The PPK Muslims (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgable) : 08/02/15

AL-BARZAKH
BETWEEN DEATH AND THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT
IN ISLAMIC SHARI'AH

Read ONLY, IF AND WHEN you have time and mood for:

“An Ayah of the Quran for 30 Days” -- December 2012

From the Pen and Perspective of a self-styled PPK Muslim (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgeable) with a humble submission that Islam totally rejects Blind Following BUT vigorously focusses on the Limitations of Pure Human Reasoning..............and clearly and comprehensively AlLAH knows best.

In the beginning of the seventh century C.E., the folks of Mecca and Medina had a fascinatingly unique window: they had direct access to the Heavens through one of their own. They were blessed with a regular stream of Divine counseling and guidelines. Question and answer sessions were part of the program. Even individual questioner was graced by an answer. In the short Introduction to this scheme they were assured that at the end of this twenty-two year project, Divine Directions and Admonitions will continue through the agency of the PEN. The whole discourse has been preserved and archived till eternity under the guarantee of our Lord and Creator. This record in known as the Quran.

It should sound unbelievable but factually appears to be true: Many of our prevalent, widespread and important concepts and opinions about religious matters do not have a basis in the Quran and sometimes even appear to be in obvious conflict with the teachings of the Quran. It would be very educative and helpful to discuss an Ayah once a month to see if it supports or rejects our views and actions in our daily life. I wish and hope this email generates a fruitful interactive discussion.

What follows is not a sermon; I do not feel qualified to give one, anyhow. I wish, it may provide a food for thought.

Surah Ghafir (40), Ayah 46:

"In front of the Fire will they be brought, morning and evening: And (the sentence will be) on the Day that Judgment will be established: "Cast ye the People of Pharaoh into the severest Penalty!" Yusuf Ali

This is one of the ayahs of the Holy Quran referring to the state of al-Barzakh, one of the three periods of human existence, the other two being those of this world and the Hereafter. Aalam-e-barzakh is the post-death and pre-resurrection period in our lives. Belief in the barzakh has always been a matter of faith for Muslims. As compared to the other two, the pattern of the life of barzakh tends to be controversial and rather difficult to comprehend. We are fully cognizant of this world because we are living through it and sensing the life here. The life in the Hereafter following the day of resurrection and judgement is one of the most important and far reaching part of our Aqeedah (faith). It is vividly, repeatedly and emphatically described in the Holy Book specially during the Meccan period in a language and terminology amenable to human mind and senses. We therefore have a very clear and sharp image of the Hereafter in our minds.

As against this the reference to al-Barzakh in our Holy Book is rather indirect and ambiguous. The Qur’an and “Sahih” hadith tell us very little about Barzakh: this is because it is a matter of Ghaib (unknown and unseen). According to one aalim: “As you will be aware, this topic is one of the most controversial and also difficult to understand because Allah has given very little knowledge of Barzakh or life after death and before the Day of Judgement. The correct approach in understanding matters of Aqeedah is to always keep the Qur’an supreme and to interpret all available evidence in the light of the Qur’an.” By contrast the general hadith literature is replete with full details of life in al-barzakh and the rewards and punishment therein. It appears to contradict the image and purpose of the Hereafter that we get in our Holy Book. It is therefore very important for us to clearly understand what the Holy Quran informs us about Barzakh.

To start with let us draw a clear picture of the Hereafter from our Holy Book. I have selected some ayahs to bring this out:

On the day of Judgement Quran says the man will be taken aback and exclaim

“And man cries (distressed): 'What is the matter with her”? (i.e. the earth)¹ The Quran goes on to say that this is the day when man is weighed and judged:

“Then as for one whose scales are heavy [with good deeds], He will be in a pleasant life. But as for one whose scales are light, His refuge will be an abyss.” ²

Time and again the Holy Quran contrasts this world with the hereafter without any reference to the Barzakh:

“And as for those who disbelieved, I will punish them with a severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers."³ and

“......And whoever desires the reward of this world - We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter - We will give him thereof. And we will reward the grateful.”⁴ and

“So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves the doers of good.”⁵

And lastly Quran declares that on this day you will certainly see Hell with your own eyes and will be questioned about HIS blessings to you:

“You will surely see the Hellfire.

Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty.

Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure.”^5a

Ii is very clear that interrogation and trial followed by indictment and verdict and finally the execution of the verdict will all be done on the Day of Judgement. The day of Resurrection followed by the Day of Judgement is our core Belief (Emaan). It therefore stands to reason that no judgement can be done before the Day of Judgement and no reward or punishment can be awarded before the Judgement is announced.

I therefore felt rather puzzled when the Imams and khateebs would often speak of punishment in the grave and a verdict of entry into Jannah though we all are still waiting for the Day of Judgement.

So let us see what our Holy Book says about al-Barzakh. Literally this word means a veil, a partition, a bar or a barrier. Ibn Abbas defines Barzakh as, a Hijab (a partition or veil).The Arabic word Barzakh has "no verbal root" according to John Penrice in his Dictionary And Glossary Of The Koran. Dr. Abdullah Nadwi in his Vocabulary Of The Holy Qur'an defines the term as "Litt : a thing that intervenes between any two things." This Qur'anic terminology is not to be confused with the Christian Tradition of "Limbo."

The Qur'an mentions this word when it declares that the wrongdoer will request to be sent back to world but will be denied because of a barrier between the and the world:

"So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected.⁶

It indicates that the soul after having separated from its worldly body, enters into a realm behind which there is a barrier forbidding any return. That is, now there is a partition between them and the world, which will not allow them to go back to it; a point of no return. Therefore they shall remain in that state up to the Day of Resurrection. The Muslim scholars seem to have borrowed this word from here and named the world between death and resurrection as the barzakh. I have included in my footnotes, the comments on this ayah of some of the eminent scholars to give some weight of scholarship to my views.^6a

There are couple of ayahs where the Quran has used the word barzakh in its literal meaning: First,

“It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter; yet has He made a barrier between them, a partition that is forbidden to be passed”⁷and

“Between them is a Barrier which they do not transgress⁸

The grave is the ditch or pit that we dig out for burial and hygienic disposal of the mortal body. Barzakh is to the grave what the world is to the womb of the mother. It is more expansive than this world and serves as a transit lounge for the separated soul. We should not unduly probe about the attributes and characteristics of the soul as Allah Ta’aala says:

And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."⁹

The topic of barzakh also pertains to the al-ghaib -- the world of unseen -- and therefore beyond human perception except what Allah Ta’aala wants to divulge. And that is exactly what we are attempting to find; what the Holy Quran has to say about our next abode -- al-Barzakh.

There are about fifteen ayahs in the Quran about Barzakh; as I stated earlier, indirect and ambiguous and therefore subject to different interpretations. Is it a wakeful state? Is it a state of hibernation or a dormant state? Or it is just sleeping and dreaming? Is there any listening, talking and thinking in this state? Is there any joy or pain here? Any communication with the living or other dead? If the interrogation, judgement, and sentencing is done here, as the hadith literature would like us to believe what is the role of the Day of Judgement?

The ayah of the month under discussion today (quoted right at the start) throws some light on the activities in barzakh after death. It says:

“In front of the Fire will they be brought, morning and evening......”

The hell is being demonstrated to followers of Pharaoh. According to Maudoodi “ This verse is an express proof of the torment of barzakh, which has often been mentioned in the Traditions as the torment of the grave.” He calls it the “lesser torment” of actually seeing and feeling as a foretaste of what they are heading for. Further the Quran reveals to us a glimpse of the actual moment of transfer -- death -- from our world to Barzakh of the wrongdoers in the following ayahs:

“ (Namely) those whose lives the angels take in a state of wrong-doing to their own souls. Then would they offer submission (with the pretence), "We did no evil (knowingly)." (The angels will reply), "Nay, but verily Allah knoweth all that ye did; So enter the gates of Hell, to dwell therein. Thus evil indeed is the abode of the arrogant" and

“(In Falsehood will they be) Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life)”¹⁰

The Quran has this to say about the pious in a similar situation:

“(Namely) those whose lives the angels take in a state of purity, saying (to them), "Peace be on you; enter ye the Garden, because of (the good) which ye did (in the world)."¹¹

It is obvious (and frightening also) that the triage starts immediately after death. The approach and attitude of the angels betrays that they recognize the good ones from the bad and behave with them accordingly. Also note that the disbelievers are aware of their misdeeds in the world and urge to be sent bank, putting up a lame defense . Besides these verses, there is the mention of a dialogue between the angels and those Muslims, who did not migrate Madinah, after their souls were seized by the angels.

“Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves - [the angels] will say, "In what [condition] were you?" They will say, "We were oppressed in the land." The angels will say, "Was not the earth of Allah spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?" For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination.”¹² The Qur'an (supported by some Traditions) presents a kind of a picture of the condition of the soul after death up to Resurrection. Death causes merely the separation of the soul from the body but does not annihilate it. The soul lives with the same personality that was formed by the different experiences and the mental exercises and moral activities it had in its worldly life in cooperation with the body. This nature of the consciousness, feelings, observations and experiences of the soul, during the waiting period, appears similar to that, in a dream. Despite this experience in the barzakh, on the second blowing of the Trumpet of Resurrection when the guilty souls will again enter into their former bodies and muster in the Plain, they will be taken by surprise and cry in horror:

"Oh ! woe to us! who has roused us from our sleeping places ?" It will be said to them (by the true Believers according to Maudoodi) "This is exactly what the Beneficent had predicted, and the Messengers had told the truth."¹³

TO BE CONTINUED

We will discuss more about Quran on Barzakh

and then follow up with

Hadith on Barzakh

.....and Allah knows best.

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.

FOOTNOTES:

(1) Surah 99/3

(2) Surah 101/6-9

(3)Surah 3/56

(4)Surah 3/145

(5)Surah 3/148

(5a) Surah 102/6-8

(6) Surah 23/100

(6a)

Commentary of eminent scholars on this ayah:

Yousuf Ali: Barzakh: a partition, a bar or barrier; the place or state in which people will be after death and before Judgment. Behind them is the barrier of death, and in front of them is the Barzakh, partition, a quiescent state until the judgment comes.

Maudoodi: "That is, "Now there is a `barrier' between them and the world, which will not allow them to go back to it. Therefore they shall remain in that state up to the Day of Resurrection."

Mufti Mahmood: The word (Barzakh) means "barrier" and implies anything which intervenes between two conditions or two objects. For this reason it also means the intervening period between death and the Day of Judgment. The meaning of this verse is that the wish of the infidel who has died to be returned to this world is fruitless, because he has reached the Barzakh from which no return is possible and a second life cannot be given until the Day of Resurrection, when all the dead will rise and be brought back to life.

(7) Surah 25/53