Two factors that steal human courage from facing death

[Zainab_M]

 


There are two situations that contribute to humans getting deeply attached to earthly life, often making them overly upset at the thought of death.  These two aspects are ..
 
-  lack of remembrance of Allah, and
 
-  plenty of earthly possessions e.g. wealth, comfort, fame, power, too much involvement with family & friends etc. 
 
A man or woman who has never been involved in loving Allah Almighty nor having faith in Him will never feel ready for death even if they live to be one hundred years of age.  If, for instance, such people suddenly discover that they are terminally ill and their days on earth are numbered, they are left unusually shattered and it takes them long to accept this reality.  The shock is much greater in such persons than in someone who regularly thinks of Allah with faith and devotion, never forgetting the ultimate reality of earthly life.  Though everyone knows of death, a person who's heart is devoid of Faith is sub-consciously on denial of it.  When they realize they are at its doorstep, they are shaken with a mighty shake!  It brings about an abrupt change in their goal of life, and adjusting to it is no easy task for them.  Many such ones die miserably while still unprepared. 
 
The other category are those with huge earthly possessions.  Though earthly belongings are not meant to clash with Faith, unfortunately they do because of incorrect human priorities.  Vast earthly wealth, power, fame etc. often make humans over-confident, resulting in a false sense of security and independence, thus, making them forget the reality of the final destination of earthly life and distracting them from the path of Allah Almighty.  Such persons also tend to forget that worldly riches & benefits, no matter how enormous, can never match the infinity of the wonders of Paradise which Allah has kept in store for believers neither do they retain their value outside the boundaries of earth.  The concept of life only means 'life on earth' to them.  No wonder they are grief stricken when Allah reminds them that the place where they made themselves so snug and cozy is, after all, just a temporary abode for them. 
 
A true believer often feels hesitant asking Allah to grant them abundance in this world.  In fact, they never desire too much worldly comfort & riches, instead, preferring only enough to lead a financially independent life. They are perceptive enough to know that abundance of worldly possessions also bring along with them abundance of responsibilities, and thus, will require many more questions to be answered on the Day of Resurrection.  Allah has repeatedly stated in the Glorious Quran that wealth, power and children are a test in this world.  But there's hardly anyone who reflects upon this aspect.  Instead, the fortunate ones simply consider themselves "lucky" and get wrapped up in the pleasures of their privileged lives.  And so, while leaving, they do not feel ready to face the next world.  They feel alone and 'deprived.'  They forget that it was Allah who granted them their wealth, power and family, that it was Allah who gave them life and eventually He will have to take back everything He gave. 
 
The reality of returning to Allah alone (about which He has constantly reminded us in the Noble Quran) without any wealth, power, family or friends dawns upon people who never thought nor prayed to Him only when they are at the threshold of death.  Alas!  Too little, too late.  Indeed, no one can be more unfortunate than the person who dies at a time when he (or she) feels they are not ready for death.
 
May Allah Almighty consider us worthy of His Gift of guidance, bestow upon us Knowledge, a clear vision and the strongest of Faith at the time our soul departs for its final journey. Ameen.   

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Aww .. the truth and reality of this post almost brought tears in my eyes.  I'm also of the opinion that when people cross 40 (at the latest or preferably earlier), they should start simplifying their lives by lessening their earthly burdens that come thru material belongings.  E.g. if a family is living comfortably in their home with a sustainable income, why get into the hassle of buying a second home and giving it out on rent for getting extra income?  Such proliferation of material possessions make life complicated step by step, and with each such complication, the burden of responsibilities keep gettin heavier.  This of course means having to answer more questions on the Day of Judgment.

Thank Allah, my husband and I are very conscious of this issue and have already started working on it.  Alhumdulilah.

Thank u sister.  I marvel at your positive insight.  May Allah reward u, ameen.

[Zainab_M]

SubhanAllah, I admire your perspective too, my sister.  Materialism can make people so engrossed walking on a narrow path that I've met people in their 50s, 60s and beyond, who already have enough and are living very comfortably, making further plans of multiplying their wealth through complicated as well as dishonest methods.  Though they call themselves 'Muslims,' even the slighest notion of the possibility of death being close at hand doesn't cross their minds.  Many of them even disrupt their peaceful lives by getting into difficult business deals, jeopardizing their situation in this world and the next, only in the hope of getting still richer.  It's only the human mind that can be so ignorant.