Question

What are the beliefs and details about natural death and accidental death. What happens after death and also there is a rumour saying that the ruh (soul) of a suicidal person stays in the house - please describe so that I can get a clear understanding jazakAllah

Answer

This world is a temporary abode and death will come to every one of us no matter where we hide or where we run to. The question we need to ask ourselves is what have we prepared? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised us to live in this world as travellers. Therefore it is our duty to remain conscious of our destiny and to not engage in play and games that will divert our minds from our destiny in the same manner as a traveller focuses on his destiny and does not engage in things or people that will divert him from continuing his journey and reaching his destiny.

The life after death depends on the final state of the person. If the person’s final state in life was Islam, then the person’s life after death will be accordingly and vice versa.

The time and place of death is fixed for every person, whether the death occurs naturally or accidentally, it was already written. When this time comes, Sayyiduna Izraa’eel comes to take the soul. This is also the case when a person commits suicide. The soul is not left in the place of death but is taken by Sayyiduna Izraa’eel who is the angel of death. Therefore the myth that the soul of a person who committed suicide roams around the house is false. Angels of mercy or punishment accompany the angel of death. The deceased person then sees all the angels that are present and the truth of Islam becomes visually and clearly apparent at that point. The soul is taken away from the body but it always retains a connection with the body. The soul hears and feels the surroundings of the body. Thereafter, the questions of the grave take place and they may vary depending on the person’s life in the world. The person who fails to answer the questions correctly is punished in the grave whereas the person who passes will be free to roam in the world of Barzakh (The time and place between this life and the day of Judgement). The amount of freedom to roam around in Barzakh is based upon the status of the person in the court of Allah. The pious will have more freedom to roam while the less pious will have less freedom. Some will be free to meet with their deceased relatives and friends while some will be restricted due to their wrong deeds or lack of good deeds. There will be people who will be free to reside in Makkah Mukarramah or Madinah Munawwarah while others will be restricted to their graves. Those being punished will remain restricted in their graves until their punishment is lifted through the mercy of Allah.

It is mentioned in Fayd Al-Qadeer,

“The pure souls when separated from the (restrictions of the) bodies, they join the higher world and then see and listen to all like a witness.”

In Sharh Al-Sudoor, the honourable author has recorded a Hadith which says,

“When a believer dies, he is freed to roam wherever he wishes.”

Isaal (sending) of reward is beneficial and established from the Hadith. If a person is due punishment then that can be lifted through sending reward of good deeds including the reward of obligatory deeds such as Salah, Sawm, Zakaah and Hajj. This is established from authentic narrations recorded by Imam Bukhari and Muslim in their Saheeh. Those who are free from punishment also benefit from the reward sent to them. Their statuses are heightened and their freedom is increased.

This is a brief account of what happens after death to the deceased and for more information I advise that one studies Bahar-e-Shariat or the great piece by Imam Jalal Al-Deen Al-Suyooti known as Sharh Al-Sudoor which has recently become available in English; translated by my dear friend and honourable Scholar Mowlana Muhammed Aaftaab Casim of South Africa.

The people who die of a sudden or accidental death may be rewarded the status of martyrs on the day of Judgement. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarded many as martyrs although they did not die in the battlefield and although they will be bathed and given kafan before burial.

Imam Maalik recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“Other than this (dying in the battlefield) there are seven martyrs. He who died in a plague is a martyr. He who died by drowning is a martyr. He who died in ‘Zaat Al-Janb’ (i.e. Pleurisy) is a martyr. He who died due to an illness in the stomach is a martyr. He who burned to death is a martyr. He who died due to a wall or something similar falling on him is a martyr. A woman who died in pregnancy or in labour or dies as a virgin is a martyr.”

Suicide is strictly forbidden in the Quran and Hadith. If someone commits suicide then their Janazah Salah will still be performed although it is advisable for the Scholars to abstain from leading it in order to express their displeasure towards the act of suicide.

In Bahar-e-Shariat it is quoted from Al-Fatawa Al-Hindiyyah,

“He who committed suicide although this is a major sin, his Janazah Salah will be performed even if he committed this on purpose.”

And Allah knows best.

Faqeer Zahid Hussain Al-Qadiri
1st Thu Al-Hijjah 1436 AH