In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon You"

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

As-Salaam Alaykum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakaatuh

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How to die a good death: The A to Z of Death (PART 2)

Wanting to die

Suicide is strictly prohibited in Isl?m and is unanimously counted amongst the mortal sins (kab??ir).????? ?????????? ??????????? ? ????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????????

Do not kill yourselves, All?h is merciful to you.[1]????? ???????? ????????????? ????? ????????????? ? ???????????? ? ????? ???????? ??????? ??????????????

Do not contribute to your death with your own hands, but do good for All?h loves those who do good.[2]

The Prophet (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) prohibited us from supplicating for death,[3] and in one ?ad?th he said,

??? ?????????????? ?????????? ???????? ???? ????? ?????????? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ????????? ??????????: ?????????? ????????? ??? ??????? ????????? ??????? ???? ???????????? ????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ???

You are not to seek death because of hardship you are facing. If you must do so then supplicate, ‘All?h, give me life for as long as life is good for me, and give me death when death is good for me.’[4]

??? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ??????????? ???? ????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ???? ????????????

You are not to seek death. Either a person is already doing good, in which case he has the opportunity to do more good, or he is doing evil, in which case he has the opportunity to mend his ways.[5]

He (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) also said, “No one should wish for death or pray for it before it comes. When one of you dies, his good deeds come to an end and for the believer a long life will not increase him in anything but good.”[6]

These ?ad?th prove that asking for death because a person is unable to bear All?h’s decree patiently is prohibited, and indicates a displeasure in what He has determined. However, asking for death because a person fears for his faith and losing it is permissible. This is exemplified in the Qur??n with the case of Maryam. Pregnant, without any human intervention, she was terrified of the accusations that would come her way, fearing that they might have adverse consequences on her faith, so she cried out

??????? ??? ????????? ????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????????

‘I wish I was dead and forgotten long before this!’[7]

All?h’s Messenger (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “There are two things that the son of Adam dislikes: death, although death is better for a believer than fitnah; and he dislikes having little wealth, but less wealth means less reckoning.”[8]

In a supplication, All?h’s Messenger (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “All?h, I ask you for the performance of good deeds and the abandonment of evil deeds, and love of the orphan. If You want to put your servants to trial, take my soul to You before I am put to trail.”[9]

Another exception to the general rule is that there is one type of death that we are recommended to ask for: martyrdom. All?h’s Messenger (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “Whoever asks All?h sincerely for martyrdom, All?h will cause him to attain the status of the martyr, even if he dies in his bed.”[10]

Our Condition at the Time of Death

What is the general condition the believer must be in at the point of death? What frame of mind should he be in? What do we need to strive for to ensure success at this juncture?

??? ???????? ????????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ????? ????????? ????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ????????????

You who believe, be mindful of All?h as is His due, and make sure you submit to Him in Isl?m to your dying moment.[11]

To that last instant, we have to remain Muslims, serving our Lord, only saying and doing what pleases Him. The essence, the beginning and end of Isl?m is taw??d, and we must adhere to that taw??d to the last.

???? ????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????????

Whoever passes away knowing that none has the right to be worshipped besides All?h will enter Paradise.[12]

And he (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “Whoever, of my nation, dies without committing shirk will enter Paradise,”[13] “Whoever dies without committing shirk will enter Paradise. Whoever dies while committing shirk with All?h will enter the Fire.”[14]

It is for this reason, that it is duty of those sitting with person on his deathbed to remind him about taw??d and to encourage him to say the statement of taw?id:

????????? ??????????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ???? ????? ????? ?????????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????????? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ???? ????????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?????

Encourage the person about to die to say l? il?ha illAll?h. Whoever says this at the time of death will enter Paradise, even if it be eventually having faced what he faced before that.[15]

The Prophet (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) once visited a man of the An??r who was on his deathbed and said, ‘Say L? il?ha illAll?h.’ The man asked, ‘Is it good for me to say this?’ He replied, “Yes” and so he said it.[16]

A person on his deathbed must try his utmost to have a good opinion of All?h: knowing that He is his Lord who has sustained and cherished him, hoping for his mercy and hoping that All?h will forgive him his shortcomings and sins.

??? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ????????

None of you should die without having a good opinion of All?h.[17]

Al-?asan al-Ba?r? said, ‘People have given into foolish desires and whim, to the point that they leave this world without having done any good. They say, “I have a good opinion of my Lord!” They have lied. If they had a good opinion of Him, they would have done good deeds.’ Then he recited

??????????? ????????? ??????? ???????? ??????????? ??????????? ????????????? ????? ?????????????

So it was the thoughts you entertained about your Lord that led you to your ruin.[18]

It is also to encourage optimism that when a person is dying we are taught to only say good things in his presence, and to supplicate for him because the angels in turn will make du?a for us

????? ?????????? ??????????? ???? ??????????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ?????????????? ???????????? ????? ??? ??????????

When you are in the presence of someone ill or on his deathbed then say good things. The angels are saying ?m?n to what you are saying.[19]

Not only should he have hope, but the person on his deathbed should couple that with fear, with hope being the preponderant emotion at that time.[20] The Prophet (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) once visited a young man on his death bed and asked him what his condition was. He replied, ‘By All?h, Messenger of All?h, I have hope in All?h and I fear for my sins.’ He (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) remarked, “These two do not combine in the heart of a person at this time except that All?h will give him what he hopes for and save him from what he fears.”[21]

We need to ensure that at this time, we are amongst those whom All?h’s Messenger (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) said would want to meet All?h, realising that the fulfilment of their life’s aspiration lies ahead:

???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?????????

Whoever wants to meet All?h, All?h will want to meet him. Whoever hates to meet All?h, All?h would hate to meet him.[22]

When ???ishah heard this she asked, ‘But we all hate the idea of death!’ He (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied, “This is not what is meant. When death comes to the believer, he is given the glad-tidings of All?h’s good pleasure and as such there is nothing more beloved to him than what lies ahead. He wants to meet All?h and All?h wants to meet him. When death comes to a disbeliever, he is given the tidings of All?h’s punishment and as such nothing is more hateful to him than what lies ahead. He hates to meet All?h, and All?h hates to meet him.”

This realisation happens right at the last seconds of death, and will happen for those who lived a life of servitude to All?h. ???ishah, herself explained when it happens, “when the gaze becomes fixed, when the chest rattles (as soul departs), when the skin tightens and the fingers tremble.”[23]

Death can be a gift

At the time of death and afterwards, the true believer begins reaping the reward of all he has sown in this life. All?h’s Messenger (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) said,

???????? ??????????? ?????????

Death is a gift for the believer.[24]

This statement was further explained in a ?ad?th in which the Prophet (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) said that when a person dies either he is moving on to rest and relief or people will be rested and relieved of him. When asked to explain, he said,

???????? ?????????? ??????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ??????????? ?????? ????????? ???????????? ??????????? ?????????????

The believing servant is relieved of the toils of this world and moves on to All?h’s mercy. The sinful servant, however, relieves the people around him, the environment, the trees and the animals.[25]

The Final ?yah Revealed to All?h’s Messenger (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam)

The last verse that All?h revealed to his Messenger (sallAll?hu ‘alayhi wasallam) essentially contained this message. The last message that All?h gave his Prophet and the believers around him was to remind them of the time of their death and the accounting that follows,

?????????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ????? ???????? ? ????? ????????? ????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?????? ??? ???????????

Beware of a day when you will be returned to All?h and every soul will be paid in full for what it did and no one will be wronged.[26]

Source: www.islam21c.com

Notes:[1] al-Nis?? 4:29[2] al-Baqarah 2:195[3] Muslim #2681 from Khabb?b[4] Bukh?r? #5671-6351, Muslim from Anas[5] Bukh?r? #5673, Nas??? #1818 from Ab? Hurayrah[6] Muslim #2382 from Ab? Hurayrah[7] Maryam: 19:23[8] A?mad #23625 from Ma?m?d b. Lab?d. cf. al-?a???ah #813[9] Tirmidh? #3233 from ibn ?Abb?s[10] Muslim #1909[11] ?li ?Imr?n 3:102[12] Muslim #26 from ?Uthm?n[13] Bukh?r? #1237 from Ab? Dharr[14] Muslim #93 from J?bir[15] Ibn ?ibb?n #3004 from Ab? Hurayrah. The first portion is with Muslim #916 and #917 from Ab? Sa??d[16] A?mad #12543 from Anas[17] Muslim #2877 from J?bir b. ?Abdull?h[18] Fu??ilat 41:22. cf. Tafs?r al-?asan al-Ba?r? 2:267[19] Muslim #919 from Umm Salamah[20] Nawaw?, Shar? ?a??? Muslim[21] Tirmidh? #983 from Th?bit[22] Bukh?r? #6507, Muslim #2683 from Ab? Hurayrah[23] Muslim #2685[24] ??kim #7900 from ?Abdull?h b. ?Amr. Haytham? 10:555 said the isn?d was jayyid[25] Bukh?r? #6512, Muslim #950[26] al-Baqarah 2:281, cf. Tafs?r ?abar? who quotes this view from ibn ?Abb?s amongst others

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