I was reading on a personality not long ago when I read of his last words to be 'oh wow oh wow oh wow'.
What immediately came to my mind was what I had learnt of the moments just before death. I decided to read more on it and share.
He isn't the only I have heard of. A woman describing the last moments of her husband had said, 'he was looking side ways, right and left until his final breadth'. I had wondered what she would have felt like if she knew what it connotes.
So, what does Islam say of the moments before death and why do dying people react the way they do?
This is only to remind us of death and to bring to our consciousness the need to become (more)steadfast in the deen. Death is after all the only thing everyone is certain of.
A hadith
Narrated by 'Ubada bin As-Samit:
The prophet said, "Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah (too) loves to meet him and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him". Aisha, or some of the wives of the prophet said, "But we dislike death." He said: It is not like this, but it is meant that when the time of the death of a believer approaches, he receives the good news of Allah's pleasure with him and His blessings upon him, and so at that time nothing is dearer to him than what is in front of him. He therefore loves the meeting with Allah, and Allah (too) loves the meeting with him. But when the time of the death of a disbeliever approaches, he receives the evil news of Allah's torment and His Requital, whereupon nothing is more hateful to him than what is before him. Therefore, he hates the meeting with Allah, and Allah too, hates the meeting with him."
The Departure of Believers Described
At the death of the Momin(righteous), the angels of death come and extend salaam to the Momin(righteous), at this time the Momin in the throes of death, smiles (Perhaps some of you may have seen this in a pious relative. The angels of death then gently call for the soul to come out.
From another reference (The Hereafter by Anwar Awlaki): When the soul of a believer who is righteous and innocent is removed, it comes out of the body like a drop of water sliding off the tip of the spout of a jug.
It is also reported that when the soul of the innocent leaves the body voluntarily when called by the angels of death, the eyes of the dying watch it leave.
For the non believer
However the soul of a disobedient person fights back and refuses to leave the body. His soul is removed forcibly and comes out torn and fragmented like a piece of cloth being pulled off a thorny bush.
The angels of death look frightening to him and the dying person is terrified at the time of death.
Verses from the Qur'an
Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [make them] equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge.(Q. 45:21)
Q. 8:50
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And if you could but see when the angels take the souls of those who disbelieved... They are striking their faces and their backs and [saying], "Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.
Q.47:27
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Then how [will it be] when the angels take them in death, striking their faces and their backs?
The Journey of The Soul
This description is from a Hadith related by Abu Huraira (RA)
The angels of death arrive with a coffin for the soul of the Momin, perfumed with the fragrance of Jannah(paradise)
. The soul of the Momin is wrapped in the perfumed silk coffin and the angels ascend with it towards Allah (SWT) traversing the seven heavens.
.At each Level of Heaven the door is opened with a welcome, and the angel guards ask “ who is this pure (paak) soul that lived in a pure (paak) body? (The importance of remaining in taharah at all times is thus extremely important) until it reaches Allah SWT.
.The spirit is then returned to earth to remain with the body and it asks to be buried quickly (thus the muslim injunction to bury the body as quickly as you can)
.In the grave, the soul is returned to the body and the Munkar & Nakeer(angels) begin their interrogation.
Who is your Rab(lord)? The Momin says Rabi Allah
What is your deen(religion)? The Momin says Deen e Islam
Who is your Nabi(prophet)? The Momin gives shahada of Prophet Muhammad as Allah’s Rasool
When the same questions are asked fron the Kafir and the Munafiq he or she says:
“I don’t know” or “I said what ever other people said”
.The momin is then put to sleep gently and with respect and told that he or she will wake up on the Day of Judgment.
As for the disobedient and those who deny Tawheed of Allah:
Surah al Annam Allah (SWT) warns:
Q. 6:93
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And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or says, "It has been inspired to me," while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, "I will reveal [something] like what Allah revealed." And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], "Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allah other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant."
May Allah keep us firm in His deen and save us from his punishment. amin.
references- http://asqfish.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/the-muslims-concept-of-events-at-death/
www.quran.com
What immediately came to my mind was what I had learnt of the moments just before death. I decided to read more on it and share.
He isn't the only I have heard of. A woman describing the last moments of her husband had said, 'he was looking side ways, right and left until his final breadth'. I had wondered what she would have felt like if she knew what it connotes.
So, what does Islam say of the moments before death and why do dying people react the way they do?
This is only to remind us of death and to bring to our consciousness the need to become (more)steadfast in the deen. Death is after all the only thing everyone is certain of.
A hadith
Narrated by 'Ubada bin As-Samit:
The prophet said, "Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah (too) loves to meet him and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him". Aisha, or some of the wives of the prophet said, "But we dislike death." He said: It is not like this, but it is meant that when the time of the death of a believer approaches, he receives the good news of Allah's pleasure with him and His blessings upon him, and so at that time nothing is dearer to him than what is in front of him. He therefore loves the meeting with Allah, and Allah (too) loves the meeting with him. But when the time of the death of a disbeliever approaches, he receives the evil news of Allah's torment and His Requital, whereupon nothing is more hateful to him than what is before him. Therefore, he hates the meeting with Allah, and Allah too, hates the meeting with him."
The Departure of Believers Described
At the death of the Momin(righteous), the angels of death come and extend salaam to the Momin(righteous), at this time the Momin in the throes of death, smiles (Perhaps some of you may have seen this in a pious relative. The angels of death then gently call for the soul to come out.
From another reference (The Hereafter by Anwar Awlaki): When the soul of a believer who is righteous and innocent is removed, it comes out of the body like a drop of water sliding off the tip of the spout of a jug.
It is also reported that when the soul of the innocent leaves the body voluntarily when called by the angels of death, the eyes of the dying watch it leave.
For the non believer
However the soul of a disobedient person fights back and refuses to leave the body. His soul is removed forcibly and comes out torn and fragmented like a piece of cloth being pulled off a thorny bush.
The angels of death look frightening to him and the dying person is terrified at the time of death.
Verses from the Qur'an
Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [make them] equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge.(Q. 45:21)
Q. 8:50
And if you could but see when the angels take the souls of those who disbelieved... They are striking their faces and their backs and [saying], "Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.
Q.47:27
Then how [will it be] when the angels take them in death, striking their faces and their backs?
The Journey of The Soul
This description is from a Hadith related by Abu Huraira (RA)
The angels of death arrive with a coffin for the soul of the Momin, perfumed with the fragrance of Jannah(paradise)
. The soul of the Momin is wrapped in the perfumed silk coffin and the angels ascend with it towards Allah (SWT) traversing the seven heavens.
.At each Level of Heaven the door is opened with a welcome, and the angel guards ask “ who is this pure (paak) soul that lived in a pure (paak) body? (The importance of remaining in taharah at all times is thus extremely important) until it reaches Allah SWT.
.The spirit is then returned to earth to remain with the body and it asks to be buried quickly (thus the muslim injunction to bury the body as quickly as you can)
.In the grave, the soul is returned to the body and the Munkar & Nakeer(angels) begin their interrogation.
Who is your Rab(lord)? The Momin says Rabi Allah
What is your deen(religion)? The Momin says Deen e Islam
Who is your Nabi(prophet)? The Momin gives shahada of Prophet Muhammad as Allah’s Rasool
When the same questions are asked fron the Kafir and the Munafiq he or she says:
“I don’t know” or “I said what ever other people said”
.The momin is then put to sleep gently and with respect and told that he or she will wake up on the Day of Judgment.
As for the disobedient and those who deny Tawheed of Allah:
Surah al Annam Allah (SWT) warns:
Q. 6:93
And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or says, "It has been inspired to me," while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, "I will reveal [something] like what Allah revealed." And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], "Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allah other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant."
May Allah keep us firm in His deen and save us from his punishment. amin.
references- http://asqfish.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/the-muslims-concept-of-events-at-death/
www.quran.com