Death
Two Aspects of Death.
Although the phenomenon of life counts as the most precious of gifts and
its loss is extremely grievous and terrifying, none can doubt that just
as surely as man embarks on his life involuntarily to spend some time in
this guest house we call the world, he must ultimately confront the
painful and frowning face to death when the scroll of his life is rolled
up.
Our world is a world of turmoil and
instability. The wheel of birth and death keeps constantly turning; do
not believe that anything can come into being in the sphere of this
cycle without being subject to change. Whatever comes into existence
must traverse a path leading to death; it makes no difference whether it
be man or one of the other countless forms of life. Every phenomenon
the limits of whose motion are set by matter is ephemeral, for it is
precisely its defining characteristic that draws it on toward
non-existence; the end of its affairs is disappearance. The funeral
dirge of finite resounds throughout the world of being.
We must first raise the complex
question of the end of life, attempt to analyze it and to answer some of
the questions that may be raised in this respect. Is life restricted to
this present terrestrial existence which stretches from the moment of
birth to the moment of death? Is it confined to the brief interval
during which those who have come to this world take, one after another,
the place of those who have left it be imagined that there is no
existence other than the three-dimensional existence of this world, and
that our individual characteristics and personalities bear the imprint
of non-being? Or is it true that beyond this existence an eternal
morrow awaits man, which will enable him to perceive a new himself and
the world? Will the physical system of this world be transformed into
another world and manifest a new and perfected form?
Finally, in all these arrivals and
departures, in these assumptions of form and annihilations, is there
some divine purpose at work? In other words, did God's will determine
that man, the choice part of His creation, should live in this world as
a traveler, a transient, and move ultimately to another world which will
be his eternal abode?
If we conceive of death in the light of the first set of possibilities,
then life - under whatever circumstances it is spent - will be full of
misery and pain, for the anticipation's annihilation and non-being
inevitable arouses dread in man and paralyses him with the undeniable
torment it induces.
The second vantage point is that of a
person who finds refuge in the concept of a world beyond nature which
enables him to place this world in perspective. He is convinced that
man and the universe advance together in a pattern determined by God's
unity and that their forward movement is unending. For such a person
death is simply the breaking of the narrow and confining cage of the
body and his being liberated from it, entering thereby an ideal and
enrapturing realm. For such a person death is merely the substitution
of one form to another, a change of outer garb. When death arrives man
abandons this garb and his form of clay and puts on the garment of the
transitional realm. Then ascending from that stage to the next and
flying toward infinity, he casts off in turn the garb of the
transitional realm and puts on the raiment of eternity.
For those who hold this exalted and precious belief, the end of life is
a transformation overflowing with good, a transformation that enables
all things to recover their identity and to be purified.
Dr. Carrel the well-known scholar says:
"The answer given by religion to
the anxiety man feels when confronted with the misery of death is
infinitely more satisfactory than that given by science; religion gives
man the answer his heart desires."
The bitterness and unpleasantness of
leaving this world are seen as natural and inevitable by those who
imagine that their passage through the wall of death spells an end to
all dimensions of their existence and that there is no life beyond that
frontier. But for those who believe that this world is nothing more
than an elaborate game, similar to that which children or artists
engage, and that quitting this world of matter is a form of progress and
ascent in the direction of infinity, the matter takes on a quite
different aspect. Not only does the countenance of death lose for them
its horror and awe; they even long impatiently for release from their
body of clay in order to be joined in union with Him.
Such an understanding of the nature of
death impels man to pursue and pure and exalted aims, to the point of
heroically sacrificing his life for their sake. Then, like a moth freed
from its prison he circles over his former place of confinement; like a
warrior on the field of battle he accepts a bloody death. He sacrifices
his personal motives and desires in order to attain a morrow filled with
pride, glory, and lofty and positive ideals.
In the view of such a person, man has a
two-dimensional life as an attribute that is uniquely his. On of the
two dimensions is his material life, in which he is subject to
biological circumstances and social necessities, and the other is his
inner and spiritual life, a life in which he engages in thought,
inventiveness, creativity, and the cultivation of ideals, givens
external existence to his inner ferment and enthusiasm, and mold's to
his will the society in which he lives and even history.
Fear of Death
Lack of awareness and the failure to comprehend adequately the nature of
death induce fear, dread and insecurity in man, for they make death
appear to be a terrible nightmare.
Imam al Hadi (a.s.), once went to visit one of his companions who had
fallen sick. The fear of death had robbed him of all tranquillity and
calm, so the Imam addressed him as follows:
"O servant of God, you fear
death because you do not understand it correctly. Tell me, if your body
were soiled with dirt so that you were pained and discomforted and
afflicted with running sores, and you knew that a washing in the
bathhouse would rid you of all that filth and pain, would you not wish
to avail yourself of the bathhouse to cleanse yourself of the dirt? Or
would you be reluctant to do so and prefer to remain in your polluted
state?"
The sick man replied, "O
descendant of the Messenger of God! I would definitely prefer to wash
myself and become clean."
Then the Imam responded, "Know,
then, that death is exactly like the bathhouse. It represents your last
chance to rid yourself of your sins and to purify yourself of evil. If
death embraces you now, there can be no doubt that you will be freed of
all sorrow and pain and attain everlasting happiness and joy."
Hearing these words of the Imam, the
sick man changed completely and a remarkable tranquillity appeared on
his face. Then in dignified fashion, he surrendered himself to death,
in the shroud he had drawn around himself, full of hope in God's mercy.
He closed his eyes which had now seen the truth and hastened to his
eternal abode.
The Master of the God fearing (a.s.),
was one of those rare human beings who had truly understood the meaning
of life and had caused death itself to fear him. Few men have advanced
the claim that Ali made: "I
swear by god that the son of Abu Talib is more at ease with death than a
suckling infant with the breast of its mother."
The whole of his life turns out on examination to be a proof for this
claim. Why should that extraordinarily pure man, who never exaggerated
concerning his love for God, not long day and night for the meeting with
God Almighty, for hastening to His supreme presence? With his pure
nature and exalted mind he had understood that death means liberation
from the dark fetters of matter and the opening of the gates of
eternity; why then should he fear death?
History does not record a noble hero
other than the son of Abu Talib whose hand wielded the sword for almost
fifty years and who encountered without spilling a single drop of blood
unjustly, countless incidents which normally arouse feelings of hate and
vengeance in man and rob him of his humanity.
This was his concept of life:
"Even if I were to be given the
whole world and all it contains, I would not unjustly remove the husk of
a single grain from the mouth of an ant."
For this pious and strong commander who
throughout his life granted the weak and the powerful their rights in
equal measure, who showed care for the feeding of his murderer while
suffering the pain of his fatal wounds, warfare and struggle represented
a means for reform of man, not his destruction.
The vile murderer calculated that he
would be able to carry out the assassination of Ali (a.s.), only when he
was standing in worship before his Lord, with the whole is being effaced
in the splendor of the Creator; it was this that enabled him to
implement his plan.
When he was struck with the wound that severed the cord of his life, Ali
bade death welcome like a dear one he had long been awaiting, and said,
"I am free, by the Lord of the
Ka’ba! I have no fear if death should carry me off or death should
befall me." The relatives and
companions who gathered round the bed of Ali had never seen the same
amazing tranquillity that they now saw in that ocean of courage,
generosity, justice, and piety, as he endured the painful wound that had
been inflicted on him.
It may furthermore be said that the one
who denies like after death looks on man form only one vantage point: he
imagines him to be a creature wandering in the realm of matter and
supposes that all of his existence is exhausted by the few passing
moments his earthly body spends in this world. Such a view of things
implies that the entire destiny of man consists of helpless exposure to
a whole range of factors, known and unknown: he enters this world with
great pain, maintains himself in it for a few days by enduring all kinds
of oppression an injustice, and then finally departs in the embrace of
death and annihilation.
Such a life would indeed be miserable, and to remain in the world under
such circumstances would be painful.
Whoever reaches this distressing
conclusion about the destiny of man must view the nature of existence
itself in the same way. For in his opinion it is not only whose like is
spent in the whirlpool of pointlessness and injustice; whatever comes
into existence must also traverse the path of meaninglessness and
oppression until the moment of its annihilation. All things are engaged
in injustice: whether it be man in his struggle for survival, and insect
that inflicts a sting, or the drops of a rainstorm that destructively
beat down on a hut. To take matters still further, this would mean that
this transitory world lacks all legitimacy, that it is simply an
assemblage of absurdity and injustice. This is the view of the person
who has served his link with the eternal and everlasting being that is
the source of all existence, and who thereby commits an error for which
he must pay the price.
With such a person, sickness,
deprivation, the inability to fulfill wishes and attain goals (or loss
of them after attaining them), fear of a dark and unknown future - all
these serve to break his spirit and torment him. Immersion in the
affairs of this world does indeed place a veil of oblivion and neglect
before the vision of man; it causes him to return his back on lofty
spiritual values, so that in the end he meets death empty-handed.
One day, the Commander of the Faithful,
Ali (a.s.) Entered the market of Basra. He saw people utterly absorbed
in themselves and the business of buying and selling; it was as if death
and resurrection would never happen. This atmosphere of negligence
deeply disturbed him, so he wept and said,
"O servants of the world, O slaves to the
worldly! Throughout the day you are busy buying and selling, swearing
oaths as you do so, and your nights are spent in sleep and a state of
complete unawareness. So day and night you are unaware of the hereafter
and the outcome of your affair; when, then will you prepare yourselves
for the journey that awaits you, and when will you gather the provisions
you need? When will you begin to remember the hereafter and
resurrection?"
The Belief Concerning Death
A Shaykh says, The Prince of Believers, Ali (a.s.) was asked,
"Describe death to us."
He said, "You have indeed,
accidentally come to one who is well informed! It (death) brings to the
person dying one of three things - either tidings of perpetual bliss, or
of ever lasting misery, or fear and dread. Or an uncertainty, if he
(the dying person) does not know to which section he belongs. Now as
for our enemy and one who opposed our claim, he will be given tidings of
eternal misery; but one whose affair is doubtful, that is one who does
not know his own mind, he is a believer who is prodigal regarding his
own affairs, not knowing what his condition will be. Good comes to him
after doubt and dread. Then Allah will never mingle him with our
enemies, but will take him out of the Fire by our intercession. So act
righteously and obey Allah and do not rely solely upon yourselves, and
do not belittle the punishment of Allah. For verily, he who does not
obtain our intercession except after 300,000 years of Allah's
chastisement, is to be counted amongst the wasteful."
Imam Hasan bin Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.)
was asked, "What is this death,
concerning which people are ignorant?"
He said, "It is the greatest joy
which come upon the believers when they go from this house of affliction
to eternal bliss. And it is the greatest tribulation which comes upon
the infidels when they go from their paradise (the earth) to a fire
which abates not, nor is it extinguished. "
When Imam Husayn (a.s.) was hard
pressed, those who were with him looked at him, and behold! He was
totally different from them. Because when in great difficulty their
color changed and they trembled with fear, and their hearts were filled
with trepidation, and their sides began to throb, Imam Husayn (a.s.) and
some of his particular companions had bright faces, restful limbs, and
complete peace of mind. Then some of them said to others,
"Look at him, he does not care for death."
Then Imam Husayn (a.s.) said to them,
"Patience, O scions of
nobility! For what is death, but a bridge by which you cross over from
misfortune and harm to spacious gardens and eternal favors? Now which
of you would dislike to proceed from a prison and to a painful torment.
Verily, concerning this, my father related to me from my grandfather,
the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), ‘Forsooth, the world is a prison for
the believer and a paradise for the unbeliever; and death is the bridge
for the former to their gardens, and for the latter, to their
hell-fire.’ And he did not lie; nor do I."
Imam Ali Zayn al Abideen (a.s.) was
asked, "What is death?"
He said, "For the believer it is
like taking off clothes which are dirty and lousy; or breaking heavy
shackles and fetters, and changing into the most gorgeous and perfumed
of apparel, and riding on well trained mounts, and alighting in familiar
resting places. And for the unbeliever, it is the pulling off of
gorgeous apparel and changing into the most filthy and coarse clothing;
and the transportation from familiar places to the wildest resting
places and the greatest torment. "
Imam Muhammad al Baqir (a.s.) was
asked, "What is death?"
He said, "It is the sleep which
comes to you every night, except that it is of long duration. The
sleeper does not awake from it except on the Day of Resurrection. Some
see in their sleep certain kinds of joy the worth whereof cannot be
estimated; others, certain kinds of terrors, which area beyond the pale
of estimation. How then can his condition be described who may be happy
or fearful in death? This then is death, so be prepared for it."
Imam Jafar as Sadiq (a.s.) was asked,
"Describe death to us."
He said, "To the believer it is
like to most perfumed breeze, which he inhales and then doses off on
account of the perfume, and his weariness and pain disappear from him.
To the unbeliever it is like the biting of vipers and the stinging of
scorpions; nay, it is even more painful."
He was then told, "There are
some people who say that it is more painful than being sawed with a saw,
or being cut by scissors, or being crushed to death by stones, or the
circular motion by the pivots of hand-mills in the pupils of the eye."
He (a.s.) said, "Such is the
travail of death on some of the unbelievers and sinners. Do you not see
that among them are those who have witnessed such calamities? Now that
death is more painful that this and is more painful that all the worldly
torments."
He was asked, "Why is it that we
see occasionally an unbeliever, who at the moment of death is not in
pain, and who dies while he is relating stories or laughing or talking;
and the same is the case with some believers? Again both among the
believers and unbelievers there are some who endure hardships during the
pangs of death."
He said, "Whatever happiness the
believer enjoys is part of his early reward; and whatever pain he
suffers is the forgiveness of his sins, so that he may arrive in the
next world is a state of cleanliness, purity and spotlessness, fit for
the reward of Allah, and without there being anything to keep him from
it. And whatever of ease it to be found in the case of some unbeliever
is the compensation for his good actions in this world, so that when he
arrives in the next world, there are remains naught to him save that
which brings torment on him. And whatever of distress comes upon an
unbeliever there at the moment of death, is the commencement of the
punishment of Allah, in as much as the reward of his good actions is at
an end. That is because Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, is Just and
does not act wrongfully."
Imam Musa al Kathim (a.s.) visited a
person while he was perspiring during the pangs of death and unable to
answer anyone who called him. Seeing this, the persons around about
said, "O son of the Messenger of
Allah (s.a.w.), we wish to know what the condition of our friend is and
what death is."
He said, "Verily death is a
purifier, it purifies the believers from sins; and it is the last pain
which afflicts upon them; whereas death separates the unbelievers form
their good actions, and is the last delight of favor or comfort which
reaches them. It is the last reward in respect of their good acts. As
for your companion, he is completely purged from sins, and completely
purified from crimes. He is cleansed so that he is - pure as a garment
purified of its filth and is made fit to associate with us, the People
of the House, in our house, the Abode of Eternity (a.s.)."
One of the companions of Imam Ali al
Rida (a.s.) fell ill. Imam al Rida (a.s.) went to visit him and said to
him, "How do you find yourself?"
He said, "I met death after you
left me," meaning the severity
of the pain which befell him. The Imam (a.s.) said,
"How do you find it?"
He said, "It was a severe pain."
The Imam (a.s.) said, "You did
not meet death, but what befell you was something to warn and acquaint
you with some of its aspects. Verily, mankind may be divided into two
classes: those who find rest in death, and those who give rest to
others by it. So renew your faith in Allah, in the Prophet hood of
Mohammed (s.a.w.) And in the walaya of the Imams and you will be among
those who find rest in it death."
The man acted accordingly.
Imam Muhammad al Taqi (a.s.) was asked,
"What is the matter with these
Muslims that they dislike death?"
He said, "They are ignorant of
it and therefore they dislike it. If they possessed knowledge of it,
and were true friends of Allah, they would love it, and would surely
know that the other world is better for them than this." The he (the
Imam) said, "O slave of God! Why does the child or the mad man refuse
to take the medicine which cleanses his body and removes his pain?"
The questioner said, "Because
they are ignorant of the benefits of the medicine."
He, Imam al Taqi (a.s.) said, "I
swear by Him Who sent Muhammad as a prophet of truth, may the peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, verily as for those who prepare themselves
for death as they really should, death will be more beneficial to them
for curing themselves than the is medicine. Lo! If only they knew what
blessings death would bring them, they would call out for it and desire
it even more than the wise and resolute man desires his medicine for the
removal of his calamities and the recovery of his well being."
Imam Ali al Hadi (a.s.) once visited
one of his companions who was weeping and wailing for fear of death.
Therefore he (a.s.) said, " O
slave of Allah, you fear death, because you do not possess any knowledge
about it. What do you say? When you find your clothes filthy and
loathsome and you suffer form excess of filth and dirt, and are full of
wounds and scabs, and you know that a bath in a public bath will remove
all these from you, would you not wish to enter it and bathe so that all
that filth may disappear? And would you not like to enter the bath so
that the wounds and scabs should disappear from you?"
The man said, "Yes, O son of the
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.)."
The Imam said, "This death is
the hammam, and it is the last portion of what remains against you of
the forgiveness of your sins and your purification from your evil
actions. For when you will enter upon it (death) and cross over it, you
will be saved from all grief and anxiety and injury, and you will have
attained complete joy and gladness."
Then the man became quiet and cheerful and
resigned himself, and closed his eyes and went on his way.
Imam Hasan al Askari (a.s.) was asked
concerning death and he said,
"It is the verification of things that have not yet happened. My father
has reported a tradition to me concerning it. He (my father) related
from his father, (who related in turn) from his grandfather, (who
related in turn) from Imam Jafar as Sadiq (a.s.), that he said, "Verily
the true believer, when he dies, dies not in fact; it is the unbeliever
who really dies, for Allah, the Mighty and Glorious says, ‘Thou bringest
the living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead out of the
living.’; that is, the true believer from the unbeliever, and the
unbeliever from the true believer.
And he (Imam Jafar ‘a.s.’) said,
"There
came a man to the Prophet (s.a.w.) And said, ‘I do not know what has
happened to me that I do not like death.’
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said,
"Have you any property?"
The man replied, "Yes."
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "Have
you ever made offerings in charity?"
He said, "No."
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "It
is on this account that you dislike death.
And he (Imam Jafar ‘a.s.’) said,
"A man went to Abu Dharr (al-Ghifari) and asked, "Why is it that we
dislike death?"
He said, "Because you have built
for this world and ruined your prospects for the next, and men dislike
to shift from a settled habitation to a ruin."
And he (Abu-Dharr) was asked,
"What do you think of our return to Allah, Who is Exalted above all?"
He said, "As for the virtuous,
he will be like one who was absent, returning to his own people. And as
for the wicked, he will be like a runaway slave returning to his master
in fear and dread."
He was asked, "What do you think
of our plight before Allah?"
He said, "Judge your actions in
terms of the Book of Allah when it says, ‘Surely amid delights shall the
righteous dwell, and verily the impure in Hell-fire.’"
A man said, "Then where is the
Mercy of Allah?"
He said, "Verily the Mercy of
Allah is nigh unto the righteous."
Death & After It
That which does not die and will never die is Allah. We, slaves, will
one day eventually leave this world. The setting of the sun each day is
a poetical metaphor for our passing away. How good it is, if we meet
with another day, just like the sun, beaming and bright on the horizon
of the Resurrection. This is important for the sunset is inevitable;
death is a reality which, like it or not, must happen.
What we must think about is what will
happen to us after death? Will we become nothing? Will everyone's life
merely "end in death?"
Or will we "remain",
and if so, what will our
"remaining" be like?
Those who do not believe in God
consider death to be the becoming nothing of man, and life just limited
to one or two days. They say that everyone's turn is short-lived. But
those who are based in revelation are completely opposed to this view,
and they say that man is immortal and that death is just a ladder
leading to the world of purgatory and Resurrection, which is the
everlasting resting place.
The Remembrance of Death
Some people run away from the remembrance of death, and do not give way
to thoughts about it. It is as if they have drunk the water of
eternity, and think to remain in this world forever. These people are
drunk from the wine of neglect. For they know but do not accept that
the only thing is eternal and will not die is Allah. From the results
of their neglect of death, they will pass their lives aimlessly. They
do not think to reform themselves; their time is spent like the hands of
a clock, turning round and round, and how often will they be polluted
with dreadful sins. There is not much difference between their lives
and the lives of animals.
The manner of their behavior is
completely the contrary of the way of acting of the chosen ones of
Allah. The Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) said,
"Remember death very often, so that it may
purify you from sins and decrease attachment to a world which is not an
introduction to the betterment of the spirit."
On the other hand, there are those who
remember death much, following the command of the leaders of the
religion - may Allah bless them, and profit from every occasion that
comes their way for the Day of Resurrection. Their world is a world of
introduction to the ultimate world. Their search is not for personal
benefit and their own desires. From their view, the world does not have
so much value that they will dirty their hands and clothes with urine
and treachery to get it. Rather they are busy with work and pursuits
and service in society, so that they will completely take the benefit
from this life to the life of the Resurrection.
They do not fear death. The greatest
example is Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), whose first words when the
sword of the enemy fell to martyr him were,
"I swear by Allah, I have been delivered!"
Truly, the leaving of the constraints of
this world and going to eternity of the everlasting world is an ease and
a salvation, but only for those who follow the way of Imam Ali (a.s.) to
purify in the straightened circumstances of this life, and who are
occupied with piety in their spirits and souls and thoughts, and with
worship and slavery to Allah, and with service to mankind.
Abu Dharr al Ghifari was asked,
"Why are we disgusted with death?"
"You have taken up residence in
this world," he replied,
"but ruined your next world. So you do
not desire to migrate from your home to the place of ruin."
The Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.)
said, "Do you all wish to go to
the Garden?"
"Yes,"
they said.
"So cut short your craving, and
always keep death in sight, since you must always be shameful before
Allah."
To remember those near to you when they met death, and occasional visits
to graveyards and the tombs of believers will result in remembrance of
death and guidance.
This source of information was taken
from:
1. Musavi Lari, Mujtaba. Resurrection, Judgement, and the Hereafter.
Published by The Foundation of Islamic Doctrine. Maryland, 1989.
2. Shaykh as-Sadiq. A Shi’ite Creed. Published by World Organization
for Islamic Services. Iran, 1982.
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