Discover the stages of life after death in Islam, including death, Barzakh, resurrection, and the Day of Judgment—based on the Quranic verses and teachings.
In the Holy Quran, the outcome of faith and good deeds is described as Paradise, while the outcome of disbelievers and sinners is Hell. Learn the lesson from Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah An-Naba.
Death is a living reality, and no human in this world can deny it. Everything that is born must one day die and present itself before its Lord—this is called death. According to many religions, death is the final stage and there is no life after it. But in Islam, after death, humans will be resurrected and questioned about how they spent the life they were given, and in which activities they spent it. In addition to this, there will be a solid proof—a record in which all deeds of life will be written. After this, the decision of reward and punishment will be made. If the person did good deeds and believed in the Oneness of Allah, then the path to Paradise will be made easy for him. On the other hand, the one who spent his whole life in disobedience to Allah and committed evil deeds, the gates of Hell will be opened for him, and it will be said, “Behold with your own eyes the Hell you used to deny,” and, “This is what you used to desire.”
Friends, death is a reality, and the life after it is also a truth that no human can deny. It is not possible that anything is created without purpose. If we look at anything in today’s world, we find that everything has been created with some purpose. Likewise, humans were also created for a purpose, which will be made clear to them after their death—what they did in their lives and what they gained. In this article, we will discuss the stages of death—what happens to a human after they die.
The Moment of Death (Al-Mawt)
This is the stage when death comes upon a person. It is said to be the most painful stage, where the angel takes the soul, and the person feels the pain of the entire world. Especially for a disbeliever, the pain is unbearable, and his only wish at that moment is for his soul to be taken so he may escape that pain. On the other hand, the soul of a true believer is taken with ease. In the Quran, Allah says:
(Aal-e-Imran 3:185)
“Every soul shall taste death.”
That means all living beings born on this earth must face death one day. In another place, in Surah As-Sajdah, verse 11, Allah says:
“Say, the Angel of Death who is set over you will take your souls, then you will be returned to your Lord.”
The Journey of the Soul and Its End
This is the stage where the soul travels toward the realm of Barzakh. Good people are treated with kindness by the angels. Allah says:
“O peaceful soul, return to your Lord, well pleased (with Him) and well pleasing (to Him). So enter among My righteous servants, and enter My Paradise.”
In contrast, a harsh attitude is shown toward the disbelievers. Allah says in the Quran:
“And if you could see when the angels take the souls of those who disbelieve, striking their faces and their backs, and (saying), ‘Taste the punishment of the blazing Fire.'”
(Al-Anfal 8:50)
Life of Barzakh (The Intermediary Realm)
After death, all humans are placed in a temporary life between death and the Day of Judgment, called Barzakh. Allah says in the Quran:
“And behind them is a barrier (Barzakh) until the Day they are resurrected.”
(Al-Mu’minun 23:100)
This is the stage of life after death in which all humans are kept in one place. The righteous and believers are in peace, but the disbelievers who wronged themselves suffer the punishment of Allah, which continues until the Day of Judgment.
Being Resurrected (Ba‘th Ba‘da al-Mawt)
This is the stage where all humans will be brought back to life again, taken out from the realm of Barzakh, and presented before Allah. Allah says in the Quran:
“Then indeed, you will surely die. Then indeed you will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment.”
(Al-Mu’minun 23:15–16)
Day of Judgment (Yawm al-Qiyamah)
The fifth stage is the Day of Judgment, where all humans will be presented before Allah and held accountable. Those whose deeds are good and who believed in Allah will be granted Paradise. Those whose deeds are evil, who denied Allah, and who oppressed people will have their evil deeds outweigh the good, and they will be sentenced to Hell. Allah says:
“So as for he whose scales are heavy (with good deeds), he will be in a pleasant life. But as for he whose scales are light, his refuge will be an abyss (Hell).”
(Al-Qari‘ah 101:6–9)
Eternal Life in Paradise or Hell
This is the final stage, which is eternal—whoever enters Paradise will remain there forever, and whoever enters Hell will remain there forever. Allah will make a final decision about who goes where. Allah says:
“Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds, for them will be gardens beneath which rivers flow.”
(Al-Baqarah 2:25)
And for the disbelievers and sinners, Allah says:
“Indeed, Hell lies in wait—a place of ambush—for the transgressors.”
(An-Naba 78:21–22)
From this, we learn that we should perform deeds that are pleasing to Allah and follow His commands. We should not chase worldly desires and other people, making ourselves fuel for Hell.
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