Death of a beloved
Posted by awaqas1 on April 8, 2008
The Patience of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) at the death of his son Ibrahim
Indeed eyes shed tears and the heart is sad yet we do not say anything but what pleases our sustainer and indeed we are very sad at your departure, O Ibrahim. (Bukhari)
An extract from a condolence letter Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) sent to Muadh bin Jabal on the death of his son:
Be patient and listen! Lest your restlessness and impatience should deprive you of reward and you become regretful; and believe with certainty that being impatient can not bring back the dead nor can the grief be removed and that what has befallen was meant to be. (Almojam-ul-Kabeer-le-Tabrani).
midnight stroller said
One day, after Ali followed a funeral procession, and after the corpse was placed in its grave, the family of the deceased began to weep in loud voices. Ali said to them, “What are you crying over?” He then said words to the effect of, “like the deceased you are crying over, death will come upon you all, one by one, until none among you remains”. He then stood up and said, “O slaves of Allah, I advise you to fear Allah, Who has set forth parables for you and has decreed precise times for your deaths. He has given you ears so that you can absorb their meanings (the meanings of the parables he set forth), sight to remove anything that prevents vision, and hearts so that you can understand. Indeed, Allah has not created you without purpose Allah has bestowed upon you abundant blessings and has prepared for you rewards (for your actions), so fear Allah O slaves of Allah, and strive hard to achieve (lawful sustenance in this life and Paradise in the Hereafter). Moreover, do good deeds before the destroyer of pleasure (death) comes to you. Indeed, the blessings of this world will not last, and no one is safe from its vicissitudes (The pleasure of this world) are deceptions that impede one [from remembering Allah]. Take heed from these clear lessons, O slaves of Allah. Let the warnings (about punishment) prevent you from sinning, and benefit from sincere advice and sermons. It is as if the claws of death already have a firm hold upon you. You are guaranteed a house of dirt (the grave). Then you will face terrifying events when the trumpet is blown, when the graves are turned over, when you will be steered towards the gathering place for judgment, and when you will be standing for accountability – all of this is under the full control of the Almighty. Each soul will have someone steering it toward the gathering place for judgment, and each soul has a witness that will give testimony for (or against) it.
“And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord and the Book will be placed and the Prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward, and it will be judged between them with truth, and they will not wronged” – Chapter 39, verse 69.
The lands will shake; the caller will call out; the beasts will be resurrected; secrets will be revealed; hearts will quake; the Hell-fire, whose fire will be blazing, will come into sight. O slaves of Allah, fear Allah, with the fear of a person who is truly afraid, who is truly cautious, who truly sees (impending doom), and who is truly deterred (from sinning), for such a person strives hard, is saved by fleeing (from sins), prepares for the return (for the Resurrection), and seeks help through the acquirement of provision (the performance of good deeds). Sufficient indeed is Allah in His punishment and in His help. Sufficient indeed is the Book (the Quran) as an adversary and as an advocate. Sufficient indeed is Paradise as a reward. In addition, sufficient indeed is the Hell-fire in terms of its destruction (of those who enter it) and its punishment. And I ask Allah to forgive me and you” – Hilyatul-Awliya 1/77-78 and Sifatus-Safwah 1/171-172
midnight stroller said
It is reported that Ali radi Allahu anhu said, “The two things I fear most (in terms of sins) are following desires and having long term expectations for this world: As for the former, it blocks one from the truth; as for the latter, it causes one to forget the Hereafter. Lo! This world is traveling away (from us). Lo! The Hereafter is traveling towards us. Each of the two has children, so be from the children of the Hereafter and not form the children of the world. For indeed, today is action without accountability, and tomorrow (Day of Judgment) is accountability without action” – Hilyatul-Awliya’ 1/76 and Sifatus-Safwah 1/169.
midnight stroller said
A righteous man said, “I once sat in the gathering of a preacher who spoke so well and with such eloquence that he moved everyone that was present into tears. Upon hearing the preacher mention the Hell-fire and the punishment that Allah prepared for those who disobey Him, a young man who was present let out a loud cry, ‘Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah. I have wasted my life, forgotten my death, and done little in terms of good deeds’. He then faced the Qiblah and said, ‘O Allah, I turn towards You this day (and this moment), repenting to you with a repentance that is not tainted by a desire for anyone other than You to see me worshipping You. So accept, in spite of my shortcomings. Forgive me and have mercy on me in my loneliness. my God, to You do I return with all my limbs, sincerely from my earth. Utter ruin will be my lot if you do not accept me’. He then fell down unconscious. We tried to move him, but he wouldn’t budge he was dead. May Allah have mercy on him” – Al Mawa’iz Wal-Majalis, page65.