Death is something that all living beings have to go through at some point – certain but also unknown to us. How do you perceive death in a practical and positive way?
It felt very apt that to receive the answers almost immediately, Allhamdulillah. The biggest tip to address this challenge is to read, read, read. It will eventually lead you to the answers you seek.
Have you read about what happens on the Last Day?
Our best source to understand death is the Qur’an. There are many surah in the book that provide details and insights on death, which is directly linked to the Last Day/Day of Judgment.
The book titled ‘Changed by the Qur’an‘ by Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy has beautifully summarized it below. I truly adore and appreciate the way it was presented, and I hope it does for you too.
Surah al-Sajdah (The Prostration) is a short powerful chapter that contains many beautiful reminders about the Last Day and how to prepare for it. In this surah, we are shown the formula for righteousness: late night prayer (qiyam), balancing hope and fear of Allah, and generosity.
Surah Ya-sin, ‘the heart of the Qur’an’ that is often recited by Muslims, contains beautiful passages about the signs of Allah and ends with a reminder of the Last Day. As Muslims typically recite the surah when someone passes away, with death we are reminded to recognize the oneness of Allah, obey the Messenger, and prepare for the Last Day.
All they can expect is a single blast, which will seize them while they argue. They will not be able to make a will, nor will they return to their families. The Trumpet will be blown, then behold, they will rush from the tombs to their Lord. They will say, “Woe to us! Who resurrected us from our resting-place?” This is what the Most Gracious promised, and the messengers have spoken the truth.”
-Qur’an 36:31–32
It will be but a single scream; and behold, they will all be brought before Us. On that Day, no soul will be wronged in the least, and you will be recompensed only for what you used to do. The inhabitants of Paradise, on that Day, will be happily busy.
-Qur’an 36:48–55
Surah al-Zumar (The Troops) is a powerful and beautiful surah full of reminders about the afterlife and how to attain success on the Last Day.
Surah Ghafir (The Forgiver) describes the Day when nobody will have any doubt that Power and Kingdom belong to Allah alone. It is a day of justice which every soul will get what it earned, and nobody will be treated unjustly. It is also a day in which there will be no friends or alliances that can benefit the disbeliever. We have to ensure that we do not fall under the group of people that are deluded to think they have real power in this world.
Surah Fussilat (Explained in Detail) presents a detailed scene from the Last Day. Our own organs and skin will testify against them. This is a reminder that even sins done in private have witnesses, and the very limbs we use to sin can testify against us on that day.
The 25th juz contains multiple descriptions of the Day of Judgment. One of them is literally named after the Last Day, Surah al-Waqi’ah (The Inevitable Event). It states that the Day of Judgment is inevitable and is the most important event ever – for the fate of every human will be decided. Surah al-Waqi’ah also gives us a chilling description of death itself that hits the heart and prepares the soul for the reality of the Last Day.
From the 29th juz, the following surahs focuses on various scenes from that day, highlighting different lessons.
Surah al-Taghabun (Mutual Gain and Loss) gives us one of the names of the Last Day, Yawm al-Taghabun. This is because it is the day when there is a huge difference between how much the believer gains and how much the disbeliever loses. There is no bigger division of gain and loss than one group gaining Paradise, while another enters the Hellfire.
Surah al-Haqqah (The Reality) contains a powerful description of the Last Day and emphasizes the placement of the book of deeds on that day.
Surah al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection) then proceeds to describe the Last Day and more ways to prepare for it. Surah al-Qiyamah begins with a warning to those who doubt the resurrection, followed by a detailed description of the Last Day.
Surah al-Insan (The Man) describes Paradise in detail.
Surah al-Mursalaat (The [Winds] Sent-Forth) describes the Hellfire in detail.
The 30th juz then sealed the deal – with at least ten surahs focused on describing the end times and the resurrection.
Surah al-Naba (The Announcement) teaches us that the Last Day is an important event with consequences in both worlds. Allah refers to the last day as the ‘day of sorting’ (yawm al-fasl) and shows us how everything is perfectly sorted in this world and on the Last Day by Him.
Surah al-Takwir (The Final Enwrapping) and Surah al-Infitar (The Shattering) discuss details about the Last Day.
Surah al-Fajr (The Dawn) reminds us about the Last Day and the good ending of the righteous believer.
Surah al-Tin (The Fig) is a reminder that we are responsible for our deeds on the Last Day.
Surah al-Zilzal/al-Zalzala (The Earthquake), Surah al-’Adiyat (The Charging Steeds), and Surah al-Qari’ah (The Hammerer) all describe the Last Day in poetic visuals.
The Qur’an is a vast and layered book, and some surahs carry meanings so deep that a single ayat can take a lifetime to fully absorb. It can feel overwhelming, especially when the verses turn toward something as heavy as death. But here’s the thing: Allah did not reveal these surahs to frighten us — He revealed them so that we would understand. So that when the time comes, we are not caught off guard, but ready.
The more we understand what the Qur’an is telling us, the less frightening the unknown becomes. This is not information to rush through — it’s guidance worth returning to, again and again, until it finds a home in your heart.
Have we thought how to prepare for death?
Death is defined as a transition from this life to the next, where the soul separates from the body.
– Packing For Your Final Journey by Bint Hassan, taught under the guidance of Ustazah Siti Farah Umainah
Framed that way, it doesn’t sound so terrifying. And perhaps that’s the point. It is not death itself that unsettles us — it is the aftermath. The accountability, the unknown, the question of whether we did enough.
This world is temporary. Death calls us toward resilience when things get hard, sincerity in everything we do, and a deeper reliance on Allah swt when we feel like we’re running out of strength.
As I was doomscrolling on Instagram, the algorithm led me to multiple classes that explains or provide actionable insights to death. This includes jenazah courses, classes about the Day Of Judgement, Alam Barzakh and more. I guess it was time to face death head on!
Here are things one can do to prepare for death based on the book, Packing For Your Final Journey, by Bint Hassan (summarised by Ustazah Farah):
- Reprioritise life
- Increase good deeds and leave wrong actions
- Live with purpose and presence
- Let go of unnecessary worries
- Visit graves and attend funerals (highly encouraged by Prophet pbuh)
- Cherish each day
- Use your health before sickness and your life to prepare for death
- Make medical preparations (LPA, DNR, ACO, Organ Donation choices)
- Prepare your will and review your will regularly
- Keep all important documents organised and accessible
- Make personal preparations
- Make material preparations (declutter and donate)
Are our souls ready for death?
If we choose to look at the glass half full, we see that Ar-Rahim is on our side. Everything happens for you, and not to you.
Death may end worldly pleasures, but does not end true rewards, and far greater unimaginable pleasures await in the hereafter.
– Packing For Your Final Journey by Bint Hassan, taught under the guidance of Ustazah Siti Farah Umainah
Surah Al-Asr shows that time is limited and precious, and that true success is through faith, good deeds, and supporting one another. Here are eight mindsets to practise now to ensure our souls are ready, based on the book by Bint Hassan (summarised by Ustazah Farah):
- Oneness of Allah (Tawheed) – Our Pillar of Islam
Direct all acts of worship, reliance, fear, love, and hope to Allah alone without associating any partners with Him. Every human has already acknowledged Allah as their Lord before coming into this world, and our role now is to live by that covenant.
- God-consciousness (Taqwa)
Be more careful, sincere, and disciplined in our actions. The more we cultivate taqwa, the more Allah grants us protection, forgiveness, and success in both this life and the hereafter. We must actively seek knowledge of the deen.
- Love, fear and hope of Allah
These three work together like wings that keep a person spiritually steady. But we cannot love Allah without knowing Him. To know Him is to know His Names and Attributes.
- Having a good opinion of Allah
He always intends good for us and that His plans are filled with wisdom, even during hardships.
- Reliance on Allah (Tawakkaul)
Stop turning first to people and turn first to Allah for solutions to all our problems, for guidance, for advice, for comfort and for solace, aware that He and only He could help us. This also helps us from being too in control in our life, all we can control is our effort and attitude.
- Gratitude (Shukr)
The life of a believer is always spent in one of three states: affliction, blessing or decree, and in each state we should show patience and gratitude.
- Contentment (Qana’ah)
This is harder than gratitude, especially during hardships, because we often struggle to accept what we do not understand. But true contentment comes from trusting that Allah sees the bigger picture while we are limited.
- Patience (Sabr)
Patience is to refrain from complaining, negative reactions, and despair, while calmly accepting difficulties and continuing to act in the right way. It is not passive, it is an active effort to remain steady and not let hardships push us into worse situations.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXq4oAVADhC/?img_index=8&igsh=c25mNHp3dnFmaTUy
So when you think of death, you think of life
Do not let fear stop us from living with purpose and preparing for what comes next.
Disclaimer: Content is adapted from various sources written by professionals, I simply compile them, try to find patterns, and attempt to understand it on my own terms.