41-60: Questions and Answers

41- Is death a disappearance?

Death is not a disappearance for man. It is a transfer to the abode of the hereafter, which is the real truth. Death disconnects one's relation to the setting of this world and the body present in this setting. When the connection between the body and the soul is cut off and the soul starts to come in contact with the images of the hereafter, that is when man dies; the curtain in front of his eyes is lifted and he realizes that death is not a disappearance as he thought. Just as he starts the day every morning waking up from sleep, so does he start living in the hereafter, resurrected after his death. It is as proclaimed in the verse: "It is He Who gives life and causes to die. When He decides on something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is." (Surah Ghafir, 68) The transfer of man to the hereafter happens with a single command of this type uttered by Allah.

42- What does one experience at the moment of death?

Or do those who perpetrate evil deeds suppose that We will make them like those who believe and do right actions, so that their lives and deaths will be the same? How bad their judgement is! (Surat al-Jathiyah, 21)

How the spiritual death of man takes place has been described in detail in the Qur'an, in which it is made clear that it is different from the clinical death of the body. It is stated that certain events take place at the moment of death which are seen by the dying person but not by others.

For instance, an unbeliever who has not been able to make a just estimate of the existence of Allah may seem to have died peacefully in his sleep. But, in reality, his soul that makes the transition into another dimension experiences death in great pain. Or, in just the opposite case, the soul of a believer who is thought to be suffering is in fact gently taken out of his body by the angels, as is related in the scriptures.

The events the unbelievers and the believers respectively experience during their deaths are completely different from each other. In the Quran, it is stated that at the moment of death the unbelievers will experience the following:

-Their souls will be taken by hitting them on their backs and faces,

-They will suffer the throes of death,

-Angels will give them the news of eternal torment,

-Their souls will be pulled out of their bodies.

As for the believers:

-Their souls will be gently taken away from their bodiesr.

-They will be welcomed by the angels with kindness and greetings.

-As the angels take their souls they will give them the news of Paradise.

43- Is the universe mortal too?

Allah states that apart from all the created things in the universe, the universe itself will also die. All animals die, plants die, people die. Planets also die. So do the stars and the Sun. All material beings die on the day of resurrection and they are destroyed. The day of resurrection which brings the death of the universe will be an event greater than anything experienced by man before. This day is referred to in the Qur'an as follows:

Yet man still wants to deny what is ahead of him, asking, 'So when is the Day of Rising?' But when the eyesight is dazzled, and the moon is eclipsed, and the sun and moon are fused together, on that Day man will ask: 'Where can I run?' No indeed! There will be no safe place. That Day the only resting place will be your Lord. That Day man will be told what he did and failed to do.(Surat al-Qiyamah, 6-13)

44- Will everyone who has ever lived until the day of resurrection experience it or will only those who are alive at that moment experience it?

The day of resurrection starts by the blowing of the trumpet. Along with a great quake and a deafening blast, all people on the earth realize that they are going to face a horrible disaster. The earth and the sky are rent apart and the physical universe dies. No live being is left on the earth. When the trumpet is blown a second time, people are resurrected and they are pulled out of their graves. (Surat az-Zumar, 68)

All the people who have ever been created witness the events that develop after resurrection.

However, Allah has stated that He will keep the believers in safety and peace and will relieve them of the fear of the day of resurrection:

Those who perform good actions will receive better than them and will be safe that Day from terror. (Surat an-Naml, 89)

45- What kind of a reckoning will there be on the Day of Reckoning?

On the Day of Reckoning, everyone will be individually judged. Everything a man has done throughout his life will be shown without anything being withheld: "… even if something weighs as little as a mustard-seed and is inside a rock or anywhere else in the heavens or earth, Allah will bring it out. Allah is All-Pervading, All-Aware." (Surah Luqman, 16) Nothing a person has done will remain a secret. One may forget what he did in the world of this life, but Allah does not forget any of his deeds and brings them before him on the day of reckoning. Everybody will be given the record of his deeds on the day of reckoning. At the same time, the scales of justice that weigh the good and evil deeds of man are brought in and no one is wronged by so much as the smallest speck. During the reckoning, the human being's hearing, his sight and his skin will testify against him and those who have witnessed what he has done in the life of this world will be brought in to testify. The unbelievers will be driven into hell after a dreadful reckoning. But the believers will be given an easy reckoning, after which they will enter heaven with all the joy and excitement of a great victory.

46- Can people take the responsibility for one another's sins?

Allah has proclaimed in the Qur'an that everybody will be held accountable for what he has done. Everyone will be made to see what he has done in the world, one by one, and no one will be able to help another unless Allah so wills. This truth is stated in the Qur'an as follows:

No burden-bearer can bear another's burden. If someone who is weighed down calls for help to bear his load, none of it will be borne for him, even by his next of kin… (Surat al-Fatir, 18)

47- Can a human being have the chance to make up for what he has done when he sees the truth in the hereafter?

On that day, it is impossible to make up for anything. To believe after death will not lead anyone to success. As is also stated in the Quran, the unbelievers will beg to be allowed to do everything demanded of them on the day of reckoning, but nothing will be accepted from them any more. They will wish to go back to the world and do righteous deeds but their wishes will be refused. When they realize that there is no possibility of atonement, the unbelievers will feel an unbearable regret. The feelings of hopelessness and regret experienced there is incomparable to anything in this world, because the unbelievers will realize that they will live in the punishment of hell forever, without the slightest hope of escape, unless Allah so wills:

If only you could see them standing before the Fire, saying, 'Oh! If only we could be sent back again, we would not deny the Signs of our Lord and we would be among those who believe.' No, it is simply that what they were concealing before has been shown to them; and if they were sent back, they would merely return to what they were forbidden to do. Truly, they are liars. They say, 'There is nothing but this life and we will not be raised again.' If only you could see them when they are standing before their Lord. He will say, 'Is this not the Truth?' They will say, 'Yes indeed, by our Lord!' He will say, 'Then taste Our punishment because you rejected the Faith.' (Surat al-An'am, 27-30)

48- What kind of a place is Hell?

For unbelievers, Hell is a place where there are all kinds of distress, torment and punishment which last forever. In the Qur'an, it is said of Hell:

Hell lies in wait—a homecoming for the profligate who shall remain in it for ages, not tasting any coolness there or any drink, except for boiling water and decaying filth— a fitting recompense. (Surat al-Naba, 21-26)

49- What do the verses of the Qur'an tell us about Hell?

In the verses of the Qur'an, it is related that there is literally a life in Hell. But it is a life in which all kinds of humiliation, misery, disgrace, physical and psychological torture are experienced.

By the given standards of life in this world, man cannot fully comprehend the punishment of Hell. The unbelievers undergo great punishment in hell in every respect, both physically and spiritually. Moreover, there is never any interruption in or lessening of this punishment:

But no! Hell is a Raging Blaze stripping away the limbs and scalp, which claims all who drew back and turned away, and amassed wealth and hoarded it up. (Surat al-Ma'arij, 15-18)

50- What kind of a place is Paradise?

Paradise is a place where those sincere servants who love Allah very much, fear and respect Him wholeheartedly, who have observed the verses of the Qur'an, obeyed Allah's orders and lived their lives to gain His approval, will live forever in happiness, possessing everything they want. In paradise, man will be able to instantly enjoy whatever beauty he may think of and do anything he wants, whenever he wants. Paradise holds everything man's self may desire and enjoy, and even more. The generous recompense the believers will receive there is related in these verses:

My servants, you will feel no fear today; you will know no sorrow. As for those who believed in Our Signs and became Muslims: Enter the Garden, you and your wives, delighting in your joy. Platters and cups of gold will passed around among you and you will have there all that the heart desires and the eye finds delight in. You will remain in it timelessly, forever. That is the Garden you will inherit for what you did. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 68-72)

51- Who goes to Paradise?

… Allah has inscribed faith upon such people's hearts and will reinforce them with a spirit of His own and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing under them. There they shall remain timelessly, forever. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. Such people are of the party of Allah. Truly, it is the party of Allah who are successful. (Surat al-Mujadilah, 22)

Some other qualities of the believers to whom Allah promises Heaven are stated in the Qur'an as follows:

Those who believe and do good works (Surat al-Baqarah, 25)

Those who go in fear (taqwa) of Allah (Surat Al 'Imran, 15)

Those who control their rage (Surat Al 'Imran, 134)

Those who do not knowingly persist in their misdeeds. (Surat Al 'Imran, 135)

Those who obey Allah and His Messenger (Surat an-Nisa, 13),

Those who say their prayers (salat) regularly and give in charity (zakat) regularly, and believe in Allah's Messengers and respect and support them (Surat al-Ma'idah, 12)

Those who are sincere (Surat al-Ma'idah, 119)

Those who do good (Surah Yunus, 26)

Those who humble themselves before their Lord (Surah Hud, 23)

Those who honour their trusts and their contracts (Surat al-Muminun, 8)

Those who repent (Surah Maryam, 60)

Those who say their prayers (salat) regularly (Surat al-Muminun, 9)

Those who outdo each other in goodness (Surah Fatir, 32)

Those who turn to Allah in sincere repentance (Surah Qaf, 32)

Those who fear the All-Merciful in the Unseen and come with a heart turned in devotion to Him. (Surah Qaf, 33)

52- What is true virtue?

In any society, there is a general concept of "virtue" established by its members. People who give money to beggars, behave to others in a friendly manner and, try to help them with their petty problems are considered "virtuous people". These are certainly good forms of behavior. Yet, the virtue with which Allah will be pleased is not a concept limited to such matters. A truly "virtuous person" is one who believes in Allah with a sincere heart and organizes his life in a way of which Allah will approve. In the Qur'an, Allah has explained what true virtue is:

It is not a virtue to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, the truly virtuous are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travellers and beggars and to set servants free, and who say their prayers (salat) and give in charity (zakat) regularly; those who honour their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in times of war. Those are the people who are true believers. They are the people who are the Allah-fearing. (Surat al-Baqara, 177)

53- What is the concept of love in the Qur'an?

In societies which do not live according to the moral values of the Qur'an, very different values can cause people to feel love and respect towards each other, like sharing the same culture, holding a title, being beautiful, or dressing smartly. A love based on such worldly values is not, of course, true love at all. And such respect is not true respect. Once the other side no longer possesses these means, the love they maintained was so powerful will disappear in a single moment. Yet, the real goal of the believers is the approval of Allah. Because of their love for Allah, they also feel love and affection towards that which Allah created. This love never fades in the face of want or difficulty and is not shaped by material values. They are never on friendly terms with manners with which Allah is not pleased, nor can they feel any affection towards a person embodying such manners in their hearts. This is stated in the Qur'an:

You will not find people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having any regard for anyone who opposes Allah and His Messenger, though they be their fathers, their sons, their brothers or their nearest kindred. (Surat al-Mujadilah, 22)

54- What is the reason for believers to be together all the time?

Allah orders believers in many verses of the Qur'an to be together and not to turn away from believers by desiring the life of this world:

Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together, and do not separate. Remember Allah's blessing to you when you were enemies and He joined your hearts together so that you became brothers by His blessing. You were on the very brink of the pit of the Fire and He rescued you from it. In this way Allah makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be guided. (Surat Al Imran, 103)

A person who lives according to the Qur'an is surely bound to obey these commands of Allah like all of Allah's other commands. To be with the believers is a great blessing and a support for every human being. For instance, after Allah gave Musa (as) the responsibility of prophethood, Musa (as) asked for his brother Harun (as) to be a helper to him. Believers always remind each other about Allah, they forbid one another to commit evil acts or make mistakes, they help each other and cooperate in every way possible. Also, of all people, believers are the ones who have the highest moral standards and who always act conscientiously. Therefore, the most peaceful environments are those in which the believers live together.

55- What kind of a life has Allah promised the believers in this world?

The lives of those who believe in Allah in this world are beautiful in every respect, just as their lives will be in the hereafter. Allah gives the good news to those who act righteously that they will also be rewarded generously in this world:

To all those, male or female, who, being believers, act rightly, We will give a good life and We will recompense them according to their noblest deeds. (Surat an-Nahl, 97)

56- How does one pray to Allah? Is there a specific place, time or form of prayer?

There is no specific place, time or way of praying to Allah. Allah is closer to us than our jugular vein and He knows and sees everything that crosses our minds, everything that we think, everything in our subconscience, and everything else too. Therefore, we can call to Allah and ask for His help at any time – while walking, working at something, eating, sitting, or standing. Allah defines what the attitude of one who prays should be: "Call on your Lord humbly and secretly..." (Surat al-A'raf, 55) What is important is that one who prays must turn to Allah alone and be sincere.

57- Does Allah accept every prayer?

Allah hears the call of everyone and responds to whoever invokes His name. He has stated this truth thus: "If My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed close (to them). I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me..." (Surat al-Baqara, 186)

Allah states in the Qur'an that He will respond to the oppressed and distressed when they call on Him, provided that the suppliant truly and sincerely wants what he prays for.

However, it must not be forgotten that people may not always identify what is favorable and good for them. It may be that something that we imagine to be good for us is not so. Since Allah knows that we are not fully knowledgeable and keeps everything under His control, He may on some occasions refuse to grant a prayer, but may give us a greater blessing when the time is ripe. Besides, man is created with a hasty nature and sometimes he is over eager to have everything he wants realized. Allah may then delay His response to a prayer. Allah's decree is always the most beautiful and is definitely good. The suppliant always has to be patient and await Allah's will.

58- How does one repent to Allah? Is saying "I repent" enough?

It is enough for man to say sincerely that he repents to Allah for his sins and mistakes, ask forgiveness from Allah and pledge not to repeat them again. Allah says:

But if anyone repents after his wrongdoing and amends his conduct, Allah will turn towards him. Allah is Ever-Forgiving and Most Merciful. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 39)

59- Does Allah accept every act or profession of repentance?

Allah accepts every sincere form of repentance which involves the offender pledging not to repeat his mistake and subsequently amending his conduct. The greatness or the pettiness of the sin makes no difference. The important thing is deciding to root out bad attitudes. Allah's verdict regarding repentance is as follows:

Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and then quickly repent after doing it. Allah turns towards such people in mercy. Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise. (Surat an-Nisa, 17)

60- Is it right to think that since Allah is going to forgive me when I repent, I can do anything and then repent?

This is an extremely insincere thought which causes many people to go wrong. Allah knows all hearts and the secrets hidden in them. Allah may have proclaimed that He will accept the repentance of those who truly regret their deeds and who decisively correct their conduct, but those who commit sins thinking, "Allah will forgive me anyway" will nevertheless have to account in the hereafter for everything they have done and they will be recompensed or punished accordingly.

Of no effect is the repentance of those who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say, 'Now we repent', nor of people who die rejecting faith. We have prepared for them a painful punishment. (Surat an-Nisa, 18)