Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn. Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we are returning.
Islam21c would like to offer its heartfelt condolences to the people of Kuwait and the entire Ummah on the passing of one of the country’s most prominent scholars, Shaykh Ahmad al-Qattān.
The shaykh passed away today (23rd May) at the age of 76, after an ongoing struggle with an illness inshāAllāh purifying him before he met Allah.
He was one of the most famous and influential sermon-givers of the Sahwa (Islamic Awakening) movement in the 1980s and early 90s, and is the author of many series that sought to revive the Muslim Ummah. By the permission of Allah, his influence has reached many famous scholars and du’āt of the contemporary da’wah scene, all across the world.
Shaykh Dr Haitham al-Haddad whilst sharing condolences to Kuwait and the broader Ummah referred to him as “one of the most important icons of the Islamic Awakening, particularly in its beginning at the start of the Hijra century”.
Death is a certainty
Allah (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) declares:
“Wherever you are, death will overtake you, even if you be in lofty towers.”[1]
“Everyone shall taste death, and only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. 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.”[2]
Death is a certainty of life. Indeed, life itself is a test. Man shall die and be questioned. It is in this sense that Allah informs humans by way of counsel and encouragement that it is only the believers who are successful, those who avoid the Fire and secure admittance into Paradise. When a believer dies, it is a time of great tragedy and loss for the community, but those who submit to the will of Allah pay heed to what has been revealed:
“Certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives, and fruits. But give glad tidings to the patient; those who, when afflicted with calamity, say: From Allah do we come, and to Him we shall return.”[3]
Al-Qur’an 2:155-156
We beseech Allah (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) to expand the shaykh’s his grave, shower His infinite mercy upon him, forgive his sins, and grant his family patience. We ask Allah (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) to make this difficult time an expiation of sins and the raising of rank in the sight of our Lord.
Source: Islam21c
Notes:
[1] Al-Qur’ān, 4:78
[2] Al-Qur’ān, 3:185
[3] Al-Qur’ān, 2:155-156
