LIFE AFTER DEATH: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Muhammet Erkan KöseEsra Köse

In the Name of God; The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

OUTLINESecond Section

Dooms DayDeathLife in Grave Judgment DayHeavenHellMercy of Allah

First SectionWhy must there be

an afterlife?Examples

“Look, then at the signs of God’s mercy – how He restores life to the earth after its death – most surely He will raise the dead to life, for He is powerful over all things.” (Quran 30:50)

His GreatnessThere is organization and administration in this kingdom.

Everyone, including the poorest and the weakest, is provided with appropriate food.

There is order, everyone pays attention to its duties and services with obedience.There is wisdom, justice, and balance in the order.Justice demands that the rights be protected.

Greatness, honor, and justice requires the rebels be punished.

His GenerosityDelicious feasts, jewels, decorations, embroidered garments, are

here.Generosity and beauty points to care, attention, and love.

The king must have generosity and compassion.

Generosity requires giving away, compassion requires kindness.Those who seek refuge in him should receive favor.The guests of that feast should enjoy them eternally and not suffer

the pain of death and separation.

What that generosity and greatness require is not seen here. The oppressor retains his power, and the oppressed, his humiliation.

His ArtPriceless jewels displayed here, numerous types of dishes laid out like a banquet,

extremely beautiful scenery is here.

The king must be very rich with unlimited precious art.

Infinite treasures require eternal display.

The guests of that display should enjoy them eternally.• Beauty requires permanent existence of admirers.• Love of an admirer destined to perish will turn to hate; admiration and respect will turn

to contempt.

We leave this realm unsatisfied, very quickly and vanish, witnessing a shadow of the perfection and beauty for a very short time.

Necessary to go to an eternal contemplation place of Divine beauty and perfection.

His MercyHe has mercy, answers every plea, fulfills the needs of all.

• Babies come with compassionate mothers; sick animals find herbal remedies.

Biggest need of all the humans is eternity. We all want the bounties to continue: health, wealth, beauty, peace, sustenance, love…

He answers all those less important prayers; he will certainly not refuse to answer the biggest of all.

The king has built this place for a temporary stay. It’s easy for him to make a permanent one.

Those sent to this field of trial will not be left to their own devices; palaces of bliss or dungeons await them.

Second SectionDooms DayDeathLife in Grave Judgment DayHeavenHellMercy of Allah

Dooms DaySome of the Minor Signs (in no particular order) "The coming of the Last Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh).“

"Shepherds will compete in the construction of tall buildings.“

"Knowledge of Islam will be taken away while ignorance will increase.”

"Drinking and fornication will increase heavily. Killing will increase."

“Abundance of wealth."

"Time will be shortened so that a year will be like a month, a month like a day, a day like an hour.”

"Earthquakes will increase in number.“

Some of the Major Signs (in rough chronological order)

"Al-Dajjal will come, claiming to be God holding Heaven and Hell. His purpose is to deceive, and unbelievers will follow him.“

"Isa (Jesus) will come at the time of Al-Dajjal. The People of the Book will revert to Islam, and wealth will be super-abundant. Isa will break the cross and personally slay Al-Dajjal. He will stay on Earth for a long time thereafter, and then die."

"The sun will rise from the west." [This description is most probably not meant to be a symbolic one.]

"Smoke will appear all over the earth which will cause believers to catch something similar to a slight cold, whereas the unbelievers will be hit harder by it. Finally, a cold wind will come and kill all believers, leaving only unbelievers on the earth who will then witness the LAST HOUR.

The angel Israfil will blow a trumpet, and the resurrection of all human beings will begin." [At this point, the Day of Resurrection commences in which the skies and earth are destroyed by Allah.]

A Grave WorldWhen a believer is about to depart this world, angels with white faces

come down from the heavens and say:

“O peaceful soul, come out to forgiveness from God and His pleasure.” (Hadith)

The believer will look forward to meeting his Creator, as the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, explained:

“…when the time of the death of a believer approaches, he receives the good news of God’s pleasure with him and His blessings upon him, and so at that time nothing is dearer to him than what lies ahead of him.  He therefore loves meeting God, and God loves meeting him.” (Hadith)

Once extracted from the body, the angels wrap the soul in a shroud smelling of musk and ascend up to the heavens.  As the Gates of Heaven open for the soul, the angels greet it:

“A good soul has come from the earth, may God bless you and the body you used to dwell in.”

Unbeliever in Grave The evil soul leaves the body with great difficulty, drawn out by the angels as a thronged

skewer is dragged through wet wool.

Then, when he is brought to the lowest heaven, a request is made that its gate be opened for him, but the request is denied.

The wicked soul is then restored to its body and the two fearsome, dread-inspiring angels, Munkar and Nakeer, come to it for its interrogation.  After making him sit up, they ask:

Munkar and Nakeer: “Who is your Lord?”

Disbelieving soul: “Alas, alas, I do not know.”

Munkar and Nakeer: “What is your religion?”

Disbelieving soul: “Alas, alas, I do not know.”

Munkar and Nakeer: “What do you say about this man (Muhammad) sent to you?”

Disbelieving soul: “Alas, alas I do not know.”

Life in GraveThen, an incredibly ugly being, wearing ugly garments and

giving off a foul and offensive odor comes to the disbelieving soul and says:

“Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day which you have been promised.”  The disbeliever will ask: “Who are you, with your face so ugly and bringing evil?”  The ugly one will reply: “l am your wicked deeds!”

A portal is opened for him every morning and evening showing him his actual home in Hell.

A portal is also opened for believer showing his home in Heaven.

The Day of JudgmentThe Hour of Resurrection will be a terrifying, overwhelming

event. Yet, despite its trauma, the believer will be ecstatic.

When all humans ever created are gathered to stand naked and uncircumcised on a great plain under the ferocious scorching heat of the Sun, an elite group of pious men and women will be shaded under the Throne of God.

“That Day, a man shall flee from his brother; from his mother and his father; from his wife and his children.  For on that Day, every man will have enough to make him indifferent to others.” (Quran 80:34-37)

DeedsThe record of good deeds will then be weighed, literally, to determine

whether it outweighs the person’s record of bad deeds, and so that reward or punishment be administered accordingly. 

“And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all.  And if there is [any deed even] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth.  And sufficient are We to take account.” (Quran 21:47)

“The heaviest thing that will be placed in a person’s Balance on the Day of Resurrection [after the testimony of Faith] is good manners, and God hates the obscene, immoral person.” (Hadith)

Ultimately, the thing that will most delight the eyes will be the Countenance of God Himself.  For the true believer, to see this blessed vision of God is to have won the ultimate prize.

Paradise Every kind of beauty and blessing exists in Paradise.

Pure delight without pain and suffering.

“... there will be there all that the souls could desire, all that the eyes could delight in …” (Quran 43:71)

“Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent forth (good deeds) in days past!” (Quran 69:24)

“… 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 [is] the recompense!  How beautiful a couch [is there] to recline on!” (Quran 18:31)

“They will never fall ill, blow their noses or spit.” (Hadith)

There will be no enmity between people nor ill-feelings.

Eternal HappinessAs for Paradise, people will live forever.  God says:

“...its provision is eternal and so is its shade…” (Quran 13:35)

“(It will be said to them): This is Our Provision, which will never finish” (Quran 38:54)

A person will never feel bored with anything.

“…Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world.  The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears God...” (Quran 4:77)

“...and they shall have therein purified mates…” (Quran 2:25)

“They relieve themselves by perspiring through their skins, and its fragrance will be that of musk, and all stomachs will have become lean.” (Hadith)

HellGod has said in the Quran:

“Those who have disbelieved and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them if one offered it as a ransom. They will have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.” (Quran 3:91)

Hell is an actual place, not a mere state of mind or a spiritual entity.  The horrors, pain, anguish, and punishment are all real, but different in nature than their earthly counterparts.

Paradise and Hell Presently Exist and are Eternal.

“And fear the Fire which is prepared for the disbelievers.” (Quran 3:131)

The greatest deprivation and sorrow for an unbeliever will be spiritual: he will be veiled from God and will be deprived of seeing Him.

LevelsGod refers to the levels of Hell in the Quran:

“For all will be (ranked) by degrees according to what they did.” (Quran 6:132)

Stones and stubborn unbelievers make the fuel of Hell as God says:

“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones...” (Quran 66:6)

The food of the people of Hell is described in the Quran. God says:

“No food will there be for them except from a bitter, thorny plant which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger.” (Quran 88:6-7)

They will realize theirs sins and the error of stubborn disbelief:

“And they will say, ‘If only we had been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.’  And they will admit their sin, so (it is) alienation for the companions of the Blaze.” (Quran 67:10-11)

Who are People of Heaven and Hell?Hell

DisbelieversHypocritesPolytheistsPersecutors of BelieversArrogant Rejecters of the

TruthThose who commit major sins

(e.g. murderers, those who commit suicide,…)

HeavenBelieversChildren who died under

the age of pubertyMartyrsMost of the people of

paradise are those who are weak and poor in this world.

"Musa asked his Rabb, "Who will have the lowest position in Paradise?" Allah said, "A man who will come after the people of Paradise have entered Paradise. He will be told, "Enter Paradise", and he will say, "O my Rabb, how? The people have already taken their places." He will be asked, "Will you not be content if you could have the equivalent of a kingdom on earth?" He will say, "Yes, my Rabb". So he will be told, "You will have that and as much again, and as much again, and as much again, and as much again." On the fifth time, he will say, "I am content with that, my Rabb". He will be told, "You will have all that and ten times more; you will have whatever your heart desires and whatever will delight your eyes." The man will say, "I am content with that".

The Mercy of GodSay: O My servants who have transgressed against their own

souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Quran 39:53)

Allah calls out to His servants, a call of forgiveness, mercy, and compassion. For He knows that man was created weak and is prone to fall into sin.

Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people. (Quran 12:87)

Call out to Him with fear and hope. (Quran 7:56)

Two HadithsSome prisoners were brought before Allah's Messenger

(pbuh) and amongst them was a woman who was frantically searching for someone in the crowd. When she found a baby amongst the prisoners, she took it in her arms, cradled it next to her chest and suckled it. So Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "Do you think that this woman would ever throw her child into the fire?" We said: 'By Allah, Never!' So he said: "Allah is more merciful to His believing servants than that mother could ever be to her child.“

"Indeed, before Allah created the creation, He decreed for Himself, 'Indeed My Mercy prevails over My Anger.”

World vs. HereafterMuhammad, the Prophet of Islam, related:

“This world is a prison for the believer, but for the disbeliever it is a Paradise.  While for the disbeliever, the Hereafter will be a prison, but for the believer, it will be his Paradise.”

“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection.  So whoever is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, it is indeed he who has succeeded.  And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.” (Quran 3:185)

Are Good Deeds Enough?The prophet (pbuh) said: "None of you will enter Paradise with his deeds", They said:

"Not even you, oh messenger of Allah?!", He said: "Not even me unless Allah bestows His mercy upon me.“

The prophet (pbuh) said:

"When Allah created the heavens and the earth, he created one hundred mercies, each one can cover what is between the earth and the heaven. He allocated to the earth only one, with which the mother is compassionate with her child; the beast and the bird are compassionate with their babies. When the Day of Judgment comes, Allah will complete His mercy.“

"Allah ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written, and He then showed (the way) how (to write). If someone intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed; and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times to many more times. And If someone intends to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good deed (in his account) with Him, and if he intends to do a bad deed and actually did it, then Allah will write for him one bad deed."

Last Remarks"And when Our verses are recited to them, they say, We have

heard this! If we wish, we can say something similar to it. These are nothing, but stories of old." (Quran 8:31)

“Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you and rivalry in respect of wealth and children. As the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and approval (for the believers, good-doers), whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.” (Quran 57:20)

Thanks for your attention!

Any Questions?