Introduction

The Arabic word ‘Islam’ means ‘submission’, and is derived from the word meaning ‘peace’. In a religious context, Islam means complete submission to the will of Allah.

As such, Islam is not just a religion, but a “deen”, meaning “the way of life”. It addresses all aspects of a person’s life – from cradle to grave – with a complete guidance that touches upon both material as well as spiritual needs. The completeness of

Islam is emphasised in the following Qur’anic verse, meaning: “… This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing on you and approved Islam as the way of life for you”. (Surah Al-Maidah, 5: 3)

What happens after death? When will the end of the world be? Are we really living in the ‘last days’? These are questions which concern everyone, no matter what his or her background. Many have tried to answer these questions, producing theories that range from the fanciful to the nihilistic, but manmade notions cannot answer questions about matters which the human has no way of finding out by himself or herself. In these as in so many other issues, Islam brings us answers. Surely the One who gives life and takes it away is the One who is the best to inform us of what happens after death. The One who has created this universe and humankind is the best to tell us about when this world will come to an end and humankind will be called to judgement. He has informed us about these matters, in His Book and through His Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).

In this book, Dr. ‘Umar al-Ashqar examines all these issues from the point of view of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. He looks at issues of death and what happens to a person’s soul after death, including the questioning of the angels and the torment of the grave. He also examines the signs of the Last Hour, which indicate that the Day of Judgement is approaching – many of which are already happening. As always, he quotes extensively from the texts, placing these issues squarely within an Islamic framework and dispelling the myths and misunderstandings that have arisen and become prevalent. This Islamic Creed Series of books has been translated into English by Nasiruddin al-Khattab.