In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Realm of Barzakh (In the Light of the Noble Qur’an)

“Competition for worldly gain has distracted you,
until you visited the graves.”
(Surah At-Takathur, 1–2)

“When the sky is torn apart,
and when the stars fall, scattering,
and when the seas are made to overflow,
and when the graves are overturned,
then every soul will know what it sent ahead and what it left behind.”
(Surah Al-Infitar, 1–5)

“Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘My Lord, send me back,
so that I may do righteous deeds in that which I left behind.’
Never! It is only a word he is saying.
And behind them is Barzakh until the Day they are resurrected.”
(Surah Al-Muminun, 99–100)

The unfortunate reality is that our priorities have changed. Human beings live according to their priorities, and today our priorities revolve entirely around this temporary worldly life. When a sudden shock occurs—when the blow of death arrives—only then does a person realize: “Alas! I am leaving empty-handed.”

There is a Surah in the Qur’an called Surah At-Taghabun. What does Taghabun mean? Sometimes a person realizes early that he is being deceived and manages to recover. But sometimes a person only realizes the deception when everything has already been lost—such a loss from which there is no return. This is called ghaban (total loss or fraud). From this comes the term Taghabun: a loss so complete that one did not even realize it while it was happening. Like someone who keeps handing over his wealth to a swindler, only to realize at the end that everything is gone. The Day of Judgment is called the Day of Taghabun—the Day when it becomes clear: “I have been ruined. I have been destroyed.” That swindler is none other than Shaytan, who made your deeds appear good in your eyes while, in reality, they were worth nothing.

We are travelers, and a traveler’s concern is always the destination, not food and drink. For one who is settled, the demands of comfort and provision dominate. Allah wants to see us as travelers—passing through this world and moving on. Shaytan wants us to see ourselves as permanent residents. He constantly whispers: “You are going to stay here. Stay here. Accumulate more. Enjoy yourself.” And especially when a person beautifies his worldly life excessively, he forgets death altogether. His Hereafter and its stages disappear from his sight.

The true purpose of sharing these reminders is precisely this: to awaken ourselves from the heedlessness we are trapped in today. Time is passing rapidly. With every breath, each person is moving closer to death. Repent to Allah, and convey this message to others as well. Every individual should remind his loved ones, relatives, and friends of this reality. Due to distancing ourselves from Deen, the Muslim Ummah today is suffering severe hardships.

May Allah grant guidance to all of us. Ameen.
Please remember me as well in your supplications.