In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
This verse in Surah Kahf is yet another reminder that one day, sooner than we think, we will meet Allah and therefore we should start preparing for that moment.
الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا ﴿٤٦﴾ وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ الْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةً وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٧﴾ وَعُرِضُوا عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ صَفًّا لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۚ بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّن نَّجْعَلَ لَكُم مَّوْعِدًا ﴿٤٨﴾ وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا الْكِتَابِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا ﴿٤٩[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:46-49]
Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (46) And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth prominent, and We will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone. (47) And they will be presented before your Lord in rows, [and He will say], "You have certainly come to Us just as We created you the first time. But you claimed that We would never make for you an appointment." (48) And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one. (49)
To prepare for the Hereafter (Akhirah), we should heed the advice of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) seriously.
"Remember very often the terminator of all pleasures, that is death."
There is no escape from death and it is certain to come, so, by us constantly remembering death, it will motivate us to prepare for death and the life of the Hereafter and stop running after this world.
Foolishly, we focus on the wrong things in life, without even thinking that all the things we are after, for which we are undergoing so much difficulty and troubles, will have to be left behind one day. We have been trying so hard to make our earthly life as comfortable as possible, forgetting that tomorrow we will have to sleep on a bed of sand. We forget about our obligations that matters, our continuous obligations towards our parents who are the best doors to the blissful Hereafter. “Allah’s pleasure is dependent on the pleasure of parents, and His displeasure is caused by the displeasure of parents with their child.” [Bukhari] We take so much of pain in getting the best things of this world, to please others -- our children, our spouses, our friends, except the Lord and our parents. From dawn to dusk, we are hankering after this world so blindly that we are completely unmindful of the fact that all this will definitely come to an end.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has said: "An intelligent person is he who holds back his desires and does actions (prepares) for what is after death, and a helpless person is he who follows his desires and hopes from Allah safety (in the Hereafter). "
Ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) relates that someone asked Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam): "Who is the wisest and most prudent of men, O Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)?" He replied: "He who keeps death frequently in his remembrance and remains ever engaged in preparations for meeting his death, it is such people indeed who are granted honor in this life and who will be honored in the Hereafter." (Targheeb)
Abu Zar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) says that once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said to him, "Visit the graves from time to time, for it serves as a reminder of the aakhirah, wash the dead for it is a cure for a person who is devoid and helps him to take heed; attend funeral prayers for it might make you feel concerned for the akhirah and those who have this concern remain in the shade of Allah's mercy and seek a virtuous life."
Shaddad Ibn Aus (Radhiallaahu Anhu) says, "The agony of death is more severe than all the agonies of the world and the hereafter. It is more painful than being sawed in two, being cut into pieces with shears or being boiled in a cauldron. If the dead were to rise from the graves and tell people about the pangs of death, no man would take pleasure in this life, nor would anyone enjoy sound sleep."
We are blessed to be able to witness the beginning of this tremendous month of Rajab, the month of Istighfar. Allah is giving us this tremendous opportunity to start anew. We should try to enter this month in a state of purity and we should try to maintain that purity throughout through doing good and avoiding evil.
It has been narrated in our tradition: “Seek much forgiveness from Allah in Rajab because in every hour (of the month) Allah frees people from the Fire.” For this reason the scholars say that Rajab is the month of seeking forgiveness, Sha`ban is the month of bestowing prayers upon the Prophet, and Ramadhan is the month of the Qur’an.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha`ban is my month, and Ramadhan is the month of my Ummah.” The fact that it is the month of Allah means that it is worthy of veneration, and the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) himself would venerate it. When the month entered he would seek its blessings, saying:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا في رَجَبٍ وَ شَعْبَانَ وَ بَلِّغْنا رَمَضَانَ
“O Allah bless us in Rajab and Sha`ban and enable us to reach Ramadhan.”
May Allah forgive all our sins and help us worship Him with excellence until we meet Him with nothing in our hands but good deeds. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Wassalaam
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