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; when the term ends, Allah establishes the Resurrection and repays creation for their deeds, great and small, and the verse is a consolation for all people. The phrase occurs in three surahs, as explained in which three surahs say 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، فإذا انقضت المدة أقام الله القيامة وجازى الخلائق بأعمالها، جليلها وحقيرها، وهذه الآية فيها تعزية لجميع الناس.
2. The Major Death and the Minor Death | الله يتوفى الأنفس حين موتها
The scholar’s first verse 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 (39:42). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah 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: 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)
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: 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: "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 the one who wasted his life, he cries: 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. The soul is explained in what the Quran tells us about the soul, and whether the dead hear in do the dead hear.
وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ (سورة المؤمنون: 100)
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: وقال 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.
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 overtake 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).
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 He forgives anything less than associating others with Him to 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, in which the dead remain until the Day they are resurrected (23:100), as Mujahid explained.