||DEATH|| A Transition Into Next Life.

Very frequently that we hear the news of someone’s death, someone from our family, our
relative, our friends, our loved ones or may be someone who we didn’t knew personally,
through news papers, TV channels, social media, through attending funerals, passing by
or crossing Graveyards etc , in many ways we have been constantly reminded of this
difficult, indigestible but a very living reality of Death. 

Gone are the days and times when people used to think that you have to get old to die,
nevertheless old age is still one of the determinant, but is not the only determinant. Our
Grey hair, wrinkled face or weak body are some of the signs of getting old through which
death reminds us of it’s advancing, but is not limited to these signs. 

Media platforms are full of incidents where people are dying of every possible reason like
diseases, murders, accidents, wars, natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and up
to suicide where humans take their own life. At the same time we also see, read and hear
of people dying without any reason, their organs stop functioning or seize to function all
of a sudden with no possible reason whatsoever and the person dies, hence death does not
require a reason. 

Death is a transition of the soul from the life of this world to the next life, which in
Islamic faith is called as the Hereafter or the Next Life.  The life in this world is interim
and anything that is temporary has an end and every end has a result. 

Almighty God Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an in Surah Al Mulk ch:67,v:2 that , “It is
Allah who has created Death and Life to test which of you are good in deeds.”

So we acknowledge that the life of this world is temporary and limited, if we ponder,
reflect and recall that since the creation of the human life there has been millions and
billions of people died, we have not heard or seen of anyone coming back, since there is
no coming back to this world for the ones who are gone and among the ones who are
gone very few are remembered. Hence, anything that is finite in nature and interim in
existence will have a reason and purpose for its existing.

Almighty God Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Dhariyat Ch:51,v:56 that, “We ( Allah)
have created Jinn and Men with no other reason but to worship Him”

The message of the Qur’an is crystalline clear and explicit that the purpose of the
Creation, of everything that is created and has been given the senses of understanding,
should believe and worship the creator (Allah Subhaanahuwataa’la), since everything that
is Created will have an End.
Allah says in Surah Al Hadid ch:57,v:20 that, “And know that the life of this world is
nothing but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (In rivalry)
among yourselves, riches and Children.”

The life circulates among these phases of life that Allah mentioned in the above verse and
in process of these phases of life we humans forget our purpose of creation, as we get
entangled in the affairs of this world, up until the reality of life i.e., Death approaches us.
But, truly and really all the affairs we entangled ourselves with by forgetting the Reality
of Death will not benefit us and is of no avail. 

Death, when it approaches it neither sees any commitments of anyone to anyone in this
world nor sees any responsibilities one has on his/her shoulders, it is verily on us to make
our existence meaningful by understanding the main aim for which we were created, and
once we realize how little time we have in this world, we cannot afford to waste a minute
in leisure, as there is no leisure for men with purpose.

Almighty God Allah Says In the Glorious Qur’an in Surah Ale Imran ch:3,v:185 that,
“Every soul shall taste Death.”

Allah Subhaanahuwataa’la issues a general and encompassing statement that every living
soul shall taste death. Therefore it is Allah Subhaanahuwataa’la alone is the Ever-Living
who never dies.

Allah Subhaanahuwataa’la Says in the Glorious Qur’an in Surah An Nisa ch:4,v:78 that,
“Wherever ye are, Death will find you out, even if ye are in towers built up strong and
high.” 

However much we resist, avoid, deny or ignore the reality of death, it will over power us
and there is no get away from it, the heedful are the ones who prepare of it before it’s
arrival, as its arrival will take us to the everlasting, never ending Aakhira i.e., Next life or
the Hereafter.

Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an in Surah Ale Imran ch:3,v:185 that, “And whoever is
moved away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of
this world is only enjoyment and deception.”

Belittling the value of this worldly life and degrading its importance. The life of this
world is short, little and finite.

Messenger of Allah PBUH said : 

By Allah ! This life, compared to the Hereafter, is just as insignificant as when one of
you dips his finger in the sea ; let him contemplate what his finger will come back with.
Qatadah ( May Allah be pleased with him), who was One of the companions of the
prophet PBUH commented of Allah’s statement ( Life of this world is only enjoyment
and deception) said : 

“Life is delight. By Allah, other than whom there is no deity, it will soon fade away from
its people. Therefore take obedience to Allah from this delight, if you can. Verily, there is
no power except from Allah.”

Companions of the prophet PBUH understood the reality of this worldly life and made
their existence meaningful, otherwise there are billions and zillions who are already dead,
buried, cremated and decomposed who would love to come back to this world to make
one prostration to Allah, to be obedient to Allah, to be righteous and to please Allah but,
the reality of this opportunity is only for the living and alive ones.

Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an in Surah Al Muminoon ch:23,v;99-100 that, “Until,
when Death comes to one of them he says: ‘My Lord Send me back,’ “So that I may do
good in that which I have left behind !” No ! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind
them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected.”

The word which is used for this world in Arabic language is ‘Duniya’ and if we see the
etymology of this word, it comes from the root Arabic word ‘Adna’, which in itself
means ‘lower’ or the lower place. Now, compare this lower place to what is with Allah
and the reward Allah has prepared for his righteous and obedient servants. And when we
understand the reality of what is with Allah, we become cautious of our actions, our
deeds, our dealings, because really at the end of the day its not about if the disobedience
is big or small, it’s about who we are disobeying. 

Being obedient towards doing and fulfilling what Allah has commanded and abstaining
from which Allah has abstained from doing, by taking Guidance from the Glorious
Qur’an and the teachings of our beloved Prophet Mohammad PBUH. And truly, there is
no obedience to any created being including ourselves(Nafs) if it involves disobedience
towards the creator (Allah Subhaanahuwataa’la).

The Good news is, that the Life of this world (Dunya) is minuscule and temporary, death
can come anytime and what is with Allah (Akhira or the After life or the Hereafter) is
perpetual and eternal, the true farsighted is the one who ceaselessly prepare for it .

Allah says in Glorious Qur’an in Surah Al Hijr ch:15,v:99 that, “And worship your Lord
until there comes unto you the certainity (i.e., Death).”

By
Syed Asif Ali Shah
(Servant of Allah, In the Service of Islam)