The Journey of the Soul

Throughout
history, all aspects of the unseen have fascinated man. He has
especially attempted to explore and understand the phenomenon of the
soul - that mysterious power which activates the human body. Many
questions were asked, but only a few answers were available. During the
lifetime of the Prophet (saws) the Jews of Medina sent their allies, the
Makkan infidels, to the Prophet (saws) to ask about the soul. In reply
to their questions, the following Qur'anic verse was revealed:
"They
ask you [O Muhammad (saws] concerning the Ruh (Soul). Say: 'It is one
of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of
knowledge, you (mankind) have been given very little."
[Qur'an Al-Israa 17: 85]
Because
so little knowledge was available, most Muslim scholars considered any
discussion concerning the soul to be 'taboo' and so this avenue of
knowledge remained almost closed within scholastic circles. The most
famous of the few work written on this subject was entitled "Kitab
Al-Ruh" by Ibn Al-Qayyim.' Contrary to his normal approach of scholarly
research, guided by the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah, in this book he
relied heavily on weak and spurious reports attributed falsely to the
Prophet (saws) by transmitters such as Ibn Abi Al Dunya and Abu Nu'aim.
Later scholars argued that Ibn Al-Qayyim was too great a scholar to have
written a book so largely based on fabricated narrations, and so
concluded that he could not have been the author. Others argued that he
must have written it before he met the great author and teacher, Sheikh
Ibn Taymiyya, who had a profound effect on him and shaped his later
works, which were always based on the Book of Allah and the authentic
Sunnah.
In my short and humble
contribution to the subject of the Soul, I have endeavored to rely on
authentic sources alone. Due to the nature of this topic, I seek Allah’s
forgiveness for any deviation from the truth on my part and I pray to
the Almighty to accept this meager effort. And may Allah shower His
blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad (saws) and his progeny.
Suhaib Hasan (Safar 1416 AH)
Four Worlds
"They
ask you [O Muhammad (saws] concerning the Ruh (Soul). Say: 'It is one
of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of
knowledge, you (mankind) have been given very little."
[Qur'an Al-Israa 17:85]
The
soul is a creature of Allah. It is blown into every human being when it
is just a foetus of 120 days old, it remains in contact if not inside
the human being throughout its life on earth, and at the point of death
it departs from the body to reside in the heavens. Like everything else
in the universe it is a creation of Allah, but as the above Qur'anic
verse informs us, mankind has been given only limited knowledge
concerning it. When a body is given a soul, life begins. And when the
soul leaves the body, life ends and death begins.
During their journeys through this universe, the soul and its body travel through four different worlds:
1. The womb - where the soul joins its body.
2. This world - where we all live for a limited period only.
3. The grave - a ‘Barzakh’ period.
4. The Hereafter - The final destination of all human beings.
Each
world is greater than the last, and the final world of the Hereafter is
eternal and the most important. It is difficult for us as human beings
living amidst the hubbub of worldly life to comprehend the sheer
futility of this world and the permanence of the Hereafter. Thousands of
dead are buried around us every day, but we find it impossible to
envisage the new stage of the journey upon which they have embarked. To
the living, the grave is simply an empty and dark hole in the ground; to
the dead, it is their window into either Paradise or the Fire. And it
is precisely because they cannot comprehend the next life that the
majority of human beings refuse to believe in and obey Allah.
In
this situation, we are like the foetus in the womb of its mother.
Consider the unborn child whose only home for nine months is a dark and
cramped place where it receives nourishment, warmth and space to grow.
Suppose we could speak to the unborn child; what would we say when
describing the world waiting for it outside? We would talk to it about
the clouds, the mountains, the trees and the oceans. We would talk of a
spectrum of colours, smells, tastes and textures. We would mention the
thunder of trains, the roaring of planes, the speed of cars. We would
describe flowers, birds and animals; a world of lush gardens, cascading
rivers, valleys and plains. An enormous world of huge deserts, massive
oceans and vast landscapes. a bustling world filled with noise, movement
and numerous nationalities of people speaking a variety of languages
Would
the little infant curled up in it's mother's womb understand the
message? Indeed not. The womb is the only place he knows and to imagine
the outside world would be beyond his comprehension. In the same way,
our life in this world is temporary and like it or not, we will have to
leave it to enter the world beyond the grave. Just because we cannot
envisage or see the world of the Barzakh does not mean that it does not
exist.
What is the Soul ?
The
Qur'an and Sunnah give us only a limited knowledge concerning the soul.
From it we can say that the Arabic words 'Ruh' and 'Nafs' are both
used, sometimes interchangeably, for the soul. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote
in his scholarly work "Kitab al Ruh",
"
Ruh is an entity which differs totally from the physical body. It is a
subtle, ecclesiastical, enlightened living and moving body which
penetrates into the depths of the organs and flows into them like the
water in the rose or the oil in the olive or the fire in the coal. As
long as these organs remain able to accept the impressions of this
subtle body, the 'Ruh' remains attached to these organs and provides
them with feeling and movement. But when these organs are spoiled
because of the dominance of diseased elements upon it, and they are no
longer able to accept the impressions of the soul, it leaves the body
and heads towards the world of the souls. "
There
is some difference in the way the words 'Ruh' and 'Nafs' are used. The
'Ruh' is the subtle spirit, which resides in the heavens and needs a
physical body to carry it on the earth. When this spirit is given a
body, life begins and it is described as 'Nafs'. The word 'Nafs' is used
in a number of ways by the Qur'an, all of which imply the meaning of a
soul with a body.
1. 'Nafs' meaning "Self."
"You know what is in my self but I do not know what is in Your self"
(Qur'an Al-Ma’ida 5:116)
2. 'Nafs' meaning "Blood".
"The (insect) which has flowing Nafs (blood)."
3. Nafs as a strong force in man, which can push him either towards good or evil. The concept of 'Nafs al Ammara bis Su' ('Nafs' which encourages evil) and 'Nafs al Lawwama' ('Nafs' which blames) and 'Nafs al Mutmainna' ('Nafs' which is contented) are discussed in the next chapter.
Two deaths and two lives
The Qur'an mentions two deaths and two lives given to us by Allah
"How
can you reject faith in Allah, seeing that you were dead and He gave
you life. Then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you to life,
then to Him will be your return."
(Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2: 28)
"They will say: Our Lord, twice have You given us death and twice have You given us life…"
(Qur'an Al Mumin : 11)
When
the soul is first created it has no physical body and is considered to
be a dead creature. In this state it is referred to as 'Ruh', and this
is the first death as even death is created by Allah.
"He
is the one who created Death and life in order that He may try which of
you is best in deeds , and He is the Exalted, the Forgiving."
(Qur'an Al Mulk 67: 2)
The
Qur'an also tells us that all the souls of mankind were created before
the creation of Adam and were asked to testify to the Lordship of Allah.
"When
your Lord drew forth from the loins of the children of Adam their
descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves: ‘Am I not your
Lord?’. They said, ‘Yes, we do testify.’ This lest you should say on
the Day of Judgement: ‘We were not aware of this.’ "
(Qur'an Al A’raaf :272)
The first life
begins when the soul is breathed into an embryo in the womb of its
mother, and now the soul is referred to as 'Nafs'. The word Nafs is also
used for ‘blood’, and so women who are in a state of post-natal
bleeding are known as 'Nufasaa’. As long as blood surges healthily
through the body, there will be life in that body.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
"Indeed
the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s
belly for forty days in the form of a seed, then he is a clot of blood
for a similar period, then a morsel of flesh for a similar period. An
angel is then sent to him who blows the breath of life into him..."
(Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Scholars
of Islam have concluded from this hadeeth that because the angel of
life blows the soul into the fetus when it is 120 days old, abortion on
very strict medical grounds is permissible only before the fetus is 4
months old. Once life has been blown into the fetus it becomes a living
creature and to terminate its life is murder.
The second death occurs when the soul leaves the body at the end of its appointed time on earth.
"Every Nafs (soul) shall taste death..."
(Qur'an Aal Imran 3: 185)
The Nafs dies and is buried, while its soul soars up to the heavens. That is why the Prophet (saws) taught us:
"At death, the eyes follow the departing soul, so close the eyes."
The second life
will be the eternal life beginning on the Day of Judgement when the
bodies will be resurrected and their souls will be blown into them once
again.
The Different States of Each Nafs

• NAFS AL-MUTAMAINNA - the Satisfied Soul.
  
• "0
  you satisfied soul. Return to your Lord pleased with yourself and
  pleasing to Him. Enter among My servants. And enter My paradise".
  

(Qur'an Al Fajr 89: 27-30)

• NAFS AL AMMARA BIS SU' - the soul that dictates evil.
  
• "And
  I do not free myself from blame. Indeed the human self is inclined to
  evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Indeed
  my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful."
  

(Qur'an Yusuf : 53)
3. NAFS AL LAWWAMA - the Self-reproaching soul.
"I do call to witness the Resurrection Day. And I do call to witness the self-reproaching Soul."
(Qur'an Al Qiyamah: 1-2)
The noblest of the souls is the satisfied soul, which at its last moments on earth will receive the glad news from its lord of "Enter among My servants and enter into my Paradise."
In contrast is the soul, which inspires evil and disobedience. And
between these two extreme states is the self-reproaching soul, which
checks its actions and blames itself when it commits evil. Most souls
hover between these different states depending on the person’s faith and
actions.
1. Nafs Mutmainna
The Qur'an explains how one can achieve the noble state of the satisfied soul.
"Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction."
(Qur'an Al-Ra'd 12: 28)
The
Qur'an is the voice of Al-Rahman just as music is the voice of Satan.
If the evil-inspiring soul finds solace in music, dance and its
paraphernalia, the satisfied soul finds its peace and consolation in the
Qur'an, prayer and the company of the righteous. The satisfied soul has
such a deep conviction in Allah and the Last Day that never is it upset
by the sorrows or demands of this world.
During
his return from a Jihad expedition, the Prophet (saws) once sat down to
rest under the shade of a tree far from his devout companions. A Makkan
called Chawrath bin Al Harith saw his golden chance and came forward
with his sword drawn: "0 Muhammad. Who is going to save you from me
now?" Calm and un-fearing, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)
stood tall and replied simply, "Allah!". The man was
surprised into confusion by this simple answer and unconsciously dropped
his sword. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) immediately picked
up the sword and asked, "Tell me who will save you now?". The man quietly answered, "There is no god worthy of worship but Allah."
Illness,
financial worries, loss of property or death of dear ones does not
cause the satisfied soul to wail, curse or lament. Whenever it faces any
problems it simply say, "To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return" and faces the misfortune with patience and trust in its Lord.
Such are the souls described in the Qur'an;
"Be
sure, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, some loss of
goods or lives or fruits of your toils. But give glad tidings to those
who are patient. Those who say, when afflicted by calamity: "To Allah we
belong and to Him we shall return.
(Qur'an Al Baqarah 2: 155-156)
The
satisfied soul believes that all happiness and sorrow is by the decree
of Allah. It therefore feels no need to lament at misfortunes or to
boast at success.
"No
misfortune can happen on earth or to your soul but it is written in a
decree before We bring it into existence. That is truly easy for Allah.
In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor
exult in favors bestowed upon you, for Allah loves not the vain
boasters."
(Qur'an Al Hadid 57: 22-23)
No
worldly anxieties upset the satisfied soul. If it fails to acquire
something for which it has struggled for many years, it will accept its
destiny and remember the following words of the Prophet of Allah (saws):
"What
has reached you was never meant to escape you and what has escaped you
was never meant to reach you." (Muwadih by Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi)
The
satisfied soul seeks its nourishment in Dhikr (the remembrance of
Allah), prayer, fasting, Zakat and Hajj. It relies heavily for support
on the branches of faith, the highest of which is to say and believe in ‘There is no god worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’,
and the lowliest of which is to remove an obstacle from the path.
Angels are present to strengthen this soul and to bless and greet it
when it departs this material life, when it is resurrected and when it
is admitted into the gardens of paradise. Their greeting to it is the
greeting of a Muslim to his fellow Muslim: ‘Peace be unto you’;
"And
those who feared their Lord will be led to the Paradise in crowds;
until they arrive there, its gates are opened and its keepers will say:
‘Peace be upon you! Well have you done. Enter here and dwell forever."
(Qur'an Az Zumar 39: 73)
2. Nafs ammara bis su’
In contrast this soul which earns the company of Satan because it ignores the remembrance of Allah.
"The one who withdraws himself from the remembrance of the Merciful, We appoint for him a Satan to be a companion to him."
(Qur'an Az-Zukhruf 43:36)
Satan’s
cohorts and tunes surround the evil soul day and night. It drives from
one satanic act to other. You will see it lying and cheating, wasting
time on leisure and sports, frequenting cinemas and concerts, listening
to music and dancing.
As one
contemporary writer said, "The godless society’s motto is ‘work and
play', while the motto of the god-conscious society is, ‘work and pray’
"!

• Nafs Lawwama
  

The
self-reproaching soul succumbs to evil inspirations but then regrets
its actions and reproaches itself for being weak and vulnerable. These
feelings of remorse cause it to turn back to Allah, to repent sincerely,
and to receive spiritual solace. It is better for each Nafs to blame
itself whenever it commits a wrong. If not, it will find itself being
blamed from all those around it. Consider how the self-reproaching soul
is mentioned with the Day of Resurrection in the Qur'an.
"I do call to witness the Resurrection Day. And I do call to witness the self-reproaching soul."
(Qur'an Al Qiyarnah : 1-2)
There
is a common factor between these two entities, which is that both are
courts of justice. The Nafs al Lawwama is an inner court of justice
within each person; when he acts wrongfully. his conscience or soul
reprimands him, and it is then up to him to pay heed to it or to ignore
it. Besides placing an inner court of justice within each person, the
Creator has also prepared a larger Court, which will operate on the
Final Day and will mete out justice to all of mankind.
Consequences Of Iman
Student
studies hard for his final examinations, researching in libraries,
practicing past papers and revising his notes because he wants a
university degree, which will help, advance his career.
A businessman invests much of his time, energy and money into a commercial venture in the hope of large profits in the future.
A farmer ploughs his land, sows it, waters it and tends it regularly in the hope of a good harvest.
They
all know that success does not come down on a plate but has to be
achieved through hard work. Man does certain things in life for certain
results, and he avoids other acts because of their consequences. An
adult will not put his hand into a naked flame because he knows that
fire burns, but a child will do so as he is unaware of the consequences.
The
most important Belief and Knowledge that should dictate our actions is
that Allah Almighty exists, that He is the Creator and Provider, and
that none can benefit nor harm us except with His permission. If a
person’s Iman (faith) in Allah is firm and unyielding, he will be able
to direct all his worship and obedience to Allah and will feel no fear
of false deities or worldly powers.
Consider
the encounter of Pharaoh’s court magicians with Prophet Musa as
described in the Qur'an. Before meeting the Prophet, they pleaded with
Pharaoh for a substantial reward were they to defeat Musa in a duel
using magic.
"So the sorcerers came to Pharaoh and said, 'Of course we shall have a suitable reward if we win."
(Qur'an Al-A'raaf :113)
Pharaoh
accepted their plea and promised them not only a reward but also
positions at court. When the encounter with Musa began, the magicians
realized quickly that while their own display was simple magic, Musa’s
display was extraordinary and much more than any human could conjure up.
So overawed were they by Musa’s miracles that they all fell down in
sajda (prostration) saying,
"We believe in the Lord of the Worlds. The Lord of Musa and Harun,"
(Qur'an Ta Ha : 70)
Pharaoh was stunned by their declaration of faith in Allah and shouted :
"Have
you believed in Him before I gave you permission? Be sure, I will cut
off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and then I will crucify
you on trunks of palm trees. So shall you know which of us can give the
more severe and lasting punishment."
(Qur'an Ta Ha : 71)
These
threats did not frighten the magicians. These men who had just been
begging Pharaoh for more gold coins now became so fearless because of
their faith in Allah that they answered him back easily.
"Never
shall we prefer you over the Clear Signs that have come to us and Him
who has created us. So decree whatever you wish to decree. For you can
only decree concerning the matters of this world. We have believed in
our Lord; may He forgive us our faults and the magic to which you did
compel us, for Allah is the Best and forever abiding".
(Qur'an Ta Ha : 72-73)
What You Sow you will Reap.
The
man who believes that there is no afterlife and that he will not be
accountable in a divine court becomes a slave of this world. He hankers
after its comforts and luxuries, and will break any laws that stand
between him and success. In his desperate quest for more wealth, he will
refuse to differentiate between halal and haram. The tyrants and
criminals of this world operate in the same manner. If to achieve their
goals requires murder and violence, then so be it. The Bosnian Serbs
were among the twentieth century’s worst examples of barbarity and
tyranny; led by a pathological lust for more land, their evil knew no
bounds.
In contrast is the man who
believes in Allah and in the questioning of the Last Day. He fears his
Creator’s wrath and desires his Lord’s favors. Certainty of belief in
paradise and hell guides his entire life, not just the moments spent in
prayer. To him this world is merely a short journey, the destination of
which is the Hereafter. Thus he directs most of his efforts towards
earning Paradise and devotes only part of his time to earning his bread
in this world. He is constantly aware of his divine mission to call the
misguided people around him to Islam and so he buries himself in da’wah
work.
Belief in the Hereafter is the
catalyst which stimulates the souls seeking a better future and its
importance has been emphasized in the Qur'an repeatedly. The true
believers have been described as those who have firm faith in the
Hereafter, because that will be the true life.
"What
is the life of this world but amusement and p lay? But indeed the home
of the Hereafter is the true Life, if only they knew."
(Qur'an Al Ankabut : 64)
The
Ultimate Success is not in amassing fortunes, being famous or having a
fantastic career, but success is in escaping the fires of hell.
"Every
soul shall taste death, and only on the Day of Judgement will you
receive your full recompense. The one who is saved from the Fire and
admitted into Paradise will have attained success, for the life of the
world is nothing but the goods of deception.
(Qur'an Aal Imran : 185)
The
Messenger of Allah (saws) declared that wise is the man who reminds
himself constantly of the accountability on the Day of Resurrection and
so works hard for the life succeeding death. And stupid is the man whose
only concerns are the transient desires and comforts of this life.
The
Prophet (saws) also described this world as a farm for the 'Akhira.'
(Hereafter). Whatever you sow in this world, you shall reap in the
Hereafter. In order that people may not become complacent that the Day
of Judgement is far away in the distant future, he advised each person
to remember that his Judgement will begin on the day he dies

Experiences of the Soul after Death
The
New World of Barzakh begins when the person’s soul leaves his body and
his short life on this earth comes to an end. The dying man experiences
things which cannot be comprehended by the people around him. As his
soul leaves his body through his nostrils, his eyes follow his soul. For
this reason, the Prophet (saws) advised the people to close the eyes of
the deceased to make his appearance less ghastly. Allah Almighty says
about this moment of dying.
"Then
why do you not intervene when the soul (of the dying man) reaches the
throat. And you are at that time looking . We are nearer to him , but
you do not see. And why do you not, if you are exempt from
accountability, call back the soul if you are truthful?"
(Qur'an Al-Waqiah 83-87)
As
the person dies and enters a New World, a window into the 'Akhira' is
opened for him to allow his soul to view Heaven and Hell. Death is a
time of truth and the lies with which disbelievers surround themselves
in this world are exposed. These lies include the denial of the
existence of Allah, rejection of the punishment of the grave, and denial
of the Day of Judgement.
So when
death comes to the disbelievers and they feel the heat of the raging
fires of hell, they begin to plead for a second chance on earth to do
good. But all their pleading is in vain.
"Until,
when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘O my Lord. Send me back to
life. In order that I may do good deeds in the things that I neglected.’
By no means! It is but a word he says. And before them is a barzakh
until the day they are raised up."
(Qur'an Al Mu’minun ; 99-100)
The journey of the soul from the earth to heaven where it meets its Lord is described vividly in the following hadith:
Al-Bara
b. ‘Azib said: We went out with the Prophet (saws) to the funeral of a
man of the Ansar and came to the grave. It had not yet been dug, so
Allah’s Messenger (saws) sat down and we sat down around him quietly. He
had in his hand a stick with which he was making marks on the round.
Then he raised his head and said, "Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave; saying
it twice or thrice. He then said, "When a believer is about to leave
the world and go forward to the next world, angels with faces white as
the sun come down to him from heaven with one of the shrouds of paradise
and some of the perfume of paradise and sit away from him as far as the
eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and
says, ‘Good soul, come out to forgiveness and acceptance from Allah.’ It
then comes out as a drop flows from a water-skin and he seizes it; and
when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but
take it and place it in that shroud and that perfume, and from it there
comes forth a fragrance like that of the sweetest musk found on the face
of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company
of angels without their asking, "Who is this good soul?’ to which they
reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so’, using the best names by which
people called him on the earth. They then bring him to the lowest heaven
and ask that the gate should be opened for him. This is done, and from
every heaven its archangels escort him to the next heaven until it is
brought to the seventh heaven, and Allah who is great and glorious says,
‘Record the book of my servant in Illiyyun and take him back to earth,
for I created mankind from it, I shall return them into it, and from it I
shall bring them forth another time.’ His soul is then restored to his
body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘ Who is
our Lord’ He replies, ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They ask, ‘What is your
religion?’ and he replies, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask, ‘Who is
this man who was sent among you?’ and he replies, ‘He is Allah’s
Messenger.’ They ask, ‘What is your [source of] knowledge?’ and he
replies, ‘I have read Allah’s Book, believed in it and declared it to be
true.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so
spread out carpets for him from paradise, and open a gate for him into
paradise.’ Then some of its joy and its fragrance comes to him, his
grave is made spacious for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with
a beautiful face, beautiful garments and a sweet odor comes to him and
says, ‘Rejoice in what pleases you for this is your day which you have
been promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is perfectly
beautiful and brings good?" He replies, ‘I am your good deeds.’ He then
says, ‘My Lord, bring the last hour; my Lord, bring the last hour, so
that I may return to my people and my property.’
But
when an infidel is about to leave the world and proceed to the next
world, angels with black faces come down to him from heaven with
hair-cloth and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the
angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Wicked soul, come
out to displeasure from Allah.’ Then it becomes dissipated in his body,
and he draws it out as a spit is drawn out from moistened wool. He then
seizes it, and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an
instant, but put it in that hair-cloth and from it comes forth a stench
like the most offensive corpse found on the face of the earth. They then
take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their
saying, ‘Who is this wicked soul?’ to which they reply, ‘So and so, the
son of so and so’, using the worst names that he was called in the
world. When he is brought to the lowest heaven request is made that the
gate be opened for him, but it is not opened for him. (Allah’s Messenger
(saws) then recited, ‘The gates of heaven will not be opened
for them and they will not enter paradise until a camel can pass through
the eye of a needle.’ Allah who is most Great and Glorious
then says, ‘Record his book in Sijjin in the lowest earth,’ and his soul
is thrown down. (He (saws) then recited, ‘He who assigns
partners to Allah is as if he had fallen down from heaven and been
snatched up by the birds, or made to fall by the wind in a place far
distant.’ His soul is then restored to his body, two angels
come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He
replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?’
He replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask ‘Who is this man who
was sent among you?’ He replies, Alas, alas, I do not know.’ Then one
cries out from heaven, ‘He has lied, so spread out carpets from hell for
him, and open a gate for him into hell.’ Then some of its heat and hot
air comes to him, his grave is made narrow for him so that his ribs are
pressed together in it and a man with an ugly face, ugly garments and an
offensive odor come to him and says, Be grieved with what displeases
you, for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He asks ‘Who
are you, for your face is most ugly and brings evil?’ He replies, ‘l am
your wicked deeds.’ He then says, My Lord, do not bring the last hour.’
In a version there is something similar containing this addition:
"When
his soul comes out every angel between heaven and earth and every angel
in heaven invoke blessings on him, and the gates of heaven are opened
for him, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that his soul
may be taken up beyond them. But his soul, i.e., the infidel’s, is
pulled out along with the veins and every angel between heaven and earth
and every angel in heaven curse him, and the gates of heaven are
locked, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that his soul
may not be taken up beyond them."
(Ahmad transmitted it)
The
person who answers the questions correctly and is destined for paradise
will feel that his grave is expanding and becoming a garden of
paradise. The angels will tell him gently, "Sleep like the sleep of a
bride."
But the person who fails to
answer the questions correctly will feel the grave closing in on him and
a door into hell will be opened for him. His mortal body will decompose
and eventually disappear into the ground, but his soul will continue to
feel the punishment it earned in its life on earth. The punishment of
the grave is the first hurdle the person has to overcome after death,
and if he overcomes it easily, the rest of his trial on the Day of
Judgement will be similarly easy. For this reason, the Messenger of
Allah (saws) used to recite the following du’aa frequently :
"My
Lord, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and seek
refuge in You from the torture of the hell fire, and I seek refuge in
You from the trials of the false messiah, and I seek refuge in You from
the trials of living and dying."
Zaid
b. Thabit narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe
wa-sallam) and his Companions were passing through a belonging to the
Banu An Najjar when the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) mount
shied and almost unseated him. They were close to a few graves in which
|olytheist were buried, so the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)
said, "These , , people are being tortured in their graves, and
were it not that you would stop burying your dead, I would ask Allah to
let you hear the punishment in the grave which I can hear."
(Saheeh Muslim)

The Soul's Journey in Brief
1.
To sum up the evidence, it is clear that the souls of all people,
believers and unbelievers, are taken up to the heavens at the time of
death by angels and presented to Allah Almighty.
2.
The record of the believer’s deeds is placed in a high place in heaven
called Illiyyin and the sinner’s record is thrown into the lowest earth
known as Sijjin.
"Nay! Truly
the record of the evil-doers is preserved in Sijjin. And what will
explain to you what Sijjin is? A register inscribed. Nay! Truly the
record of the pious is preserved in Illiyyin. And what will make you
know what Illiyyin is? A Register inscribed. To which bear witness those
nearest to Allah (i.e. the angels)."
(Qur'an Al-Mutaffifin :7-9, 18-21)
3. The souls are returned to their bodies temporarily for questioning by the angels.
4.
When the soul returns, the dead person is able to hear the retreating
footsteps of the men who came to bury him. This is an exception to the
general rule in the Qur'an that the dead cannot hear the living.
"Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they flee, turning their backs."
(Qur'an An Naml v 80)
"Nor are alike the living and the dead. Verily, Allah makes whom He will hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear."
(Qur'an Fatir v. 22)
5.
The blessed soul is taken to the heavens where it is changed into a
bird and eats freely from the fruits in paradise. It rests in a state of
peaceful sleep while the cool breezes of paradise flow gently over it.
In contrast is the sinner’s soul, which is thrown with contempt into the
lowest earth to feel the savage heat and stench of hell. Both kinds of
soul reside in the same places as their Records of deeds.
6.
The torture of the grave is for the soul, but if Allah Wills, it can
also be felt by the body. The human body has to decay and decompose into
the ground, but as the punishment of the grave is for the soul, it can
continue until the Last Day.

Common Questions Answered
1.
Groups of Muslims claim that the questioning in the grave is proved
only by hadeeth literature and not by the Qur'an. To reply to them,
consider the following verse of Surah Ibrahim :
"Allah
will keep firm those who believe, with the Word that stands firm in
this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah will cause the wrongdoers to
go astray. and Allah does what He wills."
(Qur'an Ibrahim : 27)
The
first stage of the Hereafter is the time of Barzakh, the period between
death and resurrection. The Prophet (saws), as narrated by Al-Baraa bin
Aazib, explained that the believers will be aided in standing firm with
their answers in the grave when the angels Munkar and Nakir come to
question them, while the wrong-doers will falter at this critical time.
2.
The same group of Muslims claim that the punishment or bliss of the
grave are also proven only from hadeeth and not from the Qur'an. Our
reply is that the punishment of the grave is mentioned in a number of
Qur'anic verses:
(a) Pharaoh and his
followers have been exposed to the Fires of Hell every morning and
evening since their deaths, and they will continue to suffer in this
manner until the Day of Resurrection. On that day they will actually
enter the fire.
"The Fire;
they are exposed to it morning and evening. And on the Day when the Hour
will be established, it will be said: Cause Pharaoh’s people to enter
the most severe torment."
(Qur'an Ghafir 40: 46).
(b) "Because
of their sins they were drowned, then (immediately) were made to enter
the Fire, and they found none to help them without Allah."
(Qur'an Nuh : 25)
The
disbelievers from the people of Nuh were drowned and then immediately
thrown into the Fire. According to Arabic grammar, the letter ‘fa’ in
this verse indicates immediacy. As the Day of Judgement is still in the
future, the punishment, which began, immediately after Nuh’s people
drowned must be the punishment in Barzakh.
(c) "And
among the Bedouins around you (0 Muhammad), some are hypocrites and so
are some among the people of Madina. They exaggerate and persist in
hypocrisy. You know them not, but We know them. We shall then punish
them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to a severe
torment".
(Qur'an Al Tawba : 101)
Abdullah
bin Abbas explained in his tafseer of this verse that the disbelievers
and hypocrites would be tortured twice before their chastisement on the
Day of Judgement. The first will be a wretched life on this earth, and
the second will be in Barzakh.
"And
if you could see when the wrong-doers 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."
(Qur'an Al An’am : 93)
A
disgraceful punishment is promised the day their souls leave their
bodies. The use of the word ‘today’ indicates that the torture will be
immediate, and as such cannot be referring to the Day of Judgement but
to the time in the grave.
"And
if you could see when the angels take away the souls of the
disbelievers, they beat their faces and their backs, (saying) ‘Taste the
punishment of the blazing Fire. This because of that which your hands
had sent forward. And indeed, Allah is not unjust to His slaves."
(Qur'an Al Anfal: 50-51)
"Then how will it be when the angels will take their souls at death, beating their faces and their backs?"
(Qur'an Muhammad 27)
Both the above verses speak of a beating by the angels immediately after death.
3.
The rewards and bliss of the grave are also mentioned by the Qur'an.
For example, the story is told of a man who warned a prophet that his
enemies were plotting to kill him. When the disbelievers realized that
the man had betrayed them, they punished him and viciously put him to
death. Immediately after his death the man was told to enter paradise
and when he saw the luxuries and wonders of paradise, the man wished he
could tell his people about his happy fate.
"It
was said to him (when the disbelievers killed him): ‘Enter Paradise’.
He said: ‘Would that my people knew that my Lord has forgiven me and
made me one of the honored ones."
(Qur'an Ya Sin : 26-27)
The
real Paradise will reveal all its favors and wonders on the Day of
Judgement, but this man received only a taste of paradise in his grave
which gave him such rapturous joy.
"Those
whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state, saying to
them, ‘Peace be upon you, enter Paradise because of the good which you
used to do in the world".
(Qur'an Al Nahl : 32)
"Think
not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead! Nay! They are
alive, with their Lord, where they have provisions. 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."
(Qur'an Al Imran : 169-170)
The
life of the martyrs is not like the life on earth. The Messenger of
Allah (saws) explained this further in the following narration.
"Their
souls are in the crops of green birds which are in lamps suspended from
the Throne of Allah, which fly where they wish in Paradise and then
return to these lamp. Their Lord looks on them and asks whether they
desire anything, and they ask in reply what they wish when they can go
where they like in Paradise. He asks them three times, and when they see
they will not be left until they ask something, they tell their Lord
that they wish Him to return their souls to their bodies so that they
may be killed in His path again. Then when He that they lack nothing
they are left without further questioning."