Remember Death
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
EVEN IF YOU ESCAPE FROM DEATH, IT WILL FIND YOU ONE DAY
Didem Rahvancı, Istanbul/Turkey
While you are reading this phrase in the different places of the world, with different reasons millions of people have died. If you ask these people one minute ago most probably they did not know that they will die. Whereas you who's reading this article or me who's writing this article, maybe we won’t live after a couple of minutes. Maybe these are our last minutes on the earth to repent and to be closer to Allah.
If not today, one day we will all certainly die at some point. We, people we know and people we love will die also. After 100 years from now no one we know today will be on earth.
People wake up every morning making short term or long term plans for their lifes. But death is not included in these plans. Whereas most of these plans might not occur, death will certainly occur.
One while going to work in a new acquired position or one who succeeded taking a university exam that has been working for years, or one who just got married, while returning from the wedding celebration could suddenly die because of a traffic accident. A businessman would prefer an airplane for attending a meeting out of the city or the country and yet the plane could fall, or he can have a heart attack even before reaching the airport in his limousine.
Because of the food one is trying to swallow, an accidental electric shock, a random accident where one slips and hit on the head, a blood clot in one's veins, we don't realize that at any plan or daily event one has planned, losing ones life is a viable posibility. All the plans that we make are focused on things that remain in this world but you will find yourself in the hereafter all of a sudden. The question is, have you made any plan for after death?
Some people avoid thinking about death, they can not even talking about it. They make plans only for this world and they live as if they will never die. They escape from death and thinking about death. Whereas as Allah states in the Surah al-Jumu’a, the death which they flee will truly overtake them.
Say: "The Death from which ye flee will truly overtake you: then will ye be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open: and He will tell you (the truth of) the things that ye did!" (Surah al-Jumu’a 8)
The reason of why most people avoid thinking of death is that they assume that the life of this world -which they always search for a better and comfortable life- is real. However the life of this world is transitory. Even if one lives up to 100 years when we compare it with hereafter it equals a little time just like an eye-blinking.
Think the first day of your elementary school. While you are thinking those past days would never end you found yourself on the secondry school classes, then you graduate from college... Days and years pass so quickly. At some point of time, you get married, you have children, even grandchildren and every passing day you approach to death more. But death is not the end. Death is the start of your endless life. The endless heaven or the endless hell.
Allah created the world in order to test people. To test who will act rightly and who will be a good servant to Himself. Allah described the heaven and the hell with all the details in the Qur’an. And while he is giving good news about heaven to the Righteous who believe and work righteous deeds, he promises the hell to whom they rebel against Allah and who doesn’t follow his orders. This world is never a place that one could prefer going to Hell for a few transient whims instead of Heaven. Because as Allah stated in the Qur’an, hereafter is better than this world.
Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world; But the Hereafter is better and more enduring. (Surah al-A’la 16,17)
The life of this world is a play and amusement and chattels of deception.
Know ye (all), that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (in rivalry) among yourselves, riches and children. Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight (the hearts of) the tillers; soon it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a Penalty severe (for the devotees of wrong). And Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the devotees of Allah).. And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception? (Surah al-Hadid 20)
The real world which will never end, which will end forever is hereafter, heaven and hell.
Allah states in the Qur’an that “Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous...” (Surah Al-Imran, 133). Therefore a believer’s aim must be try to win love, mercy, blessing and the heaven of Allah. So while making plans for the life of this world, a believer never forgets hereafter. One makes plans for the life of this world if only it will be good for her or him in the hereafter. A believer never forgets that Allah is the one and only, everything is in His control and He can take his or her life whenever He wants. A believer lives each moment as if he or she will die at any time. “To live each moment as if he or she will die at any time” doen’t mean “we are coming to this world once so let’s enjoy from it”, it means “we are coming to this world once so we have to live for Allah and we have to be a good servant to him.”
Death is a reality and is more important than everything in this world. However one plans everything in the life of this world, there should definetly be plan which is made for death and hereafter also. Because when we die, we will find ourselves infront of Allah all alone, and we will give account about what we do in the life of this world. After death –without the permission of Allah- it is impossible to turn back to this world and correct the mistakes. Therefore when Allah is giving us life, time and facility we should try to be the ones who loved by Allah and we should try to win His Heaven, without forgetting that any moment we can die. May be this article is the last warning to you from Allah.
Note:
SWT = Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala
SAW = Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam
AS = AlehisSalam
RA = Radhiyallaho anhu
RAnha= Radhiyallaho anha
The articles are published to enhance your knowledge of Islam. The references of Quran and Hadith are the approximate translation of the Arabic text. The scholarly reader is encouraged to refer to the original Arabic script if there is any doubt. Kindly notify us if the translation can be enhanced.