The Last Breath and Transition to the Angels
According to Islamic belief, a person’s worldly life comes to an end; however, this ending is the beginning of another existence. The moment of death and what follows, as described in hadith narrated by Abd al-Qadir al-Geylani, varies according to the degree of faith. A believer is met by angels when they pass away; these angels bring with them the scents of Paradise, virtually holding a welcoming ceremony for the soul into the realm of the hereafter. The separation of the soul from the body occurs easily and peacefully, like water flowing from a glass. This situation is linked to the beauty of deeds and the sincerity of faith in this worldly life.
The Grave of a Believer: A Land of Light and Mercy
A believer’s settling into their grave is not a dark end, but a luminous beginning. According to hadith, the grave of a believer expands up to forty meters; it fills with beautiful scents from Paradise and is adorned with silks. If the Quran has been recited, the light of those verses descends upon the grave; otherwise, it is illuminated with a light like that of the sun. This is a harbinger of the beauty that the believer will await in the afterlife. The grave, like a bride awaiting awakening, is filled with mercy and peace. These depictions reinforce the belief that death is not an end, but rather a transition to another realm.
The Grave of a Disbeliever: A Land of Suffering
However, the grave of a person who lives their worldly life with bad deeds and disbelief faces a completely different fate. The grave of a disbeliever narrows, their bones interlock, and snakes are sent upon them. Devils torment them through trials, from which they cannot escape. In addition to these depictions, the soul of the disbeliever is not raised to the heavens but remains on earth and returns to their body. This painful picture of the afterlife is a sign that the mistakes made in this worldly life also bring severe consequences in the hereafter; it reminds us of our moral responsibility and the importance of faith.