Death; Transition to the Hereafter

I walked into a home not knowing the man or his family. We entered while a sister was reciting prayers for the deceased man‘s soul. (May he rest in peace.) I sat on the carpeted floor with my hands raised and saying “Ameen” after each sentence. I glanced over and saw his daughters, young women, three of whom were still unmarried. He can’t give his daughters away, see his son graduate or to play with his grandchildren.

I looked at two toddlers in the room, crawling and running around silent mourners, blabbering away in baby talk with no worries. How innocent and ignorant they seemed; unaware of what lies ahead as they grow up into fine, young men.

Then I skimmed over the faces of the women sitting in that room. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, probably reminding themselves of their own deaths to come. I did not know this man, but I know he was sent upon this earth with only one purpose. He, like the rest of us, was given allotted time to worship the Lord while living in a world full of trials, deceit, materialism and beauty. Now he’s returned to our Creator, someday we will too.

This afternoon the man’s body will be washed, covered in a clean, white shroud and placed into a wooden case. His friends and relatives will conduct the final prayers and then the body will be driven to a cemetery. He will be placed into the grave and covered. That’s it, four feet under soil, all alone. His books are closed, he had his time.

His hereafter will begin as soon as his friends and relatives walk away 40 steps. The agonizing pain of hell or sweet serenity of heaven awaits him. It awaits all of us. In our dark, compact graves our soul will return and two angels will descend upon us. We will be questioned; “Who is your lord? What is your religion? Who is your prophet?”…

"O mankind, fear your Lord and fear a Day when no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father at all. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver." [Surah Luqman (31:33)]

Abeer Parkar
25-May-2010