Life during and after death.

Respected Brother-in-Islam%0D%0A%0D%0AAssalaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuhu%0D%0A%0D%0ATo recite the Kalimah on one's death bed is indeed a most noble death. To be%0D%0Ahonoured with this type of a death, one would have to live a life strictly%0D%0Ain comformance to the teachings of Shari'ah and following the Sunnah of Nabi%0D%0A(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam).%0D%0A%0D%0AA Muslim on his deathbed is best described by Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi%0D%0AWasallam) himself. Hadhrat Abu Hurayra (Radhiallaahu Anhu) narrates that%0D%0ANabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, '(As for) a dying man, the angels%0D%0Acome to him. If the man was pious, they say, 'Come out , O pure soul which%0D%0Awas in a pure body. Come out being praised and receive the glad tidings of%0D%0Apleasure and fragrance and of a lord who is not angry (with you).' They%0D%0Acontinue to utter this until it (the soul) comes out. It then ascends to the%0D%0Asky which opens up for it. It is then asked, 'Who is this?' They will say,%0D%0A'so and so.' It will then be said, 'Welcome to the pious soul which was in a%0D%0Apious body. Enter being praised and receive the good news of pleasure and%0D%0Afragrance and of a Lord who is not angry.' This utterance will continue%0D%0Auntil it reaches that heaven wherein Allah is.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhen a man is not pious, they (angels) will say, 'Come out O despised soul%0D%0Awhich was in a despised body. Come out disgraced and receive the news of%0D%0Aboiling waters and pus and other punishments of various kinds. This%0D%0Autterance will continue until it (the soul) comes out. It will then be taken%0D%0Ato the sky which will be opened for it. It will be asked, 'Who is this?' It%0D%0Awill be said, 'So-and-so'. It will then be said, 'You are not welcome. O%0D%0Aevil soul which was in an evil body. Return despised and verily the doors of%0D%0Aheaven will not be opened for you.' It is then hurled down from the skies%0D%0Aand it will go to the grave (wherein perpetual punishment will be meted out%0D%0Ato it.' (Mishkaat pg.141)%0D%0A%0D%0ALife after death is one of the fundamental beliefs of a Mu'min. It is an%0D%0Aextremely vast topic which would encompass volumes on its own. In a%0D%0Anut-shell, life after death commences after one is buried. His soul is%0D%0Areturned to him and he is questioned by the Malaaikah (angels). If he%0D%0Aanswers correctly, his life in the Qabr will be a blissful one but on the%0D%0Acontrary if he unable to answer or he answers incorrectly, then he will be%0D%0Atormented right until the day of resurrection. On that day, each soul will%0D%0Ahave to given a detailed account before Allah Ta'ala as to how he%2Fshe lived%0D%0Ahis life. All the Kuffaar will be despatched directly to Jahannum and the%0D%0Apious, righteous believers will be honoured with Jannat. Those of the%0D%0Abelievers who were wrong doers and had evil ways will be sent to Jahannum%0D%0Afor a person (in proportion to his wrong doing) of chastisement and%0D%0Aeventually after serving this time will they be allowed into Jannat. As we%0D%0Ahave mentioned earlier that this is a very vast topic, we suggest that you%0D%0Aread up literature on it. A very comprehensive book is, 'The Spectacle of%0D%0ADeath' by Khwaja Muhammed Islam.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai%0D%0AFATWA DEPT.%0D%0A%0D%0A