imanway
2009-09-11 22:46:11 UTC
How Do Muslims View Death?
Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for
the next realm of existence. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed
and wrapped in a clean, white cloth (usually by a family member) and
buried after a special prayer, preferably the same day. Muslims
consider this a final service that they can do for their relatives and
an opportunity to remember that their own existence here on earth is
brief.
The question of whether there is life after death does not fall under
the jurisdiction of science, as science is concerned only with
classification and analysis of sense data. Moreover, man has been busy
with scientific inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the
term, only for the last few centuries, while he has been familiar with
the concept of life after death since time immemorial.
All the Prophets of God called their people to worship God and to
believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief
in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God
and made all other beliefs meaningless.
The very fact that all the Prophets of God have dealt with this
metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so
uniformly - the gap between their ages in some cases, being thousands
of years - goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of life
after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e. Divine
revelation.
We also know that these Prophets of God were greatly opposed by their
people, mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people
thought it impossible. But in spite of opposition, the Prophets won
many sincere followers.
The question arises: what made those followers forsake the established
beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding
the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The
simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart
and realized the truth.
Did they realize the truth through perceptual consciousness? They
couldn’t, as perceptual experience of life after death is impossible.
God has given man besides perceptual consciousness, rational,
aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that
guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory
data. That is why all the Prophets of God while calling people to
believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral
and rational consciousness of man.
For example, when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility
of life after death, the Quran exposed the weakness of their stand by
advancing very logical and rational arguments in support of it:
And he (i.e. man) presents for Us an example (i.e. attempting to
establish the finality of death) and forgets his [own] creation. He
says, “Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?” Say,
“He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is,
of all creation, Knowing.” [It is] He who made for you from the green
tree, fire, and then from it you ignite. Is not He who created the
heavens and the earth Able to create the likes of them? Yes, [it is
so]; and He is the Knowing Creator. (Quran, 36:78-81)
On another occasion, the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers
have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based
on pure conjecture:
And they say, “There is not but our worldly life; we die and live
(i.e. some people die and others live, replacing them) and nothing
destroys us except time.” And they have of that no knowledge; they are
only assuming. And when Our verses are recited to them as clear
evidences, their argument is only that they say, “Bring [back] our
forefathers, if you should be truthful.” Say, “God causes you to live,
then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of
Resurrection, about which there is no doubt,” but most of the people
do not know. (Quran, 45:24-26)
Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has His own plan of
things. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and
then the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will
be the beginning of a life that will never end, and on that day every
person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil
deeds.
The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after
death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if
there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes
meaningless or even if one believes in God, it would be n unjust and
indifferent God, having once created man and now not being concerned
with his fate.
Surely, God is just. He will punish the tyrants, whose crimes are
beyond count - having tortured and killed hundreds or thousands of
innocent people, created great corruption in society, enslaved
numerous persons to serve their whims, etc., because man has a very
short life span in this world and because numerous individuals are
affected by one’s actions, adequate punishments and rewards are not
possible in this life. The Quran very emphatically states that the Day
of Judgment must come and that God will decide the fate of each soul
according to his or her record of deeds:
But those who disbelieve say, “The Hour (i.e. the Day of Judgment)
will not come to us.” Say, “Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to
you. [God is] the Knower of the unseen.” Not absent from Him is an
atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is]
smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register -
That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those
will have forgiveness and noble provision. But those who strive
against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure (i.e. to undermine their
credibility) - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature.
(Quran, 34:3-5)
The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God’s attributes of
Justice and Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His
mercy on those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life,
believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them. But those who
abused the bounties of God, caring nothing for the life to come, will
be in the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the
Quran says:
Then is he whom We have promised a good promise which he will meet
[i.e. obtain] like he for whom We provided enjoyment of worldly life
[but] then he is, on the Day of Resurrection, among those presented
[for punishment in Hell]? (Quran, 28:61)
The Quran also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the
eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their
passions and desires, making fun of virtuous and God-conscious
persons.
Such persons realize their folly only at the time of their death and
wish to be given a further chance in the world but in vain. Their
miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of
Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers
are very clearly and beautifully mentioned in the following verses of
the Quran:
[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes
to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back that I might do
righteousness in that which I left behind (i.e. in that which I
neglected).” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a
barrier until the Day they are resurrected. So when the Horn is blown,
no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask
about one another. And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds]
- it is they who are the successful. But those whose scales are light
- those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell,
abiding eternally. The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein
will have taut smiles (i.e. their lips having been contracted by
scorching until the teeth are exposed). (Quran, 23:99-104)
The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the
Hereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by
making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities.
Think of the people of Arabia before the arrival of the Prophet
Muhammad . Gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering and murdering were
their main traits when they had no belief in life after death. But as
soon as they accepted the belief in the One God and life after death
they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They gave up
their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all their
disputes on the basis of justice and equality. Similarly the denial of
life after death has its consequences not only in the Hereafter but
also in this world. When a nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of
evils and corruption become rampant in that society and ultimately it
is destroyed.
The Quran mentions the terrible end of Aad, Thamud and the Pharaoh in
some detail:
[The tribes of] Thamud and Aad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e. the
Resurrection]. So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the
overpowering [blast]. And as for Aad, they were destroyed by a
screaming, violent wind which He [i.e. God] imposed upon them for
seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people
therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees. Then do
you see of them any remains? And there came Pharaoh and those before
him and the overturned cities (i.e. those to which Lot was sent) with
sin. And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them
with a seizure exceeding [in severity]. Indeed, when the water
overflowed, We carried you [i.e. your ancestors] in the sailing ship
(i.e. which was constructed by Noah). That We might make it for you a
reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it. (Quran,
69:4-12)
Events of the Day of Judgment
God states in the Quran about the events of the Day of Judgment:
Then when the Horn is blown with one blast, and the earth and the
mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow [i.e. stroke] - Then on
that Day, the Occurrence [i.e. Resurrection] will occur, And the
heaven will split [open], for that Day it is infirm (i.e. weak,
enfeebled and unstable). And the angels are at its edges. And there
will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of
them]. That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgment]; not hidden
among you is anything concealed (i.e. any person or any secret you
might attempt to conceal). So as for he who is given his record in his
right hand, he will say, “Here, read my record! Indeed, I was certain
that I would be meeting my account.” So he will be in a pleasant life
- In an elevated Garden, Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near. [They
will be told], “Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth
(i.e. literally, advanced in anticipation of reward in the Hereafter)
in the days past.” But as for he who is given his record in his left
hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had not been given my record, and had
not known what is my account. I wish it [i.e. my death] had been the
decisive one (i.e. ending life rather than being the gateway to
eternal life). My wealth has not availed me. Gone from me is my
authority.” [God will say], “Seize him and shackle him. Then into
Hellfire drive him. Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits
insert him.” Indeed, he did not used to believe in God, the Most
Great. (Quran, 69:13-33)
The Prophet Muhammad taught that three things continue to benefit a
[believing] person even after death - charity which he had given
(which continues to benefit others), beneficial knowledge which he had
left behind (i.e. authored or taught), and supplication on his behalf
by a righteous child (Narrated by Saheeh Muslim).
Thus, there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after
death:
1) All the Prophets of God have called their people to believe in it.
2) Whenever a human society is built on the basis of this belief, it
has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral
evils.
3) History bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected
collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of
the Prophet, the group as a whole has been punished by God even in
this world.
4) Moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man endorse the
possibility of the life after death.
5) God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy have no meaning if there is
no life after death
For more information about Islam
http://english.islamway.com/
http://www.islamhouse.com/
http://www.discoverislam.com/
http://www.islambasics.com/index.php
http://english.islamway.com/
http://www.islamtoday.net/english/
http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/MainPage/indexe.php
http://www.sultan.org/
http://www.islamonline.net/
Contact Us At
Imanway-***@gmail.com
Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for
the next realm of existence. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed
and wrapped in a clean, white cloth (usually by a family member) and
buried after a special prayer, preferably the same day. Muslims
consider this a final service that they can do for their relatives and
an opportunity to remember that their own existence here on earth is
brief.
The question of whether there is life after death does not fall under
the jurisdiction of science, as science is concerned only with
classification and analysis of sense data. Moreover, man has been busy
with scientific inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the
term, only for the last few centuries, while he has been familiar with
the concept of life after death since time immemorial.
All the Prophets of God called their people to worship God and to
believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief
in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God
and made all other beliefs meaningless.
The very fact that all the Prophets of God have dealt with this
metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so
uniformly - the gap between their ages in some cases, being thousands
of years - goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of life
after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e. Divine
revelation.
We also know that these Prophets of God were greatly opposed by their
people, mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people
thought it impossible. But in spite of opposition, the Prophets won
many sincere followers.
The question arises: what made those followers forsake the established
beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding
the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The
simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart
and realized the truth.
Did they realize the truth through perceptual consciousness? They
couldn’t, as perceptual experience of life after death is impossible.
God has given man besides perceptual consciousness, rational,
aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that
guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory
data. That is why all the Prophets of God while calling people to
believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral
and rational consciousness of man.
For example, when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility
of life after death, the Quran exposed the weakness of their stand by
advancing very logical and rational arguments in support of it:
And he (i.e. man) presents for Us an example (i.e. attempting to
establish the finality of death) and forgets his [own] creation. He
says, “Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?” Say,
“He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is,
of all creation, Knowing.” [It is] He who made for you from the green
tree, fire, and then from it you ignite. Is not He who created the
heavens and the earth Able to create the likes of them? Yes, [it is
so]; and He is the Knowing Creator. (Quran, 36:78-81)
On another occasion, the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers
have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based
on pure conjecture:
And they say, “There is not but our worldly life; we die and live
(i.e. some people die and others live, replacing them) and nothing
destroys us except time.” And they have of that no knowledge; they are
only assuming. And when Our verses are recited to them as clear
evidences, their argument is only that they say, “Bring [back] our
forefathers, if you should be truthful.” Say, “God causes you to live,
then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of
Resurrection, about which there is no doubt,” but most of the people
do not know. (Quran, 45:24-26)
Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has His own plan of
things. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and
then the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will
be the beginning of a life that will never end, and on that day every
person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil
deeds.
The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after
death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if
there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes
meaningless or even if one believes in God, it would be n unjust and
indifferent God, having once created man and now not being concerned
with his fate.
Surely, God is just. He will punish the tyrants, whose crimes are
beyond count - having tortured and killed hundreds or thousands of
innocent people, created great corruption in society, enslaved
numerous persons to serve their whims, etc., because man has a very
short life span in this world and because numerous individuals are
affected by one’s actions, adequate punishments and rewards are not
possible in this life. The Quran very emphatically states that the Day
of Judgment must come and that God will decide the fate of each soul
according to his or her record of deeds:
But those who disbelieve say, “The Hour (i.e. the Day of Judgment)
will not come to us.” Say, “Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to
you. [God is] the Knower of the unseen.” Not absent from Him is an
atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is]
smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register -
That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those
will have forgiveness and noble provision. But those who strive
against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure (i.e. to undermine their
credibility) - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature.
(Quran, 34:3-5)
The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God’s attributes of
Justice and Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His
mercy on those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life,
believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them. But those who
abused the bounties of God, caring nothing for the life to come, will
be in the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the
Quran says:
Then is he whom We have promised a good promise which he will meet
[i.e. obtain] like he for whom We provided enjoyment of worldly life
[but] then he is, on the Day of Resurrection, among those presented
[for punishment in Hell]? (Quran, 28:61)
The Quran also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the
eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their
passions and desires, making fun of virtuous and God-conscious
persons.
Such persons realize their folly only at the time of their death and
wish to be given a further chance in the world but in vain. Their
miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of
Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers
are very clearly and beautifully mentioned in the following verses of
the Quran:
[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes
to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back that I might do
righteousness in that which I left behind (i.e. in that which I
neglected).” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a
barrier until the Day they are resurrected. So when the Horn is blown,
no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask
about one another. And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds]
- it is they who are the successful. But those whose scales are light
- those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell,
abiding eternally. The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein
will have taut smiles (i.e. their lips having been contracted by
scorching until the teeth are exposed). (Quran, 23:99-104)
The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the
Hereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by
making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities.
Think of the people of Arabia before the arrival of the Prophet
Muhammad . Gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering and murdering were
their main traits when they had no belief in life after death. But as
soon as they accepted the belief in the One God and life after death
they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They gave up
their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all their
disputes on the basis of justice and equality. Similarly the denial of
life after death has its consequences not only in the Hereafter but
also in this world. When a nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of
evils and corruption become rampant in that society and ultimately it
is destroyed.
The Quran mentions the terrible end of Aad, Thamud and the Pharaoh in
some detail:
[The tribes of] Thamud and Aad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e. the
Resurrection]. So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the
overpowering [blast]. And as for Aad, they were destroyed by a
screaming, violent wind which He [i.e. God] imposed upon them for
seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people
therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees. Then do
you see of them any remains? And there came Pharaoh and those before
him and the overturned cities (i.e. those to which Lot was sent) with
sin. And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them
with a seizure exceeding [in severity]. Indeed, when the water
overflowed, We carried you [i.e. your ancestors] in the sailing ship
(i.e. which was constructed by Noah). That We might make it for you a
reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it. (Quran,
69:4-12)
Events of the Day of Judgment
God states in the Quran about the events of the Day of Judgment:
Then when the Horn is blown with one blast, and the earth and the
mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow [i.e. stroke] - Then on
that Day, the Occurrence [i.e. Resurrection] will occur, And the
heaven will split [open], for that Day it is infirm (i.e. weak,
enfeebled and unstable). And the angels are at its edges. And there
will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of
them]. That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgment]; not hidden
among you is anything concealed (i.e. any person or any secret you
might attempt to conceal). So as for he who is given his record in his
right hand, he will say, “Here, read my record! Indeed, I was certain
that I would be meeting my account.” So he will be in a pleasant life
- In an elevated Garden, Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near. [They
will be told], “Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth
(i.e. literally, advanced in anticipation of reward in the Hereafter)
in the days past.” But as for he who is given his record in his left
hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had not been given my record, and had
not known what is my account. I wish it [i.e. my death] had been the
decisive one (i.e. ending life rather than being the gateway to
eternal life). My wealth has not availed me. Gone from me is my
authority.” [God will say], “Seize him and shackle him. Then into
Hellfire drive him. Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits
insert him.” Indeed, he did not used to believe in God, the Most
Great. (Quran, 69:13-33)
The Prophet Muhammad taught that three things continue to benefit a
[believing] person even after death - charity which he had given
(which continues to benefit others), beneficial knowledge which he had
left behind (i.e. authored or taught), and supplication on his behalf
by a righteous child (Narrated by Saheeh Muslim).
Thus, there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after
death:
1) All the Prophets of God have called their people to believe in it.
2) Whenever a human society is built on the basis of this belief, it
has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral
evils.
3) History bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected
collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of
the Prophet, the group as a whole has been punished by God even in
this world.
4) Moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man endorse the
possibility of the life after death.
5) God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy have no meaning if there is
no life after death
For more information about Islam
http://english.islamway.com/
http://www.islamhouse.com/
http://www.discoverislam.com/
http://www.islambasics.com/index.php
http://english.islamway.com/
http://www.islamtoday.net/english/
http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/MainPage/indexe.php
http://www.sultan.org/
http://www.islamonline.net/
Contact Us At
Imanway-***@gmail.com