With the Highest Companions

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Islam is the last religion brought to mankind and Muslims believe in the everlasting abode. One day we will cease to exist in this transient world and move on to our next eternal world.

It is a human phenomenon to want to live even if it means being kept alive by machines and tubes. In reality our lives is measured in breaths. Two people can have the same one minute passed but they both had an entirely different realities.

Our reality is just days. Every time that a day goes by part of us goes away. Every breath we take means we are closer to the moment of truth -- death. The more you come to terms with this reality now, the more you will be able to come to terms with it when the moment of truth comes.

Learn to live frugal lives. Frugality is different than stinginess. Frugality means to lower the intake and consumption, the trait of someone who is not wasteful, a praiseworthy trait. Stinginess is not liking to give or spend, a blameworthy trait.

Realize that the world is fleeting and the more you try to chase after the world, the more it want to run away from you and the more you run away from it, the more it will run after you.

From ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (radi Allahu anhu), from the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) who said: “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah will love to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah will hate to meet him.” Aisha (radi Allahu anha) or one of his wives said: “But we all dislike the idea of death.” He said, “It is not what you are thinking. When death approaches the believer and he is given the news of Allah’s pleasure and honor, nothing will be more dear to him than what lies ahead of him, so he will love to meet Allah and Allah will love to meet him. But when death approaches the disbeliever and he is given the news of Allah’s wrath and punishment, nothing will be more disliked by him than that what lies ahead of him, so he will hate to meet Allah and Allah will hate to meet him.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

The last words of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) – before he bade farewell to this world – were: “O Allah, (with) the highest companions”. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that: When the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was healthy, he used to say, “No soul of a Prophet is taken until he has been shown his place in Paradise and then he is given the choice.” When death approached him while his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious and then recovered consciousness. He then looked at the ceiling of the house and said, “O Allah! (with) the highest companions." I said (to myself), “He is not going to choose (to stay with) us.” Then I understood what he meant when he said that to us when he was healthy. The last words he spoke were, "O Alaah! (with) the highest companions.”

[al-Bukhaari, Muslim]

Death is the gift of the believer who has refined his heart, who implements the shari'ah outwardly and who travels the path to his Lord inwardly.

If you want to know your state, then look at your heart and were death to come to you at this moment, are you longing for it or not? If your heart is overwhelmed with the love of this world, you want to remain here. But if you have the ability to detach, when that moment comes, you will be longing for that moment.

Let's make this Prophetic supplication.

"اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْراً لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْراً لِي، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْغِنَى وَالْفَقْرِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيماً لَا يَنْفَذُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضِا بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ، اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ وِاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ".

Allaahumma bi'ilmikal-ghayba wa qudratika 'alal-khalqi 'ahyinee maa 'alimtal-hayaata khayran lee wa tawaffanee 'ithaa 'alimtal-wafaata khayran lee, Allaahumma 'innee 'as'aluka khashyataka fil-ghaybi wash-shahaadati, wa 'as'aluka kalimatal-haqqi fir-ridhaa walghadhabi, wa 'as'alukal-qasda fil-ghinaa walfaqri, wa 'as'aluka na'eeman laa yanfadu, wa 'as'aluka qurrata 'aynin laa tanqati'u, wa 'as'alukar-ridhaa ba'dal-qadhaa'i, wa 'as'aluka bardal-'ayshi ba'dal-mawti, wa 'as'aluka laththatan-nadhari 'ilaa wajhika wash-shawqa 'ilaa liqaa'ikafee ghayri dharraa'a mudhirratin wa laa fitnatin mudhillatin, Allaahumma zayyinnaa bizeenatil-'eemaani waj'alnaa hudaatan muhtadeen.

O Allah, by Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation , let me live if You know that life is good for me, and let me die if You know that death is good for me . O Allah , I ask You to grant me fear of You in private and in public . I ask you for the word of truth in times of contentment and anger . I ask You for moderation in wealth and in poverty . I ask you for blessings never ceasing and the coolness of my eye (i .e . pleasure) that never ends . I ask You for pleasure after Your Judgment and I ask You for a life of coolness after death . I ask You for the delight of gazing upon Your Face and the joy of meeting You without any harm and misleading trials befalling me. O Allah, dress us with the beauty of Faith, and make us guides who are upon (correct) guidance.

[An-Nasa'i, Ahmad]

Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam