Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Death: Can You Guarantee You Won't Be Next?

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

Assalaamu alaykum

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, and Allah alone.

Allah Almighty says,
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (56)
[Qur'an, Adh-dhariyat 51:56]

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

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)
[Qur'an Al-Munafiqun 63:9-11]

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 father and son) 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

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)
[Qur'an AleImran 3:185]

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 (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Messenger of Allah (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]

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. To 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 three 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 day when we meet You and make us of those whom You have favored.

May Allah grant us excellent ending and resurrect us with His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and enter us into the highest Jannah without reckoning. May Allah grant us His Noble Countenance.

Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

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