Introduction

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله الذي لا يبلغ مدحته القائلون ولا يحصي نعمائه العادون ولا يؤدي حقه المجتهدون الذي ليس لصفته حد محدود ولا نعت موجود والصلاة والسلام على خير خلقه وأشرف بريته محمد وآله الطاهرين لاسيما بقية الله في الأرضيين ولعنة الله على أعدائهم أجمعين إلى قيام يوم الدين

Remembering Death

Before a believer approaches the final moment of his/her life and death overtakes him, it is necessary that he wakes up from the state of negligence and prepares for the final everlasting place. This way he will be able to avoid bewilderment and the fear of the so-called untimely death.

At the time of leaving this world, as attested to by the Qur’an, a person will be in one of two states - either he will be of the Companions of the Right, or of the Companions of the Left.1 If he is counted amongst the Companions of the Right, he will be in a good, final state, but if he is one of the Companions of the Left, he will be of those who has suffered a great loss.

At this point it is appropriate that we start this discussion by quoting Ahadith from the Ma’sumin (Peace be upon them all) on the preparation for death.

Who Is The Cleverest Believer?

At this point it is appropriate that we start this discussion by quoting Ahadith from the Ma’sumin (Peace be upon them all) on the preparation for death.

قيل لأمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: ما الاستعداد للموت؟ فقال عليه السلام: أداء الفرائض واجتناب المحارم والاشتمال على المكارم، ثم لا يبالي أوقع على الموت أو وقع الموت عليه

Someone once asked Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a), “What is the best way to prepare for death?” He (‘a) said, “One should fulfil the obligatory acts, abstain from the forbidden, and exhibit exalted morals. At that point, one should not be concerned whether he falls upon death or death falls upon him”.1

عن محمود بن لبيد أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله قال: شيئان يكرههما ابن آدم: يكره الموت والموت راحة للمؤمن من الفتنة، ويكره قلة المال وقلة المال أقل للحساب

Mahmud Ibn Labid relates that the Messenger of Islam (S) said, “There are two things that the son of Adam dislikes: death, even though death is ease for the believer from trials and tribulations; and a reduction in wealth even though in the reduction of wealth, lies a lessening in one’s accountability”.2

قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله: اذكروا هادم اللذات، فقيل: وما هو يا رسول الله؟ فقال الموت، فما ذكره عبد على الحقيقة في سعة إلا ضاقت عليه الدنيا، ولا في شدة إلا اتسعت عليه، والموت أول منزل منازل الآخرة، وآخر منزل من منازل الدنيا، فطوبى لمن أكرم عند النزول بأولها، وطوبى لمن أحسن مشايعته في آخرها، والموت أقرب الأشياء من بني آدم وهو يعده أبعد، فما أجرأ الانسان على نفسه! وما أضعفه من خلق! وفي الموت نجاة المخلصين وهلاك المجرمين، ولذلك اشتاق من اشتاق إلى الموت وكره من كره.

The Messenger of Allah (S) said, “Remember the destroyer of pleasures”. Someone asked him, “And what is that, O’ Messenger of Allah?” He said, “It is death. No servant remembers it according to its reality in times of ease without the world losing its pleasure for him, nor in times of difficulty without it giving him ease. Death is the first stage of the next life, and the last stage of the stages of this world. Fortunate is he who is respected and welcomed in the first stage, and who has good company in the last stage. Death is the nearest thing to the descendants of Adam, while he considers it the furthest thing. How bold man is with regard to himself, and how weak of a creation is he! In death there is salvation for the sincere, and annihilation for the wicked, and that is why one who desires death, desires it, and one who dislikes death, dislikes it”.3

قال رجل لأبي ذر رحمه الله: ما لنا نكره الموت؟ قال: لأنكم عمرتم الدنيا وخربتم الآخرة فتكرهون أن تنتقلوا من عمران إلى خراب، قيل له: فكيف ترى قدومنا على الله؟ قال: أما المحسن فكالغائب يقدم على أهله، وأما المسئ فكالآبق يقدم على مولاه، قيل: فكيف ترى حالنا عند الله؟ قال: أعرضوا أعمالكم على كتاب الله تبارك و تعالى: " إن الأبرار لفي نعيم وإن الفجار لفي جحيم " قال الرجل: فأين رحمة الله؟ قال: إن رحمة الله قريب من المحسنين

A man one asked Abu Dharr, “Why do we dislike death?” Abu Dharr (Allah’s blessings be upon him) replied, “You do not like death because you have built and established the world and ruined the hereafter. So, you dislike moving from the established to the ruined”. Someone said to him, “How do you see our return to Allah?” He replied, “As for the pious (person), it is like a traveller returning to his family, and as for the wicked, it is like a runaway slave returning to his master”. He was questioned, “How do you see our situation with Allah (SwT)?” He replied, “Compare your actions to (what is written in) the Book of Allah (SwT), ‘Verily the good doers are enjoying blessings, and verily the evil doers are in Hell’”. The man said, “So where is Allah’s mercy?” He said, “Verily the Mercy of Allah (SwT) is near those who do good”.4

عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: الناس اثنان: واحد أراح، وآخر استراح، فأما الذي استراح فالمؤمن إذا مات استراح من الدنيا وبلائها، وأما الذي أراح فالكافر إذا مات أراح الشجر والدواب وكثيرا من الناس

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) relates that the Messenger of Allah (S) said, “People are of two types: one group is pleased by death, while the other one makes others pleased by their death. As for he who is pleased by death, he is the true believer, who by dying, is relieved from the trials and tribulations of the world. And as for the one whose dying makes others pleased, he is the non-Believer who by dying, has relieved the trees, animals, and many people”.5

عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: الموت كفارة لذنوب المؤمنين

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) narrates from the Messenger of Islam (S), “Death is an atonement for the sins of a believer”6.

عن الرضا عليه السلام، عن آبائه عليهم السلام قال: لما حضرت الحسن بن علي عليهما السلام الوفاة بكى فقيل: يا بن رسول الله أتبكي ومكانك من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله مكانك الذي أنت به وقد قال فيك رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ما قال، وقد حججت عشرين حجة ماشيا، وقد قاسمت ربك مالك ثلاث مرات حتى النعل والنعل؟ فقال عليه السلام: إنما أبكي لخصلتين: لهول المطلع وفراق الأحبة.

Imam al-Ridha (‘a) narrates from his forefathers that when the time of death of Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (‘a) approached, the Imam fell into tears. Someone said, “O’ son of the Messenger of Allah, why are you crying though your position with the Prophet is what it is and the Prophet has said about you what he has said. In addition to this, you have performed the Hajj twenty times walking; and three times in your life, you split your wealth and gave half of it in the way of Allah (SwT), even so much as your shoes?!" The Imam replied, “I am crying for two reasons; because of fear of death and because of separation from those whom I love”7.

The Reality Of Repentance For One’s Sins

The second stage for the person who sees the signs of death approaching is to repent for his sins. If a person succeeds in asking forgiveness for the sins that he has committed, his status is just as the one who had not committed any sins.

عن الرضا، عن آبائه عليهم السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب له

In a hadith from ‘Ali Ibn Musa al-Ridha (‘a) from his forefathers, quoting the Messenger of Islam (S), it is stated that, “The person who repents from his sins is like the one who had not committed a sin at all”8.

However, asking for forgiveness for one’s sins has specific conditions that must be noted:

قال عليه السلام (لقائل قال بحضرته أستغفر الله): ثكلتك أمك أتدري ما الاستغفار؟ الاستغفار درجة العليين. وهو اسم واقع على ستة معان: أولها الندم على ما مضى. والثاني العزم على ترك العود إليه أبدا. والثالث أن تؤدي إلى المخلوقين حقوقهم حتى تلقى الله أملس ليس عليك تبعة. والرابع أن تعمد إلى كل فريضة عليك ضيعتها فتؤدي حقها. والخامس أن تعمد إلى اللحم الذي نبت على السحت فتذيبه بالأحزان حتى تلصق الجلد بالعظم وينشأ بينهما لحم جديد. والسادس أن تذيق الجسم ألم الطاعة كما أذقته حلاوة المعصية فعند ذلك تقول أستغفر الله

Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) said to a person who, while in his presence said Astagfirullah: “May your mother lose you! Do you know what it means to repent? Repentance is the level of people of a high position. It is a word that comes for six meanings. The first is to repent over the past; the second is to make a firm determination never to revert to it; the third is to discharge all the rights of people so that you may meet Allah, clean with nothing to account for; the fourth is to fulfil every obligation which you ignored (in the past) so that you may now do justice with it; the fifth is to aim at the flesh that grew as a result of unlawful earning, such that you may melt it by grief (of repentance) till the skin touches the bone and new flesh grows on top of it; and the sixth is to make the body taste the pain of obedience as you (previously) made it taste the sweetness of disobedience. At that time you may say: Astagfirullah”9.

1. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 6, Page 138.
2. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 6, Page 128.
3. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 6, Page 133.
4. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 6, Page 137.
5. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 6, Page 151.
6. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 6, Page 151.
7. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 6, Page 160.
8. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 6, Page 21.
9. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 6, Page 57.