so after his death like to kiss him and take him on their lap.

This person may have illness or injuries so different types of germs and poison are released, so if somebody touches the dead body before getting bathed, there are chances of some effects on that healthy person.

To save all the people especially all the relatives from different types of bacteria and diseases, which can penetrate to the people from the dead body and also Islam prohibits to touch the dead body, but if due to high emotions if someone come in contact to a dead body (before getting dead bathed), should take a bath.

The dead body is given bath with water mixed with berry leaves and then with water mixed with camphor and finally with plain water, it's a way to clean the dead body from its contagious effects and due to this the dangers which were there before giving the bath are not present any more. After getting the dead body bathed, the one who were involved in giving bath should take bath to save themselves from any germs effects.

Introduction

Evidences of resurrection

Purgatory (Barzakh)

Siraat Bridge

Gathering of Humans (Hashr)

Scroll of Deeds

Scale Of Deeds

Paradise and its Bounties

Added to above

Mourning for the Dead

Can a person be considered as a shaheed (martyr) if he dies whilst on a business trip by sea? Answer: Praise be to Allah.

Death and the Hereafter - Part 1 By Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman

Death and the Hereafter - Part 2 By Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman

Death and the Hereafter - Part 3 By Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman

Death and the Hereafter - Part 5 By Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman

Death and the Hereafter - Part 6 By Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman

Death and the Hereafter - Part 7 By Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman

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What happens after death, details of Death in ISLAM, part 2 of 2

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Can a person be considered as a shaheed (martyr) if he dies whilst on a business trip by sea?

Answer: Praise be to Allah.