REMEMBRANCE OF DEATH

Transcription

1 FRIDAY SERMON 2 Rajab 1435H / 2 May 2014 REMEMBRANCE OF DEATH Ustaz Azhari bin Mustapha Zakat Officer Islamic Centre UTM

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3 My dear brothers, may Allah bless you, Let us be taqwa to Allah SWT with a true taqwa, hopefully with taqwa we will receive mercy and guidance from Allah SWT.

4 Dear brothers, Imagine yourself, living a life of contentment, a life of happiness, a life which the average individual in society would be envious of.

5 You have achieved success in your working life, you have succeeded in your family life. You have a wife and children until one day, you return home from work, thinking that this day is like every other day.

6 You embrace your wife, you hug and play with your children, eat your dinner and finally, late at night you go to bed.

7 As you close your eyes, you feel uneasy, you feel something is abnormal, you realize that your heart is beating faster, your breathing is becoming more difficult.

8 Your voice becomes croaky, you try to call your wife, yet, it is of no avail, you panics and your wife awakens due to his frantic movements.

9 You soon realize that your life is coming towards an end and there is nothing you can do and the verse of Allah comes to mind:

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11 Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. (Surah Zumar Verse 42)

12 So, imagine a person at the time of death, every opportunity he had to do good, he had not taken it Every act of filth, every mundane action that leads towards nothing but, harm he had received it with open arms.

13 He was happy to take part in action for nothing but, a temporary enjoyment.

14 So, now he is in his death bed and his situation has become so bad that his kids are awake and his parents awaken and all surround him by his bedside.

15 His youngest child, he looks at him with innocent eyes and says, Oh my beloved father, what is happening to you? He is too weak to respond, he is too weak to even hug his son.

16 So, this son, he turns towards his mother and say, Why isn t my father speaking to me? What is wrong him? His oldest daughter realizes that his time in this world is limited, she leaves the room upset.

17 And slowly, his eyes turn towards his elderly father and mother. He did not fulfill their rights and yet, they tried their utmost best to raise him in the best of manners. His father looks at him and says, speak to me my son but, again he is too weak to responds.

18 His mother holds his hand and kisses him on his forehead just like she used to when he was young.

19 Now, he realizes that he wants to pray. Now he realizes he wants to fast. Now he realizes that he wants to fulfill the obligations ordained upon by Allah Subhanahu WaTa ala but, it is too late.

20 No! When the soul has reached the collar bones. And it is said, "Who will cure [him]? And the dying one is certain that it is the [time of] separation. And the leg is wound about the leg, to your Lord, that Day, will be the procession.

21 Dear brothers, Allah says:

22 Everyone shall taste death. And only on the day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the fire and admitted to Paradise he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing). (Surah Al Imran 3:175)

23 Such is the reality of death and what comes after it. Every one of us shall taste it whether poor or rich; healthy or sick, old or young; leader or led and none of us can escape it.

24 Allah says, Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in a fortress built up strong and high. (Surah An Nisa 4:78)

25 Death, as manifested in its character and effects is one of the mysteries that dazzles human intelligence because it has to do with the soul.

26 Allah says:

27 And they ask you (O Muhammad) concerning the spirit. Say: The spirit is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little. (Surah Al Isra 17:85)

28 One of it mysteries is that you see a youth who was full of health and energy suddenly falls dead without warning; thereby making that youthfulness and energy fade away, bringing all his senses to a complete standstill.

29 That youth might even be an erudite scholar, an eloquent author, a skilled physician or brilliant inventor but it is absolutely out of the question that this quality should prevent death from overtaking him when his time is due.

30 Allah says, When their term is reached, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment). (Surah Younus 10:49)

31 Amr bin Abdullah used to mount the pulpit and say, Many a person who has seen the beginning of a day but would not see it s end. And many a person who has expected morning but would not live to see it.

32 If only you had known your appointed time and how it comes to pass, you would have detested nursing hope for worldly materials and its deception.

33 While man enjoys his good health, playing and merrymaking, moving about in haughtiness, commanding and forbidding, death and illness suddenly attacks him, weakens his body, makes his limbs lifeless and then closes his record.

34 How near is death! Every day it becomes closer to us and no sooner has the book reached its appointed time that we belong among the dead.

35 Then it becomes clear that life is really like flowers that bloom then afterwards wither or like a lamp that illuminates then afterwards dies down.

36 Let those who crave for this world and its pleasures ponder over these scattered graves all over the place and realize that the way to pleasures and lustful things, though decorated with beautiful roses inevitably leads to the present condition of those buried in these graves.

37 Happiness is for him whom a messenger of death has opened his eyes to reality before he died, and whoever does not heed to the warning of the Quran and death, even if mountains were to thrust one another in front of him, he would not heed.

38 Dear brothers! What we witness in the cemeteries is a great lesson for us. The carrier of the bier to the cemetery today is taken back there tomorrow (as a dead person) and is left there only with his deeds either good or evil.

39 It is also very unfortunate that in these days we see some among those who escort the deceased laughing and playing or attending the funeral for showing off.

40 This phenomenon is due to the heedlessness that has hardened people s hearts and made them forget the Last Day and the frightening conditions of the grave. May Allah awaken us from this heedlessness!

41 Brothers in faith! It is expected of him who knows that he will die, be buried, raised up on the day of Resurrection and enter Paradise or Hell to always remember death, prepare for it and reflect on it.

42 He is in fact expected to regard himself among the dead. This is because all that is coming is near and when the angel of death comes neither your wealth nor your people can prevent him from taking your soul.

43 Where are those who achieved their aims which were incomparable to them in that? They collected but could not eat what they collected; they built mansions but could not live there!

44 We on our part are still swimming in the pool of life as if we are meant to live here forever. Uways Al Qarnee said, Remember death when you sleep and always think of it when you are awake.

45 Fellow Muslims! It is a fact that this world and its tribulations appear insignificant in the eyes of him who always remembers death, for, he has lofty aims and strong resolutions; he is far from hypocrisy and always yearns for the everlasting bliss in the eternal Paradise.

46 Dear Brothers, Remembering death does not in any way make one s life loathsome to him; forcing him to sit in his home and leave all means of sustenance.

47 It is rather meant to deter him from committing sins and soften his hard heart.

48 We remember death in order to have good preparation for it and for all that follows it by doing righteous deeds, obeying Allah and increasing one s efforts in all acts of worship.

49 Abdur Rahman ibn Mahdee said, If Hammaad bin Salamah is told, You will die tomorrow. He will not be able to increase anything in his deed, because his time is full of worship and remembrance of Allah.

50 How do we prepare for death? We prepare for death by shunning all abominable things and returning trusts to their rightful owners.

51 We prepare for death by eliminating hatred and enmity from our hearts. We prepare for death by being good to the kith and kin.

52 Ibn al Mubaarak said that Saalih Al Mariy used to say, If the remembrance of death leaves me for an hour my heart becomes spoilt.

53 It is also said that, Whoever frequently remembers death is honored with 3 things: quick repentance, self contentedness and energy in doing acts of worship; and whoever forgets death is punished with 3 things: delaying repentance, lack of contentedness and laziness in acts of worship.

54 When will one who always follows his lustful desires and moves wantonly in his heedlessness remember death?

55 When will one who has no regard for Allah s injunctions in Halaal or Haraam remember death?

56 When will the one who deserts the Quran, prays not Fajr in congregation, usurps people s property unlawfully, takes usury, and commits fornication, remember death?

57 How can one whose habit is slandering others and backbiting, whose heart is full of rancor and envy remember death?

58 During death and its pain; in the grave and its darkness; and the Day of Resurrection and its horror people fall into two groups.

59 A group shall remain firm; secured from fright and given glad tidings of Paradise while the other group shall suffer disgrace and ignominy.

60 Allah says,

61 Verily, those who say, Our Lord is Allah (alone) and then stood straight, on them the angel will descend (at the time of their death saying,) Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised. (Surah Fussilat 41:30)

62 Angels shall descend upon the believers who are straight in their religion during death in their graves and when they are resurrected in order to assure them of security and to allay their fears of the horror of the Day of Judgment.

63 The angels will be telling them: Do not fear about what you are going to meet and do not grieve over what you will be leaving behind of children, family and wealth.

64 The angels will also say, We have been your friends in the life of this world and (are so) in the hereafter. (Surah Fussilat 41:31)

65 That is, we will also be your friends in the hereafter, keeping your company in your graves and when the horn is blown, we will also assure you of security on the day of resurrection.

66 As for the unbelievers, when death comes to them and they start suffering its agonies, they will be subjected to ignominy and disgrace.

67 Allah says:

68 And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands saying:

69 Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) with disrespect. (Surah Al An aam 6:93)

70 Their sorrow shall increase so much so that they will wish to go back to this world.

71 Allah says: Until when death comes to one of them, he says, My Lord send me back. (Surah Al Mu minoon 23:99)

72 Qataadah said while commenting on this verse, By Allah, he would not wish by this statement to go back to his family and wealth nor to collect the good things of this world and satisfy his desires. He would rather wish to go back and do acts of obedience to Allah.

73 May Allah bless him who does in this life what the disbelievers would wish to do when he sees the torment of Hell!

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77 O servant of Allah, remember that this world is a place for temporary lodging. Truly, hereafter is the everlasting and permanent abode. So let us devote to Allah for obtaining happiness and escape from the punishment of hellfire.

78 Allah says in Surah Al Ahzab verse 56:

79 Which means: Indeed Allah confers blessing upon the prophet and His angels (ask Him to do so). O! You who have believed, ask Allah to confer blessing upon him and ask Allah to grant him peace.

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81 Let us pray that may Allah SWT be please with the khalifahs of Rasulullah s.a.w i.e Sayyidina Abu Bakr al Siddiq r.a., Sayyidina Umar al Khattab r.a., Sayyinda Uthman ibn Affan r.a., Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Thalib r.a.

82 And to his companions who struggle to uphold the religion of Allah, also to his uncles Sayyidina Hamzah and Sayyidina Abbas r.a. and to his granchildren Sayyidina Hassan and Sayyidina Hussain r.a., his daughters Sayyidatina Fatimah al Zahraa, his wives Sayyidatina Khadijah and Sayyidatina Aisyah r.a. and the other wives. Followed by his family, companions, followers of the companions and those who come after them from time to time until the end of the world.

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84 O Allah, forgive all Muslims and believers, whether surviving or deceased. O Allah, grant us glory and prosperity to those who fight and spendtheirwealthinyourwaysuchasthose who pay zakat, waqaf etc.

85 Ya Allah, bestow your guidance and help to the leaders and kings of the Muslim countries especially to Abdaka Al Harith Lishariatika Al Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Al Sultan Iskandar, the Sultan and ruler for the State of Johor Darul Takzim.

86 And to Raja Zarith Sofea Binti Al Marhum Sultan Idris Shah, Tengku Ismail Ibn Sultan Ibrahim, Pemangku Raja Johor and, the Prince and Princess, the royal kinship, and all Muslims.

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89 TRANSLATION OF THIS SERMON CAN BE DOWNLOAD AT ISLAMIC CENTRE WEBSITE

90 KEPADA PARA JEMAAH SEKALIAN, SILA PENUHKAN SAF YANG KOSONG DIHADAPAN ANDA /pusatislam.utm