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:

Salaam brother,

I have a question about the non-believers.

When a Muslim dies there jinasa is read which enables the angels to take the soul.

But when a non believer dies the dont have a jinasa so what happens to there soul.

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Answer:

What happens to non muslim soul

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.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah Anfaal verses 50-51:

50 If thou couldst see when the Angels take the souls of the unbelievers (at death) (how) they smite their faces and their backs (saying): "Taste the penalty of the blazing fire

51 Because of (the deeds) which your (own) hands sent forth: for Allah is never unjust to His servants.”

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 32 Surah Sajdah verses 11-14:

11 Say: "The Angel of Death put in charge of you will (duly) take your souls: then shall ye be brought back to your Lord."

12 If only thou couldst see when the guilty ones will bend low their heads before their Lord (saying:) "Our Lord! We have (now) seen and we have (now) heard: now then send us back (to the world): we will work righteousness: for we do indeed (now) believe."

13 If We had so willed We could certainly have brought every soul its true guidance: but the Word from Me will come true. "I will fill Hell with Jinns and men all together."

14 "Taste ye then for ye forgot the meeting of this Day of yours and We too will forget you; taste ye the Penalty of Eternity for your (evil) deeds!"

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraf verses 37-41:

37 Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects his Signs? For such their portion appointed must reach them from the Book (of decrees); until when Our messengers (of death) arrive and take their souls they say: "where are the things that ye used to invoke besides Allah?" They will reply "they have left us in the lurch" and they will bear witness against themselves that they had rejected Allah.

38 He will say: "enter ye in the company of the peoples who passed away before you men and Jinns into the fire. Every time a new people enters, it curses its sister-people (that went before) until they follow each other all into the fire. Saith the last about the first: "Our Lord! It is these that misled us: so give them a double penalty in the fire." He will say: "doubled for all": but this they do not understand.

39 Then the first will say to the last: "See then! No advantage have ye over us; so taste ye of the penalty for all that ye did!"

40 To those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance no opening will there be of the gates of Heaven, nor will they enter the Garden until the camel can pass through the eye of the needle (ie. Impossible!): such is Our reward for those in sin!

41 For them there is hell as a couch (below), and folds and folds of covering above: such is Our Requital of those who do wrong.

YourQuestion: When a Muslim dies there jinasa is read which enables the angels to take the soul. But when a non believer dies the dont have a jinasa so what happens to there soul.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chaper 4 Surah Nisaa verse 78:

78 "Wherever ye are (the Angel of) death will find you out, even if ye are in towers built up strong and high!"

In light of the above clear guidance of the Holy Quran, regardless of whether one is a believer or a disbeliever, one is righteous or unrighteous, one’s body is buried or is cremated to ashes, etc.; the Angel of Death appointed by the Lord will capture the soul of the man at the precise time appointed by the Lord All-Mighty.

Your Question: so what happens to there soul.

Depending on the deeds of the person, the Angel of Death will hand over the soul to the Angels of Mercy or the Angels of Punishment; and the soul of the person will remain in either bliss or in misery depending on his deeds until the Day when every person will be gathered in the Just and Supreme Court of the Majestic Lord.

There are several authentic narrations of the Prophet (saws) where the portrait of the life of the soul in this period between one’s death and one’s resurrection on the Day of Judgment or ‘Barzakh’ is described:

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1627 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said, "The Angels are present with one who dies, and if a believer dies, they say, 'Come out, good soul, which was in the good body; come out praiseworthy and be happy with rest and provision and a Lord Who is not angry.' That continues to be said to it till it comes out. It is then taken up to Heaven and the door is opened for it. The angels are asked who this is and reply that he is so and so, whereupon these words are spoken: 'Welcome, good soul, which was in the good body; enter praiseworthy and be happy with rest and provision and a Lord Who is not angry.' That continues to be said to it till it comes to the Heaven where Allah is. But when it is a disbeliever it is said, 'Come out, wicked soul, which was in the wicked body; come out blameworthy and be grieved by a boiling liquid, one dark and intensely cold, and other kinds of its type.' That continues to be said to it till it comes out. It is then taken up to Heaven, and the door is asked to be opened for it. The question will be asked who this is and the reply given that it is so and so, whereupon these words are spoken: 'There is no welcome for the wicked soul which was in the wicked body; go back blameworthy, for the gates of Heaven will not be opened for you.' It will then be sent away from Heaven and come to the grave."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4735 Narrated byAl-Bara' ibn Azib

The Prophet (saws) said: “When a believer is buried in the grave two angels will come to him (Munkar and Nakir, both have dark faces and blue eyes), make him sit up, and ask : ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘My religion is Islam.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your opinion about the man who was sent on a mission among you?’ He will reply: ‘He is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).’ They will ask: ‘ Who made you aware of this?’ He will reply: ‘I read Allah's Book, believed in it, and considered it true.’ Then a crier will call from Heaven: ‘My servant has spoken the truth. So spread a bed for him from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open a door for him into Paradise.’ Then some of its air and perfume will come to him, and a space will be made for him as far as the eye can see. At the death of the unbeliever his soul will be restored to his body in the grave. Then two angels will come to him. They will make him sit up and ask him: ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ They will ask: ‘Who was the man who was sent on a mission among you?’ He will reply: ‘Alas, alas! I do not know.’ Then a crier will call from Heaven: ‘He has lied, so spread a bed for him from Hell, clothe him from Hell, and open for him a door into Hell. Then some of its heat and burning hot wind will come to him, and his grave will be compressed, such that his ribs will be crushed together. An angel who is blind and dumb will then be placed in charge of him, having a sledge-hammer, such that, if a mountain were struck with it, it would become dust. He will give him a blow with it, which will be heard by everything between the east and the west except by men and jinn, and he will become dust. Then his soul will be restored to him (again).

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5352 Narrated by Abu Sa'id

The Prophet (saws) said: "The grave (or the life of the soul between one’s death and one’s resurrection on the Day of Judgment) is one of the Gardens of Paradise, or one of the pits of Hell!"

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and sincere well wisher in Islam,

Burhan