Preparation for death

Whoever comes into existence from nonexistence has to go away again.  The life of human beings is but a loan and the very foundation of life itself is weak.  Very soon we have to leave from here and inhabit another realm.  As long as we live here, we should live like travelers and should not turn our attentions to anything other than the Lord Almighty Allah Ta'ala, and when the time comes we should happily bid goodbye to this house of difficulties and depart from here.

 

Son!  This world is but a web of transience and not a place to remain forever.  Whoever is alive has to die one day.  Whether we consider ourselves among those who have to die or not, a day will come when we will have to leave all our relations, our home and hearth and lie alone in the grave.  Arise!  Take heed!  It is not wise to rot in carelessness.  There should not have been any worry apart from death.  If there were any preparation, it should have been of death.  All those who are deceived by the happiness of this world, listen!  Listen carefully!  There is a fall for every rise.  In the same way, death is attached to life.  That’s why you should prepare for death.  By remembering death every day, the very root of pleasure of this world is cut and one is reminded of the hereafter.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says:  Remember that thing, which uproots all pleasure, i.e. death.

 

We have forgotten death and the hereafter.  Who can predict death?  Who knows this itself may be our last moments.  Many people died sitting.  Some were walking, fell and died.  We are laboring under which delusion?  Daily, for some time think that we also have to die and have to stand before Allah Ta'ala.  By thinking like this, you will develop an attachment with the hereafter.  You will do the works of this world safeguarding your hereafter.

 

When death comes, it comes to unleash difficulties.  Listen about it from those who have tasted it or from those who know it by the light of Prophethood.

 

Hadhrat Isa (May peace be upon him) says:  O my helpers!  You pray for me that the terrors of death be made easy for me.  I am so afraid of death that I am dying of it.

 

Who is saying this?  A great Prophet who lead an ascetic life in this world.  Where do you and me stand.

 

The condition of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was that He would wipe His blessed face with water and say:  Allahumma Hawwin Ali Muhammadin Sakaratil Maut  (O Allah!  Ease the terrors of death on Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)).

 

Once Hadhrat Ibrahim (May peace be upon him) told the angel of death:  You show me the form of yours which you take when you draw the soul of the sinners.  The angel said:  You cannot bear to see it.  At last on the insistence of Hadhrat Ibrahim (May peace be upon him), the angel of death came as it appears to sinners.  Ibrahim (May peace be upon him) saw Him and fainted.  After coming to, he said:  Even if there is no punishment for sinners and only your face is shown, that is enough.

 

For those who are pious, the angel of death comes in such a good form that its face seems better than a thousand Jannah.  The Kiraman Katibeen (the recording angels) say:  Jazakallahu Khaira meaning may Allah Ta'ala grant you the best reward.  You kept performing virtuous deeds before us.  We received much comfort from you.  The station of the pious person which will be in Jannah is shown to him (or her), because of which he (or she) remains in such a state that he (or she) does not have any fear of death.

 

Contrary to this, to the sinners, the angel of death comes in a very dreadful form.  Its face itself seems a hell worse than thousand hells.  The Kiraman Katibeen say:  You wretched one!  You kept us in severe discomfort by disobeying Allah Ta'ala in front of us.  This person’s abode of hell is shown to him (or her).  On seeing this, this person becomes very anxious and starts fearing death.

 

Son!  Of what benefit is fear then?  What is of benefit is that you prepare from now itself, and don’t let things come to this pass.

 

After burying the deceased, remain at the grave for the time taken to slaughter a camel and divide it into pieces and keep instructing the Kalima to the deceased (Talqeen e Kalima).  In this situation, the angels say:  His (or her) friend has taught it to him, what is the use of asking now?  Let’s go.  They say this and return

 

The method of Talqeen is this:

 

If the deceased is a male, recite the following 3 times:

 

Transliteration:  Ya Fulanun Bin Fulan (take the deceased and his father’s name here) La Takhaf Wa La Tahzan Wa Qul Kama Kunta Taqulu Fid Dunya:  Razitu Billahi Rabbanwa Bil Islami Deenanwa Bi Sayyidina Wa Maulana Muhammadin Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam Rasulanwa Nabiyya.  Allahumma Thabbithu Bil Qaulith Thabiti Inda Rasu Sualil Munkara Wa Nakeer.

 

Translation: O so and so, son of so and so.  Don’t be afraid and don’t be sad and say like you said in the world:  I am content with Allah Ta'ala as my Rabb (sustainer) and am content with Islam as my religion and content with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as my Prophet.  O Allah!  Make him steadfast when answering the questions of Munkar and Nakeer.

 

If the deceased is female, then recite the following 3 times.:

 

Transliteration: Ya Fulanun Bint Fulan (take the deceased and her father’s name here) La Takhafi Wa La Tahzani Wa Qulee Kama Kunti Taquleena Fid Dunya:  Razitu Billahi Rabbanwa Bil Islami Deenanwa Bi Sayyidina Wa Maulana Muhammadin Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam Rasulanwa Nabiyya.  Allahumma Thabbithaa Bil Qaulith Thabiti Inda Rasu Sualil Munkara Wa Nakeer.

 

Translation: O so and so, daughter of so and so.  Don’t be afraid and don’t be sad and say like you said in the world:  I am content with Allah Ta'ala as my Rabb (sustainer) and am content with Islam as my religion and content with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as my Prophet.  O Allah!  Make her steadfast when answering the questions of Munkar and Nakeer.

 

Is it enough for a lesson that the world is like a train, the whistle is sounding all the time saying arise, you have a journey before you and people are boarding and getting on and getting off of it?

 

Salaatul Janazah is performed with congregation only, then why is there no Adhaan and Iqaamah for it?  The reason is that the Adhaan and Iqaamah have been given on being born itself.  Thus, when a baby is born, the Adhaan is given in the right ear and Iqaamah in the left.  With this we are shown that Adhaan and Iqaamah are already over.  Now we are waiting for the First Takbeer (Takbeer Aula) of the Salaat.  This is also obvious that after Iqaamah, there is no waiting for Takbeer Aula.  That is to say human life is s brief.  Therefore, don’t forget death.  All of us have to depart from here.

 

Hadhrat Ka’ab Ahbaar (May Allah shower His mercy on him) says:  Death is like a thorny plant entered in the human body, each thorn of it enters the vessels and tissue of the body and which is pulled back with such force that some vessels break and others collapse.

 

It was with this thought that the condition of Hadhrat Ibn Sireen (May Allah shower His mercy on him) was such that when death was mentioned before him, every body part of his would suspend its function and a faint-like condition would overwhelm him.

 

Hadhrat Shaddad Bin Aus (May Allah shower His mercy on him) says:  The severity of death is much more terrible than the severity of the world or of the hereafter and it is worse than being sawed, being cut by scissors or being boiled alive.  If any of the dead comes back to life and tells the people about the terrors of death, life will become unpleasant and sleep, impossible.

 

[Taken from Mawaaiz-e-Hasana of Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 325]