Journey of the soul series: Barzakh IV (soul of a disbelieving or disobedient servant)

In the Name of Allaah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 

"And they ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning the Ruh (the spirit); Say: " The Ruh (the Spirit): it is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little." Q17:85

"The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And the Day the Hour appears (it will be said), "Make the people of Pharaoh enter the severest punishment." Q40:46

"Verily, the dead are punished in their graves, and even the animals hear their screaming." Hadith authenticated by al-Albani in Sahihul Jaami'

In the previous article on this series, the path which the soul of a believer takes from the moment it departs from the body to the moment it comes back to the body for questioning was aptly captured by the Hadith of Al-Bara' bin Azib (RA).

Indeed, white and black differ strikingly, light and darkness are two contrasts and equally, obedience and disobedience are not on the same platform. These two opposing forces attract two different recompenses. The obedient servant whose soul was welcomed with an angelic and heavenly white carpet reception cannot be placed on the same pedestal with the soul of the disobedient, sinful servant.

The verse of the 17th chapter of the Qur'an referenced above is a sufficient proof that there will be severe punishment for the disobedient, sinful servants in the grave before the ultimate punishment of the Hereafter. Majority of scholars favor this opinion as stated by Imam al-Qurtubi as was captured by ibn Hajar in the first volume of Fat'ul Baari.

Man can survive the world where justice is riddled with injustice, truth intertwined with falsehood even if he is guilty but once his soul leaves his body for the next life, he loses all his ability to lie and to defend his sins because now the attorneys are the angels of Allaah fully aware of the records of his deeds never to be deceived.

The Prophet (SAW) has mastered the art of teaching that he told the Companions the path the soul of the believing servant takes perhaps to spur them into more righteousness and less they become complacent he equally told them the evil path the soul of the disbelieving and the disobedient servant takes.

He continued from the Hadith of Al-Baraa bin 'Azib in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad and the Sunan of Abu Dawud....

"And verily when a disbelieving (or disobedient) 'abd (servant) is at the point of departure from the worldly life, and is about to enter the hereafter, strong hulking angels with dark faces descend to him from the heavens. They bring with them tough fabrics from the Fire. They sit away from him at the limit of his eyesight. The Angel of Death (AS) arrives, sits by his head, and says, "O malicious soul, depart to a wrath and anger from Allaah." (On hearing this) it becomes terrified, and clings to the body; but he extracts it (by force), like a skewer is pulled from wet wool, causing the veins  and nerves to burst.

Every angel between the heavens and the earth, and every angel in the heavens, curses him. The gates of the heavens are shut; the guardians of every gate implore Allaah that this soul does not ascend in their direction.

When the Angel of Death takes the soul, they (the other angels) do not leave it in his hand for as little as the blinking of an eye. They put it in the fabric that they have (from the Fire); and from it emanates the most repugnant odor of a decaying cadaver that ever existed on the surface of the earth.

The angels then ascend with it. As they pass by gatherings of angels, they ask them, "What is this malicious soul?" The angels holding it respond, "He is so and so, son of so and so," using the worst males with which he had been addressed in the first life. When they reach the lowest heaven, they ask for permission to enter; but the gates are not opened for him. (Here the Messenger SAW recited:)

"For them (the disbelievers) , the gates of heaven will not opened; and they will not enter Jannah until the camel goes through the eye of the needle." Q7:40

Allaah then says, "Write his record in Sijjin (a place most low; a place of Imprisonment) in the lowest earth." and they are told, "Take him back to the earth, because I promised them that from it I create them, into it I return them, and from it I resurrect them once again." His soul is then cast down from the heavens without regard; and it falls into his body." (Here the Messenger of SAW recited:)

"and whoever assigns partners to Allaah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky, and the birds had snatched him, or the wind had thrown him to a far off place."  Q22:31

The Hadith continues in the next series in shaa Allaah.

In conclusion, there is absolutely no regards for the disbelieving or disobedient soul. Allaah's Wrath is confirmed on it. What are we doing in preparation for the grave that calls out:

I'm the house of darkness; I'm the house of loneliness; I'm the house of snakes, worms and insects.

Think about the loneliness of the grave after which there is no companionship‎ but our deeds (good or bad)

Think about the darkness of the grave after which there is no light‎ but the light of inner connection to Allaah (Iman)

Think about the narrowness of the grave after which there's no vastness but the vastness of Jannah for those who feared Allaah and prevented their souls from wrongdoing.

As long as we are still breathing, there is hope to secure a ticket to a VIP resting place in the grave otherwise the sight will be ugly.

To be continued in shaa Allaah. ‎

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