A death reminder

by Umar S.al-Ashqar

Allah told His Messenger about death, and said:
Verily, you [O’ Mohamed صلى الله عليه و سلم ] will die, and verily they [too] will die. (Quran 39:30)
According to a hadith narrated by At- Tabarani in Al-Awsat, Abu Na’eem in Al-Hilyah, Al- Haakim in Al- Mustadrak and others, Ali (RA) reported : “The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said:
‘Jibreel (Gabriel) came to me and said
“O’ Muhammead صلى الله عليه و سلم, live as long as you like, for you are going to die. Love whomever you want, for you are going to leave them. Do whatever you want, for you are going to be requited for it. Know that the honor of the believer is his standing in prayer at night, and his pride is in independence from people."

Ali ibn Abi Talib said:
“This world is moving away from us. Each of them has its own people, so be among the people of the hereafter, do not be among the people of the world. Today is striving, not reckoning, but tomorrow will be reckoning and not striving. (This is narrated by Bukhari in the chapter “Hoping to live long.”

In Tadhkirat al- Qurtabi it is stated:
“Think, O’ you are deceived by this world, of death and its agonies, how difficult and bitter a cup it is. What a true promise death is! How fair a judge it is! Death is enough to fill the heart with fear and eyes with tears, to separate people, destroy pleasure and put an end to all worldly hopes.
Have you given any thought, O’ son of Adam, to the day when you will die and will be taken out of your place? When you will move from spaciousness (of this world) to the confines (of the grave), when friends and loved ones will let you down, and brothers and friends will desert you? When you will be taken from your bed and placed in a hole in the ground, and instead of a blanket you will be covered with dust and earth? O’ gatherer of wealth, O’ industrious builder, by Allah you will have nothing left of possessions expect shrouds, and even those will be destroyed and will vanish as your body disintegrates and turns to dust.
Where is the wealth that you amassed? Will it save you from these terrors? No indeed, you have left it behind for those who will not praise you, and you have come with your burdens (of sin) to One Who will not excuse you.”

Qurtabi narrated that Yazeed al-Riqaashi used to say to himself:
“Woe to you, O’ Yazeed. Who will pray on your behalf after you die? Who will make Allah be pleased with you after you die?”
Then he said:
“O’ people, why do you not weep and wail for yourselves for the rest of your lives? When you are sought by the grave, when the grave is home, the earth is bed, the worms your companions, and you will be awaiting the greater terrors?”

Qurtabi said elsewhere:
“Imagine yourself, O’ you have been deceived by this world, when the agony and stupor of death overwhelms you, and you start moaning in the throes of death. There will be some, who will say, so and so has made a will, and his wealth has been calculated; others will say, so and so can no longer speak, he does not recognize his neighbors and he does not speak to his brother. It is as if I can see you listening to these words and unable to respond. Imagine yourself, O’ Son of Adam, being taken from your bed to a place where your body will be washed and shrouded, and being forsaken by your family and neighbors, wept over by your friends and brothers. Imagine the one who has washed your body saying, ‘Where is the wife of so and so to forgive him? Where are the orphans? Your father has left you and you will never see him again after this day.”?


In one of the lessons preached by the great sahaabi Abu-Dardaa’, he said:
“Three things make me smile, and three things make me weep. The things that make me smile are: The man who has great hopes in this world whilst death is seeking him, the one who ignores death but it does not ignore him, and the one who laughs out loud but he does not know whether Allah is pleased with him or angry.
The things that make me weep are: departing from Mohamed (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and his companions, the terrifying moments of death, and standing before Allah on the day all the secrets will be made known and not knowing whether one is heading for Paradise or for Hell.”

Abu-Dardaa’ or Abu Darr said:
“You give birth to those who are going to die, you build that which will be destroyed, you focus on that which will pass away, and you neglect that which will remain.”

Qurtabi gave the following advice in his tadhkirah:
“Where is the wealth that you have gathered and prepared for hardship and terror? There is no money in your hand when you are dying. The wealth and pride that you enjoyed have been replaced with humiliation and poverty. What has become of you, O’ Prisoner of your burdens, O’ you who have taken been away from your family and your home?
What was it that concealed the right path from you, and caused you to have no interest in making provision for your long journey and time of difficulty? Did you not know, O’ you who have deceived by this world that this journey to the day of intense horror was inevitable, when the time spent in gossip would be no wail? That is the day when you are standing before the Sovereign, the Judge, and the blows struck by your hands, the places where your feet took you, the words uttered by your tongue, the actions of all your limbs and faculties, will be counted against you. If Allah has Mercy on you, you will go to Paradise; otherwise you will go to the Fire of Hell.
O’ Negligent one who ignores these matters, how long will this negligent last? How long will you delay? Do you think that the issue is insignificant? Do you think that the matter is easy? Do you think that your situation will help you when it is time for you to depart? Or that wealth will save you when your actions condemn you? Or that your regret will help you when your feet are slipping? Or that your friends will show you any sympathy when you are gathered (for judgment)? No, by Allah, you are wrong in your thinking, and you will be inevitably come to know the reality. You are not content with enough, you never have your fill that whichof that which is Haraam, you do not listen to lessons, you are not deterred by warnings. You persist in following desires and you go about your life without guidance. You are happy with the things that you have accumulated but you do not think of what lies ahead. O’ you who are sleeping unawares, wandering without guidance for how long will the neglect last? Do you think that you will be left alone and let off, and that you will not be brought to account tomorrow? Or do you think that death can be bribed? Or do you think that death distinguishes between the lion and gazelle?
No, by Allah, wealth and sons can never ward off death from you. Nothing can benefit those who will be forgiven except righteous deeds. So good news to those who listen and understand, who practice what they preach, and are deterred from following their whims and desires, those who know that the victor is the one who pays heed, and that man will have nothing except that for which he strives, and he will see what he has striven for. So wake up from this negligence, and make righteous deeds the provision with which you when are weighed down with burdens (of sin), doing immoral deeds, when Allah is watching you even when you are alone. Do not be so deceived by hopes and wishes that you neglect to strive.
One poet said:
Take provision from this life to help you in the hereafter.
Strive for the sake of Allah and do good deeds.
Do not accumulate too much in this world,
For that accumulation will eventually diminish.
Would you like to accompany people?
Who have provision when you do not? “

Extracted from the book "The minor resurrection" by Umar S.al-Ashqar /translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab