The souls of mankind remain connected to their bodies until the body decays. Once the body has perished, the souls are either in Sijjin, the abode of the souls of the disbelievers; or in ‘Illiyyin, the resting place of the souls of the righteous believers; or they remain in the state Allah has decreed between the heavens and the earth.
After the soul departs from the body, it is taken by the angels and ascended through the heavens. Whenever they pass by an assembly of angels, they ask:
“Whose pure soul is this that has come from the earth?”
The angels reply:
“It is so-and-so, the son of so-and-so,”
calling him by the finest names by which he was known during his worldly life.
They continue ascending until they reach the lowest heaven, where permission is sought for entry, and it is granted. The angels nearest to Allah in each heaven accompany the soul to the next, and every gate is opened for it. Every angel sends prayers upon it until it reaches the seventh heaven.
Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says:
“Record the book of My servant in ‘Illiyyin, and return My servant to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I shall return them, and from it I shall bring them forth once again.”
The believing soul is then brought to the souls of the believers, who rejoice over its arrival more intensely than one of you rejoices at the return of a loved one after a long absence.
They ask:
“What became of so-and-so? What became of so-and-so?”
Some of them reply:
“Leave him to rest, for he has just departed from the hardship of the worldly life.”
If they are told that someone has died but has not arrived among them, they say:
“He has been taken to his mother, Al-Hawiyah.”
The Believer in the Grave
Once placed in his grave, it is expanded for him, seventy cubits in length and seventy cubits in width.
Fragrant plants are placed within it.
Silk is spread for him.
If he possessed something of the Qur’an, it illuminates his grave. Otherwise, he is granted a light resembling the brightness of the sun.
A gate to Paradise is opened for him, allowing him to view his dwelling place every morning and evening.
The Disbeliever After Death
As for the soul of the disbeliever after it is extracted, it enters a humiliating punishment.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“If only you could see when the angels take the souls of those who disbelieved, striking their faces and their backs, saying: ‘Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.'” (Qur’an 8:50)
Just as the believer is shown his place in Paradise while departing this world and is given glad tidings of it, the disbeliever likewise sees his place in the Fire while the soul is being taken.
The angels of punishment disgrace him as recompense for his disbelief, striking his face and his back with painful blows.
Were the veil to be lifted from mankind, they would witness something terrifying beyond imagination. Yet Allah, in His wisdom, has concealed these realities from us.
The Souls of the Disbelievers
The angels ascend with the soul of the disbeliever.
Whenever they pass by an assembly of angels, they ask:
“Whose evil soul is this?”
The angels reply:
“It is so-and-so, the son of so-and-so,”
calling him by the most disgraceful names by which he was known in the worldly life.
When they reach the lowest heaven, permission is sought for entry, but it is refused, in accordance with the saying of Allah:
“The gates of heaven will not be opened for them.” (Qur’an 7:40)
It is then commanded that the soul be taken to Sijjin in the lowest earth, a deep place where the souls of the wicked are gathered.
The Hadith of Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib رضي الله عنه
All of this is mentioned in the famous narration of Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib رضي الله عنه, who said:
“We went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to attend the funeral of a man from the Ansar. We arrived at the grave before it had been dug. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat down, and we sat around him in such stillness that it was as though birds were perched upon our heads. In his hand was a stick with which he traced lines in the ground.
He then raised his head and said:
‘Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.’
He repeated this two or three times.
Then he said:
**’When the believing servant is about to depart from this world and enter the Hereafter, angels descend from heaven with faces as bright as the sun. They carry with them a shroud from Paradise and perfume from Paradise. They sit before him as far as the eye can see.
Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and says:
“O good soul, come out to forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure.”
The soul then flows out as easily as a drop of water flowing from the mouth of a water skin.
When the Angel of Death takes it, the other angels do not leave it in his hand for even the blink of an eye before placing it into that shroud and perfume. A fragrance emanates from it more pleasant than the finest musk ever found upon the earth.
They ascend with it, and whenever they pass by a company of angels, they ask:
“What is this pure soul?”
They reply:
“It is so-and-so, son of so-and-so,”
calling him by the finest names he was known by in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven…'”
The Prophet ﷺ continued describing the soul’s ascent until Allah commands:
“Record the book of My servant in ‘Illiyyin. Return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I shall return them, and from it I shall bring them forth once again.”
His soul is then returned to his body, where two angels come to question him.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then described the condition of the disbeliever:
**”When the disbelieving servant is about to leave this world and enter the Hereafter, angels descend from heaven with black faces, carrying coarse cloth. They sit before him as far as the eye can see.
Then the Angel of Death comes and says:
‘O wicked soul, come out to the anger and wrath of Allah.’
The soul scatters throughout the body and is torn out like an iron skewer being pulled through wet wool.
The angels immediately wrap it in those coarse cloths, from which comes the foulest odour of any corpse upon the face of the earth.
They ascend with it, and every assembly of angels asks:
‘Whose evil soul is this?’
They answer:
‘So-and-so, son of so-and-so,’
calling him by the worst names he bore in this world.
When they reach the lowest heaven, permission is requested for entry, but it is denied.”**
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then recited:
“The gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle.” (Qur’an 7:40)
Then Allah says:
“Record his book in Sijjin, in the lowest earth.”
And his soul is cast down with force.
The believer should never allow the attractions of this world to distract him from the inevitable destination that awaits every soul.
Human nature inclines us to procrastinate and delay repentance, as though we have ample time ahead of us. Yet with each passing day, we move closer to our appointed time and nearer to meeting our Lord.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“O mankind, indeed you are labouring tirelessly toward your Lord, and you will surely meet Him.” (Qur’an 84:6)
Whoever is certain of this reality should prepare for it. He should hold himself accountable before he is called to account, and reflect upon what he has sent forward for the Hereafter.
Death has no visible sign.
Good health does not keep it away.
Youth does not delay it.
Likewise, illness does not necessarily bring it closer, nor does old age guarantee its arrival before others.
Every soul has an appointed term and an appointed decree.
Allah says:
“When their appointed time comes, they cannot delay it for even a single hour, nor can they bring it forward.” (Qur’an 7:34)
Therefore, every believer should remain prepared for the moment upon which his everlasting happiness, or eternal misery, depends.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him. And whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him.”
A Reminder to Prepare for the Hereafter
The lengthy hadith of Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib رضي الله عنه paints one of the clearest pictures of what takes place after death.
It reminds us that death is not the end, but the beginning of the life of Al-Barzakh, where every soul experiences either comfort or punishment according to the decree of Allah.
The believing soul is welcomed by the angels with honour and glad tidings. It is wrapped in a shroud from Paradise, perfumed with the fragrance of Paradise, and carried through the heavens while the angels praise it and call it by the finest names by which it was known in the worldly life.
Its record is written in ‘Illiyyin, after which it is returned to the earth, where it answers the questions of the two angels and is granted spaciousness, light, and a window into Paradise.
As for the disbelieving soul, it is met by angels whose appearance inspires fear. It is called forth to the anger and wrath of Allah, extracted with severe difficulty, wrapped in coarse cloth, and emits a foul odour unlike anything found in this world.
The gates of heaven remain closed to it.
Its record is written in Sijjin, and its soul is cast down before it enters the punishment prepared for it.
The Prophet ﷺ recited the words of Allah concerning them:
“The gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle.” (Qur’an 7:40)
These realities are not merely descriptions of the unseen. They are reminders intended to awaken the heart and encourage preparation before death arrives.
Death Is Certain
Every passing day is one day less of our lives.
Every sunrise brings us closer to the moment when the Angel of Death will come to us, just as he came to those before us.
No one knows whether his final breath will come while he is healthy or ill, young or old, wealthy or poor.
For this reason, the believer does not rely upon tomorrow.
Rather, he hastens to repentance, increases in righteous deeds, seeks forgiveness frequently, and strives to meet Allah while He is pleased with him.
Allah has concealed the exact moment of death so that His servants remain in a state of readiness and remembrance.
The intelligent person, therefore, is not the one who merely plans for this worldly life, but the one who prepares for the life that never ends.
As the Prophet ﷺ instructed, we should remember death often, for it cuts off false hopes and reminds us of our true destination.
The believer lives between hope and fear, hoping for Allah’s mercy while fearing His punishment, and constantly asking Him for steadfastness until death.
A Final Supplication
May Allah make the agony of death easy for us.
May He grant us a good ending.
May He make our final words:
“La ilaha illa Allah.”
May He record our names among the people of ‘Illiyyin, gather us with the righteous, and admit us into His everlasting Paradise through His mercy.
O Allah, make the agonies of death easy for us, grant us a righteous end, and let us depart this world while You are pleased with us. O Most Merciful of those who show mercy. Ameen.
