Death

“He gives life and causes to die.” (Araf, 7/158).

“Every soul is bound to taste death.” (Al Imran, 3/185).

“Sleep is the brother of death.” (Prophetic saying)¹⁾

“Just as the earth’s lively face, as well as its creatures and animate beings, testify to an All-Wise Maker’s necessary Existence and Unity, so do those living creatures bear witness through their death to an All-Living, All-Permanent One’s Unity and Eternity.”²⁾

“In addition to being the means to innumerable advantages and benefits, solidarity and unity based on sincerity is the strongest shield and point of support against fear, and even death. For when death comes, it takes one soul. A person who strives in true unity with their fellows on the way of God’s good pleasure for the realization of the purposes related to the Hereafter, has as many souls as their brothers and sisters. Therefore, such a person meets death with a smile and says, ‘Even though only one of my souls dies, my other souls will continue to live and cause me to gain as many rewards as they do. So by means of these souls, I will continue to live in respect of reward; I am only dying in respect of sin.’”³⁾

“One of the most influential means of attaining sincerity and preserving it is ‘contemplation of death.’ While long-term worldly ambitions damage sincerity and cause ostentation and worldliness, the ‘contemplation of death’ leads one to abhor ostentation and gain sincerity. By never forgetting death and always considering the transient nature of this worldly life, one can be saved from the tricks of the carnal soul.”⁴⁾

“Were it not for illness, good health and ease would cause heedlessness, presenting the world as pleasant and making people oblivious of the Hereafter. By distracting them from the thought of death and the grave, good health and ease cause them to waste the capital of life on trifles. But illness suddenly gives them awareness, and says to the body: ‘You are not immortal, and have not been left to your own devices. You have a duty. Give up haughtiness; think of the One Who has created you; know that you will enter the grave, and make the necessary preparation!’”⁵⁾

“… death is not frightening; it is not as it appears to be. Based on the light provided by the wise Qur’an, we have convincingly explained in many parts of the Risale-i Nur that for people of belief, death is a discharge from the hardship of the duties of this life. Moreover, it is a means of reunion with ninety-nine relatives and beloved ones who have already emigrated to the other world.It is also a means of entering the true homeland and eternal abode of happiness. It is an invitation to the meadows of Paradise from the prison of this world, and it is the time when one receives a wage from the grace of the All-Compassionate Creator in return for a service. Since this is the reality of death, we should view death not as something terrifying, but as the prelude to mercy and happiness.”⁶⁾

“Through the light of the Qur’an I saw that although death’s veil is black, dark, and ugly, for believers its true face is luminous and beautiful. We have convincingly expressed this truth in several parts of the Risale-i Nur. For instance, as we explained in the Eighth Word and the Twentieth Letter, death is not extinction and eternal separation; it is rather the introduction to eternal life, its beginning. It is a rest from the hardships of life’s duties, a demobilization. It is a change of residence. It is meeting with the caravan of one’s friends who have already migrated to the Intermediate World of the grave, and so on. I saw death’s true, beautiful face through realities such as these. It was not with fear but with a certain yearning that I looked at the face of death. Indeed, in a sense, it was with yearning, and I understood some meaning of the Sufis’ ‘contemplation of death.’”⁷⁾

“The All-Mighty is also All-Wise and All-Compassionate. Thus His Wisdom and Compassion require the veiling of most future events, for as people consider many of them unpleasant, any prior knowledge of them would be painful. Thus His Wisdom and Compassion require the veiling of most future events, for as people consider many of them unpleasant, any prior knowledge of them would be painful. This is why we do not know when we will die and why the misfortunes we will experience remain behind the veil of the Unseen.”⁸⁾

“‘He causes to die.’ means that He discharges you from life’s duty, changes your abode from this transient world to an eternal one, and releases you from the burden of service. In other words, it takes you from life to life. This phrase announces: Good news! Death is not annihilation or going to non-existence, not an eternal separation or a chance event without an author, and sending you to the everlasting happiness that is your true home. Death is the door to union with the Intermediate World, where you will meet with 99 percent of your friends.”⁹⁾

“O people, do you know where you are going, where you are being driven? You are going to the sphere of Mercy, to the peaceful Presence of the All-Beautiful One of Majesty. A happy life of 1,000 years in this world cannot be compared to an hour of life in Paradise, and 1,000 years of life in Paradise cannot be compared to an hour’s vision of His Countenance of utmost beauty. All the loveliness and beauty seen in this world’s creatures, including the loved ones that so fascinate and obsess you, are only shadows of one manifestation of His Beauty and the loveliness of His Names. Paradise and its charms are merely manifestations of His Mercy; all longing, love, and attraction are merely flashes from His Love’s light. You are going into the Presence of the One Eternally Worshipped and Everlastingly Beloved, and are invited to Paradise, His eternal feasting place. So enter the grave with a smile.”¹⁰⁾

“If you want counsel, death is sufficient. One who thinks of death gets rid of his or her love of the world and strives for the next life.”¹¹⁾

“The sick, the oppressed and the afflicted constitute a large part of humanity. The creed of the Resurrection has a great influence on their spirits as well. The patients find hope in the face of death approaching them at every moment and the grave they run to, only in seeing that grave as a corridor that opens to the other world. If they do not consider the grave as a way to happiness and a means to eternity, they will never be happy.”¹²⁾

“Thus he both served his cause and the conversion and eternal happiness of many others. To conclude, Muslims should know the value of the Religion with which they are favored and the value this Religion has gained them. They should be aware of the fact that this universe has been created for them, with all that it contains at their service. Therefore, aware of their exceptional value, they should not leave this world in return for a low price. Their consideration should be as follows: “I am leaving the world, but I should leave a world which has found its true orbit—which has achieved its goal of creation. My death should also be a mysterious key to open the doors of Paradise for me, and while my personal tiny light is being distinguished, innumerable new lights should begin to shine.”¹³⁾

Ali Ünal, The Resurrection and the Afterlife

Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, The Resurrection and the Hereafter

Hikmet Işık, “What Is the Purpose of Death?”, The Fountain, Issue 46, April–June 2004.

Mehmet Ateş, “Dying and Living Twice: Death Is Not the End”

Pim van Lommel, Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience

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