The Inevitable Separation: Are You Ready for Death?

(Atheists, pagans and even agnostics may reject the rising on the day of Judgement, but they cannot deny the concept of death. Death is a reality and the end of life, its pleasure and connection with relatives, and along with these ends it brings an end to the opportunity of pleasing Allah. Whether you have pleased Allah or defied him will be known at the time of death. Is your death a glad tiding or an announcement of long-lasting severe punishment? This article describes and compares two types of death: The death of a disbeliever and the death of a believer.) Death cannot be denied. Islam teaches the right concept of death so people can prepare for the long journey. Death is not the end of life, but the beginning of a new and ever-lasting life. Life after death takes place in two phases: Life in the Barzakh (a barrier between this life and the hereafter), and Life in the hereafter, whether it is Paradise or Hellfire. Life and death are in the power of Allah.

“He is the Qahir over His servants, and He sends guardians over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our messengers take his soul, and they never neglect their duty. Then they are returned to Allah, their Master, the Just Lord. Surely, His is the judgment and He is the swiftest in taking account.” [Surah Al An’am: 61, 62]

Do Not Neglect Death Those who become distracted, end up disobeying Allah by neglecting their duties, and so death brings them nothing but regret. Allah has already cautioned about such a situation.

“O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers.  And spend of that with which We have provided you before death comes to one of you, and he says, ‘My Lord! If only You would give me respite for a little while, then I should give charity from my wealth, and be among the righteous.’ And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time comes. And Allah is aware of what you do.” [Surah Munafiqoon: 9,10,11]

No soul can ever obtain a second of life more than is destined for it. Such pleadings will not change their situation. To warn the people of Allah’s punishment and encourage them to do good, the Qur’an has described the death of both types of people, the righteous and the wicked. Numerous hadiths elaborate on the description of such people with detail, and they serve as information of good news or bad news for each respective person. The death of the disbelievers (kafirs) and polytheists (mushriks) who spent their entire life with pride and arrogance is the first window of punishment. They had lived the life thinking that they would never be raised. They had always chased the worldly life, and always presented lies about Allah and His religion. They defied Allah’s command. Moreover, some even challenged Allah, saying that they also have the ability to deliver such a Book. Thus, the Quran describes their death as a painful torment with news of more punishment coming their way on the Day of Judgement. Shock, Fear and Pain Upon Seeing the Angles of Death

“And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands (saying), ‘Deliver your souls!’ This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His signs with disrespect!” [Surah Al-An’am: 93]

Death is not an easy thing to be taken for granted. Life occurs only once on this earth, and no one is able to return comes back to inform their suffering during death but Allah informs us through his revelation and prophets. How the Soul Leaves a Disbeliever’s Body Allah states in the Quran that the angels will drag their souls out by hitting them on the face and the back,

And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve they smite their faces and their backs.  [Surah Al Anfal: 50]

Frightened by death, the soul of the disbelievers tries to hide within the body, refusing to come out. However, the angels will beat it and take it out harshly. [Tafseer Ibn Kathir: Al Anam: 93]

Our Beloved Prophet (ﷺ) narrated the entire event of their death, to caution us. He said,

“And when the disbelieving person is near the end of his term in the world and the beginning of his term in the Hereafter, there will descend onto him from heaven angels with dark faces. They will bring with them musuh and will sit as far from him as the sight reaches. Then the angel of death will come forward and sit right next to his head, saying, ‘O impure, evil soul! Depart (your body) to the anger of Allah and wrath from Him.’ The soul will scatter throughout his body, and the angel of death will seize it as when a thorny branch is removed from wet wool. The angel of death will seize the soul, and when he does, they (the group of angels) will not let it stay in his hand for more than an instance, and they will wrap it in the musuh. The most putrid smell a corpse can ever have on earth will emit from the soul, and the angels will ascend with it. Whenever they pass by a group of angels, they will ask, ‘Whose is this evil soul?’ The angels will respond, ‘He is such person son of such person,’ calling him by the worst names he was known by in the world. When they reach the lowest heaven, they will request that its door be opened for him, and their request will be denied.

“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.” [Surah Anfal:40]

Allah will declare, “List his record in the Sijjin in the lowest earth.” The wicked soul will then be thrown [from heaven]. And he recited this verse, “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.” [Surah Hajj:31] See Albani’s Sahih al-Jami, 1676. The Death of a Believer is a Life of Welcome Ibn Kathir explains the following verse as a glad tidying and assurance from Allah for the death of a believer and when he rises from his grave on the day of judgement.

“O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him] [Surah Fajr: 27,28]

The Prophet (ﷺ) also explained the process of the death of a believer. He said,

“The 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 will say, ‘[It is] So and So.’ It will be 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.” (Sahih Ibn Majah: 4262)

The condition required for a pleasant death is explained in the following verse,

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

There are multiple lessons that can be derived from the above verse, such as:

1. Testifying through the shahadah, and being firm on it until death, which is essential for a rewarding death.
2. “Fear not, nor grieve,” is an assurance, since the moment a dying person sees the Angle of Death, he will be afraid and feel sad for leaving his family.
3. The glad tidings of Paradise will diminish the fear and sadness of a dying person.
4. Abu Bakr As-Siddique (Allah be pleased with him) explained this verse to Sa’id bin Imran as, “It refers to those who do not associate any partners with Allah.” [Tafsir Qurtubi: Surah Fusilat: 30]

Believers Should Take Heed What do you think when you go through these cautionary verses? Is it only for the disbelievers? Rather, it is for all of humanity, including the Muslims. Some spread lies about Allah by performing an wrong interpretation of the Quran, inserting their own opinions, narrating fabricated hadiths, and blindly following the previous nations, the Jews and the Christians. Allah revealed the relevant verses to inform us about the unseen reality that our eyes cannot see. As well as to bring people out of the darkness of ignorance who live assuming they will have a good end. This can never be possible unless you are a true believer. If you lost your actual track on the religion, then you are gone forever, same as the disbelievers who remained in misguidance. No matter how many good qualities you possess, no matter how good relationships you have with people, if you fail to accept the truth that Allah has revealed, then life after death will be a disaster Conclusion Every Muslim should take heed of how he is spending his life. Is it in accordance to what Allah has revealed, or is it in accordance to what people have spread? To summarize, we must supplicate to Allah to give us a good end, and to submit our souls in the Illiyin.