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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Emendation of A Shi‘ite Creed What Ash-Shaykh Abu Ja‘far has described about Death ======================================================== Abu Ja‘far says: "The Chapter of Death: the Commander of the Believers was asked . .

."ash-Shaykh Abu ‘Abdillah says: "The chapter is entitled 'Death', yet he deals with something else, whereas it was for him to deal with the reality of death or to entitle the chapter 'On the results of death and how the dead shall fare finally.' "Death is the opposite of life, nullifying growth and makingsensation impossible; also it corrupts and obliterates it. It is the result of the direct act of Allah, the Almighty; and no one has a hand in it or power over it, save Allah, the Almighty.

Allah the Almighty, says: It is He Who gives life and cause to die [40:68]. Hence, He appropriates animation and killing to Himself. Also He, the Exalted, says: Who created death and life, that He might try you; which of you is fairest in works [67:2].

Life is that which has growth and sensation, and endows the one in possession of it with capacity and knowledge, whereas death is that in conjunction with which growth and sensation are impossible and which deprives the dead of both ability and knowledge. Allah, the Almighty, deals death to His creatures in order to transfer them from the abode of action and trial to that of reward and retribution.

Also, He makes none of them die save him for whom He knows that death is better than his continued life, and preserves life only in those for whom He knows that life is better than death. However, what He deals with His creatures is, in truth, intrinsically good and most beneficial for them. He might put to trial most of His creatures by the severe pangs of death, or He might exempt them from that trial.

Moreover, these pangs which precede death might stand as a punishment to those afflicted by them, or it might be that they serve to purify him or others (who are afflicted by them), yet a great advantage might follow from them and a full compensation.