Most people will be familiar with engaging in some form of preparation in life, for things we desire whether this is preparation towards exams, saving money for holidays, buying a car, buying a house, a second house and so on, the list continues. Whilst it is easy to become engrossed in the preparations of attaining material and worldly possessions, we often forget these possessions are all temporal and these preparations have limited returns.
In fact, everyday Allah Almighty shows us signs that the world is temporal and ever changing, if only we would notice. For example, the falling of the leaves in Autumn, loss of money and health, various misfortunes, and ultimately death, these are all signs of our temporal existence on this Earth. If we contemplated, we would realise that Allah Almighty has already showered us with many luxuries of this finite world that we may overlook. These are blessings which we often take for granted. We may forget the fact that our ultimate destination is with Allah Almighty, and our focus should be on the preparations we need to undertake for the Hereafter. We will highlight in this article, some of the ways in which we can prepare for death and the Hereafter.
Remembrance of Death
Remembering our inevitable mortal demise is an important action for the believer. It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4248 that holy Prophet ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him) states:
“Frequently remember the ‘destroyer of pleasures’, meaning death.”
We can see from this how a practical way of preparing for death is to simply remember our impending departure from this world and inevitable return to Allah Almighty. Consequently, it becomes apparent that preoccupation with chasing worldly matters is worth very little in the grand scheme of things. To remember this fact lightens the load of potential stress experienced by an individual, which is often brought on by the continuous need to attain worldly pleasures. It also allows the individual to recalibrate and focus their mindset on the righteous path of Islam, as stated by holy Prophet ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him).
Visiting the Graveyard
It is recorded in Sunan Al Kubra, Hadith 6659, that the Prophetic Companion Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abi Mulaykah (RA) reported:
‘Sayyidah Aisha (RA), may Allah Almighty be pleased with her, returned one day from the graveyard. I said: “O mother of the believers, from where have you returned?” Sayyidah Aisha (RA) said: “From the grave of my brother, Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Bakr.” I said: “Did not the Messenger of Allah Almighty, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibit you women from visiting graves?” Sayyidah Aisha said: “Yes, he prohibited us at first, but then he commanded us to visit them.” ‘
We can see from this Hadith Shareef that visiting the graveyard is encouraged by holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) as it is a significant reminder to all, of the Hereafter and our temporal existence on Earth.
Daily Call of The Grave
Even if we do not remember the grave, the grave certainly calls out daily, asserting its reality. It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2460 that holy Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) states:
‘So increase in remembrance of death, the severer of pleasures. For indeed there is no day that comes upon the grave except that it speaks, saying: “I am the house of the estranged, I am the house of the solitude, I am the house of dust, and I am the house of the worm-eaten.’
Reflection and Utilising Time Wisely
Time is precious; it is the most valuable commodity we have been blessed with. We do not know how much time we have been allotted or how long we have until death approaches and overcomes us. It is therefore important to utilise our appointed time on Earth wisely. If we reflect upon our use of time, can we safely say that we have done enough to gain the infinite Mercy and Pleasure of Allah Almighty? As recorded in Sahih Al Bukhari, Hadith 48, holy Prophet ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him) states:
“None of you should long for death because of a calamity that had befallen him, and if he cannot but long for death, then he should say, ‘O Allah! Let me live as long as life is better for me, and take my life if death is better for me.’ “
Our lifetime is precisely a window of opportunity given to us, so that we remember our Creator through various blessings, trials and tribulations bestowed on us by Allah Almighty. Our sole purpose and goal should be to return to Allah Almighty in a state of piety, a state that He would be pleased with. With this in mind, we can shift our focus to the accumulation of good deeds and emulating the good, moral, prophetic character of holy Prophet ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him).
Istighfaar (Repentance and Asking for Forgiveness)
Allah Almighty is the Most Forgiving and Merciful, and we know that these attributes of Allah Almighty and His Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are reflections of the absolute goodness and purity that they possess. It is therefore imperative that we make it a habitual behaviour to sincerely ask for forgiveness.
Not only is the act of seeking forgiveness liked by Allah Almighty, but we are told that this is a cleansing process for us. Allah Almighty states in Surah Al Baqarah (Chapter 2), Verse 222 in the noble Quran:
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
“Indeed, Allah (Almighty) loves those who repent excessively and those who adore their personal purification.”
When He chooses to grant us forgiveness, Allah Almighty removes the sins from our records and the darkness in our hearts that are caused by our sins. This means that we are purified from the impact the sin has caused to our own selves.
No matter how good our characters or intentions might be, we will always have plenty of deeds and misdeeds to seek forgiveness for. If holy Prophet ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him), the most perfect of all creation begged for forgiveness so frequently, we know that we have plenty of repenting to do ourselves. Furthermore, Allah Almighty has given us the continuous opportunity to perform good deeds, and it is our responsibility to fulfil our true purpose in life so that we may return to Our Creator in a state of Imaan (faith).