Salaamun alaykum, dear readers!
Rashad Khalifa, the Messenger of the Covenant, announced during a sermon on Friday, November 24, 1989, that he received a revelation from God that the righteous do not die. Rather, they go to Paradise when their lives on Earth have been terminated.
He states that this piece of news was provided from the angel Gabriel while he was talking with his friend and colleague Lisa Spray, after she asked a question about this sometime during their conversation.
He also stated during the Friday sermon in December 8, 1989, that his mother Zaynab died on the Monday of that week (December 4th). Sometime after her death, Rashad was told via revelation that his mother is now alive in Heaven since she departed the world as a believer, unlike his father (who died several years prior) who remains dead, due to having departed this world as a disbeliever.
Quranic Support
This revelation happens to be strongly supported by the Quran.
In verse 40:11, the disbelievers have two deaths, while in verse 44:56, the believers only have one death. Verse 2:154 and 3:169 provides special reference to the martyrs, confirming that they are not dead, but currently alive in Paradise and with God, being provided for.
- [40:11] They (the disbelievers said, “Our Lord, twice You have put us to death, and twice You have given us life, then we have confessed our misdeeds. So is there any way towards an exit?”
- [44:56] They (the believers) do not taste death therein, except the first death, and He spared them the punishment of the Hellfire.
- [2:154] And do not say, regarding the ones who are killed in the way of God, “Dead.” Rather, they are alive, but instead you do not realize.
- [3:169] And do not reckon that the ones who were killed in the way of God as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, being provided for.
Quran’s Definition of Death
The Quran does not define death as only the termination of one’s life on Earth, it means more than that.
Death, according to the Quran, is a sleep-like state of unawareness and unconsciousness.
At night, when sleeping, all human beings undergo a “temporary death”.
God takes the souls of those who go to sleep, then retains the ones for whom death is decreed, but returns back to Earth the ones who are not yet supposed to permanently die (verse 39:42 and 6:60). This indicates that the Quran’s definition of death is exactly like going to a permanent state of sleep, totally unconscious.
- [6:60] And He is the one who takes you by the night, and knows what you have committed by the day, then He resurrects you therein, for the specified term may be concluded. Then to Him is your place of return. Then He will inform you of what you used to do.
- [39:42] God take the selves at the time of their death, as well as the ones who do not die in their sleep. Then He retains the ones whom He has concluded the death upon, and sends the others, to a specified term. Indeed, in that are definitely signs for people who reflect.
Multiple verses in the Quran state that when the dead are resurrected, they will react as if they died for maybe a day, or part of a day, or even an hour. That’s because the dead are in an unconscious, sleep-like state of existence and are unaware of the passage of time. This is like when people fall asleep in their beds and are not consciously aware of any time passing.
- [30:55] And the Day the Hour will establish, the criminals will swear that they had lasted not but an hour. Like that, they were deluded.
- [79:46] It will be, on the Day they see it, as if they lasted not but an evening, or its daylight.
Unlike the disbelievers, the believers and the righteous will be alive somewhere in Heaven, with God, until Judgement Day. They will be fully conscious the whole time.
The disbelievers experience two deaths, whereas the believer experience a single death. The single death we all experienced was the death in our previous existences before we were all born into Earth. The second death (which is only experienced by disbelievers) occurs to the disbelievers after their lives are terminated on Earth.
But as for the believers, upon termination of their lives, they will be alive and in Heaven, with God, absolutely conscious and aware of the passage of time.
The Warner from Surah 36
In conclusion, this was the last piece of information that Rashad was given to convey from God before he was assassinated on January 31, 1990.
It is worth mentioning that in the Quran, we see this repeated in Surah 36, verses 20 to 27, where it mentions a man who rushed from the far side of a city to warn its people to listen to the messengers and worship God alone.
Then it was said to that man at the end of his life, “Enter Paradise.” Then he responded that he wished his people knew how much God has forgiven and honored him.
- [36:20-25] And a man came, running from the furthest part of the city. He said, “O my people, follow the messengers! Follow those who do not ask of you any payment, while they are guided. And why should I not worship the one who created me, and to whom you will be returned? Shall I take gods aside from Him? If the Almighty intended for me any harm, their intercession will not avail me in anything, nor will they save me. Indeed, at once I would definitely be in clear misguidance. Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me!”
- [36:26-27] It was said, “Enter Paradise.” He said, “Oh, I wish my people would know of how my Lord has forgiven me, and made me among the honored!”
The reason he wished his people knew of how much God has honored him in Paradise is because at the time his people were still alive and continued to disbelieve.
So we know that the verse where the warner is told, “Enter Paradise” is not talking about entering Paradise on Judgement Day. That is because on Judgement Day, all disbelievers will already be aware of how much honor the believers received in Paradise. There would be no need for the warner to wish that his people knew how God honored him in Paradise after Judgement Day, when it will already be public knowledge to everyone.
Therefore, this can only mean that the warner was immediately taken up to Paradise after his death, and he wished that his people (who were still alive on Earth) would be aware of how well God is treating him in Paradise.
Conclusion
The same plea that the warner gave to the people of his city applies to us now.
Follow the messengers Muhammad and Rashad, the ones who were rightly-guided. They didn’t spend their lives preaching this message for any kind of worldly payment.
And worship God alone, the one who created you, the one to whom you will be returned, the one from whom none can be saved if He willed any harm.
For the sequel, or Part 2 of this article, click here:
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