Barzakh literally means a curtain. Death is a curtain between this world and the intermediate world. We cannot see the people who have crossed over to the other side and we have almost no communication with them. While their state depends on their actions in this world. People who have lived their lives in obedience to Allah (SWT) have peace in Barzakh. They can see us from time to time but they cannot establish communication with us unless Allah (SWT) so wills. While people who have lived a life of rebellion and sin and Who did not care for the law/guidance of Allah (SWT) are in a miserable state in Barzakh. The pain in this world is nothing compared to the pain they are suffering.
When a person is buried in the local grave yard, his soul is taken to either Wadi-us-Salaam or to Wadi-al-baroot, depending on, if the person was pious or evil.
Wadi-us-salaam.
Wadi us Salaam is a valley of peace. Where the souls of all good people enjoying their stay.
The senses of smell, sight and touch are far sharper. The fruit taste much better, the fragrance of this world is nothing compared to the fragrance of Wadi-us-salaam. Wadi-us-salaam is like the good of this world, multiply by 100’s of 1000’ of times, and this is just the glimpse of what awaits a believer in vadi-us-salaam.
Wadi-e-Barhoot
The Valley of punishment (Wadi-e-Barhoot) is situated in the barren lands in the desert in Yemen, devoid of food or water. This is the dwelling of the evil spirits (rooh), a place where they are severely chastised.
One day a man came to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in a state of shock. His face was pale from fear. He said, that he had witnessed an astonishing event.
He said, “My wife has a disease, and to cure this disease she needed some water (Mineral water) from the well in the desert.”
“I went to the valley to fetch her the mineral water. When I got there the eerie surrounding made me fearful. I hastily started searching for the well so that I could take the water and get out from this place.”
“I found one well and was about to fill my bag with water, when I heard the noise of chains from above me. I heard a voice from above, requesting me for some water. When I looked up I saw a man hanging by a chain which was bound round his neck. I was confused but agreed to his request. When I extended my hand to offer some water, the chain was suddenly pulled, and that man reached closer to the blazing sun. I was dumbfounded and scared, and started filling the water bag when I saw the man being sent down again.”
“He again requested me for water, and like before I extended my hand to give him some water, the chain was pulled up again. This happened three times.”
“On the third time I was very frightened and ran from there.”
The Holy Prophet (SAW) replied, “The man whom you saw in the Wadi-e-Barhoot was none other than the accursed Cain (Qabeel, the son of Prophet Adam), who had mercilessly murdered his brother Abel (Habeel). He will be punished in the same manner in that valley, and on the day of Judgment, he will be fed to the blazing fire of hell”.
Sayyed Mo’min Shablanji Shafe’i relates from Abul Qasim bin Mohammad, who says, “One day I saw some people gathered near the ‘Maqam-e-Ibraheem’ in the Masjid-ul-Haraam (Ka’bah), and asked them the reason for it.”
They said that a Christian hermit had converted to Islam and had an astonishing incident to narrate. “I went and saw an old man wearing woolen clothes sitting there and I inquired of him.”
He said, “One day I was seated outside my hut gazing at the river and adoring it. Suddenly I saw a huge bird having the head of a donkey descending from the sky. It came down and sat on a boulder. It spitted something from it’s mouth and flew away. I observed properly and saw that it was a quarter part of a human body.”
“The bird returned again and spitted another quarter part of the human body. This happened four times. When all the four parts collected together, a man arose from it. I was astonished.”
“I saw the bird return again. This time the bird started biting the man and severed a quarter part of his body and swallowed it without chewing and flew away. It returned four times until it had swallowed the whole body in parts.”
“I wondered as to what happened, and who the person was, regretting for not having asked the person when the bird was away.”
“On the second day I saw the same thing happening and gathered courage and went up to the person and asked him as to who he was, and why was he being troubled in such a manner.”
“He replied that his name was Abdul Rehman ibne Muljim, the murder of Ali ibne Abi Talib and the bird was sent by Allah to punish him regularly for the grievous crime he had committed.”
“Having got the reply, I left my hut and came about to inquire as to who this Ali (A.) was. People told me that he was the cousin, son-in-law, and the Vicegerent (Wasi) of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) of Islam. I have thus accepted Islam because of this event and have come to Mecca to perform the Pilgrimage (Haj), Lesser Pilgrimage (Umrah), and the Ziarat of the grave of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S).”
Barzakh
The Life of for a person in Barzakh begins when we deliver him to his grave. The first thing that happens is that two angels, Munkir and Nakir enter the grave and put the soul back into the dead body. And Then they Question him.
The questions are as follows:-
-
Who is your Lord and Sustainer?
-
What is your religion?
-
What is the Book (scripture of God) you believe in.
-
Who is the messenger of God you believe in?
-
Who are your Imams
-
What is your Qiblah?
Then the person is questioned about his obligatory Prayers, and Pilgrimage that he had to perform, his fasting during the month of Ramadhan, and his love for Ahlulbait (Family of Prophet Muhammad).
If the person answers correctly the angels ask him to sleep peacefully and the door of paradise is opened into his grave and he sees his place in paradise. His soul is taken from his body to a place in Wadi us Salaam (Valley of Peace.).
If a person is not a believer, he will not be able to give the expected answers and thus the doors of hell will be opened to him in his grave and his soul will be transferred to Wadi al baroot to receive the Punishment.
Squeeze in the Grave
It is also said that if a person is questioned in the grave, he is also subjected to the squeeze of the grave. This Squeeze is for a person who has committed lots of sins and has not seek any forgiveness for it. It is painful in that, all his body is squeezed like a piece of cloth is squeezed to remove water from it. So tight is the squeezing that the bones of the person are broken and a black fluid (Signifying his sins) is squeezed out of the body until all the blackness and dirt is removed
