Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem


Our Holy Prophetﷺ was asked by a man, “O Messenger of Allah, which of the believers are best?” The Prophetﷺ said, “Those with the best character.” The man asked further, “Which of the believers are the wisest?” The Prophetﷺ said, “Those who remember death often and have best prepared for it with good deeds; such are the wisest.”

Hadeeth, Sunan Ibn Mājah 4259

There is no greater lesson than the lesson of death.

At the witnessing of death, most shun away from its reality, either out of fear or love for this life. The wisest ones take heed of it approaching, like a homing arrow that never misses its target. Released at the moment a person is formed in the womb, the ‘Arrow of Death’ hurls at great speed, waiting to hit the target at its predestined moment, not a second earlier or later.

Hence, Mawlana Shaykh Nazimق said, “assume the poise of a dying man.” Someone who is approaching the doors of death, on his deathbed, no longer deluded by this material life, equipped with real knowledge of his very limited time, will want to resolve all his worldly affairs, forgive and seek forgiveness. Thus, mureeds in this Way are asked to remember death daily, for at least 5 times, in preparation for its arrival, fully aware that he is in reality, a dying person.

When one remembers death, one will be quick to forgive and seek forgiveness, let go of all rancour, beseeching the Creator for Hisﷻ Mercy, for mankind is never without sin. Even the greatest of Saints, the likes of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Jailaniق, was remembered to repeatedly say, “Ya Afuw”, ‘O’ Most Forgiving’, as death approached his blessed being.

Zikrul Maut, is for the wisest of believers. It becomes a constant reminder to live cleansing one’s self for the final return to Allah Almighty, when every atom of good and bad deed earned, will be shown. This will be a moment of blissful union for the believer who lived to ‘die before he died’, one who strove hard to reject his will, only accepting the Will of his Lord in complete Faith, knowing that whatever befalls and is chosen for him, is from Divine Perfection.

Holy Prophetﷺ said, “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.” It was said to himﷺ: “O Messenger of Allah, does hating to meet Allah mean hating to meet death? For all of us hate death.” He said: “No. Rather that is only at the moment of death. But if he is given the glad tidings of the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah, he loves to meet Allah and Allah Loves to meet him; and if he is given the tidings of the punishment of Allah, he hates to meet Allah and Allah Hates to meet him.

Sunan Ibn Majah 4264

Preparations for death begins with, like the hadith quoted at the beginning mentions, to be the foremost of believers, having a good character, which is the most prized of deeds on the Divine Scales.

Allah Almighty only Does Goodness and Loves those who do good, hence, a sincere mureed must strive to uphold the best of etiquettes, learn to take the Wisdom of daily life into his reflection, to become ones with sincere, ‘golden hearts’, qalbun saleem, constantly remembering death, rejecting the selfish egoistic will and only striving to accept the Will of Allahﷻ.

May Allahﷻ make us to be ones who taste the sweetness of dying before we die, heeding the lessons of death and to be in complete agreement with Hisﷻ Will.