What have you prepared for your death?

All praises be to Allah who created man in the best stature, divided provisions and prescribed everyone's life and death. Peace and blessings be upon the Prophet of guidance, all his household and companions who are like lambs that enlighten our life.

Muslim brothers: every creature in this life has a known provision and a life term, when one's provision and life term are over, then it is his death time.

Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): “Say, "For you is the appointment of a Day [when] you will not remain thereafter an hour, nor will you precede [it]." [Sabaa 34:30]

Transliteration: Qul Lakum Mīādu Yawmin Lā Tasta'khirūna Anhu Sāatan Wa Lā Tastaqdimūna

What have you prepared for your death?

This is a station to stop at a while for reckoning!

Most of the people pass this station without stopping at it!

Life! The passing guest and vanishing shadow!

Life! Vanity house! And sorrow home!

Life! Its loyalty is fake! Its love is fake!

Life! Its new things are to be worn and happiness to be sadness!

People in this life are like guests who are departing shortly!

Ibn Massoud, May Allah, be pleased with him said: Every one of you is a guest, his money is borrowed, this guest shall depart and his borrowed money must be paid back!

Hudhaifa, May Allah be pleased with him, said: Every day and night, there is a caller saying to the people: oh you people, prepare to depart, prepare to depart!

Allah, the Al Mighty says: “Indeed, the Fire is of the greatest [afflictions] (35) As a warning to humanity - (36) To whoever wills among you to proceed or stay behind.” [Al-Muddaththir74:35-37]
 

Transliteration: 'Innahā La'iĥdá Al-Kubari (35) Nadhīrāan Lilbashari (36) Liman Shā'a Minkum 'An Yataqaddama 'Aw Yata'akhkhara

Death! A sure promise and truthful meeting!
Death! A decisive decree and judgment!
Death! An arrow that ever reaches its target and a follower that never feels bored!
Death! A cup that all the people must drink from!

What have you prepared for the death agonies?
What have you prepared to its terrible events?
Did you remember its bitter taste?
Did you remember its sadness?

Abou Al Dardaa, May Allah be pleased with him, said: Whenever you remember the dead, consider yourself one of them.

Ibrahim Al Taimi, May Allah be pleased with him said: "Two things disturbed my joy in life, remembering death and standing before Allah, the All Mighty, for reckoning.

Ashaat said: When we visited Al Hasan we found him only preoccupied with the matters of fire, the other day or remembering death.

Oh you Muslim brother: Do not you see that every day a friend or a loved person passes away.

Did that move your heart?!
Did you take admonition from that?

If all the people in the life exerted all efforts
To protect you from death, they shall never be able to do that
Death is a pool of water that you dislike to swim in
But soon you shall plunge into it forcibly

Ask yourself as you have a mind: what did I prepare for death?

Reckon yourself before you depart and before you are buried in the earth! The journey starts when you remember death and its terrible events!

How many persons heedless of these moments?
How many persons who forgot these moments?

Hamed Al Lafaf said: Any one, who much remembers death, shall enjoy three things: repenting soon, being satisfied with what Allah provided him and being active in worship. And any one, who forgets death, shall be punished with three things: delaying his repentance, being unsatisfied with what Allah provided him and being lazy in worship.

Oh you who have mind, if you know that you shall return to your Lord, the All Mighty, beware this hour and prepare for it before you shall regret!

“[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back (99) That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind." No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier (Barzakh) until the Day they are resurrected.” [Al-Mu’minun : 99-100]
 

“O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that - then those are the losers. (9) And spend [in the way of Allah] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous." (10) But never will Allah delay a soul when its time has come. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do.” [Al-Munafiqun (The Hypocrites) 63: 9-11]
 

Transliteration: Yā 'Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Lā Tulhikum 'Amwālukum Wa Lā 'Awlādukum An Dhikri Allāhi Wa Man Yafal Dhālika Fa'ūlā'ika Hum Al-Khāsirūna (9) Wa 'Anfiqū Min Mā Razaqnākum Min Qabli 'An Ya'tiya 'Aĥadakum Al-Mawtu Fayaqūla Rabbi Lawlā 'Akhkhartanī 'Ilaá 'Ajalin Qarībin Fa'aşşaddaqa Wa 'Akun Mina Aş-Şāliĥīna (10) Wa Lan Yu'uakhkhira Allāhu Nafsāan 'Idhā Jā'a 'Ajaluhā Wa Allāhu Khabīrun Bimā Tamalūna

Alas for a man who passed away while he did nothing good in his life!

Oh you, who have minds, consider your matters and look into yourselves, how shall you meet your Lord, the All Mighty if you gave nothing but sins?

How shall you meet the King of kings if you were of the heedless who diverted away from Allah's Path?

Beware of the agonies time! How tough they are for the sinful! How terrible they are for the heedless!

It was narrated that Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said to the angel of death: Can you appear to me in the form you appear to the sinful when you take their souls?

The angel of death replied: You can never bear that. Then the angel of death appeared in the form of a black man whose hair is upright. With dirty smell, wearing black clothes and his mouth and nose emit flames and smoke!

Upon seeing that, Ibrahim, peace be upon him fainted, when he regained his sense, the angel of death appeared in his first form, Ibrahim then said: oh you angel of death, if the sinful are punished only by seeing this when they die, this punishment is really enough!

Oh you Muslim brothers, what have you prepared for these moments?

Do you think these moments are beyond?

How many healthy persons died suddenly?

How many persons in welfare passed away suddenly?

Death in this life is a must
This life is not for ever
Your lives have ends
So run quickly as horses so as to benefit from it
As much as you can before you die
Do not be happy when you stay under a shadow that will vanish
You are only travelers in this life
Those who think they can live happily forever in this life
Only builds castles in the air
The rail life is only when you quit it
When you enter the most honorable house (paradise)

Oh you people of mind, prepare yourselves to the Hereafter, prepare for the agonies time, it is a day in which nothing will help you but the good you rendered. It is an appointment which you shall never avoid but only through good deeds.

Do not be tempted by good life or healthy body, you see that death does not differentiate between a sound or sick body

It was reported that Muaaz bin Jabal said to the Prophet, peace be upon him: oh Prophet of Allah, advise me, the Prophet said: “Worship Allah as if you see Him, consider yourself one of the dead, remember Allah at every stone, every tree, and if you commit a sin, make a good deed , if you make a sin hidden from the people, do a good hidden from the people and vice versa.”
 

In his speech, Omar bin Abdul Aziz said:

In every journey, one has to take provision with him, so take your provision from this life to use in the Hereafter, this provision is fearing Allah, be as if you see Allah's Reward and Punishment, fear Allah and have hopes in Him, do not let your hearts be cruel if you live long and do not follow your enemy.

The good people were that they prepared for the departure day and collected their provision for the Hereafter.

Abou mosa Al Ashaari worked too much before his death, the people asked him: why you do not have some mercy upon yourself? He then replied: if the race horses come near to their target, they run forcibly and exert all the power they can ever show. My case is the same, my ending is so near.

He kept on doing that till he passed away. He always said to his wife: Do your best, there is no bridged on hell to pass through.

Al Qaaqaa bin Hakim, may Allah bestow His Mercy on him, said: “I had been preparing myself and waiting for death since thirty years ago and if my death time is now, I would not like to delay it.

Al Thawry said: I saw an old man in Al Koufa mosque say: I had been waiting the death in this mosque since thirty years! If it is death time now, I shall never beg it to delay me or prevent it from anything, I do not owe any one and no one owes me anything.

Anyone who is about to travel, has to take provision for his travel, so Muslim brothers, did you prepare for the journey to the Hereafter?

It is ironic that some people prepare for the short distance trips but prepare nothing for the long journey!!

Once a man asked the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him: What are the most perfect believers? The Prophet replied: Those who have the best manners.
The man asked another question: Who are the best dispensers of matters? The Prophet replied: Those who remember death more than other people and those who well prepare themselves to what is after death, those are the best dispensers of matters. [Classified as good by Al-Albani]
 

Al Hassan Al Basry said: There are four provisions for the Hereafter: Fasting purifies our souls, alms are a barrier that protects the people from fire, prayers connect us with our Lord and tears clean sins.

First: We have to worship Allah actively

Second: We have to benefit the creatures

Third: They people have to be safe from us

Fourth: We have to be ascetic not caring about what others have

Fifth: We shall get prepared for death

Muslim brothers: Your life is a gain, so do not waste it in nonsense, the best provision you can ever have is fearing and obeying Allah, the All Mighty, so do good deeds in preparation for the long sleep!

Time winged chariot is running so fast, so do not let it pass you. You should not let your time elapse while you are heedless!

Al Baraa, May Allah, be pleased with him, said: the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was in a funeral, he sat at the edge of the grave and cried then said: For this, prepare yourself. His tears flew till the dust beneath him got wet.[Declared Classified as Good by Al-Albani]
 

Nasr bin Muhammad Al Samarqandi said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him show us the terrible and biter nature of death as he advised his nation. He wanted them to get prepared and to endure patience against the calamities of life because patience in matters in this life is easier than what is after death, the severe nature of death is the beginning of the torture of the Hereafter and the torture of the Hereafter is severer than that of this life!

It is death! We do not know when shall it attack us to get prepared, so Muslim brothers get prepared for it.

We do not know exactly when our end shall strike us, so we have to prepare always.

Assem bin Al Ahwal said: Al Fodail bin Al Rakashi replied when I asked him: Do not preoccupy yourself with other people matters; be only preoccupied with our own matters. Do not waste your time in going here and there, so your time will elapse in nonsense, the best thing is to wipe out your old sins with making new good deeds.

Today, it is easy for you to make good deeds, so hasten to do so before your regret.

If the dead people could speak now, they would tell you: the best provision taken from this life is good deeds.

Abou Hurrayra, May Allah be pleased with him, said: the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asked: Who is buried in this grave? The people said: He was called so.., the Prophet then said: For this dead, two rak'ah (units of prayers) are better for him than all of the remaining of world [Classified as Saheeh by Al-Albany].
‹‹"من صاحب هذا القبر؟"، فقالوا: "فلان"، فقال: "ركعتان أحب إلى هذا من بقية دنياكم"›› [صححه الألباني].

Alas to anyone who left this life without provision of piety!

Alas to anyone who passed away and he has a few good deeds!

If you were wise, get provision for the departure day and the agonies time!

Ibn Massoud, may Allah, be pleased with him, and said: one Dirham that you spend while you are healthy and hoping to be rich, is better than hundred dirham you want to spend when you are in death bed.

So Hurry up, hurry up! You have only limited breathes, if you breath your last, you shall do no more deeds that can make Allah be pleased with you. Al Hassan Al Basry, May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him, said: may Allah forgive a person who considers his matters and cry because he committed sins. Then he recited this verse: “So be not impatient over them. We only count out to them a [limited] number.” [Maryam 19:84]
 

Transliteration: Falā Tajal Alayhim 'Innamā Nauddu Lahum Addāan

Abou Al Munzir said: I heard Malik bin Dinar say to himself: hurry up before time is over! Hurry up before time is over! He kept repeating, I saw him but he did not see me.

Oh you Muslim brothers, the successful one are those who reckon their selves before they shall be reckoned and prepared their argument before they shall regret.

Be prepared to depart, take more provision for the Hereafter, do not be heedless and do not delay your repentance because through that Satan destroyed the people and made them enter Hellfire!

That is the acute disease and killing poison! Yet, unfortunately, most of the people are strike by this dangerous disease: heedlessness! It prevented them from remembering death and made them preoccupied from preparing to the agonies time! They were saddened by drinking the taste of death and they regretted but this regret is of no avail now!

Some wise men said: I really wonder at those whom life gave them its back and the Hereafter is coming to them, they are preoccupied with what it gives them its heel and they leave what is coming to them!

Al Rabea bin Bara, may Allah bestow His Mercy upon him, said: I really wonder at the people who are heedless of certain matters they see and their hearts believe in them as they believe the messengers, then they are heedless and playing!

Some wise men said: When you were a child, you played with the children, when you are a young man you play with young men and when you grow old you shall be weak, so when shall you worship Allah, the Al Mighty!!

Oh child of Adam, remember when you are in death bed, your soul is leaving you, your tongue is stuck, your movement abates and your sight stares!

What have you prepared for these moments?!

Are you heedless of a Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth and preoccupied only with this life?!

Do not be tempted by the fake amusements of this life!

Do not be tricked by its fake expectations!

Look for the eternal Paradise and everlasting happiness…

Are you heedless of the eternal paradise and everlasting enjoyment?

Do you look for the temporary life? How many nations were ruined in this temporary life?

Dear Muslim brothers: take provision for the Hereafter and do your best to do that in the same way you provide yourself in this life.

The provision of the Hereafter is everlasting and the only cause of being rich. Be prepared when you are buried in a dark hole that could be only enlightened by good deeds!

The meeting is soon and the reckoning time is long! In that day, losers and gainers shall be known, so take provisions before you regret. Hurry up to do good deeds before you regret!

All Praises be to Allah and peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, his household and companions.



Written by
Azhari Ahmad Mahmoud

Ibn Khuzaima Publishing House



Translated by Wathakker.net website