[1][2] Islamic tradition discusses what happens before, during, and after death, although what exactly happens is not clear and different schools of thought draw different conclusions.
One canonical idea is, that an angel of death (Arabic: Malak al-Maut) appears to the dying to take out their souls.
[3] Another common belief[4] adds that, after the burial, two angels – Munkar and Nakir – come to question the dead in order to test their faith.
The righteous believers answer correctly and live in peace and comfort while the sinners and disbelievers fail and punishments ensue.
Suicide, euthanasia, and unjust murder as means of death are all prohibited in Islam, and are considered major sins.
However, Muslims, those influenced by Neo-Platonism, Muʿtazila, classical Islamic theology, Shi'a and Sufis, regarded rūḥ as a matter unrelated to a human's immortal spirit.
[17] Some scholars, like Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, have even argued that the spirit undergoes changes affected by its previous life, and might turn into a demon (Div) after death if the person died in the state of a major sin.
Muslim authors, like Ghazali, Ibn Qayyim and Suyuti wrote in greater detail about the life of ghosts.
Ibn Qayyim and Suyuti assert that when a soul desires to turn back to earth long enough, it is gradually released from restrictions of Barzakh and is able to move freely.
[29] After the burial each person is interrogated by two angels, called Munkar and Nakir, appointed by God to question the dead in order to test their faith.
The righteous believers answer correctly and live in peace and comfort while the sinners and disbelievers fail and punishments ensue.
The soul is then wrapped in the perfumed shroud and is taken up to the seventh heaven where God declares: "write down his name in illiyin and take him back to earth.
The painful process of taking out a sinner's soul has been compared with "the dragging of an iron skewer through moist wool, tearing the veins and sinews.
[34] The souls of the sinners and disbelievers are kept and punished in a place called sijjin which is said to be located at the lowest level of the earth (traditionally hell, before the Day of Resurrection or underworld).
[35] Barzakh also holds some resemblance to the Christian idea of Limbo, that contains the souls, which go neither to heaven or to hell and remain in the grave.
[36] It is said that the martyrs – persons who die on the way of God – always skip Barzakh and the trial of the angels of death and go to paradise directly.
[39] It also says that when death approaches the sinners and disbelievers, and they sense the upcoming chastisement, they pray to God to go back to life to do some good deeds; but this will never be granted (23:99–100).
[44] Islam, as with other Abrahamic religions, views suicide as one of the greatest sins and utterly detrimental to one's spiritual journey.
"[45] In the same way, the artificial nutrition and hydration, as well as the organ transplant are controversial matters of interpretation because Islam has no ordained clergy and a unequivocal set of doctrinal living authorities.
According to the Islamic beliefs, God will play the role of the judge, weighing the deeds of each individual.
He will decide whether that person's ʾākhirah (afterlife) lies in Jahannam (Hell) or Jannah (Heaven) on the basis of the weight of either good or bad deeds in comparison with one another.