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Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish.
And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will remain forever”
[al-Rahmaan 55:26-27]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Here Allaah tells us that all
the inhabitants of the earth will perish and die, as will all the inhabitants of
heaven, except for whomsoever Allaah wills, and nothing will be left except His
Noble Face, for the Lord does not die, rather He is the Ever-Living who will
never die.
(Tafseer al-Qur’aan il-‘Azeem, 4/273)
Al-Bukhaari (7383) and Muslim (2717) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, “Allaahumma inni
a’oodhu bi ‘izzatika laa ilaaha ill anta an tadillani, anta al-hayyu alladhi laa
yamoot wa’l-jinn wa’l-ins yamootoon (O Allaah, I seek refuge in Your glory,
there is no god but You, against being led astray, for You are the Ever-Living
Who does not die, but the jinn and mankind will die).”
With regard to your questions about where they are buried, whether the funeral
prayer is offered for them and how long they live, these are matters which are
concealed from us. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little”
[al-Isra’ 17:85]
The Muslim should strive to learn more about that which has an impact on his own
behaviour, such as knowledge of Allaah, His names and attributes, what he is
obliged to believe in and knowledge of the rulings of sharee’ah. He should avoid
delving deeply into matters which he is not required to know and in which there
is no benefit. I ask Allaah to grant us beneficial knowledge and righteous
deeds.
And Allaah knows best.
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