The Qur’an’s Mention of ‘Barzakh’
- A Barrier in the Afterlife
&
Dr. Omer Suleiman’s Video Titled ‘The
Dead are Alive in their Graves’, Ramadan Series - 2025
Koran (23:100): “In front of them
will now be a barrier until that Day when they will be raised.”
A mother
of a young teenage girl from Montreal shared the subject cited video of esteemed
Islamic Scholar Dr. Omer Suleiman and requested my comments.
Reference
to the Context: The
Qur’an tells us that it shall explain itself. This means that the Qur’an is not
dependent on any source outside it. On the other hand, all other sources in
matters of religion and morality depend on the Qur’an!
Koran (75:19): “Then upon Us is to explain it
[for you wherever need be].”
This is
why all scholars, past and present, agree that the Qur’an’s primary interpreter
is the Qur’an itself.
Arguments:
Koran
(36:51-53): “And
[similarly, one day] the trumpet will be sounded; then suddenly they
will come out of the graves one after the other and walk towards their Lord!
[At that
time,] they will say: “Our wretchedness! Who raised us from our graves (our
place of sleep)?” This is the same thing which your Lord had promised you and
[see that] the messengers had stated the absolute truth.
That too
will only be a shout and suddenly all of them will be made to come to Our
presence.”
Koran
(54:6-8): “For
this reason, turn away from them, and wait for the day in which a summoner
will summon them to a thing very undesirable. Their eyes will be downcast on
that day. They will come out of their graves running towards the summoner as if
they are locusts scattered about. At that time, these disbelievers will
cry out: “This is a very difficult day that has arrived!”
Comments: The Qur’an says people will be
lying in their graves (sleeping) and shall be resurrected, and not alive as Dr.
Omer Suleiman alludes in his video titled The Dead are Alive in their Graves
(in Barzakh), Ramadan Series - 2025. It is at this time they will realize the
Day of Judgement is going to be tough for them.
The
Qur’an implies they will be sleeping, thus their statement, who raised them
from their graves? Dr. Omer Suleiman narrates in the video that people will be
just as alive as we are now, and some would be watching green birds that were
once in bodies of martyrs soaring in the sky above them. And, that some would
be enjoying and some having their heads devoured by beasts with many heads.
Metaphysical
realm as the events after death of the life after death in the grave is known
as much as Allah had intended to be known in the Qur’an. The Qur’an’s message
is quite simple and serves as ‘reminder’ of the hereafter and presents its case
through sound arguments and empirical evidence through the stories of the
earlier messengers through whom God created a miniature Day of Judgment in this
word for us to be ‘reminded’ of the actual Day of Judgment on our resurrection
from our graves.
Surah
Al-Qamar narrates this ‘reminder’ by mentioning the tales of four messengers
one after the other followed by the same verse of the Koran to ‘remind’ us of
the actual day of judgment to follow, Koran (54:17): “We have made this
Qur’an very appropriate for reminding. So, is there anyone who shall take
heed!?” This is the main focus and mainstay message of the Qur’an for
humanity.
Koran
(2:154): “And do
not say that those slain in [this] cause of God are dead; they are not
dead; in fact, they are alive, but you are not aware [of the manner in
which they live].”
Comments: This is very important. Allah
states in the Qur’an that we are unaware of the manner in which they live! The respected
gentleman Dr. Omer Suleiman in the video states that one will have a full life
in Barzakh. The Qur’an states we are unaware of that life. He states that there
will be food, drink, and animals in the life of Barzakh. The Qur’an states they
are alive but we are not aware of how they live.
With
utmost respect to Dr. Omer Suleiman, he is a Scholar of Islam and worthy of
genuine respect, God does not dispense with detailed accounts of the
metaphysical world. That is why the message of the Qur’an makes a passing
remark in such matters. Enough to make us know what to expect in the afterlife.
Storytelling and presenting Hadith having the status of Hasan, can be eschewed
from or presented as much as the Qur’an states or intends to state. Presenting
actual visualization of what is happening in the after world called Barzakh, meaning
a ‘Barrier’, actually means we do not have access to details. That is why it is
called a Barzakh (Barrier)!
The
Qur’an hints in the verse above, the ones who attained the highest degree of
God’s pleasure are rewarded immediately and vice versa. In the case of Pharaoh
(Musa’s enemy), he is shown his final abode, morning and evening, as we see in
a nightmare, Koran (40:45-46): “Thus God saved him from the evil of his
schemes but the people of the Pharaoh were surrounded by an evil
torment [after this:] the fire of Hell before which they are
brought day and night and the Day the Hereafter arrives, it will be
ordered: “Admit the companions of the Pharaoh into the worst torment.””
The
actual punishment cannot commence BEFORE the Day of Judgement. The Qur’an
comments on extreme cases – the best of people and the wretched of people. It
is silent on people who fall in the middle category. For them Allah gives them
a lot of hope through forgiveness before death overtakes us and warns of
repercussions in the hereafter if we do not turn to Him.
Koran
(3:169-171): “[Do
not pay heed to these things, O Prophet!] and whoever have been slain [during
this war] for the cause of God, never regard them as dead. They are not dead;
in fact, they are alive in the presence of God; they are being well provided
for; pleased with what God has given them of His blessings, expressing joy
about those they left behind who have not yet come to them that [in this
eternal kingdom of God] neither is there any fear for them as well nor shall
they ever be sorrowful, rejoicing in the favours and blessings of God and
rejoicing that God shall never waste the reward of the believers.”
Comments: The Qur’an is consistent in its
message! We are not aware of that life of bliss yet. The respected Dr. Omer
Suleiman in the video narrates a Hasan Hadith of a man rising from his grave,
dusting his clothes: This narration is recorded by Imam Waki’ ibn Jarrah in his
“Kitab az-Zuhd” and by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his “Kitab az-Zuhd” on the authority
of Sayyiduna Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him). The incident
describes a group from the Banu Israel who visited a graveyard and proposed
praying two rakaats and asking Allah to resurrect someone to inquire about
death. After doing so, a man with a mark of prostration on his forehead was
resurrected, who informed them that he had died a hundred years prior and had
only just now been relieved of the pain of death.
[Al-Muhaddith
Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah has declared the chain of Imam Waki’ as sound (Hasan)
– not authentic (Sahih).]
The
Qur’an presents a different perspective. Such metaphysical occurrences are
accorded to the prophets. When Jesus was given miracles, among one being
raising the dead to life, he did so by saying each time that he is doing so
with the directive of Allah. Prophets are given miracles. Not ordinary men. Koran
(5:110): “When God will say: “O Jesus son of Mary! Recall the favour I bestowed
on you and on your mother at the time when I helped you through the Holy
Spirit; you would talk even in the cradle [as a prophet] and also when you were
advanced in age. And, at the time, when I taught you the law and the wisdom
which is the Torah and the Gospel. And, at the time, when at My directive,
you would fashion from clay the model of a bird, then would breathe into it and
it would become a living bird at My directive; and you would cure the
born-blind and those inflicted with leprosy with My directive; and, at the
time, when you would restore the dead to life with My directive. And, at the
time, when I withheld the Israelites from harming you when you came to
them with clear signs and their disbelievers said: Nothing! This is but plain
sorcery.”
While
mentioning Prophet Abraham, the Koran gives an interesting conversation between
him and God. Koran (2:260): “And, [in this regard,] that incident should
also be kept in consideration when Abraham had said: “Show me, Lord, how
You will raise the dead?” He replied: “Do you not have faith?” “Yes I do have
faith, but just want to fully reassure my heart,” said Abraham. God said:
“Okay! Take four birds; then tame them with yourself; then [after
slaughtering them] place each of them on every hill; then call them. They will
[come back to life and] run swiftly towards you, and [for the future] fully
understand that God is Mighty, very Wise.”
Koran
(14:48): “On the
Day when the earth will be changed to another earth, and the heavens [as well],
and they [all creatures] will come out before Allah, the One, the Prevailing.”
Comments:
Respected Dr.
Omer Suleiman states in the video that Barzakh is happening right now. That
while Prophet Musa is praying in his grave, people were seeing Musa alone in
the cradle in the Nile River. And as the Pharaoh (Firoun) is throwing people in
ditches of fire here, Allah is throwing Firoun in ditches of fire in hell.
The
Qur’an (14:48) shows that both Paradise and Hell have not yet been created but
will come into existence from the remnants of this universe after the
cataclysmic upheaval of the Day of Judgment. The Qur’an refers to this event as
‘The News’, the title of Chapter 78.
Koran
(4:75): “[Believers!]
What has come over you that you fight not in the cause of God, and for those
helpless men, women, and children who are crying out: “Lord! Rescue us from
this city whose people are oppressors, and raise for us from Yourself one
who will sympathize, and raise for us from Yourself one who will help.”
Comments: The respected Dr. Omer Suleiman
mentions the aggressors of Gaza and implies in the video to exercise restraint
against them: Koran (19:84): “So, do not show haste in the
decision against them. We are only completing their count.” The Qur’an
in Verse (4:75) invokes the believers to muster the courage and force to fight
the oppressors and free the oppressed. The Qur’an does not ask to exercise
restraint.
Apparently there seems a
dichotomy in the Qur’an’s stance. At one point, it is stating to fight the
oppressors, and on the other hand, it is asking to exercise restraint. How do
we reconcile this dichotomy within the Qur’an?
Among
the prophets God chooses some as His messengers. The messengers are under the
direct protection of God, Koran (58:20-21): “[You should know that] those
who show enmity to God and His Messenger, it is they who shall be
humiliated the most. This is because God has decreed: “I and My Messengers are
destined to be dominant.” In reality, God is extremely Powerful and very
Mighty.”
Once
the messenger conveys the truth, that is the message of God conclusively, in
that the truth is conveyed conclusively and with no excuse left for the
addressees to accept the message of the messengers, God decimates the
non-believers and saves the faithful. This way, God creates a miniature day of
judgment through them on the face of the earth.
This is
empirical evidence the Koran presents in forwarding the Case of the Certainty
of the Advent of the Hereafter. The ‘Reward and Punishment’ reserved for the
Day of Judgement where the faithful have to be rewarded and willful rejectors
have to be punished is created here on earth for all to be ‘reminded’ of the
Day.
The
Koran verse stated by respected Dr. Omer Suleiman does not relate to us but to
messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) where God takes charge of the fate of
the direct addressee.
Koran
(23:99-111):
“[They will not desist from their pranks] until when the death of any
of them hovers over, he will say: “Lord! You people send me back that I
may earn good deeds in what I have left behind.” Certainly not! This is merely
a statement that he is uttering. In front of them will now be a barrier
until that Day when they will be raised.
Then
when the trumpet is sounded, there will be no relationship between them on
that Day nor will they be able to seek help from one another.
At that
time, those whose scales are heavy shall only succeed and those whose scales
are light, it is they who have put themselves in loss. They shall forever
remain in Hell.
Fire shall
burn down their faces and their faces shall be distorted in it were not My
revelations read out to you; then you would deny them?
They
will say: “Our Lord! Our misfortune had enveloped us and we really were those
who had gone astray.
Our
Lord! If you take us out [once], after that if we repeat what we did, we shall
definitely be among the unjust.”
It shall
be ordered: “Be off with you! Remain in it and do not talk to Me.”
There
were also some among My servants who would pray: “Our Lord! We have professed
faith; so, forgive us and have mercy on us and you are best of those who
show mercy.”
So, you
made fun of them until [it was as if] they made you forget Our remembrance
also and you continued to ridicule them.
Today, I
have rewarded them for their patience so that it is they only who have
succeeded.”
Comments: The gentleman Dr. Omer Suleiman in
the video is correct in stating a Hadith where it says the grave is the first
station of the Hereafter. The moment angels come to take our souls; we have an
idea of our fate. We are subsequently made to wait till the Day of Judgment.
The fire
of hell or burning shall commence AFTER the events of the Day of Judgment. The
willful rejectors. Who rejected and spurned the truth willfully, knowingly, and
deliberately and persisted with their rebellious attitude in life. ESPECIALLY
who did so in front of their prophet in person.
Koran
(8:50): “Had you
been able to see [you would have known what had happened at that time] when the
angels were claiming the souls of these disbelievers whilst striking them on
their faces and their backs and while saying: “Taste now the torment of the
fire!”
Koran (47:27-28): “[If this is their attitude,]
what will happen at the time when angels claim their souls while
striking their faces and their backs? This is because they followed what
angered God and did not like to please Him; so, God rendered their [apparent]
good deeds useless as well.”
Comments: Both verses carry the same
message for those people who were the immediate addressee of the prophet and
rejected him knowingly. Where God states that they recognize the Qur’an (or
you) as they recognize their sons, yet they wrong their souls! Koran (6:20):
“Those to whom We have given the Book recognize this [Qur’ān] the way they
recognize their own sons. However, those who have put themselves in loss do not
believe in it[and insist on polytheism].”
Dr. Omer Suleiman rightly
emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, urging us to continually assess
our actions and consider the legacy we leave behind. When our time comes, which
path will we have followed—the path of the righteous (shuhada) or that of the
oppressors who brought suffering to others? The Quran serves as a powerful
reminder of this truth. Koran (59:18-19): “O those who lay claim to
faith! Fear God and let every soul [from among you] fully evaluate what he
has done for tomorrow. [Evaluate it] and keep fearing God; God surely is
aware of all your deeds. Be not like those who forgot God, and God made them
forget themselves. In reality, it is they who are the disobedient.”
Dr. Omer Suleiman rightly
mentions that it is the stage of our lives in the Barzakh where each soul shall
be made clear about the outcome of the life spent on earth. Koran portrays a
most apt reminder for us in this regard. Koran (63:9-11): “Believers! [Like
these Hypocrites,] let neither your riches nor your children make you
indifferent to remembering God, and [remember that] those who do this, it is
they who will be the losers.
Spend [for the cause of God] from
what We have blessed you before death befalls any of you, then he
[longingly] says: “Lord! Why did you not give me some more respite that I would
have spent for Your cause and if I had done so, today I would have been among
the righteous?”
Even though God will never give
respite to a soul when its appointed time arrives, and whatever you do is
fully in God’s knowledge.”
Narration
of Dreams: The
Qur’an makes it unequivocally clear that Allah commands Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) to present His message through the Qur’an itself. It is this
divine revelation that serves as the ultimate means of guidance, warning, and
striving in the path of truth. Koran (50:45): “[Do not fret over them, O
Prophet!] We know whatever they are saying, and [remember that] you have not
been appointed to force them. So, remind through this Qur’an those who fear My
warning.”
This verse affirms that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) was instructed to use the Qur’an as the primary
tool of delivering God’s message. The act of reminding, warning, and calling
people to the truth was to be done through the words of the Qur’an itself.
Furthermore, God, Koran
(25:52): “…and through this Qur’an keep waging a great jehad with them.”
God defines the greatest jehad as
the one carried out through the Qur’an. The struggle against falsehood,
ignorance, and deviation from the truth is to be undertaken using the power of
divine revelation. The Qur’an is the weapon of truth, the guide for humanity,
and the means through which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to fulfill his
mission.
In the eyes of Allah, delivering
His message through the Qur’an is the ultimate form of striving—a mighty jehad
that upholds the truth and calls humanity to divine guidance. The Scholars
should follow the same recommendation and the stressed upon way of presenting
God’s word as instructed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Comments: The esteemed Dr. Omer Suleiman
reminds the audience of the reality of our graves, sharing profound accounts
that highlight the spiritual consequences of our actions. He recounts the story
of Uthman ibn Sauda, whose mother, Raahiba, urged him to visit her grave. In a
dream, he saw her in a state of goodness, receiving divine gifts. In another
account, he narrates the story of Abdullah bin Ghalib, whose grave emitted an
extraordinary fragrance, like a mist, after his burial. When seen in a dream
and asked about it, he explained that it was the scent of his recitation and
the thirst he endured in this world.
Islam places great emphasis on
the reality of the hereafter, urging believers to reflect on their deeds and
prepare for the inevitable journey to the grave. Dr. Omer Suleiman's narration
of dreams involving the deceased, such as those of Raahiba and Abdullah bin
Ghalib, serves as a reminder of the importance of righteous actions in this
world. However, while such accounts can inspire and encourage piety, they must
be approached with caution from a religious perspective.
Authentic dreams can serve as a
source of guidance, but they are not equivalent to divine revelation (Wahy).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also advised that dreams should be interpreted
wisely and not taken at face value without proper understanding.
While there have been historical
instances where righteous people had dreams about the deceased in a positive
light, such accounts must be carefully assessed. Dreams of the deceased can
serve as a double-edged sword. Misuse of dream narratives can mislead the
common people into false beliefs, exaggerations, or even innovations in
religion.
Dreams can be a source of
reflection and encouragement but should never be treated as doctrinal proof.
While it is beneficial to share uplifting accounts, Muslims must remain
grounded in the Quran and Sunnah, ensuring that their beliefs are based on authentic
sources rather than unverifiable personal experiences.
There have been accounts where
people claim to see deceased individuals in dreams, sometimes describing their
conditions in the grave. While such dreams may provide comfort or serve as a
reminder of the Hereafter, they should not be taken as definitive evidence of
the unseen. Dreams about people speaking from the grave should be treated
cautiously, as they may be personal experiences rather than divine revelations.
The Quran and authentic Sunnah remain the primary sources of knowledge about
the unseen, and Muslims should avoid making religious claims based
solely on dreams.
Conclusion
The word
Barzakh means a barrier. We have as much information as the Qur’an has given
us. The message is clear. Those who achieve great pleasure of God or the ultimate wrath of God shall be
shown both abodes as a dream. The punishment of God CANNOT and WILL NOT start
BEFORE the Day of judgement takes place where matters are decided in Allah’s
court of justice.
That is
why God declares the Qur’an as ‘Hakm’ which means it enjoys the status of
giving the Final Verdict. God asks Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to wage
a ‘jehad’ that is to strive a mighty effort (jehad) through this – the Koran. Koran
(25:52): “…and through this Qur’ān keep waging a great jehad with
them.” And, in Koran (50:45): “So, remind through this Qur’ān those
who fear My warning.”
God
declares the Qur’an as ‘Mohaimin’ which means it enjoys the status as a
Protector and Guardian against all other Scriptures BEFORE the Qur’an like the
Bible or post-Qur’an as the corpus of Hadith and stories etc. narrated to
present God’s message. Koran (5:48): “Then [O Prophet!] We have revealed to
you this Book with truth and in corroboration of the Book before it, and
standing as a guardian over it…”
God
declares the Qur’an as ‘Furqan’ which means it enjoys the status as a Criterion
where falsehood and truth can be differentiated in absolute terms. No grey
areas in Allah’s message! Koran (25:1): “Very exalted and benevolent is the
being who has revealed this Furqan (Book which distinguishes between good
and evil) to His servant so that it can warn the people of the world.”
This is a Book which distinguishes between good and evil, is a barometer, and a
conclusive argument. Koran (2:185): “It is the month of Ramaḍan in which the Qur’ān was
revealed, as a book replete with guidance for mankind and in the form of
extremely manifest arguments which [by their nature] are guidance and also
a means of distinguishing right from wrong.”
At
another instance, this feature of the Book is called ‘Meezan’, which means
a scale in which every person can weigh and see what is good and what is evil. Koran
(42:17): “It is God Who has revealed this Book of His with the decisive
truth and [in this way in order to distinguish good and evil] sent down
His scale. [If they want, they can benefit from it; otherwise,] what may you
know that the Hour may be near”. Thus, it does not need any external
evidence to prove its claims and the veracity of its presenter.
No
divine revelation outside the Qur’an, not even from the Prophet (sws) to whom
it was revealed, can specify or modify its general directives. The Qur’an alone
serves as the ultimate criterion for accepting or rejecting anything as part of
religion. Every religious belief and practice must be thoroughly examined in
the light of this Divine Guidance, with all foundations of faith derived
directly from it. Any revelation, inspiration, research, or opinion must remain
subordinate to the Qur’an. Even the works of esteemed jurists, theologians must
be evaluated against this standard, and nothing contrary to it can be accepted.
The
Qur’an is the Book of God. It is an urgent need to develop a fine taste for
associating ourselves with the Qur’an in presenting the corpus of religion. The
reason Allah grants absolute status to the Qur’an (Hakm, Mohaimin, Furqan,
Meezan) is because it is complete in matters of God’s Law and morality for
humanity.
God
comments in the Qur’an at the end of the mission of the Prophet: (5:3): “This
day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and
have approved for you Islam as religion.”
The
Qur’an understanding remains independent of extraneous sources and remains
shining like the warm sun on a cloudless day.
Aamir
Yazdani
