⏳ Death, Judgement and the Hereafter in the Quran
The Quran states plainly that every soul will taste death. The death people flee from will surely meet them, and once it arrives, pleas to be sent back to do good are of no use. The life of this world is likened to play, amusement and fleeting enjoyment, while the Home of the Hereafter is called true life.
After death comes resurrection. When people ask who could give life to bones that have crumbled to dust, the Quran answers that the One who created them the first time will give them life again, and is able to restore even the fingertips. When the Trumpet is blown, people rise and stand looking on, and each receives a record of deeds laid open before them. Nothing is left out: whoever does an atom's weight of good or evil will see it. On that Day no soul can stand in for another and no ransom is accepted.
The reckoning ends in two outcomes. Those whose scales are heavy will enjoy a pleasing life, and those whose scales are light will have the abyss as their refuge. The Garden is described with flowing rivers and everlasting fruit and shade, and with a breadth as wide as the heavens and the earth.
Death
- 3:185
Every soul will taste death; full recompense comes only on the Day of Resurrection.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
쿨루 나f프신 ð다이까툴 마우티 와인나마 투왑f파우나 우주r라쿰 야우말 끼야마티 f파만 주흐지하 아닌 나r리 와우드킬랄 잔나타 f파까드 f파자 와말 하야툿 둔야 일라 마타울 구r루r르
Every soul will taste death, and only on the Day of Resurrection will you be paid your wages in full. Whoever is pulled away from the Fire and brought into the Garden has truly won. The life of this world is nothing but an enjoyment of illusion.
- 62:8
The death people flee will meet them, and then they return to God.
قُلْ إِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِي تَفِرُّونَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مُلَاقِيكُمْ ۖ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
꿀 인날 마우탈 라ð디 타f피르r루나 민후 f파인나후 물라끼쿰 θ숨마 투r랏두나 일라 알리밀 가이비 왓샤하다티 f파유납비우쿰 비마 쿤툼 타으말룬
Say, "Indeed the death from which you flee will surely meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."
- 23:99-100
At death some beg to be sent back, but a barrier stands until resurrection.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ
핫타 이ð다 자아 아하다후물 마우투 깔라 r랍비 r르지운
Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back,
لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا ۖ وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
라알리 아으말루 살리한 f피마 타r락투 칼라 인나하 칼리마툰 후와 까일루하 와민 와r라이힘 바r르자쿤 일라 야우미 유브아θ순
so that I may do good in what I left behind.” No indeed! It is only a word he is saying. And behind them is a barrier until the Day they are raised up.
Resurrection
- 36:78-79
Who revives crumbled bones? The One who created them the first time.
وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ ۖ قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
와다r라바 라나 마θ살란 와나시야 칼까후 깔라 만 유흐일 이ð다마 와히야 r라밈
He sets forth an example for Us and forgets his own creation. He says, “Who will give life to bones when they have crumbled to dust?”
قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ
꿀 유흐이할 라ð디 안샤아하 아우왈라 마르r라틴 와후와 비쿨리 칼낀 알림
Say, “He who brought them into being the first time will give them life. He knows every creation well,
- 75:3-4
God can gather a person's bones and restore even the fingertips.
أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسَانُ أَلَّنْ نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ
아야흐사불 인사누 알란 나즈마아 이ð다마흐
Does man think that We will not gather his bones?
بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ
발라 까디r리나 알라 안 누사우위야 바나나흐
Yes indeed, We are able to restore even his fingertips.
- 39:68
At the first Trumpet all fall dead; at the second they stand looking on.
وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ نُفِخَ فِيهِ أُخْرَىٰ فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنْظُرُونَ
와누f피카 f핏 수r리 f파사이까 만 f핏 사마와티 와만 f필 아r르디 일라 만 샤알 라후 θ숨마 누f피카 f피히 우흐r라 f파이ð다 훔 끼야문 얀ð두r룬
And the Trumpet will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead, except whom God wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on.
Judgement and reckoning
- 99:6-8
On that Day everyone sees even an atom's weight of good or evil.
يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ
야우마이ð딘 야스두r룬 나수 아시타탈 리유r라우 아으말라훔
That Day people will come forth in scattered groups to be shown their deeds.
فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ
f파만 야으말 미θ스깔라 ð다르r라틴 카이r란 야r라흐
So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it,
وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ
와만 야으말 미θ스깔라 ð다르r라틴 샤르r란 야r라흐
and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.
- 17:13-14
Each person receives an open record and is told to read it and reckon himself.
وَكُلَّ إِنْسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنْشُورًا
와쿨라 인사닌 알잠나후 따이r라후 f피 우누끼히 와누흐r리주 라후 야우말 끼야마티 키타반 얄까후 만슈r라
We have fastened every person's fate to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection We will bring out for him a record which he will find spread open:
اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا
이끄r라으 키타바카 카f파 비나f프시칼 야우마 알라이카 하시바
"Read your record. Today you yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you."
- 101:6-9
Heavy scales lead to a pleasing life; light scales lead to the abyss.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ
f파암마 만 θ사꿀라트 마와지누흐
Then as for the one whose scales are heavy,
فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَاضِيَةٍ
f파후와 f피 이샤틴 r라디야흐
he will be in a pleasing life.
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ
와암마 만 캅f파트 마와지누흐
But as for the one whose scales are light,
فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ
f파움무후 하위야흐
his refuge will be an abyss.
- 2:48
On that Day no soul can stand in for another, and no ransom is accepted.
وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ
왓타꾸 야우말 라 타즈지 나f프순 안 나f프신 샤이안 왈라 육발루 민하 샤f파아툰 왈라 유으카ð두 민하 아들룬 왈라 훔 윤사r룬
And guard yourselves against a Day when no soul will avail another in the least, no intercession will be accepted from it, no ransom will be taken from it, and they will not be helped.
The Garden and the Fire
- 3:133
Hasten to forgiveness and a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth.
وَسَارِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
와사r리우 일라 마그f피r라팀 민 r랍비쿰 와잔나틴 아r르두핫 사마와투 왈아r르두 우잇다트 릴뭇타낀
Hurry toward forgiveness from your Lord and toward a Garden whose breadth is that of the heavens and the earth, made ready for the God-fearing—
- 47:15
The Garden is described with rivers of water, milk, wine and honey.
مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ فِيهَا أَنْهَارٌ مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ لَبَنٍ لَمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ خَمْرٍ لَذَّةٍ لِلشَّارِبِينَ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ عَسَلٍ مُصَفًّى ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَالِدٌ فِي النَّارِ وَسُقُوا مَاءً حَمِيمًا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُمْ
마θ살룰 잔나틸 라티 우이달 뭇타꾸나 f피하 안하r룸 밈 마인 가이r리 아시닌 와안하r룸 밀 라바닐 람 야타가이야r르 따으무후 와안하r룸 민 캄r릴 랏ð다틸 릿샤r리비나 와안하r룸 민 아살림 무삽f판 왈라훔 f피하 민 쿨릿 θ사마r라티 와마그f피r라툼 민 r랍비힘 카만 후와 칼리둔 f핀 나r리 와수꾸 마안 하미만 f파깟따아 암아아훔
The likeness of the Garden promised to the God-fearing: in it are rivers of water that never turns stale, rivers of milk whose taste never changes, rivers of wine delightful to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey. In it they will have every kind of fruit, and forgiveness from their Lord. [Are they] like those who abide forever in the Fire and are given boiling water to drink, which tears apart their bowels?
- 13:35
The Garden has flowing rivers and everlasting fruit and shade; the disbelievers' end is the Fire.
مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۖ أُكُلُهَا دَائِمٌ وَظِلُّهَا ۚ تِلْكَ عُقْبَى الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا ۖ وَعُقْبَى الْكَافِرِينَ النَّارُ
마θ살룰 잔나틸 라티 우이달 뭇타꾸나 타즈r리 민 타흐티할 안하r루 우쿨루하 다이문 와ð딜루하 틸카 욱발 라ð디낫 타까우 와욱발 카f피r리난 나r르
The likeness of the Garden promised to the God-fearing: rivers flow beneath it; its fruit is everlasting, and its shade also. That is the outcome for those who are mindful of God, and the outcome for the disbelievers is the Fire.
- 29:64
Worldly life is play and amusement; the Home of the Hereafter is true life.
وَمَا هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
와마 하ð디힐 하야툿 둔야 일라 라흐운 왈라이분 와인낫 다r랄 아키r라타 라히얄 하야와누 라우 카누 야을라문
The life of this world is nothing but amusement and play. The Home of the Hereafter — that is truly life, if only they knew.