Shukr..for death

'Death will reach a man when three events coincide; he reaches his place of death, he has consumed his last morsel and he has earned the last of his decreed livelihood.'

I'm not sure whether that's a hadith or not, but I searched high and low for it and could not find anything to indicate as such. The first time I heard that however, a cold shiver ran through my spine and straight through my heart. You know that feeling you get when you're so terrified it hurts?

I mean, it could happen any moment. My time in this world could come to an end tomorrow, this evening, right now. Am I ready?

It was during a conversation which followed the death of a young woman in our community that someone quoted the above. The woman who passed away was in her late twenties/early thirties and had been diagnosed with cancer only a year or so ago. Her prognosis was bad and before anyone had a chance to even come to terms with it she passed away. May Allah ease her way into Jannah, Insha'Allah.

It got me thinking; What did she leave behind? What will happen to her now? Is there anything I can do to help her? .....and before I knew it, all the 'hers' in my questions turned into 'mes' and 'Is';
What will happen to me? What will I leave behind? What can I do to help myself? And most importantly, why has it taken me this long to ask myself these questions?!

Subhanallah, if there is one thing I have learnt in my life through my own experiences, it is that Allah SWT is a personal God. He is constantly keeping watch over us, guiding us, helping us and He knows the best ways in which to do so and it happened to me just then; as soon as I became aware of death, Allah SWT presented me with the best resources with which to educate and prepare myself. It is unbelievable how many reminders there are around us, and it's scary how easily we overlook them and continue on with life trying to be oblivious to it all. For me, these reminders flowed in the forms of blog entrys, facebook (!), hadiths and of course, the Qur'an. My questions were answered in the most unexpected ways;

'And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty) and He will provide for him from sources he never could imagine.'

-Surah Al-Talaaq 65:2-3.

SubhanAllah.

So, these are only a few of the answers I recieved;

'Allah, the Exalted, the Glorious, has ordained for every servant amongst His Creation five things: his death, his action, his abode, the places of his moving about and his means of sustenance.'

-(Tirmidhi)

So firstly, it is inevitable. I can't change that, so may as well prepare myself for it..

'Ponder on death a lot. Allah opens the heart of that person who thinks about death a lot and makes death easy for him.'

-Narrated by Abu Huraira

 “Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said, ‘Some hearts become rusty just as iron does when water affects it.’ On being asked what could clear them he replied, ‘A great amount of remembrance of death and recitation of the Qur’an.’”

-narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar (Tirmidhi)

I mustn't forget it. Remembering death makes everything else around me (arguments, sadness, hardship) seem so small in comparison, what better way to put things in perspective?

Allah’s Messenger said: “Three (things) follow a dead person: members of his family, his possessions and his deeds. Two of them return; and one remains with him. The people and his wealth return; his deeds remain with him.”

-narrated by Anas (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

'The best things that a man leaves behind after his death are a virtuous child who invokes Allah for him, a perpetual charity; the reward of which reaches him, and a beneficial knowledge which remains useful after him.'

-(Abu Katada)

Preparation is simple; repent and do good deeds, giving charity, not just learning about Islam but practicing it and sharing it, when I have children then giving them an islamic and guided upbringing; this extends to other family members and even friends- being a good person to them in order that they may ask forgiveness for me when I can no longer do so.

Allah’s Messenger said, “None of you should wish for death. If he is a righteous man, perhaps he may add to (his) good works, and if he is a sinner, possibly he may be repentant (in case he is given a longer life).”

-narrated by Abu Hurairah (Al-Bukhari)

I need to use my life wisely. I only get one chance and I do not know how long I have left, so I must use every moment I am blessed with to seek forgiveness for my sins and earn blessings Insha'Allah.

It has been said that the life of this world and the Hereafter in the heart of a person are like the two scales of a balance; when one becomes heavier, the other becomes lighter...

O Allah! Bless us with the ability to use our time wisely, I pray do not give us death until you are pleased with us, and enable us to die in a state of Imaan. Make easy for us all the tests of the akhirah and bestow upon us the gift of Paradise. Allah, You are Al-Baaqi, the Everlasting. Ameen.

Any good in this post is from Allah SWT and any bad is from myself and Shaytaan.