MYSTERIES OF LIFE (2): DEATH
By Babatunde Jose
Where science ends, philosophy starts. Stephen Hawking was perfectly in line with the ancient philosophers when he acknowledged that physics points to the deeper questions of metaphysics.* *Indeed, when questions stop becoming scientific, they start becoming philosophical.
The mystery of death is a subject that has fascinated human beings for millennia. Although death is inevitable, it remains a mysterious and frightening phenomenon for many. Religions and beliefs have attempted to provide answers to this question, but death remains an unfathomable mystery.
What precisely happens at the time of death is a question that theologians have struggled over for centuries but have never answered satisfactorily.
Whether there is life after death is a mystery that remains unanswered, and the belief in an afterlife varies widely across cultures and religions. Some people believe that death is the end of existence, while others believe that it is a transition to another form of life or consciousness.
Transmigration of souls, also known as reincarnation or rebirth, is the idea that a soul lives on after death and takes on a new body. The term comes from ancient Greek philosophy, and is a central tenet of many religions and belief systems. This is a topic for another day which would also include the Yoruba concept of ‘Akudaya’ (Akudaya is a supernatural phenomenon in Yoruba culture that involves the dead coming back to life, often after burial, and in places where they were not known in life). The name Akudaya is also used to describe the transmigrated souls. In Yoruba culture, Akudaya is a central part of beliefs about reincarnation and mysterious sightings. It is also known as “Abarameji” in Yoruba culture.
There is however a concept which the Abrahamic religions agree upon; that of Resurrection, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment and what have you. There are however debates about the nature of the resurrection: Will it be only of the soul or bodily resurrection?
In the history of religion, the term eschatology refers to conceptions of the last things: Immortality of the soul, rebirth, resurrection, migration of the soul, and the end of time.
The concept of Qiyamah, or the Day of Resurrection, is a central theme in the Quran and Islamic eschatology: The dead will be resurrected and will be judged for their deeds and faith. The Quran describes how Allah will resurrect people in the same shape, size, and state they were created in, including their fingerprints.
Surah Al-Qiyamah, Quran 75, is devoted to the subject of resurrection. It refutes doubts about the possibility of resurrection and includes themes such as God’s ability to raise the dead bodily.
On the Day of Judgment the (trumpet) will be sounded twice. The result of the first sound will be that everything – the earth, the skies and every living thing in between will perish and when the second sound is given, every dead thing will come back to life.
This therefore alludes to the fact that after death, there would be a bodily resurrection. This is clearly mentioned in the Qur’an: *Does man think that We will not assemble his bones? Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.(Quran 75:3-4)*
To exemplify the powers to resurrect man bodily for Judgment on the Day of Qiyamah, Allah used the story of the ‘People of the Cave in Surah Al Kahf as an example, See Surah Kahf 9-26.
The story includes lessons, signs, and evidence that testify to the great Power of Allah, ta`ala, and His Wisdom in managing His creations. As narrated, the details of the story proceed as follows:
A king named “Duqyanus”( Roman Emperor Decius 249-251 AD) ordered the people in his territory “Afsus” (Ephesus near the modern village of Selcuk western Turkey) to worship idols. There were some young men who refused to worship the idols having been recent converts to the one true God. Christian legend also speaks about a group of youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus (modern-day Selçuk, Turkey) around AD 250.
The king was informed about them and was told, “Those people left your religion, and mocked and defied your idols.” The king called them to his court and ordered them to leave Islam. He threatened them with death if they declined. Then he sent them back to their homes.
In the meantime, King Duqyanus traveled. Those young men took advantage of his departure and consulted each other about running away to rescue their faith.
One of them said, “I know a cave in the mountain. My father used to secure the sheep in it. Let us go there and hide until Allah grants us victory.” They all agreed and fled to the cave.
*There were seven of them: Makaslamin, Amlikha, MaraTonis, Yanyunis, Sazamunis, Dawanawanis, and KashfiTiT. Eastern Christian tradition names them Maximilian, Jamblichus, Martin, John, Dionysius, Antonius, and Constantine.*
The story is recounted in the Quran’s 18th Surah, eponymously called the “Surah of the Cave” (Surah al-Kahf). A barking dog named “QiTmir” also followed them.
In the cave, they found fruits and water. They ate and drank. And a few moments later, they slept off on the floor and were in slumber; they were prevented from hearing anything.
Their eyes were wide open, because it was better for them to be exposed to the air so that they would not get impaired with lengthy closure.
It was also narrated that an honorable angel was in charge of turning them around, to avoid sore. After three hundred and nine years of sleep, Allah woke them up.
However, King Duqyanus had long passed away. A pious king was on the throne. The people of the city at that time were engaged in a hot debate over the true nature of resurrection. The king was distressed over the issue. So he made a supplication to ask Allah to make the truth known.
Amlikha, one of the men in the cave who was sent in search of food, reached the city of “Afsus” and looked confused and hesitant. Someone asked him, “Are you a stranger to this city, and what are you looking for?” He said, “I am not a stranger and I am looking for food to buy. I did not find the place where I used to buy food.”
The man led him to the owner of a restaurant. Amlikha took his money out and gave it to the seller. The seller wondered, because the coin had the picture of King Duqyanus on it. That king died three hundred years ago. He thought Amlikha had discovered a treasure and had a wealth of money in his possession. People gathered around Amlikha and took him to the righteous king.
The news of Amlikha reached the king before his own arrival. The king was in fact waiting for him eagerly, because he had heard the story of the youngsters from his grandfather. When Amlikha came, the king asked him about his story. So Amlikha told him what happened to him and his friends.
The king was pleased and said to his people, “Certainly, Allah sent you a sign to show the truth about what you differ.”
The king, along with the people of the city, walked with Amlikha to the cave. After that, Allah concealed the cave and its trace from the sight of the people.
Allah made the story a lesson and reminder to the people of His awesome powers.
*Say: “Allah knows best how long they stayed: with Him is (the knowledge of) the secrets of the heavens and the earth: how clearly He sees, how finely He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Command with any person whatsoever. (Quran 18:26)*
The second story that exemplifies the doctrine of bodily resurrection is that of Prophet Uzair (AS). Uzair is considered a righteous prophet in Islam who was sent to guide the Israelites. He is thought to have lived between the time of Suleiman and Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist.
Almighty Allah said: *Or are you not aware of the one who passed by a city which was in ruins. He wondered, “How could Allah bring this back to life after its destruction?” So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years then brought him back to life. Allah asked, “How long have you remained ˹in this state?” He replied, “Perhaps a day or part of a day.” Allah said, “No! You have remained here for a hundred years! Just look at your food and drink—they have not spoiled. But now look at the remains of your donkey! And so We have made you into a sign for humanity. And look at the bones of the donkey, how We bring them together then clothe them with flesh!” When this was made clear to him, he declared, “Now I know that Allah is Most Capable of everything.” (Quran 2: 259)*
*Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend*
*Babatunde Jose*
*Friday 25th October 2024*
