Abu Hannah
Slave of Allah
A special trait of the beloved friends of Allah is that they constantly remember death and the life of the Aakhirah, and prepare for it by performing deeds of virtue. When death comes to them, they receive it like someone receiving a gift, as a Hadith says: Death is a gift to a Mu'min.
A Hadith says that the Angel of death, Izraa'eel (Alayhis salaam) visits people during the hours of salaah, notices them and keeps track of them. When the hour of death comes for anyone of those who had been particular about the timely performance of salaah, Izraa'eel (Alayhis salaam) prompts him to recite the kalimah and drives the shaitaan away from him.
On a Monday morning, Imaam Ghazaali (Rahimahullah), who is famous for his book, Ihyaa, made wudhu and performed his Fajr salaah. Then he called for his shroud, kissed it and put it to his eyes. After this he said, 'With pleasure do I appear before the King of kings.' Saying this, he lay full length on his back, faced the Qiblah and passed away into the infinite mercy of Allah Ta'ala.
Amr bin Ubaid (Rahimahullah) says: When Sheikh Abu Shu'aib Saalih bin Ziyaad (Rahimahullah) took ill, I visited him and saw that he was in bed and in the throes of death. He said to me, 'Happy news! I just saw a stranger with odd looks, and when I asked him who he was, he replied that he was the Angel of Death. I asked him to treat me gently, and he replied that he had been commanded to treat me so.'
When the time drew near for Hadrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqaas ? to depart from this world, he said to the people around him, 'Bring me my woollen cloak.' When it was brought, he saw that it was old and worn out. Hadrat Sa'd (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said, 'When I die, shroud me in this cloak, for I was wearing it in the Battle of Badr.'
When the hour of death drew near for Sayyiduna Bilaal (Radhiallaahu Anhu), his wife cried, 'Alas! Alas! You are departing.' But Bilaal (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said, 'What a pleasure to die, for tomorrow we shall meet our beloved ones; Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his Companions!'
When the last hour came for the great Scholar of Hadith, Hadrat Abdullah bin Mubaarak (Rahimahullah), he was smiling and said,
'LIMISLI HAAZAA FAL YA'MALIL AAMILOON'
For the like of this, let the workers work. (Qur'aan 37:61)
(He must have glimpsed some of the bounties and joys of Jannah). It is also reported that when he was at the point of death, he said to his servant Nasr, 'Lay my head on the ground.' The servant began to cry. The Sheikh asked him, 'What makes you cry?' He replied, 'It grieves me because you lived in comfort but today you are dying like a beggar, with your head on the ground!' Hadrat Abdullah said, 'Say no more! For I had made dua to Allah to grant me life as a rich man and cause me to die like the poor.'
When Hadrat Sheikh Junaid Baghdaadi (Rahimahullah) was at the point of death, someone recited to him (the kalimah) Laa ilaaha illal laah. He said, 'I have never been forgetful of this kalimah, so I do not need to be reminded of it at this hour!' Jariri (Rahimahullah), another pious person, was present when Sheikh Junaid was in the throes of death and saw that he was reciting aayaat from the Qur'aan. Someone said to him, '(You are so weak now!) Is this the time to recite the Qur'aan?' The Sheikh replied, 'What time can be better for recitation of the Qur'aan than this hour, when my Book of Deeds is about to be closed? (I would like its last entry to be the aayaat of the Qur'aan Shareef).'18
How fortunate indeed were these pious people who experienced death in such circumstances! May Allah Ta'ala, out of His infinite grace, grant us sound health, bless us all with His pleasure, and make the day we meet Him the happiest occasion in our lives. Aameen.
A Hadith says that the Angel of death, Izraa'eel (Alayhis salaam) visits people during the hours of salaah, notices them and keeps track of them. When the hour of death comes for anyone of those who had been particular about the timely performance of salaah, Izraa'eel (Alayhis salaam) prompts him to recite the kalimah and drives the shaitaan away from him.
On a Monday morning, Imaam Ghazaali (Rahimahullah), who is famous for his book, Ihyaa, made wudhu and performed his Fajr salaah. Then he called for his shroud, kissed it and put it to his eyes. After this he said, 'With pleasure do I appear before the King of kings.' Saying this, he lay full length on his back, faced the Qiblah and passed away into the infinite mercy of Allah Ta'ala.
Amr bin Ubaid (Rahimahullah) says: When Sheikh Abu Shu'aib Saalih bin Ziyaad (Rahimahullah) took ill, I visited him and saw that he was in bed and in the throes of death. He said to me, 'Happy news! I just saw a stranger with odd looks, and when I asked him who he was, he replied that he was the Angel of Death. I asked him to treat me gently, and he replied that he had been commanded to treat me so.'
When the time drew near for Hadrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqaas ? to depart from this world, he said to the people around him, 'Bring me my woollen cloak.' When it was brought, he saw that it was old and worn out. Hadrat Sa'd (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said, 'When I die, shroud me in this cloak, for I was wearing it in the Battle of Badr.'
When the hour of death drew near for Sayyiduna Bilaal (Radhiallaahu Anhu), his wife cried, 'Alas! Alas! You are departing.' But Bilaal (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said, 'What a pleasure to die, for tomorrow we shall meet our beloved ones; Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his Companions!'
When the last hour came for the great Scholar of Hadith, Hadrat Abdullah bin Mubaarak (Rahimahullah), he was smiling and said,
'LIMISLI HAAZAA FAL YA'MALIL AAMILOON'
For the like of this, let the workers work. (Qur'aan 37:61)
(He must have glimpsed some of the bounties and joys of Jannah). It is also reported that when he was at the point of death, he said to his servant Nasr, 'Lay my head on the ground.' The servant began to cry. The Sheikh asked him, 'What makes you cry?' He replied, 'It grieves me because you lived in comfort but today you are dying like a beggar, with your head on the ground!' Hadrat Abdullah said, 'Say no more! For I had made dua to Allah to grant me life as a rich man and cause me to die like the poor.'
When Hadrat Sheikh Junaid Baghdaadi (Rahimahullah) was at the point of death, someone recited to him (the kalimah) Laa ilaaha illal laah. He said, 'I have never been forgetful of this kalimah, so I do not need to be reminded of it at this hour!' Jariri (Rahimahullah), another pious person, was present when Sheikh Junaid was in the throes of death and saw that he was reciting aayaat from the Qur'aan. Someone said to him, '(You are so weak now!) Is this the time to recite the Qur'aan?' The Sheikh replied, 'What time can be better for recitation of the Qur'aan than this hour, when my Book of Deeds is about to be closed? (I would like its last entry to be the aayaat of the Qur'aan Shareef).'18
How fortunate indeed were these pious people who experienced death in such circumstances! May Allah Ta'ala, out of His infinite grace, grant us sound health, bless us all with His pleasure, and make the day we meet Him the happiest occasion in our lives. Aameen.
