BEŞİNCİ BÂB · DÖRDÜNCÜ FASIL · Beşinci Madde
**Article Five**
Concerning the manner of death, the separation of the soul from the body, the state of struggling for breath, and the honor and grace the deceased will witness in the realm of *barzakh*.
O esteemed one! Know that philosophers (the people of wisdom) have said: A person is considered weak if they lack the strength to rise. If they lack the power to sit, they are considered ill. If they lack the capacity to speak, they are deemed ready for death (*muhtazar*), and their illness is called the disease of death. Should they lack the strength to breathe, they are declared dead (*mayyit*). Thus, that person has died in this world and been born into the realm of *barzakh*. Just as they died in the realm of *barzakh*, they have been born into this world.
The truth of a human's death is the separation of the disembodied imagination ( *mujarrad khayal*) that clings to their body, from that body. This disembodied imagination is a metaphor for the human soul. The believer’s soul transforms into a beautiful imagination upon the departure of the body. Conversely, the soul of one who is not a believer transforms into an ugly imagination upon the departure of the body. Therefore, what is called death is the separation of this pure essence from the composite body and its joining with its own army. This detachment of the soul from the body occurs during the separation of the animal soul from the human body.
*Poem:*
O brother! You are nothing but thought, a spirit; that which remains of you is bones and skin.
A person dies in this manner: When an illness afflicts the body of a sick person, causing it to gradually extract the natural self (*tabi’i nafs*) from the body, weakening the animal soul, that ailment settles within and remains. The afflicted person then appears as if they have recovered, opening their eyes and gazing around with a pleasant look. Many, including themselves, believe they are well again. However, the illness has settled in the place of the patient’s constitution, overcoming the animal soul and completing its work entirely. This is considered the last remnant of life (*ramak-i akhir*), as if the soul has flashed a final light to extinguish itself.
During this final period of apparent health, an imagination arises, bringing forth memories of the suffering and distress endured. Even when attempting to weigh themselves against strength in this imaginative state, they cannot find the power to return to their natural constitution or temperament. For they perceive themselves as distant from strength within that imagination. Then, they exert effort and attempt another movement. In this movement, they may feel a desire for food. They become preoccupied with another imagination, and each time, they drift further into imaginings. All these imaginations are merely to find their true power within their own body. However, finding it is now impossible, for at that point, they are nothing more than an assembly of imaginations, separate from the body. Thus, the person who is ready for death makes one final movement amidst this abundance of imagination, and it happens that with this movement, they rise and depart.
If they lack the strength to rise [172/a], they place their hand on their head and rub their face against their chest. They perform these actions out of the excess of their effort and longing, but to no avail; they depart. Then, they are drawn into another imagination and again weigh themselves against a scale of strength. But they find themselves as an assembly of imaginations. They make another movement. If they lack the strength to move, then “their legs turn upon each other” (Resurrection, 75/29), and they lose hope in life from their body. These increasingly contradictory and unstable imaginings are called the intoxication of death (*sekerat-i mevt*), for the imaginations multiply and overcome strength.
The person nearing death then begins to loosen or gather clothing and blankets. Or, they draw back their lips, exposing their teeth. Or, they wail loudly. Or, they close their eyes. Or, they turn their face towards the wall, performing such actions. Or, they open their eyes wide, turning them in every direction. They begin to frequently look at their present companions, children, and family. But these states are all from the army of imagination; they have found themselves pitched upon an open plain. A cold remnant remains within their body from the animal soul. The animal soul has separated itself from the body with the disembodied imagination. It seeks to draw that remaining cold remnant to itself. Thus, a struggle and competition arises between the composite body and the disembodied vapor, which is called the state of struggling for breath (*halat-i nez’*). In the language of legal scholars, these numerous imaginations are referred to as the angels of mercy and punishment, and the disembodied souls.
The aforementioned struggle occurs when everything that will be, has been, and all senses and powers have departed from their order; when the outward appearance and essence of the body entirely manifest as disembodied imaginings, and only a cold remnant remains within the body. It is as if the composite body says, "This cold remnant resembles me; it is from me." The disembodied vapor says, “The true remnant is outside the body; its return to its origin is fitting.” Thus, these two compounded and abstract personalities suffer so much in this struggle that ultimately, the cold breath remaining within the body returns to its origin, leaving the composite body as a mere inflated skin. And that army of imaginations flies and roams without condition, limit, or sorrow, fulfilling the promise of the verse: “They will have all that their souls desire” (Arrangement, 43/71). They circulate around the composite body in the state they departed from it.
The composite body is also completely prepared for its disembodiment (*tajarrud*): It may be that the body does not remain bound and recorded within the dark grave. For a second resurrection, it may emerge as vegetation, attaining those imaginative soldiers—those beautiful forms—like unto them, abstract and pure.
This âlem kim, gönül kaydın [90] çekersin mihnet ü gamdır
Fenâsız âlemi seyr eyle kim, bir hoşca âlemdir
Ey gönül! Bağlanıp kaldığın şu âlemde eziyet ve üzüntü çekersin. Hiç
yok olmayacak âlemi seyreyle ki o ne güzel âlemdir.
Kabir içindeki yalnızlığı görüp de sakın ölmekten nefret etme. Yakınlık
ve dostluk yolunu tut ki her avuç toprak bir insan demektir.
Cismânî bileşenlerinden ayrılan ruhun halleri, aynen uyuyan kimsenin
halleri gibidir. Nitekim uyuyan kimse, uyanıklık halinde şehirlerden
ve ovalardan, dağlardan ve denizlerden, zevk ü safâ ile mutlulukla, sıhhatle
gördüğü yerleri, eylediği safâları, rüyasında da zevkle seyreder. Yahut
korku ve zorluk içinde, keder ve sıkıntıyla gidip geçtiği yerleri, rüyasında
da zahmetle görür. Aynı şekilde ruhun berzah âlemindeki (kabir hayatında)
olan yeri, kendinin dünyadaki halinde (terkîbi halinde) söylediği söz,
yaptığı iş ve ahlâkına göredir. Çünkü insan, kendi çalışması ile sahip olduğu
kemâli bulur.
Eğer dünya hayatındaki halleri hep hayır ve iyilik ise, onun yalnızlık yeri
(kabir hayatı) da o güzel sözlü, işi ve ahlâkına göre olup o daima; “(Onlara)
canlarının istediği, gözlerinin hoşlandığı her şey vardır.” âyetinde ifade edildiği üzere en güzel lezzetlerle mükâfatlandırılıp
cehennem korkusu olmadan, cennette makãmında olur.
Eğer dünyada iken (terkîbi halinde) olan halleri iyilik ve kötülük karışımı
ise, onun kabir hayatındaki yeri de karışık olur ki, ne huzur ile hakkına râzı
olur, ne de ayrılık ile kararda bulunur. Sürekli elem verici azaplar içinde
kararsız kalır. Eğer dünyada iken (terkîbi halinde) her hali kötülük ve isyan
olmuş ise, kabir hayatındaki yeri de o sözü, işi ve ahlâkına göredir ki büyük
azap içinde bulunur.
Çünkü ölünün berzah âleminde olan lezzetleri ve zahmetleri, dirinin
rüyadaki lezzetleri ve zahmetleri gibidir. Şu halde, kıyamet gününe kadar
ölünün halleri, yaşayanın uyanması gibi olup ikisi birdir. Çünkü ölünün ve
uyuyanın halleri berzah âleminde hâsıl olan bir yerdir. İşte, “ Yaşadığınız
gibi ölürsünüz ve öldüğünüz gibi diriltilirsiniz ” hadîs-i şerifinin mânâsı
bunu bildirir.
“Bizi ölümümüzden sonra dirilten ve ruhlarımızı bize iade eden, yeniden
dirilme ve dönüş kendisine olan Allah teâlâya hamd olsun” hadîs-i şerifi
gereğince, uyku ile ölüm birdir. Şu halde kendisinin nasıl bir ruh olduğunu
bilen ölümü nimet bilir, hiçbir korkusu kalmaz.
Sû-yi merg-est halk-râ âheng
Dem zeden kâm u sâl u meh ferseng
Halk sonunda ölümle yüzleşecek; nihayet bir yıl ya da bir aylık saltanatı
olacak.
Coz du rengî ne-şod zi-merg helâk
Merd-i yek reng-râ zi-merg çi bâk
İkiyüzlüden başkası helâk olmadı; dosdoğru adamın ölümden ne
korkusu olacak.
Ân merd neyem k’ez ademem bîm âyed
An nîme merâ hoş-ter ez-în nîm âyed
Yokluktan, yok olmaktan korkan biri değilim; o yarım bana bu yarımdan
daha hoş gelir. Şu canımı bana Allah geçici olarak vermiş; teslim etme vakti
gelince çekinmeden teslim ederim.
În cân-i âriyet ki be-Hâfiz supurd dûst
Rûzî roheş be-bînem u teslîm-i vey konem
Dost’un Hâfız’a emanet olarak verdiği bu canı da, bir gün yüzünü görür
ve O’na teslim ederim.