Heart Soul – Episode 17

Welcome to heart and soul on Qf radio with me Lauren booth, your space to reflect. Today it's my honor to welcome back chef Sajid Omer. Chef Sajid has a bachelor's degree in Sharia. He also holds a master's degree in judiciary and is now pursuing his PhD. Chef Sajid is renowned as an international speaker and an Awakener of communities. Salaam Alaikum alaikum salam, Wa Alaikum

hamdulillah. Thanks be to God, we're doing well here in Qatar. And we have a big subject for everybody to, to grasp and consider today. And it's one that in the modern context, in the modern environment, we really try to avoid at all costs, we now have plastic surgery to look younger, we are being taught to hate the aging process, the idea of the cradle to the grave has become the cradle to avoiding the grave. And yet, the only certainty in life is what we're going to be talking about today. Death chef, can you introduce us gently, if you will, to some of the concepts around death in the Islamic narrative. Okay, we love you pretty brave, to announce that the topic will be

will be death. And that's because of the negative stigma that many people

associate with it. Allow me to start by mentioning

a verse in

the Quran. God Almighty, He says, Every soul shall taste death, every soul shall taste death. And then he goes on to say that you know, and every soul shall receive its reward on the day of judgment and whatever. You feed from the Hellfire and these entities to paradise, and that is truly successful. And nothing about life in this world, except that it is a deception.

So this is what God Almighty says, I've just given you a rough translation, but hopefully the message has reached. So I was once reading

an explanation of this particular verse, or is recorded in Arabic, by a famous

scholar of the thief, or a famous scholar who deady, who, who has written a book explaining the meaning of crime. And he gave us all he was famously known as even coffee. And he says that this particular verse is perfect God Almighty face that every social justice, he says that this this verse is that is that hiding sort of lever? So, you know, I sat back and, you know, like, you know, you get one of these, when a boxer gives you a left hook, you know, it's like a knockout punch

out of box, I don't know. But I can imagine, is one of those that you know, it just causes you to put whatever book you're reading down. Take a deep breath, you sit back in astonishment and amazement, you know, what is being said here? God Almighty, say, every social data. And here this caller says that this verse is that it for a believer.

So as I contemplated it, I said, you know, what, channel What do you do to God Almighty? She's absolutely right. You know, because, you know, we, there's a lot of negative things associated with death. Why? Because we lose a loved one. And it affects us, you know, in different ways, we miss them.

You know, we we sort of smell them around the home after they passed away, you might now be close, even close brings back memories. And they normally, you know, associated as being painful memories. So,

give us one of these things, and this is get ready for a belief. Why is it that Hi, that's how it is. Because if you're a believer, then no doubt the year after for you is far better than the life that you live in, number one. Number two, God's tidings for you. Because, you know, this is a message to you after you lose a loved one, that you will be reunited with them. It's not a permanent solution. It's not a permanent

decision, or a permanent circumstance. It's a temporary circumstance because as a person passed away, you will pass away as well and reach the space that they're in right now. So from this angle, grab it, and also glad tidings from the fact that God Almighty sort of telling you that look.

This loved one that you've lost is not something, you know, sort of punishment. It's just the process of life, that every social preset, and God Almighty, for it reveals to us messenger peace and blessings be upon him. And he says in the cover up what it was that you will pass away, or Muhammad and they will pass away to Omaha. And the famous poet once said that you know, a lot of illness.

And death is a door, which every social worker, that is something that is making our hearts tremor, because we don't understand what comes next. I like to describe it like this, if you're imagine talking to a baby in the womb, this child is in several layers of darkness with the mother's heartbeat, comforting it, regular food, supply muffled noises, and surrounded by liquid and warmth. And you would say to that baby, you know, outside soon, you're going to see green trees and a sky that goes on forever. And there are stars and the sea. And you'll be out and you'll be breathing with your lungs and your you may only very temporarily be in water again. And people are going to

smile and you're going to see your mother's face. That child might say that doesn't exist. All I know, is this peace and calm here. And there is nothing more than this. Is that the situation that we're in today, living with this air and this consciousness. Yeah, you know,

you're shifting, you're painted, if you painted the picture, pretty clearly, you know, mankind,

God Almighty says has been created with this quality of who

we activate. Right? It is a lot of patience to believe in the hereafter.

And to work towards it.

And, you know, especially when you're surrounded with what God Almighty has taught us is just glamour, right? Fake glamour. You have all this around you. And all these things together. Make this you know something difficult to take something difficult to take Now don't get me wrong. I mean, Islamic perspective just doesn't teach us to ask for that. So let me make that clear. Islam the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam peace and blessings be upon him. He warned against us.

That it's not something that Islam missed. Because death is a medical tool by God Almighty. He gives it when he will. And that is why suicide is frowned upon in Islam. It is founded upon anything major. So let's just take your life. Let's let's just repeat that check. I want to hear that from you again. Is it okay for Muslims to seek death? Pray for death, do things that bring on the try to hasten death? Absolutely not. Nobody's allowed to do anything that,

you know,

brings about death. And even if we if I mean, if we look at it from a jurisprudence perspective, right, from the angle of jurisprudence of Islam, in Islam, you're not allowed to do that, which will cause harm to right, a little harm. So what about great harm like suicide, and that is why the scholars discuss in depth the issue of smoking, for example, once it's become manifested, smoking could could lead to a disease that could lead to death, and so on and so forth. So Islam has a meaning that if you do it, you will be sinful, Chase lamb in no way, shape, or form promotes death, and

has made suicide, a major sin, and has made any act that causes harm to your body, an act of sin, as well. And a sinful person will be taken to account after, right. So in Islam, we are not taught to ask for death. The only time the messenger

you know,

taught us about asking for death is in one context alone. And that is the context whereby we say to God Almighty, that God Oh, God Almighty, caused me to live as long as you know, God Almighty, that life is good for me, and cause me to pass away only when God Almighty you know, that passes or is good. This is this is what he taught us to say. Why? Because, you know, the prophets came to teach us that there's more to life than just the life we live on.

Right? There's a life after you die. And success and failure will also be looked at at that space, or in that space. So basically, the messenger peace and blessings be upon him is his thing. And you can pray to God Almighty and say, Oh, God, Almighty, Grant me life as long as you know life is good for me meaning Life is good for me in terms of my after. As long as you know God Almighty that me staying alive.

is only going to make me grow my hair out. Let me use my

god oh god almighty keep me alive as long as you know that me being alive will be a means towards would be a means for me building my paradise. That's what we're here to do. We are both our parents like I normally tell my audiences that we are paradise Buddhists. That's our job description. Is it? What's your description? You know, what are you? I'm a Muslim, for example, what do you do? I will tell you that. That's my description. You know, we aren't as good paradise, when we are tired. Our paradise goes for it. And there's more streams being done for us because we're palaces being built for us is more forest being planted for us with the treasures being very first in our paradise.

However, the Prophet peace, peace and blessings be upon him, also said that when you ask God Almighty for death, then only ask God Almighty for death if and only if God Almighty knows that you possibly will be good for you, meaning, if you don't pass away, you lose your hair. So there's so much perspective just in this prayer, right? Because today we say no, I guess I just want I don't want that even means we're using it. Who cares about us, it's about me being here. The fact of the matter is, I want to share this there was a scientist, he was in his in America, believe he's a neuroscientist, and we were Welcome to look this up. It was reported in national newspapers. Two

years ago, he was specializing an output of disproving out of body experiences after death. He said that it's all of those seeing the white light going to the gardens. He said, this is just the the death of the brain. And these are the natural side effects of death. He was he went into a coma, he got a very rare form of meningitis only found in newborn babies. And because he was a specialized specializing in the brain, his friends kept him alive when other doctors were saying we should turn it off. They said no. And he had an immense experience of well being of going towards a garden of otherness. And he now talks about that energy continues. And he is he said, this is not to do the

brain because he was officially brain dead. So panela Isn't that fascinating?

Yeah, you know, we've said it.

We've spoken to each other about this and actually produce family time again, but some of the family's perspective, the brain does not have the capacity to pack them all up good. It has limits. It's an amazing, complex, intuitive, you know, gift from God Almighty. But even though it has its limitations, so always be to God Almighty, we understand we are grateful to God Almighty for revelation that has taught us about the reality of the Hereafter, and set for us the blueprint and the DNA in terms of how we can live in our life, so that we can teach other people how to live in our dime and how to die now. We will be back after this song from Zane beaker. My name is Zane Vika

from South Africa. I will notice too much pain, too much hatred and too much suffering. And our condition will never change until we change what's within ourselves. So let's talk the change First we need the love

so much pain

we don't see how can be

my

brother Have

a nice

day.

You're listening to heart and soul on Qatar foundation radio with meet Lauren booth, sharing his thoughts and gems of knowledge on the subject of death in the hereafter with us today is Chef Sajid Omer. Now, we should move on to the way that burial takes place for Muslims because it is very rapid, and the the period of mourning for those left behind perhaps let's look at what happens to the body. This understanding that is given to us through the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. What happens to us when we stop breathing? Yes, so from the family perspective, the teachings of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him either

about death and about the removal of the soul of God Almighty teaches us about the soul being removed in the Quran.

In the final testament, in Islam, we are taught that the soul is removed during two occasions.

one occasion is every night when we go to speak. And the other occasion is when we pass away.

When we go to sleep courtroom, it teaches us in the, in the final testament, in the Quran, that we live this whole sort of complete removal or listening, it's partial, because the soul is the electricity of the body. And the body can't rest. If the soul is in place fully in place, with a mercy from God Almighty, that the soul is lifted to merciful God Almighty, that the soul is lifted to the extent that it allows the body to rest. And that's why even in power naps, you actually feel how rested your body becomes and you get that 1015 Minute. Like just because that short detachment of the soul is completed and complexity from the body allows the body to read the bottom it tells us

that at the time of speech, it's always different and that is why the messenger peace and blessings be upon him. He taught us to pray before we sleep by saying a lot in your name, I die and I

you know, and when I was a small boy being taught to be cheap that I die and I live and I just think, okay, I die when I die and I live after death. But after learning you know more about it about the the science of it. I think understand that no, you guys have smaller debts when you sleep. And you live up to God Almighty destitute, wake up in the morning. And that is when you wake up in the morning, the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him for us to say, you know, Praise be to Allah who granted me life after granting the death. And unto him is our ultimate return. Right? So

we say all things don't Samba who granted me life leading the life to wake up this morning, after granting the death of the grantee meet the lighted death which is which asleep because you're so dispassionately listed. And then, until is our ultimate return meaning we all will one day experience the greatest day. You know, she's so amazing. But my grandmother taught me to say this every night before I went to sleep. If I die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take so this is a it's almost a it's a universal search for divine protection, enduring sleep, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. 100%. And, you know, all the promises of God Almighty when they came to teach this reality,

but it's not, you know, you can bet with a christian right? So, you know, it's not, it wouldn't be upset or strange.

to, you know, to accept this as a teaching from Jesus isn't getting to be a funny way as well. So here we have the teaching Islam,

about this particular fact.

And that is why even disability that's the lightest death you can have is when you initially because your soul is already partially listed is the easiest death, a formally established perspective we are taught that death has something known as time. Right, it has a difficulty. And these difficulties increase and decrease based on the righteousness and Empire, or the lack of rights that a person lived their life with. So the more righteous you are, the more blessed you are in your death. And if you live a life that lacks piety, then the deaths will be even more severe. And we are taught that God Almighty as an angel known as the angel of death, and this angel is has been tasked

and this has been given the skills to remove the soul from the body. And the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him. He has a lengthy and long duration, which is found in a book that

was dedicated towards gathering the teachings of the message of peace and blessings be upon him by a famous Imam, in Islam known as email. And in this narration, you know, the technicalities of death are detail, you know, the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him teaches us how a righteous person passes away and then the possibility of the person who wasn't so righteous and you know, the, the compiler that is dead. So when the righteous person passes away, we are taught that angels from heaven descend, and they are excited to receive the soul and the angel of death, that is business with ease, so that the dying person you know dies as much.

And then as soon as the soul is removed, the angels from heaven they receive this soul. They receive the soul so the soul doesn't stop this energy doesn't stop. You take your last breath and it is taken Yes, your your innermost electricity, electricity energy

We might call it in the modern context, just to give it those words, is taken from you. And it's a gentle process, you're now in the realm of this spiritual world, and, and the unseen. And these angels receive you, and in a good way, what is their expression? What do they look like? Well, we don't have a description about the unseen. So in Islam will never ever speak about the unseen, unless you've been given explicit descriptions about it, because it will remain the unseen. And our minds can only imagine things to a certain degree.

So we don't know how the angels look, but they receive this and the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, teaches us that it's as if they are competing to receive the song, there's so many angels that have come down, right, because they know that this person is somebody who God Almighty was pleased with, so they are excited about the sign person, and they all compete in the academy. So up to the heavens. And what's left on earth is about what on earth is the body.

And you, you know, you you can actually, I mean, you know, you might have a good friend of yours, and you've been speaking to the standard visiting dispense throughout your life, when they pass away, you can reset and the eyes are still there, the nose is there, the mouth is there, the time you read the blood in the body, the heart, everything's there, but there's no electricity, it's not functioning. And that's why, you know, I always I mentioned this to my origins, it understand that when we meet each other, our souls meet more than our bodies. Right? It's more of the soul, just that the soul is jacked up with the body, right. And that's why it's important to be good to each

other, and be kind to each other and develop our character based on this. You know, at the end of the day, things can happen to the body, but it's the nature of a person that will always be beautiful, it is beautiful, and the ugly is exactly right. And today in this world of materialism, we always look at things and judge things based on their covers, you know,

you know, even with marriage, we always look at the superficial matters, we start looking at the substantial matters, but perhaps that's a discussion for another day. But the point is, that the soul has left, the soul has left. And when we spoke about the pangs of death and the difficulties you feel when a person is passing away, and the soul is being removed. So the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him products, that the soul is removed from, you know, somewhere close to your, your voice box, or what they call the Adam's apple, you know, the place that you feel when you gotta go. That is that is the, that is the exit point that is being pulled out from there. And that is why

the first area of the body to experience death on your feet. And that's why they say when you you know from the signs of knowing that a person is passing the leaves you look at, the feet get cold. And the future of snips, they don't remain up with a person that lies in lying flat, they chose sort of pointing towards the sky or slightly upwards, they don't point directly in front of them. But when a person's passing away, you actually notice that the feet start to flop, because life has been lost in that region, and you find the feet getting cold, and so on and so forth.

So the prophecies impresses the opponent for us that this is what happens. And as the soul is slowly being released from the body,

the soul now starts to live its potential, this body blocks its potential. That's why we can't see the unseen, we can't see the angels, right, you can't see the gym. But as the soul now starts being removed from the body starts living its potential. And now we can start to start seeing angels and start seeing a different world to start seeing the things that it was taught about, or read about in the final testament or in the scriptures. It's not seeing the reality. And God Almighty describes this as the certain knowledge that when you see something you believe that that is dispensing knowledge. And that is why if you've ever been in the room with a bank person, and it knows best,

but if you ever been in the room, sometimes they look at you in a strange way. They're looking at you, but they're not really looking at a very confusing situation. I'm familiar, a listener could relate to this. And then they step out of it, and then they see you and they carry on talking like this. You know, there was no strange incident before. But this is the pattern. This is you snapping between the new reality in the old reality, the new reality and the old reality. This is you going through the process of death. So this was the message of peace and blessings be upon him and he was dying, he was passing away he said to your wife, that indeed death has the Saqqara as it's called in

Arabic And in these times, are going to belong to the gift here really is to view this life as a subway stop. Just a mere station, a mere stopping place, to eternity, and to build for the future. If you are on a train going somewhere. You might be texting, or you might be speaking someone on the phone, you're not speaking about that short journey. We just won stations with you. We're talking about what you're going to do next, and you're talking about them.

Long term future or something that's going to happen later because that journey is very short. And that's all we have time for today on this massive subjects May peace and understanding descend upon us and allow us to live in peace with each other and to give us peace in the next life to come. Assalamu alaikum the producer for this series is a hub