We live in a society where death is hardly mentioned. But you might say that’s not right, we are bombarded with images of massacres and dead bodies. Yes, but it is remote in some distant country with people we don’t know. It’s macabre, scary and haunting. So, we sanitise our spaces of death. However, it’s the death of a loved one that matters, we are naturally saddened, sorrowful, hurt and burdened. We express this by crying, shedding tears and going into a state of mourning. “The loss is too great,” “the pains are too intense,” and “how will we recover?” The Messenger (peace be upon him) said “Death is the best sermon” (Bayhaqi). It’s a powerful reminder of our vulnerability, fleeting life and eventual return to our Lord and Sustainer.
Islamic Perspective on End of Life
Death is defined as a permanent ending of bodily functions, which are needed to keep a person alive. When the brain ceases to control the vital functions, i.e. there is no brain-body connection. In Islamic terms, death is the departing of the soul from its bodily abode.
The Majestic Quran tells us “Every soul shall taste death” (Ale-Imran:185) and “When their appointed time comes, not for one moment shall they hold it back, nor can they go before it” (A’raf:34).
Imam Suyuti a fifteen-century theologian wrote: “Death is not annihilation nor extinction but the separation of the soul from the body; a change of the state; the movement from one house to another” (Sharh-u-Sudoor). A famous quote about death is “Death is the bridge that unites the lover with the beloved”.
In the Muslim cosmos, there is no ‘end of life’. It is merely a transition from one space of living to another. Allah created our souls and 120 days after the conception in the mother’s womb, the soul enters the foetus and human life begins. For a proper understanding of the Islamic perspective on suffering and death, we believe:
- The creator of the universe is Allah, the One the Eternal, the All-Knowing, All-Powerful the Most Compassionate.
- A person dies at their appointed time. Death is a state of the deceased and one of Allah’s creations.
- We consist of body and soul; the body is the physical entity whilst the soul is a spiritual reality and non-material. The two are distinctly different.
Our worldly life starts from birth to death, it’s the probationary period, a time of preparation for the life hereafter. Death therefore marks the return once more to the realm of souls. The eternal life of the Hereafter. The Quran says, “…He created you the first time, and unto Him you shall be taken back” (Fussilat:21). All things or all affairs are taken back to Allah is a frequent Quranic reminder.
Death of the Most Beloved
The death of the blessed Messenger (peace be upon him) is described in a moving Hadith; Abdullah ibn Masud said “We went to visit the Messenger of Allah in the house of our mother Aisha when the parting drew near. He looked at us and tears welled up in his eyes. Then he said, “Welcome, may Allah preserve you, may Allah give you refuge, may Allah support you. I tell you, fear Allah. I am a clear warner to you, that you should not exalt yourselves before Him in His land and among His bondsmen. The appointed time has drawn near, and the return is to Allah and the Lote tree of the boundary, the garden of refuge and the cherished prize. So, give yourselves and those who enter your religion after me the salutation of peace and the mercy of Allah” (The Revival of Religious Sciences, Ghazali).
Sayeda Aisha, the mother of believers narrates how the Angel of Death and Gabriel sought permission to enter the Prophet’s apartment upon the time of his departure from this world. Gabriel said “Muhammad, Your Lord longs for you. By Allah, the Angel of Death has never sought permission from anyone. It is only for you, the most beloved.” Then the Angel of Death arrived, greeted him, and asked permission to enter. He granted it and the angel said, “What are your instructions, Messenger?” He (peace be upon him) replied, “Take me to my Lord.” After his death in the lap of Sayeda Aisha, he was covered with a sheet.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned beliefs about life and death are ways of coping with grief. Without these beliefs, our attitude would be the same as others. At the death of a loved one, I heard a non-Muslim saying, ‘I am angry with God’. Many grieve bitterly alone and become depressed. This is why we must understand the correct Islamic beliefs about death and the afterlife. Islam teaches it’s a movement from one state to another, from one place to another, it’s a Divine act. You have no right to complain about it. Submit, commit and accept it, “to Allah we belong and to Him we are returning” (Baqarah:156).
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