Article by Islam21c
Crane collapses at Makkah killing pilgrims. A reminder of death
Today Allah the most high decreed for the Angel of death to take the souls of approximately 80 plus muslims (according to current reports) in the holiest and most significant site in the entire galaxy, Masjid Al Haram in Makkah. In minutes the story has gone viral all over social networks as well as reaching the mainstream with BBC, the Guardian and others reporting it in moments. Many, if not all, of those who died today would have left their homes days or weeks ago to embark on the most sacred journey known to man, the Hajj. They left in the hope of performing the pilgrimage, to complete one of the 5 pillars of their faith and return home to their families sinless ready to continue their life as changed and reformed believers.
Never would they have imagined they were going to meet their moment of death before even starting the pilgrimage, which is due to begin in just 11 days on 8 Dhul Hijjah. However there is no doubt had they been asked or even been given the choice to die in the Holy Mosque during this most blessed spiritual journey, every single one of them would have longed for it.
Indeed when you look at the pictures below and the video above you may feel saddened, shocked or surprised at the incident that took place moments ago, but let it be a reminder for us that death is our reality and to use our every moment in this life to prepare for it by reforming ourselves in the areas we are weak and deficient in as believers.
The deceased today have indeed been blessed in an amazing way, a death that all of us would long for with many signs of a good death. It was the blessed day of Friday and the final blessed hour of Maghrib in which the supplications of a believer are accepted [1]. No doubt they would have been performing the Tawwaf, making Dhikr of Allah, reading Quran, Praying or performing some other good deeds in their moment of spiritual highness. They may have been in Ihram and performing Umrah and finally they were victims to the collapsing of a building on top of them which grants the reward of martyrdom. What an honour for them to have been given so many signs of a good death, and what a sign for us to remember death and our complete inability to have any knowledge of it or control over it but just to prepare for it.
We leave you to read and reflect over this recent series by Sheikh Abu Rumaysah, ‘The Journey of Death‘ and this hadeeth in which Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported that a person fell down from his camel (in a state of Ihram) and his neck was broken and he died. Thereupon Allah’s Prophet. (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Bathe him with water mixed with the leaves of the lote tree and shroud him in his two (pieces of) cloth (Ihbram), and do not cover his head for Allah will raise him on the Day of Resurrection Pronouncing Talbiya (labbayk allahumma labbayk). [2]