When I ride in an airplane, I enjoy looking at how small the world seems from a distance. Yet when you zoom in, what seemed so small and insignificant turns out to be very important and major for most of us. The size of the house, the kind of car, the amount of money, and the lifestyle we want. It is easy to get caught up in the routine of day to day life thinking that it will never end. Each day we wake up, go to work, wait for Friday, and enjoy the weekend. Rinse and repeat. It takes a lot of emotional and spiritual energy to stop, pause, and reflect on what is happening and where we are going. We often escape from the thought of our end. Death is a reality every single living creature will experience. No one’s health, wealth, status, or riches every saved them from dying and being buried with nothing.
Humans tend to be very shortsighted when planning for their future. We plan for school, college, a career, family, children, retirement. However, it tends to stop at that. Why don’t we plan for what we are certain will happen without a doubt? The answer is because we are scared of the unknown and are comfortable with what we know. We escape to the next movie, binge watch a series, buy the newest gadget, or distract ourselves with health or wealth. But, reality is that there is no escape. It is only a matter of time before we die. The Qurʾān asks So where are you going? (Qurʾān 81:26).
Occasionally I encounter a post or story of someone who is dying. Their reflections are usually still about this world. The general message is about cherishing the few moments we have left. But what about what is to come? What about a hereafter? Is there something beyond this world? Reflecting on death is a healthy exercise provided it does not debilitate us from living life. It is meant to make us a better person with our temporary companions in this world and with God our Creator. Keeping death in mind helps one overlook the insignificant things and focus on the bigger picture of life.
Death is naturally scary, but we can find comfort in the fact that God is loving and has cared for us since birth. Death is a natural process we must go through in order to enter the world of the hereafter. For the one who prepares for death the hereafter is a better and longer lasting abode. When a child is born, it leaves its mother’s womb crying, afraid of entering the new world. Yet this world is so much bigger, vaster, and more beautiful than the world of the womb which they were attached to. No one leaves the womb and wishes to go back. Similarly, death is a form of birth into the hereafter. It is a transition to a place where there is no sickness, worries, stress, work, or difficulties. This is the home of work and planting the seed and the hereafter is where we will reap the fruits. So, do not let death lead you to despair and hopelessness, rather let it be a means of inspiration for you to seek your purpose in life, connect with God, leave an imprint on this world and plant the seeds for your hereafter.
“Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler.” —Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
This saying, often quoted in sermons and picturesque posts on the Internet, is one that really hit home for my family recently. It is a narration from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a famous book of Hadith called Bukhari that advises Muslims on how they should behave in and look at this world. Like travelers merely passing through a certain location, we too need to live in this world knowing our stay is temporary.
Death is the most poignant reminder of this life’s fleeting reality. When a loved one passes, whether suddenly or after a lengthy illness, the sadness is always accompanied with a reality check—our time on this earth will end too. This past month, my uncle passed away. He was in his seventies and suffered from various health issues. But each time anyone remembers him, they have two words they associate with him: Hadith and hasi (Urdu for laughter). He was a person known to share Islamic knowledge with all those around him, and of course, his quirky sense of humor.
A few months back when his health began to deteriorate, my sister and I went to visit him with my dad. My dad informed us that his older brother had already “checked out,” and he would not be very enthusiastic to communicate. Certainly, that did seem to be the case when we saw him. It seemed he was very much aware of the only guarantee in this life: that it will end.
My uncle spent his life teaching the Quran to others and sharing stories about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He lived a humble lifestyle, was modest in both his wealth and demeanor, and emulated the Prophet (peace be upon him) as much as he could. My memories of him consist of seeing him walk to the mosque, playfully pretending his hand was a spider as he made it crawl toward his grandchildren, and quoting various verses from the Quran. Many people attended his funeral that my family had never even seen before. They came up to my dad to give their condolences, saying that my uncle taught their children Quran years ago. By the grace of God, many would describe his time on earth as well spent. I pray God accepts his good deeds and multiplies his reward infinitely.
In Islam, there is a great emphasis placed on the next life over this current world we live in. We are in a temporary realm that ends for each of us with our respective deaths, and our permanent abode is the Hereafter. In Islam, this is referred to as the Akhirah. Due to the fleeting nature of this world, God reminds us to invest our time in good deeds that will benefit us later. This includes engaging in worship, yes, but also treating others with kindness, giving in charity, and focusing our efforts on things other than material goods.
However, it becomes very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day rush in this life. We work, we eat, we sleep, and we work again. We spend our free time often in non-beneficial activities and end up wasting our youth and health. We tend to want the latest fashion and technology trends and accumulate things we do not need. Even worse, we become attached to them. But these shiny objects and activities we invest so much time and money in are often distractions from that which really matters—again, the Hereafter.
God says in the Quran, “Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a [very] little” (Q. 9:38).
This is but one example of God’s reminder about the fleeting nature of this world and the lasting permanence of the Hereafter. When one lives life in a way that follows God’s command, like that of a traveler, he will God-willing have a pleasant abode in the Hereafter.
The stories of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) are amazing accounts of what it really means to transform and leave the bad in the past. Muslims believe God gives many opportunities to repent for sins. From one prayer to the next, one ablution to the next, one Friday congregation to the next—are just some of the opportunities Muslims have for their sins to be washed away.
Aside from this routine cleansing, the doors for repentance are always open. The Quran says: “Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’” (Q. 39:53)
In the stories of some Companions, we see those who were great enemies of Islam experience a change of heart and become role models for the ummah, or Muslim community. What is just as remarkable is the warm welcoming the person receives upon the acceptance of the faith. Previously held hard feelings fall to the wayside immediately, and life starts anew.
This is the case for one Companion, named Khalid ibn Walid. Khalid was a military mastermind and fiercely led armies in battle against the Muslims before his conversion to the faith. He delivered powerful blows to the Muslims, and he was celebrated amongst the disbelievers as a brave warrior. When the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) and his Companions entered Makkah after many years of not being allowed, they performed a minor pilgrimage called umrah. During this time the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) asked Khalid’s brother (a Muslim named Walid) where he was. Khalid was not Muslim yet at this point, but the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) believed there was some good in him, and that because of his intelligence he would be able to see the truth of Islam. Khalid’s brother wrote all of this in a letter and sent it to him.
This letter planted a seed of questions in Khalid ibn Walid. He then had a dream, in which he saw a very dark area that opened up into a green pasture with a lot of light. He understood this darkness as disbelief and the light as Islam. He decided to travel to the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) and accept the religion.
When Khalid ibn Walid reached the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him), he was praised. The Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) told him that he knew he was a man of great intellect and that he hoped for this moment to happen. This scene illustrates how forgiving the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) was and how ready he was to befriend even one of his former staunchest enemies.
Upon reciting the declaration of faith, Khalid ibn Walid realized he was among people he previously fought against. He asked the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) to supplicate to God for his pardon. To this the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) revealed to Khalid that accepting Islam wipes away a person’s previous sins, both big and small. They are reborn with a completely clean slate.
This rebirth still applies to this day for anyone who wants to accept the religion of Islam. Becoming Muslim and following the faith is an act so beloved to God that an entire life of sin is wiped away, and the opportunity to start fresh is all that a person has in front of them.
Back in high school, my Quran teacher argued it was harder to end up in Hell than Heaven. My class of sixteen-year-olds did not immediately agree with her. Oftentimes, Islam is portrayed as a list of dos and do-nots. Lots of rules and lots of things that are impermissible, so really, could we be blamed for our disagreement?
But my teacher presented her case. She mentioned God’s mercy outweighs His wrath, and how that fact is clearly proven by the multiple opportunities of forgiveness He provides us. Sins are wiped away between ablutions, prayers, and Friday congregations. In addition, she explained how our actions are not necessarily rewarded or punished on a one-to-one ratio. The following Hadith explains:
“Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) said that Allah, the Glorious, said: ‘Verily, Allah has ordered that the good and the bad deeds be written down. Then He explained it clearly how (to write): He who intends to do a good deed but he does not do it, then Allah records it for him as a full good deed, but if he carries out his intention, then Allah the Exalted, writes it down for him as from ten to seven hundred folds, and even more. But if he intends to do an evil act and has not done it, then Allah writes it down with Him as a full good deed, but if he intends it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed.’” (Bukhari)
The system is rigged…in our favor! This type of reward system cannot exist in this world between people. We simply do not have the means to reward to such a degree—but for Allah, this is how He chooses to deal with us. He roots for our success.
This is further highlighted in another Hadith of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him), in which he shares a story about a man who killed ninety-nine people. The man went to a monk and asked if there was any hope for his repentance to be accepted by Allah, and the monk said no. The man then killed him for a grand total of one hundred victims. He went outside of his comfort zone once again to seek help, realizing he could not set out on the right path by himself. He met a scholar, asked him the same question, and received an affirmative reply.
We must understand the man himself was extremely sincere about his repentance. On the outside, he was an evil murderer, but inside his heart, he felt horrible and wanted to change. He did not know how. That is why he needed to seek help from the scholar.
The scholar saw the man’s sincerity and advised him to leave his homeland where he was bogged down by his past and travel to a place where the people were righteous. Hardly completing half the distance to this new place, the man died. The Hadith continues:
“The angels of mercy pleaded, ‘This man has come with a repenting heart to Allah,’ and the angels of punishment argued, ‘He never did a virtuous deed in his life.’ Then there appeared another angel in the form of a human being and the contending angels agreed to make him arbiter between them. He said, ‘Measure the distance between the two lands. He will be considered belonging to the land to which he is nearer.’ They measured and found him closer to the land (land of piety) where he intended to go, and so the angels of mercy collected his soul.” (Bukhari)
Another version of this Hadith states Allah actually commanded the land of the starting point to move away and the destination to move closer. Only after this command was the distance measured to find the man nearer to his goal by a handspan resulting in his forgiveness.
When sharing this Hadith, one of my teachers said none of us had killed one hundred people, so how could we not also receive Allah’s mercy? There may be sins we have done one hundred times—drugs, lies, pornography, interest, whatever—and we feel hopeless and Hell-bound in the aftermath. If there are struggles you cannot overcome alone, remember there are people to help. Seek out religious figures who are like the scholar, giving hope and new light. Even if you bump into a person like the monk along the way, know a judgment like that is not a person’s to give.
God says in his Quran, “Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
After taking into account Allah’s reward system and infinite forgiveness that saved even a man who killed one hundred people, it is easy to see how yes, maybe Heaven is actually easier for us to attain. That does not mean we have a free ride; good deeds take work! But to get on God’s bad side takes a whole lot more effort when He puts all the odds in our favor because He wants to see us win.
