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Hane', the servant of Uthman, Radi Allahu Anhu, recalls,
"Whenever Uthman (RAA) would stand over a grave he used to cry,
his beard would moisten from the tears. Some would ask him,
'When Heaven and Hell are mentioned you do not cry, but when the
grave is mentioned you collapse crying, how come?' He (RAA)
would say: I hear the Prophet (SAAS) say, 'the grave is the
first stage of the Hereafter, whoever passes it will be at ease
after it, and if he does not pass it he will be in the most
horrific of conditions.' I also heard him say, 'Never have I
seen a sight more horrifying than the graveyard.'
In the hadith of Jibraeel, when he came to the Prophet (SAAS)
and asked him about Islam, Eeman, and Ihsan, the Prophet (SAAS)
said about Eeman, "Eeman is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His
books, His Messengers, the Final Day, and divine decree, the
good
and the bad thereof." Today we shall talk about the Final Day.
It has been asked, "when shall the Final Day be?" Dear Brothers
and Sisters, the Final Day begins when you die. And that shall
be our topic for today: What happens after death.
In the battle of Uhud, the Shuhada', after seeing their reward
and honor with Allah Ta'ala, longed to tell their brothers that
had not yet met martrydom of the blessing that they had recieved.
The Prophet (SAAS) said, "When your brothers were martyred at
Uhud, Allah placed their souls inside green birds which drink
from the rivers of Paradise, eat of it's fruits and seek shelter
in lamps of gold which are suspended in the shade of the Arsh
(the throne) When they saw how beautiful their food, drink, and
abode was, they pleaded, "Who will tell our brothers about us,
that we are alive in Paradise and being amply provided for, so
that they will not turn away from Jihad or abandon the
battlefields. Allah ta'ala said: "I shall tell them!" The verse
was then sent down:
[Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead,
Nay, they are alive with their Lord, provided for/ They rejoice
in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty, rejoicing
for the sake of those who have not yet joined them (i.e. not yet
martyred) that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they
grieve.] - Aali Imran 3/169-170
Let us sit and listen to a lesson given by the Prophet (SAAS)
himself, the journey of the soul. You will be taking this
journey soon. Narrated Al-Baraa' ibn 'Aazib (RAA): We followed
the Prophet (SAAS) out to attend the funeral of one of the Ansar
men. When we reached the grave - before the man was buried - the
Prophet (SAAS) sat down (facing the Qiblah) and we sat down
encircling him. We sat still as if birds were on our heads,
silent. The Prophet (SAAS) had a stick in his hand with which he
would scratch up the sand. [He gazed at the sky and then down to
the ground, repeating this three times] Then he said, "Seek the
protection of Allah from the punishment of the Grave." He then
continued, "When the believing soul is reaching the end of his
time on earth, starting out in the hereafter, angels with white
faces shining like the sun descend upon him from heaven,
bringing with them one of the shourds of Paradise and Hanoot.
They sit down around him as far as the eye can see. Then the
Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and pronounces, 'O
blessed soul, come out to the forgiveness and pleasure of
Allah.' The soul will then come out like a drop of water coming
out of the mouth of a waterskin. And the Angel of Death will
take it. [Until his soul comes out, every angel between the
heavens and earth will pray for him, as will every angel in
heaven. The gates of heaven will be opened for im, and the
people in every level of heaven will pray to Allah to permit his
soul to ascend through their domain.
When the (Angel of Death) has taken the soul, the (other angels)
do not leave it in his hand for a moment; immediatly they take
it and wrap in the shroud and scent it with Hanoot. This is the
meaning of Allah's words:
[...When death approaches any of you, Our Angels take his soul,
and they never fail in their duty.] - An'am 6/61
At that moment a scent shall emerge from the soul, a scent not
unlike the finest musk found on earth. They shall take the soul
up (to the heavens) and whenever they pass a group of angels,
the (angels) will remark, 'Who is this blessed soul?' They will
say, 'It is so-and-so, the son of so-and-so' using the best
names that they were addressed with in this world.
(They shall go on) until they reach the first heaven. They shall
ask for it to be opened and it shall open for them. In each
heaven, those who are closest to Allah will accompany him to the
next heaven until they reach the seventh heaven, where Allah -
Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala - will say, 'Register the book of My slave
in 'illiyyun.'
[And what will explain to you what 'Illiyyun is? (It is) a
register (fully) inscribed, to which bear witness those nearest
to Allah] Mutaffifoon 83/19-21.
So his book will be registered in Illiyun. Then Allah (SWT) will
say, 'Take him back to the earth for this was my promise: I
created them from it, I shall return them to it, and I will
resurrect them from it again.
He will be taken back to the earth, and his soul will be
returned to his body. [And he will hear the footsteps of his
companions as they leave him.] Two stern Angels will come to
him, [rebuke him] and sit him up. They will ask him, 'Who is
your Lord?' He will answer, 'My Lord is Allah.' They will ask
him, 'What is your religion?' He will say, 'My religion is
Islam.' They will ask him, 'Who is this man who was sent among
you?' He will say, 'He is the Messenger of Allah (SAAS).'
Yu Thabbitul Allahu al ladheena Aamanu bil Qawl ath-thabiti fil
Hayatid Dunya wa fil Aakhirah
A voice will call from Heaven, 'My slave has spoken the Truth,
so furnish his grave from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise,
and open for him a gate to Paradise.' Some of its breeze and
scent will reach him, and his grave will be widened for him as
far as the eye can see. There will appear before him a handsome,
well dressed, and finely scented man, saying, 'I bring you good
news which shall make you happy. I bring you good news of the
good pleasure of Allah and Gardens of eternal blessing. This is
the day you were promised.' He will say, 'And you, may Allah
give you better news, who are you?' He will say, 'I am your good
deeds, and by Allah I only ever saw you hastening to obey Allah,
and ever reluctant to disobey Him, so may Allah reward you with
good.'
Then a gate of Paradise and a gate of Hell will open for him.
And it will be said, 'this is your place if you had disobeyed
Allah, but Allah has fiven you this instead of that.' When he
sees what is in Paradise he will say, 'My Lord! Hasten the
coming of the Hour...' It will be said, 'Dwell in patience.'
As for the Disbelieving (corrupt) man, when he leaves this world
and enters the Hereafter, stern and harsh angels come down to
him from heaven, their faces are black and they bring with them
sack-cloth from Hell. They sit around him as far as the eye can
see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his head and
says, ' Come out O evil soul to the anger and wrath of Allah!'
The soul will be dragged out of his body with as much difficulty
as a many-pronged skewer being dragged through wet wool (the
veins and nerves will be destroyed by it.)
He will be cursed by every angel between the heaven and the
earth, and by every angel in the heaven. The gates of heaven
will be locked and the people of every heaven will pray to Allah
to not allow his soul to ascend through their domain. He will
take it and immediately put it into the sack-cloth, stinking
like the foulest stench of dead flesh ever experienced on earth.
They will take the soul up and whenever they take it past a
group of angels, they will say, 'Who is this evil soul?' They
shall say, 'It is so-and-so, son of so-and-so,' using the worst
names he was addressed with on earth.
(They will go on) until they reach the first heaven; they will
ask for it to be opened for them, and it will not be opened.
(Then the Messenger of Allah - SAAS - recited):
[..No opening will there be of the gates of heaven, nor will
they enter the Garden, until the camel can pass through the eye
of the needle..] A'raf 7:40
Allah ta'ala will say register his book in Sijjin, in the lowest
earth. Then Allah will say, take him back to the earth for this
was my promise; I created it from it, i will return them to it,
and i shall resurrect them from it again. So his soul will be
thrown down from heaven until it reaches his body. Then he
recited:
[..If anyone asigns partners to Allah, he is as if he had fallen
from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had
swooped (like a bird on its prays) and thrown him into a far
distant place.]Al-Hajj 22:31
So his soul will be returned to his body ( and he will hear the
footsteps of his companions when they leave him ). Two stern
angels will come to him, rebuke him and sit him up. They will
ask him, 'Who is your Lord?' He will say, Haa Haa, I do not
know. They will ask him. 'What is your religion?' He will say, 'Haa
Haa, I do not know. They will ask 'What do you say about this
man who was sent among you? He will not even know his name. But
he will be told. Muhammad. And he will say, 'Haa Haa, I do not
know. I heard the people saying such and such.' He will be told
May you never know.'
Then a voice will call from heaven and will say, 'He has lied.
Furnish his grave from Hell and open for him a gate from hell.'
So some of his heat and venom will reach him and his grave will
be constricted until his ribs are crushed together.
There will appear before him a man with an ugly face, badly
dressed, and foul smelling. He will say, 'I bring you bad news,
this is the day you were promised. He will say, 'and you, may
Allah give you even worse news! Who are you? Your face brings
bad news!' He will say, 'I am your evil deeds, by Allah I only
ever saw you reluctant to obey Allah and ever eager to disobey
Him. May allah repay you with evil.'
Then there will be sent to him one who is blind , deaf , and
dunb. Who will carry in his hand an iron rod which if he were to
beat a camel with it, it would turn to dust. He will beat him
with it until he turns to dust. Then Allah will restore him then
he will be beaten again. He will emit a scream which the whole
of creation will hear except men and jinn. Then a gate will be
open for him to hell. And his grave will be furnished from hell.
He will say, 'My Lord, may the hour never come.'
This is the journey we shall all take. How many have stopped to
think about and prepare for this journey. If you were given
warning that the Angel of Death would visit you after Maghrib,
what would you do till then? Wouldn't you pray continously and
cry at Asr Salah. Wouldn't you give Sadaqah and throw this world
from your heart. Wouldn't you come back to Allah with a sincere
repentance. One day, not too far from now, you will be going
back to your Lord and He will ask you all of that which you did.
Bukayr ibn Aamir said, "If it was said to Abd Ar-Rahman ibn Abi
Nu'aym that the Angel of Death was about to visit him (and take
his soul) he would not find room for any extra actions. (i.e. He
lived his day as if the Angel of Death were coming at night, and
lived his night as if the Angel of Death were coming in the
morning!)
Part II
Very often after someone dies, relatives and friends want to
give that person rewards while he is in the grave. This is
something recognized by the Shariah in certain cases:
Firstly: Making Dua' for the deceased. This is understood from
the institution of Janazah Salah when everyone gathers to pray
sincerely for the dead body.
Secondly: The Deceased feels comfort from the presence of the
community after the burial for a period of the time taken to
sacrifice a camel and distribute it's meat.
Amr ibn Al-AAs (RA) said, "When you bury me, stay around my
grave for the time it would take to sacrifice a camel and
distribute it's meat, so that i may be comforted by your
presence, until i see how I shall answer the Messengers of my
Lord" [Muslim]
Thirdly: A Dua' of strength and forgiveness (not in
congregation) for the deceased immediatly after he is buried.
Uthman ibn Affan (RA) said, "Whenever the Prophet (SAAS) had
finished burying someone, he would stand by the grave and say,
'Ask forgiveness and strength for your brother, for at this
moment he is being questioned.'"
The Prophet (SAAS) said, "When a person dies his deeds are cut
off except for three: continuous charity, knowledge that
benefits others, or a pious son/daughter who will pray for
them."
After death, people try to give rewards to the dead in a manner
that is in many times against the principles of the Quran and
Sunnah. Some follow traditions passed down through their
fathers, others do it as a source of income.
The main phenomenon that happens is the Quran Khani, where
people gather, each participant given a part of the Quran to
read, afterwhich a feast is served. And some claim that the food
is food of charity meant to be on behalf of the deceased. In
modern times, some even distribute invitation cards and all
types of food are prepared and enjoyed on what is meant to be a
sorrowful occasion.
In many countries of the Muslim Ummah this is a normal practice,
and certain days are fixed for this Quran Khani: the 3rd day,
then the 7th day, the 10th and 40th, and then annually. And
unfortunately, this practice is often given more importance than
some Fard duties, hence the scholars have considered it to be an
innovation (bid'ah) and sinful. This is the opinion of the
Ulema'. Ibn Al-Humam Al-Hanafi said in Fath Al-Qadeer, a
renowned book on the fiqh of Abu Hanifah, "Gathering to feast at
the house of the deceased is a sign of joy and happiness. And to
do so is bid'ah."
These practices are taken from the Hindu religion, as a famous
Historian, Al-Bairooni (303 AH) mentions in his book, Kitaab
Al-Hind, "Hindus have fixed days and dates for the deceased
person's family on which they should invite people and provide
food, etc.. (the 11th day after death, 15th, annually and
specifically the sixth day of the month). The family members are
expected to provide food and water for nine days. Otherwise,
according to the Hindu belief, the soul of the deceased will
wander in hunger and thrist around the home."
In support of this, another Indian scholar, Ubaid Ullah also
mentions, "Every year a certain date is fixed when they try to
convey rewards to the deceased. This tradition is named
'Saraadh'. When preparation of food for the Saraadh is done, no
one may touch it until the Hindu Priest (Pandit) comes and
blesses it by reading something." From Tuhfatul Hind, p.91.
Muslims are only following these practices giving it a different
name. In place of a Pandit, an Imam is called to bless the food,
etc. And if someone does not want to come to the Quran Khani for
fear it is against what the Prophet (SAAS) came with, for fear
that it is against Islam, for fear that it will be rejected by
Allah, the people and the community condemn him and say he is
disrespecting the dead and is against giving rewards to the
deceased.
And finally, when someone dies we see people telling others to
recite Al-Fatiha. This is an act which requires proof from the
Quran or Sunnah or Sahabah because that person is specifiying a
time and fixed verses to recite, something which can only be
specified by Allah and His Messenger.
What do we do then when someone dies?
1.We should make food for the deceased family, they should not
make food for the visitors as they are in a state of sorrow and
the last thing they want to do is cook for dozens of people. The
Prophet (SAAS) said, "Make food for the family of Ja'far.."
2.Condolences should be given to the family of the deceased, but
there is no fixed place for this. It could be in the Masjid, on
the street, or at their house. However, if it is at their house,
we should not spend too long lounging in their living room. It
should be a short visit.
3.We should have sympathy and make a dua of forgiveness for the
person. This is what the Prophet (SAAS) used to do and his
companions likewise.
If you want Thawab, now dear brothers and sisters is the time to
collect it. Ali ibn Abi Talib stood with a companion of his near
a grave one day and asked him, "If he could come back to this
Dunya, what do you think he would do?" He replied, "He would do
nothing but good deeds." The Ali (RAA) said, "If it is not going
to be him, then let it be you!"
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