An Easy Passage to the Next World

Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say: "Peace be upon
you!Enter Paradise for what you did."(Surat an-Nahl: 32)
Death in a Virtuous State
Up to this point, we haveseen that sincere believers live a good life
in this world, are not overcome with fear or pessimism, and have a
healthy and comfortablespiritual life. Since those who believe seek
Allah's pleasure, we learn from the Qur'an that they have won His
special assistance, support, and protection; their misdeeds will be
removed from them and that they will be rewarded according to the best
of what they did; and they will not be wronged. Since they"purchase"
the next life in exchange for this life, they have made what the
Qur'an calls a "good bargain." Allah is pleased with them, and they
are pleased with Him.
But what will happen to them at the end of their lives? Where and when
will Allah meet them at the hour He has appointed for their death?
Neither believers nor unbelievers know where and when they will die.
This fact is explained in Surah Luqman in these words:
Truly Allah has knowledge of the Hour, sends down abundant rain, and
knows what is in the womb. And no selfknows what it will earn
tomorrow, and no self knows in what land it will die. Allah is
All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surah Luqman, 34)
Together with this, the Qur'an informs us how death will come to
believers, how their souls will be taken, and what will happen at the
moment of death. As far as we know, believers experience death as a
very gentle passage, like a momentary change in dimension. Just like
the person whom Allah causes to be "as dead during his sleep" (Surat
az-Zumar, 42) and wakesup the next morning to anew day, when
believersdie, they will be taken out of the worldly dimension and pass
to the next dimension (Certainly Allah knows the truth.)
Allah announced this gentle and easy passage in Surat an-Nazi'at, 2,
where He points to the appointed angels and says "those who draw out
gently."
Another verse tells aboutthe angels' conversation when they come to
take a believer's soul:
Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say: "Peace be upon
you!Enter Paradise for what you did." (Surat an-Nahl,32)
The following verse describes a believer's death:
The greatest terror will not upset them, and the angels will welcome
them: "This is your Day, the one that you were promised." (Surat
an-Anbiya', 103)
Clearly, believers who have led a good life in this world will have a
beautiful and easy death, and their life in the next world will begin
when they are met by angels. From thatmoment on, all of their
relations with this worldwill cease, and they will be sent to an
appointed place where they will come before Allah's Presence. As it
was from the beginning, so it continues: comfort and ease await all
believers.