What Happens After We Die?

The Third life begins at the moment of death. A person enters the Barzakh (the grave), literally the “intermediate realm” which separates this present life from the events of the judgement.

“The Intermediate Realm is the bridge between the world and the life-to-come. It has more affinity with the latter. It is a place where spirits and spiritual things are predominant, while physical bodies are secondary but share with the spirits in their experiences, whether felicity and joy or torment and grief” — Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man

The Five Lives of Mankind

To understand death and what comes afterwards we must first understand the journey we take to get there.

In this piece I have written a primer on death-and-the-afterlife in Islam. I highlight how we can prepare for the next life by making the most of this life; as well how we can pray for and benefit those loved ones who have already passed away and begun their journey onward.

To understand all of this I have outlined the journey of the soul using Imam Al-Haddad’s book “The Lives of Man” as a point of reference.

Imam Al Haddad

Imam Abdullah bin Alawi Al-Haddad, died in 1132AH/1719CE and is widely considered to be the renewer of the faith for the 12th century of the Islamic calendar (the mujaddid of his era).

رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ  ” إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ لِهَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مَنْ يُجَدِّدُ لَهَا دِينَهَا “

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Allah will raise for this ummah (community) at the end of every hundred years one who will renew for them their religion.”

Imam Al-Haddad’s works help guide people to better understand God and to better understand themselves. A blacksmith, a “ḥaddād” in Arabic, moulds and shapes metals by working out their impurities — likewise Imam Al-Haddad moulds and shape hearts of people — by helping people to work out and exorcise their impurities.

In his book “The Lives of Man” Imam Al-Haddad outlines a clear picture of these five lives in the Islamic tradition.

The first life begins with a sacred covenant we all took before we were even born….

The First, Primordial, Life – Life Before Conception

The first stage of life was when God created Adam and subsequently all the souls of mankind.

God brought all the souls to take the covenant [mithaq], wherein they recognised His unity and lordship.

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَآ ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَـٰذَا غَـٰفِلِينَ ١٧٢

And ˹remember˺ when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the children of Adam their descendants and had them testify regarding themselves.

˹Allah asked,˺ “Am I not your Lord?”

They replied, “Yes, You are! We testify.”

˹He cautioned,˺ “Now you have no right to say on Judgment Day, ‘We were not aware of this.’

— Qur’an 7:172

From that moment on mankind was bound to recognise the unity and lordship of their one God.

Following this covenant each soul was later blown into a worldly destination; an angel being sent to deliver each soul to a human body that it will inhabit during its life in this world — the second life — the dunya.

The Second Life – Dunya – This Present Worldly Life

“The second life begins when one is delivered from one’s mother’s womb and ends when one departs from the world in death.”— Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man.

The second life is known as the dunya. Dunya in Arabic literally means “close” or “low”. This present life is the one that is close at hand. Naturally we are most familiar with it out of all the lives. It is lowly in it’s stature compared to other lives, being the one where we are tested and potentially furthest from God:

“Whole sections of the Muslim nation, engrossed by the playthings and false gods of the age, think rarely of their future existence” — Abdul Hakim Murad, Preface to Lives of Man

We should regularly think to our legacy and what happens to us after this life. This life is only one of five stages of life, and while it feels the longest now, it is only fleeting.

The one thing that is certain in life is death. What can we do to make the most of our life and to prepare for our future?

لنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:  ” الكيس من دان نفسه، وعمل لما بعد الموت ، والعاجز من أتبع نفسه هواها، وتمنى على الله”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The astute person is the one who calls themself to account and works for that which is after death. The fool is the one who follows his vain desires and counts on God the Exalted to fulfil his wishes”

Naturally we hope that God accepts our good deeds and facilitates a peaceful life and afterlife for us, but that hope needs to come with action in this life.

Preparing our Legacy

What will be left after we die? Our clothes, our food, even our housing is temporary, only our good deeds and righteous, sincere actions will remain with us in our grave.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهُ صلى الله عليه وسلم  ” يَتْبَعُ الْمَيِّتَ ثَلاَثَةٌ، فَيَرْجِعُ اثْنَانِ وَيَبْقَى مَعَهُ وَاحِدٌ، يَتْبَعُهُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعَمَلُهُ، فَيَرْجِعُ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ، وَيَبْقَى عَمَلُهُ “.

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When carried to his grave, a dead person is followed by three, two of which return (after his burial) and one remains with him. His family, his wealth, and his deeds follow him; his family, and his property return back while his deeds remain with him.”

We can prepare for our future life by sincerely doing good deeds that are pleasing to God. We hope that he accepts them from us, if we are truly sincere in our intention, regardless of their outcomes.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ

“Indeed, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and actions.” – Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)

We pray that Allah accepts our good deeds, and that they are done sincerely to please Him.

Doing something sincerely for the sake of God means you do it only for Him, regardless of it being pleasing to you or because it makes you happy — but doing it purely because it’s the right thing todo to worship God.

“أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ”

“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” — Qur’an 13:28

When ones performs good actions to please God — those actions are also the correct actions that one finds pleasing to their own soul. One finds contentment and happiness in this life, through actions that are pleasing God.

Making the Most of our Time

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِرَجُلٍ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ: «اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ: شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هَرَمِكَ، وَصِحَّتَكَ قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ، وَغِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ، وَفَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شُغْلِكَ، وَحَيَاتِكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ»

“Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death” — Prophet Muhamamd (ﷺ)

Making the Most of Youth

Regarding youth Imam Al-Haddad says:

“Youth is a stage where energy is abundant and strength is continually increasing. This means that it is the stage most suited for winning rewards, doing good works, and avoiding sins and reprehensible acts. However it is also a hazardous stage of which one should be wary, for many or even most young people are inclined towards worldly desires and prefer immediate pleasures to decent actions and observances.” — Imam Al Haddad, Lives of Man.

There’s no prescribed cut-off point for youth. At all times we should make the most of our energy, while we still have strength. Knowing that endeavours will become harder in the future we should invest out strength into things that matter and will benefit us in the future.

We can do this by learning, seeking beneficial knowledge that will benefit and help us to improve in the future. Likewise in our work we should focus on making the most of our opportunities and establishing ourselves while we have time and energy. If Allah has blessed us with education, intellect, support networks and good potential we should try our best to make the most of our blessings and opportunities.

” إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبَّ أَنْ يُرَى أَثَرُ نِعْمَتِهِ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ “

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Indeed Allah loves to see the results of his favours upon His servants.’

Making the Most of our Health

Health is a gift we should be thankful for everyday, seeking to maximise it, and being grateful for our continued ability to do good actions and worship God.

Who is blessed with health? Are we able to help our parents, families and neighbours? Maybe they need us to carry something for them and we are able to. If we can benefit others and alleviate a burden from them, we should take advantage of our good health to do so.

Making the Most of our Wealth

All wealth is from Allah and once we have provided for our dependents, we should not be stingy with our wealth or waste it on ostentatious trinkets.

وَيْلٌۭ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍۢ لُّمَزَةٍ

ٱلَّذِى جَمَعَ مَالًۭا وَعَدَّدَهُۥ

يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ

Woe to every backbiter, slanderer, who amasses wealth ˹greedily˺ and counts it ˹repeatedly˺,thinking that their wealth will make them immortal! — Qur’an 104:1-3

When we look at the example of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his companions they lived very frugal lives, as ultimately they knew the pleasures of this worldly life were nothing when compared to seeking the pleasure of their Lord.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ فِرَاشُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ أَدَمٍ، وَحَشْوُهُ مِنْ لِيفٍ

Aisha (the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)) narrated that: The bed mattress of the Prophet (ﷺ) was made of a leather case stuffed only with palm fibres.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ مَا أَكَلَ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَكْلَتَيْنِ فِي يَوْمٍ، إِلاَّ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْرٌ.

Aisha narrated that: The family of Muhammad did not eat two meals on one day, except that one of the two was only dates.

When we reflect seriously about the grand picture of life and how fleeting it is, we will realise that the benefit of donating to good causes far outweighs the pleasures of spending on ourselves.

النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ  ” لَيْسَ الْغِنَى عَنْ كَثْرَةِ الْعَرَضِ، وَلَكِنَّ الْغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْسِ “

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, “Wealth is not in having many possessions, but rather (true) wealth is feeling sufficiency in the soul.”

Making the Most of our Free Time

Our free time is a precious blessing one that we will see invested and taken up by other commitments as we grow older. We should dedicate it to noble pursuits that matter to us and are pleasing to God. Let us choose how we spend our time, before time decides to spend us.

Virtuous investments include family, community, learning, teaching, meaningful work, helping others, and self-care.

Making the Most of our Life

Our fleeting life remains our sole possession until the Day of Judgement. How can we wisely invest this time in valuable pursuits before it slips away? Let us explore virtuous deeds that prepare us for our eternal dwelling in the next part of this piece…

Summary

In this piece we have introduced Imam Al Hadad and his historic work: “The Lives of Man” covering:

• The mithaq – the original covenant between God and mankind.
• The brevity of this life and the virtue in preparing for the next.
• The importance of good deeds — as everything else will pass away with us.
• Making the most of five before five: our youth, health, wealth, free time and life.

Next time we will look at how we can build a living legacy for ourselves after we die.

رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ  ” إِذَا مَاتَ الإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ إِلاَّ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ “

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “When a man dies, [all off] his actions come to an end, apart from three: recurring charity (sadaqah jaariyah), knowledge [by which people] benefit, and a pious son who prays for him.”

May Allah grant us the ability to focus on building good deeds and drawing closer to Him in this worldly life. May He protect us from being distracted by fleeting distractions and vainglorious endeavours.

The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (ﷺ) said in his supplication:

“لا تجعل الدنيا أكبر همنا”

“O Allah, do not make dunya the biggest of my concern, and do not make the knowledge of dunya the biggest of my knowledge.”