Some of the sayings of Abu Darda regarding life and death

Abu Darda  Rahimahullah said: “He who remembers death often, then his delight becomes less and his enviousness (of others) diminishes”.

Abu darda on his final moments said “Let man work for a demise like mine! Let man work for an hour like this! Let man work for a day like this” and he wept. His wife asked him, “do you weep even though you have accompanied the messenger of Allah?  He said ”Why should I not weep, when I do not know which of my sins will bring my destruction”

Abu Darda said “when you remember the dead, consider yourself one of them”

Abu Darda said “Should I tell you about the day I will become poor? It is the day when I am lowred in my grave”

Abu Darda' said: "Before Islam I used to be a merchant, and after the advent of Islam I was busy with commerce and worship, but it was so difficult for me to combine the two, that I renounced commerce and turned towards worship."

Abu Darda', said: "Everyone has an imperfection of knowledge and wisdom, if his wealth increases, he becomes so happy though day and night are working hard on destroying his life-span. So what is good of a wealth that increases and a life-span that decreases?"

Abu Darda' said: "Had it not been for three things, I would have preferred to be under the earth:

1- Brothers and friends visiting me and choosing fruitful speech.

2- To cover my face with dust in prostration to Allah.

3- To go out for Allah's Sake."

Abu Darda' said: "I love poverty so as to be modest before my Rabb, I love death because I am longing to see the All-Mighty Allah and I love sickness so as to expiate my sins."

Umm Darda said that when a righteous man died, Abu Darda used to say "congratulation. I wish I was in your place". When Umm Darda asked him about it he said, "Do you not know that one starts the day while a believer and ends it while a hypocrite, thus, being rid of his faith while he is unaware? This is why I congratulate that dead man (for dying while righteous) more than I wish for him to stay alive to pray and fast"

Source: The life of this world is a transient shade/ Silent moments by Abdul Malik al Qasim

Miscellaneous accounts about death

When al-Hasan ibn Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) was dying, he asked people to take him out to the hall. Then he said: “O Lord, I trust myself in you”.

On his death Muadh ibn Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “Look if the day has broken? “They looked and answered negative. Later on, he was informed that it was morning. Then he remarked: “I seek refuge in Allah from a night whose morning leads to Hell-fire. Welcome to death, an absent visitor and a beloved returning while we are defected. O Lord, I used to fear you, but now I expect good from you. You know that I never loved this world or long stay in it. I used to observe fasting on extremely hot days, praying at long nights of winter, and joining scholars in their circles of knowledge”.

Abu Muslim said:”I visited Abu Ad-Darda(May Allah be pleased with him) on his death. He said, “Would you get prepared for this day and for this hour? “Then he breathed his last”.

Salman al-Farisi(May Allah be pleased with him) wept on his death. Asked about this, he said: “The Prophet (Peace be upon him) commanded us to have sufficient provisions for the hereafter”.

Al-Mazini said that he visited Ash-Shafi’i on his deathbed. He said, “I asked him, how are you?” He replied,” I am leaving this world, leaving my brothers, meeting my sins, drinking the cup of death, and returning to the Almighty. But I do not know to Hell or Paradise my spirit will be admitted”.

Abu Ad- Darda (May Allah be pleased with him) was once asked about his visit to grave. He said “I visit people who remind me of death. They never back bite me when I depart”.

Maymun ibn Mahran said, “I joined Umar ibn Abdul Azeez in his visit to graves. Beholding them he wept and told me, “Maymun , these are the tombs of the predecessors from the Banu Umayyah. Look, as if they never shared this world’s delight. Do you not see them lying being exemplary to others. They have decayed”. Then he shed tears and said, By Allah I know non better that the dead who have been saved from Almighty’s torture”.

Al-Hasan al-Basri said, “Death has exposed this world, leaving no delight for sensible people therein”

When Ibn Umar remembered death, he trembled like birds. He used to convene with the jurists every night talking about death and the hereafter. Then they shed tears as if they were in funerals.

Hamid al-Qasyrasi said: “Though we know death is certain, we have not prepared ourselves for it. Though we know paradise is definite, we have not worked for it. Though we know the hell fire is sure, we have not feared it. So why are you delighted? What are you waiting for? Death is the first visitor from the Almighty bringing good or evil tidings. Brothers get closer to your Lord”.

Habib Ibn Muhammad’s wife said that Habib used to tell me,”If I die today get so-and-so to bath me”. She was asked if he had seen a dream of his death. She replied that he used to tell her likewise every day.

Source: Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qadisin (towars the hereafter) by Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi Translated by Wa'il 'A.Shihab

Some sayings of Abu Darda (RadiyAllah anhu)

‘You will not truly gain understanding (fiqh) until you are able to see various views within the Qur’an, and you will not truly gain understanding until when you rebuke people for the Sake of Allah, you also turn to your soul and rebuke it even harsher than you did the people.’

‘Call upon Allah during your days of ease so that perhaps He will answer you on your days of hardship.’

‘Do righteous good deeds before going into battle, for you are only fighting your enemies by the virtue of your deeds.’

‘Piety cannot be worn out, a sin is not truly forgotten and the Lord does not fall into slumber. So be the person you wish to be, for the way you treat others is how you shall be treated.’

‘Were it not for 3 things, the people would have been rectified: greed which is obeyed, desires which are followed and every person being pleased and amazed at his own opinion/view.’

‘In the days of Jahiliyyah, I was a merchant. When Islam came, I took up both trade and worship but I could not hold them both. So I went on with worship and abandoned trade.’

A man once came to Abu al-Darda’ and said, ‘Advise me, for I am going into war.’ He said to him, ‘Fear Allah as though you see Him until you meet Him. Consider your soul to be from the dead and don’t count it amongst the living. And beware of the supplication of the oppressed one.’

‘Let a person be cautious of the possibility that the hearts of the people are cursing him from whence he does not know.’

‘Do not complain about your calamity, do not speak about your fears and do not ascribe piety to yourself by your own tongue.’

Source: Excerpts from Kitab al-Zuhd / Fajr.wordpress.com