Sermon: The reality of death!

By  Imam Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
Dear brothers and sisters! I enjoin you and myself to fear Allah, for it is the provision and safety in this world and the Last Day:
“The day when neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who brings to Allah a clean heart.” [Surah Ash-Shu’ara: 88-89]
Allah the Most High says: “Everyone shall taste death. And only on the day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the fire and admitted to Paradise he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).” [Surah Ali-Imran: 175]
Such is the reality of death and what comes after it. Every one of us shall taste it, whether poor or rich, healthy or sick, old or young; leader or led, and none of us can escape it.
Allah the Most High says: “Wherever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in a fortress built up strong and high.” [Surah An-Nisa: 78]
Respected brothers and sisters! Death, as manifested in its character and effects, is one of the mysteries that dazzles human intelligence because it has to do with the soul.
And Allah the Almighty says: “And they ask you (O Muhammad) concerning the spirit. Say: ‘The spirit is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little.” [Surah Al-Isra: 85]
One of its mysteries is that a youth, full of health and energy, suddenly falls dead without warning; thereby, youthfulness and energy fade away, bringing all his senses to a complete standstill. That youth might even be an erudite scholar, an eloquent author, a skilled physician or a brilliant inventor, but it is absolutely out of the question that this quality should prevent death from overtaking him when his time is due.
Allah the Almighty says: “When their term is reached, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).” [Surah Yunus: 49]
Amr Ibn Abdullah used to mount the pulpit and say: “Many a person who has seen the beginning of a day but would not see its end. And many a person who has expected morning but would not live to see it. If only you had known your appointed time and how it comes to pass, you would have detested nursing hope for worldly materials and its deception.”
While man enjoys his good health, playing and merrymaking, moving about in haughtiness, commanding and forbidding, death and illness suddenly attack him, weaken his body, make his limbs lifeless and then close his record.
How near is death! Every day it becomes closer to us, and no sooner has the book reached its appointed time than we belong among the dead. Then it becomes clear that life is like flowers that bloom, then wither, or like a lamp that illuminates, then dies down.
Let those who crave for this world and its pleasures ponder over these scattered graves all over the place and realise that the way to pleasures and lustful things, though decorated with beautiful roses, inevitably leads to the present condition of those buried in these graves. Happiness is for him who has a messenger of death open his eyes to reality before he dies, and whoever does not heed the warning of the Qur’an and death, even if mountains were to thrust one another in front of him, he would not heed.
Dear brothers and sisters! What we witness in the cemeteries is a great lesson for us. The carrier of the bier to the cemetery today is taken back there tomorrow (as a dead person) and is left there only with his deeds, either good or evil.
It is also very unfortunate that these days we see some among those who escort the deceased laughing and playing or attending the funeral to show off. This phenomenon is due to the heedlessness that has hardened people’s hearts and made them forget the Last Day and the frightening conditions of the grave. May Allah awaken us from this heedlessness! Ameen.
Dear brothers in faith! It is expected of him who knows that he will die, be buried, raised up on the day of Resurrection and enter Paradise or Hell to always remember death, prepare for it and reflect on it. He is, in fact, expected to regard himself among the dead. This is because all that is coming is near, and when the angel of death comes, neither your wealth nor your people nor your bodyguards can prevent him from taking your soul.
Where are those who achieved their aims, and none were comparable to them in that? They collected, but could not eat what they collected; they built mansions, but could not live in them. We, on our part, are still swimming in the pool of life as if we are meant to live here forever. Uwais Al-Qarni said:
“Remember death when you sleep and always think of it when you are awake.”
Fellow Muslims! It is a fact that this world and its tribulations appear insignificant in the eyes of him who always remembers death, for he has lofty aims and strong resolutions; he is far from hypocrisy and always yearns for the everlasting bliss in the eternal Paradise.
Dear brothers and sisters! Remembering death does not in any way make one’s life loathsome to him; forcing him to sit in his home and leave all means of sustenance. It is rather meant to deter him from committing sins and soften his hard heart. We remember death in order to have good preparation for it and for all that follows it by doing righteous deeds, obeying Allah and increasing one’s efforts in all acts of worship.
Abdur-Rahman Ibn Mahdi said: “If Hammad Bin Salamah is told, ‘You will die tomorrow.’ He will not be able to increase anything in his deed, because his time is full of worship and remembrance of Allah.”
Dear brothers and sisters! How do we prepare for death? We prepare for death by shunning all abominable things and returning trusts and Amanah to their rightful owners. We prepare for death by eliminating hatred and enmity from our hearts. We prepare for death by being good to the kith and kin.
Ibn al-Mubarak said that Salih Al-Mariy used to say:
“If the remembrance of death leaves me for an hour my heart becomes spoilt.”
It is also said that: “Whoever frequently remembers death is honoured with three things: quick repentance, self-contentedness and energy in doing acts of worship; and whoever forgets death is punished with three things: delaying repentance, lack of contentedness and laziness in acts of worship.”
When will one who always follows his lustful desires and moves wantonly in his heedlessness remember death? When will one who has no regard for Allah’s injunctions in Halal or Haram remember death? When will one who deserts the Qur’an, prays not Fajr in congregation, usurps people’s property unlawfully, takes usury, and commits fornication, remember death? How can one whose habit is abusing, insulting, attacking, slandering and backbiting others, whose heart is full of rancour and envy, remember death?
Fellow Muslims! The Prophets, whenever death came to them, were given a chance of choosing between remaining in this world and moving to that noble position. It is beyond doubt that every Prophet would select the everlasting bliss. This happened to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), as narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Aishah that who said:
“The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) used to say while he was healthy, ‘No Prophet died until he saw his place in the Paradise, he was then given the choice between that place and remaining in this world.’ So when he was dying and his head was on my thigh, he fainted for a while then regained his consciousness. He stared at the ceiling, then said, ‘O Allah! I choose the Highest Companionship.’ I then said, ‘He was not preferring us.’
It was then that I understood the statement he used to tell us and it was true. She said, ‘The last word he uttered was: Oh Allah, I choose the Highest Companionship.”
During death and its pain; in the grave and its darkness, and the Day of Resurrection and its horror, people fall into two groups. A group shall remain firm; secured from fright and given glad tidings of Paradise, while the other group shall suffer disgrace and ignominy.
Allah the Most High says: “Verily, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah (alone) and then stood straight, on them the angel will descend (at the time of their death saying,) ‘Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised.’” [Surah Fussilat: 30]
Angels shall descend upon the believers who are steadfast in their religion during death in their graves and when they are resurrected in order to assure them of security and to allay their fears of the horror of the day of judgement. The angels will be telling them, ‘Do not fear about what you are going to meet and do not grieve over what you will be leaving behind of children, family and wealth.’
The angels will also say, ‘We have been your friends in the life of this world and (are so) in the hereafter.’ [Surah Fussilat: 31] i.e. we will also be your friends in the hereafter, keeping your company in your graves, and when the horn is blown, we will also assure you of security on the day of resurrection.
As for the unbelievers, when death comes to them and they start suffering its agonies, they will be subjected to ignominy and disgrace.
Allah the Most High says: “And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands saying, Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) with disrespect. “ [Surah Al-An’am: 93]
Their sorrow shall increase so much so that they will wish to go back to this world.
Allah the Almighty says: “Until when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord send me back.’” [Surah Al-Mu’minun: 99]
Imam Qatadah said while commenting on this Qur’anic verse: “By Allah, he would not wish by this statement to go back to his family and wealth nor to collect the good things of this world and satisfy his desires. He would rather wish to go back and do acts of obedience to Allah. May Allah bless him who does in this life what the disbelievers would wish to do when he sees the torment of Hell!”
Fellow Muslims! How is the need of a dying Muslim to Allah’s success that his last words may be: “La ilaha illallah.”
Mu’adh Bin Jabal narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever has ‘La ilaha illallah’ as his last words will enter Paradise.”
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “Dictating this word to a dying man is recommended because one who is dying experiences horrors that were unknown to him before, so it is feared that forgetfulness might overtake him since Satan is close to human beings. Moreover, uttering this statement while dying has a great effect in erasing ones misdeeds because it is a testimony of a servant of Allah who believes in it and knows its meanings; for whose lustful desires are now dead and whose soul has become weak after its might.
Then that testimony becomes his last utterance, it purifies him from all his sins because he meets with his Lord with a sincere testimony…”
The righteous predecessors also recommended that a dying person be reminded of their good deeds, so that they can have positive thoughts about their Lord. Jabir narrated: The Messenger of Allah said:
“None of you should die except in the state of having positive thoughts about Allah.” [Muslim]
The Sunnah encourages discussing the good deeds of a deceased person and refraining from discussing their misdeeds. Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Aishah that she narrated, The Prophet said:
“Do not abuse the dead; for they have gone to meet the consequences of their deeds.”’
Al-Bukhari reported that Abul-Aswad said: “I came to Madinah while there was an epidemic there. I sat with Umar Ibn Al-Khattab. Then a funeral procession passed by, and people praised its owner. Umar said, “It becomes incumbent.” Then another funeral procession passed by and people also praised its owner, and Umar said, “its incumbent.” then a third procession passed by and people spoke ill of its owner. Umar also commented, “It becomes incumbent.” Then I said, “What is incumbent, O Leader of the Faithful? Umar answered, “I said as the Prophet said, that, “Any dead Muslim whom four persons testify in his favour, Allah will make him enter Paradise. ‘ We said, “And three persons?” He said, “And three persons.” We also said, “And two persons?” He said, “Yes, and two persons.” We did not thereafter ask him of one person.”
Also the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “For any Muslim who dies and four of his close neighbours testify that they have known him to be good, Allah-the Blessed, the Highest-will say, ‘I have accepted your testimony and forgiven him for what you do not know about.” [Ahmad]
And it should be added that those whose testimony is regarded are the people of virtue and truthfulness. The testimony of an enemy shall not be considered.
It is also recommended that the person who washes the dead should conceal whatever defects he may see on him. It is also a right of a Muslim on his fellow Muslims to escort his funeral, pray on him and supplicate for him. Bukhari reported that Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever attends the funeral of a Muslim faithfully and hoping for the reward of Allah and stays with him until prayer (Salah) is done on him and he is buried, he will go back home with two qirats, each is as big as the size of Mount Uhud; and whoever observes prayer (Salah) on him and then goes back before he is buried will get one qirat.”
As regards debts, the family of the deceased should hasten to pay it because a believer’s soul hangs on his debt until it is paid on his behalf. Debts of Allah should also be promptly paid for; it more deserves to be paid.
Ibn Mas’ud said: “A Believer has no rest until he meets Allah.”
Respected brothers and sisters! It is against the teaching of Islam to wear black clothes when anyone dies, hence the Islamic scholars regarded it as bid’ah.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaimin (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: what is the ruling on women attending funerals? And on wearing black clothes? He replied:
“It is haram for women to attend funerals because they have little patience and because it exposes them to fitnah and mixing with men. With regard to wearing black clothes at times of calamity, this is an innovation.” [See Majmu’ Fatawa of Ibn Uthaimin, volume 17, page 329]
He was also asked in volume 17, page 410: What is the ruling on singling out certain kinds of clothes for offering condolences such as women wearing black? He replied:
“Singling out a certain type of clothes (black) for offering condolences is an innovation (Bid’ah) as far as we know, and it may stem from a person’s being displeased with the decree of Allah. Although some people think there is nothing wrong with it, the salaf did not do this and as it is to some extent an expression of displeasure with the decree of Allah, undoubtedly it is better not to do it, because if a person does that he may be closer to sin than not.”
He also said in volume 17, page 414: “Wearing black clothes in mourning for the dead is a kind of bid’ah and displaying grief, and it is akin to rending one’s garment and slapping one’s cheeks, and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) disavowed the one who does that when he said: “He is not one of us who rends his garment and slaps his cheeks and calls out with the call of jahiliyyah.”
Dear brothers and sisters! Know that, Allah’s mercy (Rahmah) is vast and encompasses all things, offering hope and forgiveness to all who seek it. Even those who have transgressed can find solace and redemption in turning back to Allah with sincere repentance. The Qur’an and Hadith are filled with verses and sayings emphasizing Allah’s boundless mercy and the importance of maintaining hope in His forgiveness.
The Islamic concept is that while good deeds are essential for believers, no one will enter Jannah (Paradise) based solely on their actions. Ultimately, entry into Jannah is a result of Allah’s mercy and grace. Good deeds are a means to earn Allah’s favour and increase the chance of receiving His mercy, but they are not a guarantee.
Finally, Abubakar as-Siddiq (RA) said: “Indeed Allah forgives major sins, so do not despair, and indeed Allah punishes for minor sins, so do not be deceived.”
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Prayers, peace and mercy are upon our beloved master, Muhammad, the son of Abdullah (Peace be upon him), his family and Companions.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

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