Beautifying Eyebrows

Remembrance of Death and Its Lessons  

Sayyiduna Siddeeqe Akbar rz said, every man spends the morning with his family, meaning his household, and death is closer to him than the strap of his shoe.  

Sayyiduna Umar Farooq rz said, O Umar, death alone is sufficient as advice.  

Sayyiduna Hazrat Usman-e-Ghani rz said, indeed among the blessings of the world, the blessing of Islam is sufficient for you, and among the engagements of the world, the engagement of obedience is sufficient for you. And he said, indeed for taking lesson, the lesson of death is sufficient for you.  

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, asked his companions, what do you know about death?  

One said, O Prophet of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, when I wake up in the morning I am not sure whether the evening will come or not.  

Another said, O Prophet of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, when I intend four raka‘at I am not sure whether I will complete all four raka‘at or not.  

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said, my condition is such that when I am praying and I say salam to one side, I am not sure whether I will be able to say salam to the other side or not.  

My friends, brothers and sisters, surely there is not even a moment’s guarantee. Death can come at any time.  

No human is aware of his death.  

A hundred years of provisions, yet no news of a moment.  

Hazrat Imam Malik rh taught in Madinah Munawwarah for 17 years. Once in a dream he had the honor of seeing the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam. In the dream he asked the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, O Prophet of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, when will death come? The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, pointed toward the fingers of his hand. Imam Malik rh could not clearly understand the meaning of the gesture, so he thought it might mean 5 days or 5 months or 5 years.  

Ibn Sirin rh, a famous Tabi‘i, heard this and said, the meaning of the gesture of five fingers is those five verses of Surah Luqman in which Allah Ta‘ala said, I have not given the knowledge of five things to anyone. The saying of Allah:  

When will Qiyamah come, when will it rain, whether a boy or girl will be born from a mother’s womb, what a person will do the next day, and in what place a person will die.  

Note: Allah Ta‘ala has not given the knowledge of these five things to anyone.  

It is in Tafseer-e-Qurtubi that the person who remembers death often is granted three honors.  

First, he is granted the ability to do taubah.  

Second, he attains contentment with little of the world.  

And third, he finds joy in worship.  

And all these things are attained only by the one who remembers death often.  

Tomorrow you also have to appear before Allah Ta‘ala. You will receive the fruit of what you did. Then why are you heedless, O man? Do you not know that one day you have to leave this world and everything? May Allah Ta‘ala grant us the ability to prepare for death. Ameen.