بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Generally, Chinese people avoid talking about death because the death seem scary, but the real fear is the unknown unknown rather than the death itself. Islam has clearly described about the death during and after. When a person knows what to expect, then the person will know what to do and what not to do, plus emotionally should be more stable. Quran (50:16-19) “And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein When the two receivers [angels] receive, seated on the right and on the left. Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record]. And the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.”
When one can see the angels, which mean the death is close, and the following are the difference between the one who believe in God and the one not. (75:22-30) “[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, Looking at their Lord. And [some] faces, that Day, will be contorted, Expecting that there will be done to them [something] backbreaking. No! When the soul has reached the collar bones And it is said, “Who will cure [him]?” And the dying one is certain that it is the [time of] separation And the leg is wound about the leg, To your Lord, that Day, will be the procession.”
(25:22-24) “The day they see the angels – no good tidings will there be that day for the criminals, and [the angels] will say, “Prevented and inaccessible.” And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed. The companions of Paradise, that Day, are [in] a better settlement and better resting place.”
(8:50-51)And if you could but see when the angels take the souls of those who disbelieved… They are striking their faces and their backs and [saying], “Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire. That is for what your hands have put forth [of evil] and because Allah is not ever unjust to His servants.”
(47:27-29) “Then how [will it be] when the angels take them in death, striking their faces and their backs? That is because they followed what angered Allah and disliked [what earns] His pleasure, so He rendered worthless their deeds. Or do those in whose hearts is disease think that Allah would never expose their [feelings of] hatred?”
(16:28-34) “The ones whom the angels take in death [while] wronging themselves, and [who] then offer submission, [saying], “We were not doing any evil.” But, yes! Indeed, Allah is Knowing of what you used to do. So enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and how wretched is the residence of the arrogant. And it will be said to those who feared Allah, “What did your Lord send down?” They will say, “[That which is] good.” For those who do good in this world is good; and the home of the Hereafter is better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous – Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, beneath which rivers flow. They will have therein whatever they wish. Thus does Allah reward the righteous – The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, “Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do.” Do the disbelievers await [anything] except that the angels should come to them or there comes the command of your Lord? Thus did those do before them. And Allah wronged them not, but they had been wronging themselves. So they were struck by the evil consequences of what they did and were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.”
(4:97-99) “Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves – [the angels] will say, “In what [condition] were you?” They will say, “We were oppressed in the land.” The angels will say, “Was not the earth of Allah spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?” For those, their refuge is Hell – and evil it is as a destination. Except for the oppressed among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan nor are they directed to a way – For those it is expected that Allah will pardon them, and Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.
Those people who self-claimed as god, those who claim can see the unseen, those who claim to be close to god and be the intercessor, are the real losers. (6:93-94) “And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or says, “It has been inspired to me,” while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, “I will reveal [something] like what Allah revealed.” And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], “Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allah other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant.” [It will be said to them], “And you have certainly come to Us alone as We created you the first time, and you have left whatever We bestowed upon you behind you. And We do not see with you your ‘intercessors’ which you claimed that they were among you associates [of Allah]. It has [all] been severed between you, and lost from you is what you used to claim.”
Do not wait to do charity until on the dead bed, it will be too late, haste to donate and do good, hopefully will earn for a good ending. (23:99-100) “[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind.” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.”
(32:11-18) “Say, “The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned.” If you could but see when the criminals are hanging their heads before their Lord, [saying], “Our Lord, we have seen and heard, so return us [to the world]; we will work righteousness. Indeed, we are [now] certain.” And if We had willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me will come into effect [that] “I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people all together. So taste [punishment] because you forgot the meeting of this, your Day; indeed, We have forgotten you. And taste the punishment of eternity for what you used to do.” Only those believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant. They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend. And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do. Then is one who was a believer like one who was defiantly disobedient? They are not equal.
(56:83-87) “Then why, when the soul at death reaches the throat And you are at that time looking on – And Our angels are nearer to him than you, but you do not see – Then why do you not, if you are not to be recompensed, Bring it back, if you should be truthful?”
After death, according to hadith narrated by Abu Dawood 4753 and Ahmad 18063, with regard to the questions that the angels will ask in the grave, this is explained clearly:
It was narrated that al-Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for the funeral of a man from among the Ansaar. We came to the grave and when (the deceased) was placed in the land, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat down and we sat around him, as if there were birds on our heads (i.e., quiet and still). In his hand he had a stick with which he was scratching the ground. Then he raised his head and said, “Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave”, two or three times.
Then he (ﷺ) said, “When the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with white faces like the sun, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They bring with them shrouds from Paradise and perfumes from Paradise. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, ‘O good soul, come forth to forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure.’ Then it comes out easily like a drop of water from the the mouth of a water-skin. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that shroud with that perfume, and there comes from it a fragrance like the finest musk on the face of the earth. Then they ascend and they do not pass by any group of angels but they say, ‘Who is this good soul?’ and they say, ‘It is So and so the son of So and so, calling him by the best names by which he was known in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and it is opened, and (the soul) is welcomed and accompanied to the next heaven by those who are closest to Allah, until they reach the seventh heaven. Then Allah says: ‘Record the book of My slave in ‘Illiyoon in the seventh heaven, and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I will return them and from it I will bring them forth once again.’ So his soul is returned to his body and there come to him two angels who make him sit up and they say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘Allah.’ They say, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They say, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ He says, ‘He is the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ).’ They say, ‘What did you do?’ He says, ‘I read the Book of Allah and I believed in it.’ Then a voice calls out from heaven, ‘My slave has spoken the truth, so prepare for him a bed from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to Paradise.’ Then there comes to him some of its fragrance, and his grave is made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, ‘Receive the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.’ He says, ‘Who are you? Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.’ He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to my family and my wealth.’
But when the disbelieving slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with black faces, bringing sackcloth, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head, and he says, ‘O evil soul, come forth to the wrath of Allah and His anger.’ Then his soul disperses inside his body, then comes out cutting the veins and nerves, like a skewer passing through wet wool. When he seizes it, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it and put it in that sackcloth, and there comes from it a stench like the foulest stench of a dead body on the face of the earth. Then they ascend and they do not pass by any group of angels but they say, ‘Who is this evil soul?’ and they say, ‘It is So and so the son of So and so, calling him by the worst names by which he was known in this world, until they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and it is not opened.” Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited: (7:40) “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”
He (ﷺ) said: “Then Allah says, ‘Record the book of My slave in Sijjeen in the lowest earth, and return him to the earth, for from it I created them, to it I will return them and from it I will bring them forth once again.’ So his soul is cast down.” Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse: (22:31) “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”
He (ﷺ) said: “Then his soul is returned to his body, and there come to him two angels who make him sit up and they say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ They say, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘Oh, oh, I don’t know.’ Then a voice calls out from heaven, ‘Prepare for him a bed from Hell and clothe him from Hell, and open for him a gate to Hell.’ Then there comes to him some of its heat and hot winds, and his grave is constricted and compresses him until his ribs interlock. Then there comes to him a man with an ugly face and ugly clothes, and a foul stench, who says, ‘Receive the bad news, this is the day that you were promised.’ He says, ‘Who are you? Your face is a face which forebodes evil.’ He says, ‘I am your evil deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, do not let the Hour come, do not let the Hour come.’”
No matter those who passed away either buried or cremation, will be called back during the Day of Judgment. (37:16-21) “When we have died and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected? And our forefathers [as well]?” Say, “Yes, and you will be [rendered] contemptible.” It will be only one shout, and at once they will be observing. They will say, “O woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense.” [They will be told], “This is the Day of Judgement which you used to deny.”