QURANIC DESCRIPTION OF REWARD AND PUNISHMENT IN BARZAKH
The fire; they shall be brought before it (every) morning and evening and on the day when the hour shall come to pass: Make Firon's people enter the severest chastisement. (40:46)
It means that they will be thrown in fire in the morning and in the evening and when Qiyamat will occur (it will be ordered): Inflict the severest punishment on the followers of Firon.
This is one of those verses of Quran, which testify to punishment in Barzakh. The above verse refers to those people of the Pharaoh who drowned in the Nile. Ever since that day, they are regularly brought near fire every morning and every evening. This will continue till the Day of Judgement whereafter they will be given the severest chastisement.
( 76 )
Imam Ja'far Sadiq (a.s.) says that there is no morning or evening in the Hereafter, and that the said punishment in morning and evening refers to the world of Barzakh.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, "If the dead person is one of the people of hell, his place in hell is shown to him every morning and every evening in his grave (Barzakh period). If he or she is of the people of paradise, he or she is shown his or her palace in paradise and told that this will be your station in the Hereafter."
IN COMFORT OR IN PAIN SO LONG AS DAYS AND NIGHTS ENDURE
The Holy Quran says :
So as to those who are unhappy, they shall be in the fire; for them shall be sighing and groaning in it:
Abiding therein so long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord please; surely your Lord is the mighty doer of what He intends.
And as to those who are made happy, they shall be in the garden, abiding in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord please; a gift which shall never be cut off (11:106-108)
The Imam (a.s.) says that this verse also refers to the realm of Barzakh and the reward and punishment mentioned in it is also the consequence in Barzakh because, there is no question of earth or sky in the Qiyamat as the Holy Quran says :
On the day when the earth shall be changed into a different earth, and the heavens (as well), and they shall come forth before Allah, the One, the Supreme. (14:48)
HABIB NAJJAR IN THE PARADISE OF BARZAKH
Allah says:
It was said: Enter the garden. He said: 0 would that my people had known;
Of that on account of which my Lord has forgiven me and made me of the honored ones! (36:26-27)
( 77 )
This holy verse refers to Habib Najjar who was Faithful despite belonging to the community of Firon. When he invited his people to put faith in God's messengers, people threatened him (as described at length in the explanation of Surah Yasin).
1 Finally they hanged him on an impaling stake and beat him to death. After his death, when he got his reward he said: I wish my community had known that God has pardoned me and that my Lord has placed me among the respected.
Here comes the Divine Word: "He was told: Enter paradise." Imam (a.s.) says: Here paradise means the paradise of Barzakh. In another narration, it is mentioned that it means worldly heaven, which is lower than the Paradise of the Hereafter.
In short, this verse shows that as soon as the Faithful of the people of Firon was martyred he entered paradise instantly. Since his community till then was in the world, he wished that they might know how many bounties the Most Merciful Lord had given to him (so that they too would have obeyed and repented for their misdeeds and turned towards God.
HARD LIFE AND PUNISHMENT IN THE GRAVE
The Quran says:
And whoever turns away from My reminder, his shall be a straitened life, and We will raise him on the day of resurrection, blind. (20:124)
Most commentators are of the opinion that here 'Straitened Life' means chastisement in the grave. Imam Sajjad (a.s.) also is reported to have taken this meaning.
BARZAKH TILL EVERYONE WOULD BE RAISED FROM THE
GRAVES ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT
Again the Quran says:
Until when death overtakes one of them, he says: Send me back,
____________
1 Refer Qalbe Quran by Ayatullah Dastghaib
( 78 )
my Lord, send me back;
Haply I may do good in that which I have left. By no means! it is a (mere) word that he speaks; and before them is a barrier until the day they are raised. (23:99-100)
This verse shows that man indeed has a life after death and before the Day of Judgement. It is in between the two. It is known by the name of Barzakh.
PERSONALITY OF MAN DUE TO HIS SPIRIT OR SOUL
In short, thinking over this verse and many other verses, it is clearly understood that human soul is a reality, which is different from body. There surely is a connection between the spirit and the body. Soul governs the body through intention and intelligence and manages the latter's affairs. In fact, a man's personality belongs to his or her soul and not to the body, which ends with death. (Every movement comes to end and body turns into a heap of dust). Following the disintegration of its parts, the body becomes dust. Man's reality and personality or individuality is his spirit which survives even after man's death and lives either in permanent happiness or eternal trouble depending on his pre-death intentions and performance, having nothing to do with the condition of his or her earthly (worldly) body. This is a universal truth.
Islamic scholars have, in order to prove that soul is something different from body and that it does not vanish due to death and that the rules governing it are different, put forth many arguments and logical evidences. But, after the presentation of the Word of God and the traditions and statements of the holy Prophet and pious Imams (a.s.) there is no need of reiterating the said scholarly statements. This issue is now brighter than sun for us.
PARADISE IN BARZAKH FOR THE CONTENT SOUL
One of the Barzakh-related verses in the Holy Quran are the last verses of Surah Al-Fajr :
O soul that art at rest!
Return to your Lord, well-pleased (with him), well-pleasing (Hint),
( 79 )
So enter among My servants,
And enter into My garden. ( 89:27-29)
In these verses the satisfied soul is being addressed at the moment of death: "Enter My Paradise." It has been explained as the paradise in Barzakh. Similarly it is said, "Join and enter the group of My servant" (meaning: Muhammad and his Progeny). There are other verses also hinting at heaven and hell in Barzakh but what we have said is enough.
1
REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS OF BARZAKH AS MENTIONED
IN REPORTS AND TRADITIONS
Many traditions discuss reward and punishment in Barzakh. Here we suffice with a few.
In Biharul Anwar Vol: 3 there is a quotation from the Tafsir of Ali bin Ibrahim Qummi (who has quoted Imam Ali.) according to which the Holy Prophet said, "When the offspring of Adam (man) enters the last day of this worldly life and the first one of the Hereafter, his wealth and children and his deeds appear before him. He turns his face towards his wealth and says, 'By God! I had too must lust and greed for you and was also very stingy. Now how much of mine is with you for me?' The wealth responds, 'Take only that much which can suffice for your shroud.' Then he looks at his children and says, 'By God. I loved you very much and was always protecting and defending you. Show me how much of my portion is now with you for me.' They reply, 'We only will take and bury you and that is all.' Finally he turns towards his deeds and says, 'By God, I was very careless with regard to you and I had disliked you. Yet am I to get any share from you?' The deed says, 'Yes. I will be your companion and friend in grave and will also remain with you in the Hereafter, until both of us would be made to stand before Almighty Lord.'"
If this person was an obedient one and so a friend of God, his deed will approach him in beautiful and handsome shape adorned in the
____________
1 Ayatullah Dastghaib (r.a.), the Martyr of the Niche, has explained these verses in detail, which are published in Nafse Mutmainnah
( 80 )
best attire full of pleasing fragrance and say, "I give you good tidings that you will get Rowh and Raihaan (heavenly bounties) and divine graces. Welcome." He will ask, "Who are you?" He will reply, "I am your good deed. Come; let us proceed towards paradise form this world." This body recognizes the one who gives a wash to it and asks him, giving him an oath, to carry it speedily to his destination. When this body enters grave, two angels who examine every dead, come to him in a fierce form dragging their lengthy hair on the ground and tearing the earth with their teeth. Their eyes dazzle like lightning and their voice furiously roaring. They ask the body, "Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What was your religion? (Etc)." The body says, "My Lord is only one God who has no partner and my prophet is Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and my religion is Islam." Then the angels tell him, "May God keep you steadfast on the things, which you like." The same has been hinted in the Holy Quran:
Allah confirms those who believe with the sure word in this world's life and in the hereafter, and Allah causes the unjust to go astray, and Allah does what He pleases. (14:27)
Then they widen his grave as far as eyes can see and open therein a door in the direction of paradise, telling him, "Now you sleep restfully with cool eyes just as a lucky and successful youth goes to sleep."
Similarly, God has given a hint in this verse also:
The dwellers of the garden shall on that day be in a better abiding-place and a better resting-place. (25:24)
But if the body is that of an enemy of God, his bad deed approaches him in the worst kind of dress emanating foul smell and tell him, "Take tidings of getting hot hell water as drink of entering hellfire." He also sees the one who washes him and tells on oath to the bearers of his body to leave him alone and not to take him to his grave. When they bury him, two examiner angels arrive. First they drag out his shroud and then ask him, "Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet and what is your religion?" He replies, "I do not know." The
( 81 )
angels tell him, "May God not allow you to know and be guided." Then they hit him with a fire mace so harshly that it frightens everything in the world except men and animals. Then they open up a door facing hell in his grave telling him, "Now you may sleep in the worst condition." Then they squeeze his grave to such an extent that it is almost sandwiched, making his brain matter come out from his nails and flesh and God makes snakes and scorpions etc. attack him and to bite and sting painfully till the Day of Resurrection. On that Day, he will be made to rise from his grave. The torture will be so severe that he will wish Qiyamat to come soon.
FACES IN BARZAKH WOULD BE LIKE PEOPLE'S
FACES IN THIS WORLD
There is a narration from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) in Amali of Shaykh Tusi (r.a.). At the end of it, the Imam has said, "When Almighty God recovers one's soul, He send his soul in its worldly form and shape. There they eat and drink and when a new man (spirit of another dead) arrives to them they recognize him in his worldly face, form and shape." In another tradition the Imam has said that the spirits of the faithful meet one another and talk with one another and recognize one another so much so that if you happen to see anyone of them you will say this is so and so.
NEW ARRIVALS QUESTIONED ABOUT OTHERS
In another tradition, the Imam said, "The spirits dwell in body forms in a garden in paradise. They recognize and know one another. They ask questions and get replies from one another. When a new spirit comes to them they say, 'Leave it (as it is) because it is arriving towards us after being freed from a great calamity (that is death).' Then they ask it, 'What about so and so and such and such person?' If he replies, 'He was alive until I came here', the spirits express their hope that (God willing, he will also come to them). But if the newly arrived soul says that he had already left the world they say, 'He has fallen down.' It means that when he has not yet come here, he surely must have gone to hell."
( 82 )
SPIRITS MEET THEIR WORLDLY RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
There are some narrations in Biharul Anwar, Kafi and other books. Their gist is: The spirits living in Barzakh come to visit their near and dear ones. Some of them come daily, some once in two days, and some once in three days, some on every Friday, some once in a month and some once a year. This difference depends on their condition, places of dwelling and their freedom or captivity.
According to a narration, a faithful soul sees nothing except the well being and pleasing things about his or her near and dear ones. If there is anything contrary to it, that thing is not shown to him or her (soul in Barzakh). Such disturbing things are kept unknown so that it may not be come unhappy. The spirit of an unbeliever sees nothing except bad and painful things about its near and dear ones.
THE POOL OF KAUTHAR IN BARZAKH
Abdullah bin Sinan is quoted in several books of traditions and narrations. He asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.) about the Pool of Kauthar (a heavenly spring). He replied, "Its length is equal to the distance between Basra and Yemen (Sana)." When he expressed his astonishment he asked, "May I show it to you?" I said, "Yes, 0 my Master!" Then the Imam took him out of Medina. There he kicked the ground on one spot and said, "See!" (Veils before his eyes were removed by the order of the Imam. He says, "I saw a huge spring flowing, the shores of which were not visible except the spot on which we stood and which was like a small island. I saw a spring at one bank of which snow white water was flowing in waves and on the other bank whiter than snow milk flowing and in between the two, flowed wine, which had fine red colour that was more attractive than topaz both in sheen and fineness. I had never before seen such a wine of the best quality flowing between pure milk and snow white water."
I said, "0 Master! May I be sacrificed on you. From where does this spring flow?" The Imam replied, "As mentioned by Almighty God in the Holy Quran, there is a spring of milk, a spring of water and a spring of wine in paradise. All these three springs come from there."
( 83 )
The narrator says, "I saw many trees on both the banks of this spring and a houri near every tree. She had such beautiful hair the like of which I had never seen before. There was a utensil in the hands of every houri. The said vessels were so beautiful that I had never seen such utensils in the world. They did not belong to this material world. He hinted to a houri to serve water. She filled that utensil from that spring and presented it to the Imam. He drank from it. He asked her again to fill it. She complied with the command and the Imam gave that utensil to me. I drank from it and found that I had never tasted such a nice, delicious and pleasing drink ever before. It had a fragrance of musk. I said, 'May I be sacrificed on you. Whatever I observed today is such that I had not only never seen before but also never even imagined before, (that such things could ever be available in the world).'"
The Imam said, "What you have seen is only a small specimen of the bounties provided by God Almighty for our Shias. When somebody leaves the world his or her spirit is taken to this stream and around this garden of paradise. He eats its fruits and drinks its wines. Whenever our enemy dies, his soul is being taken to Wadi-eBarhoot. He remains in its torture forever. He is forced to eat 'Zaqqoom' (a thorny cactus tree) and drink hot hell water. So pray to God for being protected from the said Barhoot valley.".
KAUTHAR AND HAMEEM AT THE MOMENT OF DEATH
Among those who were shown the paradise of Barzakh in this world are companions of the chief of the martyrs, Imam Husain (a.s.) to whom the Holy Imam had shown their places and stations in Barzakh.
In Biharul Anwar, Vol: 3, it is mentioned that Imam Baqir (a.s.) said, "No believer leaves this world unless, at his last moments, angels make him drink the Kauthar water. Likewise no unbeliever dies until he is made to drink Hameem (Hell water).
( 84 )
BARHOOT - A SAMPLE OF HELL IN BARZAKH
As stated earlier, 'Wadi-us-Salam' (the Valley of Peace) is the abode of the fortunate souls who gather there and Barhoot, which is a barren arid desert, is the place where dirty and evil souls are put to torture. It is a specimen of Hell of Barzakh. The following tradition makes the matter clearer :
One day a man went to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) the last messenger of God, and, expressing his restlessness and anxiety, said, "I have seen a very strange thing." The Holy Prophet asked, "What is it?" He replied, "My wife became seriously ill. People told me, 'If you bring water from a well situated in the Vale of Barhoot, her illness can be cured.' (Some skin diseases are cured by mineral waters). So I got ready and proceeded towards that valley with a skin to fill that water and also a cup for fetching it from the said well. There I saw a very frightening forest. Despite being afraid, I gathered courage and went on in search of that well (At last I found it). Suddenly I heard the clanking of a chain from above. That chain came down. I saw a man caught in that chain requesting me to give him some water as he was dying of thirst. When I raised my head to offer him a cup of water I saw that he was fastened to that hanging chain. Whenever I tried to give him water he was dragged up to the red-hot sun. Then I tried to fill my bag with water. That man was again lowered by the dangling chain suddenly and complained bitterly about his deadly thirst. I tried to hand over the cup to him but again he was pulled up right upto the sun. It happened for the third time too. At last I tied my water bag and could not give any water to him. I have become terribly frightened by observing all this and have come to your honour to ascertain the reason of all this." The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied, "That unfortunate man is Qabil, son of Adam (a.s.). He had killed his brother Habil.
Then his mind facilitated to him the slaying of his brother so he slew him; then he became one of the losers. (5:30)
He will remain in this condition of torture till the day of Judgement and will finally fall in the painful punishment of Hell."
( 85 )
Chapter Three
DAY OF JUDGEMENT (QIYAMAT)
QIYAMAT FROM VIEWPOINT OF LOGIC
Suppose we had no religious texts and had there been no arrival of all Prophets and messengers who have informed us that a day will certainly come for taking account of human deeds and who told people that, "You will have to, on one day, answer for all of your words and deeds," reason and logic itself is a very big proof and testimony indicating that this revolving of skies and the initiation of the creation of every being and everything is not without any aim or intention. Every wise and intelligent man, whenever he looks all around him, he observes that day and night come one after another and man eats and drinks and sleeps and goes in privacy and fulfils all of his desires; that a child grows up and turns into a youth and then an old man and then dies. Is all this huge and vast unending movements and happenings which all of us always observe with our own eyes aimed only at these movements and is it limited only upto here? Has it no aim or object? If it is so, then it only means that man has been created just for creating dirt. This is merely a false and aimless notion. There were animals to fulfil such deeds like eating, drinking, sleeping and gratifying passions. There was no need at all for the creation of man.
UNBELIEVERS OF HEREAFTER DO NOT UNDERSTAND GOD'S WISDOM
Those who do not believe in the Hereafter, in fact, do not believe in the wisdom and intelligence of God Almighty (God forbid). This denial only means that all of this vast and huge universe has been
( 86 )
created without any aim or object.
And Allah's is the East and the West, therefore, whither you turn, thither is Allah's purpose; surely Allah is Amplegiving, Knowing. (23:115)
But to think thus is the fault and error of their thinking. Whenever and wherever we look at anything we find that it has thousands of wisdoms (proper aims) and that man can hardly comprehend even a few of them. Even the most trifling and ordinary atom is not without wisdom behind its creation. Then what to say about bigger and higher things!
NAIL AS A SUPPORT
This hair and fingernail too are not aimless. For example, take the case of a fingernail. One of the wisdoms behind its creation is that, despite it's being a short and apparently insignificant part of human body, it serves as a support for fingers. Whenever one wants to pick up something, it is only this fingernail, which enables the fingers to bear the pressure. Otherwise it was not possible to bear such crushing weight for the fleshy fingers. That is why; if nails are drawn out from their base it will be difficult to lift things. What would then have happened had there been no nails at all?
Moreover, these nails help us in scratching. Again, dirty and excessive matters within the body also go out through these nails. That is why it has been ordered that nails must be cut at least once a week (specially on Friday).
EXIT OF EXCESSIVE MATTER THROUGH HAIR
Not a single strand of hair on our body is without wisdom or strategy. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) tells Mufaddal Ibne Umar, "Some ignorant people say it would have been better were hair not to grow on certain parts of the body. They do not know that those are the parts where excess and dirty (impure or unclean) body matter concentrates. Was that dirt not to be driven out through hair human
( 87 )
body would become ill and diseased."
1 That is why we have been commanded to remove this hair as soon as possible (within two weeks at the most).
If man ponders deeply he will realize that all the elements of the world of creation are full of wisdom and strategy.
MEDICINE FROM COW DUNG BEETLE PROVED
EFFECTIVE FOR EYE TROUBLE
It is said that the famous physician Galen once looked at the dirty insect cow dung beetle and expressed his opinion saying, "I do not see any wisdom in the creation of this thing. Why, after all, had God created it?" After sometime he developed severe pain in his eyes. Despite using all medicines in his expert knowledge no remedy worked on that trouble. Other doctors also tried in vain. At last there came an old woman and said, "I have a pill. It is very effective for the illness of eyes." When Galen used it, he became all right. He asked how the pill was prepared. She said it was a paste having cow dung beetle as one of its ingredients.
IS THE WORLD'S EXISTENCE VOID OF WISDOM?
Not even a single particle in the world of existence is created without any wise aim. Can then the entire universe be aimless at all? In the human body, even a nail and a hair are not without utility. Can then the whole human body have been created without any aim or intention? Never! All modem day scientists are unanimous in their opinion that they have not been able to comprehend all the wisdoms and strategies behind all the things in this world. Only God knows how many new and astonishing things will come to light in future. About half a century ago, people in Europe were of the opinion that in our body at the end of intestines there is an extension called appendix; that it is of no use. So, many healthy persons got it removed. But soon thereafter they were to realize that they were wrong. So, they announced that healthy persons should not remove it because now they had come to understand that the said extension
____________
1 For further detail please refer to Tawheed Mufaddal
( 88 )
was a sort of alarm. When much impurities pile up in intestines, this extension exudes pain thus cautioning them before the impurities could havoc. So, the patient becomes alerted and resorts to remedy. It is also possible that it may have other benefits too which have not yet come to our notice despite research and about which we may know in the days and years to come.
NOT A SINGLE TOOTH IS WITHOUT WISDOM
In human mouth not a single tooth is void of usefulness. The job of the molars cannot be performed by canines. Not a single bone out of the 248 in human body is useless, that is, if even one of them is missing, and it renders the whole body defective. Similar is the case with veins, nerves and fats etc. Can then the entire body be ever void of utility and wisdom behind it?
After recognizing the creator of the universe as most wise and after realizing that even the tiniest atom is not useless here, it is now our duty to try to understand the wisdom and aim behind the great creation. We see how many benefits we derive from various kinds of innumerable stones, vegetables and animals.
The clouds, wind, moon and sun all are busy in their duties so that, O Man! You may get bread and do not eat it unheeding. All these are busy, worrisome and obedient to you. Is it, then, not very unjust that you do not obey the commands of your Lord?
CREATION WOULD HAVE BEEN AIMLESS HAD THERE
BEEN ONLY HAPPINESS
Is the aim of man's creation only this worldly and material life? Is there nothing after death? Are we to be totally and suddenly annihilated? If it is taken for granted that the only aim of human life in this universe is eating, drinking, resting and pleasure-hunting to gratify passions, lust, greed and desires and had it been so that man would not ever taste what is pain, trouble and difficulty and grief and sorrow throughout his life then, in that case, also the creation would have been aimless. The reason for this conclusion is that even though the said life is full of pleasure and happiness it is yet unreliable and untrustworthy because, after all, it is passing and it is
( 89 )
bound to end one day. So it is unthinkable that such a wide and huge universe should be for anything, which is to perish while human life is, from it's beginning to end, full of different kinds of difficulties, troubles, pains and sorrows.
As the poet Aasoodeh has said:
I have seen in this world only one person called 'happy' (Aasoodeh). But then, it was only his penname.
Another poet says:
You will not find any man in this world who has no worries. If he has no worry then he is not the son of Adam.
EVERY GULP AFTER THOUSANDS OF STINGS
The fact is that, if man is to perish after his death and if his life is limited only to this world of matter which is made up of various kinds of sorrows, physical and spiritual and mental troubles, sufferings, mischiefs, fornications, usurpations, illness of children, death of progeny, separation from friends then this life is totally senseless and void of wisdom. This is against the divine attribute like the Just, the Kind, the Most Merciful, the Most Wise etc. In that case the creation of human beings in the world would be like an example in which, suppose, a generous man invites guests in a house which has all kinds of harmful animals like tigers, leopards, wolves snakes, scorpions and wasps. And when the guest arrives he may be served with eatables in that very horrible house, but any morsel taken by him is accompanied by the stings of several troublesome and poisonous insects. Not only this, there also may be some attackers with swords in their hands ready to attack that guest even before he completes his feast (and thereafter nothing at all)! Just say, is there any use of such a feast? Is it not a futile endeavour?
FOR THE SAKE OF A JOY WHICH WILL BE
WITHOUT SORROW OR PAIN
What can be surmised from the above discussion is that, for man, another life or world will surely arrive in which all of his pleasures and joys will be available. It is absolutely essential that he (a good
( 90 )
man or woman) must get a joy and relief and comfort which has no pain with it and also an everlasting happiness which must not be followed by any trouble, grief or sorrow. The deserving persons must get comforts which should never end.
Very happy will be the day when I will walk away from the passing world for finding out peace for soul and to meet the beloved. (Persian Couplet)
So it has been established from viewpoint of logic and reason and it is now realized that God Almighty has created man for eternal and everlasting happiness. He has detained man for a little temporary period so that he may prepare to be eligible for the sure and permanent life, which is full of joys and bounties. God has given him two wings of knowledge and action with which he may fly high to gain extreme heights in the eternal realm.
QIYAMAT CANNOT BE DOUBTED
The fact is that if man turns towards his God-given mind and nature and thinks deeply he will very soon find that there can be a doubt in each and every possible thing but there is no room for any doubt at all in the belief in God, His creation and the Hereafter, eternal life after death and reward or punishment in the everlasting Hereafter.
And because the hour is coming, there is no doubt about it; and because Allah shall raise up those who are in the graves. (22:7)
Of course, some people, because of their drowning in desires and constant engagement in material affairs and continuous commitment to sins have disfigured their nature thereby falling in doubt about the above-mentioned doubtless matters.
Nay! man desires to give the lie to what is before him. (75:5)
So the verdict of reason has established that there is an aim, utility and wisdom behind the creation of the earth, the sky and each and every part of the human body which will be known to him on the day when he will have to leave this material world. On the basis of all this, the coming of another world or realm is a must after the end of this world.
