Preparing for Death

Dear Respected Sisters in Islam, may I remind you of your death. For surely it will come. There is no abating or deterring it. It will find you wherever you may be.

Narrated Ribi' bin Hirash: Uqba said to Hudhaifa (r), "Won't you narrate to us what you heard from Allah's Messenger (s)? Hudhaifa (r) said, "I heard him saying, 'Death approached a man and when he had no hope of surviving, he said to his family, 'When I die, gather me much wood and build a fire (to burn me). When the fire has eaten my flesh and reached my bones, take my bones grind them and scatter the resulting powder in the sea on a hot (or windy) day.' (That was done). But Allah collected his particles and asked him, 'Why did you do so?' He replied, 'For fear of You.' So Allah forgave him.'" (Bukhari)

When the Angel of Death comes to you, will you be prepared? Will you be like the rich King, who was so attached to his Dunya (worldly life), so proud and arrogant that he thought his human existence of luxury and high living would not end. So, he feared death and did not contemplate it. When the Angel of Death came to him, he was so preoccupied by his worldly life, that he begged to have more time in his dunya. For his dunya had become his Paradise. Or will you be like the pious man who was so happy to meet the Angel of Death that he fell down into Sajdah (prostration) and died, happily knowing he was about to meet his Lord and Cherisher. For, he knew his final destination and was prepared for it.

"Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception." (Quran, al-Imran 3:185)

So when we wake in the morning, may we act as if we will not live to see the night. And at night, may we act as if we will not live to see the morning. It may come in three days, three months or thirty-three years. We do not know when death will encroach us, but it is bound to sooner or later.

And what have we prepared for it?

Ahmad and Abu Hatim reported that the Prophet (s) said, "When a deceased person is laid in his grave, he hears the sound of footsteps of people as they go away. If he is a believer, the prayer will stand by his head, the fasting will be to his right, alms to his left, and all other good deeds of charity, kindness to relations and good behaviour will be by his feet. The deceased will be questioned by the angels at his head. The prayer will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his right side where fasting will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his left side where charity (zakat) will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then he will be questioned by his feet where good acts of voluntary charity (Sadaqah), kindness to relations and good behaviour will say, 'There is no entrance through me.' Then they will say to him, 'Get up.' And he will get up. The sun will appear to him and it will begin to set. Then they will ask, 'This man who was among you, what do you say about him? What is your testimony about him?' The man will say, 'Let me pray.' The angels will say, 'You will pray. Answer our questions. What do you think about this man who was among you? What do you say concerning him? What do you testify concerning him?' The deceased will say, 'I bear witness that Muhammad was the Messenger of Allah who brought the truth from Allah.' The deceased will be told, 'According to this you lived and died, and according to this you will be resurrected, if Allah wills.'" (Bukhari and Muslim)

Will you know the correct answers when Munkar and Nakir come to question you in your grave? How is your salat? How is your Siyam? How are your good deeds? Have you made intention for Hajj? How is your Zakat? Do your children know the Kalimah and do you feel it in your heart every hour of the day?

We spend so little of our time reciting Qur'an or reading the translation, making Thikr to Allah, the Exalted, contemplating His Names and Attributes, sending blessings upon Prophet Muhammad, learning of the ways of the companions. How can we expect reward in the Hereafter when we have become so preoccupied and enamoured by this dunya.

Our children will suffer as we choose to live our lives like Westerners and with unIslamic values. We forget to make the du'as before we embark on our every day living activities. So how do we expect our children to know them and understand their importance. We expect to know the Sunnah without learning what the Sunnah is, and then we become too lazy to put it into practise. This may sound harsh, but how much Deen do we have in our lives?

We must be Muslim to the marrow of our bones, yet we opt for other ways, said to be easier. They are only easier because it has become our habit. We must make the Deen of Islam our habit.

Dear Sisters, contemplate your death and what will it mean for you alone. For there will be no soul to avail you aught. So, make yourself the friend of Allah, the Exalted, for only He can help you in your grave.

The Prophet (s) said, "Any Muslim has no right to spend two days without writing his will of whatever he likes to bequeath and putting it under his pillow." (Bukhari and Muslim) It is the Sunnah. Have you written your will?

Abu Hurairah (r) reported that the Messenger of Allah (s) said, "Verily, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, will say on the Day of Judgement, 'O Son of Adam! I feel ill, but you did not visit Me.' The human will ask 'O my Sustainer! How could I visit You when You are the Sustainer of the Worlds?' He, the Almighty, will say, 'Did you not know that such and such a servant of Mine was ill. But you did not visit him. Did you know that, had you visited him, you would have found Me by his side? O Son of Adam! I asked for food, but you fed Me not?' The man will say, 'O my Sustainer! How could I feed You when You are the Sustainer of the Worlds? And You are free from hunger?' He, the Almighty, will say, 'Such and such a servant of Mine asked you for food, but you refused to give him any. Did you not know that, had you fed him, you would have found it recorded here with Me? O Son of Adam! I asked you for a drink, but you did not give Me any.' The man will say, 'O my Sustainer! How could I give You a drink while You are the Sustainer of the Worlds and are free from thirst?' He, the Almighty, will say, 'Such and such a servant of Mine was thirsty and you did not give him any. Had you given him a drink, you would have surely found that recorded with Me.'" (Bukhari and Muslim) How much are we willing to give in this short life?

May Allah, the Almighty and Majestic lead us to the right straight path of Islam. May we be vigilant to the calling of Shaitan to lead us away from our Deen. Ya Rabb! Make us strong and determined to lead our lives according to the Deen of Islam. Give us the power and the strength to undertake the obligatory duties You have bestowed upon us and to follow these with Nawafil acts. May we remember to seek Your forgiveness for our faults and weaknesses and may we be ever-aware to make praise and thanks for all the blessings You have bestowed upon us. May we remember the gift of the Tahhajjud or late night prayer and may we remember death often, so that as to remember You and where our true destination lies. Ameen.