Islam is one of the three world monotheistic religions. His homeland is the Middle East, and he takes his beginning in the same ideas and cultural traditions that lay at the basis of Christianity and Judaism. The monotheism of this religious system is the most complete, in fact, it developed on the basis of its predecessors.
The whole life of a Muslim is a test that determines his ultimate fate. For him, death is the return of the soul to its Creator, God, and the inevitability of death is always present in his mind. This helps the Muslim guide his thoughts and actions, as he tries to live in readiness for what is to happen. For Muslims, the concept of death and the afterlife comes from the Qur'an.
Theory of Islam
Islam translated from Arabic means submission, surrender to God. Those who converted to Islam are called devotees (from Arabic - Muslim).
For Muslims, the Holy Book is the Qur'an - records of the revelations of the Prophet Mohammed. They are presented in the form of verses (verses), which are collected in suras (chapters). The Holy Book is considered only the Koran in Arabic.
The Quran is the first written monument in Arabic, which sets out religious views on the world and nature, attitudes, instructions, rules, prohibitions, orders of a cult, ethical, legal and economic nature. In addition to religious, philosophical, legislative and historical-cultural significance, the Quran is of interest as a model of Muslim literature.
Islam is a practical religion, it regulates almost all aspects of human life. The basis of this management is primarily the humility of the soul to which it comes, realizing that it is completely dependent on the Creator. This, in turn, leads to complete unconditional obedience to His will and the possibility of worshiping Him according to its position.
Reflection of death in the Qur'an
According to the Qur'an, death is exactly like a dream (Qur'an 6:60, 40:46). The period between the moment when a person dies and his resurrection passes like one night of sleep (Quran 2: 259, 6:60, 10:45, 16:21, 18:11, 19, 25, 30:55). As indicated in Islam, on the day of death, everyone knows their fate: he will go to heaven or hell.
The Qur'an contains various themes of death that significantly affect the understanding of its meaning, while the concept remains uncertain and is always depicted in close connection with the concepts of life and resurrection.
In other words, for a person, his physical existence is not separate from the soul. Death is the cessation of the existence of a single individual, who may be a believer or an unbeliever. Man is not regarded as just a living organism.
Just as a person does not cease to exist in a dream, he also does not cease to exist in death. Thus, as a person returns to wakefulness when he is awakened from a dream, in the same way he will be resurrected with great awakening on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, in Islam, the death of a person is considered only as the next stage of existence. Physical death should not be feared, but one should worry about the agony of spiritual death caused by a violation of moral rules.
Perception
Regardless of individual beliefs, disbelief, or uncertainty about life after death, Muslims have no doubt about the veracity and inevitability of this event. The Qur'an says that God created death and life in order to test people regarding their behavior in earthly existence. The concept of death directly relates to lifestyle.
Some may wonder why the Qur'an mentions death before life? At first glance, it is more logical to talk about life first, and then about death, which is preceded by being. One possible answer to this question is that the elements of the earth (such as iron, sodium, phosphorus) that make up the human body do not have a biological life in themselves. This is similar to death. This is followed by life, which, in turn, is followed by physical death. At the heart of this is the adoption of the chronological sequence of life and death.
No one doubts that every person is mortal, even those who do not believe or are “not sure” of the existence of God. However, life itself may be a probabilistic concept. One can be sure that life already exists in the womb, but can one be sure that it will continue after birth, will there be a spontaneous termination of pregnancy or stillbirth? In other words, death is considered more reliable and inevitable.
According to the Qur'an, God determines the moment when a person dies before he is born. No one can accelerate or delay their own death or the death of others, if this is contrary to the will of God, regardless of the cause of death.
The attitude of Muslims to basic concepts
Muslim beliefs about death and the afterlife affect their attitude towards decisions related to the end of existence. Although death itself is terrible, the realization that everyone is returning to God makes it not so terrible. For the believer in the afterlife, death means a transition from one form of existence to another.
According to the Koran 45:26:
Allah grants you life, then kills you, and then He will gather you for the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt. However, most people do not know this.
This passage establishes that, as in Christianity, Muslim views on death begin with the fact that the eternal human soul is given by God and that after physical death resurrection (kiyamat) and the day of judgment (yaum al-din) take place.
Islam speaks of death as a natural threshold before the next stage of existence. This idea can be traced in the above quote.
The mystery of life and death in Islam, as the Qur'an presents it, is connected with human conscience and the ability to maintain the necessary status of spiritual and moral existence in combination with faith.
What happens after death?
Particular importance is attached to what will happen to a person after death. Islam in its doctrine states that human existence continues after the death of the body in the form of spiritual and physical resurrection. There is a direct connection between behavior on earth and life beyond. Life after death will be one of the rewards or punishments that are commensurate with earthly behavior. The day will come when God will resurrect and collect His first and last creation and judge all fairly. People will enter their last place, hell or heaven. Belief in life after death prompts you to do the right thing and avoid sin.
Belief in life after death in Islam is one of the six fundamental beliefs a Muslim needs to form his spirituality. If this postulate is rejected, all other beliefs become meaningless. If a person does not have faith in the coming of the Day of Judgment, neither obedience to God will be beneficial to him, nor disobedience will do any harm. The adoption or renunciation of life after death in Islam is perhaps the most important factor in determining a person’s life course.
Death and resurrection
Muslims believe that, having died, a person enters the intermediate phase of life, which separates death and resurrection. Many events take place in this new “world”, for example, a test in which angels question religion, the prophet and the Lord. After death in Islam, the garden of paradise or the pit of hell becomes a new habitat for man; angels of mercy visit the souls of believers, and angels of punishment come for unbelievers.
Resurrection will precede the end of the world. People will be resurrected in their original physical bodies, thereby entering the third and last stage of life.
Judgment Day
On Judgment Day (kiyamat) God will gather all people, believers and wicked, genies, demons, even wild animals. Believers acknowledge their shortcomings and will be forgiven. Unbelievers will not have any good deeds that could be announced. Some Muslim scholars believe that the punishment of an unbeliever can be reduced for his good deeds, with the exception of the punishment for the great sin of unbelief. Of particular importance to Muslims is Friday (yaum al-juma). It is on this day that the Day of Judgment is expected.
What happens after death in Islam?
After death, according to tradition, two angels begin trials of the soul, the strength of its faith. Depending on the answers, she will be assigned bliss or suffering to the extent that corresponds to her merits and sins. Is this time a cleansing or temptation of sins until the last day? So far this issue has been a debate. However, there are strong traditions that even after death, reading prayers on behalf of the dead can affect these circumstances, determining where the soul will go after death in Islam.
There are many statements from the Prophet Muhammad recommending the recitation of prayers for the dead and for the relief of their suffering. Muslims often pray on behalf of their deceased loved ones, visit their graves and even perform the hajj. These practices establish and maintain contact with the departed.
Hell and Paradise in Islam
Equally important is the question of where you get after death in Islam. Paradise and hell will be the last places for the faithful and damned after the Last Judgment. They are real and eternal. According to the Qur'an, the bliss of paradise will never end and the punishment of unbelievers sentenced to hell will never stop. Unlike some other religious systems, the Islamic approach to this issue is considered more sophisticated, it conveys a higher level of divine justice. Muslim theologians define this as follows. First, some believers may suffer in hell for very serious sins. Secondly, both hell and heaven have several levels.
Paradise is an eternal garden, a place of physical pleasures and spiritual pleasures. There is no suffering here, and all bodily desires are satisfied. All wishes must be fulfilled. Palaces, servants, wealth, streams of wine, milk and honey, pleasant aromas, soothing voices, partners for intimacy - a person here will never be bored and filled with pleasures.
The greatest bliss, however, will be the vision of the Lord, which unbelievers will be deprived of.
Hell is a terrible place of punishment for unbelievers and a cleansing for sinful believers. As torture and punishment, fire burning, boiling water, burning food, asphyxiation by chains and pillars of fire are used. Unbelievers will be cursed forever, while sinful believers will ultimately be led out of hell and entered paradise.
Paradise is for those who worshiped God, believed and followed their prophet and lived a moral life in accordance with the teachings of Scripture.
Hell will be the last habitat of those who did not believe in the existence of God, worshiped other creatures besides God, rejected the call of the prophets, led a sinful lifestyle and did not repent of it.
Funeral rite
Islam is quite demanding regarding the observance of Muslim rituals, rituals and holidays by believers. Many of them are obligatory for the faithful.
Muslim funeral rites occupy a special place. They are quite complex, they are accompanied by special funeral prayers. A Muslim should prepare for the afterlife even during his lifetime: to prepare a shroud, stock up with cedar powder and camphor, save money for a funeral. All funeral rites must be strictly observed. For example, the dying person should lie on his back so that the feet point towards the qibla (i.e., towards the Kaaba). If this is not possible, it can be laid on its side facing the qiblah. During the funeral rite, the prayer of shahadat is read. It must be read so that the dying person hears it. You can’t leave one woman near the dying, talk loudly or cry near him. Also, he should not be in the room alone. After death, the deceased, according to tradition, needs to blindfold his eyes and mouth, tie his chin, tie his hands and feet, cover his face. Above it they perform a ritual of ablution with water or sand.
According to Sharia, the deceased should not be buried in clothing. He is wrapped in a shroud. It is a piece of white linen or chintz, divided into three parts: one envelops the legs, the other acts as a shirt, and the third part completely covers all the deceased. I only sew a shroud with a wooden needle.
Of particular importance in the funeral rite is prayer over the deceased. They begin to read it before the funeral. Also associated with this rite is the prayer of Vakhshat (intimidation). She must be read the first night after the funeral.
Sharia does not approve of the decoration of graves and monumental structures above them. Also, the grave cannot be a place of prayer. A Muslim cannot be buried in a non-Muslim cemetery.
A funeral prayer (al-janazah salad) is read on the day of the funeral, and in most cultures, after three days, the family and friends of the deceased gather for another special prayer. Usually a forty-day mourning period is observed, after which ordinary family events such as weddings or other celebrations can be resumed.