Barzakh

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Barzakh (Arabic: برزخ [1]) is an Arabic word meaning "obstacle", "hindrance", "separation",[2] or "barrier".[3] In Islam, it denotes a place separating the living from the hereafter or a phase/"stage" between an individual's death and their resurrection in "the Hereafter".[4][5][6][7][8][9] It is also considered as a place where souls rest until the day of judgement. It bears resemblance to the intermediate state in Christianity.

Some scholars believe that good Muslims will have a heavenly experience during this time, and sinners will experience suffering;[6][9][10] while some Shia scholars believe the experience will not be like the physical pain or pleasure of the temporal world.[8]

Scholars have different definitions of Barzakh. According to Ghazali, Barzakh may be the place for those who go neither to hell nor to heaven.[11] According to Ibn Hazm, Barzakh is also the place for unborn souls, which are elsewhere described as residing in the lowest of the seven heavens, where an angel blows them into the wombs of women.[12]

  1. ^ Richard G. Hovannisian; Georges Sabagh, eds. (1998). Lisan al-Arab dictionary. Cambridge University Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780521591850.
  2. ^ The Encyclopedia of Islam. 1960. pp. 1071–1072.
  3. ^ Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. The Qu'ran. Elmhurst, NY. Sur 23: 99-100: Tahrike Tarsile Qu'ran, Inc.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. ^ Jane Dammen McAuliffe Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān Volume 1 Georgetown University, Washington DC p. 205
  5. ^ Sayyid Moustafa Al-Qazwini Discovering Islam Lulu Press 2014 ISBN 978-1-312-63111-3
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference aboutislamnet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Keywords2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Purgatory-al-islam was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference iqa-11110 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Ibn Adam, Faraz. "What happens to the souls in barzakh?". Dar ul-Iftaa. Retrieved 18 April 2022. Checked and Approved by, Mufti Husain Kadodia.
  11. ^ Islam and Rationality: The Impact of al-Ghazālī. Papers Collected on His 900th Anniversary, Band 1 ISBN 978-9-004-29095-2 page 100
  12. ^ Jane Dammen McAuliffe Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān Volume 1 Georgetown University, Washington DC p. 206