Advice to those who are nearing death

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على رسوله وآله أجمعين

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Allah made our existence in this world, which is often referred to by the divine texts as the inferior life, one of trials, tribulations, loss of loved ones, periods of fear, hunger, and decline in property and health.

Undeniably, there are a number of virtuous objectives and noble outcomes that result from such trials, including bringing a person closer to his Lord, appreciating Allah’s blessings, and realising the limits of oneself and this life, which in turn should be the fountainhead to humility, repentance, returning back to Allah, and working for the next life.

These trials and difficulties also serve the purpose of expiating sins and increasing the reward and rank of the believer. [1]

‘A’isha (radiy Allahu ‘anha) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said,

“There is no Muslim who is afflicted with anything as small as a thorn prick, or greater, except that it is a cause for a bad deed to be wiped out and his rank to be raised.” [2]

Knowing that this temporary stage of difficulty has been decreed by Allah and will be a source of immense good should dictate the believer to embrace the difficulty when it befalls him and not have a negative attitude towards it.

Once, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to visit Umm-il-Mussayib (radiy Allahu ‘anha) and said,

“Why is it that you are shivering?”

She replied,

“It is fever — may it not be blessed by Allah.”

He ﷺ told her,

“Do not curse the fever, for it expiates the sins of the children of Ādam, just as the furnace removes the impurities of iron.” [3]

Not only is an ailment a cause for sins to be expiated and ranks to be raised, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“If the slave becomes ill or travels, the reward for his good deeds that he used to do while healthy and resident continue to be recorded for him.” [4]

Added to this, having patience over the difficulties that come with a medical condition may be a person’s means for attaining Jannah, as the Prophet ﷺ said to the companion who would have seizures,

“If you wish to have patience, then you will have Jannah.” [5]

In essence, contemplating over these points will demonstrate to us that a believer is always rewarded for whatever good or bad comes his/her way, due to the immense Mercy of Allah towards His believing slaves.

Indeed, the Prophet ﷺ said,

“The believer’s state is always one of gain, when times are good he shows gratitude and gains reward, and when times are hard he shows patience and thereby gains reward.” [6]

The difficulties experienced in this life by the believer are only a means to greater goals and only occur as part of Allah’s decree (Qadr). Otherwise, Allah does not like any harm to befall His slaves, as narrated in the Hadīth Qudsi, where Allah says,

“And I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of my slave, for he dislikes death and I dislike to harm him.” [7]

Having the right mindset

It is important for the one suffering an illness, and more so for the one close to the end of his life, to have a positive mindset about Allah and the situation.

Jābir (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say three days before he passed away,

“No-one from amongst you should die, except while he has a good opinion of Allah.” [8]

Although it is natural to have feelings of fear due to the uncertainty of what lies ahead, this should not become the overwhelming emotion and the focus should be trying to kindle what instils hope and optimism.

This means that we should be more optimistic for Allah’s Forgiveness, Mercy, and Pardon.

Anas ibn Mālik (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ went to visit a young man while he was on his deathbed and asked him how he was.

The man replied,

“I have hope in Allah, but I am afraid because of my sins.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised the young man,

“These two feelings (fear and hope) do not coexist in a person’s heart in this situation but Allah will give him what he hopes for and keep him safe from what he fears.” [9]

Discharging the rights of Allah and His slaves

The injunctions and prohibitions in the Qur’ān and the Hadīth often emphasise two important rights that are upon every one of us and which we should do our best to address before leaving this world. [10]

Although the rights of Allah upon His slaves are of greater importance and more deserving of being carried out and fulfilled, some scholars have placed a greater urgency on fulfilling the rights of the slaves, as any negligence here is likely to result in accountability in the next life when everyone will be in dire need and the only currency for compensation will be deeds. [11]

The Prophet ﷺ mentioned that the real destitute (muflis) is the one who will be stripped of his true wealth — his good deeds — on the Day of Judgment when repaying rights and fixing the wrongs done to others in this life. [12]

Therefore, for the one approaching death who will only leave this life with his deeds, it is of utmost importance to consider the following rights.

Your and others’ personal rights

The nature of human beings and our interactions means that it is highly likely we may have said and acted in ways, intentionally or unintentionally, causing harm and distress to others.

The hadīth referred to above regarding the destitute (muflis) who will have to compensate with his own deeds includes the one who caused verbal and physical injury.

Note that when asking others to pardon and overlook injury caused, it is not a condition for you to specifically mention the act or statement, especially if this would cause further harm.

Instead, it would be sufficient to use general statements such as,

“Please forgive me if I have hurt or upset you in any way.”

The exception to this would be if you feel mentioning specific incidents will help to heal old wounds — then it would, of course, be advisable.

If it is not possible to seek their pardon, then it would be sufficient for us to make du’ā for them, praising and speaking highly of them to the people after their demise.

Your and others’ financial rights

Any unsettled debts should be repaid to lenders.

If this is not possible, then plans should be put into place, whereby these can be repaid, either from one’s assets or by relatives and friends as soon as possible.

The best of this Ummah, the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr, and Umar (radiy Allahu ‘anhum), all passed away with unsettled debts. But most importantly, they had put into place means for these to be repaid.

If any property was taken unlawfully, then this should be returned to its rightful owner and their pardon requested. If this is not possible, then advice on what steps to take should be sought from a scholar or Islamic jurist.

Further important ways to prepare for death

Preparing an Islamic will

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِن تَرَكَ خَيْرًا ٱلْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

“Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is that he should make] a bequest for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable — a duty upon the righteous.” [14]

Abdullāh ibn Umar (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“It is a duty of the Muslim who has something he intends to bequeath, to not let two nights pass by, except his wasiyah is written down regarding it.” [15]

Both the verse and the hadīth above emphasise the importance of leaving an Islamic will behind, especially if you intend to bequeath some of your wealth.

Allah allowed the Muslims to donate up to a third of their estate to those who would not inherit or to charitable causes. Some ahadīth [16] and statements of scholars [17] refer to this as an extra opportunity for a believer to gain reward after they pass away.

Even though the Sharī‘ah has allowed donations up to a third of all assets, a number of companions, including Abu Bakr [18], Umar [19], Ali ibn Abī Țālib [20], Abdullāh ibn Abbās [21], (radiy Allahu ‘anhum) and scholars [22] stated that it is preferable for a person to give less than a third as the Prophet ﷺ said,

“A third and a third is a lot.” [23]

That is to say, he ﷺ regarded it the utmost boundary.

Other important reasons for leaving an Islamic will include making note of financial obligations; due debt/bills or payments/debts owed to the will proprietor.

And previously, the righteous Muslims used their wills to indicate preferences for burial rites such as the kafn (shroud), preferred persons to wash the body and lead the Salat al-Janaza.

It also offers an opportunity to impart final words of advice to loved ones, seeking their pardon and mending wrongs, which could not otherwise be fixed while alive.

There is no specific method in writing an Islamic will and you may wish to write it in your own words or language and what you would like to be read on your behalf after you pass away. There are also options of using templates or seeking advice from a local Imam.

One of the earliest templates on how the pious predecessors would start a will was narrated to us by Anas ibn Mālik (radiy Allahu ‘anhu),

“They used to start their Wills (wasāyā) with:

‘In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

‘This is what so and so is advised with. He testifies that there is no-one deserving to be worshipped except Allah, alone, having no partners, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, and that the Last Hour is coming, that there is no doubt in it, and Allah will raise everyone from their graves.

‘He advises those left from his family to have taqwa (fear) of Allah and set right (rectify their bonds) between themselves and to obey Allah and His Messenger if they are (true) believers.

‘And he advises them with what (Prophet) Ibrāhīm (ʿalayhi al-Salām) advised his children with and what (Prophet) Ya’qūb (ʿalayhi al-Salām) advised with:

‘O my children, Allah has chosen the religion for you, so do not die except as Muslims.”” [24]

Wills of a complicated and financial nature should be double-checked by solicitors as well as Islamic scholars.

Increasing in good deeds

The one approaching death is advised to do whatever they can to accrue as many good deeds as possible.

Allah refers to these actions, unlike wealth and progeny, as remaining forever, and being greater in reward and better to place your hopes upon:

ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا

“Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one’s] hope.” [25]

Making dhikr of Allah

Depending on individual circumstances, it may not be possible to do a number of deeds such as Hajj, Umrah, and fasting. But there are still a number of actions one could complete to gain immense reward.

From the least difficult of these good deeds and the most noble of them is the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. The other righteous actions in Islam, such as Salah, Zakat, fasting, Hajj, and even Jihād, and the studying and teaching of Islamic knowledge, have all been legislated to establish the dhikr of Allah.

A number of virtues are mentioned for dhikr, including Allah making mention of the one doing His dhikr [26] and being with him [27] in his aid, and it being the best deed [28], and that making a lot of dhikr is a cause for success. [29]

Abu Darda (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“Shall I inform you of the best of your deeds, and the purest of them with your Master, and the highest of them in (increasing) your ranks, and better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks and them striking your necks?”

They replied,

“Of course.”

He ﷺ said,

“Dhikr of Allah.”

Mu’ādh ibn Jabal (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) would say,

“There is nothing more effective in bringing salvation from Allah’s punishment than the dhikr of Allah.” [30]

The dhikr of Allah is a very general term that includes all the well-known words of dhikr such as the tasbīh [31], tahmīd [32], takbīr [33], tahlīl [34], hawqalah [35], istighfār [36], sending șalāh (blessings) upon the Prophet ﷺ, du’ā, the adhkār of the morning and evening, and recitation of the Qur’ān.

Yet, the ultimate dhikr that a person should be making is the recitation of اللَّهُ إِلاَّ إِلَهَ لاَ. Not only is it one of the best forms of dhikr, but also if a person recites it during their time of death, it will guarantee entrance into Paradise.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“Whoever says (اللَّهُ إِلاَّ إِلَهَ لاَ) seeking the Countenance of Allah thereby, and that is the last of his deeds, will enter Paradise. Whoever gives charity and that is the last of his deeds will enter Paradise.” [37]

Giving in charity

Giving charity (sadaqa) is also a deed the Qur’ān and ahadīth give considerable significance to, as it is usually an expression of kindness and compassion and can often be used to relieve the hardship of others, as well as disseminate good.

Sadaqa wipes out bad deeds like water puts out fire, and one of the seven types of people mentioned to be given shade on the Day of Judgment is the one who gave sadaqa so secretly that his left hand did not know what his right hand had given.

With the large number of charities and projects available, it may be confusing where it would be best to donate. In considering what cause to donate towards, a person may want to think about projects where the reward continues to accrue long after they have passed away.

The Prophet ﷺ said,

“The rewards of the good deeds that will reach a believer after his death are…

…knowledge which he taught and spread; a righteous son whom he leaves behind; a copy of the Qur’ān that he leaves as a legacy; a mosque that he built; a house that he built for wayfarers; a canal that he dug; or charity that he gave during his lifetime when he was in good health.

“These deeds will reach him after his death.” [38]

Another important point to remember when donating is that a person can only give up to a third of their assets. And if they are not well-off, they should consider leaving all or most of their wealth for their inheritors as the Prophet ﷺ said,

“Indeed, to leave your inheritors well-off is better than leaving them poor and having to ask others.” [39]

Another, and sometimes overlooked, form of charity is to convey knowledge, enjoin the good, and give advice. It is this act of charity which is more commonly found amongst the Prophets, Companions, and early scholars and worshippers.

The Qur’ān mentions the story of Prophets Ibrāhīm and Ya’qūb (ʿalayhum al-Salām) and the advice they imparted to their children:

وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَآ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَـٰبَنِىَّ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ  أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِى قَالُوا۟ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ إِلَـٰهًا وَٰحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ

“And Ibrāhīm instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Ya’qūb, [saying],

‘O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims.’

“Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya’qūb, when he said to his sons,

‘What will you worship after me?’

“They said,

‘We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Ibrāhīm and Is’mā’īl and Is’hāq — one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.’” [40]

Never despair in the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah

Lastly, it should be mentioned that one should never despair from the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah.

Indeed, this is the very time when Shaytān will concentrate all of his efforts in order to misguide a person and make him displeased with the decree of Allah.

A person may say or do a thing which will bring about the displeasure of Allah at such a crucial and critical point in life. Therefore, constantly ask Allah to give you a good ending; an ending that will make you be pleased in meeting Him and He pleased in meeting you.

You may recite the following:

اللّهُمَّ ارزُقني حُـسنَ الخَاتِمة

“O Allah, I ask you to grant me a good ending.”

In addition to,

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ خَيْرَ عُمْرِي آخِرَهُ ، وَخَيْرَ عَمَلِي خَوَاتِمَهُ ، وَخَيْرَ أَيَّامِي يَوْمَ أَلْقَاكَ

“O Allah, make the best part of my life the end, the best of my deeds my last ones, and make the best of my days the day in which I meet you.” [41]

We ask Allah to forgive all of us for our shortcomings, to have Mercy upon us at the time of our death, to be pleased with us when we meet Him, and to grant us Jannat al-Firdaws with the Prophets, the Truthful ones (Siddīqīn), the Martyrs (Shuhada), and the Righteous (Sālihīn).

Action points

• View life's trials positively, acknowledging the role they play in us growing closer to Allah.
• Settle as many outstanding obligations as you can while alive, both towards Allah and His slaves.
• Write an Islamic will that includes charitable provisions, to secure lasting rewards.

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Source: Islam21c

Notes

[1] Sahīh Muslim, 2,571: When ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) visited the Prophet ﷺ while he was ill and remarked,

“Indeed, your fever is very severe,”

He ﷺ replied,

“Yes, I get a fever as strong as what two of you would have.”

‘Abdullāh said,

“That must be because you get twice the reward.”

And he ﷺ replied,

“Yes.”

[2] Sahīh Muslim, 2,572

[3] Sahīh Muslim, 2,575

[4] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, 2,996

[5] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, 5,652; Sahīh Muslim, 2,576

[6] Sahīh Muslim, 2,999

[7] Musnad Ahmad, 26,193

[8] Sahīh Muslim, 2,877

[9] Tirmidhi, 1,004 and graded as gharīb

[10] al-Qur’ān, 4:36; al-Qur’ān, 6:151-152; al-Qur’ān, 17:23-38

[11] Sahīh Muslim, 1,148; Sahīh al-Bukhārī, 6,699:

“The debt of Allah has more right.” 

[12] Sahīh Muslim, 2,548

[13] al-Qur’ān, 4:17

[14] al-Qur’ān, 2:180

[15] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, 2,738; Sahīh Muslim, 1,627

[16] Ibn Mājah, 2,709; al-Dāraqutnī, 4,289

[17] al-Kasāni Badāi’ as-Sanāi’, 3/330; al-Mawsū’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 33/107

[18] Mușannaf of ‘Abdur Razzāq, 16,363: Qatādah said that Abu Bakr bequeathed a fifth and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb bequeathed a quarter.

[19] Ibid 16,363

[20] Mușannaf of ‘Abdur Razzāq, 16,361: ‘Alī ibn Abī Țālib (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) said,

“That I bequeath a fifth is more beloved to me than a fourth and that I bequeath a fourth is more beloved to me than a third.”

[21] Sahīh al-Bukhārī 2,743: Ibn ‘Abbās (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) said,

“If only the people would go down from a third to a fourth because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘A third and a third is a lot.’”

[22] Mușannaf of ‘Abdur Razzāq, 16,364-16,365

[23] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, 2,742; Sahīh Muslim, 1,628

[24] Mușannaf of ‘Abdur Razzāq, 16,319, Sa’īd ibn Mansūr 1/104

[25] al-Qur’ān, 18:46

[26] al-Qur’ān, 2:152

[27] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, 7,405; Sahīh Muslim, 528:

“And I am with him when he remembers Me.”

[28] Tirmidhi, 3,377

[29] al-Qur’ān, 62:10

[30] Tirmidhi, 3,377

[31] سبحان الله أو سبحان الله بحمده أو سبحان الله وبحمده سبحان الله العظيم

[32] الحمد لله

[33] الله أكبر

[34] لا إله إلا الله

[35] لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله

[36] أستغفر الله أو اللهم اغفر لي

[37] Musnad Ahmad, 22,813

[38] Ibn Mājah, 242, da’īf

[39] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, 5,668; Sahīh Muslim, 1,628

[40] al-Qur’ān, 2:132-133

[41] Majma’ al-Zawāid, Vol.10, pg.158, al-Mu’jam al-Awsat of Tabarāni, 9,448