However pious a person is, can he help his family after his death in any way?
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Sir,
My friend claims that his great grand father was so so pious that now even
after many many years of his death, he helps my friends family by coming in his
house and writing stuff on his walls, as guidance like stop smoking, do offer
all your prayers etc etc. He says that some of those who come in and help are jinns
and some are his forefathers.
My question is, however pious a person is, can he help his family after his
death in any way? can prophets help us? Also if a person is martyed, I heard he
never dies, he lives in this world.. Eats with us.. and also helps us. Kindly
help me with this, thank you :)
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Can deceased help
living
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
One cannot of himself say ‘I think…’, ‘I suppose…’, ‘I
assume….’, or ‘it is claimed…’ etc. when it comes to knowledge of the
unseen! The Only One Who has the
Absolute Knowledge of the Seen and the Unseen is none other than the One Who
Created everything in existence; and He Alone has the Right to declare in Truth
what exactly transpires in the events of the ‘unseen’. Thus for any information of the ‘unseen’ the
believers must rely only on what is declared by the All-Knowing
Lord in His Glorious Quran, or what He Willed to make known to the Last
Messenger (saws) through inspiration, and he (saws) narrated it to the believers.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah
Anfaal verses 50-51:
50 If thou couldst see when the Angels take the souls of the
unbelievers (at death) (how) they smite their faces and their backs (saying):
"Taste the penalty of the blazing fire
51 Because of (the deeds) which your (own) hands sent forth: for Allah
is never unjust to His servants.”
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah
Muhammad verses 27-28
27 But how (will it be) when the Angels take their souls at death and
smite their faces and their backs?
28 This because they followed that which called forth the Wrath of
Allah and they hated Allah's good pleasure; so He made their deeds of no
effect.
In light of the above guidance of the Glorious Quran, it
is evident that the Angels of Allah Subhanah take control of the soul of the
deceased. Neither the soul has the power
to ‘flee’ from the Angels, nor do the Angels of Allah set these souls free so
that they may go where they please; and the Quran guides that the souls are
placed in a place called the ‘Barzakh’.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Muminoon
verses 99-103:
99 (In Falsehood will they be) until when death comes to one of them he
says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life)
100 In order that I may work righteousness in the things I
neglected." By no means! It is but a word he says; before them
is a ‘Barzakh’ (Veil or Partition) till the Day they are raised up.
101 Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships
between them that day nor will one ask after another!
102 Then those whose balance (of good deeds)
is heavy they will attain salvation:
103 But those whose balance is light will be those who have lost their
souls; in Hell will they abide.
The
literal meaning of the term ‘barzakh’ is something of a barrier or a veil, or something which is kept hidden. In Quranic terminology, the period between
one’s death on earth and when one will be granted life again by Allah on the
Day of Judgement, is known as ‘Barzakh’.
What happens immediately to the soul of the deceased is
narrated in truth by the Messenger of Allah (saws):
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4735 Narrated byAl-Bara' ibn Azib
The Prophet (saws) said: “When a believer is buried in the grave two
angels will come to him (Munkar and Nakir,
both have dark faces and blue eyes),
make him sit up, and ask : ‘Who is your Lord?’ He will reply: ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your religion?’ He will reply: ‘My religion is Islam.’ They will ask him: ‘What is your opinion about the man who was
sent on a mission among you?’ He will
reply: ‘He is the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him).’ They will ask: ‘
Who made you aware of this?’ He will
reply: ‘I read Allah's Book, believed in
it, and considered it true.’ Then a crier
will call from Heaven: ‘My servant has
spoken the truth. So spread a bed for
him from Paradise, clothe him from
Paradise, and open a door for him into
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5352 Narrated by Abu Sa'id
The Prophet (saws) said: "The grave (or the life of the soul
between one’s death and one’s resurrection on the Day of Judgment) is one of
the Gardens of Paradise, or one of the pits of Hell!"
In light of the above absolutely clear guidance of the
Quran and the Sunnah it is absolutely and categorically impossible for a
deceased soul to communicate its will to the living, just as it is absolutely
and categorically impossible for a living soul to communicate with the dead! Anyone who claims or believes otherwise has
obviously claimed or believed something which is directly against the guidance
of the Quran and the Sunnah; and whatever is against the guidance of the Quran
and the Sunnah cannot be the Truth!
Your
Question: My question is, however pious a person is, can he help his family
after his death in any way? can prophets help us?
None in creation who have tasted the element of death can
help or communicate with the living in the absolute least; not even the Noble
Prophets of Allah Subhanah!
Your
Question: Also if a person is martyed, I heard he never dies, he lives in this
world.. Eats with us.. and also helps us. Kindly help me with this, thank you
:)
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verses 169-171:
169 Think not of those who
are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay,
they live finding their sustenance in the Presence of their Lord.
170 They rejoice in the
bounty provided by Allah: and with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their
bliss), the (martyrs) glory in the fact
that on them is no fear, nor have they
(cause to) grieve.
171 They glory in the Grace
and the Bounty from Allah, and in the
fact that Allah suffereth not the reward of the faithful to be lost (in the
least).
Allah Says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 154:
And say not of those
who are slain in the way of Allah: "They are dead." Nay they
are living though ye perceive (it) not.
Allah Subhanah Declares in Truth in His Glorious Quran
that the martyrs are alive with Him and are provided with sustenance in The
Lord’s Majestic Presence….there is absolutely nothing in either the Quran nor in
the authentic and established Sunnah which even remotely gives rise to the
false claim and belief that the martyrs live in this world, or eats amongst the
living, or helps or even dare communicate with any amongst the living!
The blissful lives which the martyrs live in the Presence
of Allah Subhanah is just not perceivable to those who are the living!
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan