Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (The son of Ahmad ibn Hanbal) said
“When Abu Ahmad (Ahmad ibn Hanbal) was dying, I was present with him holding a
piece of cloth in my hand. He repeatedly felt unconsciousness for some time and
then recovered saying every time “No! No” So I said “Oh Father, What is wrong
with you? He said Satan is standing close to my feet, biting his tip fingers
and asking me to follow him, and I keep telling him “No, till the moment I die”
Al Rabe’e ibn Murra
ibn Ma’bad Al-Jahni (who was a famous worshiper of Allah in Basra ) Once
said “ I was in Levin attending to a dying man there. People kept telling him
to utter Shahadah (To testify that there is no God but Allah) but he kept
repeating “Drink and give me more wine” The same happened to another one in Ahwaz
who kept repeating some strange words “Ten, Eleven, Twelve…”Then I learned that
he is a businessman who was overwhelmed by his love of business and accounting”.
A third one here in Basra was asked to say shahada (To
testify that there is no God but Allah) before his death , but he said “She
asked me about lavatory I took her home to start a love story” The scholar Abu
Bakr ibn Sulaymaan ibn Al Najjad commeneted: That was a man who was standing in
the street when a woman asked him about the way to public lavatory, Instead he
let her to his house and said these lines of verse at his death. “
The Author (Imam Qurtubi) said: A lot of example can be found
among the people who concern themselves primarily with the affairs of this worldly
life so much so that I was told that when a broker was on his death bed he was
asked to utter shahada (To testify that there is no God but Allah) However he
kept saying” Three and Half, Four and Half, etc…”as he was overwhelmed by his
love for brokerage.
I have also seen an
accountant on the verge of death holding his fingers and counting digits.
Another dying person was asked to utter shahada (To testify that there is no
God but Allah) but he kept saying “repair so and so in my flat, and so and so
in my garden”. A third also kept saying “Take care of the donkey, go and tie
the donkey”. And a fourth kept repeating “Take care of the yellow cow” as he
was totally preoccupied with it. We ask Allah to grant us Mercy and help us to
utter shahada (To testify that there is no God but Allah) when we are to die.
Source: An authentic selection from Imam al Qurtubi's At-Tadhkirah
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