This paper discusses the concept of death

This paper discusses the concept of death

Abstract:
This paper discusses the concept of death, resurrection from an Islamic point of view. It is divided into two integral parts. In the first part, we examine the Islamic eschatological concepts of death, resurrection, and the Day of Judgment.

Death and Resurrection

From an Islamic point of view, human beings pass through three main states: birth and life, death and barzakh (the period from death to resurrection) and resurrection and reckoning. When people die, they are in a transitional period (barzakh) [1],2between death and resurrection. Upon being laid in the grave, a dead person is questioned by two angels about his/her religion and Prophet or Messenger. Believers are able to respond correctly to these questions while non-believers are not (Q 14: 273; [3], vol. 5, p. 147, hadith no. 3120). The dead do not feel the passing of time; once a person is dead, he/she inches closer to an eternal destiny in paradise or hell. Time, argues Philips, “only exists for those living on earth, and once man dies he leaves the time zone and a thousand years (or more) becomes a blinking of an eye” ([4], p. 44).
The Qur’an and many hadiths of the Prophet speak of Islamic eschatology. According to Al-Nursi (1877–1960), about one-third of the Qur’an concerns itself with the hereafter ([5],.p. 99)4 When Muhammad (PBUH) was still alive, many of his companions asked him about the timing of the Day of Judgment, but he answered that it is only Allah Who knows when it will come (Q 7: 187, 16: 77, 31: 34). Even during Muhammad’s lifetime, the Qur’an spoke about the imminence of the final day in the Al-Qamr (literally the Moon) sura. This sura starts with “The Hour has come near, and the moon has split (in two). And if they see a miracle, they turn away and say, “Passing magic.” (Q 54: 1). According to Qur’anic verses and the hadiths, minor and major signs must occur before this day. The most common minor signs include, but are not limited to, immorality, the construction of skyscrapers, the prevalence of unruly rulers, the spread of disease, sudden death, crime, and adultery ([6], vol. 1, p. 36, hadith no. 8). Among the major signs are the appearance of the Beast, the anti-Christ; Ya’joj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog); the occurrence of three eclipses of the Sun; the rising of the Sun from the West, not the East; and the destruction of al-Ka’ba in Mecca (Q 27: 82, 18: 85, 21: 96; [7], pp. 7–78, 152–60). Both Sunni and Shia Muslims believe in the coming of the Mahdi, who, they say, will fight the Antichrist along with Jesus and the believers [7,8].5 Islamic eschatology speaks about a final and decisive battle between the Muslims and the Jews in which the latter will be utterly defeated ([6], vol. 4, p. 2239, hadith no. 2922). Some Muslim scholars speak of less common signs, such as the decrease of the number of women compared to that of men (with some accounts mentioning a 50 to 1 ratio) and the gushing of a mountain of gold from the Euphrates River in Iraq. Shia scholars speak of one unique sign for Shia Muslims: the appearance of Al-Sufyīnī, a wicked ruler who will dominate the Levant, just prior to the coming of al-Mahdi ([9], pp. 177–78; [8], pp. 42, 58–59).
After these signs have been fulfilled, the first trumpet will be blown (by Isrāfīl, one of the archangels) and then the second ([10], p. 55).6 After the second trumpet, people will be raised from the dead, and all will account for their deeds, good or bad (Q 39: 68). According to Al-Nursi, the resurrection comprises three stages: souls are returned to bodies, which “will be reanimated, and ... rebuilt and resurrected” ([5], p. 126). This will be a serious day; the skies will be folded; the earth will be flattened; and thunder, smoke, and floods will be present (Q 82: 1–4, 81: 1–13; [11], vol. 6, pp. 17, 78–103). This is the Day of Reckoning, when the deeds of everyone will be weighed by God. On this day, the wrongdoers and sinners will suffer most while those who behaved well during their lifetimes will endure much less pain (Q 23: 102–103, 101: 6–11). It is the day of requital. God will settle scores among all humans; the good deeds of the transgressors (if they have any) will be waived for the benefit of those whom they offended; if they lack good deeds, the evil actions of their victims will be added their records ([12], vol. 8, p. 111, hadith no. 6534; [10], pp. 260–66, 321–32). Everyone will be busy with himself or herself; even parents will forsake their siblings and friends their comrades (Q 23: 101).
On the Day of Judgment, people will frantically hurry to Prophets/ Messengers and ask them to intercede on their behalf before God for forgiveness ([12], p. 166; [10], pp. 61–64). After that, people will be dispersed either to heaven or to hell. Selected pious believers from all faiths will be able to see God in heaven (Q 83: 15; [13], pp. 13–23). People will be divided into three main groups: believers (mainly followers of the heavenly revealed religion i.e., Islam), non-believers, and Ahl-A‘rāf (the inhabitants of the heights, a place between Heaven and Hell, (Q 7: 44–46)). Prophets, messengers, awliyā’ and pious men and women will be admitted into paradise; believers who have sinned and committed crimes during their lives may endure some punishment in hell before proceeding to heaven while unbelievers will be driven to hell. Heavenly justice entails that those unbelievers who were not sent a prophet or messenger to tell them about the true One God, those living in deserted areas (such as forests or jungles), and those who did not have the means to know about Him (the lack of faculty/sense or other reasons) will not go to hell (Q 17: 15). Understandably, not all nations believe in the resurrection after death. The majority of ancient generations did not believe in life after death. The Qur’an refers to this fact in more than one verse (Q 45: 24). For Muslims, our worldly life is just a temporal stage, after which all humans will be resurrected and raised from their graves to stand trial before God; the outcome will be either paradise or hell. Life in the second world is eternal; those in paradise will enjoy unimaginable blessings, while those in hell will suffer the severest punishment.

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