Mans Situation in the Intermediate Realm [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Just as the spirit appears in man's body and material
form after it has been fashioned to completion, the spirit retains its
attachment to the body as long as the body retains the capacity for a
harmonious relation with the spirit. Once this capacity vanishes as a
result of external factors so that the union of spirit and body is
sundered, the spirit separates from the body and pursues its existence
under a different order and set of conditions.

What we mean by this order is the intermediate realm, the
first stage reached by man after his migration from the world. He pauses
there in the course of his journey to the meeting with God. He enters a
realm with its own specific characteristics and properties, remaining
there until the coming of resurrection.

A further change then brings about the transformation of
the intermediate realm, and man enters the plain of resurrection, the next
stage in his journey toward God.

A limit or boundary separating two things is called
barzakh in Arabic, which explains why the intermediate realm that
separates the temporary and evanescent life of this world from the eternal
life of the hereafter is also called barzakh. Life there is
characterized by the liberation of the spirit from the fetters of the
material body. The spirit is no longer harassed by passion and instinct,
and thanks to the absence of time and space, the horizons of man's vision
are vastly enlarged. In just the same way that there is no question of
time or space in the world of dreams, in the intermediate realm, too, man
can observe and examine everything in a single instant.

The Qur'an says: "The intermediate realm extends from
now until the time of resurrection"(23: 100).

In the same connection, the Qur'an describes the state of
the martyrs after their death:

"Do not imagine those who have been killed in God's
path to be dead; rather they are alive and receive sustenance in the
presence of their Lord"(3:169).

The verse refers, of course, to willingness to defend the
sanctity of Islam and the Qur'an, to the virtue of heroically resisting
the unbelievers and atheists even to the point of attaining martyrdom.
This is the highest point the believer can reach: the desire to sacrifice
himself for the sake of his pure goals and thereby to join the caravan of
martyrs.

He regards it as a great duty to guard God's religion and
to strive for the implementation of the commands of the Qur'an, and he
therefore exerts great effort to secure the security and survival of the
religion of God. Such a protector of the true faith must necessarily begin
by purifying himself and avoiding all kinds of pollution by sin and
disobedience to God. It is only then that he may properly return his soul
the loftiest trust which he has been given to God, its true owner, while
fighting for the sake of His religion. He will then receive the reward of
life everlasting in the company of God's chosen elite.

The Qur'an says:

"God has bought the properties and souls of the
believers in exchange for paradise. They are to strive in the path of God,
destroying the enemies of religion or themselves being killed. This is a
firm promise of God, binding upon Him, contained in the Torah, the Gospels
and the Qur'an, and who is more faithful to his promises than God? O
believers, rejoice in this transaction, for it truly guarantees great
happiness" (9:111).

The Qur'an also draws attention to the punishment being
suffered before the occurrence of resurrection by those bound for
hellfire:

"Hellfire has already encompassed the
unbelievers"(9:49).

After death, the spirits of the virtuous will rejoice in
liberation from the constricting cage of this world, they will delight in
their ability to roam freely through the infinite. Life on the earthly
plane is concerned only with the limited amount of matter that is visible
on the surface of the earth. By contrast, the spirits of the virtuous know
no limitation of space or time as they continue their upward ascent. Each
in accordance with its rank advances joyfully to its specific station and
degree, and everywhere it enjoys unhindered access. The eyes of the
blessed witness pure and uncontaminated sources of eternal beauty in
comparison with which the beauties of this world are slight and
inconsequential.

The spirit is no longer subject to the limits imposed on
it by a weary, heavy body; it is not accompanied by the broken and
suffering countenance of old age.

Nothing exists here for the righteous servants of God
except beauty, luminosity, love, familiarity and affection, and pure,
sincere friendship with the servants and friends of God.

The Qur'an promises those who have made obedience to
divine command their guiding principle in this world that they shall enjoy
the company and fellowship of God's chosen elite.

The companionship of those upon whom God has bestowed His
blessings in full measure is indeed a source of great pride for the
virtuous.

This is the promise contained in the Qur'an:

"Those who obey the commands of God and His Messenger
shall be resurrected together with, and enjoy the company of, those upon
whom God has bestowed His kindness and favor in full measure the prophets,
the sincere devotees, the martyrs and the righteous. What noble and
precious companions they are!"(4:64).

It should be remarked, of course, that enjoying the
company of God's chosen elite does not imply equality with them in terms
of spiritual station and degree. While being in close contact with them,
the virtuous will enjoy God's favor and blessings to an extent
commensurate with their own ranks and degrees of closeness to God. Not
everyone will enjoy an equal share, in just the same way that not everyone
attains the same degree of ascent.

One of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq, upon whom be
peace, relates that he once posed him the following question:

"O descendant of God's Messenger! When the true believer
finds himself on the threshold of death, is he grieved by the taking of
his soul?"

The Imam answered:

"Never! When the messenger of death comes to take his
spirit, he is at first distraught. But then the angel consoles him and
says: O friend of God, do not distress yourself. I swear by the Lord Who
sent Muhammad as His Messenger that we will treat you more kindly and
gently than your father. Open your eyes and look at us.'

"Then the Messenger of God and the other preceptors of
religion will appear before him, and the angel entrusted with the task of
taking his soul will say to him: 'This is the Prophet and the leaders of
religion who will be your friends and companions.'

"He will then open his eyes partly, and hear God calling
him as follows:

O soul that has found tranquillity in the protection of
Muhammad and his pure family, now return to your Lord. You have accepted
as truth the authority of the Imams, and because of this you are now
happy. Be certain that you have also earned thereby the pleasure of your
Lord. Come now and be the companion of My chosen elite, and take up the
abode that has been prepared for you in paradise everlasting.'

"Nothing could be more desirable for the believer at that
moment than for his soul to take flight and receive all that it has been
promised."[1]

The Painful State of the Impure

The spirits of the impure are meanwhile caught up in
terrible darkness and gloom. Overwhelmed by misery and disaster, they
mourn their lives of sin. Realizing that neither their relatives nor the
material wealth they accumulated can do anything to deliver them, they
torment themselves in their wretchedness.

Still more terrible than their fate is that of cruel,
vicious and arrogant tyrants. The sighs and laments of their oppressed
victims are like so many daggers plunged in their hearts. The specter of
those whom they have wronged assaults them mercilessly with constant blame
and reproach, augmenting constantly the pain and misery they suffer.

The vision of these spectacles of terror is like a
tormenting flame consuming the heart of the criminal.

The Qur'an depicts the catastrophic destiny of aggressive
tyrants as follows:

"They will be brought to hellfire every morning and
evening, and the descendants of Pharaoh will be punished most
severely"(40:46).

They will then recall vividly the repeated warnings of
the prophets and men of religion who told them of the disasters that
awaited them. They will begin to blame themselves for not following the
commands of the prophets and not heeding their kindly advice, for had they
done so, they would not have cast themselves into perdition.

In the course of the Battle of Badr, some of the leaders
of Quraysh were killed and their bodies were thrown in a pit. After the
victory of the Muslim army, the Most Noble Messenger, peace and blessings
be upon him and his family, leaned over the edge of the pit and addressed
them as follows:

"We have attained all that God promised us; are you now
convinced of the truth of God's promises?"

Some of the companions then said: "O Messenger of God,
you are talking to the dead, to bodies that have been thrown into a pit;
do they understand anything of what you say?"

The Prophet answered them: "They hear more clearly than
you do."[2]

One of the companions of the Commander of the Faithful,
upon whom be peace, said:

"Once I left Kufa in the company of the Imam. He stopped
in the cemetery at Wadi al-Salam, standing there like someone about to
address a gathering. I remained there standing with the Imam until I grew
tired and sat down. Another long time passed, and I grew tired of sitting.
So I stood up again and remained standing until once again I grew tired
and sat down. Finally, I arose once more, and said to the Commander of the
Faithful: I fear for you, seeing you standing so long; rest a little.' I
then spread out my cloak on the ground for the Imam to sit down. He said:
O , Habba! I am standing here engaged in conversation with the
believers.' I then asked him: Do they also engage in conversation with
each other?' Yes,' he said. Once the veil is lifted you will see them
gathered in circles conversing with each other.' I said: Are you speaking
of their bodies or their spirits?' Their spirits,' he answered."[3]

From this narrative it can be deduced that the spirit
does not entirely sever its relations with the body. It is true that after
the death and the cutting of the link between the spirit and the body, the
spirit leaves for a different realm. However, on account of the union that
existed between them in this world, some weak connection persists, in the
form of a certain affinity. On account of this affinity and its former
union with the body, the spirit is oriented toward the remains of the body
in way that it is not oriented to anything else.

Islam has laid down certain instructions relating to the
body after death. The reason for them is the continuing affinity of the
spirit for the body and the trials and turmoil the spirit encounters in
the unfamiliar realm of the barzakh, governed as it is by new principles
and criteria.

In the intermediate realm men encounter each other in
bodily forms specific to that realm. The pure and virtuous are gathered
together, in groups determined by their spiritual rank and degree. The
unbelievers and the evil also find themselves in each other's company. The
dealings and relations of the pious with each other are based on
familiarity, intimacy, and pure love, and thus anticipate the states of
paradise. By contrast, the relations of the unbelievers with each other
will inevitably partake of the character of hellfire; mutual enmity,
disgust and envy will prevail among them.

It is self-evident that since all things will be
determined in the intermediate realm by the particular laws and criteria
that prevail there, the companionship and conversation of the blessed and
the damned, as well as the enjoyment of divine bounties by the former and
the experience of punishment by the latter, will also be marked by the
characteristics of that realm.

Although the bodies of men in the intermediate realm will
in general resemble the bodily form they had in this world, certain
differences will also be apparent, because every quality and attribute
will take on an external form commensurate with its inner nature. Thus the
spiritual light or darkness found within individuals will become clearly
visible in their faces.

Ibrahim b. Ishaq recounts that he asked Imam al-Sadiq,
Upon whom be peace: "Where are the souls of the believers?" He answered:
"The spirits of the believers are lodged in paradise, where they are given
to eat and to drink. They see and visit each other, and they say, O Lord,
bring about resurrection so that what You have promised us may be
fulfilled.'"

Ibrahim next asked: "Where are the spirits of the
unbelievers?" He answered: "Their place is in the fire, where they are
compelled to eat the food of the fire and to drink its drink. They see
each other and meet each other and they say, O God, do not bring about
resurrection lest that which You promised us be fulfilled.'"[4]

Abu Basir relates that the question of the spirits of the
believers and the Godfearing was once being discussed in the presence of
Imam al-Sadiq, upon whom be peace. The Imam said: "The spirits of the
believers meet each other." I asked: "Do they indeed meet each other?" He
replied: "Yes, and they talk to each other and recognize each other; when
you see someone there, you will say, This is so-and-so.'"[5]

Those living in the intermediate realm can even establish
contact with the material world and its inhabitants. By virtue of the
inner capacities they developed and the deeds they performed while still
in the world, they can acquire information of a general kind about their
relatives and friends to the degree that is permitted by the special
circumstances of the intermediate realm.

The situation of people in the intermediate realm
naturally differs from one person to the next. In a sense, everyone there
has his own world, the nature of which is determined by the conduct he
exhibited in this world; not all the dwellers in the intermediate realm
can communicate uniformly with this world and its people. The degree to
which an individual may have awareness of the material world and
communicate with it depends on the spiritual rank and degree of
development he has attained.

Those who worship and fear God have, therefore, better
and more extensive capacity for gaining awareness of the material world.
Within the limits set by the particular circumstances of the intermediate
realm and depending on God's permission, they can be present wherever they
wish, simply through willing it and turning themselves in the proper
direction. As for the errant and sinful, their communication with the
world serves simply to increase their regret and torment.

Imam al-Sadiq, upon whom be peace, says:

"The believer visits his dear ones and relatives, and he
sees what he loves, while whatever he dislikes is concealed from him. The
unbeliever also visits his dear ones and relatives, but he sees what he
hates and dislikes, while whatever he loves is concealed from him.

"Among the believers are those for whom Friday is a day
of visiting, and there also those the balance of whose deeds permits them
to see them."[6]

Someone relates that he asked the Commander of the
Faithful, upon whom be peace, whether the dead are able to visit their
relatives. He answered that they are, whereupon the questioner asked:
"When and how often?" He answered: "Every week, every month, or every
year, depending of spiritual rank and capacity."[7]

The Qur'an speaks in the following terms of the constant
torment and punishment that are administered to the evil and corrupt in
the intermediate realm:

"They are brought to the fire every morning and
evening, and the descendants of the Pharaoh shall be brought forth on the
day of resurrection with the severest torment"(40:46).

It is obvious that this verse must refer to the
intermediate realm, not to resurrection, for after resurrection there will
be neither morning nor evening.

The Qur'an similarly says of the blessed:

"Provision shall be brought to them every morning and
evening"(19:62).

This verse also contains mention of morning and evening,
the reference being probably to the morning and evening of the
intermediate realm which follow upon the morning and evening of this
world. It cannot refer to paradise, because the Qur'an says:

"There (in paradise) they shall not see the sun nor
experience severe cold"(76:13).

"The people of paradise shall have on that day a
better abode and the fairest of places for repose"(25:24).

In the second of these two verses, the word maqil
which we have translated as "place of repose" is of particular interest
because it refers to a nap taken before noon. It is true that sleep in the
intermediate realm cannot resemble exactly sleep in this world, but it is
nonetheless different from what will prevail after resurrection, namely
eternal wakefulness. This is indeed one reason why people are described as
qiyam "awake" or "alert" on the day of resurrection.

The degree of life possessed by those in the intermediate
realm is, in some sense, fuller than the life of this world, which may be
what is suggested by this tradition: "People are asleep, and when they die
they wake up."[8]

This refers to the fact that when a person goes to sleep,
his senses and perceptions are weakened; he can almost be said to be
half-alive. When he awakens, he regains a full measure of life. Likewise,
the degree of life man enjoys in this world is less than which awaits him
in the intermediate realm; when he is transferred to that realm, his
degree of life is enhanced.

al-Ghazali says:

"When we are asleep we witness a world in which we do not
imagine that we are asleep. This particular state is only a part of the
total scheme of our life, the totality being represented by our waking
state, and indeed, as soon as we wake up, we realize that our state while
asleep represented only a part of our life, not the whole.

"This being the case, why should our present life not be
like a period spent asleep in relation to the hereafter? Our firm belief
that our present life in this world is equivalent to life as such is just
like the supposition of the sleeper.

"When we wake up, we say that we understand we were
sleeping and dreaming; whatever we experienced had no reality. By this we
mean that our sleep was only part of the greater reality which is
constituted by our waking state, for sleep is in itself a reality.
Likewise, the life of this world is real in and of itself, but compared
with the more expansive life that awaits us, it counts as a
dream."[9]

In the intermediate realm, the spirits of men pursue
their lives according to the different degrees of consciousness that their
belief and awareness have made possible for them. Since life there is not
subject to the laws of matter, following instead its own particular
criteria, its conditions must naturally be different from those of our
present life. However, since man's perceptions are much sharpened in the
intermediate realm, the spiritual torment and pleasure which he undergoes
there escape our present powers of description.

The fruit of man's deeds becomes tangible for him in the
intermediate realm. Those who have never had the good fortune of doing
good deeds wish to return to the world to make up for their past. The
Qur'an says:

"Spend in the path of God a part of the sustenance We
have bestowed on you, before death overtakes you. Then the sinner will
say, O Lord, if You were to grant me a respite and postpone my death a
little, I would certainly do good and become one of The
virtuous'".(63:10).

As for the righteous and pious, they will joyously
exclaim in the intermediate world:

"Would that our relatives and kin knew how God has
forgiven us and bestowed mercy and favor upon us"

(36:26-27).

One of the characteristics of the intermediate realm is
that both its pleasures and torments are temporary, being brought to an
end when resurrection begins.

Certain verses of the Qur'an refer to the state of people
intermediate between belief and unbelief i.e., those who were deprived by
various circumstances or hardships of the opportunity of learning about
Islam or investigating its truth, or were prevented from migrating from
one land to another.

It is probable that such persons, if they have not
committed any crimes, will be enveloped in God's mercy and forgiveness on
the day of resurrection. In the intermediate realm, neither will they be
punished nor will they enjoy blessings; they will simply wait for their
destiny to be clarified.

The disquiet they endure will be comparable to that of
prisoners whose case is still under investigation and whose future is
unclear.

The Qur'an says:

"Those who have wronged themselves in this world will
be asked by the angels when they die what they have done. They will say,
We were weak and oppressed and unable to move.' Then the angels will ask,
Was God's earth not wide enough for you to travel in it (so that you
might hasten from the land of ignorance to that of faith and knowledge) ?'
The abode of These evildoers shall be hellfire; how evil and terrible an
abode! Excepted from this shall be those men, women and children who were
indeed unable to act or to move; they could not flee and they had no path
of escape. It may be that God will forgive and show mercy to them, for He
is Merciful and Pardoning"(4:97-99).

This verse clearly relates to the intermediate realm,
because after resurrection the status and destiny of everyone is made
clear.

In reality, then, the intermediate realm represents a
small portion of the reward or punishment that man will receive after
resurrection; it is like a window through which one can glimpse the
ultimate outcome of his affair.

There are numerous traditions concerning the state of the
Godfearing in the intermediate realm. They state clearly that although the
Godfearing do not yet enter paradise, a gate to paradise is opened before
them permitting them to glimpse the abode that awaits them and feel the
pleasant breezes that blow there.

Tolstoy, the great Russian author, writes:

O God, it is You alone Who can open a door On the world
of mercy to Your servant who lies buried beneath the ground.

Out of all these bones lying here, gradually rotting,
Which belong to a king, and which to a beggar? Which belong to a judge,
and which to a soldier? Which belong to a pious man who has bought heaven
for himself, and which to a sinner, who has been driven away from the
kingdom of heaven? Whatever we see is darkness, visions and ghosts O God,
it is only at the threshold of Your throne, only in Your heavens that we
may find a path leading to tranquillity and salvation.

On the day that nothing remains of our earthly form
except a pitiful handful of dust and all the brilliance of our life has
been buried in the black earth, it is You alone Who can open a door on the
world of mercy to Your servant who lies buried beneath the
ground."[10]

The first reality that presents itself to man the moment
he dies and embarks on a new life is the voiding of all the customs,
conventions and norms that governed his worldly life. All outward
causation and instrumentality will come to an end, and man will enter a
realm that is utterly empty of all the varied phenomena found in this
world. All the aims and pursuits he has followed throughout his life will
turn into a mirage.

The Qur'an says:

"If you were to see catastrophic misery of the
oppressors when they are caught in the throes of death! The angels lift
their powerful hands to seize their souls, telling them: Give up now your
souls. Today you shall suffer torment and humiliation because you spoke
lyingly of God and refused in arrogance to accept His signs.' Certainly,
you will return to Us, one by one, as We first created you. You will leave
behind all property and wealth We bestowed on you (this being the cause of
your arrogance), and all the intermediaries and intercessors you thought
you had shall be destroyed and separated from you."(6:93-4)

"If you speak truly when you say there is no
resurrection, why is it that when you stand at the bedside of the dying,
as their souls rise in their throats, at a time when We are closer to them
than you are (although you do not realize this) Why is it that then, if
everything is indeed in your hands or the hands of nature, you do not
return their souls to their bodies? If the one who dies is among those who
have drawn nigh to God, their place is in eternal rest and repose. If he
is from among the Companions of the Right, then give glad tidings that he
is safe. If he is from among the deniers and misguided, then his share
shall be the boiling water and his abode shall be the hellfire. All of
this is truth, concerning which there is no doubt."(56:83-95)

Commenting on the part of the verse that refers to
"those who have drawn nigh to God," Imam al-Sadiq, upon whom be
peace, says that it refers to the intermediate realm, while "eternal
rest and repose" refers to paradise.[11]

Imam al-Sadiq also said: "By God, I fear for you in the
intermediate realm." Amr b. Yazid then asked him: "What is the
intermediate realm?" He answered: "The tomb in which you will stay until
the day of resurrection."[12]

Man puts his trust in two things in this life. First, the
worldly goods of which he imagines himself to be the owner and which he
regards as the means for attaining his wishes and desires. Second, those
persons without whose help and influence he thinks himself incapable of
fulfilling his needs powerful friends, relatives and the like. The Qur'an
stresses that both of these pass away and have no ultimate validity. Once
man finds himself on the threshold of death, he is compelled to sever all
material attachments, and with a belated realism that is forced upon him,
he understands the emptiness of everything in which he had placed his
trust.

He even wishes for the impossible to return and warn his
relatives not to do anything which might plunge them into the same
whirlpool of eternal wretchedness as himself.

The Most Noble Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him
and his family, is reported to have said:

"The spirit of the dead will cry out after death: O
family and offspring! Take care not to be deceived by the world as it
deceived and misled me. I accumulated wealth, making no distinction
between the licit and the illicit, in the end leaving it behind for others
to enjoy; all that remains for me is misery. Take care to avoid what has
befallen me.'"[13]

Imam al-Hadi, upon whom be peace, compared the world to a
marketplace when he said: "The world is a market in which some people
profit and others lose."[14]

The Qur'an likewise summons men to engage in a profitable
trade in the market of this world:

"O believers, shall I guide you to a trade which will
free you from painful torment in the hereafter? Believe in God and His
Messenger and struggle in God's path with your property and your
person"(61:10-11).

One of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq, upon whom be
peace, said: "I asked the Imam to counsel me. He answered: Make provision
for your journey, and make ready the goods that you will need on your
voyage. Take all the necessary measures yourself, and do not instruct
another after the end of your life to send on what you
need.'"[15]

The Commander of the Faithful, upon whom be peace,
said:

"The world is a transient abode, not a permanent
dwelling. People in this world are of two kinds: those who have sold
themselves, who have deviated from the path of truth and are advancing
toward perdition; and those who have bought themselves, who have chosen
the path of salvation and liberated themselves."[16]

Footnotes

1. Furu' al-Kafi, Vol. III, pp. 127-128.

2. Bihar
al-Anwar, Vol. XIX, p. 346.

3. al-Kafi , Vol. III, p. 242.

4.
al-Mahasin, p. 178.

5. Ibid.

6. al-Kafi, Vol. I, p.62.

7. Ilbid.,
Vol. II, p. 62.

8. Li'ali al-Akhbbar, p.396.

9. Quoted in Bist
Guftar, p. 323.

10. Quoted in Zibatarin Shuahkarha-yi Shi'r-i Jahan,
p.300.

11. Tafsir al-Qummi.

12. al-Kafi, Vol. I, p.66.

13. Bihuar
al-Anwar, Vol. III, p. 136.

14. Tuhaf al-'Uqul, p. 483.

15. Mishkat
al-Anwar, p. 72.

16. Nahj al-Balagha, section 133.