Death is seen not as the termination of life, rather the continuation of life in another form. In Islam, Allah has made this worldly life as a test and a preparation ground for the afterlife; and with death, this worldly life comes to an end. Thus, every person has only one chance to prepare themselves for the life to come, on the day Allah will resurrect and judge every individual based on their good or bad deeds. Death is seen as the gateway to the beginning of the afterlife.

Allah SWT mentions in the Qur’an:

“Every self will taste death. You will be paid your wages in full on the Day of Rising. Anyone who is distanced from the Fire and admitted to the Garden, has triumphed. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of delusion.” (Quran, 3:185)

The Biggest Truth

Nothing is permanent in this world, everything is temporary. Our mere presence in this world is ephemeral. One day our time in this phase will come to an end. It is already decided by Allah SWT even before our birth that death shall come upon us.

Death is certain, and it is a universal fact that there is no replacement for death. Although often forgotten, the fact remains that this world is temporal. Death is the only thing certain for us all, and is the only thing truly guaranteed in this life. Allah Azza Wa Jalla mentions:

“Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us?” [Surah-al-Mu’minun:115]

Let us ponder upon the pandemic that continues to happen today. Millions of lives have just been taken away due to the plague. This is the reality that we humans have to face. People are dying every single day from sicknesses, accidents, and ageing. Some even die in a bad state while others leave the world without any exact reason.

It is unfortunate to see how we are heedless with our lives and take it lightly. Are we not aware that we have only one shot in this life? Are we are not preparing ourselves for the day that we will meet Allah azzawajal? In essence, no one can truly save us from death, not the doctors with the highest of qualifications nor the nurses who tend to the sick everyday. Doctors can predict that we can live for years, and yet it is only Allah SWT who decides whether we live tomorrow.

This reminder serves as a lesson to each and everyone of us to never lose the time that we have for the things that we will not gain benefit. We should invest our life on the things that truly matter, because death can come at any time and any place, without our knowledge.

Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your riches before your poverty, your free time before your work, and your life before your death.”

Source: Shu’ab al-Imān 9575

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

“Take advantage of your life before your death.” This phrase summarizes it all.  

The hadith deals with responsibility, wisdom, foresight, long-term planning, and good strategy. Every one of us is blessed with the five blessings. The question is how do we utilize them? What have we done to maximize these blessings?

The true purpose of life before death

The wise person is the one who strives to achieve the pleasure of Allah and then expects the best from Allah. The wise one is one who tries to arrive at the goal and then has tawakkul in Allah. Tawakkul does not mean to sit back and say, “Oh, this will happen to me.” Rather, you must strive for it. The fool is the one who follows his desires and then presumes that Allah will reward him. Thus, before one reaches the unknown end point, he must realign his intention of bracing through this World for the sole reason of gaining the pleasure of the Almighty and beware of things that may deviate him from the ultimate goal.

O Allah, it is You alone we worship, and to You alone we turn for help. Guide us to the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed your Mercy, Forgiveness and Pleasure. The path of those You have granted peaceful death. O Allah, take us to You while we are in the best state of Islam, Īmān and Iḥsān, and admit us among the righteous folks of Your slaves. Amīn!