Every Soul Must Taste Of Death

[Please recite Surah Fateha for Mrs Asmat Fatima, who always treated myself and all around her with alot of love, affection and kindness and in many ways this article is also inspired from her recent death.

It has also taught me that even after thinking to know alot, very little did we know about death and what comes after it.

Finally, may the reward of sharing each Quranic Ayah and message of the Prophet (SAW) and His Ahlulbayt (AS) in this article go to Mrs Asmat Fatima, all of my Marhomeens, and all of your Marhoomeens and dear ones.]

Death is a phenomena universal to everything around us, where all that we see, feel, will change their state. Not only human beings or animals, but the atoms also decay and the stars also die.

Irrespective of how we perceive death and what comes next to be, it is a unique experience where no one has ever come back, or will ever be able to come back and explain to us what happens afterwards.

We have also made the whole matter of death and after death events so horrific, confusing and unclear, even for believers, that we instill in all of us a hatred towards death. And because of the very little we know about it, or the misconceptions about it, we fear death.

There is no doubt that death needs to be feared, so that its daily reminder incentives us to continue to do good,  but Imam Ali (AS) Ibn Hussain (AS) has prayed that the believer must be ready for death and that when it comes, we must not be of those who do not like death to come to us. We must embrace it, as it is an eventuality and is a will of Allah. And there is khair in everything that Allah has destined for us.

Qasim Ibn Hassan (AS) has said before the battle of kerbala, that he finds death sweeter than honey. Imam Ali (AS) when fatally struck with poisonous dagger and was sure that death is to follow, very famously said, Fuzto ya Rabbil Ka'bah (by the Lord of the Ka'bah I am successful). And when Ibrahim (AS) shared his dream with Ismail (AS), Ismail (AS) showed his eagerness to die without any hesitation.

And when he attained to working with him, he said: O my son! surely I have
seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you; consider then what you see. He said: O my father! do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones
Quran [37:102]

In fact, Allah incentivizes believer to fight in the way of Allah and if they die doing so then a reward like no other awaits them;

And reckon not those who are killed in Allah's way as dead; nay, they are alive (and) are provided sustenance from their Lord; Rejoicing in what Allah has given them out of His grace and they rejoice for the sake of those who, (being left) behind them, have not yet joined them, that they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve. They rejoice on account of favor from Allah and (His) grace, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers.
Quran [3:169-171]

On the 9th Muharram, Imam Hussain (AS) requested his companions to abandom him to save their lives, to which some said they can die 70 times in the love of Hussain (AS).

Sa‘id b. ‘Abdallah Hanafi said, “By God, we will never leave you until God knows that we protected the sanctity of the departed Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, that is preserved in you. By God, if I knew that I will be killed and then be brought back to life and then burnt alive and scattered, I would not abandon you even if this process were repeated seventy times. How then could I not sacrifice myself for your safety when I know that there is only one death with honor, which can never be cast aside.”
Maqtal Al Husayn, By Abu Makhnaf, page 122

Either, Ibrahim (AS), Ismail (AS), Ali (AS) and his children, Hussain (AS) and his companions have understood death, that they were eager for it, or we have, that we fear it and treat it and the the journey beyond as full of hardships for believers and disbelievers alike. 

Therefore lets first understand what has been told to us by Allah, as he revealed the knowledge which can never be observed by human faculties. That is the reason why Quran does not give an account of how gravity exists (or other scientific facts), as any person using Allah's blessings (the faculties given to him) will eventually observe it and discover it. That is why the Quran gives account of Tauheed, the Akhirat, the Angels, and the life after death, because if it was not revealed to Muhammad (SAW), who took us away from shirk and uncleanliness, we would never be able to observe it on our own.

The matters of death and what is to follow are therefore matters of the unseen world where science, logic, observation does not operate in the same way of this world.

1. We must Realize we might not fully understand what happens after death, as we have not been revealed about what our Ruh, or Spirit, our Soul is

Death is the seperation of soul from our body. As a living human being, we will never be able to fully understand this.

Just like we do not remember, or fully understand today, our first death (before we were created). Yes all of us today have already been dead once.

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.
Quran [2:28]

Just like we do not remember when our soul is taken during our sleep every day.

 Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep; then He withholds those on whom He has passed the decree of death and sends the others back till an appointed term; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect
Quran [39:42]

Just like we can never fully understand what is a soul;

And they ask you about the soul. Say: The soul is one of the commands of my  Lord, and you are not given aught of knowledge but a little.
Quran [17:85]

But one thing is certain,

Every soul must taste of death, then to Us you shall be brought back
Quran [29:57]

2. The moment of Death is painful for all? This is just a myth!

The moment of death of the Prophet (SAW) is narrated in many narrations to be a very painful event for him (SAW).

Aisha reported: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, as he was dying and he had a cup of water, which he would dip his hand into and wipe his face with water, then he was saying, “O Allah, help me with the agonies of death!”
Sunan al-Tirmidhī , Hadith # 978

Toward the afternoon the Apostle had a feeling of great restlessness. He repeatedly moistened his face with cold water from a jug beside him. Seeing him in such pain, Fatima cried: “O my father's distress!” He again tried to comfort her, and said: “After this day, your father will never be in distress again.” And he added: “When I die, say, 'We are for Allah, and toward Him is our return.'“Presently, his breathing became irregular, and he was heard to murmur something. Ibn Saad says in his Tabqaat that the Apostle was saying: “All I seek now is the company of Allah.” These were his last words.
https://al-islam.org/restatement-history-islam-and-muslims-sayyid-ali-asghar-razwy/death-muhammad-messenger-god

It became closer and closer, the time for malaekat Izrail (AS) to do his work. Slowly, Rasool Allah's soul was pulled. It was seemed that the body of Rasullullah was full of sweat; the nerves of his neck became tight. Jibrail, How painful this sakaratul mawt is! Rasullulah uttered a groan softly. Fatima closed her eyes, Ali sat beside her bowed deeply and Jibrail turned his face back. "Ami I repugnant to you that you turn your face back O Jibrail?" Rasullullah asked the deliverer of the wahy. "Who is the one who could see the Habibullah in his condition of sakaratul maut" Jibrail said. Not for a while Rasullullah uttered a groan because of unbearable pain. "O Allah, how great is this sakaratul mawt, give me all these pains don't give it to my people."
https://www.scribd.com/document/16430199/Last-Words-of-Prophet-Muhammad-SAWS

Not only that, we are being told that Janab Maryam (AS) also had a very painful death and that is cited as one of the reasons why Isa (AS) did not ressurect Maryam (AS) so that she does not go through the agony of death again.

So, why would her son – who was dutiful and obedient to her – bring her back to this life, which is miserable and distressful, and cause her to taste the bitterness and severity of death twice.
https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/223177/why-did-eesa-may-allaah-exalt-his-mention-not-resurrect-his-mother

But here is the fundamental issue with such narrations;

I swear by the angels who violently pull out the souls of the wicked, And by those who gently draw out the souls of the blessed,
Quran [79:1-2]

(By those who pull out, drowning.) "These are the angels who remove the souls from the Children of Adam.'' Among them are those whose souls are removed by the angels with difficulty, as if he is being drowned during its removal. There are those people whose souls the angels remove with ease, as if they were unraveling him (i.e., his soul from him) due to their briskness.
Tafseer Ibn Kathir, Tafseer of Surah 79 Ayah 1 and 2

The Quran clearly mentions angels who draw out the souls of the blessed briskly and with alot of gentleness. The violent taking away of the souls is not for the believers. Therefore whatever we are attributing to the deaths of Prophet (SAW) and Maryam (AS), does not support the promise of Allah as mentioned above.

This is further explained again in the Quran, for the disbelievers;

And had you seen when the angels will cause to die those who disbelieve, smiting their faces and their backs, and (saying): Taste the punishment of burning.
Quran [8:50]

And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah, or says: It has been revealed to me; while nothing has been revealed to him, and he who says: I can reveal the like of what Allah has revealed? and if you had seen when the unjust shall be in the agonies of death and the angels shall spread forth their hands: Give up your souls; today shall you be recompensed with an ignominious chastisement because you spoke against Allah other than the truth and (because) you showed pride against His communications.
Quran [6:93]

And for the believers;

Those whom the angels cause to die in a good state, saying: Peace be on you: enter the garden for what you did.
Quran [16:32]

It is very much apparent that traditions mentioning painful deaths to those for who Allah has created this universe (Muhammad SAW) are mere fabrications and are against the promise of Allah in the Quran.

As believers we must believe no matter how hard our circumstances of death were, the moment of the taking away of the soul will be gentle as Allah has promised.

3. Barzakh (A phase that overlaps with the grave)

We know where the body goes after the soul is taken away. The grave. We will talk about in the 4th section below. Lets continue to talk about the soul first.

So when the soul is gently taken away (of the believers), or violently taken away of the disbelievers, where does it go?

Barzakh is a curtain, that we might not fully understand.

Until when death overtakes one of them (disbeliever), he says: Send me back, my Lord, send me back; Haply I may do good in that which I have left. By no means! it is a (mere) word that he speaks; and before them is a barrier until the day they are raised.
Quran [23:99-101]

It is clear from the above that the soul will retain its consciousness, awareness and have some means of communication within that world of Barzakh. It is also clear that the soul will remain behind that curtain after its taken away from the body during death and before it is put back into the body in Qayamah during the resurrection.

Barzakh means a partition, a barrier-the place or state in which people will be after death and before the day of resurrection. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: The condition and the state of barzakh has not been described. What the Holy Prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt have said about this interval or intermediary state should only be accepted as true.
Tafseer of Quran by Aqa Mahdi Puya, Tafseer of Surah 23, Ayah 99

(and in front of them) means before them. Mujahid said, Al-Barzakh is a barrier between this world and the Hereafter. Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "Al-Barzakh is what is between this world and the Hereafter, neither they are the people of this world, eating and drinking, nor are they with the people of the Hereafter, being rewarded or punished for their deeds.'' Abu Sakhr said, "Al-Barzakh refers to the graves. They are neither in this world nor the Hereafter, and they will stay there until the Day of Resurrection.''
Tafseer Ibn Kathir, Tafseer of Surah 23 Ayah 100

Upon closer read of the teachings of the prophet (SAW), it also gets clear that the soul of the dead can continue to earn rewards during the time of the Barzakh as well;
 
The Sunni Text:

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger saying: When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased).
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 4223

The same is also validated by the hadith in shia literature as cited below;

‘From Al-Sadiq-asws, from his-asws forefathers-asws having said: ‘Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘Isa-as Bin Maryam-as passed by a grave, whose occupant was being Punished. Then he passed by it a year later and he wasn’t being Punished, so he-as said: ‘O Lord-azwj! I-as passed by this grave a year ago and its occupant was being Punished, then I-as passed by it this year and he isn’t being Punished?’ Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic Revealed unto him-as: “O Spirit of Allah-azwj! A righteous son of his has become an adult, and he corrects the roads, and shelters the orphans, therefore I-azwj Forgave him due to what his son has done!”’
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 15

It is for this reason, it appeals to my understanding that the reward or the punishment for some of the deceased has not been finalized as the opportunity to gain good deed continues during the time of the Barzakh. Therefore Barzakh is just the expectation setting of the soul in terms of what is coming next.

Further, in Islam and Quran, the whole concept of reward and punishment is to the body, as not only because it is the vehicle that feels, it is also the vehicle that committed a sin or did something rewarding. Therefore the souls will be merged with the bodies, and then resurrected before any reward or punishment is given to the dead. It is not the soul that will go to heaven but it will be our human self (body and soul). And it is not the soul that will go to hell but the body as well.

(As for) those who disbelieve in Our communications, We shall make them enter fire; so oft as their skins are thoroughly burned, We will change them for other skins, that they may taste the chastisement; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise
Quran [4:56]

It is also very vivid from the Quran and the Ahadith that the decision of heaven or hell will be made in Qayamah and not before that or at the time of death.

On the day that every soul shall find present what it has done of good and what it has done of evil, it shall wish that between it and that (evil) there were a long duration of time; and Allah makes you to be cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and Allah is Compassionate to the servants.
Quran [3:30]

The above verse makes it clear that it is on the day of judgement after the resurrection of the body with the soul, that Allah's decree will pass and the final result of that individual will be announced. This does not happen in Barzakh or the grave. Before that, it is the mere anticipation of the same, some cases, very clear, and some cases more grey as Allah has not shared the verdict with the soul yet.

Those anticipating paradise await for the Qayamah and those anticipating hell keep experiencing eternal fear in hopes of delaying what they had denied during their life.

4. What Happens Inside the Grave when the phase of Barzakh Starts.

Once you go through this section of the article, you will realize that the matter of the Barzakh overlaps with the grave.

As this is a matter of the unseen, our reliance is solely on what the Quran has said, in addition to what the Prophet (SAW) and his Ahlulbayt (AS) have shared from the head of their family (SAW). When it comes to ahadith and traditions, it gets difficult to filter and consume what was really said vs what has been documented, therefore it is important to consider the shia and the sunni text that overlap each other on this matter. I have therefore only captured content which is mirrored in authentic Shia and Sunni texts both.

A. The Soul follows its path to burial and retains its consciousness

The Shia Text:

‘From Ali-asws Bin Al-Husayn-asws having said: ‘The Momin, it would be said to his soul, and he would be washed: ‘Would it be easier for you if you return to the body which you were in?’ He would say, ‘What have I to do with the affliction and the losses and the gloom?
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 67

The Sunni Text:

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri The Prophet said, "When a funeral is ready and the men carry the deceased on their necks (shoulders), if it was pious then it will say, 'Present me quickly', and if it was not pious, then it will say, 'Woe to it (me), where are they taking it (me)?' And its voice is heard by everything except mankind and if he heard it he would fall unconscious."
Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 402

The soul of the deceased has some realization in which part of the scale of judgement they are on therefore the good are eager to go ahead and hate going back into the body, whereas those who rejected the revelations will be in state of fear and chaos in terms of where the body is being taken (and the soul follows it).

B. There will be questioning in the grave

The Sunni text:

Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib : The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "When a faithful believer is made to sit in his grave, then (the angels) come to him and he testifies that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle. And that corresponds to Allah's statement: Allah will keep firm those who believe with the word that stands firm . . . (14.27).
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 450

The Shia text:

Al Qatan, from Al Sakry, from Al Jowhary, from Ibn Amarah, from his father who said, ‘Al-Sadiq-asws said: ‘One who denies three things, so he isn’t from our-asws Shias – the Ascension (Mi’raj), and the questioning in the grave, and the intercession’’
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 23

C. The questioning is not for all deceased

I could not verify this from the Sunni text where questioning is mentioned for lall who die. The shia literature representing the sayings of the Ahlulbayt (AS) have a different view, where only clear cut cases will be questioned while those in the grey area will not be put to questioning and therefore will remain uncertain till the Qayamah and will be put to sleep.

The Shia Text:

‘From Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘But rather, he would be questioned in the grave, one of pure Eman and one of pure Kufr, and as for what is besides that, it would be forestalled from him’’.
Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 98'

A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Muhammad Bini Al Hassan Bin Shamoun, from Abdullah Abdul Rahman, from Abdullah Bin Al Qasim, from Abu Bakr Al Hazramy who said, ‘I said to Abu Ja’far-asws, ‘May Allah-azwj Keep you well! Who are the questioned ones in their graves?’ He-asws said: ‘The ones of pure Eman and the ones of pure Kufr’. I said, ‘So there remain these people’. He-asws said: ‘By Allah-azwj! They will be left alone (as their punishment will be in the wait – to find out if they are saved or destroyed)’.
Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 104

D. The questioning of the grave leads to Anticipation for what is to come in the Qayamah

The Shia Text

And the Prophet-saww said: ‘The grave is the first station of the Hereafter, so if you are saved from it, then what is to come after it is easier than it, and if you are not saved from it, then what is to come is, wouldn’t be less than it’’.
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 64

The Sunni Text

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah's Apostle said, "When (Allah's) slave is put in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their footsteps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask, 'What did you use to say about this man (i.e. Muhammad)?' The faithful Believer will say, 'I testify that he is Allah's slave and His Apostle.' Then they will say to him, 'Look at your place in the Hell Fire; Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.' So he will see both his places." (Qatada said, "We were informed that his grave would be made spacious." Then Qatada went back to the narration of Anas who said;) Whereas a hypocrite or a non believer will be asked, "What did you use to say about this man." He will reply, "I do not know; but I used to say what the people used to say." So they will say to him, "Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Quran)." Then he will be hit with iron hammers once, that he will send such a cry as everything near to him will hear, except Jinns and human beings. (See Hadith No. 422).
Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 456

It is interesting to see how both shia and sunni narrations mention the hitting of the kuffars with iron hammers (in the above sunni text) and with a sledgehammer (in the below shia text)

From Zayd Al Shaham who said, ‘Abu Abdullah-asws was asked about the Punishment of the grave. He-asws said: ‘Abu Ja’far-asws narrated to us-asws that a man came to Salman Al-Farsy-ra and he said, ‘Narrate to me’. But hera was silent from him. Then he repeated, but he-ra remained silent, so the man turned around he was saying, and reciting this Verse: Surely those who are concealing what We Revealed from the clear Proofs and the Guidance after having Clarified it for the people in the Book, [2:159]’ He-ra said to him, ‘Turn back! If we-ra were to find trustworthy one, we-ra would narrate it, but prepare for Munkar and Nakeer, when they will be coming to you in the grave, and question you about Rasool-Allah-saww, and if you doubt or hesitate around, they would hit you upon your head with a sledgehammer with them, ashes would come out from it’. He said, ‘Then what?’ He-ra said, ‘Prepare!’
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 53

The soul of the dead will remain in anticipation of what is to come in the hereafter.

This is further explained in the Shia hadith below.

‘From Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘The two Angels, Munkar and Nakeer, come over to the deceased when he is buried, their voices being like echoing thunder, and their eyes being like quick lightning, piercing the ground with their canines, and trampling in their hair, so they are questioning the deceased: ‘Who is your Lord-azwj, and what is your Religion?’  He-asws said: ‘If he was a Momin, he would say, ‘Allah-azwj is my Lord-azwj, and my Religion is AlIslam’. They are saying to him: ‘What you are saying regarding this man who (has) appeared between you (and us)?’ He says, ‘Is it about Muhammad-saww, Rasool-Allah-saww that you are questioning me?’ They are saying, ‘Testify that he is Rasool-Allah-saww’. He says, ‘I testify that he-saww is Rasool-Allah-saww’. They are saying to him: ‘Sleep a sleep in which there are no dreams’, and they expand nine cubits for him in his grave, and open for him a Door to the Paradise, and he sees his seat therein’. And if he was the Kafir man, they both come over to him, and the Satan-la stands in front of him, his-la eyes being (the colour of) of brass, so they are saying to him: ‘Who is your Lord-azwj , and what is your Religion, and what are you saying regarding this man who has appeared between you (and us)’. He says, ‘I do not know’. So, they both leave him with the Satan-la who then will expose him to ninety-nine snakes in his grave, such that if one of these were to blow in the earth, no tree would grow, ever! And they open for him a Door to the Fire, and he sees his seat therein’’.
Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 103

E. The punishment of the grave is real and forms part of the Barzakh

The Sunni Text:

Narrated Masruq: 'Aisha said that a Jewess came to her and mentioned the punishment in the grave, saying to her, "May Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave." 'Aisha then asked Allah's Apostle about the punishment of the grave. He said, "Yes, (there is) punishment in the grave." 'Aisha added, "After that I never saw Allah's Apostle but seeking refuge with Allah from the punishment in the grave in every prayer he prayed."
Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 454

The Shia Text:

.......... So it was said to him-asws, ‘O son-asws of Rasool-Allah-saww! Is there Bliss and Punishment in the grave?’ He-asws said: ‘Yes, by the One-azwj Who Sent Muhammad-saww with the Truth as a Prophet-saww, and Made him-saww a purifier, a guide, and Guided one. ............
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 54

Not only is the anticipation of Jahanum a punishment in the grave as that anticipation itself is full of fear and hopelessness, there is also actual punishment.

So you shall remember what I (mumin ali Firawn) say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allah, Surely Allah sees the servants. So Allah protected him from the evil (consequences) of what they planned, and the most evil punishment overtook Firon's people: The fire; they shall be brought before it (every) morning and evening and on the day when the hour shall come to pass: Make Firon's people enter the severest chastisement.
Quran [40:44-46]

Quran categorically says in the above verse that the firon's people will be exposed to fire every morning and every evening and at Qayamat. Surely the concept of morning and evening pertains to this world and not Qayamat itself, which shows that these are being tortured by hell fire even before qayamat itself.

The same is also used by Mawla Ali (AS) to mention the actual punishment in the grave;

From Amir Al-Momineen-asws having said: ‘And as for the rebuttal upon one who denies the Reward and the Punishment in the world after the death, before the Day of Judgment, so Allah-azwj the Exalted is Saying: ............. The Fire – they would be presented to it morning and evening; and on the Day the Hour would be Established, [40:46] – and the morning and evening cannot happen to be during the Day of Judgment which is the House of the eternal abiding, and rather they are happening in the world.  ...........
Bihar Al Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 76

It is also reconciled in Sunni texts:

............  `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Several nights passed, then the Messenger of Allah said: (Verily you will be tested in the graves.)'' `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "After that, the Messenger of Allah used to seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave.'' This was also recorded by Muslim. It could be said that this Ayah indicates that the souls will be punished in Al-Barzakh, but this does not necessarily imply that the bodies in their graves will be affected by that. When Allah revealed something about the torment of the grave to His Prophet , he sought refuge with Allah from that. And Allah knows best. The Hadiths which speak of the torment of the grave are very many. Qatadah said, concerning the Ayah, morning and afternoon.): "(This means) every morning and every evening, for as long as this world remains, it will be said to them by way of rebuke and humiliation, O people of Fir`awn, this is your position.'' Ibn Zayd said, "They are there today, being exposed to it morning and evening, until the Hour begins...........
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafseer of Surah 40 Ayah 46

There are more ayahs that point towards the torment in the grave;

And from among those who are round about you of the dwellers of the desert there are hypocrites, and from among the people of Medina (also); they are stubborn in hypocrisy; you do not know them; We know them; We will chastise them twice then shall they be turned back to a grievous chastisement
Quran  [9:101]

The hypocrites will be chastised twice (in this world and the grave), before the grievous chastisment (of Qayamah).

(We shall punish them twice), "By killing and capture.'' In another narration he said, "By hunger and torment in the grave,
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafseer of Surah 9 Verse 101

The people of Nuh were also exposed to the fire before Qayamah arrives;

Because of their wrongs they were drowned, then made to enter fire, so they did not find any helpers besides Allah.
Quran [71:25]

That is, "Drowning was not their end, but after death their souls were immediately subjected to the punishment of the Fire." This precisely was the treatment that was meted out to Pharaoh and his people, as has been stated in Surah Al-Mu'min: 45-46. (For explanation, see E.N. 63 of Al Mu'min). This verse also is of those verses which prove the punishment of barzakh (intermediary stage between death and Resurrection).
Tafheem ul Quran by Abul Ala Maududi, Tafseer of Surah 71 Ayah 25

F. Is the treatment of Barzakh temporary or permanent?

This is where the grey area exists even when you read the Quran and the Shia and Sunni literature in totality. It is fair to understand that different treatments will be meted out based on the future of the person based on their beliefs and deeds. Some text points out to the fact that the state of the Barzakh is permanent (like the fire exposed to the people of Firaun daily). Some text points out that the state for some is temporary and can change (for example being punished in the grave one year to not being punished due to the deeds of charity his relatives did on the deceased's behalf). Some text also points out that for some no questioning will be done and their state of future (either hell or heaven) will not be revealed to them during the barzakh. Then some texts point out to the fact that there will come a time when all punishments will cease to exist before Qayamah and everyone, the good and the bad, will be put to sleep.

And the trumpet shall be blown, when lo ! from their graves they shall hasten on to their Lord. They shall say: O woe to us! who has raised us up from our sleeping-place? This is what the Beneficent Allah promised and the messengers told the truth.
Quran [36:51-52]

When you read the above verse, it is clear that all the dead will rise in Qayamat, and the mushrikeens who did not believe in Qayamat, will complaint that how come they are raised from their sleeping places.

If the Barzakh is true and torment of the grave is true, then it cannot be a sleeping place. The sleeping place can only be if the dead were unaware of their death.

There are however a few possibilities. At Qayamah, two trumpets will be blown, and at the blow of the first trumpet, every living or dead thing as created by Allah will become unconscious (and sleep).

And the trumpet shall be blown, so all those that are in the heavens and all those that are in the earth shall swoon, except such as Allah please; then it shall be blown again, then lo! they shall stand up awaiting.
Quran [39:68]

This is also identified by Ibn Kathir;

(They will say: "Woe to us! Who has raised us up from our place of sleep.'') This does not contradict the fact that they will be punished in their graves, because in comparison to what is to come afterwards, that will seem like a nap. Ubayy bin Ka`b, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Qatadah said, "They will sleep before the Resurrection.'' Qatadah said, "That will be between the two trumpet blasts, they will say, `Who has raised us up from our place of sleep''' When they say that, the believers will respond. This was the view of more than one of the Salaf.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafseer of Surah 36, Ayah 52

The state of the sleep is also verified from Shia text (albeit it is mentioned for the believers)

‘From Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘The two Angels, Munkar and Nakeer, come over to the deceased when he is buried, their voices being like echoing thunder, and their eyes being like quick lightning, piercing the ground with their canines, and trampling in their hair, so they are questioning the deceased: ‘Who is your Lord-azwj, and what is your Religion?’  He-asws said: ‘If he was a Momin, he would say, ‘Allah-azwj is my Lord-azwj, and my Religion is AlIslam’. They are saying to him: ‘What you are saying regarding this man who (has) appeared between you (and us)?’ He says, ‘Is it about Muhammad-saww, Rasool-Allah-saww that you are questioning me?’ They are saying, ‘Testify that he is Rasool-Allah-saww’. He says, ‘I testify that he-saww is Rasool-Allah-saww’. They are saying to him: ‘Sleep a sleep in which there are no dreams’, and they expand nine cubits for him in his grave, and open for him a Door to the Paradise, and he sees his seat therein’.
Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 6, The book of Justice, S 2, Ch 8 H 103

It is therefore clear that as Allah wills, even those tormented, their torment will cease to exist before Qayamah and when they are risen, they will rise confused once more, so that the state of the fear and torment re-initiates.

5. The punishment of the Barzakh and Grave should not surprise us. The punishment of Allah begins in this life also

They swear by Allah that they did not speak, and certainly they did speak, the word of unbelief, and disbelieved after their Islam, and they had determined upon what they have not been able to effect, and they did not find fault except because Allah and His Messenger enriched them out of His grace; therefore if they repent, it will be good for them; and if they turn back, Allah will chastise them with a painful chastisement in this world and the hereafter, and they shall not have in the land any guardian or a helper.
Quran  [9:74]

6. Where does the soul reside during Barzakh?

The Quran remains silent. I came accross many shia and sunni traditions giving different perspectives to this question.

When you read this article in entirety, you will also realize that the most likely situation is, that the soul resides in the grave of the dead, during barzakh. This is why the questioning from the soul is done in its grave. This is also why the grave becomes the actual point of anticipation of the dead for either the heaven or the hell. This is further fueled by certain narrations where the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) spoke with the dead who were in their graves;

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The Prophet looked at the people of the well (the well in which the bodies of the pagans killed in the Battle of Badr were thrown) and said, "Have you found true what your Lord promised you?" Somebody said to him, "You are addressing dead people." He replied, "You do not hear better than they but they cannot reply."
Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 452

Even Imam Ali (AS) spoke to graves;

While returning from Siffin, Imam ‘Ali passed along the cemetery of Kufa. Addressing the graves he said: "O you, who are lying in horrible and deserted houses. O you, who are shut up in the dark graves, who are alone in their abodes, strangers to the places assigned to them; you have gone ahead and preceded us, while we are also following your steps and shall shortly join you. Do you know what has happened aver you? Your houses and property was taken up by others, your widows have remarried, this is what we can tell you of this world. Can you give us some news about things around you?" Saying this, Imam ‘Ali turned to his companions and said, "If they are permitted to speak they will inform you that the best provision for the next world is piety and virtue".
Nahjul Balagha Part 2, Sayings and Letters of Imam Ali, Hadith #130

It is clear that the Prophet (SAW) and Imam Ali (AS) spoke with the graves and the dead (soul not the body) could hear them. 

In Sunnis, there are ahadith citing to say Salam to the people of the graves when entering the graveyards. In the Shias, it is mandatory to visit the graves of the Prophet (SAW) and his Ahlulbayt (AS), and in the Shia ziarat, it is mentioned that angels come to these graves also to pay their homages to the personalities who have been created by Allah as the most dearest to Him. This also show that the homage is being paid to the person and not their body, and without their soul the person is not complete.

If i cannot say for a fact, i can say with enough possibility that the soul of the person resides in the grave during the time of the Barzakh.

This has also been captured by Ibn Kathir in his Tafseer.

'' Abu Sakhr said, "Al-Barzakh refers to the graves. They are neither in this world nor the Hereafter, and they will stay there until the Day of Resurrection.''
Tafseer Ibn Kathir, Tafseer of Surah 23 Ayah 100

7. What about the people who do not have a grave?

The Quran remains silent. The ahadith are not very vivid either. But if you analyze the attitude of the Quran how it treats death, there will come realization that the grave of the person and his/her barzakh becomes the place of their eventual resting place, irrespective if it was a complete dead body, or its ashes.

If Yunus (AS) had not been the grateful ones during the good times, Allah would have raised him from the fish. Irrespective where the fish swam, died, dissolved itself, dissolved the prophet inside itself.

And Yunus was most surely of the messengers. When he ran away to a ship completely laden, So he shared (with them), but was of those who are cast off. So the fish swallowed him while he did that for which he blamed himself But had it not been that he was of those who glorify (Us), He would certainly have tarried in its belly to the day when they are raised.
Quran [37:139-144]

Similarly, the people of Nuh (AS) who were drowned, were exposed to the fire of Barzakh the moment they drowned (not till they were buried, as their burial could not take place due to the dead bodies being in water eventually been eaten by the fish or dissolved).

Because of their wrongs they were drowned, then made to enter fire, so they did not find any helpers besides Allah.
Quran [71:25]

That is, "Drowning was not their end, but after death their souls were immediately subjected to the punishment of the Fire." This precisely was the treatment that was meted out to Pharaoh and his people, as has been stated in Surah Al-Mu'min: 45-46. (For explanation, see E.N. 63 of Al Mu'min). This verse also is of those verses which prove the punishment of barzakh (intermediary stage between death and Resurrection).
Tafheem ul Quran by Abul Ala Maududi, Tafseer of Surah 71 Ayah 25

8.  The Qayamah is when the souls will unite with the body and the actual Judgement will pass for the first time

Quran has made the events of Qayamah very explicity, and elaborative, leaving no space for interpretations.

When the sun is covered, And when the stars darken, And when the mountains are made to pass away, And when the camels are left untended, And when the wild animals are made to go forth, And when the seas are set on fire, And when souls are united, And when the female infant buried alive is asked For what sin she was killed, And when the books are spread, And when the heaven has its covering removed, And when the hell is kindled up, And when the garden is brought nigh, Every soul shall (then) know what it has prepared.
Quran [81:1-14]

It is clear now that despite the anticipation of heaven and hell during the barzakh, the actual result will only be announced in Qayamah when every soul should finally know what it had prepared for itself.

It is also clear that despite the ambiguity of Barzakh where the comfort or the torment is to the soul, or the body, or any form of consciousness, the actual uniting of souls with the body will only be at the moment of Qayamah.

And everyone will raise from their graves;

And the trumpet shall be blown, when lo ! from their graves they shall hasten on to their Lord.
Quran [36:51]

9. Death is not that bad

The more we know Allah, the more we must fear him. But we also must remember He chose for himself to be called and remembered as the Beneficient and the Merciful.

We must also keep believing that we will be forgiven by his mercy.

Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants and takes the alms, and that Allah is the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful?
Quran [9:104]

We must also keep believing what awaits us after our death.

The gardens of perpetuity, they (believers) shall enter them, rivers flowing beneath them; they shall have in them what they please. Thus does Allah reward those who guard (against evil), Those whom the angels cause to die in a good state, saying: Peace be on you: enter the garden for what you did
Quran [16:31-32]

10. Death is the true reality of Life

Imam Hassan (AS) and Imam Ali (AS) ibn Hussain (AS) have said that death for the believer is his greatest joy, for a believer it is as if taking off his dirty clothes and wearing most perfumed prized apparel, breaking his chains and being free from the prison, whereas for the disbelievers is the other way round. 

Imam Muhammad bin 'Ali bin Musa ar-Rida (AS) was asked: What is the matter with these Muslims that they dislike death? He said: They are ignorant of it and therefore they dislike it. If they possessed knowledge of it and were true friends (awliya') of Allah, they would love it, and would surely know that the other world is better for them than this.

We must therefore not be of those who dislike death for ourselves, but we must remember it daily and know that when its time comes, none can withold it. So much so that we must not delay the doing of good deeds because death will not wait even if we were about to give alms to someone.

And spend out of what We have given you before death comes to one of you, so that he should say: My Lord! why didst Thou not respite me to a near term, so that I should have given alms and been of the doers of good deeds? And Allah does not respite a soul when its appointed term has come, and Allah is Aware of what you do.
Quran [63:10-11]

Imam Hussain (AS) so succintly wrote before his martyrdom, that it is as if the world never existed and it is the hereafter that always existed.

Muhammad Bin Amro said, ‘And it is narrated to me by Al Kareem Bin Amro, from Muyassir Bin Abdul Aziz, ‘From Abu Ja’far-asws having said: ‘Al-Husayn-asws Bin Ali-asws wrote to Muhammad-asws son of Ali-asws (Ibn Al Hanafiya) from Karbala: ‘In the Name of Allah-azwj the Beneficent, the Merciful! From Al-Husayn-asws Bin Ali-asws to Muhammad son of Ali-asws and the ones from the clan of Hashim-as around him. As for after, it is as if the world does not even exist, and it is as if the Hereafter did not cease to be. And the greetings
Bihar Al Awaar – V 45, The book of History – Al Hassanasws, Ch 37 H 23 b

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The Précis

So much we believe about death and what follows, very little do we know about it.

An analysis of what the Quran has mentioned about life after death and what has been said in shia and sunni text on the matter of death, Barzakh and the questioning of the grave.