The Prophet advised them that if they followed the Right Path as preached by Him...

The Prophet advised them that if they followed the Right Path as preached by Him, they would be successful and be rewarded in Paradise. But if they erred and did not avoid sin, they would face tribulation in hell. They asked the Prophet as to how could they rely on something which they had never seen. They said that they observed that after death a man's body become motionless and turns into dust, how could then he be rewarded or chastised for his actions.

It is after this incident that they started dreaming in which they witnessed Allah's rewards in Paradise and His wath in hell. They went to the Prophet and narrated this to him. The Prophet replied that as in the dreams they met people, conversed with them, and visited far off places, after death even if their bodies would be reduced to dust, they would still taste chastisement or reward (as the case may be) in Paradise or hell. Death (Maut) Scholars differ regarding the explanation of death.

Some call it a continuous phenomenon (Amre Wujoodi, not the end of life), while others opine that it is terminal one (Amre Adami, the end of life). But the generally excepted fact is that it is purely a bodily affair. Regarding death it is said that, “It is a continuous process and the vice versa to life”.

The Holy Qur'an says: “Blessed is He in whose hand is the kingdom (of the heavens and the earth), and He has power over all things, Who created death and life that He may try you, (to prove) which of you is best in deeds”. (Surah-al-Mulk: 1-2) The above verse (Ayah) refers to the purpose of the creation of life and death. Non existence is not the essence of creation. If death had been an ending process, the word “Khalq” (Creation) would not have been used.

Death in reality is the divorce of the spirit (rooh) from the body, and can be illustrated by many examples. It can be compared to a sailor estranged from his wrecked ship. The spirit is a light which illuminates the dark body and its components derive benefit from it. Whereas death is the estranger of this light from the body, leaving it again in darkness. It is not true that the spirit enters the body, because it is free of enter and exit.

It shares a limited relation with the body, after which it leaves the body for immortality. In short, the detachment of the spirit (Rooh) from the body is called death (Maut).