Flow of Life

At a young age I was totally unaware of death; the meaning of death and its existence were totally oblivious to me due to the lack of understanding. When I grew up a little and began understanding the meaning and existence of death I associated death with age and illnesses; when a person reached a certain age and becomes old, or if a person is exceedingly ill, he then dies and is buried.

However, after Islamic education and further understanding, which came with age, I began to learn that death was not associated with illness or age. Death can come to anyone at any time and no one is excluded from death.

Nevertheless, the human mind always has a feeling that death will never reach him or he will die when he is old. When a person is young and strong he feels that death is far from him and will not come to him for at least another few years; whilst still having this notion in mind that he will reach his old age.

I remember the football player I had read about and saw on Youtube that died on the soccer feild during a match; one minute he was standing the next minute ‘thump’ and he was on the ground… Dead.

Our life is such that we plan not each day as it comes, but we plan years ahead and have this ‘false’ confidence that we will complete these plans and maybe one day ‘retire’ after which death will come to us.

كن في الدنيا كأنك غريب او عابر سبل
“Live in this word as though you are a stranger or a passer-by”

We should live in this world like a traveller lives in a hotel or a country he does not reside in; always keeping in mind that this is not his permanent place of residence and therefore not getting too attached or comfortable. Our home is the hereafter whilst this world is a temporary station.

الدنيا سجن المؤمن و جنة الكافر
“The world is a prison for the believer and paradise for the disbeliever”

The world is full of restrictions for a believer just like a prison has restrictions for a prisoner. However, once we are free from this ‘jail’ (world) we will have no restrictions, Insha Allah.
The prison is a place where a prisoner is unable to unite with his beloved; it acts as a barrier and obstacle between a person and his beloved. In the same manner, a believer is deprived from meeting his beloved, Allah, due to the barrier of this world.

تحفة المؤمن الموت
“The gift of a believer is death”

Death, if seen with an open mind, is a gift not only to believers but to entire mankind. However, it is the believers that realise and appreciate this. Death allows this world to have enough space for its residence; otherwise the world would be overcrowded. Furthermore, it relieves people from old age and the illnesses and weaknesses that come with it.

Death is the only obstacle between a lover (believer) and his Beloved (Allah). Therefore, a believer sees death as a gift from Allah as it is a call from the Beloved to the lover. Moreover, it is the bridge that takes a lover to his beloved, Allah.