By Siti Nabilah Shaikh Omar
Death is inevitable. We are so sure that every human kind will definitely taste death. No one has the power to stop, nor does anyone around the dying person has the ability to prevent it. Sit back and ask yourself what have you done till today upon achieving Jannah, the paradise in the hereafter?
Death can happen at any time at any other moment in which we least expect it. It can be encountered by the old and the young, the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor, and we are all the same without exception. We do not have the power to plan, to prevent, to escape it nor to delay it, which shows that indeed it comes from One having tremendous power – so that the human being is helpless in this regard and can only submit to it.
Allah S.W.T said in the Quran;
“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion” (Al-Imran: 185).
From this verse, we can derive that death is real and the real meaning of life will begin in the hereafter. The world that we are currently living in is not forever, but temporary. So why we need to worry much if our goals cannot be achieved, if our loved ones are left behind, if things do not turn out to be the way we want to?
Therefore, we need to look back and do a check list for what have we done in this world upon achieving the Paradise? Have we prepare ourselves to be asked one day in front of our Most Merciful Creator? Do we deserve to be in His Paradise? Therefore, we as Muslims should prepare ourselves for the afterlife.
As our beloved Prophet Muhammad S.A.W said in one of the authentic Hadith:
عن أبي يعلى شداد بن أوس رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:<< الكيس من دان نفسه، وعمل لما بعد الموت ، والعاجز من أتبع نفسه هواها، وتمنى على الله الأماني>>. ((رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن)).
Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfilment of his vain desires”. [At-Tirmidhi].
It is important for us to always remind ourselves about death and do good deeds that will benefit us in the hereafter. What we aim for in this life is not only to enter the paradise but also to get Allah’s Mercies. And the only way to enter paradise is not only by doing good deeds but also gaining the “Rahmah” or mercy from Allah S.W.T and not doing deeds that are forbidden and hateful in the eyes of Allah S.W.T.
Lastly, I would like to share a very meaningful reminder from our beloved Prophet Muhammad S.A.W:
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :<< إذا مات ابن آدم انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث: صدقة جارية ،أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو له>> ((رواه مسلم)).
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased).” [Muslim].***
Photo taken from The Huffington Post