Suleiman Hani – Powerful Stories of Everyday Muslims #10 – The Story of Death

			Our story today is the story of death. How do I think about my inevitable departure, my death and
prepare for it. An atheist became a Muslim when he saw how Muslims were talking about death with
certainty of what they are to face in the next phase in the next part of the souls journey. He said
his anxiety and his fear about not knowing for sure what he would face after he died, scared him
every day. And he didn't think that it would make sense that God would create life and death and
then not inform us about what was to come. And as he spoke to some Muslim students, about Islam, and
he read the translation of the Quran and some commentaries on that translation as well, he spoke to
		

			a few Muslim scholars, and eventually he became Muslim, the wisest of people. Who are they? How many
degrees do they have? What is their position in society? The wisest of people are those who reflect
on death and prepare for what comes after as the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasallam informs us if
someone told you a hurricane was guaranteed to hit your house, guaranteed 100% Your house on the
coast in just a few hours a hurricane was coming? Would it make sense for you to ignore them?
Because the thoughts of the hurricane frightens you? Or do you follow the map that they provide you
get in the vehicle that you have, or escape to shelter, safety and salvation, death is all around us
		

			and it is assigned for us to be prepared for it. And yes, it makes us uncomfortable, because we are
so attached to the only world that we remember experiencing this far in these bodies, this life,
when you become attached to something bidding farewell to it becomes more difficult, when you become
attached to something bidding farewell to it becomes more difficult that believers know that this
life is a temporary test and it is short and it is fast, that is around the corner. And actually we
can say that there is right there. And they will come in which none of us who are alive today in
this world will be alive at that time. And the reality is we will have moved on to a greater place a
		

			lasting place and eternal place, we will have moved on to Allah subhanaw taala and our afterlife.
Therefore the highest level of wisdom is to reflect on the inevitable departure, to be hopeful in
Allah's mercy by working for it day and night and to bid farewell to the attachments of this world
while taking care of your commitments and your relationships. The one who dies in a good state
celebrates eternally May Allah grant us that the one who dies in a good state celebrates also
immediately and the one who runs away from the fall of death and they stay distracted with worldly
desires. They stay attached to worldly desires because they're so uncomfortable with the reality of
		

			death. They're chasing after temporary things they're chasing after worldly limited ambition,
superficial matters. That person will find himself or herself regretful at the moment of death. May
Allah protect us from that there are many questions we can ask to help us make the right choice when
it comes to the story of death. And in particular the story of your death your departure from this
world. First question is what did you leave behind? Number two, what have you sent ahead of good
deeds because all you can take to the afterlife to your afterlife or your deeds? Number three, what
do you need to change today? In order to celebrate more tomorrow? What do you need to change today
		

			so that you have less regrets tomorrow or no regrets tomorrow, inshallah? And finally, number four,
is it not time? Is it not time for us to change? Is it not time for us to take heed? Is it not time
for us to accept these reminders and to move forward and prepare for our afterlife in our meeting
with Allah? May Allah subhanaw taala grant us wisdom in our lives and the ability to die in a
righteous way a righteous life and the righteous death and resurrection with a righteous gathering
along them