nd
comes the struggle of death with the certainty that is what you have been
avoiding}
50:19
Yes, It does, it come with certainty and truth. And what is certain and
what is true is that you are going to die. Allah is alive who never dies. It comes
with the truth, and you get to see the angel of mercy or your see the angel of
punishment.
The truth is that your grave is either going to be one
garden of the gardens of Eden,
or one hole of the holes of Hellfire.
And it comes with certainty, and that is what you have
been avoiding by seeking to see the doctors if you get sick, or be seeking
food when you feel hungry, or seek drink… but then what is next?
There are two preachers. The messenger (PPBU) left for us
two very impressive preachers: a spoken preacher and a silent preacher. They
are constantly and continuously preaching to us. People do need very powerful
lessons. For indeed, the minds become forgetful; and hearts become harder.
This life misleads and betrays us, and our souls tend to order us with the
bad, and Satan misguides people. There is a definite need for a preacher. The
messenger (PPBU) left those two permanent and strong preachers.
The first is the spoken preacher, and that is the Quran.
The second is the silent preacher, and that is death.
The Koran meets us every morning and every evening with
verses and miracles. It reminds people and it gets the attention of the
forgetful ones, and it supplies the faithful with more faith.
Death is a silent preacher. Death too meets us in the
mornings and in the evenings. And it is a powerful preacher too. But
unfortunately, we are deaf, we could not hear. We are very busy with our life,
we continuously, and breathlessly chasing after it, argue and even fight over
what it offers. We are forgetting this which threatens us on daily basis; in
fact on hourly basis. Or, even a minute by minute threat, or even momentary
threat. Forgetting that this preacher “and what can be a more powerful
preacher than death” did actually come to the messenger (PPBU).
Did you ever see more effective and eloquent way of
preaching, than a human being, a living picture, a living body, a shining
face, and an eloquently spoken tong, with a will of want for this life, and a
will that lays out the plans for this worldly life. And suddenly, this shiny
face goes dull and stale, and this living body is dead, and this eloquent tong
is silenced, and this human being whose voice could fill the ears, and whose
image fills the sight, suddenly is placed in one of the many graves. Yes,
death is a powerful preacher.
Just few days ago, two young girls filled the lives of
their parents. Only a few hours separated between saying their goodbyes
departing for a temporary weekend trip, and the parents receiving the sad news
of their permanent departure by death. As if it was a dream or an imagination,
two little girls in their youthful childhood age can be approached by death on
such an unexpected moment when people where unaware.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the fact and the truth
which is absent and also present at the same time. It is present because we
see it every day. And it is absent because we do not want to remember it. Let
no one feel safe after today. For death comes so sudden; and the grave is the
box of one’s deeds. Death is closer than the wink of an eye. Let no one think
that death is far away from him or her. With the name of Allah, death is ever
so close to the human being. Every person wakening up in the morning with his
family, death can strike him before he manages to put his shoes on. Each and
every person has his or her time of death; and this that dies, his
resurrection starts for him.
Death is like the speed of vision or as fast as the blink
of an eye. There is a very fine thread separating between life and death. So
little that can cause this brain to stop functioning, or this heart to halt
beating, or this breath drawn in is to be unable to be exhaled, or those
functioning organs to shut down, and this body to become an unmoving corpse.
After a person was being used to tell the news, now he
himself becomes the news. People start saying: “he is dead”. A word is spoken
in such simplicity and a haste or rush. And yet what a tremendous fact it is.
When we say someone is dead, it means the fact that every thing is finished
for him. No more chances to improve his balance of deeds, or to repentance
from his sins, or do something to improve his credit status with Allah.
When death comes to people, each one of them wishes if
they were given another month in time. Or even a week, or a day, or an hour,
or even a minute. In one minute one can say: “I repent to Allah” or he may
praise Allah one more time, or makes a will which he never made when he had
life and had health. But, he uselessly will be wishing for such a chance.
Allah says: {you believers; do not let your money or your children make you
forget to remember Allah; and this who does that; they are the losers. And
spend from what we gave you before the death comes to one of you, and he start
saying: God, if you postpone me to a not too far a time, I would give for
charity, and I would be with the good ones. And Allah will not delay a soul
when its term comes. And Allah is so expert with what you do.} 62:9-11. Allah
also says: {Allah’s term when it comes, it does not get delayer if you just
knew}71:4.
Time of death is defined; the age for living is defined; a
number of days; and a limited number of breaths of air drawn. In fact a number
of moments. Allah says: {and every soul will get the taste of death. And you
will merely be given your rewards on the day of resurrection. For this who is
budged or moved off the fire and made to enter paradise has won. And this life
is mere false and vane enjoyment}3:185. Allah also says: {All on this life is
to parish, and only that remains is the face of your Lord with His dignity and
honor}55:26-26.
The messenger (PPBU) advised us to remember the destroyer
of enjoyments: “Death”. For death does cuts off enjoyment and terminates it to
the individual. No joy and nothing last for ever. If it can last for a person
then it would have lasted for someone from the past. But it never did for
anyone.
One of the Muslim rulers asked a scholar to preach him
with some advice. The scholar said: you ought to know that you will not be the
first ruler to die. And if this before you did not die, then you wouldn’t have
become a ruler. And between you and the first man Adam, is a few dead fathers,
who died as you certainly will too.
Gabrael was reported to have told the messenger (PPBU)
once: {Mohammad, live as much as you like, you shall die. And do what you
like, you shall be judged for. And love whoever you like, you shall be parting
from.}
No matter how old one lives, 40, 50, 60, 70, 100 or even
as old as Noah did live, or over 1000. What is going to happen at the end? The
end is death. When the angel of death came to take Prophet Noah soul (who
incidentally lived for 950 year) he asked him: “how did you find this life?”
He answered: “I found it like a room with two doors, I entered through one and
I left through the other”.
A man asked the messenger (PPBU): who is the best of all
people, and the most resolute? The messenger said: {this of them who remembers
death more, and this of them who is most ready for death. Those are the good
once who took all the nobleness of this life, and the honor of the life
after}.
The messenger (PPBU) once after a funeral; sat by a grave
and cried. And he said “it is for the likes of this that you should get
ready”.
ãõÚÇÐ)
the messenger (PPBU) said: {worship Allah as if you see Him. And count your
self among the dead. And say Allah’s name or think of Allah at each rock, and
at each tree. And if you commit a sin then do a good deed beside it. Private
for a private and a public for a public}.
A king once built a beautiful palace. Decorated, painted,
fitted it with the most luxurious furniture, and expensive masterpieces. And
filled it with the most rare and beautiful artifacts. One of his close friends
was good man. He asked his friend: can you see any fault or defect in this
palace so I can fix it? His friend said: yes, I see only one fault in it, but
you can not fix it. The king said: what is it? I have so much money which can
get anything fixed. The friend said: The only fault in this palace is that you
will have one departure from it, after which there will be no return. You will
leave and never return, or you will enter and never leave. And that is the
case for any home you build.
And one man bought a house from another and went to have
the contract drawn up. The editor of the contract wrote the following: This is
what a one dead (or dying) individual bought from another dead one. A home in
the town of forgetfulness, on the sinners’ way, with four borders: the first
border terminates with death, the second border leads to the grave, the third
leads to be brought to an account; and the fourth border leads to paradise or
Hell.
Hamed Qaisary said: we all are certain of death, and yet
none of us is ready for it. And we all are certain of
Paradise, and yet you
don’t see any once working for it. And we all are certain of Hellfire, and yet
we do not see one who is afraid of it. Why are you so happy? And what you may
be waiting for? It is death. It is the first to come to you with good or with
bad. Brothers, walk to your God in a good manner.
Every soul is getting the taste of death}is a verse
repeated three times in the Koran. Every soul including prophets, the
believers, martyrs, the good living, they all will get the taste of death. All
the messengers, the chosen ones, and the best before the messenger (PPBU), all
of them got the taste of death.
The messenger Muhammad (PPBU) and the choice of Allah
amongst all of His creations, he got the taste of death. When he died the
companions were stunned, and some of them even denied it. Omar said: “I will
kill anyone who says Muhammad is dead.” With the grace of Allah two men
remained composed and were inspired the truth.
The first is Al-Abbas the messenger’s uncle who recited to
the crowds what Allah says: {Indeed you shall die and so shall they, then on
the day of resurrection you shall be with your God argue.}39:30.
And the second man was Abu-Baker who gave his famous
speech: “O’ people, whoever was worshipping Muhammad, let them know that
Muhammad is dead. And whoever was worshiping Allah, then let them know that
Allah is for ever living, never dies.” Then he recited the verse: {and
Muhammad is just a messenger, and before him other messengers have come and
gone. Is it that if he dies or gets killed your retreat back? And this that
does turn back will not hurt Allah the slightest. And Allah shall reward those
who are thankful}3:144.
Kings, princes, leaders, the mighty and the rich they all
died, and their riches, armies and treasures was of no help to them. Death
practices equality between the rich and the poor. Death is the end of every
living being. Where did all the powerful and mighty go to? This is the end for
them all: one meter, by one meter by two. This is the human’s destiny. The all
are equal at that deadly embrace of the grave, and when maggots and worms
consume the bodies.
Death is like a drink everyone will drink, those are
faithful and those who are not. There is no escape from death when the time
comes. Many die because of a heart attack or in a car accident. Even for those
walking safely on the side of the road may be killed by an out of control car.
Death does not differentiate between an old or a young, a
rich or a poor, a strong or a weak, a healthy or a sick, a traveler or a
resident. Death is coming but unfortunately we are unaware of this dangerous
fact. Let us get ready for death before we are supervised with its sudden
arrival. Lets us pack up and get ready. Ali Ebn_Abi-Talib used to cry and say:
“Worldly life, stay away from me, go and fool someone else not me. I have you
divorced three times with no chance of reconciliation. You have such a short
life span. You have such a low standard of living, and your enjoyment is so
limited. What is regrettable and pitiful is the lack of provisions, and the
far distance to travel, and the terrifying road”. Allah says: {get loaded with
provisions, and the best provision is God fearing. And you who have brains,
fear Me.}2:197.
Dear God, grant us the God fearing attribute. And make us
of the people of the next life, and make us amongst the best that get
themselves ready for what comes after death.
We ask Allah to give us knowledge which will be of benefit, and a good
accepted deed. And all thanks be to Allah.
Notes:
-
Adhan
- The call to prayer.
-
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the
messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of
Islam.
Assalam Alaikum -
The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace
be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching
it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during
leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
Aya (or Ayah):
is a verse of the Koran.
It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
is a mountain
outside the city of Mecca
that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing
Hajj must stay at this location on the same
day.
Badr
- The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the
pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph
- A Muslim ruler. See:
(Khalifa)
Dajjal
- Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah
- The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din)
- Religion or way of life.
Duaa:
a prayer in the form of
talking to Allah;
praising him and asking him for help.
Fatwa
- Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are
the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose:
is the highest level of
the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh
- Religious law.
Hadeeth:
is something reported
that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave.
It is usually narrated or told by one
of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are
reported and checked to be genuine. No
more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar -
The Black Stone set into the corner of the
Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj -
The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in
the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas:
is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith
- The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his
followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is
the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or
Hejrah):
the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This
event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12
months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a
name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah -
Worship. All the words and deeds with which
Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese):
On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used
by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar
or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn
Omar.
Imam
(or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman:
belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) -
The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the
Christians.
Islam
- Submission, the religion of all the
prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah -
The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of
the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad:
is striving in the
line
of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving
oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection
of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the
fight one's self against temptations.
It also means "holy war."
Jinn
-
Supernatural, invisible beings race of
beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst
them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on
Judgment Day.
Ka'aba:
A cube shaped building in
Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say
Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by
Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage
in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa:
is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation:
"Successor".
Khutbah -
A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr -
Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for
anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran
- Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book
of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran
literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to
the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the
Arabian
peninsula
(in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to
immigrate to.
Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid -
A
center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah -
A
sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah:
is
the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous
black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim
house of worship.
Muhajir -
(Muhajireen)
Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It
was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median
and Ethiopia.
Muhammad -
the final messenger and
prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He
received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in
Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad
ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim
- One who holds faith to the religion of
Islam.
Nafilah:
a voluntary prayer other
than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara -
Christians. Nasrani:
A Christian individual. Nasraniah:
Christianity.
Ommah:
is the Arabic word for a
nation. It usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise -
Another word for heaven. A
garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and
imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels.
All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty
Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise
is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
PPBU
(P.B.U.H.) :
Peace and Prayers Be
Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the
messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar -
Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all
things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
Qadr - (night of Qadr):
The night when the first
revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the
last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to
the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and
few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the
holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla -
The direction which Muslims turn for daily
prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish -
An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger
Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan -
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which
is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat -
Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of
worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is
performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa:
A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion
leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants
of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who
ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk -
Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with
Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of
Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam-
Fasting
Sunni:
is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life
style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah):
Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he
dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought.
Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered
the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an
important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes.
It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all
Muslims.
Surah -
A
chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf:
part of the pilgrimage (Hajj)
ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise
direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed -
Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that
there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement
of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new
Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah -
Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person
to understand God.
Taurat: The old
Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah -
the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah):
A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to
Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic
year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual
done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor -
The
Psalms
Zakat -
The
third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
