Journey of the Hereafter
Importance of the hereafter
Our existence is in many stages.
Our first stage was when the entire humanity was in the form of seeds and Allah took a
covenant from the first of us to the last of us, Surah Araf ayah 172, Allah says, “Am I not
your Lord? They said: yea, verily, we testify. Lest ye should say at the Day of
resurrection: Lo! Of this we were unaware”.
Second stage is in the womb of the mothers.
Third stage is our finite life here on earth.
Fourth stage is the time spent in our graves.
Fifth stage is on the Day of Judgement. For some of us it could be as long as 50,000 years and for some it may be as short as the time between Dhuhr and Asr. Sixth stage is living in Heaven or Hell!
Humans believe that they belong to the earth, when in reality we came from Jannah and must work hard to get back to where our father Adam(AS) came from; Jannah. A believer must have a firm belief in the hereafter. The belief in the hereafter will prevent us from all kinds of sins. Once Angel Jibreel came to the Prophet (SAW) in the form of a student of knowledge and asked him 4 questions, the questions and the Prophets’ replies were:
Q1. What is Islam?
Ans:It is the belief in the oneness of Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, the 5 obligatory prayers, salat, Zakat, fasting in the month of Ramadan and performing Hajj.
Q2. What is Imaan?
Ans. The belief in Allah and His attributes, the Angels, the Holy books, the Prophets, the Day of Judgement, and predestination.
Q3. What is Ihsan?
Ans. To worship Allah as if you see Him, or if you don’t see Him, worship Him as if He sees you.
Q4. When will the hour (Day of Judgement) begin?
Ans. The one asked knows no better than the one asking.
The Prophet (saw) has asked us to remember death and the journey to the hereafter often. A Hadith of his states that “Remember death much, the destroyer of pleasures.” The period of time when a person is in and out of the state of consciousness is a very difficult time. Pharoah when seeing his death come upon him was trying to say that “I believe in the God of the children of Israel”, Jibreel AS said that he was preventing him from saying that by stuffing mud in his mouth. In the case of believers, however, Allah will keep them strong and firm, in life and in death. Allah says in Surah Ibrahim Ayah 27, “Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the word that stands firm, in this world and in the hereafter; but Allah will leave, to stray, those who do wrong: Allah does what he wills.”
Signs of one with a good end:
One who dies with the Shahada on his tongue. Don’t force the dying to say the shahadah, rather keep saying it audibly yourself.
If death comes on Friday or the night of Friday (Thursday night), that person is saved from the trial of the grave.
A believer may sweat a lot on his death bed.
Passing away while carrying out a good deed. They would resurrected on the Day of Judgment on that good deed.
Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Your ending is according to the last deed done by you’. Allah deals with us according to what is in our hearts. The intention of a person determines if the action is good or bad. One must be careful of their intention before any action, during the action and after the action. For every action you will be questioned why and how you did it. Actions cannot be against the Sunnah as innovation is prohibited.
Who is a Shaheed?
A believer who dies in Battlefield, in way of Allah.
A believer who has an illness of the stomach and is patient through it and dies from it.
A believer who dies of burns.
A believer who dies of drowning.
A believer who dies in the collapse of a building.
A woman who dies delivering a baby: her infant would drag her to Jannah.
At his death a Shaheed is shown his place in, Jannah, is spared from the trial of the grave and the trial of a most fearful day, the Day of Judgement. 72,000 Hoor ul Ain are for him and he will be given intercession for 70 family members!
Dying:
A person is in need of complete peace during three stages;
- when a child enters the world from his mothers womb.
- when a person leaves this world.
- when the person comes out of the grave for the Day of Judgement.
The righteous people will have angels with them. Allah says in Surah Fussilat ayah 30-31, “In the case of those who say, ‘our lord is Allah’, and further stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time) ‘ fear ye not!, They suggest nor grieve!’ But receive the glad tidings of the garden of bliss, the which ye were promised! ‘we are your protectors in this life and in the hereafter:’ therein shall ye have all that your souls shall desire, therein shall ye have all that ye ask for.”
Prophet(saw) said to recite Surah Yaseen over your dead. It’s meaning is to recite it while the person is in the throes of death as well. The soul of a person does not leave the body very easily.
We must pray to Allah that we die as believers, we must pray for a good ending and never rely on our deeds alone, it is the mercy of Allah alone that will bring us to a good end. Once a Bedouin came to the Prophet and made dua: He said “O Allah make the best of my life, my end. The best of my deeds as my last one. And make the best of my day, when I meet You, Allah!” To this the Prophet(saw) said Ameen!