DEATH IS APPROACHING A PERSON :

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 5 ا و ا ل ل ا و ا ا ل ي ر ج ؼ ن Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall surely return The Holy Quran (2:156) DEATH IS APPROACHING A PERSON : WHAT TO DO GUIDE No. 1 Compiled by MIR ALTAF HUSSAIN This Guide provides information on what the dying person experiences, and it enumerates various acts to be performed by the living which prove beneficial and ease the trauma of the dying person. It is related from traditions that there is no person in the east or the west on whom the sight of the Angel of Death (Malek-ul-Maut) does not fall at least five times every day at the time of Namaz (Salath). Spirits (Rooh) of some persons are removed with ease while some experience severe difficulty. It is narrated in traditions (Ahadees) that during death some people feel as if their body is being cut into pieces by scissors, or it is being ground in a mill, while some feel as if it is like smelling the fragrance of a rose. It is not necessary that the spirits of all believers (Mo'mineen) are removed easily. Even a believer who has done good deeds in his/her life time experiences difficulty during death. This serves as the punishment for sins he/she committed for which he/she is atoned for in this very world. Experiences & Hardships (Sakarat) of a Dying Person This stage is full of difficulties & troubles. Relatives and friends must be aware of the experiences and hardships which their dying loved one is going through as follows and comfort him/her: 1. The dying person feels pain, the tongue turns motionless, the body parts cease to function 2. On the other hand he/she experiences immense sorrow due to weeping & wailing of relatives, grief of their separation and his/her children becoming orphans and the sorrow of leaving behind hard earned wealth and property for others to enjoy. 3. The dying man/woman remembers his/her sins and regrets. 4. The dying person feels scared, for he/she is about to enter an unknown & unexplored world, and is all the more frightened when he/she witnesses those things which are totally new to him/her. 5. He/she feels the presence of Angels around him/her and wonders about what is in store for him/her. 6. It has been narrated in traditions (Ahadees) that at the time of death, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) and the Holy Aimmah (A.S.) come near the head of the dying person, who is able to see them. For a believer (mo'min) their sight is a blessing from Allah

2 Page 2 of 5 7. The dying person is confused, because on one hand satan (shaitaan) with his companions tries hard to spoil his/her faith (Eeman), and on the other hand the thought of the arrival of the Angel of Death makes him/her all the more puzzled. He/she wonders as to in what state would he (the Angel of Death) come and how would his/her spirit be removed Reminders to a Dying Person when Death Approaches Close relatives of the dying person should gently speak to him/her and advise as follows: 1. Hold death dear and consider it an opportunity of meeting with the Almighty Allah 2. Do not hate death and consider it as evil 3. Ask forgiveness from Allah for his/her sins and tame the rebellious self (nafs) 4. Welcome death with open arms accepting it to be a blessing from Allah 5. Be contented with the decree (Qadr) of Allah as He decides the time of death 6. Rejoice that shortly he/she would be taken to the presence of the Ahlul Bait (A.S.) and meet his/her deceased companions and other believer brothers. 7. Advise the heirs regarding all the due qadha namaz (salath), rozas, and due khums and zakath. 8. Return all the material items, property, moneys he/she might have usurped (ghasb) from others and apologise to them. Also return everything owed to others 9. Prepare his/her will. If this person is unable to make a will, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) has prescribed the recitation of the Dua-e- Ahd (Testament) which can be found in Mafatehul Jinan (in the section pertaining to death) 10. Do not be disheartened by the delay in death (if the dying process is prolonged) but consider it as an opportunity afforded by Allah to him/her to repent. Precautions Near a Dying Person 1. It has been narrated by Imam Ja'far as-sadiq (A.S.) that when dying (sakarat) or afterwards, the following persons should not be near the dying person: a woman in menses (Haiz) or Istahaza (irregular period), and an unclean (Junoob) person, because the Blessed Angels feel disgusted and go away and the dying/dead person experiences more hardships. 2. It is Makrooh (not recommended) to leave a dying person alone or to place a weight on the stomach, or to chatter idly or wail near, or to let only women remain with him/her.

3 Aa mal & Acts that are Beneficial During Dying and Ease Hardships Page 3 of 5 A dying believer, in the last moments of life, should recite the below recommended supplications, or, if it is not possible, someone else should recite them aloud for him/her: 1. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) used to make a dying person repeatedly recite the Kalema-e-Tauheed to make dying a peaceful experience: ال إل إال هللا There is no God but Allah 2. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) used to make a dying person repeatedly recite the following dua to make dying a peaceful experience: يا م ه ي ق ب ل ال ي س يز ي ؼ ف ػ ه ال ک ث ي زاق ب ل م ى ي ال ي س يز اػ ف ػ ى يال ک ث ي ز إو ك أو ت ال غ ف ر الز ح ي. م O He Who accepts the small (good deeds) and overlooks the greater quantity (of bad deeds), Accept my small (good deeds) and overlook my greater quantity (of bad deeds), You are certainly the All-Merciful, the All-Forgiving. 3. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) has also commanded a dying person to seek the forgiveness of his/her parents (and kin) to avoid anguish in death. 4. Reciting the following from the Holy Quran eases the hardships during death: 1) Surah al-yaseen 2) Surah as-saffat 3) Surah al-ahzab 4) Ayaat al-kursi 5) 54th verse of Surah al-a'raf 6) Last three verses of Surah al-baqarah 7) In fact it is better to recite as much from the Holy Qur'an as possible. 5. The following supplication (du'a) is recommended to be recited: ال إل إال هللا ال ح ليم ال ك زيم. ال إل إال هللا ال ؼ ل ي ال ؼ ظيم. س ب حان هللا ر ب الس م ات الس ب غ ر ب األر ضيه الس ب غ ما ف ي ه ما ب ي ى ه ما ف ق ه ما ت حت ه ر ب الؼ زش الؼ ظيم ال ح مد ل ل ر ب ال ؼال مي. ه There is no god save Allah, the all Forbearing, the all Generous. There is no God save Allah, the most High, the Greatest. All glory be to Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the seven layers of earth And whatever is in them, in between them, above and beneath them, And You are the Lord of the Great Throne. All praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds 6. Recitation of the following three supplications is highly recommended at the time of death to be safe from shaitaan s mischief, and to preserve & safeguard one s faith (Eeman): i) Dua-e-Adeelah (in Mafatehul Jinan or other Dua books). ii) Dua-e-Tamjeed (Dua no.7 in Saheefa-e-Kamilah or in Mafatehul Jinan) iii) The dying person should preserve five proofs regarding the fundamental principals of faith (Usoole Deen) in his/her mind, and submit them into Allah's custody, so that during death these may come as a rescue against shaitaan's deceit. Then he/she should recite the following supplication (du'a): ا لل م يا أر ح م الز اح ميه إو ي ق د أ د ػ ت ك ي قيى ي ذا ث بات د يىي أو ت خ ي ز م س ت دع ق د أم ز ت ىا ب ح ف ظ ال دائ غ ف ز د ي ػ ل ي ق ت ح ض ر م تي

4 Page 4 of 5 O Allah, the most Merciful of all those who show mercy; I am depositing with You this faith of mine and my firmness on this belief; And You are the ever-best of all those who keep deposits. And You have commanded us to keep safely those deposits that are given in our custody; So please keep for me this deposit and give it back to me at the time of my death. 7. If a dying person is in difficulty, he/she should be brought to the place where he/she normally prays. 8. It is also recommended that the following utterances are repeated till the time of death: Shahadatain (doctrinal testimony of Islam) The acknowledgement of the belief in twelve Imams and other tenets of faith should be reminded to a dying person in such a manner that the dying person would understand. The following supplication should be recited by the dying person or recited to him/her in such a manner that he/she would understand: ا لل م اغ ف ز ل ي ال ك ث ي ز م ه م ؼ اص ي ك اق ب ل م ى ي ال ي س ي ز م ه ط اػ ت ك ي ا م ه ي ق ب ل ال ي س ي ز ي ؼ ف ا ػ ه ال ك ث ي ز ا ق ب ل م ى ي ال ي س ي ز ا ػ ف ػ ى ي ا ل ك ث ي ز ا و ك ا و ت ال ؼ ف ال غ ف ر ا لل م ار ح م ى ي ف ا و ك ر ح ي م O Allah, forgive me for the many (sins) committed against You, and accept from me the meagre (good deeds) in Your obedience. O He who accepts the meagre (good deeds) and forgives the many (sins), accept from me the meagre (good deeds) and forgive my many (sins). Surely You are the All-Forgiving. O Allah, have mercy on me for surely You are forever Merciful. 9. A Muslim who is dying, whether man or woman, old or young, should, as a measure of precaution, be laid on his/her back if possible, in such a manner that the soles of his/her feet would face the Qibla (direction towards the holy Ka'bah). If the dying person consents to it, there is no need to seek the permission for it from the guardian. Otherwise, the permission must be sought. Acts to be Performed when a Person Dies 1. The dead person should be laid on his/her back, in such a manner that the soles of the feet would face the Qibla (direction towards the holy Ka'bah). 2. It is Mustahab that the eyes and lips of a dead person be shut, the chin be tied, hands and feet be straightened and to spread a cloth to cover the body. 3. If a person dies at night it is Mustahab to light the place where the body is kept. 4. Relatives and friends must recite audible remembrance of Allah and Ahlul Bait (A.S.) by recitation of Talqeen once (preferably by a close relative) recitation of the Holy Qur'an as much as possible recitation of Supplication (Dua) no. 40 (about Death) in Sahifa e-kamilah of Imam Zainul Abideen (A.S.) about death

5 Page 5 of 5 5. Immediately inform Momineen to join the funeral, and to hasten the burial. 6. A woman in menses or nifaas (blood discharge after child birth), and a person in the state of uncleanliness (Junoob) should avoid coming near the dead body, because it becomes the reason for the displeasure of the blessed Angels, who turn away in disgust. What Happens from Death until the Grave 1. After the spirit (Rooh) is separated from the body, it lingers on the top of the dead body for sometime. 2. Thereafter the Spirit of the believer is taken to the Heavens, while that of a non-believer is dragged below. 3. When a believer's funeral bier is being carried, he/she calls out: Hasten me to my eternal destination 4. The Spirit of the dead remains present and witnesses the bath given to his/her body. It is also narrated that when the bath is being performed, the dead person feels as if he is being thrown from a height, and the rough hands of the person performing the bath seem to be smiting him/her. Hence it is necessary that bath should be performed with gentle hands. 5. The Spirit hears the voices of the people who have come to attend his/her funeral. Hence it should be borne in mind that one should avoid idle and meaningless talking during the funeral. Instead, those attending the funeral should repeatedly recite the Shahadatain, etc. 6. It is also narrated that after the dead body is buried, the spirit returns back and maintains relations with the body. When it sees that the people are returning from the grave, it knows that from now on it is destined to live alone. It becomes restless, and says: Alas! Those children of mine whom I brought up with love and care have abandoned me, and now my only companions are my deeds (Aa mal) which I performed while alive. 7. The first glad tidings which a believer (Momin) receives in the grave is: Oh you who believe! Allah has forgiven your sins and the sins of those who attended your funeral. 8. The darkness & loneliness, questioning by Munkir & Nakeer, squeezing in the grave (Fishar), and the chastisement in Barzakh are some of the frightful stages which follow after burial. Note: The readers are requested to offer Fateha for the parents of the Compiler. This guide has been prepared by extracting information from various authentic Shiah ahadith and sources such as Shaikh Abbas al-qummi, etc. For more details, please contact the compiler at <altaf10161@yahoo.com>. Other What to do Guides available: Protection for the Dead During First Night in the Grave & Thereafter, Continuing Sawaab (Jariya) for the Dead, Preparing for Our Death and Hereafter (Ma ad).