TRILOGY OF CREATION: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND THE FUTURE (3)
— SHEHU, Abdus-Salam Aladodo.
To (The Future)
When a supposed green plant dries off, it is termed to have died. It returns back to its previous position i.e. The plant was nothing before its seeds were planted, until it blossomed and became green, then with time, it dried off and that signifies the end of it. Or a barren land which was watered and made fertile by the rain, when the rain ceases, it will go back to it former state or barrenness. Humans are like that as well. Allah has written our destinies, and part of it is that we will die at a decreed time. It is important to note the word “decreed time”. This is because one will never die except when Allah has decreed for death to come. So, it is wrong to say: “So-so-and-so person died because he had an accident, because he was afflicted with a trial” and all other reasons we give for death. No. Those reasons are the ‘Sabab’ (the cause) which has also been written. Just like an Arab poet rightly said:
Whoever does not die by the sword
will die by another thing
(different from the sword),
the causes of death changes,
but death is only one.
In reference to death being decreed at a certain time, the Qur’an says:
And it is not [possible] for one to die except by permission of Allah at a decree determined.
-Sura Aal-E-Imran, Ayah 145
Also, it is wrong to ascribe death to age or think it is not fair enough for young people to die. All has been written. Whether young or old, agile or feeble. The time of death has been written and nothing will change it:
And among you is he who is taken in [early] death, and among you is he who is returned to the most decrepit [old] age so that he knows, after [once having] knowledge, nothing.
-Sura Al-Hajj, Ayah 5
This is why our beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him) advised us to take charge of our life before death comes calling. Whatever goodness we strive towards doing whilst we still have control over our lives will earn us greater reward than when we are on the sick bed expecting death to take over the reins. One is enjoined to worship Allah until the last point of death, this is in the hope to have a favourable ending. There has been several reports of righteous predecessors whom death came upon while praying, remembering Allah, reciting the Qur’an or even whilst on the battlefield, these are beautiful endings. Whatever we die upon is what we will be resurrected upon. Whoever dies upon goodness will be resurrected upon it, and one who dies upon evil will be resurrected upon it as well. Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Everyone will be raised in the condition in which he dies”. [Muslim].
Death cannot be averted, neither can it be delayed. If it could be averted or delayed, or even people were meant to live eternally, our beloved Prophet would be alive, we would not need anyone to tell us the tales of the tyrants who once ruled the lands, or the tales of giants as tall as the mountains. No matter how heavily guarded or highly placed one is in the society, when death comes knocking, it bypasses all protocol and do what it has been assigned.
Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. -Sura An-Nisa’, Ayah 78
In yet another verse, Allah informs us:
Say, “Indeed, the death from which you flee – indeed, it will meet you. -Sura Al-Jumu’ah, Ayah 8
When we die, it is not the end. Rather, it is the beginning of another journey back to our Maker. Many things will happen after death, after one has been buried underneath the ground. The Angels of the grave will come for questioning, the believers will be laid to rest, till the day of resurrection (once they pass the questions), and the disbelievers will be subjected to torments until the day of resurrection.
There, [on that Day], every soul will be put to trial for what it did previously, and they will be returned to Allah, their master, the Truth.
-Sura Yunus, Ayah 30
This is the whole of our life, this is our journey. Our life is nothing but a triangle. From Allah – For Allah – To Allah. Knowing that our life has been designed by Him is a good way to keep us on our feet and strive towards earning His mercy, strive towards achieving success in the hereafter and not amassing wealth that cannot avail us the bounties of the day of judgement. So, worship your Lord until certainty (death) enters upon youm Verily, from Allah we come, and to Him we shall be returned.
For,
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