Death and Barzakh

فَلَوۡلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلۡحُلۡقُومَ ﴿٨٣﴾ وَأَنتُمۡ حِينَئِذٖ تَنظُرُونَ ﴿٨٤﴾ وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُبۡصِرُونَ ﴿٨٥﴾ فَلَوۡلَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ غَيۡرَ مَدِينِينَ ﴿٨٦﴾ تَرۡجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾

Then why, when the soul at death reaches the throat And you are at that time looking on - And Our angels are nearer to him than you, but you do not see - Then why do you not, if you are not to be recompensed, Bring it back, if you should be truthful?

Context From al-Waqi'ah, a Makkan surah answering deniers of the Resurrection.

Family look on helplessly; no one can bring the soul back. Life is not ours to keep.

The Arabic says "We are nearer to him". Many scholars, including Ibn Kathir, read "We" as the angels, as here; others read it as Allah's nearness in knowledge.

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱرۡجِعُونِ ﴿٩٩﴾ لَعَلِّيٓ أَعۡمَلُ صَٰلِحٗا فِيمَا تَرَكۡتُۚ كَلَّآۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَاۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرۡزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ ﴿١٠٠﴾

[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind." No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.

Context From al-Mu'minun: at death, one who wasted life begs to be sent back.

The Quran names the stage after death, a barrier until the Resurrection, and says almost nothing of what it is like. The details come from hadith.

فَوَقَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِ مَا مَكَرُواْۖ وَحَاقَ بِـَٔالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ سُوٓءُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ﴿٤٥﴾ ٱلنَّارُ يُعۡرَضُونَ عَلَيۡهَا غُدُوّٗا وَعَشِيّٗاۚ وَيَوۡمَ تَقُومُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ أَدۡخِلُوٓاْ ءَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ أَشَدَّ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ﴿٤٦﴾

So Allah protected him from the evils they plotted, and the people of Pharaoh were enveloped by the worst of punishment - The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And the Day the Hour appears [it will be said], "Make the people of Pharaoh enter the severest punishment."

Context From the story of the believer in Pharaoh's court, whom Allah protected from their plots.

Pharaoh's people are shown the Fire morning and evening, before the Hour arrives. Scholars cite this as evidence that reward or punishment begins in the barzakh.

وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمۡوَٰتَۢاۚ بَلۡ أَحۡيَآءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ يُرۡزَقُونَ ﴿١٦٩﴾ فَرِحِينَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَبۡشِرُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَلۡحَقُواْ بِهِم مِّنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ أَلَّا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ ﴿١٧٠﴾

And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision, Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

Context Madinan, after the losses at Uhud (3 AH).

Those killed in Allah's cause are not dead but alive with their Lord, provided for and rejoicing. How, we do not perceive (2:154).