In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We are not created to amass this world, nor we are created to eat, sleep, procreate and have fun. We are created to worship Allah alone.
Allah Almighty says,
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦[Qur'an, Adh-dhariyat 51:56]
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (56)
Many humans live the life of this world, seeking the best that it has to offer, while ignoring what lies ahead of them upon death. This is a result of weak faith, for such people live only for what is before their eyes.
The adornment of this world are but temptations to distract you from the true purpose of life and the reminder that you will indeed be responsible for all you do in this life.
Allah Almighty says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ ﴿٩﴾ وَأَنفِقُوا مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿١٠﴾ وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّـهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَاللَّـهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١١[Qur'an Al-Munafiqun 63:9-11]
O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that - then those are the losers. (9) And spend [in the way of Allah] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous." (10) But never will Allah delay a soul when its time has come. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (11)
We can have some fun but within the boundaries set by our Creator. This life is very short. Everyday someone died; the person might be someone you know or someone you don't know. What guarantee do you have that you will not be next?
The only thing that is certain in this life is death but how many of us are prepared for it?
Abdullah Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) once held my shoulders and said: “Live in this world as (if you are) a wayfarer or a stranger (who will sooner or later leave the town he is staying in).”
And Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) used to say: “If you will live till night, do not wait for the next day (i.e. do not have hopes that you will live to the next day), and if you wake up in the morning do not have hope that you will live till night. And take (advantage) from your health for (the times when you are afflicted with diseases (and can not perform any obedience) and take advantage of your life for death (i.e. do every possible obedience in your life before death comes to you for then no deeds can be performed.” [Bukhari and At-Tirmidhi].
When the angel of death comes, no one has the power to chase him away. No one can avoid death, nor does anyone around the dying person have the ability to prevent it. It is something, which happens every moment and is encountered by the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the sick and the healthy, the strong and the weak. They are all the same because there is no plan or means of escaping it, no power, no means of intercession, no way to prevent it, nor to delay it, which shows that indeed it comes from One having tremendous power - so that the human is helpless in this regard and can only submit to it.
Allah Almighty says.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ ﴿١٨٥[Qur'an AleImran 3:185]
Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. (185)
The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
Remember much, that which cuts off pleasure: Death, since no-one remembers it in times of difficulty, except that things are made easy for him, nor mentions it at times of ease, except that the affairs become constricted for him.[Saheehul-Jaami’us Sagheer, no 1222]
Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, addressed us with a speech whose like I have never heard. He said, 'If you were to know what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.' The Companions of the Messenger of Allah covered their faces and sobbed." [Agreed upon]
'Abdullah ibn ash-Shikhkhir said, "I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was praying and his chest was heaving like a caldron from weeping." [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi]
Once Hasan al-Basri passed by a man who was laughing and asked him: “Oh my nephew! Have you safely passed over the Sirat (bridge over Hell)?” He replied, “No.” Hasan al-Basri asked: “Have you received news whether you will end up in Paradise or Hell?” The man replied that he hadn’t. So Hasan al-Basri asked, “Why do you laugh then, may Allah save you, while the matter ahead is horrifying?” That man was never seen laughing until he died. (But he smiled as this is a part of the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam)
The horror of Hell is such that when one look at it will have a man willing even to throw his children, his wife, his brother, his parents, and his entire clan into it if by doing so he can escape himself. We cannot imagine throwing our children into any fire in this life to escape it ourselves, yet this is what people will be doing as a result of just a glance at the Fire.
On the Day of Judgment Allah Almighty will ask a sinner whether he would like to ransom himself from the Fire by giving equivalent to the weight of the world in gold. The sinner will readily agree to give twice as much. Then Allah Almighty will say: Did I not ask you for something much less than this in the world? Only a few sujuds (prostrations), only to make your guest feel welcome, only to say ‘La ilaha illa Allah’? Unfortunately, the most ordinary and easy task seems difficult to us because we don’t see the Fire before our eyes. But when we do see it with our eyes it will be too late to redeem ourselves.
Allah Almighty gives sacred law for our benefit. If we remain within the sacred law, even if it is not being enforced, it will produce light in our hearts and it will realign with our lord and then there will be barakah (blessing) in our lives.
We all stained and human being sin, it's just a matter of degree, and the difference between someone enlightened and someone who is not is in how we approach our sins. Are we remorseful when we sin or are we not feel the slightest discomfort?
As Muslims we have to come to terms with this reality. Those we have done wrong, we should seek their forgiveness. It is not comfortable to come to terms with somebody you did wrong. But this is a blessing when you feel uncomfortable when you wronged someone because it motivates you forward--making tawbah (true repentance to Allah). Don't let the whispers of shaytan take your motivation away.
There are 3 essential conditions of valid repentance: remorse, abandon the sin, intend and resolve never to return to the sin, and rectify the wrong.
You either burn out by fire of remorse or fire of Hell. It's our individual choice.
Life in this world is of many types but death is of two kinds only -- good ending (Husnul Khaatimah) or bad ending (Suu-ul Khaatimah)).
We should now ask ourselves: "If I die in the state I am today, will I die with Husnul Khaatimah or Suu-ul Khaatimah?"
O Allah make our deeds (in this life) the best ones, and the best of our days the days when we meet You and make us of those whom You have favored with bounties in Your Paradise and Your Presence.
Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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