Death is a painful truth. Everyone will have to taste it one day. No one will stay in this world forever. When the angel of death comes and takes possession of our souls, we will become dead bodies in the eyes of the people of this world. Whatever we have done in this one piece of life in this world, we will start to see the results in the life of the grave. If we do good, we will get good results. If we do bad, we will get bad results. The first destination of the hereafter is the grave. And the life of the grave begins with death. The eternal life beyond begins. Death can come at any moment.
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Allah says in this regard, ‘No one knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no one knows where he will die.’ (Surah Luqman, verse 34). Allama Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) explained this verse, ‘Every moment of every living being, including humans, is like the moment of its death. That is why the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘O people! Prepare for death before it comes.’ (Mustadrak Al-Hakeem, Hadith No. 8949). Some deaths shake the world. They plunge every person into a sea of grief. And some deaths give people relief. They put an end to oppression and tyranny. A poet wrote, ‘You will form such a life/You will laugh at death, and the world will cry.’ A good death requires a planned life. And for this, Allah’s mercy or special kindness is needed. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “When Allah wants good for a servant, He makes him worthy.” The Companions asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What is worthy?” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah makes that person worthy of Paradise by giving him the ability to do more good deeds before death.” (Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2142)
In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “When Allah wants good for a servant, He gives him strength.” The companions asked, “What kind of strength?” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied, “The strength to do more good deeds.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 17819). An Arab poet said about death, “Life is the name of a few blinks.” That is, the period from birth to death is as short as the blink of an eye. Therefore, what a wise person should do is to make the most of the time and prepare for a good death. The greatest preparation for death is to engage oneself in good deeds and refrain from evil deeds. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Run towards good deeds, before the trials descend like a dark night.” (Muslim, Hadith No. 328). A believer will have this good idea about Allah that He will definitely reduce the suffering of his servant at the time of death. Because Allah will treat him as he thinks about Allah. In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah says, ‘I act according to the opinion of My servant about Me. I am with him.’ (Bukhari, Hadith No. 7405). In another Hadith, Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say three days before his death that all of you should die with a good opinion of Allah.’ (Muslim, Hadith No. 7121).
By remembering death more, one can also prepare for a good death. One of the great benefits of remembering death more is that worldly attachment is removed from the heart and thoughts and deeds of the Hereafter increase. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Remember death, which destroys all enjoyments and pleasures, more often.’ (Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2307). Another way to remember death is to visit graves. Visiting graves reminds one of death and the Hereafter. It creates in the heart an idea of the horror of the punishment of the grave. Through this, it helps one repent from wrongdoing and prepare for death. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘I forbade you from visiting graves before, so visit graves from now on. For it brings detachment from this world and reminds one of the Hereafter.’ (Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 1571).
The first thing that comes to the mind of a person through visiting graves is the pressure of the grave. Ammazan Hazrat Aisha Siddiqah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, ‘The grave will press everyone. If anyone could have escaped the pressure of the grave, then my beloved companion Saad ibn Mu’adh would have survived.’ (Musnad Ahmad and Bayhaqi Sharif). Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA) narrates, ‘After placing Saad in the grave, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) recited Subhanallah, Allahu Akbar several times. We also recited Tasbeeh along with the Prophet. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, ‘The grave of this righteous Saad had become narrow. After reciting Tasbeeh, Allah has widened his grave.’ (Musnad Ahmad and Tibrani Sharif). The Companions and Tabi’een were always afraid of the pressure of the grave. Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "Of all the hadiths we heard from the Messenger of Allah, the most terrifying was the hadith about the pressure of the grave. Especially when the great companion Saad could not escape the pressure of the grave, we were always worried about what would happen to people like us." (Musannif Abdur Razzaq).
O Allah! Grant us the ability to prepare for a good death. Death is inevitable for every human being who is born. We always pray to the Creator for death so that He may make the pain of death less for us. May we die believing in the belief that Allah is One and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last Prophet and Messenger of Allah. Amin.