A fundamental question that has always occupied the hearts of believers: what happens to the soul after death? Islamic teachings provide clear answers, rooted in the Qur’an, authentic hadith, and the consensus of the scholars. The soul’s journey—whether of a believer or disbeliever—follows a divine path of truth, justice, and mercy. This article explores that journey in detail, based on the narration of Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib and other foundational Islamic texts.
The Soul’s Journey After Death
Upon death, the soul does not vanish. It remains connected to the body until the physical form decays. Once separated, the soul ascends, carried by the angels. For the righteous believer, every gate of the heavens opens in honour. The angels ask in admiration: “What is this pure soul?” and they are told: “It is so-and-so, the son of so-and-so,” using the most honourable names by which they were known on earth.
They are escorted from one heaven to the next until they reach the seventh. Then Allah Almighty commands:
“Record My servant’s name in ‘Illiyyīn, and return him to the earth. From it I created them, to it I shall return them, and from it I will resurrect them once more.”
His soul then rejoins his body in the grave, where he is greeted by the souls of other believers—rejoicing more than loved ones welcoming a long-absent traveller. They ask about their brethren still on earth. If he tells them someone has died, and they had not seen him yet, they reply in sorrow: “He must have been taken to the abyss.”
In the grave, the righteous are granted spaciousness—seventy by seventy cubits—with sweet scent and light as brilliant as the sun, and a gate to Paradise is opened, allowing them to view their seat in Jannah every morning and evening. If they carried the Qur’an in their hearts, it illuminates the grave further. Otherwise, Allah grants them light nonetheless, for His mercy is vast.
The Torment of the Disbeliever’s Soul
As for the disbeliever, his soul experiences humiliation and pain from the moment it departs. Allah says:
“If you could but see when the disbelievers are taken in death: the angels strike their faces and their backs and [say], ‘Taste the punishment of the burning fire.’”
[Qur’an 8:50]
The angels of torment call it a “filthy soul,” referring to the individual by his worst names. No gate of the heavens opens for him. Instead, it is said:
“The gates of Heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until the camel passes through the eye of a needle.”
[Qur’an 7:40]
The soul is cast down and written among the wretched in Sijjīn, a deep, dark pit where the souls of the wicked gather. These souls are deprived of rest, comfort, and honour.
The Hadith of Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib
This reality is vividly described in the authentic narration reported by Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
We went out with the Prophet ﷺ for the funeral of a man from the Ansār. When we reached the grave, the Prophet ﷺ sat down, and we sat around him as if birds were on our heads (i.e., silent and still). He held a stick and began to draw in the earth. Then he raised his head and said: “Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave”—twice or thrice. Then he said: “When a believing servant is about to depart this world and enter the next, angels descend from the heavens with radiant faces, as if their faces were the sun. They carry with them a shroud and perfume from Paradise…”
The hadith continues in detail, describing the removal of the soul, its fragrance, its ascension, and its ultimate return to the grave for questioning. Likewise, it describes the disbeliever’s terrifying encounter with dark-faced angels, the painful extraction of the soul, and the beginning of punishment.
The Grave: A Station of Truth
What follows the grave is determined by what came before it. The grave is the first stop of the Hereafter. Whoever finds ease in it will find ease in what follows; whoever suffers in it, the rest will be even more severe.
Every believer should reflect: am I prepared for this journey? Death does not wait for youth or age, nor health or illness. Allah says:
“O mankind, indeed you are labouring toward your Lord with great exertion and will meet Him.”
[Qur’an 84:6]
“When their appointed time arrives, they can neither delay it by a moment, nor advance it.”
[Qur’an 16:61]
A Call to Prepare for the Eternal Journey
The soul’s destination—whether to eternal bliss or torment—is not arbitrary. It is written, measured, and just. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari & Muslim]
Let the believer not be distracted by this fleeting world. Let him strive to purify his soul, correct his actions, and seek forgiveness before he is summoned by the angels of death.
Conclusion
May Allah grant us a good ending, lighten for us the agony of death, and admit us into His Paradise with His mercy. O Allah, make the last of our deeds the best of them, and our final moments the most beloved to You.
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