One morning an Imam announced that Janaza (funeral) of a person would be held at 5:00 pm, but he didn’t know that his own janaza would be held even before, i.e. at 4:00 pm. Another Imam died during a Janaza .
Doctors told a boy that his father can’t be saved. He sat there crying & praying that he didn’t want his father to leave him so early. After sometime, his prayers were accepted as his father got well. Now, both father & son didn’t know that when the father would start walking, he would have to attend his son’s Janaza.
I am aware that I'm not the best Muslim, missing namaz at times and there are so many sins that we do on a daily basis without even realising and that scares me. I think about death everyday, about how if it came right now, I would have so many unrepented sins. I remind myself that I need to change, prepare myself better which I start doing for maybe a couple of days or weeks before it all goes slack again, the cycle keeps repeating itself and I pray that one day I can permanently stay on the right path without deviating. I can only pray death comes at a time when my Imaan is strong.
I am wondering why Imams and this guys janaza did not happen at the same time if they lived in the same community ? And why Imams Janaza got held before this poor guy ? Why was Imam given preferential treatment ?
My point is these stories are good to remind us of the reality but they should not lack logic and common sense , otherwise they lose their punch.
How do I feel about death. Nothing , I faced gun point two times in my life and Alhumdulilah I am still living. The death will come whenever Allah(SWAT) wants the end of my Journey through this world so I am prepared to face the death any moment. I have no control over it so why should I worry about it ?
Well death is one of those things that are certain in life...
As far as the afterlife is concerned I have a pretty good idea where I'll end up...
I can only pray death comes at a time when my Imaan is strong.
I hold this belief too.
I know i'm a doomed sinner but I take comfort in many things, one of which being I'm not alone in the path I've chosen and if hellfire is where this path leads to then I have no choice but to face it in the same old way...
I would like to die with a sword in hand, kalima on lips and with full control of my senses... even if I die in bed I pray that before death takes me I still have enough strength to reach for my blades hilt and hold tight as I say my last words.
It might not have been intentional. There could have been a number of reasons for delaying the Janaza of the guy or for praying the Janaza of the Imam earlier. Some relatives believe it is good for the dead body to get over the process quickly, others might have to wait for a close relative coming from another city...etc.
Following is something I used to hear a lot from scholars, found it on net, but still some of them I couldn't get the exact source:
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Abu Talib reported that a man asked Imam Ahmad about how to soften his heart. He said, “Go to the graveyard and rub (affectionately) the orphan’s head.”
c. Remembering death a lot. Ibn Abi Dunya narrated from Safya that a woman came to ‘Aisha and complained about hard heartedness. ‘Aisha told her, “Remember death much. Your heart will become tender and you will be able to fulfill your needs.” Safya said that the woman did as she was told and felt guidance in her heart due to that, so she came to thank ‘Aisha.
Many of the earliest scholars of Islam, including Sa’eed Bin Jubair and Rabi’ Bin Abi Rashid used to say, “If the remembrance of death leaves our hearts for an hour, our hearts will become rotten.”
In Sunan books, it has been reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Remember much the destroyer of pleasures (i.e. death).”
Al-‘Ata Al-Khurasani narrated in a mursal fashion that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) passed by a gathering overcome with laughter. He told them to remember the“spoiler of pleasures”. They asked him what was that, and he replied, “Death.”
d. Visiting graves and reflecting upon the condition of the dead in those graves and their fate. We mentioned earlier the incident in which Imam Ahmad was asked about how to soften his heart. He said,** “Go to the graveyard…”**
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “So visit the graves, for that makes you mindful of death.”
Buraidah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “ I forbade you to visit the graves, but now visit them for that makes you mindful of the hereafter.” Narrated by Imams Ahmad and Al-Tirmithi, and the latter also declared it sahih (authentic).
Imams Ahmad and Ibn Abi Dunya narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I forbade you to visit the graves, (but)then it became clear to me that it tenders the heart, makes the eye shed tears and makes one mindful of the hereafter. So visit them, and do not use bad language.”
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