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Death is not the absolute end. It is just the discontinuation of unity
between the body and soul. It is a change from one state to another
and a transition from this present life to that of the hereafter.
The purpose of our existence is the worship of Allah as mentioned in
the Book of Allah:
"And I [Allaah] created not the Jinns and Men except that they should
worship Me [alone]" Soorah az-Zariyat (51): 56
This life, which we are living, is the testing ground for which there
shall be only two consequences, Paradise or Hellfire. Unfortunately
more than often we disregard death, as we are so attached to this
world and the love of which has been established in our hearts.
"Certainly, they see it as distant, but We see it as near" Soorah
al-Ma'arij (70): 6-7
Death only becomes a reality when a close beloved one dies. The heart
feels heavy, the eyes shed tears and there is, at that moment, a
present fear of death. If we were to spend even a single moment each
day thinking about death, it would bring forth many concerns? The
greatest being our Hereafter:
"He Who has created death and life, that He may test you, which of you
is best in deed." Al-Mulk (67):21
So we stop and consider what we are doing with our time and where we
are heading, and then realize that much of it is wasted in light talk,
in laughing, in pursuing that which is not going to benefit our
Hereafter.One of the Salaf said:
"Three characteristics are from Eemaan: Modesty, Chastity and
Withholding of the tongue, not the with holding of the heart and
actions. These are things which cause gain in the Hereafter and loss
in this life, and what is gained in the next life is greater than what
is lost in this world." [Re ported by Abdur-Razzaaq in his Musannaf
from A'oon ibn 'Abdullaah]
"This World in comparison with the world to come is just like one of
you putting his finger in the sea. Let him consider what it returns
with." Saheeh Muslim (eng. trans. vol.4 p.l486 no.6843
The Prophet Muhammad (sallahu alihi wa-sallam) explained how this
world is not even worth the wing of a mosquito! And how small is a
mosquito, and then the wing of a mosquito- so what is the worth of the
world we run after and are dearly attached to?
The Messenger of Allaah (sallahu alihi wa-sallam) referred to death as
'the destroyer of desires." [Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah & Nasaai and
authenticated by Sheikh al-Albanee in al-Mishkaat (1/1607)]
Because when each one of us remembers the awesome reality of death and
what is to follow after that, our present desires and wordy concerns
seem so insignificant and futile, and the life of the Hereafter
becomes our goal and we become interested in the means to attain that
goal. We find that the Companions of the Prophet (sallahu alihi
wa-sallam) excelled on this point and were not deluded by the
amusements of this world, knowing that love for this world would
injure their Paradise.
Hence, they faced trials and every hardship with the knowledge that a
weighty judgement was yet to come and a full compensation yet to be
paid - so they had hope and fear in Allaah, without exaggerated
optimism or disparity.
"O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are
asked to march forth in the cause of Allaah [ie. Jihaad] you cling
heavily to the earth? Are you pleased with the life of this world
rather than the Hereafter? [Soorah at-Taubah (9):38]
Regarding the shaheed (martyr), the Prophet (sallahu alihi wa-sallam)
said:
"Nobody who enters Paradise will (ever like to) return to this world,
even if be were offered everything on the surface of the earth, except
the martyr who will desire to return to this world and be killed ten
times for the sake of the great honor that has been bestowed upon
him." [Saheeh Muslim (eng. trans. vol.3 p.1045 no.4635)]
Let us see how these words affected the hearts and lives of the
Companions, as we reflect upon one Companion in particular, who was
guaranteed Paradise, Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullaah. .
"Whoever wishes to look upon a martyr walking the face of the earth,
then let him look upon Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullaah. " [Sunan at-Tirmidhi &
al-Haakim. Authenticated by Shaikh al-Albaanee in his as-Saheehah (
no.126)]
The Prophet (sallahu alihi wa-sallam) said to Talhah when his fingers
were struck by arrows in protecting the Prophet (sallahu alihi
wa-sallam) at Uhud, as he let out an exclamation of pain:
"If yow had said. 'In the name of Allaah', then the Angels would have
raised you up while the people were looking on at you." (And in
another narration he added): until they entered you into the sky."
[Sunan an-Nasaai. The addition is from al-Baihaaqee. Authenticated by
al-Albaanee in his as-Saheehah ( no.217)]
"Talhah is one who has fulfilled his term." [Sunan at-Tirmidhi and
authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in as-Saheehah (125)].
Which means that he has exhausted his allotted time in the path of
Allaah there remaining nothing between him and death - thus he is as
one killed already, although still alive. These are the best of
people, those whose belief is manifest in their actions, to whom
Allaah and His Messenger (sallahu alihi wa-sallam) are more beloved
than the world and all it contains.
"But truly the home of the Hereafter is the actual life, if only they
knew." [Soorah al-Ankabut (29):64]
"We have reminder upon reminder, about how nations before us were
destroyed and a common sickness which they were plagued with was 'love
of this world'. Regarding the Jews, who claim to be the best of all
people and inheritors of the Promised Land, Allaah says:
"And verily you will find them the greediest of mankind and [even
greedier] than those who do not believe in Resurrection [i.e. the
idolaters]. Every one of them wishes that he could be given a life of
a thousand years. But the grant of such life will not save him even a
little from [due] punishment. And Allaah is all-Seer of what they do."
Soorah al-Baqarah (2):96
If these people who spend their time in heedlessness and negligence,
and futile desires, and the best part of their time being when they
sleep or are inactive - then death is better than life. And we say to
them:
'Time is the most precious thing which you take care of, and I see it
to be the easiest for you to lose"
the fortunate one is the one who takes admonition from others.."
[From the famous khutbah (sermon) of the Companion, Ibn Mas'ood which
has been recorded in al-Musannaf of Ibn Abee Shaibah (vol.7 no. 106)]
"Live in this world as if you are a stranger or a traveler." [Saheeh
al-Bukhari vol.8, p.284, no.425]
Does a traveler waste his time in gathering that which is of no
benefit for his journey? Or does he immediately select that which
shall facilitate him to reach his goal? In the same way, we too must
get into the good habit of striving to do as much as we can today and
everyday, not putting off things for tomorrow, or after exams, or
marriage, or the age of sixty. . !
"If you survive till the evening do nor expect to be alive in the
morning and if you survive till the morning, do not expect to be alive
in the evening. And take from your health for your sickness and [take]
from your life for your death." [Saheeh al-Bukhari vol.8, p.284, no.425]
"And die not except in a state of Islaam" Soorah al-Imran (3):102
So we keep our hearts moistened and alive with remembrance of Allaah,
and we remember death in order to remember the Hereafter, and finally
we close with a citation from Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee
"O my soul, it is not except a few days patience, As if her extent
were a few dreams.
O my soul pass quickly on through this world, And leave it, For indeed
life lies ahead of it.
between the body and soul. It is a change from one state to another
and a transition from this present life to that of the hereafter.
The purpose of our existence is the worship of Allah as mentioned in
the Book of Allah:
"And I [Allaah] created not the Jinns and Men except that they should
worship Me [alone]" Soorah az-Zariyat (51): 56
This life, which we are living, is the testing ground for which there
shall be only two consequences, Paradise or Hellfire. Unfortunately
more than often we disregard death, as we are so attached to this
world and the love of which has been established in our hearts.
"Certainly, they see it as distant, but We see it as near" Soorah
al-Ma'arij (70): 6-7
Death only becomes a reality when a close beloved one dies. The heart
feels heavy, the eyes shed tears and there is, at that moment, a
present fear of death. If we were to spend even a single moment each
day thinking about death, it would bring forth many concerns? The
greatest being our Hereafter:
"He Who has created death and life, that He may test you, which of you
is best in deed." Al-Mulk (67):21
So we stop and consider what we are doing with our time and where we
are heading, and then realize that much of it is wasted in light talk,
in laughing, in pursuing that which is not going to benefit our
Hereafter.One of the Salaf said:
"Three characteristics are from Eemaan: Modesty, Chastity and
Withholding of the tongue, not the with holding of the heart and
actions. These are things which cause gain in the Hereafter and loss
in this life, and what is gained in the next life is greater than what
is lost in this world." [Re ported by Abdur-Razzaaq in his Musannaf
from A'oon ibn 'Abdullaah]
"This World in comparison with the world to come is just like one of
you putting his finger in the sea. Let him consider what it returns
with." Saheeh Muslim (eng. trans. vol.4 p.l486 no.6843
The Prophet Muhammad (sallahu alihi wa-sallam) explained how this
world is not even worth the wing of a mosquito! And how small is a
mosquito, and then the wing of a mosquito- so what is the worth of the
world we run after and are dearly attached to?
The Messenger of Allaah (sallahu alihi wa-sallam) referred to death as
'the destroyer of desires." [Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah & Nasaai and
authenticated by Sheikh al-Albanee in al-Mishkaat (1/1607)]
Because when each one of us remembers the awesome reality of death and
what is to follow after that, our present desires and wordy concerns
seem so insignificant and futile, and the life of the Hereafter
becomes our goal and we become interested in the means to attain that
goal. We find that the Companions of the Prophet (sallahu alihi
wa-sallam) excelled on this point and were not deluded by the
amusements of this world, knowing that love for this world would
injure their Paradise.
Hence, they faced trials and every hardship with the knowledge that a
weighty judgement was yet to come and a full compensation yet to be
paid - so they had hope and fear in Allaah, without exaggerated
optimism or disparity.
"O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are
asked to march forth in the cause of Allaah [ie. Jihaad] you cling
heavily to the earth? Are you pleased with the life of this world
rather than the Hereafter? [Soorah at-Taubah (9):38]
Regarding the shaheed (martyr), the Prophet (sallahu alihi wa-sallam)
said:
"Nobody who enters Paradise will (ever like to) return to this world,
even if be were offered everything on the surface of the earth, except
the martyr who will desire to return to this world and be killed ten
times for the sake of the great honor that has been bestowed upon
him." [Saheeh Muslim (eng. trans. vol.3 p.1045 no.4635)]
Let us see how these words affected the hearts and lives of the
Companions, as we reflect upon one Companion in particular, who was
guaranteed Paradise, Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullaah. .
"Whoever wishes to look upon a martyr walking the face of the earth,
then let him look upon Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullaah. " [Sunan at-Tirmidhi &
al-Haakim. Authenticated by Shaikh al-Albaanee in his as-Saheehah (
no.126)]
The Prophet (sallahu alihi wa-sallam) said to Talhah when his fingers
were struck by arrows in protecting the Prophet (sallahu alihi
wa-sallam) at Uhud, as he let out an exclamation of pain:
"If yow had said. 'In the name of Allaah', then the Angels would have
raised you up while the people were looking on at you." (And in
another narration he added): until they entered you into the sky."
[Sunan an-Nasaai. The addition is from al-Baihaaqee. Authenticated by
al-Albaanee in his as-Saheehah ( no.217)]
"Talhah is one who has fulfilled his term." [Sunan at-Tirmidhi and
authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in as-Saheehah (125)].
Which means that he has exhausted his allotted time in the path of
Allaah there remaining nothing between him and death - thus he is as
one killed already, although still alive. These are the best of
people, those whose belief is manifest in their actions, to whom
Allaah and His Messenger (sallahu alihi wa-sallam) are more beloved
than the world and all it contains.
"But truly the home of the Hereafter is the actual life, if only they
knew." [Soorah al-Ankabut (29):64]
"We have reminder upon reminder, about how nations before us were
destroyed and a common sickness which they were plagued with was 'love
of this world'. Regarding the Jews, who claim to be the best of all
people and inheritors of the Promised Land, Allaah says:
"And verily you will find them the greediest of mankind and [even
greedier] than those who do not believe in Resurrection [i.e. the
idolaters]. Every one of them wishes that he could be given a life of
a thousand years. But the grant of such life will not save him even a
little from [due] punishment. And Allaah is all-Seer of what they do."
Soorah al-Baqarah (2):96
If these people who spend their time in heedlessness and negligence,
and futile desires, and the best part of their time being when they
sleep or are inactive - then death is better than life. And we say to
them:
'Time is the most precious thing which you take care of, and I see it
to be the easiest for you to lose"
the fortunate one is the one who takes admonition from others.."
[From the famous khutbah (sermon) of the Companion, Ibn Mas'ood which
has been recorded in al-Musannaf of Ibn Abee Shaibah (vol.7 no. 106)]
"Live in this world as if you are a stranger or a traveler." [Saheeh
al-Bukhari vol.8, p.284, no.425]
Does a traveler waste his time in gathering that which is of no
benefit for his journey? Or does he immediately select that which
shall facilitate him to reach his goal? In the same way, we too must
get into the good habit of striving to do as much as we can today and
everyday, not putting off things for tomorrow, or after exams, or
marriage, or the age of sixty. . !
"If you survive till the evening do nor expect to be alive in the
morning and if you survive till the morning, do not expect to be alive
in the evening. And take from your health for your sickness and [take]
from your life for your death." [Saheeh al-Bukhari vol.8, p.284, no.425]
"And die not except in a state of Islaam" Soorah al-Imran (3):102
So we keep our hearts moistened and alive with remembrance of Allaah,
and we remember death in order to remember the Hereafter, and finally
we close with a citation from Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee
"O my soul, it is not except a few days patience, As if her extent
were a few dreams.
O my soul pass quickly on through this world, And leave it, For indeed
life lies ahead of it.
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