Keeping death and the afterlife (the\nDay of Judgment and the world between death and the Day of Judgment(1) ) in\nmind is one of the best exhortations and most constructive pieces of advice.\nThe saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) also echoes this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDeath suffices\nas a preacher.\u201d (2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, a question that may arise is\nif there exists a way to tangibly appreciate parts of what is happening after\ndeath? We may also wonder if there is an alerting factor that can serve as a\nreminder of death in our hearts, and can provide us with an experience of what\nis happening after death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we refer to the Holy Quran we\nfind this verse;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dAllah takes the\nsouls at the time of their death, and those that do not die during their sleep;\nthen He withholds those on whom He has passed the decree of death and sends the\nothers back till an appointed term; most surely there are signs in this for people whom reflect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this verse, Allah (SWT) undertakes\na comparison between death and sleep. Therefore one of the ways through which,\none can better understand death (and keep reminding oneself as to not forget)\nis to contemplate on the similarities between death and sleep. Narrations from\ninfallibles (PBUT) vividly illustrate the analogy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an example, once Imam Jawad (PBUH)\nwas asked to explain \u201cwhat death is?\u201d He responded; \u201cdeath is the sleep that\nembraces you every night, with the only difference being that death takes longer\nand the person does not awake from it until the day of judgment \u2026 \u201d(3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A close examination of the narration\nand the verse of the Holy Quran could lead us to conclude that both note the\nsoul detaches from body in the case of sleep and death with the only difference\nbeing that there is no return for the soul to the body in case of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Jawad (PBUH) goes on, and employs\nthe analogy between states of humans in sleep and death to highlight hardship\nor tranquility that may succeed one\u2019s death:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t it like this that\nthe human experiences a variety of joy that is beyond description, and also\nencounters types of fear that are indescribable too? How is the state of joy\nand fear during sleep? Death also embodies similar states; therefore prepare\nfor it.\u201d(4), (5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evidently, it is not our worldly body\nthat experiences fear, joy or any other feelings in our dreams. So we can\nexpect that although we would not enter the transitional world between death\nand the Day of Resurrection with the same body, we will experience similar\nfeelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It stand to reason to keep in mind the\nadvice of Imam Jawad (PBUH) upon our waking up every morning, remind ourselves\nof what has happened to us in our sleep, and assume that Allah (SWT) has\ngranted us a new life and an opportunity to rectify. This requires us to\nattempt to prepare for the afterlife and for our comfort and relief from\nhardship and fear at that juncture. Perhaps we will not be given another chance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roshd Website offers condolences to\nall Muslims, especially to you dear friend, upon the last day of the month of\nDhi al-Qa\u2019da, the anniversary of the martyrdom of the ninth Imam, Imam\nMuhammad-bin-Ali Al-Jawad (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. According to\nthe teaching of Islam, after death humans enter a world called \u201cBarzakh\u201d. And\nsome time after the death of all creatures, the Day of Judgment will unfold, to\nwhich all creatures enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Tuhaf\nal-Uqul, p. 35 – Waram Collection, vol. 1, p. 288<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. The Holy\nQuran, (39:42)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. The whole\nnarration is accessible in page 289 of Ma\u2019ani al-Akhbar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Shaikh Saduq\nrefers to Imam Jawad (PBUH) as Muhammad ibn Ali (PBUT). It might be thought\nthat this narration is quoted from Imam Baqir (PBUH). Considering the fact that\nthis narration and the previous ones are related to the second narration which\nis quoted from Imam Jawad (PBUH), it can be deduced that this narration is most\nprobably narrated from Imam Jawad (PBUH). This is the reason the authors of the\nbooks \u201cMousooa\u2019h Imam Jawad (PBUH)\u201d and \u201cMizaan al-Hikmah\u201d narrate this\nnarration from Ma\u2019ani al-Akhbar and state that this narration is quoted from\nImam Jawad (PBUH).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Keeping death and the afterlife (the Day of Judgment and the world between death and the Day of Judgment(1) ) in mind is one of the best exhortations and most constructive pieces of advice. The saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) also echoes this: \u201cDeath suffices as a preacher.\u201d (2) However, a question that may arise […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[22775,18757,22663,18391,18418,18536,17943,22774,19723],"class_list":["post-4597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2010-11-07","tag-death","tag-imam-jawad","tag-judgment","tag-occasion-letters","tag-prophet","tag-quran","tag-waking-up-by-sleeping","tag-way"],"yoast_head":"\n