A mysterious world after death

Human life is divided into three parts—the life of this world, the life of Barzakh, and the eternal life of the Hereafter. The life of this world is a place of testing, the Hereafter is a place of results, and Barzakh is a mysterious world between the two, where the soul remains after death until the Day of Judgment. The word ‘Barzakh’ comes from Arabic, meaning a wall, barrier, or partition. It is a screen between two beings that does not allow one to pass through the other.

Allah Almighty says: ‘He has let the two seas flow, they meet; yet between them is a barrier, so that they do not cross the boundary.’

(Surah: Ar-Rahman, verses: 19-20)

From here it is understood that Barzakh is an invisible boundary, which exists between this worldly world and the Hereafter. Immediately after death, the soul of a person enters this Barzakh and remains there until the Day of Judgment. When the time of death comes, the angels receive the soul of a person.

From that moment on, the next journey of the soul begins - from this world to the Hereafter. This is the life of Barzakh. The first stage of this life is the life of the grave, where a person faces a new reality with his body. The angels Munkar and Nakir come to him and ask him: ‘Who is your Lord? What is your religion? And who is your Prophet?’ If the deceased is a believer, then he is able to answer easily and his grave becomes a garden of Paradise.

He sees his place in Paradise and feels at peace. And if he is an unbeliever, his grave becomes cramped, begins to burn in the fire of punishment, and instead of Paradise, he is shown the terrible place of Hell. A special mystery of Barzakh is that even though the soul is completely separated from the body, it maintains a special relationship with it. The soul sometimes returns to the body, especially when angels come to ask questions or when friends and relatives come to visit the grave. At such times, the soul appears near the grave of the deceased and hears their voices and prayers.

However, this is not a reincarnation, but rather a temporary return that occurs at the command of Allah. The punishment and reward of the grave actually begin in the life of Barzakh. No matter how a person dies, whether in a grave or not, whether the body remains intact or destroyed, or even if it turns into ashes and scatters in the air, his soul and body remain in Barzakh. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you dies, he is shown his place in Paradise or Hell in the morning and evening. If he is among the people of Paradise, he is shown his place in Paradise; and if he is among the people of Hell, he is shown his place in Hell. Then it is said to him, ‘This is your place until Allah resurrects you on the Day of Resurrection.’” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1379)

This Hadith proves that the fate of people begins to be determined after death. Some spend their days in joy, some in pain, until the announcement of the Day of Resurrection comes. However, the souls of those who have believed in Allah and done righteous deeds remain in Paradise. They smell the fragrance of Paradise, feel peace, and rejoice at the sight of their place in Paradise. And the souls of those who are disbelievers, hypocrites, and sinners remain exposed to the fire of Hell. Their graves become cramped and intense suffering and horror surround them. They await eternal punishment, deprived of Paradise.

Even then, the deceased can recognize the people who visit his grave. He can hear their voices and the prayers of relatives, the rewards of isal-sawab and the rewards of reciting the Quran reach them. These prayers become a source of peace for them. It is narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that three days after the infidels were killed in the Battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood by their bodies and addressed them by name, saying, ‘O Abu Jahl, O Umayyah, O Utbah, have you found the promise of your Lord to be true? I have found the promise of my Lord to be true.’ Then Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was surprised and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Are you talking to a body that has no soul?’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘You are no more hearing than those in Whose Hand is my soul, in hearing what you say. But they cannot reply.’ (Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2874)

However, the true picture and details of life in Barzakh are known only to Allah and the dead. The reality of this mysterious world is beyond human knowledge, which can only be understood after death. Therefore, since our death is inevitable and after it begins that life, which is a preparation for eternal life. Therefore, people should not be distracted by the temporary pleasures of this world, but should engage in good deeds for the life after death, obey the commands of Allah and stay away from sins.