On Death

It’s a topic we don’t really give much thought to until something happens to someone we know. I used to think about what it would be like to lose a person I loved, and when it happened, nothing could have prepared me for the shock. When we read or watch the news, we hear of people in wars being killed, at first the outcry is resounding but with the progression of time we become impervious towards the bloodshed that comes with war, we forget the innocent children, the women, the aged, the disabled, and we forget the loss of lives. We’re hardly touched by death unless it happens to someone we know.

In the holy Quraan, Allah warns us about death times over. He says: “the death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to (Allah) the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, and he will tell you the things that you did” (Surah al-Jumua, 62:8). Surely we’re meant to heed these warnings and adapt our characters. Being brought up a Muslim, we were always taught that an intelligent person is one to keeps death a constant in his thoughts. We all know that we will die, but we cannot predict when. We may live to see 80, or we may be gone in the next moment, such is the inconsistency of life. Another verse from the Holy Quraan expresses the importance of keeping death in mind, Allah says: “We have granted not any human being Immortality before you, then if you die would they live forever? Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us you will be returned” (Suratal-Anbiya, 21: 34-35).

The purpose of this entry was not to lecture anyone about death, death is inevitable, and we all know that. Sooner or later we will die. It’s a reality we must learn to embrace. Life is merely the dash which exists between our date of birth and the day we die. Our death has been predestined from the moment we’re born.

Coping with the death of a loved one is never easy, and sometimes accepting is easier for some than for others. My dad was murdered in a robbery in our shop, although the details are not important many people ask about them, so I’ll share a few of the details. On September 9th 2006, my mom was being help up in our electrical shop, the robbers had taken the money, my dad who was at home (our home is on the property behind our shop) was called by the shop staff as the robbers had guns to my mom, as my dad entered the shop he was shot four times and passed away almost immediately. Allah All mighty knows best.

But as I said, the details to a person’s death are never important, once we realize that death is predestined and that to our Creator is our return, acceptance becomes much easier. When we learn to place our faith and trust in the Hands of our Creator, much solace is found. These are merely our trials of patience, and Allah has warned us about the trials of life in the verses of the Holy Quraan which say: “Be sure we shall test you with fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, who say, when afflicted with calamity: ‘To Allah We belong, to Him is our return” (Surah Al-Baqara, 2:155 – 156).

The best possible way to find solace is to be in constant prayer, as it is in difficult times that we are drawn closer to our Creator. Often a Muslim brother or sister will tell a grieving person to “Make Sabr” (have patience), but after a while one gets tired of hearing this, as it offers little comfort, but had the people who said it explained the significance, the grieving person would surely be comforted. It’s ok not to be strong, after all, you’ve lost a part of you; and cry, cry a lot, cry as much as you want to as often as you need to, crying relieves the pain, it’s the souls way of expressing it’s grief, remember there would be no flowers unless there was some rain. Death after all isn’t something that should be feared, it’s something that should be embraced.