Have you ever dreamed of flying—of soaring freely, untethered by the weight of this world? In the Barzakh, you finally can. Your soul will leave behind the constraints of the body, taking form according to the life you lived.
The martyrs will rise as radiant green birds, gliding beneath the Throne of Allah, sustained by the fruits of Paradise. The believers will perch among the trees of Jannah, flying to the places their hearts were once connected to. But the wicked will fall, snatched away like crows, dragged into the depths of Sijjeen.
When the time comes, will you fly toward the heavens, or will you be cast into the darkness below?
NOTE: All depictions of Barzakh are purely conceptual and only vocals were used in the making of the soundtrack.
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Captioning provided by Muhsen.
References:
- Sufyan at-Thawri said, “‘Amr ibn Qays is the one who disciplined me. He taught me the recitation of the Qur’an and the laws of inheritance. I would look for him at his shop. If I did not find him there, I would find him in his home standing in prayer or reciting the Qur’an, as if he were hastening before something slipped away from him. If I did not find him in his home, I would find him in one of the masjids of Kufa, sitting in a corner while crying in a way that gave the impression he had stolen something (and hence he was hiding). If I did not find him there, I would find him at the cemetery, sitting and lamenting over himself.
When ‘Amr ibn Qays passed away, the people of Kufa locked their doors and came out for his funeral. He had stipulated in his will that Abu Hayyan al-Taymi lead his janazah prayer. When Abu Hayyan said, ‘Allahu Akbar’, everyone heard a voice calling out: ‘The virtuous ‘Amr ibn Qays has arrived!’
All of a sudden, the sky was filled with doves of a form and beauty unseen before. The people were amazed by their beauty and number. Abu Hayyan then said: ‘Why are you surprised? These are angels who have come to bear witness to ‘Amr.’” [Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Muqliq; Adh-Dhahabi, Siyar ‘Alam an-Nubala’]
- Abu Dharr said: “Allah’s Messenger ﷺ left us, and there was no bird that flapped its wings in flight except that he had given us knowledge about it.” [Sahih Ibn Hibban]
- Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet ﷺ said,“People whose hearts are like the hearts of birds will enter Paradise.” [Sahih Muslim #2840]
Imam al-Nawawi (rahimahullah) said, “One interpretation is that their hearts are delicate and soft. Another interpretation is that it refers to those who possess deep reliance upon Allah. And Allah knows best.” [An-Nawawi, Al-Minhaj vol. 17 p. 177]
- Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that Allah’s Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “If you were to rely upon Allah with reliance due to Him, He would provide for you just as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning with empty stomachs and return full.” [Jami’ at-Tirmidhi #2344]
- Ibn al-Qayyim said, “The heart, in its journey toward Allah, is like a bird: Love is its head. Fear and hope are its wings. As long as the head and wings are intact, the bird flies well. If the head is severed, the bird dies. If the wings are lost, it becomes vulnerable to every hunter and predator.” [Ibn al-Qayyim, Madarij as-Salikeen]
- The Prophet ﷺ said that some believers would pass over the Siraat like birds [Sahih Muslim #195]
- Ibn al-Qayyim (ra) observed that, upon reflection, one would find that physical appearance often corresponds to the state of the soul. Rarely does an unsightly body exist without a soul that resembles it, and rarely is there a bodily affliction without a matching affliction in the spirit. [Ibn al-Qayyim, Kitab ar-Ruh 1:114]
- Ibn Kathir (ra) says, “As for the souls of the martyrs, as previously mentioned, they dwell in the bellies of green birds. They are like celestial bodies in comparison to the souls of the general believers, for the latter move about on their own.” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 2:164]
- The Prophet ﷺ said: “The soul of the believer takes the form of a bird that feeds from the trees of Paradise until it is returned to its body on the Day of Resurrection.” [Sunan an-Nasa’i #2073; Sunan Ibn Majah #4271]
- The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever visits a sick person or a brother in faith, a caller proclaims: ‘You have done well, your steps are blessed, and you have secured a place in Paradise.’” [Jami’ at-Tirmidhi #2008]
- The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah has guaranteed that whoever strives in His cause, leaving his home solely for that purpose and having true faith in His word, will either enter Paradise or be returned safely to his home with whatever reward or spoils he has attained.” [Sahih al-Bukhari #7457]
- The Prophet ﷺ said regarding the disbelieving soul: “As the angels ascend with it, whenever they pass by another company of angels, they ask, “What is this foul soul?” The escorting angels reply, “It is so-and-so, the son of so-and-so,” calling the soul by the most despicable names it was known by in the world. They continue ascending until they reach the lowest heaven and seek permission for its entry, but the gates are not opened for it. The Prophet ﷺ then recited:
‘Surely those who receive our revelations with denial and arrogance, the gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle.’ [Qur’an, 7:40]
Then Allah will say: ‘Record his book in Sijjin, in the lowest depths of the earth.’ At that moment, the soul is cast down forcefully. Then, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited: ‘And whoever associates others with Allah, it is as if he has fallen from the sky, and the birds snatch him away, or the wind carries him off to a distant place.’” [Qur’an, 22:31] [Musnad Ahmad]
