Excerpt from Chapter One
The Reality of Death and the Islamic Perspective
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, the Master of life and death. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who gave us the true knowledge of life after death.
Death is an inevitable truth of human life. Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran, "Every soul shall taste death." (Surah Aal-e-Imran: 185).
In the Islamic view, death is not the end of life; rather, it is the end of worldly life and the beginning of the life of the Hereafter. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Consider the grave to be the first stage of the Hereafter." (Tirmidhi).
﴿ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ ﴾
"Every soul shall taste death."
- Surah Aal-e-Imran, Verse: 185
The life a person receives after death is divided into three main stages:
1. Life in the Grave (Barzakh): From death until Qiyamah
2. Life of the Gathering: From resurrection on the Day of Qiyamah until entering Paradise or Hell
3. Eternal Life: The everlasting abode of Paradise or Hell
In this book, we will discuss in detail every stage of life after death in the light of Islamic Shariah, the Quran and Sunnah, and the pure creed of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. We will see how a Muslim should prepare for death, how to be saved from the punishment of the grave, and how to become deserving of the eternal life of Paradise.
Lesson from the Hadith:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Visit graves often, for it turns you away from the allure of this world and reminds you of the Hereafter." (Bayhaqi).
Remembering death makes one realise the transience of worldly life, grants the ability to avoid sins, and increases focus on preparing for the Hereafter. That is why remembering death every day is extremely important for a believer.