Will I die as a Muslim?

The thought one’s state during the final moments has kept awake the most righteous of people at night, as they soaked their pillows with tears, thinking to themselves:

“What will my state be during my dyeing moments?”
“Will the trauma of seeing the angel of death push me off the track of Islam?”
“Will my burden of sins bar me from repeating the Shahadah?”
“Will I die as a Muslim?”

As for the blind hearted, they don’t exercise much thought into this matter, contrary to those who’re conscious of Allah, close to the Qur’an and alert to shaytans’ trickery, for them the prospects of one’s final moments harasses them relentlessly, pushing them to live a life of preparation and perpetual repentance.

When the famous scholar of Islam, Sufyan Ath-Thawri, was breathing his last, he was seen weeping. He was asked whether it was his sins which induced his tears but in response, he lifted up a stick from the floor and replied:

لذنوبي عندي أهون من ذا - ورفع شيئاً من الأرض - ولكني أخاف أن أسلب الإيمانَ قبل أن أموت!
“My sins are less significant in my eyes than this stick. But I fear the prospects of having my iman pulled away from me moments before I die”

Similarly, when the reputable scholar of Islam, Imam Ash-Shaafi’ was experiencing the throws of death, one of his students by the name of Al-Muzani enters upon him and asks, “How are you oh Imam?” He responds:

أصبحت من الدنيا راحلاً، وللإخوان مفارقاً، ولربي ملاقياً، ولا أدري أتصير روحي إلى الجنة فأهنيها، أم إلى النار فأعزيها
“It looks like I will be departing from this world today, leaving my friends and meeting my Lord. I do not know whether my soul will be taken to paradise so that I should congratulate it, or driven to hell so that I should mourn it.”

In fact, the closing words of the very companion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Mu’ath Ibn Jabal were to this effect. As he lay on his death bed, he would be heard saying to those around him:

انظروا هل أصبح الصباح؟
“Look outside and tell me, is it morning yet?”

They would tell him that it’s still night. It wasn’t long before he repeated the question and again, they’d reassure him that the sun hadn’t risen. After having asked the same question a third time, he cried out saying:

أعوذ بالله من ليلة صباحها إلى النار!
“I seek protection in Allah (SWT) from a night wherein its morning is in the fire.”

Will I die as a Muslim? (Part 2)

You’d think that the words which we'd read in the previous post belonged to a people who’d lead a life of sin, a life of addictions and habits, a life of sleep, procrastination, flirting and play. But not at all, these were men and women who’d led lives of learning, teaching, *resistance* of sin and perpetual repentance!

So why on earth would such individuals fear their endings?!
What was is it that they all had in common?

The commonality between them was their recognition of Allah (SWT) and the realities of the life to come.

Ponder over the situation of a student moments before receiving his exam results and how trauma besieges his soul. His parents attempt to reassure him, saying, ‘Don’t you feel that you did well?’ but he replies, ‘I cannot settle nor taste the meaning of rest till I know my grade!’

Thus is every wakeful Muslim, overshadowed with an undying bitter sense of shortcoming, one which endlessly haunts him to do more good and shed more sin till that hour arrives, the hour which sees his lowering into the soil.

They feared their 'Khaatima'/ closing moments as they recognised that this is when it could all go wrong and everything could be lost!

What is the ruling of a person who fasts the entire day but nibbles on something a minute before sunset? His fast is null.
What is the situation of a person whose stood for hours in prayer and then passed wind moments before giving salam? His prayer is null.

Similarly, one may lead a long life of *outward* righteousness and worship, but during those closing moments, tongues skew and it goes horribly wrong.

Many companions were guaranteed a death upon Islam. Sadly, we don't have such a guarantee. But what we do have are indications to what our endings will be upon.

What are these indications?

Imam Ibnu Katheer says:
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الْإِسْلَام فِي حَال صِحَّتكُمْ وَسَلَامَتكُمْ لِتَمُوتُوا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ الْكَرِيم قَدْ أَجْرَى عَادَتهُ بِكَرْمِهِ أَنَّهُ مَنْ عَاشَ عَلَى شَيْء مَاتَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ مَاتَ عَلَى شَيْء بُعِثَ عَلَيْهِ فَعِيَاذًا بِاَللَّهِ مِنْ خِلَاف ذَلِكَ

“Take care of your duties as Muslims during your times of health and well-being if you have any desire to die upon Islam. For Allah, The Most Generous, has once again displayed to us his infinite generosity and has decreed that whosoever lives upon something will die upon it, and whosoever dies upon something will be resurrected upon it”

"Will I die as a Muslim?" Part 3

Zaid’s son, Sa’eed, once approached the Prophet (PBUH) and worriedly asked about the destiny of his father. He said:

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبِي كَانَ كَمَا قَدْ رَأَيْتَ وَبَلَغَكَ وَلَوْ أَدْرَكَكَ لَآمَنَ بِكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُ
“Oh messenger of Allah, you are aware of the situation of my father (i.e. that he ardently pursued the truth before passing away but never met you as a prophet). If he had met you, he would have believed in you and followed you. So am I allowed to ask Allah (SWT) to forgive his sins?”

The Prophet (PBUH) responded with reassuring words:

نَعَمْ ، فَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ ، فَإِنَّهُ يُبْعَثُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أُمَّةً وَحْدَهُ.
“Yes, ask Allah (SWT) to forgive his sins, for he will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment as a nation all by himself”

Focus carefully on the mannerism which Zaid’s son - Sa’eed – displayed with regards to the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) when he first asked permission from the Prophet (PBUH) with regards to seeking forgiveness for his very father. The companions recognised that the footsteps of the Prophet (PBUH) were ones which walked through the gates of this world’s happiness as well as that of the next and so their eagerness to walk behind him was remarkable.

Perhaps this is was the meaning which Imam Al-Bukhari was hinting at when he chose to title the very first chapter of his ‘Saheeh’ with, “The chapter of revelation” whilst choosing for the last chapter the title of, “The chapter of Tawheed/Oneness of Allah”.

Almost as if to say:
“If you want your life to end upon Tawheed, then let your priority be adherence to revelation.”