Someone sent this question: “I have a constant fear of death and cannot shake the feeling that I am going to die. I am not ready. How do I get ready?”
ANSWER
How Do I Prepare Myself for Death?
You say you have ‘a constant fear of death;, this is normal for most Muslims. However, ‘you cannot shake the feeling that you are going to die’ is a worrying aspect. I don’t know if this is a sense of morbidity, or even the beginning of depression but I pray not. If there is any hint of depression you should talk to your doctor.
You ask ‘how do I get ready (for death)? Actions are according to intentions. We must have a clear intention that what we are doing is solely for Allah. Note: Any act done solely for the sake of Allah, following the legal ways of the Prophet is an act of worship.
Hadith Highlight
Narrated Abu Hurairah: I heard Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) saying (in the meaning): The first of the people whose case will be decided on the Day of Judgment will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought forth. Allah will remind him of His blessings (which He had bestowed on him in the world). The man will acknowledge them. Then Allah will ask him: What did you do with them? He will say: I fought and died for You. Allah will say, You lie. You fought so that you may be called a brave warrior. Drag him to Hell on his face. Then a scholar will be asked similarly. Allah will remind him of His favours (showered on him in the world). He will admit them). Allah will then ask him: What did you do with them? He will reply: I acquired knowledge and imparted it and also recited the Quran for Your sake. Allah will say, You lie. You gained knowledge to be renowned as a scholar; and you recited the Quran to be known for your recitation. Allah will say, You lie, drag him to Hell on his face. The third will be a very wealthy man. Allah will let him know about His gifts conferred upon him in the world. He will recognize them. Then Allah will inquire: What did you do with them? He will say: I spent my wealth in Your way. Allah will say, You lie. You did so to be described as generous (in the society); (you were rewarded in the world according to your intention). Now you deserve nothing in the Hereafter except Hell). So drag him there on his face. [This Hadith is sound and reported by Muslim and Nasa’i]
Preparation for death
We look into the spiritual, physical, mental and social aspects of our life. Do we have the right relationship with our Creator? Do we get sufficient sleep such that we are mentally prepared for each day? Are we doing physical exercise? And, do we get sufficient relaxation and interaction in our social life? It is a balancing act between these aspects of our life. If there is an imbalance then it may well lead to negative thoughts and depression.
Have we broken ties with any family members? If so, we should try to repair them.
The main thing is to make the best use of our time. That means to remember Allah. There are many ways we can do this. We must ask for forgiveness for all our sins before we die. The Prophet used to pray: O Allah, forgive my past and future sins, my hidden and apparent sins, my transgression, and the sins that You know of more than I do. You are the One who puts forward and the One who holds back. There is no god but You.
Daily Tips
We can pray (on time, read and memorise the Quran, and we can pray in the early hours of the morning. Go to sleep with wudhu after saying our dua’s following the Sunnah’.
Why not fast Mondays and Thursdays and or the white days – the three days in the middle of the month 13th, 14th and 15th?
How about keeping wudhu’ during the day? Reciting the dua’s before and after eating, when leaving and entering the house will keep the devils out of the house as they cannot eat or sleep where the name of Allah is mentioned.
More Acts of Goodness
We can perform wudhu’ and recite dua’s before going to bed at night and sleep in that state. If Allah takes our soul in such a state we will die as martyrs.
There are many dua’s we can recite which offer many blessings. We should be familiar with these. e.g. Allahumma ajirni min an-nar, Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi, Subhanallahi al-azim
We should make the most of such opportunities to gain His Blessings. They may come in this life, the Hereafter or in both. We should be doing this all our life. We should try to clear our debts before we die.
Have the right Creed
The most important thing for Muslim is to maintain the right creed and never walk to the wrong path, Muslims believes as Imam Al Tahawi mentioned:
We say about Allah’s Tawhid (Allah being different from the creation in every way) while believing that Allah is the One who enables us to be obedient- that Allah is One, without any partners. There is nothing like Him. There is nothing that makes Him powerless. There is no god other than Him. He is the Eternal without a beginning and the Everlasting without end. He will never perish or come to an end. Nothing happens except what He wills. No delusion can conceive of Him and no comprehension can encompass His Reality. He is different from any created being. He is Alive and never dies and He manages the entire creation and never sleeps. He creates without His being in need for His creation and provide s f or His creation without encountering any hardship. He causes death with no fear and quickens without difficulty. He has always existed having His Attributes Eternally before creating the creation. Bringing creation into existence did not add anything to His Attributes that did not exist in Eternity. As He was, having His Attributes, in Eternity, so He will remain Everlastingly. It was not only after the act of creation that He is Attributed as the Creator nor was it only by the act of bringing the creation into existence that He is Attributed as the One who made the creation begin. He was always the Lord (Owner) even when the created beings were non existent, and always the Creator even when there was no creation. By the same analogy that He is the Bringer to life of the dead, after He has brought them to life, and deserves this name before bringing them to life, so too He deserves the name of Creator before He has created them. This is because He has the power to do everything, everything is dependent on Him, everything is easy for Him, and He does not need anything.
