Saturday, June 17, 2017

Ramadhan Reflection -- Reflect on Death and the Perishing World

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

Assalaamu alaykum

The nature of this world is like a spider's web. The spider's web catches insects. The nature of the world is that it will entrap you. It catches people that are light spiritually whereas people who are strong spiritually, they can blow it off.

Think about all those people who have billion of dollars and being served by people everywhere they set their feet on. None of these is going to benefit them because of the fleeting nature of the world.  Some people are going to give the entire estate to charity or leave some to their children. Then what?

We have to reflect upon the perishing nature of this lowly world (dunya)-- the appeal, the magic and the entrapment of the dunya. We have to be aware of its  hazards and the swiftness of its perishing. The fruits of reflecting on this is that it will take you out the love of the world from your heart. 

Reflect on the eminence of death and the regrets and remorse when it is too late. We have to reflect on death because it can pounce upon us at any moment. No matter how righteous we are, no matter how many good deeds we have accumulated, we will want to come back to do more.  

The nature of human being is that some people don't think about death at all. Some people think about death but then they convinced themselves that only other people are going to die, not them. Your brain might try to convince you that you have many years to live but tell it that you don't even have any guarantee what will happen to you in the next moment. We might be healthy today, but we can be very sick tomorrow. We might be full of life and vigor right now and we walk out, something terrible could happen.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Remember the terminator of all pleasures  often i.e. death." [Tirmidhi]. The fruits and benefits of this is that hopes become short, behaviors become better, and true provision is gathered for the appointed Day.

Don't postpone reflecting on death. Death will meet us. We can't avoid it. We will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and Seen, and He will inform us of what we have done in this life.
Allah, Exalted is He says,
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْ‌جَعُونَ

Every soul will taste death. Then to Us will you be returned.
[Qur'an al-Ankabut 29:57]


Let's renew our intentions and remember why we are here. Allah, Exalted is He, says,
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦
And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).
[Qur'an, Adh-Dhariyat, 51:56]

Don't let anyone and anything distract you from worshiping your Lord. Allah, Exalted is He, says

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَ‌ٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ ﴿٩ وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنِىٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٠ وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرٌۢ 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]

May Allah increase us in iman, guide us on the straight path and bring us closer to Him. May Allah forgive us and help us to forgive all the believers and save us from the punishment of the grave, the torment of the Day of Standing and the Hellfire. 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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