“This is Good.”
May 21, 2020 § 2 Comments
One of Ibn al-Qayyim’s students was Ibn Rajab. Imām Marʿī ibn Yūsuf al-Karmī said about him:
“He is the Shaikh, the Imām, the ʿAllāmah, the Abstemious, the Exemplar, The Blessing, The Ḥāfiẓ, The Chief Scholar, The Trustworthy, The Proof/The Authority, The Admonisher of the Muslims, the Instructor of the Scholars of Ḥadīth, Zainud-Dīn, father of al-Faraj, ʿAbdur-Raḥmān son of the Shaikh, the Imām, the Master Reciter, the Scholar of Ḥadīth, Aḥmad ibn Rajab, al-Baghdādī, ad-Dimashqī, the Hanbalī, one of the Abstemious Imāms, the Worshipping-Scholar, the Ḥadīth-Scholar, who passed away in 795ah [1393ce] in Damascus.
The gravedigger who dug out his grave said:
“Shaikh Ibn Rajab came [to me] a few days before his death and said, ‘Dig my grave there,’ and he pointed to an area. I dug it out and when I finished he lowered himself in to it and lay down, and liked it and then said:
‘This is good.’
Then he climbed out.
By Allāh it was only a matter of days until he was brought to me, deceased, being carried on his bier, so I buried him in that [very] grave.’”
Ash-Shahādah az-Zakiyyah fī Thanāʾil-Aʾimmah ʿalā Ibn Taymiyyah, pp. 49-50.
’Uthaimeen on Bringing Solace to Someone Ill or Struck by a Calamity
April 1, 2014 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ’Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Part of lofty manners and praiseworthy characteristics is that when you find a person broken hearted either due to losing someone beloved etc., then you should try to bring him joy and happiness and [try to] lessen his calamity by reminding him of that which is greater. So if he lost some money, you say to him, ‘There are people who have lost all of their wealth,’ and if [for example] he is afflicted with an illness in his eye, you say to him, ‘Some people have been afflicted with blindness,’ [saying such things to him] so that you will ease his affairs, part of which is bringing solace to a person struck with a calamity.”
At-Ta’leeq alaa al-Qawaa’id al-Hisaan, p. 161.
“Don’t Sit Around Doing Nothing—Death is Seeking You Out.”
March 5, 2013 § Leave a comment
Habeeb Abu Muhammad, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Don’t sit around doing nothing—death is seeking you out.”
Mowsu’ah Ibn Abid-Dunyaa, 5/521.
A Bedouin was Told, “You’re Going to Die,” So he Said …
March 1, 2013 § Leave a comment
A Bedouin became ill so it was said to him, “You’re going to die.” He replied, “Where will I be taken?” He said, “To Allaah.” He replied, “So why should I hate going to the One from whom I have not seen good to have come except from Him?”
Mowsu’atu Ibn Abid-Dunya, 5/309.
Ibn al-Qayyim on the Fact that Wasting Time is More Severe than Death
February 6, 2013 § Leave a comment
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Wasting time is more severe than death, for wasting time cuts you off from Allaah and the Abode of the Hereafter, whereas death cuts you off from the dunyaa and its people.”
Fawaaidul-Fawaaid, p. 458.
Ibn al-Jawzi on the Dying Person’s Alertness
March 31, 2012 § 2 Comments
The Shaikh, the Imaam, the Allaamah, the Shaikh of Islaam, Abul-Faraj Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Jawzi, said:
“From the most interesting things is the alertness of the dying person at the time of his death—for he becomes perceptive to a degree which cannot be described, and worried to an extent that has no limits.
And he yearns for his times of old, and wishes that he be left so that he can make up for what passed him by, and so that he can be truthful in his repentance in accordance with the level of certainty he [now] has about death.
And he—out of grief—almost kills his own soul before its [actual] death.
And if a [single] atoms weight of these things were found at the time of health and well-being, everything that is intended by doing pious deeds would be achieved.
So the intellectual one is he who pictures that hour and acts according to what it requires. And if he is not able to do that, then he visualises it as much as he is able to, for it will prevent desire’s hand, and will arouse seriousness/earnestness [in him].
As for the person who has that hour right before his very eyes [i.e., is always thinking about it in order to prepare], then he is like its prisoner.
As is reported about Habib al-Ajami. When he would wake in the morning he would say to his wife, ‘If I die today, then let so and so be the one who washes me, and so and so be the ones who carry me.’
And al-Ma’roof said to a person, ‘Pray the midday prayer [dhur] with us!’ So he replied, ‘If I pray the midday prayer [dhur] with you I’m not going to pray the afternoon prayer [asr] with you.’ So al-Ma’roof said, ‘And it is as though you have hope that you will live till asr? I seek refuge with Allaah from having lengthy/drawn out hopes.’ And a person backbit another, so al-Ma’roof said, ‘Remember the cotton when they place it on your eyes [at the time of death].’”
Saidul-Khaatir, pp.263-264.
Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah!’ Instead he said, ‘King! Rook! Checkmate!’
December 18, 2011 § 6 Comments
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “So it may become impossible for him to pronounce the shahaadah, as many people have witnessed happen to those on the deathbed, such that it was said to some of them:
“Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’” So he replied, “Aaah! Aaah! I cannot say it!”
And it was said to another, “Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’” So he replied, “King! Rook! Checkmate!” and then he passed away.
And it was said to another, “Say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah.’” So he started singing irrationally, saying, ‘Taatinaa tinintaa, [no meaning, just irrational singing]’ and then passed away.
And the same was said to another, so he replied, “And how will what you are saying help me when I left no sin except that I committed it?” and then he passed away without saying it.
And the same was said to another, so he replied, “And how will that benefit me? And I don’t know if I have ever prayed a single time to Allaah?” and then he passed away without saying it.
And the same was said to another, so he replied [talking about himself], “He is a disbeliever in what you say,” and then he passed away.
And the same was said to another, so he replied, “Every time I want to say it my tongue withholds.”
And someone who was present at the death of someone who would beg told me that [they told him to say the shahaadah] so he started saying, “For Allaah’s Sake. A penny for Allaah’s Sake,” until he passed away.
And a trader told me that he was present when one of his relatives was on his deathbed, so they told him to say Laa ilaaha illallaah and he was saying, “This piece is cheap. This is a good buy. This is such and such,” until he passed away.
So if the devil has gained mastery over the servant in the state when his mind is present and his strength [is also present] and he has complete cognizance [i.e., while he is alive and healthy], and has employed him in committing whichever acts of disobedience to Allaah he wants him to do, and has made him unmindful of the remembrance of Allaah the Most High, and has paralysed his tongue from remembering Him and his limbs from obeying Him—then what does one think will be the case when his strength breaks down and his heart and soul become preoccupied with the death pangs that he is in?
And [all the while] Shaitaan will have gathered all of his strength and determination and assembled everything that he is capable of to avail his opportunity concerning him—for that is the last action.
So the strongest his Shaitaan will be against him is at that time, and the weakest he [i.e., the person] will be is at that time.
So who do you think will be safe from that? So it is there that, “Allaah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word [i.e., ‘the firm word’ is Laa ilaaha illallaah], in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allaah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allaah does what He wills.” Ibraaheem 14:27
So how can someone whose heart Allaah has made heedless from His remembrance and who has followed his desires and whose affair is ever [in] neglect be granted the success to have a good ending?
Thus far away—the one whose heart is distant from Allaah the Most High, heedless of Him, worshipping his own desires, a slave to his lusts, his tongue dry from ever remembering Allaah [i.e., not moist with His remembrance], his limbs incapacitated from obeying Him actively working to disobey Him—far away [is such a person] from being granted the success to have a good ending.”
Ad-Daa wad-Dawaa, pp. 91-92, slightly edited.
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Gifts of Knowledge 