Remembrance of death

"the blowing of the trumpet. Clarifying the reality of death. Be aware that there are many misconceptions about the reality of death. Some people believe that death is simply non-existence with no resurrection, reward, or punishment equating human death with that of animals or plants. This view is held by atheists and those who do not believe in Allah and the last day. Others think that death results in absolute termination with no joy or suffering until the resurrection. Some claim that the spirit remains after death and that reward and punishment are only for the spirits with no resurrection of the bodies. All these"

"whoever you wish, for you will eventually part from them. As for ignorance, it manifests in relying on youth, thinking death is rare when young, not realizing that in their city elders are fewer than ten men, primarily because death in youth is more prevalent. Before an elder dies, many young people pass. They may consider death unlikely due to their health, thinking unexpected death is far-fetched, but they do not realize how it isn't unlikely, even if remote, sudden illness can swiftly lead to death. If they fall ill, death is not distant, and those heedless of death's timing should"

"God, how swiftly they have forgotten me. And on another grave was written, The beloved from the loved ones is suddenly taken. Neither gates nor guards can prevent death. So how do you rejoice in the world and its pleasures, O you whose words and breaths are numbered? You have become, O heedless one, immersed in deficiency while your time is spent in indulgence, immersed. Death does not show mercy to the ignorant in their guile, nor to one from whom knowledge was sought. How often death has silenced in the grave where I stood those unable to respond, yet their tongues were not mute. Your palace was well inhabited, lofty. Today your grave is in ruins amidst the tombs."

"cannot respond. This is a clear indication of the soul's persistence in perception and knowledge. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, the grave is either a pit from the pits of hell, or a garden from the gardens of paradise. This statement confirms that death signifies a change in state, with the deceased's wretchedness or happiness materializing at death, though some aspects of punishment and reward may be deferred. It was narrated by Anas that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, death is the resurrection. Whoever dies, his resurrection has commenced. He also said,"

"which are not elaborated on in this book except concerning the sciences of practice. Understanding the world and the hereafter can be aided by the Book of the Condemnation of the World and the Book of the Remembrance of Death, which help realize that the world holds no comparison to the hereafter. Once a person knows themselves and their Lord, and understands the world and the hereafter, a love for Allah arises in their heart, along with a strong desire for the hereafter and a detachment from this world."

"This reflects the meaning of the Almighty's words: "Is it not sufficient that your Lord is a witness over all things?" God has described Himself as the Giver of life and death, yet He has delegated the acts of life and death to two angels. In a tradition, it is mentioned that the angels of death and life argued. The Angel of Death said, "I bring death to the living," while the Angel of Life said, "I bring life to the dead."

"When reaching the Yemeni Corner, say: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from disbelief, poverty, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and from disgrace in this world and the Hereafter. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, say: "O our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us by Your mercy from the punishment of the grave and the torment of the Fire."

"Know that this world belongs to the realm of dominion and testimony, and the Hereafter belongs to the realm of the unseen and the kingdom. By "this world," I mean your state before death, and by "the Hereafter," I mean your state after death. Both your worldly life and your afterlife are your attributes and states. The near, immediate one is called the world, and the delayed one is the Hereafter."

"Luqman said to his son, "O my son, if you doubt death, do not sleep, for just as you sleep, so too you will die. And if you doubt resurrection, do not awaken, for just as you wake after sleep, so too you will be resurrected after death. Ka'b al-Ahbar said, "When you sleep, lie on your right side and face the qibla, as it is a death.""

"Anything from the heavenly realm is not perceived by vision in this world. These folded scrolls will be unfurled twice: once at the minor resurrection, and once at the major resurrection. By the minor resurrection, I mean the moment of death, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever dies, his resurrection has commenced."

"Now, consider the nature of sleep. One should remember when sleeping that sleep is a type of death and awakening is a type of resurrection. Allah Almighty said, "Allah takes souls at the time of death and those that do not die during their sleep. And He said, "He is the one who takes you at night," calling it a type of death."

"He wept, and we wept, and he said, 'What makes you weep? We said, 'We weep because you are weeping. He said, 'This is the grave of Amina bint Wahb. I sought permission from my Lord to visit her, and He granted me permission. I also sought permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not grant it to me, and the same tenderness that affects a child affected me.'" Umar would often stand by a grave and weep until his beard was wet, saying, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say, 'The grave is the first of the hereafter's stages; if one is saved from it, what follows is easier, and if not, what follows is tougher.'" Mujahid said: The first..."

"have his body brought down. They agreed, and he was buried there. Mary said to the mother of Yahya, Will you not take us to visit the grave of the Messiah? They went, and as they approached the grave, Mary asked the mother of Yahya to cover herself. She replied, From whom should I cover myself? Mary said, From this man who is by the grave. The mother of Yahya said, I do not see anyone. Mary hoped it would be Jibreel, as she had not seen him for a long time. The mother of Yahya approached the grave, and Jibreel spoke to her, revealing himself. He said, O Mary, where do you wish to go? She replied, I want to visit the grave of the Messiah to greet him and renew my"

"body, then the second call returned my spirit to me, then came the second shout, and I feared it was the call of resurrection so my head turned gray, my eyebrows and eyelashes from the dread of resurrection. Then she turned to her mother and said, O mother, why did you cause me to taste the distress of death twice? O mother, be patient, have patience, for I have no need of this world. O spirit of Allah and His word, ask my Lord to return me to the hereafter and to ease for me the agony of death. So he prayed to his Lord who then took her to him, and the earth settled upon her. News of this reached the Jews, and"

"speak to the angel of death on his behalf. The angel carried Idris on his wings up to the heavens. When they reached the fourth heaven, they encountered the angel of death descending. The angel spoke to the angel of death about Idris' request. The angel of death asked, Where is Idris? The angel replied, He is on my back. The angel of death said, Astonishing!"

"a place to settle. The first person he revived from the dead was when he encountered a woman weeping by a grave. He asked her, ìWhat is the matter with you, O woman?î She replied, ìMy daughter has died, and I have no other child. I vowed to my Lord not to leave this place until I taste what she tasted of death, or until Allah revives her for me.î Jesus asked, ìDo you think if you saw her, you would return?î She replied, ìYes.î He then prayed two units of prayer and called out to the grave, ìO so-and-so, rise by the permission of the Most Merciful.î The grave stirred and she emerged, shaking the dust from her"

"he looked at the ruins and the decayed bones within them and wondered, How will Allah revive this after its death? As Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah, How will Allah revive this after its death? He did not doubt Allah's power but was astonished. So Allah sent the angel of death who took his soul, and Uzair was caused to die for a hundred years. During this time, many events occurred among the children of Israel. After a hundred years, Allah sent a king to Uzair, creating a heart for him to understand and eyes for him to see how Allah revives the dead. Allah restored his creation while he"

"I do not know that any better than you. It is merely a record that is given to me in which the names of those who will die are written. Abdul Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam reported that Solomon once asked the angel of death, When you are commanded regarding me, inform me. The angel of death later came to him and said, O Solomon, I have been commanded regarding you. You have a short time left. In response, Solomon called upon the devils, and they constructed for him a lofty structure of glass without a door. Solomon stood up to pray, leaning on his staff. The angel of death then entered"

"of Israel to enter upon them. Wab ibn Munabi narrated that Moses, peace be upon him, once passed by a group of angels digging a grave. It was the most beautiful and verdant grave he had ever seen. He asked the angels, O angels of Allah, for whom are you digging this grave? They replied, For a noble servant of Allah's servants, if you wish. The angels instructed Moses to enter the grave, stretch out in it, and turn towards his Lord, breathing with ease. He did so, and he passed away. May the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. The angels prayed over him and buried him."

"with their weapons and household items, and crucifixes were placed over their chiefs' graves. For each grave, three horses were erected over every chief's grave, and one horse per grave for the others. This day was a noted occasion. No man or woman, Muslim or infidel, was absent, all dressed in mourning garments, white cloaks for the infidels and white garments for the Muslims. The Khan's khans and his inner circle stayed in the tents upon his grave for forty days, with some extending it to a year. A market was established there, selling all they might need in terms of food and other items. These acts, I recall, no other nation performs in this age. As for the"

"nothing in his hand. It has been said that death is of two kinds: voluntary death and natural death. Whoever causes his soul to die a voluntary death, his natural death will be life for him. This means that voluntary death is the suppression of destructive desires, extinguishing their burning fires, and calming their ruinous impulses."

""In ignorance before death, there is a death for its people... And their bodies are graves before the graves." "Their souls are in desolation from their bodies... So they have no resurrection until the resurrection." For the ignorant person is dead in heart and spirit, even if his body is alive, his body is a walking grave upon the earth. اللّٰه, the Exalted, says: "Is he who was dead and We gave him life and made for him a light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom?" And He says: "It is only a reminder and a clear قُرْآن - to warn whoever is alive and justify the word against the disbelievers." And اللّٰه,"

"إِكْرِمَة said: "Before death," and الدَّحَّاك said: "Before witnessing the Angel of Death," and السُّدِّي and الكَلْبِيّ said: "To repent in one's health before the illness of death." In the مُسْنَد and other sources, it is narrated from اِبْن عُمَر, may اللّٰه be pleased with them, from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: "اللّٰه accepts the repentance of a servant as long as he has not reached the throes of death." In another version from دَرَّاج أَبُو الهَيْثَم from أَبُو سَعِيد, it is narrated: "Satan said: 'By Your might, O Lord, I will continue to mislead Your servants as long as their souls are in their bodies.' The Lord, exalted and majestic, said: 'By My might, majesty, and high position, I will continue to forgive them as long as they seek My forgiveness.'""

"They asked: Who is he? He said: The one who does not recognize good nor reject evil. A true man is the one who fears the death of his heart, not the death of his body, for most of these people fear the death of their bodies and do not care about the death of their hearts. They only know life as natural life, which is a sign of the death of the heart and soul."

"The only means to disperse this gathering is through constant remembrance. It brings near what is distant. The hereafter, which Satan and false hopes distance from him, becomes closer as he continuously engages in remembrance. It is as if he has entered it, and is present there. At that point, the world appears small in his eyes, and the Hereafter takes on greater significance in his heart. The world which is nearer to him than the Hereafter becomes distant, for whenever the Hereafter draws closer to his heart, the world moves away from him. Every step taken closer to it is a step further from the Other, and this is only achieved through constant remembrance."

"Chapter Twelve On the Supplications of Prayer After the Tashahhud The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, When one of you finishes the Tashahhud, let him seek refuge with Allah from four things, from the torment of the grave, from the torment of hell, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of the false Messiah. Aisha, may God be pleased with her, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, would supplicate in prayer, O Allah, I seek refuge with you from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with you from the trial of the false Messiah, and I seek refuge with you from the trials of life and death. O Allah,"

"the Mighty and Majestic. There is no action less burdensome yet more delightful, nor one that brings more joy and happiness to the heart. It grants the face radiance in this world, and light in the hereafter. Those who remember Allah are the most radiant in appearance in this world, and the most luminous in the hereafter. It is said, Whoever says every day a hundred times, there is no deity. But Allah, alone without partner, to Him belongs the dominion, and to Him is praise. He gives life and causes death, and He has power over all things. Allah will bring Him on the day of resurrection with a face more radiant than the full moon."

"This verse requires interpretation, as it was used as evidence against those who denied resurrection and accountability. The reasoning is that if they deny resurrection and recompense, they have disbelieved in their Lord, denied his power, lordship, and wisdom. They must either acknowledge that they have a Lord who subjugates them, directs them as he pleases, causes them to die when he wills, revives them when he wills, commands them, and prohibits them, rewarding the good and punishing the wrongdoers. Or they must deny the existence of such a Lord. If they acknowledge him, they will believe in resurrection and the religious"

"in effect than words — for deeds are the aims of words and their final end. Then He gave tidings of the lesser resurrection, which is the agony of death, and that it comes with the truth: that is, the meeting with Him, glory be to Him, the arrival before Him, the presenting of the soul to Him, and the reward and punishment that are hastened to it before the greater resurrection. Then He mentioned the greater resurrection with His words: "And the trumpet is blown — that is the Day of the Threat." Then He told of the states of creation on that Day, and that every single one shall come to God, glory be to Him,"

"Thus it is to be enjoyed in favor of what follows. If it is known that the pleasures and bliss of this world are enjoyment and a means to the pleasures of the Hereafter, then this is why the world and its pleasures were created. Any pleasure that aids in and leads to the pleasure of the Hereafter is not condemned, but praised in so far as it leads to the pleasure of the Hereafter. Knowing this, the greatest bliss of the Hereafter and its delights is seeing the face of the Lord, mighty and majestic, hearing His words directly, and being close to Him. As confirmed in the authentic hadith about the vision,"

"will be honored by Allah with five blessings. These include relief from the hardships of life and the punishment of the grave, receiving their book in their right hand, crossing the bridge like lightning, and entering paradise without reckoning. On the other hand, those who neglect these prayers will face fifteen punishments, five in this world, three at the time of death, three in the grave, and three upon emerging from the grave. In this world, the first punishment is the removal of blessings from one's life. The second is the erasure of the righteous appearance from one's face. The third is that no deed will earn reward. The fourth is that supplications"

"they were created, they would not have slept or rested. They were created for a matter that if their hearts could see it, they would be lost and bewildered. Death, then the grave, then resurrection and rebuke and tremendous terrors. On the day of resurrection, men will act out of fear and fast. Yet we, when commanded or prohibited, are like the people of the cave, awakened from slumber. O you who have been stained with the filth of sins and have been overwhelmed by the calamities of misfortunes! O you who have heard the words of reproach and blame! You who bind the contract of repentance, yet when evening comes, you break it. O you"

"O one infatuated with comforts, imprisoned by destruction, esteemed! Weep for your ailing soul, for in weeping you are justified. How strange it is for one who sees death's actions upon companions, is certain of his own demise, yet sleeps heedlessly, forgetting sins and transgressions, turning to desires neglecting his Lord. As if given a cup of poison, he cries out for relief. Death separates him from family and companions, transporting him to his grave, where he is humbled after pride. O heart, be aware of your grave. The admonitions have pierced the ears, yet the listener does not benefit. The light of dawn has"