Truth Exposed

 The present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed and wrapped in a clean, white cloth (usually by a family member) and buried after a special prayer, preferably the same day. This a final service that they can do for their relatives and an opportunity to remember that their own existence here on earth is brief. All the Prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs meaningless. Every single soul has to taste death, even the prophets of God.

 "Every soul shall have a taste of death in the end to Us shall ye be brought back."                                                                                                      (Qur'an 29:57)

Barzakh is a sequence that happens after death, in which the soul will separate from the body. Three events make up Barzakh:

• The separation of the soul and the body, in which the soul separates and hovers over the body.
• Self-review of one's actions and deeds in one's life.
• The soul rests in an interspace which one will experience a manifestation of one's soul resulting in a cold sleep state awaiting the Day of Judgement.

 ‘Izra’il is the angel of death. He has 4,000 wings, 70,000 feet, and his body is covered with eyes and tongues. ‘Izra’il has a scroll with the names of all people on it, either coded for salvation or damnation. When a leaf falls from a tree beneath the throne of Almighty Allah, ‘Izra’il knows the person’s time has come. His primary function is then to separate the soul of the person from the body 40 days after the leaf with the persons name on it falls from the tree. The angels Munkar and Nakir play an important role in the final events of life. They are black with blue eyes. They interrogate people about their faith in the grave.

The Grave

 Each person comes across tests in the grave, with the exceptions of Shahids who died in Jihad in the way of Allah and the prophets of Allah. This is first test which the person comes across before the coming of Doomsday. In a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh, it is mentioned that after the death the spirit of the good and righteous dead person will return to the body, and then the two Angels will come, Munkar and Nakir. They will ask: "Who is your Lord?" he will answer: "My Lord is Allah." Then they will ask: "What is your religion?" he will answer: "My religion is Islam." Then they will ask him: "Who was that person who has been sent to you?" he will answer: "He is the Prophet of Allah." Then they will ask him: "How do you know?" He will answer: "I read the Book of Allah and trusted Him." Then from the heavens a voice will come: "My Slave has told the truth, lay it to bed from Paradise and open the Gate of Paradise.” Then it will be full of pleasure and he begins to feel paradise and its pleasures, and his tomb becomes spacious.

 The Prophet of Allah, Muhammad s.a.w. has also talked about the sinners. After the death the spirit of the person will return to the body then two Angels will come and ask, "Who is your Lord?" he will answer: "I do not know." Then they will ask: " Who was that person who has been sent to you?" he again will answer: "I do not know." Then from the sky the voice will come: "He told a lie, put him into a box from fire and open before it the Gate of a hell!”Then it will be captured with heat of Hell, and his tomb becomes narrow and the edges will be compressed. In another Hadith it is also mentioned that Angels will severely beat the sinners during interrogation in the tomb and this torture will be awful. It is informed also, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam supplicated to Allah to protect Him from the tortures of the tomb and asked other people to do so. 

 The Signs of the day of judgement are listed in roughly chronological order, although the order is not necessarily precise, especially for those in the future. This is a brief summary of the signs; there are many books, articles, cassettes etc. which discuss these in greater detail. May Allah enable us to recognise and heed the  Signs, and strengthen us in the times of tribulation.

 "Are they waiting for anything except the Hour, to come to them  suddenly?  But its Signs have already come!"                               (Qur’an, Surah Muhammad)

Past:

• Splitting of the Moon.
• Death of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
• A form of death which will kill thousands of Muslims. (Understood to refer to the plague of Amwas during the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.)
• A major fighting in Madinah (understood to refer to the battle of al-Harrah during the caliphate of Yazid, 63 AH).
• The Muslim conquest of Jerusalem.
• The Muslim conquest of Constantinople.
• Two large groups of Muslims will fight in war.
• A war between the Muslims and a reddish people with small eyes, wearing sandals made of hair (understood to refer to
  the Mongol Tatar invasion of the Islamic lands.)
• A peace agreement between the Muslims and non-Muslims from the yellow race (Chinese, Mongols, etc.)
• Thirty impostors (dajjal) will appear, each thinking he is a prophet.

Present?

• Naked, destitute, barefoot shepherds will compete in building tall buildings.
• The slave-woman will give birth to her master or mistress.
• A trial (fitan) which will enter every Arab household.
• Knowledge will be taken away (by the death of people of knowledge), and ignorance will prevail. 
• Wine (intoxicants, alcohol) will be drunk in great quantities.
• Illegal sexual intercourse will become widespread.
• Earthquakes will increase.
• Time will pass more quickly.
• Tribulations (fitnah) will prevail.
• Bloodshed will increase.
• A man will pass by the grave of another and wish he was in the latter’s place.
• Trustworthiness will be lost, i.e. when authority is given to those who do not deserve it.
• People will gather for prayer, but will be unable to find an imam to lead them.

Future:

• The number of men will decrease, whilst the number of women will increase, until for every man there are 50 women.
• The Euphrates will reveal a treasure of gold, and many will die fighting over it, each one hoping to be the one who gains
  the treasure.
• The Romans (Europeans) will come to a place called A’maq or Wabiq, and an army of the best people will go forth from Madinah to face them.
• The Muslim conquest of Rome.
• The Mahdi (guided one) will appear, and be the Imam of the Muslims.
• Jesus Christ will descend in Damascus, and pray behind the Mahdi.
• Jesus will break the cross and kill the swine, i.e. destroy the false christianity.
• The Antichrist (al-masih al-dajjal, the false christ) will appear, with all his tools of deception, and be an immense trial.  He will be followed by 70,000 Jews from Isfahan (present-day Iran).
• The appearance of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog), and the associated tribulations.
• The emergence of the Beast from the Earth, carrying the Staff of Moses and the Seal of Solomon, who will speak to the people, telling them they did not believe with certainty in the Divine Signs.
• A major war between the Muslims (including Jews and Christians who truly believe in Jesus after his return) led by the Imam Mahdi, and the Jews plus other non-Muslims led by the Antichrist. 
• Jesus will kill the Antichrist at the gate of Ludd (Lod in present-day Israel, site of an airport and a major Israeli military base).
• A time of great peace and serenity during and after the remaining lifetime of Jesus. 
• Wealth will come so abundant that it will become difficult to find someone to accept charity.
• Arabia will become a land of gardens and rivers.
• Society will then decay.
• The buttocks of the women of the tribe of Daws will again sway in circumambulation (tawaf) around the idol Dhul-Khulsah.
• A great fire in the Hijaz, seen by the inhabitants of Busra.
• Three major armies will sink into the earth: one in the east, one in the west, one in Arabia.
• An Abyssinian leader with thin shins will destroy the Ka’bah.
• The huge cloud of smoke.
• The sun will rise from the west (its place of setting).
• A gentle wind which will take the souls of the believers.
• There is no-one left on the earth saying, "Allah, Allah" or "There is no god except Allah."
• Eventually the Day of Judgment is established upon the worst of the people, who copulate like donkeys in public.
• The blowing in the Trumpet by the Angel Israfil, upon which everyone will faint except as Allah wills.
• The second blowing in the Trumpet, upon which everyone will be resurrected.