Beauty in Death.....

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ― Mark Twain

Last week, I received a sms from a dear friend, informing me that her father, Uncle K, had passed away that afternoon, at her hometown. He was involved in a road accident. The first thing that came to my mind  was….

            “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un”

            "Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we”

 I met her parents’ years ago. Her father was very friendly and always giving us advice. He treated us like his own children. I was devastated when I got the news and I wanted to know what had really happened but I thought that it wouldn’t be a good time to call and ask. After replying the sms, offering my condolences to her, I made a mental note to call her later.

Today, I spoke to this friend of mine. After asking how she was and how her mum was holding up, I asked her exactly what had happened. She told me that her father was on his motorbike and he was hit by a moving trailer lorry. He had suffered massive internal injury.

Neither she or her mum was with her father when the accident happened. Her father was brought to the hospital unconscious but had died despite efforts to resuscitate him.

As she was talking, my eyes got all teary but it was not because of sadness but happiness. No……I’m not mad! I assure you that I am still sane but what my friend related to me next, was the source of my happiness.

My dearest friend told me that her father had met with an accident, on his way to the mosque for Friday prayers.

“It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who dies during the day of Friday or the night of Friday but Allaah will protect him from the trial of the grave.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1074; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 49, 50

“It was narrated on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Ateek r.a. that the Prophet SAW, said that besides martyrdom for the sake of Allaah The Almighty (i.e. in the battle field), there are seven other types of martyrs: the victim of plague, the person who drowns, the victim of pleurisy, the victim of an abdominal ailment, the person who is burned, the person who dies beneath a collapsed structure and the woman who dies while giving birth. [Maalik, Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah]

 

 Some Islamic scholars are of the view that anyone who dies in a car accident, also falls into category of martyrdom.

           

My friend continued telling me that there were so many people, who came to pay their respect to her father that the house was jam-packed. Anyone who didn’t know, would think that there was a wedding instead of a funeral, by the amount of people that was present. Uncle K was very well liked and loved by everyone. My friend used to joke that her father was so famous and known to the people in the city, that if he were to run for election, he would have won hands down.

She told me that when her father was brought back from the hospital, bathed and shrouded, he looked like he was sleeping, so peaceful and calm. He even had a smile on his face. Prior to that, my friend was informed by a witness, that he held Uncle K in his lap while Uncle K recited the shahadah before he became unconscious and the doctors at the hospital told her that Uncle K had sweat on his forehead when he passed away.

“Mu'ath (radiyallahu anhu) reported that the Prophet :saw: said, "He whose last words are 'La ilaha illa 'Llah' will enter Jannah."

Narrated Ahmad

Buraydah bin al-Khasib (radiyallahu anhu) was in Khurasan when he visited a sick brother. He found him at the verge of death, and noticed that his forehead was covered with sweat. So he said, "Allahu akbar! I heard Allah's Messenger say, 'A believer dies with a sweaty forehead.'"

Narrated by Ahmad

MasyaAllah! SubhanAllah!!!! To me, Uncle K’s death was truly a beautiful death. Then, my friend told me that her uncle had passed away two weeks ago whilst the imam was reciting dua during Friday prayers and sometime during Ramadhan, I read about a man who died whilst doing sujud in the mosque. MasyaAllah……..

These are people whom God Al Mighty had bestowed upon them such wonderful privilege. Their death is so beautiful that I long and pray for such death when my time is up.

Who is Uncle K anyway? Uncle K is a very pious man. During his last Ramadhan he managed to finish reciting the Quran twice. He made sure that he read every Quran in the house so that none will get dusty. He was ever ready to help anyone in trouble. He gave away a considerable amount of his money to charity without anyone’s knowledge, not even the wife. The day before his death, which was a Thursday, was the last day which he completed his sunnah fasting for Syawal.

Narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Allaah wills good for His slave, He uses him.” They said, “How does He use him?” He said, “He guides him to do good deeds before he dies.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 11625; al-Tirmidhi, 2142; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1334. 

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Allaah wills good for His slave, He sweetens him.” He was asked, “What is this sweetening?” He said, “Allaah guides him to do righteous deeds before he dies, then He takes (his soul) whilst he is in that state.” Narrated by Ahmad, 17330; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1114. 

After talking to my dear friend, I sat down, wondering about my fate and how my death would be? I know that I still have tons of sins to atone for and I fervently hope that I still have the time to do so.

We don’t know when the Angel of Death would be knocking on our doors, demanding for the return of our souls. Lets us pray that when the time comes, we are in a state of committing good and righteous deeds and not whilst committing sins! 

Let us also pray that Uncle K’s soul is placed amongst the righteous….Ameen…..