Al-Muminoon (The Believers)

15. “Then verily after that you shall die.”

16. “Then verily on the Day of Resurrection you will beraised, (again).”

In these verses Allah shows us that death is certain and definite. Here it will be appropriate to mention a part of one of the sermons of Imam Ali (as) on this subject:

“If there was anyone who could secure a ladder to everlasting life or a way to avoid death it was Sulayman ibn Dawud (as) who was given control over the jinn and men along with prophethood and a great position (before Allah).

But when he finished what was his due in sustenance (in this world) and exhausted his time, the bow of destruction shot him with the arrow of death.”1

The previous holy verse had mentioned the stages of the development of man for which Allah admired Himself. These two verses talk about the final stages of perfection after death. After touching on the subject of monotheism and the origin of man, the issue of resurrection is mentioned in a very delicate and beautiful way.

The verse implies that man, with all his marvels and wonders, cannot live eternally in this world and a time must come when this marvelous structure will fall apart. So, the verse says:

“Then verily after that you shall die.”

Some Narrations On Death

1. The Prophet (S) said:

“Death is like a bunch of fragrant flowers for the believer.”2

2. The Prophet (S) said:

“How beneficial is death for those who have made faith and piety the practice of their hearts.”3

3. Imam Ali (as) said:

“Death is the cause of tranquility for the prosperous.”4

4. Imam Hadi (as) said;

“Remember when you will be lying on the bed of death before your household and neither can any physician prevent your death nor can any friend help you.”5

5. The Prophet (S) said:

“Unexpected death is a relief for the believers and a wrath for the unbelievers.”6

The next verse means that death is not destruction but a stage of perfection. Therefore, in order to neutralize the idea that when a person dies, (and therefore, everything ends which would make the magnificence of his creation pointless, ) Allah immediately says afterwards:

“Then verily on the Day of Resurrection you will be raised (again).”

It is interesting that in the above-mentioned verses, the same reason that is used to prove the veracity of the Resurrection as has been applied at the beginning of Holy Sura Al-Hajj No. 22,¹ is also used to prove the existence of Allah, His power and His grandeur.

They all begin with citing the various stages of human creation in the world of the embryo and after that they progress to the subject of the Resurrection.

Allah’s grandeur can be acknowledged in the mystery of man’s creation, his transformation in the hidden sanctuary of the womb, where he is given a form and shape as if a group of skilful painters, craftsmen and skilled geniuses sat around this drop of mingled sperm and egg water and worked day and night to ever so delicately, lead this tiny, insignificant particle through the various stages and passages of life in a very short time.

If we could film the entire process of an embryo’s development, we might be able to understand what wonders and marvels are hidden in this phenomenon.

The extraordinary advancement of embryology in our age and the ever-increasing research of scientists upon this matter, plus their experiences in laboratories, have revealed many things. When man sees the result of these researches, he would involuntarily whisper the Qur’anic words which says:

“So blessed be Allah, the Best of the creators.”8

The successive creations, on the other hand, that come into existence and find new forms every day, and the creation of man from a small mingled drop of water all basically express Allah’s power over the matter and support the fact of His power to resurrect man and bring him back to a new life.

Thus, by expressing one reason, two aims are achieved, proof for the divine power of Allah and proof for the existence of the Resurrection.

Some Traditions Concerning the Day of Resurrection

1. Once Imam Ali (as) went to the market of Basrah and saw that people were so engaged in transactions that it seemed that they had forgotten themselves and had ignored human goals. When he saw this, he was so deeply affected that he wept heavily.

Then, addressing those people said:

“O’ slaves of the world and agents of the people of the world! you who are busy with business and swearing during the day and sleep at nights on your beds ignorantly and forgetting the Day of Resurrection and Reckoning! when will you make yourselves prepared for the journey that is in the near future? Have you taken provisions for it? When do you ponder over the Day of Resurrection and think about the Hereafter?”9

2. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Verily the first things that a servant will be asked about before Allah (Glory be to His Majesty) on the Day of Resurrection are as follows:

1- The obligatory ritual prayers

2- The obligatory alms-tax on possessions

3- The obligatory fasts

4- The obligatory Hajj pilgrimage

5- The friendship and guardianship of us, Ahl-ul-Bayt (the Prophet’s family)

If the servant acknowledges our guardianship at the time of his departure and dies while believing in our guardianship, his ritual prayer, alms-tax, fasting and pilgrimage will be accepted (of course, if they were done correctly).”10

3. Somebody asked Imam Ali (as) that how Allah reckons the deeds of people while they are so many?

He said:

“Just as He provides for them their sustenance in their numbers.”11

4. The Prophet (S) said:

“Be aware that you are living in a day that is the day of deeds and not the Day of Reckoning. Wait for the day that is the Day of Reckoning and on that Day there will be no deed (that you can do).”12