Death of good people
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's
Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:
Dear Brother,
RE: A QUESTION ON DEATH / AFTER LIFE
My mother died a few weeks back suddenly from an HEART ATTACK
[cardiac arrest] , I and my sister being young were dependent on her. Due to
our young age and other problems, this sudden loss has been very traumatic and
great for us.
Our relatives inform us that ALLAH takes the good people first and
it is very good that she had a painless / non suffering death. However, I agree
with this.
However, wish to ask you the following:
a]. My mother's sudden being destined by ALLAH was good for her
and may ALLAH give her soul peace, but for her children [i.e. my sister and
me], the loss is unbearable. Would ALLAH's taking away of my mother suddenly
and at a young age a punishment for us [her children] for any sins we may have
committed?
b]. When children die, do they meet their parents souls who have
died before them. Does the HOLY QURAN mention anything about this ?
c]. Does the HOLY KURAN mention anything about how long [the
period / duration] one's after life
is ?
Thank You and eagerly await your reply.
(There
may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum
does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from
our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
Answer:
In the
name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness.
Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray,
none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no
person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah
Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the
seal of His Messengers.
Your
Statement: Our relatives inform us that ALLAH takes the good people first and it
is very good that she had a painless / non suffering death.
My
beloved and dear Brother in Islam,
the death of a person is the Decree and Will of Allah Subhanah; and
there is absolutely nothing in the Quran and the Sunnah which advocates the
theory that Allah Subhanah Decrees death for the good people earlier or later
than the evil ones. The
All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord has determined the period of each life on this
earth; and no one can increase or decrease that Decreed time of Allah Subhanah
even for a split-second.
Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2: He
(Allah) created death and life that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in
deeds.
The death
of our loved ones is a pre-determined Decree of Allah Subhanah, and they have
gone to their determined destination; and soon we are all to follow them.
The
Messenger of Allah (saws) exhorted the children of the deceased to be constant
in their supplication to the Merciful Lord for their beloved parents, as it is
only one of the three things that benefit the deceased after their death.
Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet (saws) said, 'When a
person dies all his good deeds cease except for three:
a continuous act of charity done by the deceased,
beneficial knowledge that the deceased have left behind
and righteous off-spring who prays for him'.''
Related by Muslim and Abu Dawood.
Q-1:
My mother's sudden being destined by ALLAH was good for her and may ALLAH give
her soul peace, but for her children [i.e. my sister and me], the loss is
unbearable. Would ALLAH's taking away of my mother suddenly and at a young age
a punishment for us [her children] for any sins we may have committed?
Beloved
brother in Islam, the life of this short and transient world is nothing but a
place of test determined by Allah Subhanah. The results of this test will be
declared by the Lord on the Inevitable Day of Gathering and Judgment. The death of one’s loved ones is
definitely not a punishment of Allah Subhanah because of their deeds or the deeds
of their children or anyone else; but a pre-determined Decree and Will of Allah
Subhanah.
If Allah
Subhanah has Decreed that the parents die first, it is a test for their
children, the guardians, the relatives and the society on how they treat and deal
with the orphans; and if Allah Subhanah Decrees that the children die before
their parents, he involves the parents in a test to see who amongst them are
patient and steadfast on the path of Allah Subhanah.
The life
of this world is a place of deeds and a test; and it is only in the Hereafter
where the results of this test will be declared. The righteous will be honored with
Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness, and the evil ones will be punished
according to their deeds.
Q-2:
When children die, do they meet their parents souls who have died before them.
Does the HOLY QURAN mention anything about this ?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah Raad verses 22-24:
22 Those who patiently persevere seeking the countenance their Lord;
establish regular prayers; spend out of (the gifts) We have bestowed for their
sustenance secretly and openly; and turn off Evil with good: for such there is
the final attainment of the (Eternal) Home
23 Gardens of perpetual bliss: they shall enter there, as well as the
righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring: and Angels
shall enter unto them from every gate (with the salutation):
24 "Peace unto you for that ye persevered in patience! Now how
excellent is the final Home!"
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 40 Surah Mumin verse 8: "And grant our Lord! That they enter the Gardens of Eternity
which Thou hast promised to them, and to the righteous among their fathers,
their wives, and their posterity!
For Thou art (He) the Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom.
It is the
solemn promise of Allah Subhanah that if the parents and the children are both
righteous, that He will bring them together in the
Q-3:
Does the HOLY KURAN mention anything about how long [the period / duration] one's after life is ?
There are
two abodes of the soul, after one’s death in this worldly life. The first one (Barzakh) is where the
souls are kept in the period that lasts between one’s death and the
arising on the Day of Resurrection; and the second one is eternal and
everlasting life of the Hereafter; where the righteous will abide in Paradise
forever, and the evil ones will abide in the everlasting torture of the Hell
Fire forever.
We are
only able to comprehend the dimensions of time and space in this worldly life
because of our limited knowledge; but Allah Subhanah guides towards the life of
the Hereafter which has absolutely no concept of time as we know it…. it
is absolutely an endless, eternal, never-ending and perpetual eternity! Time and again Allah Subhanah says
in the Quran that the fortunate dwellers in
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 26-27:
26 To those who do right is a goodly (reward). Yea, more (than in
measure)! No darkness nor shame shall cover their faces! They are Companions of
the Garden; they will abide therein forever!
27 But those who have earned evil will have a reward of like evil:
ignominy will cover their (faces): no defender will they have from (the Wrath
of) Allah: their faces will be covered as it were with pieces from the depth of
the darkness of Night: they are Companions of the Fire: they will abide
therein forever!
The truth
is brother, because we are so used to determining everything in the dimension
of ‘time’ as we know it; we are just not able to comprehend this
timeless ‘eternity’ of the life of the Hereafter in the realms of
the Majestic Lord!
If one
can only comprehend that after the one death that is Decreed for all in the
life of this world, there will be no such thing as ‘death’! Either one will abide in the eternal
Gardens of Bliss forever, or one will abide in the everlasting torment of the
Hell Fire forever; and death will never ever approach them!
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.254 Narrated
by Abu Said Al Khudri
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "On the Day of Resurrection
‘death’ will be brought forward in the shape of a black and white
ram. Then a call maker will call, 'O people of
The
dimensions of time declared by Allah Subhanah regarding the life of the
Hereafter is to give and teach mankind how small and insignificant is the test
period of this worldly life compared to the timelessness of the Hereafter!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 70 Surah Maarij verse 4: The Angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day the measure
whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:
If one
can only comprehend that the One Day of Resurrection will be as long as fifty
thousand years of our reckoning; one can only try to imagine how long will be
the period of the eternal and everlasting Hereafter! The truth of the matter is that the
time, the space, the expanse, and the realms of the Hereafter are just beyond
our limited and ignorant comprehension and knowledge.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.302 Narrated
by Abu Huraira
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah says, 'I have prepared
for my pious worshipers such things as no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever
heard of, and nobody has ever even thought of (or imagined).' "
Whatever
written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and
Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.
Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
Burhan
Wister