# The Other Side Series Live Q&A with Dr. Omar Suleiman

**Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman
**Series:** Ramadan Reflections (2025)
**Published:** 2025-03-19
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/e-94S6ZxZkg
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/the-other-side-series-live-q-and-a-with-dr-omar-suleiman
**Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia

## Description
Are the dead actually watching over us or do our deeds reach them? Are we only in the bodies of birds, or do we take our human form? If you’ve been watching The Other Side, you might have questions—Dr. Omar Suleiman answers many of them in this live Q&A on Yaqeen’s Ramadan series, providing clarity...

## Transcript
**[0:00]** As-salamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh everyone Bismillah walhamdulillah wasalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh So we're live alhamdulillah on YouTube and we're live on Instagram as well

**[0:17]** in that order, so if you see me pointing to this camera you're on YouTube if you see me pointing to that camera you're on Instagram Alhamdulillah, I pray that you're having a blessed Ramadan and I pray that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is filling your heart with the Qur'an that you are finding that your deeds are truly illuminating your path

**[0:36]** and that you are fully absorbing the true meaning of the siyam, of this fasting Allahumma ameen So I wanted to insha'Allah ta'ala do this live to basically talk about the Ramadan series as it is now so the first half of the Ramadan series then insha'Allah ta'ala will kind of give you a preview

**[0:52]** as to what the next half is going to look like but at the same time take some questions insha'Allah ta'ala I know there's a lot of questions about this series in particular probably more so than any series in the past so I'm just going to say first and foremost for those of you that ask for references if you watch our videos on the website itself

**[1:09]** meaning if you go to yaqeeninstitute.org and you go to a video itself under the watch tab the references are actually listed per video so if you are looking for a reference for a particular point that's been made it's all there insha'Allah ta'ala as well as the necessary clarifications

**[1:25]** about a narration or things of that sort so go to the website insha'Allah ta'ala when you need to get a reference from a video and just read right under the video right under that disclaimer that tells you that we are using vocals only since that's also like half the questions on every video

**[1:43]** I wanted to insha'Allah ta'ala just start off by giving you a little bit of a brief as to where we've been so far on this series and where we're going so this series is different from a series that I did a few years ago called For Those Left Behind which was more just guidance on grief and coping

**[1:59]** and was meant for people who have obviously lost their loved ones may Allah have mercy on their loved ones and make it easy for them Allahumma ameen and it was meant to give them just very practical guidance straightforward guidance on how to cope and how to best understand

**[2:15]** the rituals surrounding death and what follows in this one you are the subject matter so at the end of the day you're the soul that's transitioning into the barzakh and so this is going to actually be about you taking the next step in your journey with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

**[2:30]** so the way that I structured the series was that the first ten you are looking into the barzakh from the outside so it's someone who is seeing dreams someone who's seeing the grave but doesn't yet understand the full inner workings of what's happening

**[2:46]** in the barzakh and then the second ten you actually go in there and you are the subject matter if you realize it's talking about you and what's happening with you and who you're meeting and what's happening there this series subhanAllah the last ten of this series

**[3:01]** are extremely special because the middle ten here are about your deeds are about what your deeds have earned you so we're going to go into the punishment of the grave we're going to go into what saves you in the grave but I want you to think of it this way that you're in this dunya in the first part of the series

**[3:16]** trying to understand what's happening having interactions with the barzakh and the second part of the series you are alone with your deeds at some point and so we talk about your deeds quite a bit so the next few episodes are actually going to be about again, your deeds the punishment of the grave

**[3:31]** as well as what saves you in the grave the last ten is the theme of salvation and so it's about reunions it's about relief it's about finding you know, ease in the grave after the initial tests after the purifications that come with the deeds

**[3:46]** it's about many of those things that relate to Laylat al-Qadr and a lot of the extra acts of devotion that you're doing so it's very important that you stay the course for this entire series bi idhnillahi ta'ala I can't stress that enough because usually there's a steady drop

**[4:01]** in terms of viewership but it all comes full circle and in fact many of the questions that people have been asking they get answered in later episodes of the series now, obviously when it comes to the series we have cut out quite a bit

**[4:16]** you know subhanAllah the episodes are longer before but sometimes it's just too much to pack into a single episode so some of it gets edited out and sometimes with that edit of removing some of the episode something that might have been a little bit more clarifying

**[4:32]** on a particular issue gets removed and so this is an opportunity to kind of go through those questions insha'Allah ta'ala and ask those questions another thing I'm gonna say is that the same time next week insha'Allah I'm gonna do another live where I'm gonna go through everything you need to know about the last 10 nights

**[4:47]** bi idhnillahi ta'ala insha'Allah and so that will be something to really prepare you insha'Allah for the last 10 so again same time as now show up insha'Allah ta'ala we'll put out the post but from now insha'Allah ta'ala do put a note on your calendar to come at the same time

**[5:02]** 3pm central time insha'Allah ta'ala next week and we'll go through sort of a full guide of how to prep for the last 10 nights bi idhnillahi ta'ala insha'Allah ta'ala and the last thing I'm gonna say share the episodes insha'Allah ta'ala so we did notice as expected

**[5:17]** especially with episode 9 and 10 where we got into Gaza and a lot of Gaza that there was some sort of a shadow ban and so it's important for you to share with as many people as you can and subscribe if you're not subscribed we need you to subscribe

**[5:32]** and in fact I'm gonna put a personal challenge to everybody that's here so I don't know how many thousands are here right now between Instagram and YouTube but it's at least a couple of thousand between the two we alhamdulillah are at 1.95 million subscribers

**[5:47]** so we just need insha'Allah ta'ala 50,000 more subscribers to hit 2 million subscribers insha'Allah ta'ala share with as many people as you can bi idhnillahi ta'ala so make sure you're subscribed if you're on Instagram and you're not subscribed to Yaqeen on YouTube make sure you go ahead

**[6:02]** and you subscribe insha'Allah and also go ahead insha'Allah ta'ala and subscribe if you're on any platform and share with as many people as you possibly can bi idhnillahi ta'ala so again we're in the middle ten of the series

**[6:17]** the middle ten of the month and so it's going to be going into you're being alone with your deeds at this point in the grave and what your deeds have earned you in the grave and then the last ten insha'Allah ta'ala will go to the theme of salvation

**[6:32]** I'm gonna go ahead insha'Allah ta'ala I'm gonna start with questions so I'm gonna go with YouTube first so please do put your questions on YouTube insha'Allah ta'ala and Instagram as well I'll try my best to see them those questions also insha'Allah the first question

**[6:48]** is where's the first question about the people dead people watching over you alright I'll just address the question insha'Allah ta'ala so the first question which was probably

**[7:03]** the most asked question was are the dead actually watching over us or are our deeds sorry let me repeat that are the dead actually watching over us or are our deeds being presented to them and

**[7:18]** this is a very important point insha'Allah ta'ala and I've clarified this in the for those left behind series number one in the beginning here of the series as I said the dead can't benefit us and so at the end of the day what reaches them of our news

**[7:33]** and their response to that is merely their expression and as you would have seen when they say inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un as I mentioned in the last episode or if they say oh Allah let them be guided these are expressions at that point but they can't actually benefit us that's number one

**[7:48]** number two when the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam says that the deeds are presented to your close relatives there is only one way that we've established that connection and that is that when someone passes away as you'll see in episode 13

**[8:03]** and this is going to be even further clarified as we go along your dead loved ones ask about you so they ask those that have died between you and them about what happened with you afterwards and so they're speaking to your overall public deeds

**[8:18]** what you've done so let's say for example you memorize the Qur'an between the time that they passed away and you passed away and someone conveys that news to them or you committed a really nasty sin or you got involved in something terrible

**[8:33]** so we only have evidence for that established connection here of the conveying of the news from the dead relatives in between you and them now the overall presentation of deeds to them that the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam mentions could it mean

**[8:48]** perhaps that there is some other way that they're informed at some point of something that that's happened with you or something that's been done of course you can't rule it out but I'm saying the only established way are people that are carrying the news between you and them but the hadith

**[9:03]** of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam the authentic hadith that your deeds are presented to them how did the sahaba act upon this? we have one narration from Abu al-Darda' radiAllahu ta'ala anhu who was the brother of Abdullah ibn Rawaha radiAllahu ta'ala anhu he was paired off

**[9:18]** with Abdullah ibn Rawaha after Abdullah ibn Rawaha radiAllahu ta'ala anhu passed away Abu al-Darda' radiAllahu ta'ala anhu used to say oh Allah I seek refuge in you from doing a deed that would humiliate me in front of Abdullah ibn Rawaha so certainly there was the sense

**[9:33]** and I mentioned some of the narrations there in Ibn al-Qayyim Allah mentions other narrations in Kitab al-Ruh there is a sense of the very first that you should be shy of is Allah azza wa jal and Allah sees you secret private public

**[9:48]** at all times and that is the ultimate sight that you should concern yourself with and then every sight afterwards is only as relevant as how much it's connected to Allah azza wa jal so our news should be

**[10:03]** to those between us and them if they're righteous people then obviously there's a sense of haya' there's a sense of shyness that comes with that as well and so since it's

**[10:18]** established from Abu al-Darda' radiAllahu ta'ala anhu in that regard about Abdullah ibn Rawaha radiAllahu ta'ala anhu and the other narrations from the salaf in that regard this connects us to Allah azza wa jal

**[10:33]** and Allah azza wa jal has conveyed to them what he wills it's also not like they have access to your innermost secrets

**[10:48]** and private deeds right so you would take the general principle of sitr on the day of judgment that Allah azza wa jal has concealed you and

**[11:03]** if Allah azza wa jal wanted to humiliate you in front of people

**[11:29]** JazakumAllahu khayran alright thank you very much

## Other Episodes in "Ramadan Reflections (2025)"
- [Praying the “Night Prayer” During the Day | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/praying-the-night-prayer-during-the-day-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Is Laylatul Qadr on the 27th Night? | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/is-laylatul-qadr-on-the-27th-night-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [The Guilt of Sleeping on Laylatul Qadr | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/the-guilt-of-sleeping-on-laylatul-qadr-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Why the Prophet ﷺ Forgot the Exact Date of Laylatul Qadr | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/why-the-prophet-forgot-the-exact-date-of-laylatul-qadr-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Why Tonight Could Be Laylatul Qadr | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/why-tonight-could-be-laylatul-qadr-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [A Complete Guide to the Last 10 Nights and Laylatul Qadr | Dr. Omar Suleiman](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/a-complete-guide-to-the-last-10-nights-and-laylatul-qadr-omar-suleiman.md)
- [Gaza Burns Again: How to Process Endless Grief with Courage | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/gaza-burns-again-how-to-process-endless-grief-with-courage-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [The Miracle of the Longest Surah of the Qur’an | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/miracle-of-the-longest-surah-of-the-quran-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [The Biggest Losers | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/the-biggest-losers-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [The Qur’an Won’t Benefit You Until You Do This | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/the-quran-wont-benefit-you-until-you-do-this-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [How To Never Miss Sunnah Prayers Again | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/how-to-never-miss-sunnah-prayers-again-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Why Trials Shape Us: Wisdom from Yusuf (as) | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/why-trials-shape-us-wisdom-from-yusuf-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [How Ya’qub (as) Knew Yusuf (as) Wasn’t Dead | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/how-yaqub-knew-yusuf-wasnt-dead-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Will Your Qur’an Recitation Be Accepted? | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/will-your-quran-recitation-be-accepted-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Do You Want to See Tyrants Suffer? | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/do-you-want-to-see-tyrants-suffer-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [A Giant in Prison: Imam Jamil Al Amin | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/a-giant-in-prison-imam-jamil-al-amin-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [What Justice Really Means in Islam | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/what-justice-really-means-in-islam-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [The Prophet ﷺ’s Tears and the Warning of Jibreel (as) | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/the-prophet-tears-and-the-warning-of-jibreel-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Why Reciting the Qur’an Is A Miracle In Itself | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/why-reciting-the-quran-is-a-miracle-in-itself-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Did Past Nations Fast Like Muslims Today? | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/did-past-nations-fast-like-muslims-today-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [This Ramadan Can Change Your Future | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/this-ramadan-can-change-your-future-ramadan-reflections.md)
- [Fasting & Prayer: The Amazing Hidden Connections | Ramadan Reflections](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/fasting-and-prayer-the-amazing-hidden-connections-ramadan-reflections-omar-suleiman.md)
- [Tackling the Beast of Iftar Expectations | Sh. Belal Assaad](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-reflections-2025/tackling-the-beast-of-iftar-expectations-ramadan-reflections.md)