The world is full of scholars who take pride in their knowledge and theories. They ‘gift’ the world with new theories and give explanations for old and new phenomenons. The world is also full of scientists who take pride in their ability to research and go deep into things to explain why they exist. But the world with its full might and full power, does not have the ability to define death. How does Quran and Islam define death, is what I explore in this blog
Till the filing of this blog, the world has only been able to define death as the ‘absence of life’. Thus all the scientists and scholars of this world are not able to define what death is in itself. What does dying actually mean? Why did we come in this world and why do we have to leave it? What is the purpose of our life? These are questions for which human mind has no answer and cannot have any answer. For such cases, we rely on the word of Allah, who tells us quite clearly of what death is.
Is there cure for Death
For centuries people have spent time and money to find a cure for death? Is there any cure? After all the advancements in medical science, doctors are still unable to guarantee life. In Quran, Allah has told us that it is a lost cause to find the cure of death, as there is no cure.
21:35 – Everyone has to taste death (Translation from Noble Quran By Mufti Taqi Usmani)
Death, or the seizure of life, has no cure. Whoever has come in this world has to leave this world. This is stated very clearly in Quran and this will happen to all who live in this world. There is no cure and it is fruitless to spend time, money and effort in finding one.
What is Death?
In Maariful Quran, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, (Vol 6 Page 192), defines death in the light of Quran and Sunnah.
Death is the departure of soul from the mortal human frame.
Therefore death cannot be explained as a state of non-existence. It can be understood as a transferring from one place to another. Rather it is the continuation of life in a different form, which a human mind is unable to comprehend and hence prove or define. Therefore to understand death (and eventually life), one has to rely on the knowledge given to us by creator of death and life and that is Allah, Lord of All the worlds (Rub Al Aalameen)
Therefore in order to fully understand life and death, one has to read the Quran and the Hadith.
What is Soul?
Soul is a subtle ethereal living thing, which is made of light and resides in human body just as fragrance resides in the rose. Thus a human body has two entities. One is the human body (i.e. the outward self) and one is the Soul (i.e. the inward self)
What is the Purpose of Death?
Allah has not created anything in vain. Death too has a specific purpose and so does life.
67:2 – The one who created death and life, so that He may test you as to which of you is better in his deeds. And He is the All-Mighty, the Most-Forgiving. (Translation from Noble Quran by Mufti Taqi Usmani)
Thus death and life exists to judge who was more better in his deeds. Having better deeds means to be able to conform one’s life as per the commands of Quran and Sunnah.
May Allah enable us to prepare for death so that we are able to earn a place in Jannah. Ameen.
May Allah enable us to learn what is death and for what purpose we have life