New to this forum, I have a question about expectations on afterlife

[Alexia202]

Hello there,

my name is Alexia, and I was not raised religiously. However, I find faiths very interesting, and I would like to ask a question about the Muslim faith.

My question is a bit of a larger question so let me begin:

Recently, I began studying Near Death Experiences of different faiths (when a person is clinically dead, gets revived, and claims that while they were dead, they saw an afterlife). I have been told that in a Near Death Experience (NDE), most people see what they expect to see. I have read many accounts, and Christians will often claim to see Jesus, Hindus sometimes claim to see Hindu gods/goddesses, and Muslims generally have positive experience, have life reviews, feel peace, meet relatives, etc. However, I have noticed that Muslims never seem to report meeting Muhammad, or other prophets. Being a non-Muslim, I am not fully aware what most Muslims expect to see at the moment of death. Do Muslims expect to see Muhammad, or do they expect something else?

I am asking because I am quite ignorant when it comes to religious beliefs, practices, but would love to learn more. If anyone could answer this, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

Alexia

[IslamLife00]

Hello there, my name is Alexia, and I was not raised religiously. However, I find faiths very interesting, and I would like to ask a question about the Muslim faith.

My question is a bit of a larger question so let me begin: Recently, I began studying Near Death Experiences of different faiths (when a person is clinically dead, gets revived, and claims that while they were dead, they saw an afterlife). I have been told that in a Near Death Experience (NDE), most people see what they expect to see. I have read many accounts, and Christians will often claim to see Jesus, Hindus sometimes claim to see Hindu gods/goddesses, and Muslims generally have positive experience, have life reviews, feel peace, meet relatives, etc. However, I have noticed that Muslims never seem to report meeting Muhammad, or other prophets. Being a non-Muslim, I am not fully aware what most Muslims expect to see at the moment of death. Do Muslims expect to see Muhammad, or do they expect something else?

I am asking because I am quite ignorant when it comes to religious beliefs, practices, but would love to learn more. If anyone could answer this, I would really appreciate it! Thanks! Alexia

I expect to see angel of death. In sha Allah I will die a muslim and that my soul will leave body smoothly without torment of sakratul mawt

of course if Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa salaam greets me on my death bed, I will be beyond ecstatic but I do not expect an honor that great on myself

Maybe shaytan will also appear to make his final attempt making me leave Islamic faith, I have heard this happened, it will be my final attempt to stay muslim till my last breath in sha Allah shaytan will fail

[Alexia202]

I expect to see angel of death. In sha Allah I will die a muslim and that my soul will leave body smoothly without torment of sakratul mawt

of course if Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa salaam greets me on my death bed, I will be beyond ecstatic but I do not expect an honor that great on myself

Maybe shaytan will also appear to make his final attempt making me leave Islamic faith, I have heard this happened, it will be my final attempt to stay muslim till my last breath in sha Allah shaytan will fail

thanks for my answer, do you think it is possible that most Muslims don't expect to see Muhammad right at death the way Christians expect to see Jesus? Is that why Christians report NDEs with Jesus but Muslims don't report NDEs with Muhammad?

[Misbah-Abd]

What about the reports of not seeing anything except a white light? I thought that is what is more prevalent among NDE's.

[eesa the kiwi]

Prophet Muhammad, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, said,
'When the believer is about to depart from this world and go forward into the Next World, angels with faces as bright as the sun descend from the heavens and sit around him in throngs stretching as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his head and says, "Good soul, come out to forgiveness and pleasure from Allah!" Then his soul emerges like a drop of water flows from a water-skin and the angel takes hold of it. When he has grasped it, the other angels do not leave it in his hand even for the twinkling of an eye. They take it and place it in a perfumed shroud and a fragrance issues from it like the sweetest scent of musk found on the face on the earth.

Then they bear it upwards and whenever they take it past a company of angels, they ask, 'Who is this good soul?' and the angels with the soul reply, "So-and-so, the son of so-and-so', using the best names by which people used to call him in this world. They bring him to the lowest heaven and ask for the gate to be opened for him. It is opened for him and angels who are near Allah from each of the heavens accompany him to the subsequent heaven until he reaches to the heaven where Allah, Most Exalted, is. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, Says, 'Register the book of My slave in Illiyyun (in the seventh heaven) and take him back to earth. I created them from it and I return them to it and I will bring them forth from it again.'"

'His soul is then returned to his body and two angels come to him. They make him sit up and say to him, 'Who is your Lord?' He replies, 'My Lord is Allah.' They ask him, 'What is your religion?' He replies, 'My religion is Islam.' They ask him, 'Who is this man who was sent among you?' He replies, 'The Messenger of Allah.' They ask him, 'How did you come to know these things?' He replies, 'I read the Book of Allah, believed it, and declared it to be true.' Then a Voice from on high declares, 'My slave has spoken the truth, so spread out carpets from the Garden for him and open a gate of the Garden for him!' Then some of its fragrance and perfume comes to him, his grave is expanded for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with beautiful garments and a fragrant scent comes to him and says, 'Rejoice in what delights you for this is the day which you were promised.' He asks, 'Who are you? Yours is a face which presages good.' He replies, 'I am your good actions.' Then he says, 'O Lord, let the Last Hour come soon so that I may rejoin my family and my property!'

When an unbeliever is about to depart from this world and go forward into the Next World, angels with black faces descend from the heavens carrying rough hair-cloth and sit around him in throngs stretching as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits at his head and says, 'Foul soul, come out to the wrath and anger of Allah.' Then his soul divides up in his body and it is dragged out like a skewer is pulled out of wet wool. Then the angel takes hold of it. When he has grasped it, the other angels do not leave it in his hand even for the twinkling of an eye. They take it and wrap it in the rough hair-cloth and a stench comes out of it like the worst stench of a corpse on the face of the earth.

Then they take it up and whenever they take it past a company of angels, they ask, 'Who is this foul soul?' and the angels with the soul reply, 'So-and-so, the son of so-and-so," using the worst names by which people used to call him in this world. They bring him to the lowest heaven and ask for the gate to be opened for him. It does not get opened.'

The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, then recited the verse (which means): "… the gates of Heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel enters into the eye of a needle [i.e. never].'” [Quran 7: 40]

Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will Say "Register his book in Sijjin (in the lowest earth)." Then his soul is flung down.

The Prophet then recited the verse (which means):
"And he who associates with Allah — it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place." [Quran 22: 3]

Then his soul is returned to his body and two angels come and say to him, 'Who is your Lord?' He replies, 'Alas, alas, I do not know!' Then a voice calls from on high, 'My slave has lied, so spread out carpets from the Fire for him and open a gate of the Fire for him!' Then a hot blast from it comes to him, his grave is made so narrow for him that his ribs are pressed together, and a man with a hideous face and clothing and a foul odour comes to him and says, 'Grieve on account of what has brought you disgrace for this is the day which you were promised:' He asks, 'Who are you? Yours is a face which presages evil.' He replies, 'I am your bad actions.' Then he says, 'O Lord, do not let the Last Hour come!'" [Muslim]

[IslamLife00]

thanks for my answer, do you think it is possible that most Muslims don't expect to see Muhammad right at death the way Christians expect to see Jesus? Is that why Christians report NDEs with Jesus but Muslims don't report NDEs with Muhammad?

As for my expectation as a muslim, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the one and only God, already mentioned in the Qur'an, the Day of meeting with Him, the Day of Account. Also on this Day, as mentioned in the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa salaam, we can find him in three locations, one of them is the fountain.Hence I do not expect to see Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala nor do I expect to see Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa salaam upon death, because it will all happen on Judgement Day. I can't speak for other muslims, let alone most muslims, but it's in the Quran and hadith.

I don't believe expectations alone can determine NDE. Just because we expect to see something or someone upon death, does it mean we will actually see what/who we expect to see on our death bed? Only Allah knows which of these NDE reports are true accounts.

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add :

I don't know much about Christian belief, other than that they worship Jesus and they do expect to see him upon death. Did they really see him during near death experience, only Allah knows the truth of it.
I know what is said in the Quran and hadith, although of course if Allah allows me to see the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa salaam upon my death, it will happen regardless I expect it or not.

[Zzz_]

I guess I should have asked this question differently, I am specifically asking for expectations, if you had just died, would you expect to be greeted by any Prophets or would you expect other?

Welcome Alexia,

we don't expect things that are not mentioned in Islam. What the posted in post #24 is what Islam says regarding what transpires as one is on their death bed. We expect that near our end the angel of death will appear to us with his helpers and he will extract the soul as befitting of us according to our deeds/beliefs and hand it over to his helpers to do what they do. So we don't expect anything other than that to transpire as that is what has been conveyed to us regarding the moment of death.

Medically speaking, if your heart stops then you are dead but if you are revived then your back from the dead. That is medical definition of death. Matters related to death are matters of the unseen. So while medically you may be dead, if the soul has not left the body then you are not dead yet. And in this state the devil can come and give you whatever NDE to keep you on the astray path you are on. Which is why all these people have their NDEs.

[Alexia202]

Welcome Alexia,

we don't expect things that are not mentioned in Islam. What the posted in post #24 is what Islam says regarding what transpires as one is on their death bed. We expect that near our end the angel of death will appear to us with his helpers and he will extract the soul as befitting of us according to our deeds/beliefs and hand it over to his helpers to do what they do. So we don't expect anything other than that to transpire as that is what has been conveyed to us regarding the moment of death.

Medically speaking, if your heart stops then you are dead but if you are revived then your back from the dead. That is medical definition of death. Matters related to death are matters of the unseen. So while medically you may be dead, if the soul has not left the body then you are not dead yet. And in this state the devil can come and give you whatever NDE to keep you on the astray path you are on. Which is why all these people have their NDEs.

Thanks for the answer and it could even be that NDEs are hallucinations and not an actual reality of what happens after death because as you said, the person never really died. I think whether NDEs are a result of the devil or hallucinations, people do generally report what they expect. I know Christians for example seem to take the bible less literally than Muslims take the Quran or other books. While the Bible doens't state a meeting with Jesus upon death, most Christians do expect to meet Jesus. It's just part of their culture. I came from that faith. There are aspects of the faith I don't agree with, so now I am just asking questions and attempting to learn more about other faiths. It seems the majority on this forum expect to meet The Prophet in afterlife, but not necessarily right away, which may be why Muslims rarely report meeting the Prophet in NDEs.

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Thanks for the answer, it seems most Muslims zi am asking say they do expect to see the Prophet in afterlife but not right away when they die.

[sister herb]

I guess I should have asked this question differently, I am specifically asking for expectations, if you had just died, would you expect to be greeted by any Prophets or would you expect other?

You ask such questions as you have no knowledge about Islam. When we die, we expect to see and meet two angels in the grave whose ask us questions. And we better know the right answers too.

More info: https://islamqa.info/en/10403