Through The Lens Of Death

Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala; May He be glorified and exalted) reminds us: “Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.” [Surah Al-Anbiya 21:35]

The balance between life and death is so very fragile, the next breath is not guaranteed for any of us, ever. Yet we make plans with such certainty.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ; peace be upon him) took me by the shoulder and said: “Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.” And Ibn Umar (RadiAllahu’anhu; may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: “In the evening do not expect [to live until] the morning, and in the morning do not expect [to live until] the evening. Take [advantage of] your health before times of sickness, and [take advantage of] your life before your death.” [Bukhari]

Imagine if we woke up tomorrow morning and begun our day not expecting to live until that evening, fully believing in our soul that this day could very well be our last.

How much more conscious would we be of every word we utter, of each passing hour and what we choose to preoccupy our time with? How much more intentional would we be with our thoughts and actions? How much more would we invest into our relationships and cherish our loved ones? How much better would our Ibaadah be, both in quality and quantity? How many things would we overlook and not waste time getting angry or annoyed about but instead show up as grateful beings for the multitude of blessings each precious day holds? How would that gratitude be expressed in our words, limbs, and character?

SubhanAllah, adopting this mindset is truly a wisdom that comes from Al Wadud (The Most Loving). He wants to elevate us to be at our very best in every moment so when our time is up, we’re most prepared to meet Him InshaAllah. Our meeting with Allah is the only thing guaranteed to us in this life and every new day we’re granted, is a mercy and means to prepare for it.