The Angel of Death and the Harvest of Life
A man had a beautiful palace built for himself. Friends advised him to arrange a grand feast for it. So he did that, invited the people of the city, and had a throne spread in his palace. He wore a crown and sat on that throne. Meanwhile there was a knock at the door. He sent his servant to find out who it was. When the servant opened the door and looked, he saw an old man, and he said, go tell your master that the angel of death has come. He came back running, confused, and said that the angel of death has come and is knocking at the door. When he heard this, he broke into a sweat. He told the servant, get rid of him from there by giving him something. He was still saying this when he saw that the old man had already come close. Now the old man stared at him and said, you make excuses to send me back. I come at my time, and when I come I do not leave without taking the soul. I place my grip on a person’s chest and I seize his soul, and when I seize his soul, the rest start weeping. I stand in the corner of the house and say, O you who weep, you are weeping over this body. I still have to come here again, and as many of you are alive, that many times I have to come and take the souls. If the weepers could hear that voice, they would stop weeping and worry about themselves.
May Allah Ta‘ala grant us all the ability to prepare for death before death comes, and may all our end be on iman.
Today a person says, my wife, my children, my house, my shop, my trade, my such and such. And tomorrow it will be known that nothing was mine. This was borrowed property that Allah Ta‘ala gave me for some years and took back.
No one is one’s own. Yes, if anyone is one’s own, it is Allah Ta‘ala, and He is such a Being who loves a person without any motive.
Even in the hearts of parents there is some thought that the son will be useful in old age. If there is any selfless relation, it is only Allah Ta‘ala’s with His servants.
Therefore a servant should also attach his heart to Allah Ta‘ala and please Him alone, because one day all of us surely have to go to Allah Ta‘ala.
Once the Noble Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said to the angel of death, O angel of death, send some message before you come. The angel of death said, O Prophet of Allah, sallallahu alaihivasallam, many messengers are sent, but people do not listen to their message.
He, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, asked, which ones?
He said, O Prophet of Allah, a tooth breaking is also a message.
A person’s hair turning white is also a message.
Weakening of eyesight is also a message. All these are messages.
Friends, our time is passing. Our crop is ripening, and when a crop ripens, it just wants the sickle. It is cut, and when this crop ripens, Allah Ta‘ala cuts it.
Once Hazrat Musa as asked Allah Ta‘ala, O Allah, why do You create people and then make them die?
Allah Ta‘ala said, cultivate in the earth. Hazrat Musa as planted a crop of wheat in the field.
After some time the crop ripened and became ready. When Hazrat Musa as saw that the crop had ripened, he thought of cutting it.
So the crop was cut, the grain and the chaff were separated. Allah Ta‘ala asked, O My beloved Musa as, why did you cut the wheat and separate the chaff and the grains?
He said, O my Lord, the crop had ripened, so I cut it. Then Allah Ta‘ala said, O Musa, I also do the same. When the crop of people’s lives ripens and becomes ready, I cut it. And like grains, I enter people into jannah, and like chaff, I put people into jahannam.
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