It is generally thought that the human being is nothing more than a skeleton of bones covered with flesh, though all revealed scriptures make it clear that it is not so. The body is only a garment for the soul. When the soul ends its attachment to this garment, the body has no value. It may be burned, mutilated, or buried, yet it cannot resist.
The soul is eternal. In every new realm it adopts a new body. Just as in this world it takes on the form of flesh and bones, in the life after death it takes a new form that carries the same awareness and abilities as before. In that realm people recognize one another, they feel joy and sorrow, and they know who is destined for Hell and who for Heaven.
“وَنَادَىٰ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَابَ النَّارِ أَنْ قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّا فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا ۖ قَالُوا نَعَمْ فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ بَيْنَهُمْ أَنْ لَّعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ الَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَهُم بِالْآخِرَةِ كَافِرُونَ”
(Surah al-A‘raf 7:44–45)
Between them is a wall. On the heights are others who recognize people by their marks. They will greet the people of Heaven with “Peace be upon you.” They will not have entered Paradise yet, though they will hope for it. When they turn towards the people of Hell they will pray, “Our Lord, do not place us with the unjust.” They will call out to the arrogant of Hell:
“مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ أَهَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمْتُمْ لَا يَنَالُهُمُ اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ ۚ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ”
(Surah al-A‘raf 7:48–49)
According to these verses of the Qur’an, after death souls are divided into two groups, Illiyyin (upper) and Sijjin (lower). This is described in the following verse:
“وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ كِتَابٌ مَّرْقُومٌ”
(Surah al-Mutaffifin 83:8–9)
And:
“وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ كِتَابٌ مَّرْقُومٌ”
(Surah al-Mutaffifin 83:19–20)
This Kitaab al-Marqoom is the Book of Records that logs everything that humans do in this world during their lifetime in the form of a film. Every thought, imagination, movement, and action has a figure. Whatever we do becomes a film within the boundary of our own knowledge.
If a man commits murder, the record shows first the intention, then his journey to the place, then the act itself. It even records his awareness that the punishment is execution. The whole sequence is preserved: he leaves his home, kills, is arrested, tried, and executed.
When he dies he is made to behold this record. At that time he undergoes two states. In the first, he forgets it is a record and experiences the pain or joy as if real, like when we watch a film and laugh or cry or feel fear. In the second, he realizes what awaits him as the consequence of his deeds and feels guilt, knowing he could have lived without such crimes. He also realizes that those for whom he committed crimes cannot help him anymore.
The greedy man who hoarded wealth will see himself usurping rights, keeping resources while people went hungry and destitute. He will realize that their suffering was caused by his greed. Justice will be that he now undergoes the same affliction. He sees himself in the record as poor, anxious, and hungry. He screams and cries but will find no one sympathetic to him.