What the Quran says about death:-

The one of the beforehand challenges faced by Islam was misconception about death in the anncient Arabs. Briefly speaking, infedals beieved that there was not life after death. So the Quran speaks on the subject quite loudely, vigurously and explicitly. Secondly, according to Quran the real life is the life Hereafter. The death is not the end of life but a start of real life which would last forever. The life of human being has a purpose and that purpose is to obey Almighty and respect humanity. If one fulfills this purpose he will be entered in Paradise whereas the destination of the offender is Hell.

"Every soul shall taste of death, and you shall only be paid fully your reward on the resurrection day; then whoever is removed far away from the fire and is made to enter the garden he indeed has attained the object; and the life of this world is nothing but a provision of vanities."3:185

This is the immutable law of God defined in Holy Quran. So the death is sure and certain. There is no escape from it. We must know then what does death mean. The Quran gives also a warning in the following verse: "Wherever you are, death will overtake you, though you remain in lofty towers" (4:78)

To understand death in the light of teachings of Holy Quran, you must first understand what is called life. Every man has got three things in him - body, life and soul. A man is born with these three things. By death, only the soul remains and body and life cease to exist. You see the body and life with your physical eyes, but you cannot see the soul. As you cannot see the soul even when the body exists, so you cannot see it even when it goes out from the body. There was no life when the body was first formed in the mother's womb. It was at first a drop of water, then a clot of bolld, then a lumb of flesh, then there were bones, then the bones were clothed with flesh, then life was infused in to a dead figure. So the Quran says: "Then We raised you up after your death that you may give thanks."(2:56)

The Quran gives a graphic discription of this evolution of man from the drop of water till it is born. This is the first journey of man. The next journey starts from the time when he is born till he dies. In this context the Quran says: How do you deny Allah and you were dead and He gave you life? Again He will cause you to die and again bring you to life, then you shall be brought back to Him(2:28). The third journey begins from the time of death till the day of Resurrection, and the fourth journey begins from the Day of Resurrection onward. What we call death is nothing but the separation of the body and life from soul. But death cannot destroy you in substance. It destroys your body and life but not your soul. To this law of Evolution, the Holy Quran draws our attention in the following verses:

You must embark upon one stage to another.(84:19)

Have you considered what you emit? Is it you that created it or are We the Creators? We have ordained death among you and We are not to be overcome in order that We may bring in your place the likes of you and make you grow into what you know not. And certainly you know the first growth. Why do you not then mind.

The function of soul begins in great intensity after death. Death is nothing but the turning point of a man from one world to another. The existence of soul is seen from the following verse of Quran:

"Allah takes the souls at the time of their death and also those souls that die not during their sleep. Then He withholds those on whom He passed the decree of death, and sends the other souls back till an appointed term. Surely there are sings in this for a people who reflect. (39:42)

So Quran repeatedly instruct the mankind to remember that pleasures of the world are just for the time being. Quran advises a man to always remember God and obey Him, as a day soon will come when you will have to die. However, the worldly desires divert our attention and efforts from the rememberance of Allah. The Quran gives us a short list:

"The love of the desires of women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver and well-bred horses, cattle and t ilth, is adorned for men. These are t he commodities of this world, and Allah is He with home is the good goal of life." (3:13)

Good deeds would lead a man to heaven whereas the destination of a rebel is hell. So the Quran on this topic states:-

About Hell:-

"Nay, if you had known with a certain knowledge, you would have surely seen the hell. Then you shall certainly see it with the eye of certainty." (102:6)

"What will make you understand what hell is? It is the fire kindled by Allah which rises over the hearts."

"He who is blind in this world will be blind in the hereafter." (27:72)

The following verse shows that the pious begin to taste of heavenly pleasures in this world:-

"And convey good news to those who believe and do good deeds that they shall have gardens through which rivers flow. lWhenever they shall be given a portion of the fruits thereof, they shall say: This is what was given to us before. And they shall be given the like of it.: (2:25)

"Nay, whoever submits his whole self to God and is a doer of good, he will get his reward with his Lord, on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."(2:112)

"In thOh soul at peace, Return unto they Lord. Content in His good pleasure." (89:27,28)

The doors of repentence are open till the time of death. After that nothing will benefit the departed soul. According to the words of Quran:-

And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes to one of them, he says: Surely now I repent; nor (for) those who die while they are unbelievers. These are they for whom We have prepared a painful chastisement.4:18

Yet there is another dimension of death and that is martyrdom. This is just like a life that takes birth, which sees the dead moving, the atoms making new figures and the figures holding those who have still to make a start in life. The Quran says:-

"Think not of those who are slain in the way of Allah as dead. Nay they are living with their Lord. They have provisions. They are jubilant because of that which Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounties, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind. That there shall no fear come upon them, neither shall they grieve. They rejoice because of favor from Allah and kindness and that Allah wastes not the wages of believers." (3:169-171).