DISCOVERING GOD EVERYWHERE JOURNEY TOWARDS GOD-REALIZATION

Dictionaries often define death as “the permanent cessation of life”. This definition describes death from the standpoint of physical observation. A person is alive; then his bodily functions cease, and he is declared dead. Seen only from this perspective, death appears to be the complete termination of human existence. Religion presents an entirely different understanding. According to Islam, death is not the end of life. It is a transition from one stage of existence to another. Man has been created as an eternal being. His lifespan is divided into two phases: the pre-death period and the post-death period. The first is temporary; the second is eternal. The present world is therefore not man’s final destination. It is the place where he prepares himself for the world that comes afterwards. The Quran states: “Every soul shall taste death.” (3: 185) The expression “taste death” is significant. It indicates an experience through which man must pass. Death does not mean that man is reduced to nothingness. He passes through the experience of death and enters another phase of existence. The relationship between the two phases may be understood through the example of cultivation. A farmer has one season in which to sow his seeds. Once that season has passed, he can no longer sow. The time of harvest then arrives, when he receives according to what he planted earlier. Our worldly life is the season of sowing; the Hereafter is the season of harvest. The Quran says: “Whoever has done the smallest particle of good will see it; while whoever has done the smallest particle of evil will see it.” (99: 7-8) Nothing of moral significance is therefore lost. Every good deed, every sincere intention, every act of patience DEATH IS NOT EXTINCTION Preparation for Eternal Life