No Other Source of Knowledge Except Revelation

The root of 'Ma'aad' is 'Aud' which means to return or to come back. As on the Day of Resurrection souls will be made to return to their bodies, it is called Ma'aad.

'Ma'aad' is one of the principles of the Holy religion of Islam and to have faith in it is absolutely essential or obligatory and it is that everyone will, after his death, become alive again and will get reward or punishment according to his belief and deeds.

'Ma'aad' which begins with death and then passes through grave and then Barzakh and then Qiyamat-e-Kubra (the great resurrection) and ends with either paradise or hell cannot be comprehended by the apparent senses and even though the occurring of the original 'Ma'aad' or Resurrection is proved by logic or brain (the details of which will be discussed later on), it is impossible for one to ponder in solitude over it and to understand what will happen after death, and through which stages one will have to pass. For understanding this, there is no way except to rely on and take help from Revelation because man wherever he is, his power of understanding cannot cross the limits of his world. For example, it is impossible for a baby in the womb to get the idea of the outside world and to fathom its vastness. Similarly it is also beyond his powers to understand the endlessness of the space and to know about the things therein. Likewise, the man who lives in this world like a captive of matter and nature cannot have the ability to understand the Aalam-e-Malakoot (the world of angels and spirits) which is hidden from him. To reach that state will be possible only after getting freedom from this material world. In short, a man who is living in this material world, can never be able to know the details of the world after death, unless he puts faith and trust in the truths made known by the Creator of this Universe.

Characteristics of the Hereafter have nothing to do with the Brain

So if anyone says: It is far from my brain that such and such thing will happen after death, then his saying so is absolutely unacceptable because the conditions and events after death have no relation with the bodily brain. Even if all the thinkers and philosophers join together and make collective efforts to understand the conditions beyond death (in the other world) through the materials available to him in this earthly life they can never succeed in their maneuverings at all. So if we do have any source, it is only those things and those words which the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.w.s.) and His Holy Progeny have shown to us. Hence we also confirm them as all of those great persons who are impeccable are those to whom God Almighty, the Lord of the Universe sends Revelation.

Does A Dead Body Talk?

This discussion will prove that the doubts and distrusts expressed by some senseless fellows are totally baseless. For example, they say that the body of a man who has died is just like dust and stone or like dry wood and so how can it at all be questioned in a grave? In other words, can stones also talk? If we fill up the mouth of a dead body with something and, on the next day, open his grave and see we will find that nothing has gone out of that mouth. (The answer to this question will be given soon).

Talking Is Not Limited To The Tongue

Possibilities and probabilities are essential to brain. An intelligent man (having brain) hears a thing and if it is impossible according to his brain or intelligence, he doubts it's being either true or untrue. But if the one from whom he heard that thing is a sinless impeccable person then the former will at once say that whatever he has said is true. But if the hearer is unwise and ignorant fellow he will exclaim: What kind of talks are these which we fail to understand! So not to accept the words of the impeccable will be based on senselessness and foolishness. Such fellow is like a four-footed animal but has two feet whose sees senses are limited only upto eating, sleeping and having intercourse with the opposite sex. Obviously if it is hold to an ox or an ass that an angel appears before our eyes at the time of death or that there will be a questioning in our graves, they will not be able to agree because their intelligence is limited and cannot go far from their bellies and genitals. Only a higher level of soul can accept such news and matters.

There is no scope here to deal at length and with full details. Therefore, we are mentioning below briefly what has been narrated by Ahle Bayt (Holy Progeny of the Holy Prophet s.a.w.s.) describing what happens right from the first stage (death) up to the last one (Resurrection).

Death: The First Station

Truth About Death: The dislocation or the breaking of the relation between body and soul is called death. Several examples have been quoted to explain this connection. Some say it is like the relation between a ship and its captain wherein death snatches away the ship from the control and authority of the captain. You say: My hand, my leg and my eye. This means 'I' (my) is something other than the said hand, leg and eye. When you say: I walked, it is true that you moved but you walked through your legs. This shows that 'You' are something other than the limb called leg. Likewise, you say: I saw, I heard, I said. In all these three sentences the word 'I' (my) refers to one person and this person is the same what is your soul and which becomes manifest through the said scenes which have been expressed through the above sentences. It is the soul that sees and hears but through the balls in the eyes and the holes in the ears respectively. These eyes and ears are, of course, the means of seeing and hearing. Soul is a lamp lighted by the Almighty's Might in the dark house of body which shows its light through eyes and ears and other organs.

What Is Death?

Shifting of the lamp from one place to another place. For instance, suppose there is a hut having many holes. It a lamp is placed in it its light will go out through those holes. But as soon as that lamp is moved out of that hut it will make the hut dark. Similarly, so long as the lamp of soul remains in the body it manifests its existence known through the light which comes out from limbs like eyes and ears etc. But as soon as this lamp of soul is removed from the body, all its manifestations also cease and the body becomes dark. This is Death. This was an example only for making it comprehensible. Otherwise:

The Soul Neither Enters The Body Nor Gets Out Of It

It must be understood that the relation between the soul and the body is not by way of Hulool (penetrative migration). It is not like the entrance of water in a utensil or of air in vacuumed. It also cannot be said that it remains out of body or it goes out of it at the time of death because soul is essence, not matter. There is no question of its entering or vacating. The only thing is that its relation with body is such that it remains fully attentive to the body Death disconnects this relation.

It is also obligatory for us to believe that death occurs by the command of God. The same Power which had, established this relation in the womb of mother at the last moment of the worldly life, disconnects this relation between the body and soul. Only He is the bestower of life and of life. The Holy Quran says: “God gives life and only God causes death also.” (S. Zumar, V: 42) Some common people are very angry with Israel (Malak-ul-Maut- The angel of death). They do not like even to hear his name. They even condemn him though they know that this angel does not do anything of his own wish or authority. They have been employed by the Lord of the Universe and hence do everything by His order or command.

How the soul is taken

How soul is retrieved from body has been narrated in the hadiths about the Meraaj (ascension) of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.). In short, there is a board in front of Israel which contains names of all the people. The name of the person whose time for death arrives is removed from that board and Israel at once takes possession of his or her soul. It is also possible that names of thousands of people may be wiped out at one moment whereupon Israel takes the souls of all of them instantly. This is not astonishing. It is just like a breeze of wind blowing off thousands of lamps in a split second. All of it is with the might of the Almighty. Doubtlessly it is Israel who snatches who snatches souls but, as a matter of fact, it is only God Who causes because it is only His command and Will.

Source: The Hereafter - Ma'ad
By: Ayatullah Dastghaib Shiraazi (q.s.)