Death in The Quran

By: Maged Taman

1- God give us life and death:

9:116 Lo! Allah! Unto Him belongeth the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He quickeneth and He giveth death. And ye have, instead of Allah, no protecting friend nor helper. - إِنَّ اللّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يُحْيِـي وَيُمِيتُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ (9:116)

10:56 He quickeneth and giveth death, and unto Him ye will be returned. هُوَ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

2- Non of the idols but God has power over our life and death:

25:3 Yet they choose beside Him other gods who create naught but are themselves created, and possess not hurt nor profit for themselves, and possess not death nor life, nor power to raise the dead. وَاتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً لَّا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ مَوْتًا وَلَا حَيَاةً وَلَا نُشُورًا (25:3)

3- We all will die:

3:185 Every soul will taste of death. And ye will be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which ye have fairly earned. Whoso is removed from the Fire and is made to enter Paradise, he indeed is triumphant. The life of this world is but comfort of illusion. كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَما الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ (3:185)

4:78 Wheresoever ye may be, death will overtake you, even though ye were in lofty towers. Yet if a happy thing befalleth them they say: This is from Allah; and if an evil thing befalleth them they say: This is of thy doing (O Muhammad). Say (unto them): All is from Allah. What is amiss with these people that they come not nigh to understand a happening? أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُواْ يُدْرِككُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ قُلْ كُلًّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللّهِ فَمَا لِهَـؤُلاء الْقَوْمِ لاَ يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا (4:78)

4- The angel of death is appointed to this task:

32:11 Say: The angel of death, who hath charge concerning you, will gather you, and afterward unto your Lord ye will be returned. قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُم مَّلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ (32:11)

5- The perception of death is striking to the dying and the loved ones around him:

75:26 Nay, but when the life cometh up to the throat كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتْ التَّرَاقِيَ (75:26)

75:27 And men say: Where is the wizard (who can save him now)? وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ (75:27)

75:28 And he knoweth that it is the parting; وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ (75:28)

75:29 And agony is heaped on agony; وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ (75:29)

75:30 Unto thy Lord that day will be the driving. إِلَى رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ (75:30)

6- There is agony as the spirit separates from the body:

50:19 And the agony of death cometh in truth. (And it is said unto him): This is that which thou wast wont to shun. وَجَاءتْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ (50:19)

7- There is no repent to the person as he is dying or dead on sins or disbelief:

4:18 The forgiveness is not for those who do ill deeds until, when death attendeth upon one of them, he saith: Lo! I repent now; nor yet for those who die while they are disbelievers. For such We have prepared a painful doom. وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الآنَ وَلاَ الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ أُوْلَـئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا (4:18)

8- The angels will question us immediately after death:

6:93 Who is guilty of more wrong than he who forgeth a lie against Allah, or saith : I am inspired, when he is not inspired in aught; and who saith: I will reveal the like of that which Allah hath revealed? If thou couldst see, when the wrong doers reach the pangs of death and the angels stretch their hands out, saying: Deliver up your souls. This day ye are awarded doom of degradation for that ye spake concerning Allah other than the truth, and scorned His portents. - وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ قَالَ أُوْحِيَ إِلَيَّ وَلَمْ يُوحَ إِلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ وَمَن قَالَ سَأُنزِلُ مِثْلَ مَا أَنَزلَ اللّهُ وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي غَمَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمَلآئِكَةُ بَاسِطُواْ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُواْ أَنفُسَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِهِ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ (6:93)

9- The interval between Death and Resurrection is called Barzakh in Arabic: which means barrier: We will be in spirit and we will have taste of feeling happy or suffering torments. The real reward or punishment will be given on the Day of Resurrection when we will have new bodies that join our souls. We do not have much information about the soul except that God gave us these souls while in our mothers wombs, will be extracted from us at death and join our bodies in the day of resurrection. We feel that we have soul or spirit, we can not separate well from our emotion. Angel Gabriel is in particular was named the holy spirit. Jesus (PBUH) in particular is the word and spirit of God but he is not God or son of God.

17:85 They will ask thee concerning the spirit. Say: The spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little. وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّن الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً (17:85)

10- The final destiny of us will be in the day of resurrection:

36:51 And [then] the trumpet [of resurrection] will be blown - and lo! out of their graves towards their Sustainer will they all rush forth!وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَنسِلُونَ (36:51)

17:13 And every human being's destiny have We tied to his neck; and on the Day of resurrection We shall bring forth for him a record which he will find wide open;وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَآئِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا (17:13)

The Journey into the Hereafter (part 1 of 8): An Introduction
The Journey into the Hereafter (part 2 of 8): The Believer in the Grave
The Journey into the Hereafter (part 3 of 8): The Believer on Judgment Day
The Journey into the Hereafter (part 4 of 8): The Believer and Paradise
The Journey into the Hereafter (part 5 of 8): The Unbeliever in the Grave
The Journey into the Hereafter (part 6 of 8): The Unbeliever on Judgment Day
The Journey into the Hereafter (part 7 of 8): The Unbeliever and Hell
The Journey into the Hereafter (part 8 of 8): Conclusion
View all parts together