What Is Death?
ما هو الموت؟
Death is the inevitable end of all human beings, and death does not mean the end, but the transition of the faithful human to a better life, which is Paradise, while the sinner moves to a worse life, which is Hell-Fire.
(˹It is˺ Allah ˹Who˺ calls back the souls ˹of people˺ upon their death as well as ˹the souls˺ of the living during their sleep. Then He keeps those for whom He has ordained death, and releases the others until ˹their˺ appointed time. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.) [Az-Zumar 39:42]
(But Allah never delays a soul when its appointed time comes. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.) [Al-Munafiqun 63:11]
(No soul can ever die without Allah’s Will at the destined time.) [Al-Imran 3:145]
(Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment.) [Al-Imran 3:185]
(We have not granted immortality to any human before you ˹O Prophet˺: so if you die, will they live forever? Every soul will taste death. And We test you ˹O humanity˺ with good and evil as a trial, then to Us you will ˹all˺ be returned.) [Al-Anbiya 21:34-35]
(Every soul will taste death, then to Us you will ˹all˺ be returned.) [Al-Ankabut 29:57]
الموت هو النهاية الحتمية لكل البشر، والموت لا يعني النهاية، وإنما هو انتقال الإنسان المؤمن إلى حياة أفضل وهي الجنة، والعكس للإنسان العاصي.
(اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَىٰ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ) [الزمر 39: 42]
(وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ) [المنافقون 63: 11]
(وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَن تَمُوتَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ كِتَابًا مُّؤَجَّلًا) [آل عمران 3: 145]
(كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ) [آل عمران 3: 185]
(وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ ۖ أَفَإِن مِّتَّ فَهُمُ الْخَالِدُونَ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ) [الأنبياء 21: 34-35]
(كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ) [العنكبوت 29: 57]
1. Every Soul Will Taste Death | كل نفس ذائقة الموت
Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment (3:185). Ibn Kathir explains that this is a general statement covering all creation: He alone is the Ever-Living who does not die, while humans and jinn die, and so do the angels and the bearers of the Throne; in this verse Allah consoles all people, and when the term ends, He establishes the Resurrection and repays creation for their deeds, great and small. The phrase occurs in three surahs, as explained in the three surahs in which Allah says every soul will taste death.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ (سورة آل عمران: 185)
قال تعالى: (كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ) (آل عمران 3: 185)، قال ابن كثير: يخبر تعالى إخبارا عاما يعم جميع الخليقة بأن كل نفس ذائقة الموت ... فهو تعالى وحده هو الحي الذي لا يموت، والإنس والجن يموتون، وكذلك الملائكة وحملة العرش ... وهذه الآية فيها تعزية لجميع الناس ... فإذا انقضت المدة ... أقام الله القيامة وجازى الخلائق بأعمالها، جليلها وحقيرها.
2. The Major Death and the Minor Death | الله يتوفى الأنفس حين موتها
In the first verse the scholar cites, Allah joins death and sleep: It is Allah Who calls back the souls of people upon their death as well as the souls of the living during their sleep. Then He keeps those for whom He has ordained death, and releases the others until their appointed time (39:42). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah, telling of Himself that He disposes of all existence as He wills, takes the souls in the major death, through the angels He sends who take them from the bodies, and in the minor death at sleep. So the Prophet taught us to say at bedtime: In Your name, my Lord, I lay my side down, and by You I raise it. If You keep my soul, have mercy on it, and if You release it, protect it with what You protect Your righteous servants (Sahih al-Bukhari 6320). The two deaths are compared in the minor death and the major death.
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَىٰ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى (سورة الزمر: 42)
جمع الله تعالى بين الموت والنوم في أول آية ذكرها الجواب. قال تعالى: (الله يتوفى الأنفس حين موتها والتي لم تمت في منامها فيمسك التي قضى عليها الموت ويرسل الأخرى إلى أجل مسمى) (الزمر 39: 42)، قال ابن كثير: ثم قال تعالى مخبرا عن نفسه الكريمة بأنه المتصرف في الوجود بما يشاء، وأنه يتوفى الأنفس الوفاة الكبرى، بما يرسل من الحفظة الذين يقبضونها من الأبدان، والوفاة الصغرى عند المنام. وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في دعاء النوم: "باسمك رب وضعت جنبي، وبك أرفعه، إن أمسكت نفسي فارحمها، وإن أرسلتها فاحفظها بما تحفظ به عبادك الصالحين" (صحيح البخاري 6320).
3. A Barrier Until the Day They Are Resurrected | ومن ورائهم برزخ إلى يوم يبعثون
Death is a move, not an end. When death approaches any of them, they cry: My Lord! Let me go back, so I may do good in what I left behind. Never! It is only a useless appeal they make. And there is a barrier behind them until the Day they are resurrected (23:99-100). Ibn Kathir reports from Mujahid: the barzakh is the barrier between this world and the Hereafter; and from Muhammad ibn Ka’b: they are neither with the people of this world, eating and drinking, nor with the people of the Hereafter, being repaid for their deeds. Ibn Kathir adds that in these words Allah warns these wrongdoers on their deathbeds of the punishment of the barzakh, which continues until the Day of Resurrection. See what Allah has told us about the soul in the Quran and whether the dead hear.
وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ (سورة المؤمنون: 100)
الموت انتقال وليس نهاية. قال تعالى: (حتى إذا جاء أحدهم الموت قال رب ارجعون لعلي أعمل صالحا فيما تركت كلا إنها كلمة هو قائلها ومن ورائهم برزخ إلى يوم يبعثون) (المؤمنون 23: 99-100)، قال ابن كثير: قال مجاهد: البرزخ: الحاجز ما بين الدنيا والآخرة، وقال محمد بن كعب: البرزخ: ما بين الدنيا والآخرة، ليسوا مع أهل الدنيا يأكلون ويشربون، ولا مع أهل الآخرة يجازون بأعمالهم. وقال ابن كثير: وفي قوله: (ومن ورائهم برزخ): تهديد لهؤلاء المحتضرين من الظلمة بعذاب البرزخ ... (إلى يوم يبعثون) أي: يستمر به العذاب إلى يوم البعث.
4. The Death You Run From Will Meet You | قل إن الموت الذي تفرون منه فإنه ملاقيكم
Say, The death you are running away from will inevitably come to you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the seen and unseen, and He will inform you of what you used to do (62:8). Ibn Kathir compares it with: Wherever you may be, death will overcome you, even if you were in fortified towers (4:78). So the Prophet said: Remember often the destroyer of pleasures, meaning death (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2307).
قُلْ إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِي تَفِرُّونَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مُلَاقِيكُمْ (سورة الجمعة: 8)
قال تعالى: (قل إن الموت الذي تفرون منه فإنه ملاقيكم ثم تردون إلى عالم الغيب والشهادة فينبئكم بما كنتم تعملون) (الجمعة 62: 8)، قال ابن كثير: كقوله تعالى في سورة النساء: (أينما تكونوا يدرككم الموت ولو كنتم في بروج مشيدة) (النساء 4: 78). وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "أكثروا ذكر هاذم اللذات" يعني الموت (جامع الترمذي 2307).
Scholarly Insight: The time to give is before death arrives: Allah says, donate from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you, and you cry, My Lord! If only You delayed me for a short while (63:10), and then: But Allah never delays a soul when its appointed time comes (63:11). Ibn Kathir explains that He grants no one respite once his term has come, and He knows best who is truthful in his request and who, if sent back, would return to worse than before. Read more in the tafsir of Surah Al-Munafiqun.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What is death?
The inevitable end of every human being; it is not the end of the person but a move, for the believer to a better life, Paradise, and for the sinner to a worse one unless Allah forgives him, for, apart from associating others with Him, He forgives anything else of whoever He wills (4:48).
Can death come earlier or later than its time?
No. No soul can ever die without Allah’s Will at the destined time (3:145), and Allah never delays a soul when its appointed time comes (63:11).
Why is sleep compared to death?
Allah calls back the souls of the living during their sleep, then keeps those for whom He has ordained death and releases the others (39:42); Ibn Kathir calls sleep the minor death.
What is the barzakh?
The barrier between this world and the Hereafter, as Mujahid explained; the dead remain in it until the Day they are resurrected (23:100).
Prepared by Eng. Ghada Homad, founder of IslamFAQ, researched and written in consultation with qualified scholars, reviewed by Professor Khaled Jassem Al-Houli, Associate Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence and Islamic Politics, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, University of Kuwait. Read more about the authors and this project →