Ali Albarghouthi – Signs of a Righteous Death
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AI: Transcript ©
He said alayhis salaahu wasalam that if Allah
wanted good for someone,
he employs them
or uses them.
In another
version of it, tahara,
he purifies him.
In yet another version of it,
Asalah
means he sweetens
him. They said O prophet of Allah and
what does that mean?
He said he guides him to do something
good
and then he takes his soul while he's
doing it.
He facilitates
that that person whom Allah wants
something good for them.
That before their death
they do something good.
And then Allah Azzawajal
takes their soul. They die
while they're doing that thing.
And if you were to wonder
why that is important,
the prophet alayhi salatu wassalam said,
yubba'tulmaru'alamamata'alaih.
A person will be brought back to life
upon the thing that he died doing.
He will be brought back to life.
Doing back, meaning
on the day of judgment,
resurrected,
doing the thing that he was doing when
he died.
So if he was among the righteous
doing righteousness,
That's how he'll be resurrected
in that company
with that deed.
And if he is among the wicked,
the sinful,
doing a sin,
that's how he dies or she dies.
They'll be resurrected in that company
doing that
thing. Once a man at the time of
Rasulullah
alayhis salatu was salam while they are in
Hajj,
he fell off his
camel,
broke his neck
and he died.
So Rasoolallahu
alaihi wasallam he said wash his body,
shroud it, put the kaffin on,
Don't put any perfume.
Don't cover his head
because he will be resurrected on the day
of judgment, Mullabya,
reciting the Takbir of Hajj. The way that
he died,
he'll be resurrected like that.
So
how you live
and most importantly
how you die determines how you will be
brought back to life.
And he also said, Alayhi Salatu Wasallam,
Deeds
are by their conclusion.
Meaning
whether they are to be accepted by Allah
or rejected.
Whether the deeds of a human being are
sound
or corrupt,
right or wrong.
What determines all of this? He says the
end of it.
The end of it.
Just like a person who's running a race,
What matters is that finish line.
If you stop before the finish line, then
you're not in the race anymore.
A person who is fasting, if they break
his their fast
an hour before maghrib, they're not fasting anymore.
So what determines the outcome is the end
and that is the most important
part.
And it's most important
because not everybody manages to die righteously.
And it is a most difficult of times
because at that point
we are our weakest
and the shaitan is the strongest.
At that time
when you know that you're gonna, you're about
to pass, leave
and you're physically your weakest
and emotionally you're panicking
And psychologically
you're under
stress
unlike any stress that you have witnessed before,
so you are your weakest at that point.
And whatever you love
comes to the surface.
Whatever you rely on comes to the surface.
So you are weak
and you're trying to grab on the things
that you used to depend on.
If it were Allah Azzawajal, then you'll remember
Allah.
If it were something else, then you'll remember
something else.
And at that point as I said
the shaitan is the strongest.
Because he knows that if he is able
to trap you and miss guide you
then then you're over.
And if you escape him
and you're strong at that moment
then you've won.
And that is when a person
needs
support from Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala
Allah confirms
those who believe with a firm belief in
the dunya and in the akhira
and they said
among that confirmation in the dunya, in addition
to any other time when you're alive
and you're unsure, you're confused and Allah Azzawajal
guides you and guide your heart to the
truth. When you're your weakest before death,
Allah confirms
iman in your heart so that you will
die as a believer.
It's a gift from him subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Yes. But it's also based
on what we do.
Those who
have iman and Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and
they walk the straight path,
then the angels will keep descending upon them,
giving them the good news of don't be
afraid or sad,
we are your allies
in the dunya and in the akhira. We
will support you. And some of the sisad
scholars have said
that
the believer
when he sees the angels of Allah Azzawajal
just before his death
that will confirm iman in his heart
and that will protect him from the whispers
and the play of the shaitan.
So the angels will descend
and if a person is worthy of confirmation,
they will confer confirm him.
And to that
Rasulullah Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam said,
a. Woman, karihalika
Allahi karihalahu liqa. He says if someone
loves to meet Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, Allah
would love to meet him.
And if a person hates to meet Allah,
Allah will hate to meet him.
So they said, O Prophet of Allah, all
of us hate death. He said, that's not
it.
But when someone is about to die and
he receives the angels of Allah Azzawajal and
they give him the good news of what
is to come,
he loves to meet Allah
and so Allah loves to meet him. And
when the disbeliever or the hypocrite
receives the angels of Allah and they give
him news of the punishment that awaits him,
he hates to meet Allah and so Allah
hates to meet him.
And because of the fragility of that time
and the fragility of the human being,
We need to worry about that time as
well.
Part of the dua of the prophet, Alaihi
Salatu Wasallam,
the turner of the hearts,
the changer of the hearts, the changer of
the hearts,
establish, confirm
my heart upon your
faith,
upon your religion.
They said, O Messenger of Allah, how often
do you make that dua? How often do
you use that in your oath?
He said, indeed,
because there is no human heart except that
it is between 2 fingers of the finger
of the most merciful.
And he turns it as he wishes, Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala,
Meaning your heart is not yours,
but it's in the hands of Allah Subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
And if you have iman now, there is
no guarantee that you will have it later.
So any believer,
even if you are
or you think you are the best of
the best,
even if you look at yourself and you
say mashallah,
I fast and I pray and I've memorized
the Quran and I give sadaqa and this
and this and this.
But when you know that at the end
of
time, at the end of your life,
your soul could betray you
and your sins can catch up with you,
you will never admire what you're doing.
You will never admire what you're doing because
you know that all of it could go
away
if the end is not right.
And SubhanAllah, there was once a man
at the time of Rasulullah
salatu was salam,
one of those battles.
And he was courageously fighting alongside the Muslims
Until some of the Muslims have said no
one today fought better than so and so.
No one protected protected us today more than
so and so.
And yet Rassoulallahu alaihi salatu wasalam said,
Innahumin ahlinnar.
He's of the people of hellfire.
So some Muslims have said if he is
in hellfire, who among us will be in
heaven?
This is how excellent he was
and how his deeds appeared.
One of the sahabas
said,
I'll monitor this man to know
and confirm
the statement of the Prophet alaihis salatu wa
sallam. So he watched him, he was close
by as he was fighting
and he was injured,
that man.
And he panicked
because of his injury.
So he killed himself.
And so he rushed back to the Prophet
Alaihi Salatu Wasallam and he said, I testify
that you are a prophet of Allah.
He said, what happened?
He said, I watched what he was doing
and he eventually he killed himself and committed
suicide.
And then to that he said
indeed
He says a man would continue to do
the deeds of the people of heaven
As far as people can see, he said,
Alayhi Salatu Wa Salaam,
until there is only a hand span between
him and Jannah And then he switches and
he does the deeds of the people of
hellfire and he enters hellfire.
And a man would do the deeds of
the people of hellfire as far as people
could see.
And then before,
there's only a hand span between him and
hellfire. He switches and he does the deeds
of the people of heaven and he enters
heaven.
Now tell me, after listening to this hadith,
could you feel secure in what you're doing?
Or could you lose hope
that Allah azzarajal could guide you or guide
anyone?
You could do the best,
but something
internally is missing.
And so eventually
you switch
to the actions of the people of hellfire
and you enter hellfire.
So you know that I cannot rely on
my salah.
I have to pray.
I can't simply rely on my Zakah. I
have to give Zakah.
But I plead with Allah
Keep my heart strong
as a believer.
So I do not waver before death.
And if you are a person who has
done much to displease Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
or you know someone who has done much
to to the same effect,
Never despair of Allah's mercy because you never
know.
Allah could change the fortunes of that person
for whatever things they have done or dua
that they have received
and they will do the right thing just
before their death and they will go to
heaven.
Sufyan Wouthouri,
rahaimo Allah, he used to cry
and they said,
or they asked him once, he says, are
you crying because of you're afraid of your
sins? He said, it's not sins that I
worry about.
It's what's gonna happen to me right before
my death.
Since I know that Allah azza wa can
forgive,
but what is my state before my death?
That's what I worry about. Because whatever you
do right now
could surface right before your death.
Umr ibn Abdul
Aziz Rahimahullah
was beside someone
who's dying.
And he said, say ilaha
illallah,
say ilaha illallah.
And the person refused refused refused
and eventually he said, I disbelieve in this
and they died.
So he asked about him
and he they said,
He was an alcoholic.
He was an alcoholic,
addicted to alcohol.
So there are certain sins,
unless forgiven,
unless there is something else to counter them,
they will surface at that time
and per may prevent a person
from saying the very thing that could save
them.
May Allah Azza wa Jal protect us from
that. Aquluqawlihada
wa astaghfirullah haleewalakumfastaghfiroo.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala had given us some
signs
that someone's
end may have been
a good one.
And we don't conclude with certainty that that's
the case, but it does
give us hope
or probabilities.
So among them
and most important among them
is
He said alaihis salatu wasalam the ones whose
last statement is la ilaha illallah he shall
enter Jannah
And that is of course is not available
to anyone and everyone who wishes
to have that.
At that point,
the shaitan stands between you
and what what you want to say and
what you want to do.
And if you just consider and this is
really an important point.
If you consider how the shaitan now while
we are healthy
and powerful and wealthy,
stands between us and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
and manages to win.
Consider
how much power he will have when we
are our weakest and he
is our his strongest.
So in order to be able to say
that on the day when you want to
die or when you're about to die,
you have to live it, you have to
feel it,
you have to practice it.
So if one says La ilaha illallah,
then that is a good sign.
And it is sunnah to remind people who
are dying to repeat it until that be
the last thing that they say.
Also,
if someone dies
while sweating,
He said alayhis salatu wa salam,
yamutul muminubiaraqiljabeen.
He says the believer dies while his forehead
is sweating.
One of the salaf
just before his death,
he said, I remind you of 3 things,
the taqah of Allah
and watch Allah
when you're alone.
The things that you do while you're alone
matter.
And the third thing is look at my
conclusion, my death. I lived 61 years.
It's as if I did not see much
of this world.
Then he said, look at my forehead. Am
I sweating? They said, yes, you're sweating. He
said, that is a good sign. He said,
alayhis salatu wassalam, that the believer would die
while sweating.
Another good sign is that the person would
die Friday night or Friday day.
Yawmuljumu
aww Laylatuljumu
aww, because he said alayhis salatu wasalam that
a person who dies
Laylatuljumu
aww, Yawmuljumu aww will be protected from the
fitna of the grave.
Another one
is that a person would die in Medina.
And he said, Alayhi Salatu Wasallam, that if
anyone among you can die in Medina, let
them die in Medina because I will intercede
for those who will die in Medina.
Another one is for a person to die
with shahada, with martyrdom,
to be a shahid.
Whether that is fighting
for Allah's
sake and he is killed
or he is on his way and he
is killed
or he is being stationed in battle and
he is killed. All of that, the shahid
is protected from
the fitnah of the grave
and maybe we can include in it
other categories of shahada that the prophet alaihis
salatu wassalam added
because he said alaihis salatu wassalam among the
categories,
those who die drowning
or in a fire
or under the rubble
or because of an illness in their stomach
or a woman who is giving birth or
because of it,
all of these people are shuhada.
So perhaps those can be included as well.
And when you look at Muslims dying in
these ways,
you will say to yourself, as much as
we hate that this would happen to anyone,
at the same time this could be shahada
for them and there may be honored because
of it.
So it's good on one side,
bad on the other.
And maybe we can add to it
Mansa'ala shahadatabi'sultin,
the one who truly wants to be a
model and asks Allah for it sincerely, maybe
Allah Azzajal will include him in that category,
wallahu'alam.
And of course what we said,
a person who does something
good
and they die while doing it.
Why would a person receive
a good end?
They would receive it because of their iman,
because of their habitual
Taa,
obedience
because of their zikr of Allah Subhanahu wa'ta'ala,
because they remember death, because they fear it,
because they work for it,
because they are frightened by what could be
at their end of their life, so they
are eager to do good
as much as they can because they don't
know when they're going to die.
He said, subhanahu wa ta'ala, do not die
except as Muslims and since you don't know
when, then you do what you're supposed to
do all the time in case that's the
time when you are going to die.
So you rush and you obey Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
They do good and they make dua and
they receive good dua
and they never despair of Allah's mercy.
And those who receive the opposite
are those who have wrong beliefs, shaky beliefs.
They don't really believe in Allah and his
prophet
or they are so immersed in the dunya,
so immersed in the Haram
that that is what has overtaken their hearts.
So when you are about to die, you
remember the ones and the things that you
love the most.
You cannot pretend.
You cannot claim what is not true.
You are panicking. You're holding on
to dear life
and you'll remember the things that matter to
you.
So if a person
loved the haram,
Haram will come to their mind and to
their heart. Nothing else can compete.
If they are used to it, that's the
thing that will surface.
But if they were obedient to Allah, the
obedience of Allah will come to their rescue.
And if they used to remember Allah Allah,
the remembrance of Allah will come naturally to
their tongue.
And if their bodies used to worship Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, they'll find it easier to
continue the worship of Allah.
Finally, I want to share with you a
story that I've heard from someone
and there's benefit in it,
but also we need to properly understand it.
Someone,
one of those days, he had a dream.
He was going to Umrah.
And in the dream, he saw saw somebody
tell him,
take your neighbor to Umrah with you.
Don't say that this is just a dream.
Take your neighbor with you to Umrah. He
wakes up.
He says to himself, this is just a
dream.
I'm not really close to my neighbor.
He sleeps again. He sees the same exact
dream.
Take your neighbor with you to Umrah. This
is not a dream.
Take him.
He wakes up.
He goes to a dream interpreter. He said,
this is what I'm seeing twice so far.
What is the interpretation?
He says, what is the apparent meaning?
You're being asked to take your neighbor to
Umrah. See if you see it a third
time. If you see it a third time,
do it.
He sleeps a third time, sees the exact
same dream.
And so he decides I'm going to go
to my neighbor
who I really am not close to
and he's not religious.
So he knocks on the door.
Salaam Alaikum, Alaikum Assalam. Can I come in?
Yes.
And he said, I'm going to Umrah and
I want to take you with me.
And he said, me? He said, yes.
He said, but I'm not religious.
He says, it doesn't matter. He says, I
don't pray.
I don't even know how to pray. He
says, I'll teach you.
He said, I don't even know how to
make wudu. I says, I'll teach you.
So he says, I taught him step by
step how to make wudu.
Step by step how to pray.
Then we traveled to Umrah.
And he said, when we were in Mecca,
you could see that that affected him.
His heart started to open.
So while we are in our hotel, he
would say, I need to go
to the Haram.
Why? I wanna spend more time there because
of all the bad things that I've done
in my life. I wanna compensate, make up
for
lost years. So he would go spend some
time then come back, go spend some time
and come back.
One
of those days he goes and he's late.
He doesn't come. So they started to look
for him. And to their surprise, they started
to look for him. And to their surprise,
they started to look for him. And to
their surprise, they started to look for him.
And to their surprise, they started to look
for him. And
So they started to look for him
and to their surprise they found him dead
in the Haram in the position of sujood.
So they contacted the family
and they said, please
wash the body and bury him in Mecca.
That's what we want for
him. But the man still had questions.
Why did he see that dream?
So he went to his wife and he
asked her. He says, I, you know why
I took him to Umrah? I saw this
dream and now he's dead.
And that is a beautiful death.
Why did he die that way? Why did
I see that dream? He said, I'll tell
you why.
As you know my
husband is not religious, he did not pray,
he did not do this or that, but
he had a nice heart.
And one of the things that he used
to do that people did not know about
him is that there was an elderly lady
and he used to take care of her.
He will take a portion of his salary,
buy her whatever she needs every single month
and he was doing this for a very
long time.
He alone was taking care of her and
whenever he would do this, she will tell
him, I cannot repay you but the only
thing I can say, may Allah give you
a good end.
The only dua I can give you and
she says that's the only dua that she
will give to him.
May Allah give you a good khatima.
She said because of this,
that's what you saw.
Now when we look or we hear these
stories
and they happen in front of us, you
understand Allah's great mercy.
You could do so many terrible things
and Allah like this could save you.
So you never despair of yourself or people
around you.
But it also should teach you that
you should do something good in your life.
It doesn't matter how sinful, how far away
you are from Allah Azad.
By the way, don't say I will not
pray. I will not fast. I will and
then just rely on that somehow miraculously
this will happen to me too.
There are many people who will go to
* because they did not pray and did
not fast and disobeyed Allah, Azza wa
Jal. But what you should take from that
story is
do some hidden good deeds between you and
Allah,
No one knows about them.
Be sincere
and believe that Allah
is the most forgiving and most merciful.
So we ask Allah, rabbalalaminarhamarrahameen
to give us pusnal khatima
and to protect us from the evil khatima.
We ask, to make us steadfast upon this
faith,
to fill our hearts with iman and ikhlas.
We ask him,
to forgive us all of our sins, especially
the stubborn ones that keep coming back to
us. You Rabbal 'alamin, forgive us our addiction
to sin. Give us power against the sins
that have ruined our lives
and have have overtaken them, You Rabbal alamin.
Give us power against the whispers of the
shaitan.
Give us power against the plots of the
shaitan.
Make our make our death a good death,
You arhamarrahimin.
And our resurrection, a good resurrection, You
Allah, include us all and our loved ones
in your mercy because it's all encompassing.
Include us
all in your forgiveness because it's all encompassing
to send down your protection upon the Muslims,
upon the people in Gaza, upon the people
of Palestine.
Bring your relief upon all Muslims in Sudan
and in India and the rest of the
world.
Oh, wake up.
Very important
today after
so you and your family joined