No man was ever borne to be mortal - the prophets, saints, the demagogue, the mighty kings and the powerful and the men in rag tags - all tasted the taste of death and will continue to die and await their final disposal after the Divine Judgement is made on the Day of the Judgement.
While attending funerals, many are in a hurry to attend funeral prayers or even attend the burial, they are in a hurry to go to attend their daily chores. But there are always some, may be a few, who keep pondering the meaning of death, and whether the dead man is listening to us or is wondering over his life thereafter. Science has yet o find out whether a dead man listens to his mourners or can even see them. But there is a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which does give an indication of the mindset of a man who has died. Let us read this hadith and ponder over its meaning:
The Hadith
Narrated by Abu Saʿīd al-Khudrī (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When the funeral is ready and the men carry it on their shoulders, if the deceased was righteous, it will say: ‘Take me forward quickly!’ But if he was not righteous, it will say: ‘Woe to me! Where are they taking me?’ Its voice is heard by everything except man, and if man were to hear it, he would fall unconscious.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1316)
Explanation
1. Reality of the Soul After Death: The ḥadīth shows that death does not end consciousness. The soul is aware of its fate when the body is carried to the grave. A righteous person longs to meet Allah, while a sinful soul dreads it.
2. Contrast Between the Righteous and the Wicked
- Righteous soul: Eager for burial, because the grave will be the “garden of Paradise.”
- Wicked soul: Terrified, because the grave will be the “pit of Hell.”
This matches another ḥadīth: “The grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of Hell.” (Tirmidhī 2460).
3. Why Humans Cannot Hear It: Animals and other creatures hear the cry of the soul, but humans do not — out of Allah’s mercy. If humans heard it, they would collapse in terror and life would become unbearable.
4. Connection to Qur’an
Qur’an emphasizes that death is not the end, but the start of accountability:
- “And behind them is a barrier (barzakh) until the Day they are resurrected.” (23:100).
- “Every soul shall taste death, and you will only be given your full compensation on the Day of Resurrection.” (3:185).
5. Lessons for Believers
- Prepare for death: Since the soul’s state at death reflects its deeds.
- Hasten funerals: Prophet ﷺ said, “Hasten the funeral; if it was righteous, you are taking it to good; and if otherwise, then it is an evil you are removing from your necks.” (Bukhārī, Muslim).
- Reminder of accountability: The unseen world (Barzakh) is real, even if hidden from human senses.
Relevance Today
The ḥadīth teaches us to live so that our soul will long for Allah at death, not fear Him. And that Funerals should remind the living of their own return to Allah. It also emphasizes Taqwā, righteous deeds, and sincere Tawḥīd as the best preparation for the grave.
In summary:
This hadith is a vivid reminder that the grave is not silence but the beginning of the Hereafter. The righteous soul welcomes death, while the sinful soul dreads it. Though humans cannot hear it, it is a reality we are urged to prepare for through faith and good deeds.
So my dear sisters and brothers, time is now to take decision so that after we die we do not have to worry about our future destination. Belief in one true God what all is needed to keep ourselves steered to the righteous path. If ever the Evil tries to distract us from the righteous path, we should be prompt in listening to our conscious and get back on the right track. Do not let the wrongs piling up for one never knows when the clock stops for us.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for more Hadiths on the General Subjects.
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo: Drawn by Gemini AI | Source of Hadith | Help taken from ChatGPT for expanding meaning of the Hadith
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing. one may also consult local Muslim Imaan of the masjid for more clarification.
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