Q.1. Does a deceased person’s soul go to heaven or hell shortly after his death, or on the Day of Judgment?

Q.2. After a certain person’s death, a relative saw him in his dream, and the deceased asked the man to tell his mother not to grieve for him. How is such a dream to be interpreted?

Q.3. Some people say that when a woman prays, she should keep herself low, so that her hands touch the ground, unlike the man. Please explain.

Q.4. Should a woman do the prayer she misses during her period, like she compensates for non-fasting?

Q.5. Is it wrong to pray to God for one’s early death?

F.D.

A.1. People’s fate in the hereafter, and whether they go to heaven or hell, is determined on the Day of Judgment, not before it. Therefore, no one goes to hell before that day. However, there are Hadiths which suggest that the spirits of martyrs are already in heaven. What happens to the spirit after death is that it departs to a position known as barzakh, which means a provisional position pending judgment.

A.2. I know nothing about the interpretation of dreams. Some people claim to be able to interpret them, but they do not produce any basis for such an ability. Therefore, I cannot say anything about the significance or otherwise of this dream.

Having said that, it is reasonable to assume that if a dream agrees with Islamic teachings, people should be pleased with it. If it contradicts some Islamic teachings, it should be dismissed outright and not spoken of. This dream the reader describes is a message that is in line with Islamic teachings. It may be taken as an urge to adopt the measure specified. If the deceased’s mother stops crying and other aspects of grieving, resigning herself to the acceptance of God’s will, she earns reward from God.

A.3. Women pray in the same way as men. There is no difference in the form of prayer or its duties. However, a woman should keep herself together when she makes her prayer movements. This does not mean that she lowers her body to the ground, or touches the floor with any part of her body other than the seven points a man does: the head, hands, knees and toes. But she keeps her hands and legs close to her body.

A.4. No, a woman does not compensate for the prayers she misses during her menstrual period. However, she compensates for the days she did not fast as a result of her having her period.

A.5. It is wrong to pray for early death. This life is a period when a person can increase his reward. How can one tell that his early death will ensure going to heaven? Let me tell you this Hadith which explains the Islamic attitude.

Two of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were close friends. One of them died a martyr in one of the battles he fought under the Prophet’s command. The other lived for a year after his friend.

A third friend saw them both in a dream, comfortably settled in heaven, but the one who died later was in a better position than his friend the martyr. Puzzled, this friend went to the Prophet and related his dream to him, then he asked: “How can the non-martyr be ahead of the martyr in heaven?” The Prophet’s reply is very significant. He said: “Had he not prayed 6,000 rak’ahs more and fasted the month of Ramadan?” What he meant was that in the extra year he lived, the second man offered his five obligatory prayers every day, which make up 6018 rak’ahs in a lunar year.

This is not counting any Sunnah or Witr he also offered. He also fasted an extra month of Ramadan. The reward of his deeds in this extra year lifted him above his martyr friend in heaven. If the case is such, why should anyone pray for early death? If his life is difficult, persevering earns him a great reward.