Article 19 — Death
Death: What becomes of the soul when the body ceases to live?
The Goal of the Wise — Door Number Nineteen
Read aloud in English
Does death represent the disappearance of our identity, or simply the end of one stage of our existence?
Death is one of humanity’s most universal and most dreaded experiences.
It separates us from those we love and confronts us with the unknown.
In the nineteenth Door of The Goal of the Wise, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) offers a reflection on death based on the teachings concerning the soul and the return to life.
Sleep and death
The chapter likens death to sleep.
It mentions the ancient traditions associating Hypnos, the personification of sleep, and Thanatos, the personification of death.
It also cites a saying attributed to the Prophet Mohammed establishing a link between these two states.
The comparison rests on a familiar experience: when we sleep, our usual awareness of the world is transformed.
The book uses this image to invite the reader to view death in a way other than through physical disappearance alone.
The body and the soul
In the doctrine set out in the book, the body is temporary while the soul continues its existence.
Death would therefore correspond to the separation of the soul from the body.
This conception follows on from the chapters devoted to reincarnation and transmigration.
It distinguishes the spiritual identity of the person from their biological existence.
This is a metaphysical conviction, not a reality demonstrated by science.
Why are we afraid of dying?
The author stresses that the fear of death is often linked to ignorance.
We do not remember what may have preceded our birth.
We do not know with certainty what follows death.
This lack of knowledge feeds anxiety.
The chapter seeks to respond to this fear by presenting death as a transition rather than as absolute annihilation.
The value of the present life
Reflecting on death does not mean neglecting life.
On the contrary, awareness of our mortality can invite us to make better use of our time.
Our relationships, our responsibilities and our actions take on particular importance when we understand that bodily existence is limited.
Conclusion — The end or a passage?
The nineteenth Door presents death as a stage in the history of the soul.
It invites reflection on the difference between the disappearance of the body and spiritual continuity.
If our existence is not limited to a single life, how should we live today?