IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
INTRODUCTION
Our life is so transient that we must understand that death is impending. It sounds very morbid, but we must truly understand that we must live in this world like a stranger. Don’t get too comfortable in this life – especially knowing how the dunya can distract us.
كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ
Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveller along a path.” Ibn Umar would say, “If you make it to the evening, do not wait for the morning. If you make it to the morning, do not wait for the evening. Take from your health for your sickness, and from your life for your death.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6416
Allah has Warned us:
كُلُّ نَفسٍ ذائِقَةُ المَوتِ ۗ وَإِنَّما تُوَفَّونَ أُجورَكُم يَومَ القِيامَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحزِحَ عَنِ النّارِ وَأُدخِلَ الجَنَّةَ فَقَد فازَ ۗ وَمَا الحَياةُ الدُّنيا إِلّا مَتاعُ الغُرورِ
“Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).” 3: 185
كُلُّ نَفسٍ ذائِقَةُ المَوتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَينا تُرجَعونَ
“Everyone shall taste the death. Then unto Us you shall be returned.” 29: 57
What we must quickly understand
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE ARE READY TO MEET ALLAH?
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغفِرُ أَن يُشرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغفِرُ ما دونَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشرِك بِاللَّهِ فَقَد ضَلَّ ضَلالًا بَعيدًا
“Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom he pleases sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away.” 4: 116
وَلَقَد أوحِيَ إِلَيكَ وَإِلَى الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِكَ لَئِن أَشرَكتَ لَيَحبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكونَنَّ مِنَ الخاسِرينَ
“And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad 
إِنَّ أَكرَمَكُم عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتقاكُم
“…Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa…”49: 13
Also, a person with taqwa does NOT mean he is perfect. As a comfort to us, Allah mentioned the quality of a person with taqwa in Qur’an surah 3 verse 135 –
وَالَّذينَ إِذا فَعَلوا فاحِشَةً أَو ظَلَموا أَنفُسَهُم ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاستَغفَروا لِذُنوبِهِم وَمَن يَغفِرُ الذُّنوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَم يُصِرّوا عَلىٰ ما فَعَلوا وَهُم يَعلَمونَ
“And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; – and none can forgive sins but Allah – And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.” 3: 135
It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say in his prayer:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْمَأْثَمِ وَالْمَغْرَمِ
“Allaahumma inni a’oodhi bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from sin and heavy debt).” Someone said to him: “How often you seek refuge from heavy debt!” He said: “When a man gets into debt, he speak and tells lies, and he makes a promise and breaks it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (832) and Muslim (589).
Al-Nasaa’i (4605) narrated that Muhammad ibn Jahsh (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
We were sitting with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he raised his head towards the sky, then he put his palm on his forehead and said: “Subhaan-Allaah! What a strict issue has been revealed to me!” We remained silent and were afraid. The following morning I asked him, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is this strict issue that has been revealed?” He said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if a man were killed in battle for the sake of Allaah, then brought back to life, then killed and brought back to life again, then killed, and he owed a debt, he would not enter Paradise until his debt was paid off.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i, 4367.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who had died owing two dinars, until Abu Qataadah (may Allaah be pleased with him) promised to pay it off for him. When he saw him the following day and said, I have paid it off, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Now his skin has become cool for him.” Musnad Ahmad (3/629); classed as hasan by al-Nawawi in al-Khalaasah (2/931) and by Ibn Muflih in al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah (1/104).
Ibn Umar reported: We counted the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saying one hundred times in a single sitting before he stood up,
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الْغَفُورُ
“My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance. Verily, You alone are the Relenting, the Forgiving.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3434, Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
Narrated Shaddad bin Aus (Radhi-Allahu ‘anhu): The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is:
“اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِر لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ”
Allaahumma ‘Anta Rabbee laa ‘ilaaha ‘illaa ‘Anta, khalaqtanee wa ‘anaa ‘abduka, wa ‘anaa ‘alaa ‘ahdika wa wa’dika mas-tata’tu, ‘a’oothu bika min sharri maa sana’tu, ‘aboo’u laka bini’matika ‘alayya, wa ‘aboo’u bithanbee faghfir lee fa’innahu laa yaghfiruth-thunooba ‘illaa ‘Anta.
[ O Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am your slave. I keep Your covenant, and my pledge to You so far as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I admit to Your blessings upon me, and I admit to my misdeeds. Forgive me, for there is none who may forgive sins but You.]
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) added: “If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.”
[Sahih Bukhari – Book 75: Hadith 318]
يَومَ لا يَنفَعُ مالٌ وَلا بَنونَ
إِلّا مَن أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلبٍ سَليمٍ
The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,
Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifaq (hypocrisy)]. 26: 88-89
MAY ALLAH GUIDE US ALL TO BE READY BEFORE WE FACE HIM ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
