Death is the end of man’s worldly life and the beginning of the Hereafter. According to the Islamic belief, the Hereafter is the life to be lived forever.[1]
Death is a door to the Hereafter.[2] For instance, it has known that a baby comes to the earth from his mother’s dark and narrow womb with the birth event. Suppose that baby could talk while in the mom’s womb; he would not want to come into this world because he has been being mentioned about things he does not know and understand. However, the baby has a world that is dark, colorless, and flavorless in the mother’s womb, where a cord feeds it. On the other hand, the world is diverse; the baby in the mother’s womb does not know and cannot understand it without living. Like this described example, death is the transition of a person from this known world to an unknown world that has only been described to him. Death is a transition to a place where there is no test, eternal happiness is promised for those who are patient [3] and grateful [4], and endless pain is described for the unbelievers [5] and the ungrateful [6].
The understanding of “People will be resurrected after death anyway, so there is no need for them to die” predicts that people will be resurrected after death with their current conditions. However, death means the end of limited life for humans and a transition to a life where borders are removed. Therefore, resurrection after death means renewal and a complete change of living conditions.
Allah’s giving life and ordaining death to people is also happing in an order. According to the religion of Islam, there is nothing random or coincidental in the world.[7] It should also be added that death, like life, is one of the proofs of Allah’s sovereignty and administration over His creatures.[8]
At the same time, death is a means of getting to know God from different aspects for people. For example, every living thing that has life on earth understands the name of Allah “Al-Hayy” [9] because Allah gives life to these living things.[10] Like this, the death of all creatures shows God’s attribute of “Baqaa” [11], his immortality.[12] Because although everything created dies, the re-creation of their likes on earth shows people a creator who does not die and will not die.
According to the religion of Islam, death takes the person who has been wronged to the place (the Hereafter) where he will get his right from evil: “Every soul will surely taste death. Then you will be returned to us.” [13] Besides, death makes room on earth for new creatures to come. Because the resources of the world (food, drink, and shelter) are not convenient for a life order without death.
[1] Al-Ankaboot, 64.
[2] Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Mesnevi-i Nuriye, Habbe.
[3] Aal-i Imraan, 142.
[4]Aal-i Imraan, 145.
[5] Al-Bayyina, 6.
[6] Maryam, 69-72.
[7] Al-An’aam, 59.
[8] Al-Mulk, 2.
[9] Al-Hayy means the creator, about whom death is not valid.
[10] Aal-i Imraan, 2.
[11] Baqaa means a creator whose existence has no end.
[12] Ar-Rahmaan, 26-27.
[13] Al-Ankaboot, 57.