Death
Dear brothers, death is the only certainty of this life. But many people refuse to acknowledge death or they are saddened by the prospect of it.
Allah SWT speaks of death in ayat 185 of Sura Al-Imran. It is translated to say:
Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will ˹indeed˺ triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.
As well as this the Prophet SAWS spoke of death as the destroyer of pleasure. And whilst there are those in life who commit injustices thinking there is no account, the 19th ayat of Sura Qaf reminds us that:
˹Ultimately,˺ with the throes of death will come the truth.1 This is what you were trying to escape!
Dear brothers, death should serve as a reminder for us all to remember our duties, to avoid haram, to do good in this world and to please Allah SWT. None of us truly know when our time here will expiry and death will be tasted.
However, there is an important point to make here. Death is a journey. It is a journey insh’Allah to an inevitable place that cannot be compared to this world. If this world was to be called a barren desert, then we are travelling to a lush garden in comparison. And this is merely our dwelling, let alone the pleasure of knowing that Allah SWT is pleased with us upon our return to Him.
If we remind ourselves what potentially awaits us then it does not sadden the heart. Instead, we become optimistic of our return to Allah SWT. We feel contentment at the next stage of our journey, and we ask Allah SWT for forgiveness and actively worship Him with sincerity and love.
This week we were served a reminder of how fleeting this world is. But these reminders will not end. And one day we will be a reminder to those who are left behind. Now is the time to remain hopeful on the mercy of Allah SWT and to remind one another the reward of the believers. Because if you do ponder on what awaits those who believed and did good in this life then you can’t help but feel motivated to be a better Muslim and to strive to achieve the best of the next life, a life that is bliss and never ending.
May Allah SWT enable us to make the most of this life in preparation for our return. May Allah SWT save us from becoming deluded from this life and may Allah SWT grant mercy to all of us when death finally reaches us.
