The Prophet Muhammad, (ﷺ) used to advice Muslims to have good perceptions and thoughts of Allah The Almighty. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to seek refuge from a bad end and asked for a good end.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “None of you (Muslims) should die but having a good thought of Allah, the All-Majestic, the All-Mighty.” [Muslim]
However the term good end is understood by many of us today from a very narrow perspective. A good end does not necessarily mean that you will die while you are in the position of prostration, or on the prayer mat or you will die with the Qur’an in your hands or while entering a masjid.
We all know that the best of mankind, Muhammad (ﷺ) died on his bed. His best friend, the companion of the cave, Abu Bakr, died on his bed too and the heroic Muslim commander Khalid Ibn Al-Walid (the Sword of Allah) died on his bed as well. Yes, it’s no doubt that to die in a state of doing a good deed is considered from the signs of a good end. But it is not THE only definition.
What Islam really means by the term ‘good end’ is:
- To depart this world in a state that Allah the Almighty pleased with us.
- To die in a state free from polytheism, hypocrisy and innovations.
- To die upon the Quran and Sunnah according to understanding of the righteous predecessors.
- To die free from questions of a Muslim blood, his wealth and honour, having fulfilled the rights of Allah upon him and rights of the servant.
- To die with a clean heart, pure intentions and on good manners, does not bear any envy, hatred and grudge against any fellow Muslim.
- The good end is that you pray the five obligatory Solah accordingly and pay due of what Allah prescribed upon you. [from the lectures of Sheikh Ibn al-Uthaymin رحمه الله]
But there are few things that help one attain the station of dying in the state of a good end InshaAllah and the signs that carries glad tiding of a good end. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) informed us of some of the signs of a good end which if the person’s death was with one of them then it will be a good omen and a glad tiding. Some of these signs are:
- To utter the testifying of faith – at the time of death.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “He whose last words (in life) were ‘ La ilaha-illa Allah’, None has the right to be worshipped but Allah shall enter Paradise” [Abu Dawud and Al-Hakim] - To die as a martyr while striving to uphold to Allah’s superior words.
Allah said: “And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision, ”. [Surah Aal Imran, 169] - To die while preparing for battle in Allah’s Cause, or while performing Hajj (pilgrimage). [Muslim and Ahmad]
- To die exactly after performing an obedience to Allah and seeking his pleasure (i.e. this obedience should be the last thing one did such as uttering Shahadah, fasting and charity ) [Ahmad].
- To die while striving to defend the five things that the Islamic law preserved (for Muslims, i.e. none should transgress to deprive a Muslim from them) and they are: religion, soul, wealth, honour and mind.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “He who dies while defending his wealth (from the one who wants to take it away from him by force) is a martyr, he who dies while defending his household (from those who want to cause harm for them) is a martyr, he who dies while defending his religion (i.e. fighting the disbelieving transgressors) is a martyr, and he who dies while defending his soul (from the one who wants to kill him) is a martyr.” [At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud] - To die because of one of the epidemic diseases. The Prophet informed us of some of them; they are the plague, tuberculosis, abdominal diseases and pleurisy;
- The dying of a (Muslim) woman because of delivery or in her after-birth state;
- Dying because of drowning, being buried underneath debris, and burns.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The martyrs other than being killed in Allah’s Cause are, (of) seven (kinds): the one who dies because of the plague is a martyr, the drowned (Muslim) is (regarded as) a martyr, the one who dies because of pleurisy is a martyr, the one who dies because of abdominal diseases is a martyr, the one who dies because of burns is a martyr, the one who dies because of being underneath debris is a martyr, and the (Muslim) woman who dies because of delivery is a martyr.” [Ahmad, Abu Dawud, An-Nisai] - To die on the Thursday night or on the daytime of Friday.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “No Muslim dies on Friday or on the night of Thursday but Allah will deliver him from the trials of the grave.” [Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi] - Sweat on the Forehead.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A believer dies with sweat on his forehead.” [At-Tirmidhi]
There some means that helps one to have a good end and these are as following:
- To fear Allah in secret and in public and steadfastness upon Islam. Allah Almighty said “O you who believe! Fear Allah [by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden] as He should be feared, and die not except in the state of Islam [as Muslims] with complete submission to Allah.” [Surah Aal Imran, 102]
- Keeping oneself away from committing major sins and as well as to watch out for minor sins, The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Beware of minor sins, (for they are) as travelling people who wanted to take a rest in a valley, this brought a piece of fuel wood and that brought another piece of fuel wood till they managed to cook their bread (or meal). If one commits minor sins persistently they will lead him to destruction (i.e. Hell-Fire).” [Ahmad].
- Remembering Allah all the time:
He who remembers Allah all the time and the last thing he says in his life was: ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ [there is no true God worthy of worship but Allah], he would entertain the Prophet’s glad tiding for he said: “He whose last words were ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ enters paradise. [Abu Dawud]
و الله أعلم بالصواب , و صلي الله علي نبينا محمد و علي اله و صحبه أجمعين
May Allah make our end in a state that He is pleased with us. Ameen.
Authored by: Abu Ahmed Farid
Dakwah Corner Bookstore
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