11.2.1 DEFINITION OF DEATH

Death can be defined as moral, legal, or biological death. Death could be permanent with cessation of all physiological functions. It could be temporary such as in sleep.

11.2.2 NATURE OF DEATH

There is a continuous cycle involving life and death. Life arises from death and vice versa (3:27 & 10:31). All human endeavors cease with death (4:18 & 63:10). Death is followed by burial in the grave, qabr (90:21). There may be reward or punishment in the grave. Barzakh (23:100) is a transitional phase between life on earth and life in the hereafter. On the last day humans will be resurrected back to life, ba’ath (6:36 & 86:8-10). The Qur’an makes it clear that it will be physical life with physical bodies. On resurrection people will be gathered, al hashr ba’da al mawt (2:203 & 100:9-10). Those who committed transgressions will be punished in hell for a limited time with the exception of those who committed shirk who will be condemned to stay in hell forever. Paradise, jannat, will be the permanent abode of the righteous. There will be no more death in the hereafter (14:17 & 87:13). All humans will eventually die, shumuliyat al mawt (3:154 & 55:26). Humans fear death, hadhar al mawt (2:19 & 2:243). In view of the inevitability of death, hatmiyyat al mawt, it is futile to attempt to avoid death or think of its removal, istihalat daf'u al mawt (3:154 & 62:8). Modern biotechnology discoveries of artificial life support, cloning, and frozen embryos are not in essence prolongation of life. Human death has finality to it. There is no reincarnation. There is only resurrection in the hereafter. There will be no more death after the day of Judgment and life will be eternal (14:17 & 87:13). Death is a transition to life after death, al hayat ba'da al mawt (2:28 & 30:40). Death could therefore be a welcome event for good people who look forward to a better life in the future. Good death is to die in Islam, al mawt ala al Islam (2:132 & 3:102). The best of death is to die when struggling in Allah’s way, al mawt fi sabilillahi (4:100 & 33:23). Death in unbelief, al mawt ala al kufr (2:161 & 47:34) is bad death.

11.2.3 ATTITUDES TO DEATH

Death and its occurrence are in the hands of Allah, taqdiir al mawt mina al llah (2:243 & 76:28). Good people welcome death as a rite de passage to a better existence in the hereafter. They look forward to death, al shawq ila al mawt as a happy event. The approach of death is an opportunity for repentance, tawbat (4:18 & 23:99). Death is an occasion for reminding and remembering the hereafter. Humans are apprehensive about death, al hadhr mina al maw and often fear it, khawf al mawt (2:19, 2:243). Wishing for death, isti’ijaal al mawt, tamanni al mawt, in desperation with severe painful illness is discouraged. The wish for death, tamanni al mawt (2:94-95 & 62:6-7) can be negative for the escapist who looks to death as a relief from present psychological or physical distress Committing suicide, qatl al nafs & intihar, is definitely forbidden and puts someone outside the fold of Islam. Death is a trial, ibtila’a bi al mawt (21:35 & 77:2) and is a calamity, musibat al mawt (5:106).

11.2.4 PROCESS OF DEATH

The process of death is long. It starts with the humanly understood causes like infection or trauma. The body progressively fails until a point of no return is reached. There is a point during this process when the angels take away the ruh thus separating the essence from the body (4:97 & 47:27). The Qur’an has described the process of death using terminology such as sakrat al mawt (6:93 & 79:1), ghashiyat al mawt (33:19 and 47:20) and ghamrat al mawt (6:93). The process of terminal death following Allah's laws, sunan al llaah, can not be reversed except in exceptional cases of divine intervention such as when Allah gave the prophet Isa (PBUH) the ability to revive the dead, ihyaa al mawta (3:49 & 19:29-33).

11.2.5 CRITERIA OF DEATH

Technological developments in intensive care units have blurred the demarcation between life and death that was taken for granted before. Many brain-dead people can be kept apparently alive on artificial respirators. The increase in transplantation has given momentum to the need to develop new criteria for death. This is because organs have to be harvested quite early in the death process to prevent them from further degeneration. The traditional criteria of death were respiratory failure, cardiac failure, and loss of consciousness. Use of brain death as a criterion gives rise to ethical and legal problems because in cases of brain death, many other organs and functions of life are still alive. There are also controversies about the definition of brain death as a pathological entity. There is controversy whether it is death of the whole brain or specific parts of it. There is also disagreement whether criteria used for adults can be used for children.