Dear sisters, it is an undeniable fact of nature that just as the sun rises, it also must set. Similarly, there are only two realities which are guaranteed in this life: birth and death.
Allah says in the Quran (translation of the meaning):
“Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned” (21:35)
There was a news story last week which touched my heart and the hearts of thousands of people around the world. The death of Qari Jaffar Abdul Rahman was a poignant reminder of the frailty of human existence and the transient nature of life. The respected Sheikh was filmed while reciting from Surah Mulk at an event. Just as he completed the second verse, he suddenly passed away and these (English translation) were the last words on his lips:
“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving” (67:2)
May Allah, subhana wa ta’la, grant him the highest ranks of Paradise, and may He strengthen his family with patience, forbearance and fortitude.
This story served as a timely reminder and a reality check. All too often we are so caught up ‘in the moment’ that we fail to realise the passing of time. We feel that our journey of life is only just beginning although the reality maybe that our final destination is just around the corner.
Those people who have a lackadaisical outlook on life don’t ponder on the topic of death: for them, death signifies the end of all pleasure after which the body decays and the soul is wiped out of existence. This is indeed a morbid approach and as far as they are unconcerned about the reality of their demise, their whole life slides slowly and depressingly into oblivion. They are like ships adrift on the ocean – just going ‘with the flow’. Such people just think ‘we live and we die’ and all they think they have is this life and they try to make the most of their existence by craving and accumulating material gains to gain happiness and to be seen as being successful by their peers. It is truly sad that they don’t believe in the afterlife.
Still others are deluded by imagining countless opportunities to be born again to live the perfect life: like ‘Groundhog Day’, they believe that they have to attain perfection in their existence to be ultimately free of the circle of death and reincarnations in order to achieve samsara.
The reality is that each and everyone of us is here for a fixed term, known only to God, and we can neither advance nor delay the inevitable without His command. In an authentic Hadith collected in Sahih Muslim and narrated byJaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was recorded as saying:
“Each person will be resurrected according to the state in which he died.”
If you choose to live a life of sin, you will die in that state and you will be raised up for the final reckoning in the same state. What a dismal end to a wasted life! Of course, if you live a life of piety, you will insha’Allah have a blessed death and a blessed resurrection.
We cannot plan the details of our exit from this world, but we can prepare for the inevitable by filling our hearts with the remembrance of God, with dua and dhikr. May Allah, subhana wa ta’la, give us the ability to use our time wisely and help us overcome one of the greatest hurdles of the modern age: procrastination. Why wait to do tasks tomorrow when you don’t know for certainty that you will still be here, alive and healthy? Indeed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised his followers to avail free time while thy have it: to seek methods to improve time-management skills to become more efficient and productive.
What if tomorrow never comes? Can you afford to put off something which should be done today – and it’s not just mundane tasks or important deadlines, but also attitudes in our relationships with our families.
So today, praise God and seek His pleasure by making a loved one happy. Kind words and a smile are amongst the most belittled treasures of this world!