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ISLAMIC -
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THE SOUL.
4) MIND VS SOUL
5) CONCEPT OF RUH (SOU) IN ISLAM
6) WHAT HAPPENS TO SOUL, AFTER A PERSN DIES
8) HOW SOULS OF DISBELIEVERS BE RESTORED AFTER THEIR BODIES WERE BURNED 9) VIDEOS
What is “SOUL” in Islamic philosophy?
Muslims fully believe on following:
says in Quran,
"They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit
(cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is
communicated to you, (O men!)"
(Al-Isra 17:85)
The below mentioned words are just a human try to describe soul a
little.
SOUL IN ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY
The discussion of the human soul, its existence, nature, ultimate
objective and eternity, occupies a highly important position in Islamic
philosophy and forms its main focus. For the most part Muslim
philosophers agreed, as did their Greek predecessors, that the soul
consists of non-rational and rational parts. The non-rational part they
divided into the plant and animal souls, the rational part into the
practical and the theoretical intellects. All believed that the
non-rational part is linked essentially to the body, but some considered
the rational part as separate from the body by nature and others that
all the parts of the soul are by nature material.
The philosophers agreed that, while the soul is in the body, its
non-rational part is to manage the body, its practical intellect is to
manage worldly affairs, including those of the body, and its theoretical
intellect is to know the eternal aspects of the universe. They thought
that the ultimate end or happiness of the soul depends on its ability to
separate itself from the demands of the body and to focus on grasping
the eternal aspects of the universe. All believed that the non-rational
soul comes into being and unavoidably perishes. Some, like al-Farabi,
believed that the rational soul may or may not survive eternally;
others, like Ibn Sina, believed that it has no beginning and no end;
still others, such as Ibn Rushd, believed that the soul with all its
individual parts comes into existence and is eventually destroyed.
4
The ultimate objective of the soul
All Muslim philosophers concerned themselves with the subject of the
soul. The most detailed and most important works on this subject are
those of
al-Kindi,
al-Farabi,
Ibn Sina
and
Ibn Rushd.
Muslim philosophers recognized that the first issue, that confronts the
human mind with regard to the soul is its existence. That is why, at the
very beginning of his inquiry about the soul in al-Shifa’
(Healing),
Ibn Sina
(§6) asserts that we infer the existence of the soul from the fact that
we observe bodies that perform certain acts with some degree of will.
These acts are exemplified in taking nourishment, growing, reproducing,
moving and perceiving. Since these acts do not belong to the nature of
bodies, for this nature is devoid of will, they must belong to a
principle they have other than bodies. This principle is what is called
‘soul’.
This argument is intended to prove the existence of the animal soul,
which includes the plant soul. The soul is the source of acts performed
by the will, not inasmuch as it is ‘a substance’ (an independent
entity), but inasmuch as it is ‘the principle of such acts’. The
rational soul, on the other hand, need not look outside itself to infer
its existence. It is aware of its existence with immediacy, that is,
without any instruments. Ibn Sina’s example of the suspended man is
intended to prove that the rational soul is aware of itself apart from
any body. His argument boils down to the view that, even if the adult
rational soul is not aware of anything material, not even its body, it
remains aware of its own existence.
While Islam made it incumbent on Muslim philosophers to occupy
themselves extensively with the study of the soul and to make certain
statements that in some cases appear consistent with Islamic beliefs,
Greek philosophy had the upper hand in forming the real convictions of
Muslim philosophers with regard to the nature of the soul. Unless
otherwise specified, reference to the soul here is limited to the
terrestrial soul to the exclusion of the celestial one, since Muslim
philosophers concerned themselves primarily with the former. It must be
pointed out at the outset that ‘soul’. (nafs) was used in more
than one sense in Islamic philosophy; the term was used to refer to the
plant or vegetative part of a living being, the animal or sensitive
part, the rational part and finally the totality of all three parts. The
first two are the non-rational soul and the totality is the human soul.
To add to the confusion, ‘human soul’ is used only in the sense of this
fourth type of soul. The plant, animal and; rational souls are also
called powers or parts of the; soul. Only from the context can one
understand, whether a Muslim philosopher was using ‘soul’ in the broad
sense to mean the human soul (the totality of the parts of the soul), or
in the narrow sense to mean a specific part of the human soul.
Inasmuch as it has a certain relation to a body, the soul is a form for
that body, that is, the perfection of that body. It is a form because a
natural body is composed of matter and form, which in the case of
animals are body and soul. Since it has been shown that the soul is the
source of will and therefore is not matter, it remains a form.
Perfection is of two types, primary and secondary. A primary perfection
is what makes a thing actually a species, as shape does for the sword,
or a genus as sensation and-movement do for animals. A secondary
perfection is an act necessitated by the nature of the species or genus,
such as cutting for the sword and touching for animal. The soul is a
primary perfection of a natural body capable of performing the secondary
perfections necessitated by this primary perfection. Together with its
body, the soul constitutes a material substance. This substance can be
the subject of plant, animal or human life.
The soul is a perfection inasmuch as it makes a natural body into a
plant, an animal or a rational being. However, to define the soul as a
perfection does not give us a clue as to what the soul is in itself, but
only inasmuch as it has a relation to the body. The body is, therefore,
an essential element in the definition of the soul. Without relating to
a body, the thing we call ‘soul’ is not a soul and does not require the
body as an essential part of its definition. Note, however, that in
spite of this assertion, perhaps for the lack of any better term, Muslim
philosophers use ‘soul’ also to refer to the rational soul after it
separates from the body and reaches a complete state of purity from
matter.
In its first or lowest stages of relating to the body, the soul is the
plant soul, which is a primary perfection for an organic natural body
inasmuch as this body can take nourishment, grow and reproduce. The
plant soul is the power human beings and other animals share with
plants. If the body with a soul is an animal, the soul develops into the
animal soul, which is a primary perfection for an organic natural body
inasmuch as this body has sensation and movement through will. While
this soul includes the plant soul, it has also a sensitive power and a
locomotive one. The sensitive power has both external and internal
senses. The external senses are, in priority of existence, touch, taste,
smell, hearing and sight. The first three are said to be necessary for
survival and the last two for well being. In Talkhis kitab an-nafs
(Middle Commentary on Aristotle’s On the Soul),
IBN RUSHD
(§3)
asserts that the five external senses may be in potentiality, as in
infancy and sleep, or in actuality, as in daily seeing or hearing. He
also argues that there cannot be any external sense other than these
five because there would be no function for it, since there is no
external sensation other than the objects of the five senses mentioned
above. Most Muslim philosophers mention three types of internal senses:
common sense, imagination and memory.
IBN SINA
(§3)
enumerates five internal senses: common sense, representational power,
imagination, estimative power and memory. On the whole, the philosophers
agree on the function of the common sense, imagination and memory; the
function that
Ibn Sina
limits to the representational and estimative powers, other Muslim
philosophers allocate to the imagination.
The common sense is an internal power in which all the objects of the
external senses are collected. Contrary to the external senses, which
can grasp only one type of sensation, as sight grasps light and hearing
grasps sound, the common sense can grasp all external sensations, such
as that honey is of such and such a colour, texture and smell. The
representational power preserves the sensations of the common sense even
after sensible things disappear. The imagination selects at will to
combine some of the objects of the representational power with each
other and to separate the rest. It makes its judgment about external
things, but in the absence of these things. That is why it functions
best when the external senses, which represent external things, are not
at work, as in sleep. Ibn Rushd points out that animals such as worms
and flies that do not act except in the presence of sensible things are
devoid of imagination. The imagination is called such inasmuch as it is
an animal instrument; it is called cognitive inasmuch as it is a
rational instrument. The estimative power grasps non-sensible notions of
sensible things, such as the sheep’s notion that the wolf is to be
avoided. This notion is about a sensible thing but is not grasped
through the external senses, as is the colour or shape of a wolf. Memory
preserves the notions of the estimative power. The imagination acts on
the objects of memory in the same way it acts on those of the
representational powers. Like the objects of the external senses, those
of the internal senses are particular and material. The difference is
that they can be experienced in the absence of external things and are
to some degree abstracted from matter.
The locomotive power branches into that which causes movement and that
which actually moves. The former, the desiderative power, subdivides
into the appetitive and the irascible. The appetitive causes movement
toward what is imagined to be necessary or beneficial in the pursuit of
pleasure. The irascible causes avoidance of what is imagined to be
harmful or an impediment in the pursuit of dominance. The power that
actually moves uses the nerves to relax the muscles at the demands of
the appetitive power or tighten them at the demands of the irascible
one.
The rational soul, which is defined as a primary perfection for an
organic natural body inasmuch as this body can act by rational choice
and grasp the universals, is divided into the practical and the
theoretical intellects. The practical intellect seeks knowledge in order
to act in accordance with the good in its individual body, its family
and its state. It must, therefore, know the principles for properly
managing the body, the family and the state, that is, ethics, home
management and politics. The practical intellect is the rational soul
turning its face downward. The function of the theoretical intellect is
to know just for the sake of having the universals (the realities or
natures of things). Some of these natures, such as God and the
intellect, cannot attach to movement; knowledge of them is metaphysics.
Other natures, such as unity, can attach to movement but do not;
knowledge of them is mathematics. Still other natures, such as humanity
and squareness, can attach to movement either in reality and thought,
such as humanity, or in reality but not in thought, such as squareness.
Knowledge of these is physics.
The theoretical intellect is the rational soul with its face upward. The
practical intellect looks up to the theoretical one and moves its body
accordingly. In this, the practical intellect is similar to :the
celestial soul that looks up to the intellect of its sphere and moves
its sphere accordingly. Thus, like .the celestial soul, the practical
intellect is the link between intellect as such and matter.
On the whole, Muslim philosophers followed al-Kindi’s division of the
theoretical intellect into the material intellect (al-‘aql al-hayulant),
the habitual intellect (al-‘agl bil-malaka), the actual
intellect (al-‘aql bi’!-fi’b and the acquired intellect’ (al-‘aql
al-mustafad). The material intellect is a blank slate with the
potentiality for grasping the intelligible forms or universals.
Ibn Sina
points out that it is referred to as material, not because it is
actually material but because it resembles matter in accepting the form.
The habitual intellect grasps the universals, as one acquires the skill
to write; in other words, this intellect has the ability to use the
universals but does not always do so. The actual intellect grasps the
universals in actuality and is always ready to use them. While Muslim
philosophers differed slightly with regard to their accounts of the
acquired intellect, their general view is that it is the highest human
state, the point of contact with the divine, the agent intellect (the
intelligence of the moon, the lowest celestial intellect), which makes
it possible for the theoretical intellect to acquire the universals in
the purest form (see EPISTEMOLOGY IN ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY §4).
4. The ultimate objective of the soul
AL-FARABI asserts that even though the soul is of different parts, it is
a unity with all its parts working for one final end, happiness. While
the plant soul, for example, serves a specific function, it also serves
the powers that are higher than it in rank, the animal powers. Without
nourishment, growth and reproduction, the animal powers cannot perform
their necessary functions. Similarly, while the function of the animal
powers is to have sensation and movement, by performing this function
they also promote the functions of the powers above them, the rational
ones. The operations of the animal powers, especially those of the
senses, are particularly important for the attainment of the final end.
The external senses strip the forms from material objects and convey
them to the internal senses. The more they are transferred internally,
the less mixed with matter do they become. Since the innermost sense
they reach is the imagination, they are there in their purest material
existence (see IMAGINATION).
The role of the objects of the imagination is not always clearly defined
in Islamic philosophy. Occasionally it is said by somebody like
Ibn Sina
to be one of preparation for the theoretical intellect to receive the
universals from the agent intellect. At other times
Ibn Sina,
like other Aristotelians such as
Ibn Rushd,
takes these objects to be the ingredients out of which the universals
are made after the last process of purification (see EPISTEMOLOGY IN
ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY). It seems, however, that in either case the light of
the agent intellect is needed to complete the process. In the former
case, this light gives the intelligible forms to the theoretical
intellect when this intellect is prepared. In the latter case, it sheds
itself on the objects of the imagination, which are then reflected on
the theoretical intellect without their matter. Since the theoretical
intellect is in its first stages in potentiality, it cannot act on the
objects of the imagination directly; hence the need for the agent
intellect, which is pure actuality. The role of the practical intellect
in all this is to put order into the body. This sets free the
theoretical intellect from preoccupation with the body and helps the
powers whose function is necessary for theoretical knowledge to function
unhampered.
Muslim philosophers adhered to the view that the acquired intellect is
one with its objects, for they thought the knower and the known are one,
as did their Greek predecessors. This means that the highest human state
is one in which unity with the universals or the eternal aspects of the
universe is reached. This state is described as happiness because in it
eternity, an aspect of the objects of the acquired intellect, is
attained.
When Muslim philosophers assert that the soul comes into existence
simultaneously with the coming into existence of the body, some, such as
Ibn Sina
(§6), who believe that the rational soul is in essence nonmaterial, are
thinking only of the non-rational soul. Others, such as
Ibn Rushd
(§3), who believe that the rational soul is originally not separate from
matter, contend that the whole human soul comes into existence. The
latter believe that since the rational soul grasps the universals from
particular sensibles, and since such sensibles are material and have a
temporal beginning, this soul must also be material and must have a
temporal beginning. Those who attribute non-materiality to the essence
of the rational soul, such as
AL-KINDI
and
Ibn Sina,
assert that this soul pre-exists the body. While all of them agree that
the non-rational soul is destroyed after the destruction of the body,
they differ with regard to the end of the rational soul. Al-Kindi and Ibn Sina, for example, strongly adhere to the view that all rational souls are indestructible because by nature they are simple. AL-FARABI reminds us that the reason for eternal existence is the rational soul’s knowledge of the eternal aspects of the universe. From this he draws the conclusion, as did ALEXANDER OF APHRODISIAS before him, that only those rational souls that have this knowledge at their separation from the body are indestructible. Other rational souls are eventually destroyed. Ibn Sina finds in the grasping of the universals the grounds for happiness, not the eternity of the soul. Ibn Rushd seems to hold that only the acquired intellect can be indestructible; but the acquired intellect, he argues (as does his teacher IBN BAJJA), is divine and numerically one in all. Ibn Rushd was attacked for this view because it denies eternal existence of individual souls.
Question :
What is Soul and its travel from body to death and back on the Day
of Judgment?
Answer :
THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL
(By Sheikh SuhaibHasan, Safar 1416 AH)
During the lifetime of the Prophet (saws) the Jews of Medina sent
their allies, the Makkan infidels, to the Prophet (saws) to ask about
the soul. In reply to their questions, the following Quranic verse was
revealed:
"They ask you [O Muhammad (saws)] concerning the Ruh (Soul). Say:
'It is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord.
And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given very little." (Al-Israa 17:85)
What is the Soul ?
The Quran and Sunnah give us only a limited knowledge concerning
the soul. From it we can say that the Arabic words 'Ruh' and 'Nafs' are
both used, sometimes interchangeably, for the soul. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim
wrote in his scholarly work "Kitab al Ruh",
" Ruh is an entity which differs totally from the physical body. It
is a subtle, ecclesiastical, enlightened living and moving body which
penetrates into the depths of the organs and flows into them like the
water in the rose or the oil in the olive or the fire in the coal. As
long as these organs remain able to accept the impressions of this
subtle body, the 'Ruh' remains attached to these organs and provides
them with feeling and movement. But when these organs are spoiled
because of the dominance of diseased elements upon it, and they are no
longer able to accept the impressions of the soul, it leaves the body
and heads towards the world of the souls. "
There is some difference in the way the words 'Ruh' and 'Nafs' are
used. The 'Ruh' is the subtle spirit, which resides in the heavens and
needs a physical body to carry it on the earth. When this spirit is
given a body, life begins and it is described as 'Nafs'. The word 'Nafs'
is used in a number of ways by the Quran, all of which imply the meaning
of a soul with a body.
1. 'Nafs' meaning "Self."
"…. You know what is in my self but I do not know what is in Your
self…." (Al-Ma’ida 5:116)
2. 'Nafs' meaning "Blood".
"The (insect) which has flowing Nafs (blood)."
3. Nafs means as a strong force in man,
which can push him either towards good or evil. The concept of 'Nafs al
Ammarabis Su' ('Nafs' which encourages evil) and 'Nafs al Lawwama' ('Nafs' which blames) and 'Nafs al Mutmainna' ('Nafs' which is contented) are
discussed in the next chapter.
Four Worlds
The soul is a creature of Allah. It is blown into every human being
when it is just a fetus of 120 days old, it remains in contact if not
inside the human being throughout its life on earth, and at the point of
death it departs from the body to reside in the heavens. Like everything
else in the universe it is a creation of Allah, but as the above Quranic
verse informs us, mankind has been given only limited knowledge
concerning it. When a body is given a soul, life begins. And when the
soul leaves the body, life ends and death begins.
During their journeys through this universe, the soul and its body
travel through four different worlds:
1. The womb - where the soul joins its body.
2. This world - where we all live for a limited period only.
3. The grave - a ‘Barzakh’ period.
4. The Hereafter - The final destination of all human
beings.
Each world is greater than the last, and the final world of the
Hereafter is eternal and the most important. It is difficult for us as
human beings living amidst the hubbub of worldly life to comprehend the
sheer futility of this world and the permanence of the Hereafter.
Thousands of dead are buried around us every day, but we find it
impossible to envisage the new stage of the journey upon which they have
embarked. To the living, the grave is simply an empty and dark hole in
the ground; to the dead, it is their window into either Paradise or the
Fire. And it is precisely because they cannot comprehend the next life
that the majority of human beings refuse to believe in and obey Allah.
In this situation, we are like the fetus in the womb of its mother.
Consider the unborn child whose only home for nine months is a dark and
cramped place where it receives nourishment, warmth and space to grow.
Suppose we could speak to the unborn child; what would we say when
describing the world waiting for it outside? We would talk to it about
the clouds, the mountains, the trees and the oceans. We would talk of a
spectrum of colours, smells, tastes and textures. We would mention the
thunder of trains, the roaring of planes, the speed of cars. We would
describe flowers, birds and animals; a world of lush gardens, cascading
rivers, valleys and plains. An enormous world of huge deserts, massive
oceans and vast land scapes. A bustling world filled with noise,
movement and numerous nationalities of people speaking a variety of
languages.
Would the little infant curled up in it's mother's womb understand
the message? Indeed not. The womb is the only place he knows and to
imagine the outside world would be beyond his comprehension. In the same
way, our life in this world is temporary and like it or not, we will
have to leave it to enter the world beyond the grave. Just because we
cannot envisage or see the world of the Barzakh does not mean that it
does not exist.
Two deaths and two lives
The Quran mentions two deaths and two lives given to us by Allah
"How can you reject faith in Allah, seeing that you were dead and He
gave youlife. Then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you to
life, then to Him will be your return." (Al-Baqarah 2: 28)
"They will say: Our Lord, twice have You given us death and twice
have You given us life…" (Al-Ghafir 40:11)
Soul’s First death
When the soul is first created it has no physical body and is
considered to be a dead creature. In this state it is referred to as
'Ruh', and this is the first death as even death is created by Allah.
"He is the one who created Death and life in order that He may try
which of you is best in deeds, and He is the Exalted, the Forgiving." (Al Mulk 67: 2)
The Quran also tells us that all the souls of mankind were created
before the creation of Adam and were asked to testify to the Lordship of
Allah.
"When your Lord drew forth from the loins of the children of Adam
their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves: ‘Am I
not your Lord?’. They said, ‘Yes, we do testify.’ This lest you should
say on the Day of Judgement: ‘We were not aware of this.’ " (Al A’raaf 7:172)
The first life begins when the soul is breathed into an embryo in the womb of its
mother, and now the soul is referred to as 'Nafs'. The word Nafs is also
used for ‘blood’, and so women who are in a state of post-natal bleeding
are known as 'Nufasaa’. As long as blood surges healthily through the
body, there will be life in that body.
Abdullah ibnMas’ud reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws)
said:
"Indeed the creation of each one of you is brought together in his
mother’s belly for forty days in the form of a seed, then he is a clot
of blood for a similar period, then a morsel of flesh for a similar
period. An angel is then sent to him who blows the breath of life into
him..." (Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Scholars of Islam have concluded from this hadeeth that because the
angel of life blows the soul into the fetus when it is 120 days old,
abortion on very strict medical grounds is permissible only before the
fetus is 4 months old. Once life has been blown into the fetus it
becomes a living creature and to terminate its life is murder.
The second death occurs when the soul leaves the body at
the end of its appointed time on earth.
"Every Nafs (soul) shall taste death ...." (Aal Imran 3:185)
The Nafs dies and is buried, while its soul soars up to the
heavens. That is why the Prophet (saws) taught us:
"At death, the eyes follow the departing soul, so close the eyes."
The second life will be the eternal life beginning on the Day of Judgement when the
bodies will be resurrected and their souls will be blown into them once
again.
After the second life on the Day of Judgment, the death will be
slaughtered and then there will be no more death and human will be
everlasting (till the time Allah may please).
The Different States of Each Nafs
1. NAFS AL-MUTAMAINNA – It is the fully Satisfied Soul.
"0 you satisfied soul (27) Return to your Lord pleased with
yourself and pleasing to Him (28) Enter among My servants (29) And enter My paradise". (Al-Fajr 89:27-30)
The Quran explains how one can achieve the noble state of the
satisfied soul.
"….Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find
satisfaction." (Al-Ra'd 13:28)
The Quran is the voice of Al-Rahman just as music is the voice of
Satan. If the evil-inspiring soul finds solace in music, dance and its
paraphernalia, the satisfied soul finds its peace and consolation in the
Quran, prayer and the company of the righteous. The satisfied soul has
such a deep conviction in Allah and the Last Day that never is it upset
by the sorrows or demands of this world.
During his return from a Jihad expedition, the Prophet (saws) once
sat down to rest under the shade of a tree far from his devout
companions. A Makkan called Chawrath bin Al Harith saw his golden chance
and came forward with his sword drawn: "O Muhammad. Who is going to save you from me now?" Calm and
un-fearing, the Prophet (sallallahualaihewa-sallam) stood tall and
replied simply, "Allah!". The man was surprised into
confusion by this simple answer and unconsciously dropped his sword. The
Prophet (sallallahualaihewa-sallam) immediately picked up the sword and
asked, "Tell me who will save you now?". The man quietly answered,
"There is no god worthy of worship but Allah."
lllness, financial worries, loss of property or death of dear ones
does not cause the satisfied soul to wail, curse or lament. Whenever it
faces any problems it simply say, "To Allah we belong and to Him we shall
return" and
faces the misfortune with patience and trust in its Lord.
Such are the souls described in the Quran;
"Be sure, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, some
loss of goods or lives or fruits of your toils. But give glad tidings to
those who are patient. (155) Those who say, when afflicted by calamity: "To Allah we belong and
to Him we shall return”. (Al Baqarah 2:155-156)
The satisfied soul believes that all happiness and sorrow is by the
decree of Allah. It therefore feels no need to lament at misfortunes or
to boast at success.
"No misfortune can happen on earth or to your soul but it is written
in a decree before We bring it into existence. That is truly easy for
Allah (22) In order that you may not despair over
matters that pass you by, nor exult in favors bestowed upon you, for
Allah loves not the vain boasters." (Al Hadid 57:22-23)
No worldly anxieties upset the satisfied soul. If it fails to
acquire something for which it has struggled for many years, it will
accept its destiny and remember the following words of the Prophet of
Allah (saws):
"What has reached you was never meant to escape you and what has
escaped you was never meant to reach you." (Muwadih by Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi)
The satisfied soul seeks its nourishment in Dhikr (the remembrance
of Allah), prayer, fasting, Zakat and Hajj. It relies heavily for
support on the branches of faith, the highest of which is to say and
believe in ‘There is no god worthy of worship except Allah and
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’, and the lowliest of which is to
remove an obstacle from the path. Angels are present to strengthen this
soul and to bless and greet it when it departs this material life, when
it is resurrected and when it is admitted into the gardens of paradise.
Their greeting to it is the greeting of a Muslim to his fellow Muslim:
‘Peace be unto you’;
"And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Paradise in
crowds; until they arrive there, its gates are opened and its keepers
will say: ‘Peace be upon you! Well have you done. Enter here and dwell
forever." (AzZumar 39:73)
2. NAFS AL AMMARA BIS SU' – It is the soul that dictates evil.
"And I do not free myself from blame. Indeed the human self is
inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He
wills). Indeed my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful." (Yusuf 12:53)
In contrast this soul which earns the company of Satan because it
ignores the remembrance of Allah.
"The one who withdraws himself from the remembrance of the Merciful,
We appoint for him a Satan to be a companion to him." (Az-Zukhruf 43:36)
Satan’s cohorts and tunes surround the evil soul day and night. It
drives from one satanic act to other. You will see it lying and
cheating, wasting time on leisure and sports, frequenting cinemas and
concerts, listening to music and dancing.
As one contemporary writer said, "The godless society’s motto is
‘work and play', while the motto of the god-conscious society is, ‘work
and pray’ "!
3. NAFS AL LAWWAMA – It is the Self-reproaching soul.
"I do call to witness the Resurrection Day (1) And I do call to witness the
self-reproaching Soul." (Al Qiyamah 75:1-2)
The noblest of the souls is the satisfied soul, which at its last
moments on earth will receive the glad news from its lord of "Enter among My servants and enter into
my Paradise." In contrast is the soul, which inspires evil and disobedience. And
between these two extreme states is the self-reproaching soul, which
checks its actions and blames itself when it commits evil. Most souls
hover between these different states depending on the person’s faith and
actions.
The self-reproaching soul succumbs to evil inspirations but then
regrets its actions and reproaches itself for being weak and vulnerable.
These feelings of remorse cause it to turn back to Allah, to repent
sincerely, and to receive spiritual solace. It is better for each Nafs
to blame itself whenever it commits a wrong. If not, it will find itself
being blamed from all those around it. Consider how the self-reproaching
soul is mentioned with the Day of Resurrection in the Quran.
"I do call to witness the Resurrection Day (1) And I do call to witness the
self-reproaching soul." (Al Qiyarnah 75:1-2)
There is a common factor between these two entities, which is that
both are courts of justice. The Nafs al Lawwama is an inner court of
justice within each person; when he acts wrongfully. His conscience or
soul reprimands him, and it is then up to him to pay heed to it or to
ignore it. Besides placing an inner court of justice within each person,
the Creator has also prepared a larger Court, which will operate on the
Final Day and will mete out justice to all of mankind.
What You Sow you will Reap.
The man who believes that there is no afterlife and that he will
not be accountable in a divine court becomes a slave of this world. He
hankers after its comforts and luxuries, and will break any laws that
stand between him and success. In his desperate quest for more wealth,
he will refuse to differentiate between halal and haram. The tyrants and
criminals of this world operate in the same manner. If to achieve their
goals requires murder and violence, then so be it. The Bosnian Serbs
were among the twentieth century’s worst examples of barbarity and
tyranny; led by a pathological lust for more land, their evil knew no
bounds.
In contrast is the man who believes in Allah and in the questioning
of the Last Day. He fears his Creator’s wrath and desires his Lord’s
favors. Certainty of belief in paradise and hell guides his entire life,
not just the moments spent in prayer. To him this world is merely a
short journey, the destination of which is the Hereafter. Thus he
directs most of his efforts towards earning Paradise and devotes only
part of his time to earning his bread in this world. He is constantly
aware of his divine mission to call the misguided people around him to
Islam and so he buries himself in da’wah work.
Belief in the Hereafter is the catalyst which stimulates the souls
seeking a better future and its importance has been emphasized in the
Quran repeatedly. The true believers have been described as those who
have firm faith in the Hereafter, because that will be the true life.
"What is the life of this world but amusement and p lay? But indeed
the home of the Hereafter is the true Life, if only they knew." (Al Ankabut 29:64)
The Ultimate Success is not in amassing fortunes, being famous or
having a fantastic career, but success is in escaping the fires of hell.
"Every soul shall taste death, and only on the Day of Judgement will
you receive your full recompense. The one who is saved from the Fire and
admitted into Paradise will have attained success, for the life of the
world is nothing but the goods of deception. (Aal Imran 3:185)
The Messenger of Allah (saws) declared that wise is the man who
reminds himself constantly of the accountability on the Day of
Resurrection and so works hard for the life succeeding death. And stupid
is the man whose only concerns are the transient desires and comforts of
this life.
The Prophet (saws) also described this world as a farm for the
'Akhira.' (Hereafter). Whatever you sow in this world, you shall reap in
the Hereafter. In order that people may not become complacent that the
Day of Judgement is far away in the distant future, he advised each
person to remember that his Judgement will begin on the day he dies.
Experiences of the Soul after Death
The New World of Barzakh begins when the person’s soul leaves his
body and his short life on this earth comes to an end. The dying man
experiences things which cannot be comprehended by the people around
him. As his soul leaves his body through his nostrils, his eyes follow
his soul. For this reason, the Prophet (saws) advised the people to
close the eyes of the deceased to make his appearance less ghastly.
Allah Almighty says about this moment of dying.
“Then why do ye not (intervene) when (the soul of the dying man)
reaches the throat (83) And ye the while (sit) looking on (84) But We are nearer to him than ye, and
yet see not (85) Then why do ye not,- If you are exempt from (future) account (86) Call back the soul, if ye are true (in the claim of
independence)?” (Al-Waqia 56:83-87)
As the person dies and enters a New World, a window into the
'Akhira' is opened for him to allow his soul to view Heaven and Hell.
Death is a time of truth and the lies with which disbelievers surround
themselves in this world are exposed. These lies include the denial of
the existence of Allah, rejection of the punishment of the grave, and
denial of the Day of Judgement.
So when death comes to the disbelievers and they feel the heat of
the raging fires of hell, they begin to plead for a second chance on
earth to do good. But all their pleading is in vain.
"Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘O my Lord. Send
me back to life (99) In order that I may do good deeds in the things that I neglected.’
By no means! It is but a word he says. And before them is a barzakh
until the day they are raised up." (Al Mu’minun 23:99-100)
The journey of the soul from the earth to heaven where it meets its
Lord is described vividly in the following hadith:
Al-Bara b. ‘Azib said: We went out with the Prophet (saws) to the
funeral of a man of the Ansar and came to the grave. It had not yet been
dug, so Allah’s Messenger (saws) sat down and we sat down around him
quietly. He had in his hand a stick with which he was making marks on
the round. Then he raised his head and said, "Seek refuge in Allah
from the punishment of the grave; saying it twice or thrice. He then
said, "When a believer is about to leave the world and go forward to the
next world, angels with faces white as the sun come down to him from
heaven with one of the shrouds of paradise and some of the perfume of
paradise and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel
of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Good soul, come out to
forgiveness and acceptance from Allah.’ It then comes out as a drop
flows from a water-skin and he seizes it; and when he does so they do
not leave it in his hand for an instant, but take it and place it in
that shroud and that perfume, and from it there comes forth a fragrance
like that of the sweetest musk found on the face of the earth. They then
take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their
asking, "Who is this good soul?’ to which they reply, ‘So and so, the
son of so and so’, using the best names by which people called him on
the earth. They then bring him to the lowest heaven and ask that the
gate should be opened for him. This is done, and from every heaven its
archangels escort him to the next heaven until it is brought to the
seventh heaven, and Allah who is great and glorious says, ‘Record the
book of my servant in Illiyyun and take him back to earth, for I created
mankind from it, I shall return them into it, and from it I shall bring
them forth another time.’ His soul is then restored to his body, two
angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘ Who is our Lord’
He replies, ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?’ and
he replies, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was
sent among you?’ and he replies, ‘He is Allah’s Messenger.’ They ask,
‘What is your [source of] knowledge?’ and he replies, ‘I have read
Allah’s Book, believed in it and declared it to be true.’ Then one cries
from heaven, ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so spread out carpets for
him from paradise, and open a gate for him into paradise.’ Then some of
its joy and its fragrance comes to him, his grave is made spacious for
him as far as the eye can see, and a man with a beautiful face,
beautiful garments and a sweet odor comes to him and says, ‘Rejoice in
what pleases you for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He
asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is perfectly beautiful and brings
good?" He replies, ‘I am your good deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, bring
the last hour; my Lord, bring the last hour, so that I may return to my
people and my property.’
But when an infidel is about to leave the world and proceed to the
next world, angels with black faces come down to him from heaven with
hair-cloth and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the
angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Wicked soul, come
out to displeasure from Allah.’ Then it becomes dissipated in his body,
and he draws it out as a spit is drawn out from moistened wool. He then
seizes it, and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an
instant, but put it in that hair-cloth and from it comes forth a stench
like the most offensive corpse found on the face of the earth. They then
take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their
saying, ‘Who is this wicked soul?’ to which they reply, ‘So and so, the
son of so and so’, using the worst names that he was called in the
world. When he is brought to the lowest heaven, request is made that the
gate be opened for him, but it is not opened for him. (Allah’s Messenger
(saws) then recited, ‘The gates of heaven will not be opened for them
and they will not enter paradise until a camel can pass through the eye
of a needle.’ Allah who is most Great and Glorious then says,
‘Record his book in Sijjin in the lowest earth,’ and his soul is thrown
down. (He (saws) then recited, ‘He who assigns partners to Allah is
as if he had fallen down from heaven and been snatched up by the birds,
or made to fall by the wind in a place far distant.’ His soul is
then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up
say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’
They ask, ‘What is your religion?’ He replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not
know.’ They ask ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ He replies,
Alas, alas, I do not know.’ Then one cries out from heaven, ‘He has
lied, so spread out carpets from hell for him, and open a gate for him
into hell.’ Then some of its heat and hot air comes to him, his grave is
made narrow for him so that his ribs are pressed together in it and a
man with an ugly face, ugly garments and an offensive odor come to him
and says, Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day
which you have been promised.’ He asks ‘Who are you, for your face is
most ugly and brings evil?’ He replies, ‘l am your wicked deeds.’ He
then says, My Lord, do not bring the last hour.’
In another version there is something similar containing this
addition:
"When his soul comes out every angel between heaven and earth and
every angel in heaven invoke blessings on him, and the gates of heaven
are opened for him, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God
that his soul may be taken up beyond them. But his soul, i.e., the
infidel’s, is pulled out along with the veins and every angel between
heaven and earth and every angel in heaven curse him, and the gates of
heaven are locked, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that
his soul may not be taken up beyond them." (Ahmad transmitted it)
The person who answers the questions correctly and is destined for
paradise will feel that his grave is expanding and becoming a garden of
paradise. The angels will tell him gently, "Sleep like the sleep of a
bride."
But the person who fails to answer the questions correctly will
feel the grave closing in on him and a door into hell will be opened for
him. His mortal body will decompose and eventually disappear into the
ground, but his soul will continue to feel the punishment it earned in
its life on earth. The punishment of the grave is the first hurdle the
person has to overcome after death, and if he overcomes it easily, the
rest of his trial on the Day of Judgement will be similarly easy. For
this reason, the Messenger of Allah (saws) used to recite the following
du’aa frequently :
"My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and
seek refuge in You from the torture of the hell fire, and I seek refuge
in You from the trials of the false messiah, and I seek refuge in You
from the trials of living and dying."
Zaid b. Thabit narrated that the Messenger of Allah
(sallallahualaihewa-sallam) and his Companions were passing through a
belonging to the Banu An Najjar when the Prophet
(sallallahualaihewa-sallam) mount shied and almost unseated him. They
were close to a few graves in which polytheist were buried, so the
Prophet (sallallahualaihewa-sallam) said, "These
, , people are being tortured in their graves, and were it not that you
would stop burying your dead, I would ask Allah to let you hear the
punishment in the grave which I can hear."
(Saheeh Muslim)
The Soul's Journey in Brief
1. To sum up the evidence, it is clear that the souls of all
people, believers and unbelievers, are taken up to the heavens at the
time of death by angels and presented to Allah Almighty.
2. The record of the believer’s deeds is placed in a high place in
heaven called Illiyyin and the sinner’s record is thrown into the lowest
earth known as Sijjin.
"Nay! Truly the record of the evil-doers is preserved in Sijjin (7) And what will explain to you what
Sijjin is? (8) A register inscribed”. (Al-Mutaffifin83:7-9)
“Nay! Truly the record of the pious is preserved in Illiyyin. (18) And what will make you know what
Illiyyin is? (19) A Register inscribed (20) To which bear witness those nearest to
Allah (i.e. the angels)." (Al-Mutaffifin 83:18-21)
3. The souls are returned to their bodies temporarily for
questioning by the angels.
4. When the soul returns, the dead person is able to hear the
retreating footsteps of the men who came to bury him. This is an
exception to the general rule in the Quran that the dead cannot hear the
living.
"Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf
hear the call when they flee, turning their backs." (AnNaml 27:80)
"Nor are alike the living and the dead. Verily, Allah makes whom He
will hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear." (Fatir 35:22)
5. The blessed soul is taken to the heavens where it is changed
into a bird and eats freely from the fruits in paradise. It rests in a
state of peaceful sleep while the cool breezes of paradise flow gently
over it. In contrast is the sinner’s soul, which is thrown with contempt
into the lowest earth to feel the savage heat and stench of hell. Both
kinds of soul reside in the same places as their Records of deeds.
6. The torture of the grave is for the soul, but if Allah Wills, it
can also be felt by the body. The human body has to decay and decompose
into the ground, but as the punishment of the grave is for the soul, it
can continue until the Last Day.
Common Questions Answered
1. Groups of Muslims claim that the questioning in the grave is
proved only by hadeeth literature and not by the Quran. To reply to
them, consider the following verse of Surah Ibrahim :
"Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the Word that stands
firm in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah will cause the
wrongdoers to go astray. and Allah does what He wills." (Ibrahim 14:27)
The first stage of the Hereafter is the time of Barzakh, the period
between death and resurrection. The Prophet (saws), as narrated by
Al-Baraa bin Aazib, explained that the believers will be aided in
standing firm with their answers in the grave when the angels Munkar and
Nakir come to question them, while the wrong-doers will falter at this
critical time.
2. The same group of Muslims claim that the punishment or bliss of
the grave are also proven only from hadeeth and not from the Quran. Our
reply is that the punishment of the grave is mentioned in a number of
Quranic verses:
(a) Pharaoh and his followers have been exposed to the Fires of
Hell every morning and evening since their deaths, and they will
continue to suffer in this manner until the Day of Resurrection. On that
day they will actually enter the fire.
"The Fire; they are exposed to it morning and evening. And on the
Day when the Hour will be established, it will be said: Cause Pharaoh’s
people to enter the most severe torment." (Al Ghafir 40:46).
(b) "Because of their sins they were drowned, then (immediately)
were made to enter the Fire, and they found none to help them without
Allah." (Nuh 71:25)
The disbelievers from the people of Nuh were drowned and then
immediately thrown into the Fire. According to Arabic grammar, the
letter ‘fa’ in this verse indicates immediacy. As the Day of Judgement
is still in the future, the punishment, which began, immediately after
Nuh’s people drowned must be the punishment in Barzakh.
(c) "And among the Bedouins around you (0 Muhammad), some are hypocrites
and so are some among the people of Madina. They exaggerate and persist
in hypocrisy. You know them not, but We know them. We shall then punish
them twice, and thereafter they shall be brought back to a severe
torment". (Al Tawba 9:101)
Abdullah bin Abbas explained in his tafseer of this verse that the
disbelievers and hypocrites would be tortured twice before their
chastisement on the Day of Judgement. The first will be a wretched life
on this earth, and the second will be in Barzakh.
"…. And if you could see when the wrong-doers are in the agonies of
death while the angels are stretching forth their hands saying, ‘Deliver
your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of
degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than
the truth…." (Al An’am 6:93)
A disgraceful punishment is promised the day their souls leave
their bodies. The use of the word ‘today’ indicates that the torture
will be immediate, and as such cannot be referring to the Day of
Judgement but to the time in the grave.
"And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of the
disbelievers, they beat their faces and their backs, (saying) ‘Taste the
punishment of the blazing Fire (50) This is because of that which your
hands had sent forward. And indeed, Allah is not unjust to His slaves." (Al Anfal 8:50-51)
"Then how will it be when the angels will take their souls at death,
beating their faces and their backs?" (Muhammad 47:27)
Both the above verses speak of a beating by the angels immediately
after death.
3. The rewards and bliss of the grave are also mentioned by the
Quran. For example, the story is told of a man who warned a prophet that
his enemies were plotting to kill him. When the disbelievers realized
that the man had betrayed them, they punished him and viciously put him
to death. Immediately after his death the man was told to enter paradise
and when he saw the luxuries and wonders of paradise, the man wished he
could tell his people about his happy fate.
"It was said to him (when the disbelievers killed him): ‘Enter
Paradise’. He said: ‘Would that my people knew (26) that my Lord has forgiven me and made
me one of the honored ones." (Ya Sin 36:26-27)
The real Paradise will reveal all its favors and wonders on the Day
of Judgement, but this man received only a taste of paradise in his
grave which gave him such rapturous joy.
"Those whose lives the angels take while they are in a pious state,
saying to them, ‘Peace be upon you, enter Paradise because of the good
which you used to do in the world". (Al Nahl 16:32)
"Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead! Nay!
They are alive, with their Lord, where they have provisions (169) They rejoice what Allah has bestowed
upon them from His bounties. Rejoicing for the sake of those who have
not yet joined them but are left behind (not yet martyred) that on them
no fear shall come nor shall they grieve." (Al Imran 3:169-170)
The life of the martyrs is not like the life on earth. The
Messenger of Allah (saws) explained this further in the following
narration.
"Their souls are in the crops of green birds which are in lamps
suspended from the Throne of Allah, which fly where they wish in
Paradise and then return to these lamp. Their Lord looks on them and
asks whether they desire anything, and they ask in reply what they wish
when they can go where they like in Paradise. He asks them three times,
and when they see they will not be left until they ask something, they
tell their Lord that they wish Him to return their souls to their bodies
so that they may be killed in His path again. Then when He that they
lack nothing they are left without further questioning." (Transmitted by Muslim)
Excerpted, with some modifications, from: http://www.missionislam.com/
Question:
If the soul is breathed into the embryo after four months,
are we to understand that the sperm which joins with the woman’s egg,
from which the embryo is formed, has no soul, or what?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
Both the sperm and the ovum are alive in a sense which, if they are free
from defects, prepares each of them to join with the other, if Allah
wills and decrees it to happen. When that happens, if Allah wills it,
the embryo is formed and is also alive in a manner that suits it and
prepares it to grow and develop, moving through the known stages. When
the soul is breathed into it, it becomes alive in another sense, by the
permission of Allah, the Subtle One, the Aware. No matter how a man
tries, even if he is a highly-skilled doctor, he can never comprehend
all the secrets and stages of development of pregnancy. Allah says
(interpretation of the meanings):
“Allah knows what every female bears, and by how much the wombs fall
short (of their time or number) or exceed. Everything with Him is in
(due) proportion.
(8) All-Knower of the unseen and the
seen, the Most Great, the Most High.”
(Ar-Ra’d 13:8-9)
“Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends
down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs…”
(Luqmaan 31:34)
(FataawaIslamiyyahli’l-Lajnah
al-Daa’imah,
488).
Life is of varying kinds, and each being is alive in a manner that suits
it by the power of Allah. So plants are alive in a manner that suits
them, sperm is alive in a manner that suits it, and man is alive in a
manner that suits him, and so on. Allah is the Creator of all this, and
He has made water the basis of every living thing, as He says in the
Quran (interpretation of the meaning):
“Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were
joined together as one united piece, then We parted them? And We have
made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?”
[Al-Anbiya’ 21:30]
Question :
What is difference between Mind and
Soul?
Answer: Praise be to Allah.
Mind and Soul are
two philosophical terms that are different from each other in sense.
Mind is the place where we calculate pleasure whereas soul is the place
where we feel pleasure. There is a subtle difference between the two
according to materialists. According monists, soul is certainly
different from the mind.
As a matter
according to the monist soul is not the mind, body or any other visible
thing for that matter. Mind though not visible is yet different from the
soul according to many philosophers.
Soul is distinct
from the body whereas mind is within the body. Soul is not affected by
the state of the mind. Soul is unaffected by merit and sin. On the other
hand mind is affected by both merit and sin. In other words it can be
said that the soul is untouched by sin just like a leaf of a lotus in
untouched by water.
On the other hand
mind is certainly touched by sin. Mind has the ability to think. Or else
it can be said that the mind performs the action of thinking. On the
other hand soul does not perform the action of thinking.
Mind is difficult
to be controlled. If it is not controlled properly it would get the
strength of a thousand elephants. On the other hand soul is a part of
the universal eternal being called the Absolute. The Absolute Supreme
controls everything in this universe including the mind. There are no
thoughts in the soul whereas mind is invaded by thoughts. Mind becomes
pure when thoughts are cut.
Human mind think, analyze, guide, respond, orders and get its activities
suspended in sleep. However soul does not have such actions and resides
with us silently. The soul came on birth and go after death.
In short body
alone is perishable but soul is imperishable. And Allah knows the best.
5. concept of
ruh (soul)
in Islam
Question:
Please tell me what is the concept of ruh (soul)
in Islam. Is it forever (we’re told in the Qur’an that only Allah is
immortal)? Is ruh or
soul going to enter in jannat/jahannum [Heaven/Hell] or is it the body? Is
it also present in animals and
plants?
Name of Counsellor: Waleed
Ahmed Najmeddine
Answer:
Thank you for your question. It is a topic that many of us wonder about.
When we research carefully the issue of life after death, we find that
no other religion has as much information to offer as Islam does.
Full knowledge of the nature of the soul, is only with Allah, as we read
in the Qur’an what means,
"They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit
(cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is
communicated to you, (O men!)" (Al-Isra
17:85)
This verse was revealed to Prophet Muhammad when some Jews asked him
about the soul. When they asked him, he kept quiet and did not give them
an answer for a while. The Prophet’s Companion who witnessed this
incident says “I knew that he was receiving revelation, so I stayed
where I was. When the revelation was complete, the Prophet narated above
verse,
‘And they ask you concerning the soul…'”
(Al-Bukhari).
An Eternal Soul?
With respect to the eternity of the soul, Allah reveals in the Qur’an
that there was a time that we did not exist except, of course, in
Allah’s infinite knowledge.
Has there not
been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned? (1) “Verily,
We have created man from Nutfah (drops) of mixed semen (sexual discharge
of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer and seer” (Al-Insaan
76:1-2)
Then He fashioned
him in due proportion, and breathed into him the soul (created by Allâh
for that person), and He gave you hearing (ears), sight (eyes) and
hearts. Little is the thanks you give” (As-
Sajdah 32:9)
Therefore, according to the Qur’an, there
was a time when we did not exist. But once we have been brought into
existence, by Allah’s will, we shall remain in existence for the rest of
eternity. We are born, we
live, we die, and we are raised up again to stand before Allah on the
Day of Judgement.
At the time of death, the soul is taken from the body by the Angel of
Death. It is later returned to the body once it has been buried. The
grave for each of us will either be a pleasant place to wait for
Judgement Day, or it may be a terrible place to wait if we were not
righteous believers in this life. When Judgement Day comes, Allah will
re-create us as He did the first time.
"Does man (a
disbeliever) think that We shall not assemble his bones? (3) Yes,
We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his
fingers."
(Al-Qayamah 75:3-4)
Body and Spirit
This resurrection will be in body and in spirit, and this is easy for
Allah, having earlier created us from nothing. After judgment has been
made by Allah as to who shall enter Paradise and who shall enter the
Hell-fire, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) tells us that:
“on the Day of Resurrection, Death will be brought forward in the shape
of a black-and-white ram. Then a call maker will call, “O people of
Paradise!” Thereupon they will stretch their necks and look carefully.
The caller will say, “Do you know this?” They will say, “Yes, this is
Death.” By then, all of them will have seen it. Then it will be
announced again, “O people of Hell!” They will stretch their necks and
look carefully. The caller will say, “Do you know this?” They will say,
“Yes, this is Death.” And by then, all of them will have seen it. Then
it will be slaughtered and the caller will say, “O people of Paradise!
Eternity for you and no death; O people of Hell! Eternity for you and no
death.”
(Al-Bukhari)
So we can see from this hadith that life for us will clearly be eternal.
After resurrection, there will no longer be death. Either we will be
admitted to Paradise by Allah’s mercy and spend eternity there, or we
will be cast into the Hell-fire to spend eternity there, or for as long
as Allah wishes.
A Soul for All?
Everything that Allah created has a soul. Some
of them fulfill the roles that Allah has set for them and do exactly
what they were created to do.
This includes the plant and animal kingdoms, the
mountains, seas and oceans, planets, stars, for example, as each of them
worships Allah in their own way. They
do not have a free will as do humans and the Jinn.
We are told in the Qur’an that Allah offered a trust to the heavens and
the earth, but out of fear that they would not be able to handle the
responsibilities laid upon them, they declined the offer, while only
humanity took up the offer of this free choice.
“We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the
Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but
man undertook it;- He was indeed unjust and foolish” (As-Ahzab
33:72)
This refers to responsibility of free choice to either accept commands
and prohibitions, and the conditions that go along with them, or to
choose to disobey. This means that the one who fulfills this
responsibility will be rewarded and the one who neglects it will be
punished.
Man accepted this despite the fact that he is weak and unjust. Only
those who Allah guides and helps will be able to carry out the
responsibilities placed on them. These are the ones who guard the Trust
faithfully.
“Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, declares the Praises and Glory
of Allah: for He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise” (Al-Hashr
59:1)
The evidence of Allah’s existence is found throughout His wonderful
creation. Every cell, every atom, and every quark in the universe bear
the signs of Allah. We study the universe and find that it is, to the
best of our knowledge, limitless when compared to our own existence. It
is impossible to fathom the depth and width of it all. Each and every
part of it fulfills its duty as Allah has planned.
When we explore the makeup of atoms we find that there is an equally
vast universe within the tiniest components that make up the one in
which we live.
Allah will call upon the Angel of Death to take the lives of each of His
creatures until there will be no one left but Allah and the Angel of
Death.
“Every soul shall
have a taste of death……..” (Aale-Imran
3:185)
Allah will then take the “angel of death life” and nothing will remain
except Him. He will then call out, “To whom belongs all things this
day?” There will, of course, be no one to answer. One way or another,
there can be no one other than Allah to answer this question.
“The Day whereon they will (all) come forth: not a single thing
concerning them is hidden from Allah. Whose will be the dominion that
Day? "That of Allah, the One the Irresistible” (16) That
Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no injustice will
there be that Day, for Allah is Swift in taking account” (Al-Ghafir
40:16 - 17)
There being no one and nothing to answer, Allah will Himself answer by
saying, “Allah, the One, the
Irresistible.” To Him belongs all things and to Him is the return. Excerpted, with some modifications, from: 6.
What
happens to soul, after a person dies
Question:
Where is the soul, and what
happens to it, after a person has died and before he is buried?
When a person dies and is buried on the
following day, does his soul remain suspended before the burial? What
happens to it?
Answer :Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
Imam Ahmad (17803) narrated that al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib
(may Allah be pleased with him) hadith:
“Verily, when the believing slave is about to depart this world and
enter the Hereafter, there come down to him angels from heaven with
white faces, as if their faces are the sun. They bring with them one of
the shrouds of Paradise and some of the perfume of Paradise. They sit
with him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death (peace be
upon him) comes to him and sits by his head and says, ‘O pure soul, come
out to the forgiveness and pleasure of Allah.’ Then his soul comes
flowing out like a drop of water flowing from a cup. Then he takes the
soul, and no sooner does he seize it but they take it and place it in
that shroud and perfume. Then out of it comes the most excellent
fragrance of musk to be found on the face of the earth. Then they ascend
with it and they do not pass by any group of angels but the angels ask,
‘Who is this pure soul?’ and they reply, ‘It is So and so the son of So
and so’ – using the best names by which he was known on earth. Then they
bring it to the lowest heaven, and ask for it to be opened, and it is
opened for him. Those who are of high rank in each heaven accompany it
until they approach the next heaven, and so it goes until it reaches the
seventh heaven. Then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says:
‘Record the book of My slave in ‘Illiyoon (the highest heaven) and take
him back to the earth, for I created them from it, and I shall return
them to it, then I shall take them out from it again.’ Then his soul is
returned to his body and two angels come and make him sit up”
Then the hadith mentions the questioning in the
grave, then it mentions how the soul of the disbeliever is taken, then
it says:
“Then they ascend with it and they do not pass by any group of angels
but the angels ask, ‘Who is this evil soul?’ and they reply, ‘It is So
and so the son of So and so’ – using the worst names by which he was
known on earth. Then they bring it to the lowest heaven, and ask for it
to be opened, and it is not opened for him.” Then the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited (interpretation of
the meaning): “….for them the gates of heaven will not
be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through
the eye of the needle….” (Al-A’raaf 7:40)
Then he said, “Then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says:
‘Record the book of My slave in Sijjeen (the lowest Hell) in the lowest
earth. Then his soul is cast down.”
Then he recited (interpretation of the meaning): “…. and whoever assigns partners to
Allah, 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” (Al-Hajj 22:31)
He said, “Then his soul is returned to his body and two angels come and
make him sit up” Then it mentions the questioning in the grave.
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami‘ (1676)
Please see also the answer to question no. 4395
Shaykh al-Islam IbnTaymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This hadith indicates that the soul will remain after it departs the body,
contrary to the misguided teachings of the mutakallimeen (Muslim
philosophers); and that it will ascend and descend, contrary to the
misguided teachings of the philosophers; and that it will be returned to
the body; and that the deceased will be questioned, then he will be
subjected to bliss or punishment.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (4/292)
IbnMaajah (4262) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Angels come to the dying person and if the man was righteous, they say:
‘Come out, O good soul that was in a good body, come out praiseworthy
and receive the glad tidings of mercy and fragrance and a Lord Who is
not angry.’ And this is repeated until it comes out, then it is taken up
to heaven, and it is opened for it, and it is asked, ‘Who is this?’ They
say: ‘[It is] So and so.’ It is said: ‘Welcome to the good soul
that was in a good body. Enter praiseworthy and receive the glad tidings
of mercy and fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry.’ And this is
repeated until it is brought to the heaven above which is Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted. But if the man was evil, they say: ‘Come out O
evil soul that was in an evil body. Come out blameworthy and receive the
tidings of boiling water and dirty wound discharges, and other torments
of similar kind, all together [cf. Saad 38:58]. And this is repeated
until it comes out, then it is taken up to heaven and it is not opened
for it. And it is said: ‘No welcome to the evil soul that was in an evil
body. Go back blameworthy, for the gates of heaven will not be opened to
you.’ So it is sent back down from heaven, then it goes to the grave.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn
Maajah.
These two hadiths describe what happens to the soul
after death and before burial: if the person was a believer, then the
angels give him glad tidings, before taking his soul, of the forgiveness
and good pleasure of Allah, then they perfume it, then they take it up,
in a blessed state, to its Lord, may He be glorified. Then Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted, says:
“‘Record the book of My slave in ‘Illiyoon (the highest heaven) and take
him back to the earth.”
So the soul is
returned to the body in which it was, then the individual is questioned
in the grave; Allah makes him steadfast at the time of questioning, and
makes his grave spacious for him, as far as his eyes can see.
But if it is the soul of a disbeliever, then the
angels give him the tidings of hell and divine wrath, then they take his
soul up, cursed, humiliated and afraid, and the gates of heaven are not
opened for it, then it is thrown back down to earth, then it is returned
to its body, then the individual is tormented in his grave and it is
compressed on him, and there comes to him the heat and smoke of Hell.
With regard to the period between the departure of
the soul and burial and questioning in the grave, for the believer it is
the first stage of eternal happiness, as he is given the glad tidings of
Paradise and eternal bliss, and his book is recorded in ‘Illiyoon (the
highest heaven); then his soul will rejoice and be happy, and will never
feel misery again.
But for the disbeliever, it is the first stage of
eternal torment, as Allah is angry with him and does not give permission
for the gates of heaven or the gates of mercy to be opened to him, and
his book is recorded in Sijjeen (the lowest Hell); then his soul will be
wretched and he will never feel happy again.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
All the saheeh, mutwawaatir hadiths indicate that the soul will return to
the body; the idea that the questioning will involve the body without
the soul was suggested by some scholars, but the majority disagreed with
that. Similarly, the idea that the questioning will involve the soul
without the body was suggested by Ibn Maysarah and Ibn Hazm, but if that
were the case, the grave would have nothing to do with the soul.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (5/446)
See also: Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb by Shaykh
al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) (4/310-311)
Secondly:
These matters are matters of the unseen which the
Muslim must accept, and not question how they are, for no one knows how
the life of al-barzakh [the period between death and the Resurrection]
is except Allah.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
“The death of a person signals the departure of the soul from the body;
when he is buried in his grave, is the soul returned to his body, or
where does it go? If the soul is returned to the body in the grave, how
does that happen?
He replied:
It is proven from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) that when a person dies, his soul is returned to him in his
grave, and he is questioned about his Lord, his religion and his
Prophet. Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that
stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter (cf. Ibraaheem 14:27), so
the believer will say: My Lord is Allah, my religion is Islam and my
Prophet is Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). As for
the disbeliever or the hypocrite, when he is questioned he will say: Oh,
oh, I do not know; I heard the people saying something, so I said it
too.
This return of the soul to the body in the grave will
not be like when a person’s soul is in his body in this world, because
that is the life of al-barzakh and we do not know how it is, because we
have not been told about the nature of that life. With regard to all
matters of the hereafter of which we have not been told, what we are
required to do with regard to such matters is to accept them and not
enquire any further, because Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not or witness not,
etc.) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the
sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned by Allah”
(Al-Isra’ 17:36)
End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb by
al-‘Uthaymeen (4/2)
And Allah knows best.
Excerpted, with some modifications, from:https://islamqa.info/en/
Question:
What sort of pain is associated with death, how does it start and how
long does it last? Will the angels of death be visible to us and do they
show us the place to which we will be taken? Is it necessary to recite
the "kalimah" to a dying person? Why do we apply honey to his lips? Does
the spirit hear or see people after a person has died? Does it feel pain
if the body is moved or touched? Does the pain vary from one person to
another?
Answer:
As you are aware, man is made of the combination of spirit and body. As
long as they are united, he is alive. Once the spirit departs from the
body, that human being dies. What causes this separation is Allah's
will, since He has given each one of us a specific life duration, at the
end of which we die. It is to be expected that the departure of the
spirit from the body may be associated with pain which is different from
the pain one experiences during an illness. No one, however, can
describe this pain, since those who die do not return to this life. We
have a Hadith from which we infer that the experience of this separation
varies according to whether or not the dying person is a believer.
Abu Hurairah quotes the Prophet as saying: "When
a believer is about to die, the angels come to him with a white sheet of
silk and say: Come out, good soul, well pleased and well pleasing to a
world of mercy and roses and to meet a Lord who is not displeased. It
comes out with an odor which is more pleasant than musk. The angels hand
him over one to the other until they get him to the door of heaven where
its angels say: What a pleasant smell has come to you from earth. They
bring him over to meet the spirits of believers who are more joyful to
meet him than any one of you when he meets a dear relative who has come
back after a long absence. When a disbeliever is about to die, the
angels who administer torture come to him with rugs and say: Come out,
you spirit, displeased to receive divine punishment. It comes out
smelling like a most rotten corpse and they take it to the earth gate
where the angels say: What a rotten soul. Then they throw him with the
spirits of disbelievers”. Related by Al Nassaie, and by Muslim in
an abridged form.
Let me point out, however, that suffering extreme anguish at the time of
death is not indicative of any judgment on the person concerned. It must
never be assumed that a person who dies a very calm and peaceful death
is in a position of favor, or that a person who suffers much anguish is
in a position of disfavor. The Prophet himself endured much pain at the
time of his death. This has made Lady Aisha say:
"I do not envy anyone a peaceful death after having seen what God's
Messenger has endured" (Related by Al Bukhari).
We certainly try to get a dying person to say the "kalimah", or repeat
the declaration that he or she believes in the Oneness of Allah and in
the message of Muhammad (peace be upon him). As for putting honey on the
lips of a dying person, this is something that I know nothing of. As for
the rest of your questions, I think the best answer is to quote you this
authentic Hadith:
"Anasquotes the Prophet as saying: “When a
deceased person is placed in his grave and his relatives and friends
leave, he hears the sound of their shoes. Two angels come to him and sit
him up and question him. They ask him: What was your view of this man,
Muhammad? If the person was a believer, he would say: I bear witness
that he is Allah's servant and Messenger. They say to him: Look at your
position which you would have had in hell, Allah has replaced it for you
with a position in heaven. He sees both positions.
When a disbeliever or a hypocrite is asked what used to be his view
of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he would answer: I do not know.
I used to say what other people said. The two angels say to him: May you
never know and never tell. He is then struck with an iron hammer in
between his ears. He makes a cry which is heard by all creatures with
the exception of human beings and jinn." (Related by Al-Bukhari and
Muslim) As for the question whether a deceased person feels pain, the
answer is that the body loses its senses after the spirit departs.
8.
HOW souls of disbelievers be restored after their bodies were burned
Question:
How will the souls of the
disbelievers be restored after their bodies were burned?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
Believing that Allah has power over all things, that
nothing is beyond Him on earth or in heaven, that Allah will resurrect
those who are in the graves, that just as He created them from nothing,
He is able to resurrect them however He wills and whenever He wills, and
is able to restore them regardless of what they look like and regardless
of how they died, is something without which belief in Allah is not
complete.
Shaykh al-Islam IbnTaymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The Muslims and the followers of other religions are
all agreed that Allah has power over all things, as the Quran states in
many places. End quote.
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (8/7)
He also said:
Allah created all things, and He has power over all
things. Whoever regards any action as being beyond His capability and
beyond His will has profaned His names and revelations. End quote.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (11/354)
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And he puts forth forUs a parable, and forgets his own creation. He
says: ‘Who will give life to these bones when they have rotted away and
became dust?’
(78)
Say: He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And
He is the All Knower of every creation”
(Yaa-Seen 36:78-79).
As-Sa‘di said:
This is a specious argument and wrong thinking, to
say that this is far-fetched just because it is beyond human capability.
This man said this by way of heedlessness, forgetting his own origins.
Had he thought of his own creation, after he was nothing, then he came
into existence in a physical sense, he would not have made this
suggestion.
Allah, may He be exalted, responded to this notion
that it is far-fetched with a concise answer, as He said:
“…..He will give life to them Who created them for the first time”
If you think and reflect upon this verse, you
would realize for certain that the argument is very clear, for the One
Who created him the first time is able to re-create him a second time.
That is easier for the power of Allah, if you think about it. End
quote.
Tafseer as-Sa‘di (p. 699-700)
Al-Bukhaari (3481) and Muslim (2756) narrated from
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“A man who never did any good deeds told his family that when he died,
they should burn him, then scatter half of him on land and half of him
in the sea, for by Allah, if Allah were to seize him, He would surely
punish him as He had never punished anyone in the world. When the man
died, they did what he had instructed them to do, then Allah commanded
the land to gather what was in it, and He commanded the sea to gather
what was in it, then he said (to the man): ‘Why did you do this?’ He
said: ‘For fear of You, O Lord, and You know best.’ So Allah forgave
him.”
According to a version narrated by al-Bukhaari, he
said:
“When I die, then burn me and grind up (my
bones), then scatter me in the wind.”
Shaykh al-Islam said:
This man had doubts and was ignorant of the power of
Allah, may He be exalted, to restore the son of Adam after he had been
burned and his remains scattered, and to re-create and resurrect the
deceased if that is done to him. These are two great principles:
The first principle has to do with Allah, may He be
exalted, namely belief that He has power over all things. And the second
principle has to do with the Last Day, namely belief that Allah will
restore this deceased person and requite him for his deeds. End quote.
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (12/491)
Once a person knows that Allah, may He be glorified
and exalted, has power over all things and that nothing is beyond Him on
earth or in heaven, and that
if He wills a thing He says to it: “Be!” and it is, and that He, may He be glorified, brought all
creatures into existence from nothing, it will not be difficult for him
to believe in the resurrection in whatever way it may occur, without
having to think hard or engage in investigations that will not be to any
avail. There is sufficient evidence for him in that which will never
disappear from him, namely his own self.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty
(20)
And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see?”
(Ad-Daryat 51:20-21)
And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said to
His slave Zakariyya (peace be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):
"(Allah said) ‘O Zakariya (Zachariah)! Verily, we give you the glad
tidings of a son, his name will be Yahya (John). We have given that name
to none before (him)
(7)
He said: ‘My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I
have reached the extreme old age
(8)
He said: ‘So (it will be). Your Lord says; it is easy for Me.
Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing”
(Maryam 19:7-9).
The creation of this boy from a barren mother and an
elderly father is not more strange than the creation of the father and
bringing him into existence from nothing.
See Tafseer at-Tabari (18/151)
Allah, may He be exalted, said concerning Maryam
(interpretation of the meaning):
“She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched
me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath
decreed a plan, He but saith to it, “Be,' and it is”
(Aale-Imran 3:47)
And Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):
“Verily, the likeness of ‘Eesa (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of
Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: ‘Be!’ — and he
was”
(Aale ‘Imraan 3:59)
Moreover, these heavens and this earth that are
constantly before man’s very eyes, and what he sees between them of
planets and stars, the number of which no one knows except Allah, for
none of His creation can estimate how great it is, is greater than the
creation of people. Therefore it is more appropriate that the One Who
created the heavens and the earth, despite their greatness and vastness,
should be able to re-create man once more.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“The Hour will certainly come: Therein is no doubt: Yet most men
believe not”
(Al-Ghaafir 40:59)
“Is not He, who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the
like of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator.(81)
Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to
it, ‘Be!’ and it is!”
(Yaa-Seen 36:81-82)
“It is He Who begins (the process of) creation; then repeats it; and
for Him it is most easy……”
(Ar-Room 30:27)
That is, it is easier for Him. Mujaahid said:
Re-creating is easier for Him than initiating, and initiating was easy
for Him. This was also the view of ‘Ikrimah and others.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer (6/311)
Al-Bukhaari (4974) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said:
“Allah said: ‘The son of Adam denied Me and he had no right to do so.
And he reviled Me and he had no right to do so. As for his denying Me,
it is his saying: He will not remake me as He made me at first – and the
initial creation (of him) is no easier for Me than the remaking of him.
As for his reviling Me, it is he saying: Allah has begotten a son, while
I am the One, the Eternal. I beget not nor was I begotten, and there is
none like unto Me.’”
However, if what the questioner meant by his question
was: how can the souls of the disbelievers be restored after their
bodies have been burned in the Fire, i.e., in the Fire on the Day of
Resurrection?
The answer is that their souls will remain in their
bodies, even if they are burned in the Fire. On the Day of Resurrection,
when the soul is restored to the body, it will never leave it again. The
soul of the disbeliever will remain in his body as it is being punished,
and the soul of the believer will remain in his body as he enjoys the
bliss of Paradise.
Every time the skins of the people of Hell are burned
through with the Fire, Allah will replace them with other skins, so that
their punishment may continue without end. Allah, may He be exalted,
says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those (people) who reject Our signs, We shall soon cast into the
Fire; as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them
for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted
in Power, Wise” (An-Nisa 4:56)
And Allah knows best.
Excerpted, with some modifications, from:
http://islamqa.com/
9.
Videos related to soul and death
DrZakirNaik''What is the concept of SOUL IN ISLAM''
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUO4KNu_Pyk
When the body & soul will be separated ~Mufti Menk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NroBOtNSamA
“What Is Death in ISLAM” by DrZakirNaik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4MNVsy9SaQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUO4KNu_Pyk
The World Of Souls:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OZloN-UdMQ
What Happens To The Muslim Soul After Death – Based On Authentic Hadeeth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47OocUHeUcg
Medical doctor tried to challenge DrZakirNaik on proving Soul
scientifically
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yesZc6YFgJU
What Happens To Soul Once A Person Dies? By Mufti Menk Q&A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW9Imze9KGY
The Believer's Soul || The Journey To The Grave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUUwHdFpeh0
The Life and Journey of the Souls!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y58jT-YgdP0
SahabaKaraam (RA) Opening of grave in Iraq 1932
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SvnDG7EbJI
A Hadith About The Life In The Barzakh (Grave)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Av2_U7l-qQ
PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL - Mufti Ismail Ibn Musa Menk ᴴᴰ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7NCGevANps
Why did Allah create life as a Test? - Ask Mufti Menk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eApcAvczy0
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