Remembering death and the afterlife, including the world of Barzakh and the Day of Judgment[1], is one of the best forms of admonition and one of the most effective reminders for every human being. The words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) in this regard also express this idea when he said: “Death is a sufficient admonisher.”[2]
However, a question that may arise is whether there is a way to tangibly experience a part of what happens after death? Is there a reminder that can not only keep the remembrance of death alive in our hearts but also give us an experience of what happens after death?
When we turn to the Holy Quran, we encounter the following divine words: “God takes the souls of humans at the time of their death, and the soul of the one who has not died He takes at the time of sleep. He then retains the soul of the one whom death is decreed upon and sends back the other until a specified time. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.” [3]
As we can see, God compares death to sleep in this verse. Therefore, one of the ways to better understand death and to keep the remembrance of it alive is to reflect on the similarity between sleep and death. In this regard, the narrations from the infallibles (peace be upon them) also vividly illustrate the resemblance between sleep and death.
For instance, Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) was asked: “What is death?” He replied, “Death is the same as the sleep that overtakes you every night, except that death is longer, and the person does not wake from it until the Day of Judgment.”
If we carefully consider both the hadith and the Quranic verse, both refer to the separation of the soul from the body at the time of death and sleep, with the difference that during death, the soul does not return to the body.
Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) continues his explanation by stating that human beings experience various emotions such as happiness and fear during sleep, but these feelings cannot be easily described. He uses this analogy as a means of reminding us about the potential experiences after death, saying:
“Doesn’t a person experience various kinds of happiness in sleep that are indescribable? Similarly, there are types of fear that are beyond description. So, how can we deny these experiences just because we can’t describe them? Death is the same as this; prepare for it.”[4]
As is evident, in the world of sleep, it is not our physical body that experiences joy, fear, or other emotions. Therefore, we can tangibly understand that after death, even though we may not enter Barzakh with our physical body, we will still experience similar emotions.
It is beneficial, in the morning when we wake up, to remember the words of Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) and recall what we went through in our dreams. We should consider that God has granted us another life and another opportunity. Therefore, we should strive to prepare for the afterlife, seeking comfort and ease in that realm and avoiding the difficulties, fears, and sorrows of that time. Perhaps we will not have another chance.[5]
Footnotes:
[1] According to Islamic teachings, after death, a person enters a realm called “Barzakh,” and after all beings die and a period passes, the Day of Judgment will come, and all beings will enter that realm.
[2] (Tuhaf al-‘Uqul, p. 35)
[3] (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:42)
[4] (Ma’ani al-Akhbar, p. 289)
[5] Sheikh Saduq refers to Imam (peace be upon him) using the phrase “Muhammad ibn Ali (peace be upon him).” Some may attribute this narration to the hadiths of Imam Baqir (peace be upon him). However, since this narration and some previous ones are connected by conjunction to the second narration of this chapter, and the second narration is attributed to Imam Jawad (peace be upon him), it is clear that the “Muhammad ibn Ali” in this narration most likely refers to Imam Jawad (peace be upon him). Therefore, the author of the book “Mawsoo’a Imam Jawad (peace be upon him)” and the writer of “Mizan al-Hikmah” both confirm that this narration is from Imam Jawad (peace be upon him).